Chapter 1 Part 2 of 2 (Patreon)

“How big of an impact would it be?” Melissa’s brows pinched together.

“Kings and queens might rule the land in the First Realm but traders own the people and the kingdoms,” Evernight answered.

“If we acted through the traders, we could control the majority of the First Realm, or affect it one way or another,” Elise agreed. “In the Second Realm, we can pick the powers that rise and fall. In the Third Realm, if all of our traders were under one banner, I think that we would move as much materials as the top thirty trading conglomerates. In the Fourth Realm we were trading as much as eight cities, with our traders alone.”

“If we keep the traders stuck here?” Delilah asked

“Then I think that we would be revealing more than hiding,” Elise bowed her head.

“Evernight?”

The woman thought on the question as they entered a copse of trees. A family was out for a walk, with two young children holding their parent’s hands.

“Such cute kiddos,” Momma said.

“They’ll grow up big and strong,” Jia Feng agreed. The two women had become fast friends, reinforced with their love of food.

“Thank you, Miss Jia, Momma.” The man smiled proudly as he bowed and his wife curtsied, the two boys gazed at the group of people with interest.

“Would they be allowed a treat?” Momma asked.

“What do you say, boys, would you like a treat?”

“Mhhmm!” The boy closest bit his lower lip, his eyes lighting up. The one holding onto his mother’s hand, pressed his forefinger against his mouth, watching and hiding behind his mother.

“What are their names?” asked Momma Rodriguez, as she pulled out some freshly baked cookies.

“This one is Ryan.” The man raised the hand of the smiling boy. “And the one behind my wife is Elbert.”

E and R to start their names, a running theme in Alva. Delilah smiled as Momma gave the cookie to the first boy.

“Thank you!” He jumped up.

“Such good manners, young man,” Momma laughed and patted him on the head. “Would you like a cookie too, Elbert?”

The boy looked from her, Ryan and his cookie, to his mother.

“She asked you a question, not me.”

Elbert nodded his head and scrunched behind his mother.

“Here you go.” Momma took out another cookie and passed it over.

“Here, something for dinner.” Jia Feng pulled out a covered pot, smelling of tomatoes and held it out to the parents.

“Miss Jia,” the woman said, looking to refuse.

“It’ll only stay in my storage ring otherwise, come on,” Miss Jia winked. “They’re my cabbage rolls. These boys must be big eaters. This should fill them up some. And save you both time in the kitchen.”

The husband grinned and pushed his wife’s elbow, with a playful smile. She pressed her lips together and shot him a look.

Too cute. Delilah hid her smile behind her hand.

“Thank you, Miss Jia, you are too kind.”

“Ah, it is a cook’s hope that people might enjoy her food.” Jia waved it off as the lady took the pot into her storage ring.

“Bye Elbert and Ryan. Hope you have a great walk,” Momma said to them.

The two groups separated and kept going.

“That’s what we should have,” Elise said.

“What?”

“A community meal. Bring everyone together, just sit and eat with one another. In times like this, we need one another the most. We aren’t like sects, we’re a community.”

“I agree, and I can have the students make food,” Jia said.

“Pay all the vendors a fee so people can go and try out different things and boost the economy?” Delilah asked.

“Should relax people, but when to do it?”

“Two weeks. By then we’ll have our people back. We’ll know what happened and people will need one another more than ever,” Momma answered.

“Momma, I’ll leave that in your charge. Sorry, Evernight,” Delilah put her hand on the other woman’s arm.

“No worries, those kids are much cuter than me.” Evernight smiled. “With the impacts of the traders remaining here; I agree with Elise, if we keep them hidden, then the impact will be felt far and wide. If it were a gradual change, that would be fine. Traders change their routes all the time. But, we just recalled them, tearing them out of the economies they were a part of.”

“We have a lot of the Adventurer’s Guild’s members, see if they want a job.”

“Okay, but we should keep their identities hidden. The Willful Institute badly, wants to destroy the guild. If they trace them back to us, the Black Phoenix Clan could be right behind them.”

“Talk to Jasper and make sure they understand.”

“Yes, Council Leader.” Evernight bowed her head.

Delilah stretched, taking in the park. They walked for some time in silence.

