Valkyrie's Shadow

Before the Storm: Act 10, Chapter 4

Chapter 4

?What are they doing here??

“This is Master Leeds,” Lady Xoc said, “leader of the local Merchant Guild.”

?They sold themselves into slavery to infiltrate Rol’en’gorek and thwart your then-unknown future efforts here, obviously.?

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Master Leeds,” Clara said.

The Guildmaster bowed his head repeatedly as Clara introduced each of them in turn. He visibly faltered when Ludmila responded to his greeting with a disgruntled grunt.

“I’m sure you can imagine our surprise upon finding a thriving Human community where we only expected Beastmen,” Clara said.

Master Leeds allowed himself a slight smirk. He had clearly been looking forward to their reaction.

“My people have had quite the adventure, my lady,” he replied. “As you can see, we’ve done quite well for ourselves.”

“So it appears,” Clara pointedly swept her gaze across the bustling marketplace. “We came to open trade negotiations, but I feel that it would be prudent if we heard the tale of this ‘adventure’ first.”

“If it would please my lady,” Master Leeds lowered his head again. “In return, I hope my lady doesn’t mind answering some questions that we ourselves have.”

“That would depend on the question.”

“Of course. We should take our conversation to a more appropriate setting. This way, please.”

Liane tried catching glimpses of the goods on display as they were led around the periphery of the market to a raised stone platform overlooking the square. There, a few carved stone tables awaited them under the shade of a thick cloth canopy. The Guildmaster gestured for them to take a seat at the largest of the tables before seating himself.

“I hope your journey up the Oriculon hasn’t been overly strenuous or unpleasant,” Master Leeds said. “The last I heard, an Undead horde swept down from the Katze Plains and overran the Draconic Kingdom.”

“Have you seen the ships we arrived in?” Liane asked.

“Yes, of course,” the Guildmaster answered with a nod. “I suppose even powerful Monsters would have issues trying to break into those.”

“From the sound of it,” Liane said, “you guys had some pretty uncanny timing. Going by Lady Xoc’s account, we reckon you were shipped off just before the Undead arrived. How did that even happen? The stories we’ve heard about the Draconic Kingdom only involve Beastmen eating your people, not taking them as slaves.”

Master Leeds exchanged a look with Lady Xoc, who made an unintelligible noise in return.

“We were just as surprised when it happened,” the Guildmaster said. “Our only recourse up until that point was to wait for the Theocracy’s forces to liberate the Draconic Kingdom as they usually do, but things were looking grimmer by the day. Lady Xoc here was part of a larger party that had arrived to observe what was going on in the Draconic Kingdom. Their leader was the one who came up with the idea.”

“Why would this leader want Human slaves when Rol’en’gorek hasn’t taken any before?” Clara asked.

“Well, he wasn’t from Rol’en’gorek, for one thing,” Master Leeds answered. “Aside from Lady Xoc, his entire party was from the Beastman Confederacy.”

A long silence fell over the table as they digested the unexpected development. Were they now competing for influence over Rol’en’gorek with one of the great powers of the world? That shouldn’t have been the case. As far as Liane knew, the Beastman Confederacy’s sphere of influence was so distant that only rumours that were decades or generations old ever made it to the Sorcerous Kingdom’s remote corner of the world. ?Á???È?

?Uh, anyone know how much stuff is between us and the Beastman Confederacy??

?The Sapphire Coast only covers a fraction of the distance, I think.?

No one could come up with anything else. Out of all of their knowledge of foreign trade routes, information about the ones running through the Syrillian Way and beyond to the heart of the continent was the most lacking.

“In that case,” Clara asked, “how did you end up in Lady Xoc’s possession?”

“That was always the intent, my lady,” Master Leeds answered. “Saraca didn’t approve of how the Draconic Kingdom’s citizens were being treated and I believe he was acting as a sort of mentor for Lady Xoc at the time.”

“He suggested that I take them as slaves to keep them from being eaten,” Lady Xoc said. “In return, they would teach my people new things that would give us all sorts of advantages.”

