Chapter 38: The Negotiation, Part 1
Dawn broke over the Ashen Pass, a hesitant, grey light that did little to warm the frost-covered ground. On the peak of the designated hill, the air was still and incredibly tense. Below, in the mist-filled valley, two armies—one starving and desperate, the other disciplined and waiting—were a silent, captive audience to the summit that would decide their fate.
Alexius arrived first, flanked by Captain Gregor. He wore the practical steel plate with golden runes from head to toe, befitting a battle wardrobe of the principality's sovereign.
Moments later, Archmage Ignis materialized at the opposite end of the hilltop. He simply appeared out of nowhere, possibly using a teleportation spell; when he appeared, the heat melted the frost in a ten-foot circle around him where he stood. He was alone, confident in his ability, wearing robes the color of embers, emitting red color from head to toe.
For a moment, neither man spoke. This was the first true test: a silent display of power, a non-verbal negotiation to establish the terms of their meeting to get the upper hand.
Ignis unleashed his aura first. A vast, oppressive wave of pure thermal power, a physical pressure that warped the air and caused the very rocks at Alexius's feet to grow warm. It was the crushing, arrogant presence of a star, an ancient and overwhelming force, to force the young prince to his knees through sheer magical power.
Alexius did not even flinch. He did not try to match the archmage's raw, oppressive power; rather, he cannot at his current level. Instead, he focused on his own. His blue aura condensed, sharpening from a diffuse flame into a blade of pure, cold light. It was a manifestation of a focused point of absolute will that did not bend or break before the archmage's inferno even if he is inferior in power. Behind him, Gregor's own Sword Master Aura was watching in awe. "The clash of auras—they are beautiful. I have never seen such a resonant dance of aura in my entire life, amazing' he thought.
The invisible war of wills ended in a beautiful dance of blue and red flames. Ignis, for the first time, looked at the young prince with respect.He knows that controlling aura is the most difficult thing even for sword master level, and yet that prince is resonating with my aura, creating flame dances. 'Amazing.'
"You are interesting, young prince; I will give you that," Ignis rasped. "However, you have a stone that does not belong to you. Give me the Phoenix Fragment, and I may consider leaving your pathetic principality intact."
Alexius gave a faint smile. "An intriguing offer, Archmage. But your proposal is based on a false premise. You speak as if I hold the only piece of the puzzle you lack. I know you already possess one from a vermin as a gift." He let the statement hang in the air for a beat."But my information says that you have possessed your own Phoenix fragment for quite some time, hidden away in your tower in Barlius."
The Archmage's glowing eyes widened; he was shocked. 'How does he know that I got a fragment from that vermin? Also, how can he locate that fragment whereaboutsinside the tower with the tightest magical security in the entire continent? That is another surprising yet. What he perceived was that the boy must have possessed knowledge that should have been impossible. Probably higher power than mine, meaning Legendary rank.
"I will make you a counteroffer," Alexius said, pressing his advantage. He produced the glowing fragment he had taken from his father's chambers, its warm, golden light a stark contrast to the grey morning. "I will lend you this fragment and the one currently missing from my treasury for your research. In return, the knowledge you unlock from their resonance will be shared with my Royal R&D Wing. You will become a Royal Advisor on Arcane Matters to the Crown of Leo."
Ignis let out a dry, rasping laugh. "An advisor? I do not 'advise,' boy. I command. You think to bribe me with that which is already mine by right of power?"
"I think to offer you a prize far greater than two mere fragments," Alexius said smoothly.
The Archmage fell silent, his greed piqued.
"Your fragment, the one from my treasury, and the one I hold make three," Alexius stated. "But the First King split the Phoenix stone into five. The map I possess shows the locations of the other two. One is held by the Fire Dragon Lord in the Sea of Forests. The other is by the Lava Drake Lord in the Western Hills. Beings of immense power that you, for all your mastery, could not defeat alone."
He changed his tone to serious and cold and full of authority. "Swear your service to my Crown, and I will not only lend you the stones in my possession, but I will commit the full might of my legions, my new weapons, and myself to help you hunt the Dragon and the Drake. Together, we will retrieve the other two fragments. Their power will be yours to study, under my authority."
Ignis stared at him in awe that he was about to bend his knee because the aura radiating from the prince's body was not like the previous one, with the color of light, full of authority, and oppressive like the divine, which he could not achieve in his entire life even with this power; only the Church's saints, saintesses, and blessed ones could achieve that thing. 'Another interesting thing, I am in awe.' Also, to hunt a Dragon Lord… of mythical level, the nearest to the divine realm. And this boy was offering to make it a reality in exchange for his fealty. 'With his power, I think we can.'
The Archmage made his counteroffer. "I accept the quest. But I will not be a mere subject who accompanies you. The other fragments must be retrieved. I will assist you." His meaning was clear: they would be partners in the hunt.
"A partnership of equals, then," Alexius conceded easily. He then moved to his second term. "In this partnership, I will share the principles of my new technologies with you. The science behind my gunpowder, the engineering of my machines. You, in turn, will provide your arcane counsel to my Director of Research, Albert. Magic and science, working together."
This was the bait Ignis could not resist. The chance to understand the "mechanical sorcery" that had defied his magic. "An intriguing proposal," Ignis mused, his eyes glowing brighter. "However, such a collaboration cannot be managed from afar. If we are to be partners, then my work must be done here. I will move my entire Mage Tower—my libraries, my laboratories, my apprentices—from that insignificant kingdom of Barlius to your capital. The Tower of Ignis will stand beside your palace. We shall not be mere advisors to one another; we shall be allies, bound to the defense and advancement of this realm for a period of one hundred years."
Alexius had expected a concession; he had been given an offer of total, unnerving commitment. An archmage and his entire arcane fortress moved to the heart of his capital. The potential benefits were immense. The potential danger was equally so.
"An alliance requires a clean slate," Alexius said, pressing his final term. "This foolish crusade must end. You will publicly renounce its cause and order the southern armies to disband and return to their lands. My victory must be absolute and unquestioned."
Ignis waved a dismissive hand, a gesture that doomed a quarter of a million men to failure. "Their fate is of no concern to me. They were a tool, and their usefulness has ended."
The terms were set. Alexius produced a scroll of strange, faintly glowing parchment, an artifact from the same locker as the Phoenix Stone. "A Rune Contract," he explained. "So that our… partnership… is bound by more than mere words."
He recited his vows: to aid the Archmage in the quest for the stones and to share his technology. As he spoke, the words lifted from his mouth and burned themselves onto the parchment in glowing blue runes of Aura.
Ignis then recited his: to serve as an ally to the Crown of Leo for one hundred years, to lend his power to the realm's defense, and to order the dissolution of the crusade and aid the prince's cause. His words burned onto the scroll in fiery, orange runes of Mana.
They both pressed a hand to the document. A brilliant flash of gold and crimson light erupted from the scroll, sealing the pact. A magical bond, unbreakable and absolute, now tied the young prince and the ancient mage together. The deal was done.
…..
From the distant camp of the Southern Crusade, the assembled kings and Sword Masters watched the hilltop. They had spent the morning in a state of anxious, furious speculation. They saw the flash of white light and threw the whole camp into disarray, some kneeling down and some fainting; even sword masters felt anxious and nauseous.
A few minutes later, two figures began to descend the hill. And they were walking side-by-side, something they could not imagine in their wildest dreams.
A horror began to spread through the hearts of the southern sovereigns. They did not know what had been said. They did not know what deal had been struck. But they knew, with the cruel certainty of the damned, that they had been led to their downfall.
Their doom was sealed.
(Continue…..)