Four months after founding Shadowhaven, Elion received his first response from another System Bearer. It arrived with Zara's ship during her regular visit.
To Shadow-Touched Elion of Shadowhaven,
Your letter reached me in the Frost Peaks, carried by the trader Zara. I'm pleased to learn of another System Bearer facing similar challenges.
Your situation resonates with mine. I fled the northern kingdoms two years ago after they attempted to conscript me for military service. I've built New Frost—a city of twelve hundred souls—in mountains they claimed were uninhabitable. Like you, I've faced Imperial pressure, resource challenges, and the constant burden of protecting those who depend on me.
I propose more than correspondence. The Empire's new division targeting System Bearers is real—I've faced their scouts three times now. They're probing for weaknesses, assessing our capabilities. We'd be stronger coordinating our responses.
I suggest a meeting. Neutral territory, minimal guards, just System Bearers discussing mutual interests. Rashid has agreed to attend if arrangements can be made. A third voice would make the conversation more valuable.
Consider it. We don't have to be alone in this.
- Ice-Blessed Kira
The letter was followed by a shorter note from Rashid, the Flame-Dancer, expressing similar sentiments. Both System Bearers saw value in coordination.
Elion called his inner circle to discuss the proposal. The meeting was predictably divided.
"It could be a trap," Kael said immediately. "We don't know these people. Meeting them in neutral territory means leaving Shadowhaven vulnerable."
"It could also be a crucial opportunity," Mira countered. "If the Empire is targeting all System Bearers, we need to coordinate. Going it alone is more dangerous than reaching out."
"Where would this meeting even happen?" Garrick asked. "Neutral territory between the archipelago, desert kingdoms, and mountain peaks? That's a huge geographical spread."
"There's a location," Zara interjected. She'd been invited to the meeting as the proposed messenger. "The Free City of Portside—neutral trade hub on the southern continent. Not controlled by any empire or kingdom, just independent merchants. I'm heading there in three weeks. I could transport one or two of you."
"Just one or two?" Elion asked.
"My ship isn't large, and the journey takes two weeks each way. Plus we'd need to arrange similar transport for Kira and Rashid. Small delegation only—maybe each System Bearer plus one advisor."
It would mean being away from Shadowhaven for over a month. Leaving the settlement in others' hands while he sailed to meet strangers.
But the alternative was facing Imperial attention alone, without coordination or support from others in similar positions.
"I'll go," Elion decided. "Mira comes with me as advisor. Garrick takes charge of Shadowhaven in my absence, with Kael handling military matters and Lyssa managing our alliance relationships."
"You're sure about this?" Garrick asked.
"No. But I'm sure we need allies, and this is the best path to finding them."
The next three weeks were spent preparing Shadowhaven for Elion's absence. He conducted extensive briefings with all settlement leaders, established clear chains of command, and drilled his shadow soldiers on protocols for when he was out of mental link range.
"The shadows will remain active while I'm gone," he explained to Garrick. "They can follow the last orders given, but they can't adapt to new situations without my direction. Use them for defense and heavy labor, but don't expect tactical flexibility."
"Will they disappear if you die?" Kael asked bluntly.
"The system says they'll persist for seven days before dissipating. So if I don't return within a week of expected arrival time, assume the worst and prepare accordingly."
It was a grim thought, but necessary planning.
The departure day arrived with mixed emotions. Nearly five hundred people had gathered at the docks to see their leader off. Children waved, adults called out good wishes, and more than a few looked worried.
"Keep things running smoothly," Elion told Garrick. "Don't take unnecessary risks. If the Empire shows up in force, don't fight them—retreat to the interior and use the jungle as cover."
"Just come back," Garrick said simply. "This settlement needs you."
"This settlement will survive with or without me. That's the whole point of what we're building—creating systems that last beyond any individual."
Zara's ship departed on the morning tide. Elion stood at the stern, watching Shadowhaven recede into the distance. Four months ago, it had been empty coastline. Now it was home to hundreds, with permanent buildings, functioning infrastructure, and the beginnings of a society.
"Proud of what you've built?" Mira asked, joining him.
"Proud and terrified. So much could still go wrong."
"That's leadership. Proud and terrified, all the time."
The journey to Portside took exactly two weeks. Zara's ship was fast and her crew was expert, navigating through waters Elion had never seen. They passed other islands, other settlements, fishing villages and trading posts that existed beyond Imperial control.
"The world is larger than the Empire," Zara observed during one evening meal. "They want everyone to think Imperial territory is all that matters, but it's less than a quarter of inhabited lands. There are entire kingdoms they've never reached, free cities they can't control, and wilderness territories they'll never claim."
"But they keep expanding," Elion said.
"For now. But empires that overextend collapse. It's historical pattern. They might look invincible today, but they're carrying seeds of their own destruction."