“It was an ingenious idea,” Master Leeds nodded. “We didn’t even realise it was possible until he proposed it. Now, this city is embracing the new industries we’ve introduced and our trade network spans hundreds of kilometres in every direction. At this rate, all of Rol’en’gorek will be ready to integrate with the Merchant Guild within a generation.”

The Guildmaster’s proud smile melted off of his face, the faces of him and his assistants turning ashen grey. Their Beastman counterparts crouched low, fur standing on end as they turned their eyes warily in every direction. Beyond the observation platform, the din of the crowd went silent and the entire jungle seemed to turn deathly still.

Liane kicked Ludmila under the table. The Guildmaster sucked in a huge breath as if he had just been released from being held underwater.

“Wh…What was that?”

“Ilyshn’ish did it,” Liane said.

“I did not.”

“So you’ve impressed Lady Xoc enough to represent her people in our negotiations,” Liane fixed Master Leeds with her gaze. “I trust you’ve already taken an inventory of everything they have to offer?”

“We have, my lady,” the Guildmaster nodded in response. “I’m sure most anyone outside of Rol’en’gorek will be interested in the raw materials that can be obtained here. Honestly, that’s probably the only thing that they’d be interested in, but I guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with the quality or quantity.”

Master Leeds raised a hand and two of his aides came forward to place a leather folder in front of each person seated at the table. Liane opened hers to reveal a stack of carefully penned vellum sheets.

“Fancy,” she said.

“It’s actually the only suitable material we have,” Master Leeds let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “We ran out of paper long ago and the herds seem to eat any and all vegetation.”

“That so? Then it would interest you to know that we have plenty of straw to get rid of.”

“That would indeed be of great help, my lady,” the Guildmaster said. “Before coming here, we never imagined we could ever be so desperate for the stuff.”

Everyone settled in to peruse the contents of the distributed documents. Liane silently nodded to herself as she found almost exactly what she thought she would find written upon them.

?Well, at least trade in bulk won’t be a problem.?

?Negotiating a fair exchange will still be a challenge. I overheard some of the haggling in the market and the prices were ridiculously cheap.?

?That’s good for us! A fistful of sapphires for a bag of barley is a great bargain.?

?I doubt Master Leeds would let us get away with that.?

Her attention returned to the list of commodities written on the vellum in her hand. It was limited, but everything held undeniable value. The problem was the cargo imbalance that most of the potential trades represented. Chances were that, for every fifty barges importing fodder to Rol’en’gorek, forty-nine would be returning empty. This wasn’t necessarily a problem for the Undead-powered ships of the Sorcerous Kingdom, but the notion was logistically offensive.

A pair of women in waitresses’ outfits appeared bearing beverages and trays of sliced fruits. Liane absently popped one into her mouth as she tried to figure out what to do with the empty cargo space.

“Where is all this stone listed here coming from?” Liane asked, “All we saw on the way here was jungle.”

“Just like in the Draconic Kingdom,” Master Leeds answered, “the rivers of the Oriculon Basin in Rol’en’gorek begin as streams in the mountain ranges to the north and south. Our trade network has expanded to the point where we’re now in touch with settlements in the foothills. At the same time, our work here has impressed the various clan leaders, creating an appetite for stone in the regional market.”

“I can see how the stone can be easily transported,” Florine said, “but how is it procured? As strong as they might be compared to Humans, Beastmen would still find it impossible to quarry stone with their claws and teeth.”

“We produce the necessary tools here, of course,” the Guildmaster said. “The Stonecutter Guild’s members provide education and training, though the process is expedited out of necessity.”

?These guys sure didn’t waste any time entrenching themselves out here. I wonder how much resistance their expansion encounters.?

It was a tidy little operation. Master Leeds and his people made themselves indispensable by being the sole source of tools and other manufactured goods for industries that they themselves promoted. They had placed themselves in the centre of a market with enormous potential, acting as the gatekeepers of technological advancement and economic development for an entire people.

The question was where they set the line between a welcome trade partner and a meddling foreign power. Liane couldn’t imagine anyone relinquishing the enviable position that Master Leeds and his guild members had created for themselves. It was pretty much a dream scenario for the Guilds.

