Unexpected idea

  "I will arrange the meeting then. But that doesn't mean the matter is settled yet. We still need to discuss…"

Taking a short moment to look deeply into my eyes, Jeff breathed out before continuing.

"… the reasons behind the sudden moves of the Sarate, why they are so keen on cutting us out of any possible dungeons and what should we do ourselves to secure the place, before other powers will gain interest in it. I think Sarate joining the fray is a great wake-up call for all of us."

Jeff's words made perfect sense. Especially his last sentence managed to shake me. In the last few weeks, my main point of interest was completely outside of the factional agenda, centred around the stones on earth and Ayda's safety in her own world. And as important as the development of this magic stone business was, the number of sayings about putting one's eggs in a single basket proved that this kind of tactic was not the safest one around.