“We have an opportunity here. We must use this influx of people and resources to expand our abilities. If we just try to maintain what we have, then everything could collapse. I’ve seen it happen on Earth. After wars, the cost can be too much and countries fall apart because there are a lot of people returning, but there are no jobs for them.” Momma said.

“We can expand the number of traders, increase the number of factories, increase the staff in the Consortium and Kanesh Academy and offer loans to people for expansion,” Delilah contemplated.

“It will be a hard balance to strike,” Momma said as they reached the end of the park. Through the arches, leading out of the park, they could see seating that had been set up in the middle of the different restaurant stalls.

It’s nearly empty. Delilah checked the time. It was the lunch hour, but there were only a few people in the chairs. Waiters sat in groups, talking to one another.

Seeing the group arriving they stared at one another.

“There are so many good restaurants here. And it looks like we can get some prime seating, right now,” Momma said, raising her voice ever so slightly; just enough for people walking by on the street going between the seating and the park, to hear her.

“Hiya, we might need two waiters. I know Taran and Arenson have quite the appetites!” Momma said to a table of waiters.

They all stared at one another before a man stood and tapped another waitress on the shoulder. She shook her head and he pinched her ear.

She complained as she stood.

“We’ll go with Mister Yi’s soup, to start, please! Could we get some of Miss Jo’s boiled eggs as well, so runny in the middle,” Momma said to the council sitting on the low stools around the table. “We’ll take some special fried rice from the Rice Emporium, please, and oh, hmm, come on, I need your help everyone.” Momma waved the waiter and waitress over, menus were handed out.

When did I last eat? Delilah grimaced. So many stamina potions and bars.

“Oh, can we go for the black pepper frogs, delicious,” Jia Feng said.

“These soy ginger and honey ribs please,” Taran added.

The chefs at the stalls warmed up their grills as the council placed their orders.

“Need some vegetables, the cooked mixed greens and nuts please,” Momma said.

“The sushi rolls, could you tell me about them?” Melissa asked the male waiter.

“Yes, Miss Bouchard. The fish is taken from the Water Floor each morning and we make it fresh with seaweed from the Wood Floor, dried on the Fire Floor and rice from the Earth Floor, with mixed vegetables from both. The fish falls apart in your mouth and the seaweed has a clean crunch to it.”

“I’ll get a selection please,” Bouchard said.

“Certainly, one portion?”

“I’ll go for a portion as well,” Delilah said.

“Certainly, Council Leader.”

“Could we start with the refreshing Mind Tranquility Tea?” Jia Feng asked the female waitress.

“Certainly, I’ll get that started for you.”

“Thank you.”

The waitress ran off to a stall. It was manned by a young man who eagerly accepted the order. He took out ingredients and started to prepare the tea in large clear tea ware so he and others could see everything he was doing.

Others, seeing the group there, started to take a seat at the tables.

There’s much to do. Still, shouldn’t forget the small things closer to home.

***

“Shame,” Marshal Edmond Dujardin traced his goatee. Behind him, a grand window showed the sprawling gardens, hedges creating a maze, while roses grew in carefully crafted and maintained beds.

“What do you want me to do, uncle?” Esther asked.

“The Sha Clans are still under threat. And the Vuzgalians, if they survive this fight, the best thing for them to do is hide. The Black Phoenix Clan and the other Dungeon Lords will not sit by, nor will the Associations. Dungeon Lords are a powerful force in the realms.”

“The weapons they used.”

“Some are similar to my own, others are much more advanced; they must be new arrivals.”

“They got so far and there were only rumors of new arrivals in the last couple of years.”

“The leaders of the lower realms are sure to try and hold onto them. They can give rise to an empire. These Lords, West and Rodriguez, might have been lords of the First Realm using these new arrivals. You do not hear much about the people who arrived around the same time I did.”

“You think they are from Earth?”

“Other races were part of the Ten Realms in the past. But for the last several centuries, it has only been humans from Earth.”

Esther nodded.

“We do not want to anger the Black Phoenix Clan. But, we have to keep looking for people to ally ourselves with. Or, we might share the Vuzgalians fate.”

“Is it that dire, Uncle?”

“The Seventh Realm is much more stable than the lower realms, but power changes hands every day. We do not have the foundations or positions of other sects. We are a small tadpole in a vast ocean, we must stay at the edges. If we wade too deep, we’ll be snatched up.”