?We need to avoid going down any avenue that gives this guy an opportunity to push his members’ interests. He has way too much influence as it is.?

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

?Why must you go into every negotiation harbouring the assumption that the other party is an adversary??

?Because they always are in one way or another. The Beastman side of things seems a helluva lot more disorganised and they’ve been ‘guided’ into chasing simple objectives. That’s what we’re here for anyway, right??

?I don’t see how we can avoid involving the interests of the Merchant’s Guild with how much influence they seem to have in the regional economy.?

“For the sake of clarity,” Clara asked, “how is trade organised in Rol’en’gorek?”

“Before we arrived, my lady,” Master Leeds answered, “it was all tribe-based. The local Merchants each operated in service to their respective communities, as did anyone related to any industries. Like Human civilisation, cities are places where excess resources and labour collect, but, unlike Human civilisation, they’re treated as dumping grounds rather than centres of economic and political power. There was no investment in innovation and cities were seen as a source of emergency war potential at best.”

“I see,” Clara said. “How have things changed since then?”

“Even a summary of what we’ve achieved will seem long-winded,” the Guildmaster replied. “Before the current crisis, we took a measured approach to change. Barter was the primary mode of exchange, so we prioritised the production of guild currency for circulation. At the same time, we laid the foundation for industries that were common in the Draconic Kingdom, but nonexistent here in Rol’en’gorek.”

“What was the role of Lady Xoc and her people in all of this?” Ludmila asked.

“I suppose Lady Xoc acts as something close to a local lord despite owning our contracts of indenture,” Master Leeds answered. “She set aside a space for us to live and build our workshops, provided security, and encouraged her people to adopt our way of doing things. We had no lack of interest in apprenticeships from the citizens.”

“Have there been any mishaps between your people and the local Beastmen?” Clara asked.

“Nothing noteworthy, my lady. We Humans rarely leave our part of the clanhold and clan security does a good job of keeping troublemakers out.”

“Has that remained the case even with the rising scarcity of food?”

“If anything,” the Guildmaster replied, “things have gotten easier for us since the trouble here began. As you can imagine, there isn’t any room for hesitation or fruitless debate with a disaster of this magnitude looming over everyone’s heads.”

For better or worse, a state of disaster seemed to precede the Sorcerous Kingdom wherever it went. The Mountain Dwarves were on the verge of annihilation when the Sorcerer King showed up. The Abelion Hills had been occupied by Fiends and the Holy Kingdom was invaded by those same Fiends just a few months before the Sorcerous Kingdom arrived to help. Then there was the Draconic Kingdom, which had been overrun by Beastmen. The Dark Dwarves were simultaneously having a civil war while also facing an invasion from below.

In every case, any qualms about entertaining the advances of a foreign power and its Undead forces were conveniently swept aside in favour of overcoming the crises that faced each party. It was enough to make one wonder if it had all been orchestrated in advance to expedite the foreign policy objectives of the Sorcerous Kingdom. Not that she cared either way beyond a morbid sense of curiosity.

“How has the relationship between the various vocations in this society changed with the onset of the current crisis?” Clara asked, “For instance, has the influence of the ranchers grown since they control the primary source of food?”

“Fortunately,” Master Leeds replied, “that hasn’t been the case, my lady. Beastman society has a strong, hierarchical structure where everyone is subservient to the ruling warrior clans. I’m tempted to say that Rol’en’gorek is best described as an alliance of armies that each just so happen to also run a country.”

?But he just said it.?

?I dislike the way this Guildmaster is presenting things.?

?Whaddya expect? Of course he’s gonna make himself seem as important as possible in front of us.?

?At least he admitted that the Beastmen still maintain their old relationships.?

?It’s still something he’s ahead of us on. These guys will be able to outmanoeuvre us if we need to build up our relationship with the clans from scratch.?

?Is that something we have the luxury of thinking about right now? We can’t risk millions of lives just to compete for influence.?

?I could, but you’d all just abuse me if I tried. Let’s see what happens if we limit trade to Clan Pa’chan’s needs.?

