Foreboding Hints of the Unseen

Chapter 31: Foreboding Hints of the Unseen

The Imperial Embassy of Aetheria, the Sky Empire, stood proudly along the grand Imperial Street of Arcana-Vale, the heart of Serpentonia's capital. The street bore its name for a reason -- it directly faced the looming, opulent imperial palace, a constant reminder of power and dominion. Yet, beneath the grandeur of diplomacy, few knew of the clandestine meeting in the embassy's lavish halls, where two influential figures conversed under the veil of formality.

Emperor Draconis Seraphus Rex III sat in a high-backed chair, his posture composed, his golden eyes scrutinizing the woman before him. Seraphina Whisperwind, the representative of the Holy God Sovereign of Aetheria, held an air of grace and authority, her pristine white robes barely shifting as she folded her hands neatly before her.

"I trust the capital's atmosphere is to your liking," Draconis began, his voice calm but measured.

Seraphina offered a small, polite smile. "Quite lively, Your Eminence. The hospitality afforded to us is commendable--nearly on par with that of my homeland. However, I must admit, I expected to conduct this meeting with your Prime Minister. Foust, I believe his name was?"

Draconis exhaled slowly, a knowing glint flashing in his eyes. "In Serpentonia, matters of internal governance are handled by the Prime Minister. But external affairs, particularly those of great importance, demand my attention. There are times when our roles collide. in such cases, My decisions supersede his." He leaned forward slightly. "Was there something urgent that required my presence?"

Seraphina tilted her head slightly, gauging him. "Not urgent, no. I requested this meeting because the matter concerns you directly." She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "Specifically, it pertains to the request you entrusted me to deliver to His Holiness."

Draconis's fingers tapped idly against the armrest of his chair. "I see. And what response have I been given? Was my request met favourably, or--?"

"Your request was granted," Seraphina interrupted smoothly. "His Holiness himself has given his seal of approval. You will receive an initial set of ten airships, with the remainder to be produced locally. Aetheria will share its manufacturing expertise with your engineers, ensuring your nation can sustain its production."

Draconis's eyes sparkled with satisfaction, but Seraphina's tone became more assertive as she stated, "There are, of course, conditions. The shared technology must not be sold or traded to any third parties, and a portion of your profits from airship production will be allocated to us. We can work out the finer details later with our bureaucrats."

Draconis considered the offer. The conditions were stringent, but the benefits far outweighed them. Securing Aetherian airship technology without surrendering territory was an extraordinary advantage. The Sky Empire safeguarded its aerial dominance with an iron grip, and any nation attempting to develop independent air travel often found itself crushed under restrictive trade barriers. This deal shattered those barriers, opening the skies for Serpentonia's rise.

"If everything proceeds as planned," he mused, "Serpentonia's trade fleet will soon rival--perhaps even outclass--Helvetia's airship fleets within a few years."

A thought he dared not speak aloud.

As he relished the possibilities of this newfound power, Seraphina's voice broke into his contemplation. "By the way, Your Excellency, how is the spy operation against Helvetia progressing? I trust the results have been favourable."

Draconis smirked slightly. "Indeed. We have already begun salvaging the first set of acquired items. Our researchers are in the process of reverse-engineering them. In due time, more assets will be secured."

Seraphina nodded but did not comment. Instead, she reached into her robes and withdrew a small dossier. She slid it across the polished table, flipping it open to reveal a series of crisp Documents and an item encased inside a transparent box enclosing. Draconis's expression darkened as he recognized the contents inside the box -- he even peeked through the contents of the text without lifting the document. The document contained crucial information regarding his research facilities and other subjects related to their ongoing classified research on Crafter equipment.

"Would I be mistaken in assuming the recent thefts at one of your covert labs are not a minor inconvenience?" Seraphina asked, her tone unreadable.

Draconis's eyes flicked between the items before settling on her. "So, you were behind the recent theft? I had prior suspicions on others but I didn't think that you of all the people would be involved in it." His tone held a mix of irritation and intrigue. "You played along with us this whole time. What is the meaning of this."

