Chapter 6 Part 3 of 3 (Patreon)

"All of the ships are ready for the violet Sky Realm. All of our people have been confirmed and our supplies are ready." Markus said.

Markus was from the Kalari Clan, a farming clan, he had worked together with the Gerrard Clan as a fighter, becoming Louis' right hand man. His tanned skin came from long hours spent working in the sun before he got the courage to join the fighter's ranks, the scars on his features, includuing the one that ran through his grey and white short cut hair marked his time with the Gerrard Clan fighting under the Marshal for the Sha Clans.

Louis wasn't looking at him or the reports that were on his desk, instead he was looking out the window to his left, just low enough for him to see Selma working on his uniform, repairing a small tear while his two daughter's harrassed his youngest son.

He let out a heavy sigh. His decisions wouldn't just change his future they would affect the Sha, it would affect the clans under the Marshal's banner.

"I heard that there was a last minute change by the Marshal?"

"Yes, he invited his closest allies to join in on the force heading to the Violet Sky Realm."

"What is he thinking, we bled for every slot and he is giving it away to these bottome feeders?" Louis snapped, glaring at Markus.

Markus opened his hands, and shrugged.

"For too long division and isolation has hurt our clans, we are falling apart at the seams, can he not see this!"

Even now the clans all huddled together, while they didn't errect gates or mount patrols against one another, just how hard it was for Markus to join the Gerard clan spoke to the divisions. His own Kalari clan kept asking after him as he gained 'a better position'.

"Come, we both know the state of the ships for the Violet Sky Realm there is no way that the Marshal would allow us to head out with less than everything ready. I bet that he has been hoarding ammunition and supplies from the gun smiths for months so that we would not use them in our other operations. If we had that ammuntion I bet that we could have driven the Black Phoenix Clan out of their last redoubts."

"Extra ammunition?" Markus frowned.

Louis coughed and waved his hand. Maria Velten was only able to get that information through the gunsmiths themselves. He couldn't give away his sources, while Markus was loyal and had been there for the birth of all his children he has always supported the Marshal in his quiet way. The Marshal held power over the rest of the clan through the gun smiths, with them in his back pocket then the power of the rifles and pistols was under his complete control.

"Sorry my mouth gets ahead of me. Still we both know that the report that matters is not abou the Violet Sky Realm where the Gerrard Clan and the Adamus Clan will crew the ships in majority under the leadership of the Marshal. No, it is about our protection contracts. How much are the other clans going to decrease their pay once again?"

Markus sucked on his lips and pulled out the papers from his folder as if he needed to check the numbers again.

"Ten percent."

"Ten percent, and seven percent last year, five the year before, they grow bolder, three percent instead of a two percent decrease. That won't even pay for our people's training."

"If you go to the Marshal." Markus said.

"Go to him," Louis hissed and looked away.

"He already owns us!" Louis stood, stabbing his finger into the desk. "He owns us by our weapons, by our gear, by our training. We fight with gunpowder and rifle. All the gunsmiths are under his thumb, every grain of powder and ball of shot made on his request. He abolished us serving other groups as protection forces for fear our weapons will be stolen and copied. We can only serve our fellow Sha members." He stabbed his finger towards the door. "Who know that we cannot take any more contracts so they decrease the price every year! Only the Velten Clan hasn't decreased the protection fees they pay, because they value fighters."

"Louis," Markus started.

"Tell me which contracts you get requests for? Tell me how many people seek training in the rifle now?"

"The Velten Defense contracts are the most sought after." Markus ground out.

"And how many mothers and fathers that have served us faithfully have been telling their young to turn their eyes to the other clans? How few are allowed into other clans, how few people marry the Gerrard's anymore. We're the defenders of the clan but we're falling apart, soon we won't have any more fighters left, maybe not in our generation or my sons, but my grandsons, I do not doubt!"

The silence closed in around them, Marksus worked his jaw, looking to either side, Louis know he had him over a barrel without a way to exit.

Should I ask him? The clan will follow, but Markus, just how loyal are you, and to who?

"You need to talk to the Marshal, you can figure this out, instead all of the clans are just trying to fix things themselves and it is only making problems worse."

Louis' thoughts and hopes died.

"I would hope so, but he has his own path and I can not persuade him." Louis' voice was empty as he sunk back down into his chair.

"I want my people to be respected for their actions. I want them to do more than just fight, to be free to do as they want. They have learned some other crafts, but Marshal has basically made every clan their own entity. Even if we try to raise our own crafters or farmers then the other clans will work to shut it down. Sha Clans, supposed to work together but we're just watching one another like hawks fighting for scraps and extras while we die slowly."

The silence feel.

"Sorry Markus, it was a long fight against the Black Phoenix Clan and the stress from having to leave my family when I just got back. I've barely had time to see them other than through windows because of all the meetings."

"I understand Louis, I do, we're all trying to do our best."

"Thank you my friend."

"How do you want me to deal with it."

"Get us more for the protection, lean on them hard, the rest of it, you know how to deal with."

"Yes sir," Markus walked to the door half opening and closing it.

"Get some rest Louis and remember, the Marshal is just a man too."

Louis looked up at his smile, giving him a weak one in reply.

"Say hi to Selma and the kids."

"I will," Louis' smile softened.

Markus left and closed the door behind him, leaving Louis to look at his family, seeing them laugh as the children looped around their mother, using her as a screen in their game of tag before his son made a run for it and his other sister screamed around a pillar, running after him and his other sister who ran for the other pillars.

I want them to be able to learn how to fight, or craft, or do whatever they want to do. We gained escape from slavery, but this is freedom by degrees.

With the Velten Clan, the main trading clan, the support of the Gerrards and the crafters, they could become a powerful sect of their own, not including their own warships and bringing powerful weapons to the market, weapons never seen before. We could create our own future.

Sound was cut off from his office as he pulled out his sound transmission device.

"Velten, you can count on my support, no more bloodshed than necessary, for the good of the clans."

He listened to the voice on the other end, hardening his features, he doubted that he would have any time to spend with his family before he departed. What weighed more in his ming was Markus.

When we are committed then he will have no option but to join me. He will see reason, that is why he has remained as my second in command for all of these years. Sleepless nights lay in his future.