“By all appearances,” Clara said, “Clan Pa’chan’s situation seems stable enough for regular trade. One of our remaining worries is whether our ships will be targeted by raids once the other clans discover what’s being transported…”

“Unfortunately,” the Guildmaster said, “I can’t guarantee that won’t happen. It would be best to avoid contact with the other clans for the safety of your ships and their crews.”

?Well, he sure was quick to jump on that.?

“I know we Beastmen have a poor reputation because of what was happening to the Draconic Kingdom,” Lady Xoc said, “but we’re not a lawlessly violent people. If there’s a reasonable way to get what we need without fighting for it, I’m sure the other clans would prefer to do that.”

Master Leeds glanced at the Ocelo Lord several times, but remained silent as she spoke.

“That is reassuring to hear, Lady Xoc,” Clara smiled as she placed a sheet of parchment and pushed it across the table towards Master Leeds. “For the time being, let’s focus on Clan Pa’chan’s needs. We tested a number of samples with the local livestock and the results were promising. What are your expectations for trade in the near term?”

“We’d obviously like to get our hands on as much as possible, Lady Corelyn,” the Guildmaster said as he scanned the paper in front of him. “Did the ranchers note any preferences out of this list?”

Unsurprisingly, Master Leeds didn’t bat an eyelash at their asking prices, but Liane had at least expected something out of the volumes they offered. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that they were claiming the equivalent of an entire country’s merchant fleet in terms of cargo throughput.

“I believe they will continue to test combinations of fodder until they come up with portions they’re satisfied with,” Clara replied. “We’re unfamiliar with the animals ourselves, so it’s entirely up to the ranchers to determine what’s best for their herds.”

Several of the Guildmaster’s aides leaned in curiously, looking over his shoulder at the Sorcerous Kingdom’s list of offerings. After several moments, Master Leeds rose to his feet.

“If you don’t mind, my lady,” he said, “I’d like to review what you have to offer with my people.”

“By all means,” Clara said. “I’m sure you have many parties to confer with.”

“Your understanding is greatly appreciated,” Master Leeds lowered his head. “Please feel free to take a look around the market. My people have gone to great lengths to draw out the potential in Rol’en’gorek’s natural wealth.”

Once the Guildmaster and his associates made themselves scarce, Liane got up from their table and hopped off of the viewing platform. Not a step later, she was knocked over and held down by a massive paw.

?Haaaaaalp! They’re eating meeee!!!?

Some snatched her up by the collar. She tried curling up protectively until she noticed it was Ludmila who was holding her.

?You saved me! I wuv yo–!?

Clara grabbed her by the arm and cast her back down to the pavement.

?It was just a Nar bumping into you. Watch where you’re going.?

Another Nar ‘bumped into’ Liane, kicking her hard enough to send her rolling under a nearby stand. She checked her dress for holes before cautiously sticking her head out from beneath a heavy tablecloth.

“What are you doing?” Ludmila asked.

“Doing my best not to get ‘bumped into’,” Liane answered as she rose to her feet. “Why is this happening all of a sudden?”

She scanned the crowd, searching for the remains of squished Humans. The closest thing she could find, however, was a set of detached streamers that had fallen to the street. Maybe all of the ones who were most likely to fall victim had long been run down and eaten.

“Perhaps it was because Lady Xoc was with us,” Florine said.

“We’re just not accustomed to the flow of this city,” Ludmila said. “It looks like Beastmen aren’t used to giving way to anyone smaller than them.”

As Ludmila said so, an Urmah walked straight into her. The towering Beastman recoiled as if it had smashed into a fortress wall, taking down several other Beastmen behind it as it fell sprawling to the street.

?Maybe they should rethink how their ‘flow’ works.?

?That may be problematic to implement. Many Beastmen have issues focusing on more than one target at a time, so it’s easier for individuals to react to immediate personal threats than it is to continually keep track of everything that’s going on around them.?

They walked around the pile of confused Beastmen, forming into a single file behind their newly appointed traffic shield. Ludmila looked over her shoulder with a frown.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Letting you blaze a trail for us,” Liane answered. “Ooh, stop at that stand up ahead with the bolts of fabric.”