"Your Excellency, there seems to be a misunderstanding," Seraphina explained. "It is standard policy in Aetheria to closely monitor key assets and significant individuals." She closed the dossier with a soft snap. "I assure you that the thieves are not affiliated with us. This item and the documents were recovered by one of our spies." The thief was exceptionally skilled and managed to escape with a significant number of other items from the labs. Unfortunately, this is all we could recover before they slipped from our grasp."

Draconis exhaled slowly, reassessing the situation. If Aetheria wasn't responsible for the breach, then who was? And how much did Seraphina truly know about his other dealings? His mind raced through the implications, but his expression remained unreadable.

She looked at him with an indifferent expression. "We do not concern ourselves with the number of other powers you involve in your ambitions. However, consider this a warning: Aetheria does not take kindly to being deceived. As long as your activities do not place us in a precarious situation, we will continue to overlook them."

Draconis felt a flicker of unease as he realized that they were clearly aware of his other activities but exactly how much he was not sure. So he kept his demeanour composed. "I understand."

Seraphina studied him for a moment before rising gracefully. "Good. Then we have an understanding."

Despite the meeting's promising start, an unspoken tension lingered between them. Both sides had gained much, yet both knew the game was far from over.

The final pleasantries were exchanged. "I definitely will have to be cautious around this one." Both representatives had the same thought as they shook hands, their expressions diplomatic but their thoughts veiled in deeper calculations.

The alliance was secured--for now.

But in the shifting currents of power, nothing remained certain for long.

Zvica finally arrived where Snivrack was supposed to be, but from his vantage point, the area appeared desolate. There was no sign of Snivrack or his men let alone the main Goblin pursuit team sent before -- only the grand mansion and the intersection of many small and large buildings around the mansion. The signs of battle were visible as parts of the mansion were damaged. Zvica narrowed his eyes, his instincts screaming at him to stay away. He could sense the presence of an ominous figure learning somewhere at the mansion. The figure he was sensing through his magic sense was none other than Michael Crafter.

"No chance I'm going anywhere near that place. Where the hell is that idiot?" he muttered under his breath.

Zvica was not one to speak ill of goblins who relied on wit rather than brute force, but frustration gnawed at him. He had been forced to leave his post, and in his absence, there was no telling what Grukk might do. He reached out with his magical senses, searching for Snivrack's presence. However, instead of finding him or anyone else, all he encountered was an empty silence. Any signatures he did detect were unfamiliar. Not long after as he was moving over the rooftops of the buildings, he stumbled upon something far grimmer -- a goblin soldier's remains, mangled beyond recognition. Upon close inspection of the remains, he noticed that the ears had been sliced off with a sharp object. A trail of blood could be seen following.

His pulse quickened as he followed the grisly trail, each step making the sinking feeling in his chest grow heavier. When he finally reached the end of the path, he found the ears of all the goblins piled on each other, confirming his fears. Just a few steps ahead Snivrack lay lifeless, his body twisted unnaturally, his eyes staring into nothingness.

"Damn it..." Zvica clenched his fists. The mission was beyond salvageable now. Without Snivrack and the failure to retrieve the fragment, this was no longer a setback -- it was a disaster. He glanced up at the night sky, gauging the time. There was no use lingering here. He needed to return to his post, check on Grukk, and order the retreat before the remnants of their forces were completely wiped out.

Moving swiftly, he cut through the battlefield's outskirts, keeping to the shadows. As he neared his previous vantage point, he spotted movement ahead--goblins, but not in formation. They were retreating. More of them poured in from the edges of the battlefield, some limping, others barely able to carry their weapons.

Zvica's stomach twisted. Something had gone wrong.

He intercepted one of the retreating goblins, grabbing him by the arm. "What happened? Where's Grukk? Where is the Commander?" he demanded.

