Decisions Decisions

"Does the title 'Prophet of Terra' mean anything to you?"

Aayla looked up in surprise. This question could be a bit dangerous. She tilted her head in thought for a few moments. If her suspicions were correct, then her own cover could be blown when people started to wonder how this prophet arrived.

Everything should be fine if she just didn't mention that the new prophet could be from Terra, right?

"Not really, aside from the obvious. Whoever they are might be claiming that they have a Terran inheritance or are the top expert on Terran research."

One of the first-years eyes lit up. "Or they're from Terra!"

The eyes of the younger students instantly lit up. The thought of a person from another world was exciting! An older student smacked them on the back of the head.

"You idiot! Have you been keeping up with the latest research? Interdimensional travel isn't possible. The Terrans in the legends probably came from foreign lands rather than a completely different dimension."

"Look at Miss Glowery's face. Even she thinks it's stupid."

Aayla realized that her expression was a bit odd. She quickly calmed down and chuckled.

"Oh, it's not stupid… just highly imaginative."

The conversation continued on towards the other news. The entire town was Aayla didn't pay much attention to the rest. She was more concerned about who the Prophet of Terra was and Ramona's situation. No news came about what happened to the Nafriton delegation attending the hearings.

Tensions rose as the stalemate down south continued. The True Order slowly gained the advantage as the military argued about how to handle the kidnapped recruits. More people desperately fled their homes in terror.

Refugees continued to arrive even as the weather continued to worsen. No one knew exactly what the True Order had planned, but it wouldn't be good for the less magical. Now in the middle of summer, farms and ranches should be bountiful.

Instead, farmers and ranchers abandoned their work. The fields were crushed and the livestock slaughtered by war. Prices for food and essential supplies skyrocketed. Hunting and foraging increased as people tried to grab food on the go without paying astronomical sums. Forests were cleared out of resources.

The situation beyond the Glacier Mountains deteriorated. Resources had always been scarce. The increase in population after supplies were cut off took its toll. People fought for food and water as well as for space in the villages and camps.

Occasional meetings between the leaders of Craigmyle Point, local villages and refugee camps became daily as they tried to sort out the food issue. Many of the locals began to push for the refugees to live further out in the wilderness.

Otherwise, the local flora and fauna would be decimated. Also, they wanted their homes back. The True Order was obviously not going to pass the Glacier Mountains any time soon. Their houses, fields and workshops were their rightful property.

The refugees naturally disagreed. Most of them had not survived in such a harsh environment before and were used to the military keeping their villages safe down south. They would probably die if they were kicked out.

Besides, the original occupants of their homes had abandoned their land when they fled. In the minds of the refugees, they had the right to claim this unoccupied land since they took it over for the previous owners.

Conflict over resources and property escalated. The meetings had little success before, but the leaders realized they could have riots and mass starvation if they didn't properly get these issues sorted out. Chris and Jacki managed to sneak inside the meeting with unknown means.

The meeting was held at a midway point between Craigmyle Point and several refugee villages. Aayla currently lived in the largest one founded by those from the Brass Shield and Crimson Bull joint expedition. The meeting place was only a couple of miles away.

Shortly after noon, the refugees heard shouts coming from down the road. The refugee leaders for the village returned soon after. They bolted through the gates and locked them up tightly. An angry mob of villagers followed behind them.

They fiercely banged on the gates and glared at the guards along the makeshift walls. One of them standing in the middle of the group looked like the leader. The refugee leaders glared at her after they climbed on top of the wall to join the guards.

"Get out of our village, you thieves! Those are our homes! Give them back!"

"Tch. What a hypocrite! Your people abandoned this place weeks ago to live in town yet you don't leave despite the townsfolks' complaints."

"This and that are different! We are living with other families while your dirty southern sissies are stealing our homes and the property that we left behind."

"Tch. What's your problem? Why did you accept the mayor's request to let us stay here for a while if you're so unhappy? How do you expect to stay living in town if you go back on the mayor's deal?"

"It's our property, that's our problem! I've heard you refugees start to claim our homes as yours. Besides, you're killing all the animals nearby. No one will be able to hunt for much around here after you locusts finally go away."

"I've told you this a thousand times. No one is trying to steal anything. We've been keeping records of who lives where for population planning and keeping track of who damages their TEMPORARY homes. Do you think that we want to live in this mud-covered, uncivilized hovel for the rest of our lives?!"

"You! How dare you! The untamed beauty of our land and village can't be found anywhere else. You stupid southern idiots just don't know how to care for or appreciate it."

"Hmph. There's nothing great about a place that literally stinks of livestock manure. Do you people literally eat after sweating in poop stink all day? Uncultured barbarians!"

The villagers and refugees only got angrier with each other. They kept shouting vulgarities and insults towards their opponents. Mercenaries from the Brass Shield were summoned to solve the disputes, and barely managed to keep the peace.

As the Nafriton students peaked around a nearby corner to listen to the arguments, Chris and Jacki snuck back over the village walls. Sour looks appeared on their faces. Apparently, the meeting had not gone well. They dragged the students back to their temporary housing.

"We have a new problem. The tension between the refugees and the locals is getting worse."

"What's wrong? Surely something could be worked out."

Jacki shook her head. "Too many refugees are crossing the Glacier Mountains. Despite the large percentage of deaths, our area alone now has too many people and too few supplies."

"So, there's just not enough food? Couldn't we just move then?"

"Even if we move, other areas have the same issues or are in the glacial ice wolves' range. Not unless we cross the Glacier Mountains again. The glacial ice wolves have ambushes on most of the paths through the northern foothills, and the situation down south might not be any better."

"How bad is the food shortage exactly? We've already crossed the mountains, so there's no point in travelling back across if the situation isn't going to be any better."

"The villagers and townspeople have some supplies but count on hunting to supplement it. The refugees have already wiped out most of the prey and wild crops around here. Medicine is also predicted to fall to critical levels soon. Many people were injured crossing over, and this season's storms are worse than normal."

The group fell silent. They couldn't go back, but living here would be a problem, too. For their survival, the students had to carefully weigh their options. A quiet voice broke the silence.

"What's the situation like down south? Do they know what happened to Forest Waypoint's defenders?"

Daren had spoken rarely ever since they left Forest Waypoint. His voice sounded a bit hoarse and rough with a tinge of sorrow.

"We still don't have any confirmed reports, Young Master… but it does sound like some of the Forest Waypoint defense forces found their way to Cuoq. Your grandfather will be in that city if he's in Chinebar, otherwise he would have fled across the border to the Ferreus Empire."

He nodded after Chris finished speaking and didn't ask any more questions. When no one else spoke, Chris decided to continue.

"The situation is not so good outside right now. Tension is rising, and we have bounties on our heads. People may try to take advantage of that to earn money or take refuge with the True Order. I know that we don't have any good choices, but we need to make a decision.

"The first option is to stay here in hiding. We'll have to start foraging for food right now to make sure that we get enough before it's too late. Summer is short and the middle of storm season.

"The second option is to find jobs with Craigmyle Point. The city has plenty of stockpiles, and is keen on getting more magical talent. The Brass Shields would be interested in us as well. Even if something happens, we can still get decent meals and lodging.

"The final option is to back down south. Smugglers from down south and other nations have managed to reached the shores nearby. However, we would have to leave with them tonight.

"That's it. Now, let's begin the vote."