Their little column snaked through the crowd, quickly arriving at the fabric stall. A man dressed in Merchant’s garb commonly found in the Draconic Kingdom smiled at them as they browsed his inventory. Liane rubbed the coarse fabric of a diamond-patterned rug between her fingers.

“What’s this made out of?” She asked.

“The fibres are derived from a plant known as jute in much of the world, my lady,” the Merchant answered. “It was known to us in the Draconic Kingdom, but the plants grow too tall and thus could provide places from which Beastmen could ambush us. Here in Rol’en’gorek, it goes between being a grazing crop for Nug and a source of coarse thread for various goods. We have, of course, expanded upon its use with what we’ve been able to harvest.”

The Merchant picked up a bolt of bright yellow cloth in both hands and held it out for them to examine.

“With our superior tools and craftsmanship,” he said, “we’ve been able to produce a much finer variant of thread compared to what the Beastmen use.”

“What’s jute mostly used for around here?” Liane asked.

“Logistical applications,” the Merchant said with a drawn-out sigh. “Rope and sackcloth, mostly. As you can see, the Beastmen don’t wear much. But worry not! The cloth woven from it is suitable for even the finest work.”

“I would mind taking some back with me,” Clara said. “I’m sure the Tailors in Corelyn Harbour would be delighted to have a new material to work with.”

Yeah, them and everyone else.

The Sorcerous Kingdom had what Liane liked to call an ‘everything problem’. When it was a part of Re-Estize, the Duchy of E-Rantel was a fringe territory that bordered potentially – or just outright – hostile neighbours. Thus, the vast majority of its economy was made up of low-risk, low-investment industries like agriculture and forestry. While the city itself was known as a centre of trade, it amounted to little more than a minor crossroads between Re-Estize, the Empire, and the Theocracy. Customs revenues were passable as far as a city went, but they were a pittance when weighed against the needs of the duchy.

So far, they managed to get by because agriculture and forestry just so happened to be what the duchy’s Human population needed to survive. Now that they were well past that point, all they could do was try to distract the people by funding renovation projects and promoting food culture. However, it wouldn’t be long before a not insignificant number of citizens realised that places like the Empire and even Re-Estize were more abundant in what civilised folks considered the hallmarks of societal advancement. The Royal Court railed at the very idea that they might be seen as behind anyone else in that regard, but they couldn’t seem to come up with any ideas that didn’t involve taking other people’s stuff by force or coercion.

Importing manufactured goods was hit and miss. Mostly miss. The Azerlisian Mountain Dwarves were the only nation that the Sorcerous Kingdom could count on for reliable trade in that regard. Unfortunately, their nation was tiny so it wouldn’t be long before the Sorcerous Kingdom’s appetite for Dwarven goods outgrew the Dwarves’ capacity to provide them. The inroads that they made with the imperial aristocracy dealt entirely with raw materials and the Sorcerous Kingdom didn’t represent a large or lucrative enough market to pull the flow of finished goods away from places like Arwintar.

In the end, it looked like they would just have to do everything themselves. Textiles was a field of manufacturing that she and her friends had taken a particular interest in. Not only would they always be in demand, but the industry itself promised to expand the horizons of their technological development.

“I’ll take a dozen bolts, as well,” Florine said.

“Hey, me too,” Liane added. “Could I also get some of the raw material you make this from?”

They walked away from the stall with armfuls of cloth plus a basket of plants. Ludmila wandered around a bit before finding an open spot where they could put their spoils away.

“That was cheap,” Liane said. “We barely broke a silver each.”

“It was consistent with the prices at most of the stands we’ve passed,” Clara said, “the cost of labour must be equally low.”

“Do you think Master Leeds will try to negotiate using prices from when he was last in the Draconic Kingdom?” Florine asked.

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t at least try,” Liane shrugged.

“Then letting us loose in this market may have been a mistake on his part,” Florine said.

“Then we should keep looking around to get a handle on the economy here,” Liane said. “I ain’t giving the guy any more than he should get.”