The soldier, breathless and pale, gasped between words. "Commander Grukk is... dead. Slain by an enemy Leader. The troops--they're in full retreat. There's nothing left--we're done!"

Zvica's grip tightened momentarily before he let go. His eyes darted past the soldier, taking in the crumbling remnants of their once-formidable force. Goblins scattered in all directions, morale shattered, their movements erratic. If they weren't careful, they'd be hunted down like animals.

Gritting his teeth, Zvica raised his hand and sent up the retreat signal, a pulse of dark but glowing energy streaking across the sky. A moment later, those still engaged in combat abandoned their fights, turning to flee.

Defeat.

Zvica scowled, watching the remnants of his forces scatter into the night.

"Damn it all..." he muttered. This was more than just a failure--it was humiliation.

And the worst part? He knew their enemies wouldn't let them forget it.

Night had fallen over Arcana-Vale, the imperial capital, casting a veil of stars across the sky. The city below was alive with the murmur of trade, the clatter of hooves on cobblestone, and the distant hum of airships drifting between towering spires. From the balcony of the Aetherian Embassy, Seraphina Whisperwind stood in contemplative silence, a glass of deep crimson wine swirling in her grasp. The faint glow of enchanted lanterns bathed the chamber in a soft golden hue, their flickering light reflecting in her calculating eyes.

Her closest aide, a stern-faced yet loyal subordinate who had accompanied her to the meeting with Emperor Draconis Seraphus Rex III early the same day, finally broke the silence. "Madam, we know who the thief was. We also know which Faction the thief belonged to. Why didn't we tell the Serpentonian Leader?"

Seraphina took a slow sip, savouring the aged richness of the wine before responding. "Because, my friend, we must never lay all our cards on the table when dealing with men like Draconis." Gracefully set the glass down with a soft clink against the marble railing. "That emperor is too cunning for his good. If we give him every piece of the puzzle, he will easily turn it against us, just as he did when he betrayed us with the demons."

The aide furrowed his brow, gripping his glass a little tighter. "Still, withholding information might breed distrust. We are allies, are we not? Our end goal is after all same."

Seraphina let out a chuckle, shaking her head. "Allies? Not quite. What Serpentonians want is the magic resource-rich lands of Helvetia. On the surface, our Goals might Align but what we are after lies a bit further than that. We are partners of convenience, nothing more. Draconis moves like a serpent in the dark, coiling around opportunity and striking only when the prey is vulnerable. If we had told him everything, he would have found a way to twist it to his advantage." She exhaled, eyes drifting toward the endless expanse of the night sky. "No, it is far better to let him remain uncertain, to dangle just enough truth to keep him wary but not enough for him to act freely. After all, I believe his recent dealings with the Demons have brought him closer to what we want. If he gets the wind of the complete truth he might deny us what we want as a worst-case scenario. but it seems even the Demons are not fully trusting him just as we are."

The aide sighed and leaned against the railing, gazing at the city below. "Even so, if all the players in this game are after the same thing, it won't be long before he appears."

Seraphina's fingers tightened slightly around her glass. "Yes. And that is what concerns me." Her voice grew quieter, more sombre. "If he shows up… then all of this posturing, all these careful manoeuvres, will mean nothing. Because when he arrives -- if he arrives, the game will no longer be one of strategy but of survival. That might explain why even the demons are keeping, Draconis in the dark."

A heavy silence settled between them, broken only by the distant chimes of a city clock marking the late hour. The aide hesitated before speaking again. "Then we should prepare."

Seraphina nodded, though her gaze remained fixed on the horizon. "Yes… but no amount of preparation will be enough if he decides to make his move. Looking at the recent theft the third faction has also begun to make its move."

The atmosphere in the embassy grew tense, filled with unspoken fears and uncertainties. As their conversation faded into silence, Seraphina remained focused on the vast unknown before her, watching and waiting. She knew that soon, the balance of power would shift, and when it did, a storm would arrive.

And none of them would be ready.

***