Portside appeared on the horizon on the fourteenth day—a sprawling city built around a natural harbor, with ships from dozens of nations crowding the docks. The architecture was chaotic—no single style, just buildings added over centuries by different cultures.
"Welcome to the Free City," Zara announced. "Founded two hundred years ago by merchants tired of empires and kingdoms controlling trade. They declared independence, built a mercenary army to defend it, and made clear that everyone's welcome as long as they respect the peace. It's held longer than most nations."
They docked in a designated trade section. Zara had arranged accommodations at a neutral inn—the Crossroads, appropriately named. Kira and Rashid would be arriving within days.
Elion spent those days exploring Portside, marveling at its diversity. Every race, creed, and nationality mixed freely. The markets sold goods from every corner of the known world. Multiple languages filled the air, and the city guard maintained order without favoring any particular group.
"This is what Shadowhaven could become," Mira observed. "A place where everyone's welcome, where origins don't matter."
"Assuming we survive long enough to grow that large."
On the third day, Kira arrived.
She was immediately distinctive—tall even by northern standards, with pale skin that seemed to have a frost-like sheen and white hair that moved like snow caught in wind. Her eyes were crystalline blue, and when she walked, the temperature around her dropped noticeably.
"Elion Crestfall?" she said, approaching the inn. "You match the description. I'm Kira."
They shook hands—her grip was cold as ice but strong. Up close, Elion could see the signs of System enhancement. Her presence felt similar to his own—that sense of being more than ordinary human.
"Thank you for coming," Elion said. "This is Mira, my advisor."
"My advisor is back in New Frost—didn't want to leave the city undefended. But I brought a written report on our defensive preparations and Imperial encounters." Kira looked around Portside with interest. "I've never been this far south. It's warm."
"It's mild," Mira corrected. "Wait until you see the actual tropics."
Rashid arrived the next day—a stark contrast to Kira. Dark-skinned with traditional desert robes and facial tattoos that seemed to flicker like flames, he radiated heat the way Kira radiated cold. His eyes were amber-gold, and his movements had a dancer's grace.
"System Bearers," he said, grinning as he saw them. "Finally, people who understand. I've been the only one in my region for too long."
The three of them met that evening in a private room Zara had arranged. No guards, no advisors—just three people who'd been chosen by ancient systems to wield extraordinary power.
"So," Kira began, settling into a chair. "The Empire is targeting us. What do we do about it?"
"Share information first," Rashid suggested. "Compare experiences, see what patterns emerge."
They spent hours exchanging stories. Kira's experiences with Imperial scouts, Rashid's diplomatic pressure from Empire-aligned kingdoms, Elion's encounters with deserters and refugees. Patterns did emerge—the Empire was systematically identifying System Bearer locations, assessing their capabilities, preparing for eventual action.
"They're afraid of us," Rashid said. "Afraid that we're creating alternatives to Imperial rule that could inspire others. One System Bearer settlement might be a curiosity. Three or more start looking like a movement."
"Are we a movement?" Elion asked.
"Do we want to be?" Kira countered. "Because right now, we're just isolated settlements trying to survive. But if we coordinate, if we present as unified—even loosely unified—the dynamics change completely."
"It also makes us a bigger target," Elion pointed out.
"We're already targets. The question is whether we face it alone or together."
The discussion continued into the night. By dawn, they'd reached tentative agreement on several points:
Information sharing network—regular communication through traders like Zara
Coordinated defensive strategies—learning from each other's encounters with Imperial forces
Resource sharing—helping each other with critical shortages
Potential mutual defense pact—agreeing to assist if one settlement faced overwhelming attack
"We're not forming an alliance," Kira clarified. "Not yet. But we're establishing cooperation. Testing whether we can work together before committing to something more formal."
"Agreed," Rashid said. "My position in the Sunscorch Emirates is complicated—I'm technically still nobility, though I've broken with the Empire-aligned faction. Open alliance might create diplomatic problems I'm not ready for."
"And I'm still building New Frost's legitimacy with nearby kingdoms," Kira added. "But cooperation? Information sharing? That I can manage."
They spent another two days working out details—communication protocols, emergency signals, criteria for requesting assistance. By the time they parted ways, Elion felt something he hadn't experienced since fleeing Silverwood—hope that extended beyond immediate survival.
"We're not alone," he told Mira as Zara's ship prepared to depart. "That matters."
"It does. But it also means we're part of something bigger now. That comes with its own complications."
The return journey gave Elion time to process everything. Three System Bearers, scattered across hundreds of miles, facing similar challenges. If they could coordinate effectively, they'd be much stronger than any individual settlement.
But coordination meant communication, which meant vulnerability. It meant shared risk, shared decision-making, shared consequences.
Was Shadowhaven ready for that?
As the island appeared on the horizon two weeks later, Elion still wasn't sure. But ready or not, they were part of a larger picture now.
The ship docked to cheers. Garrick reported that the month had been quiet—no Imperial activity, no major crises, just steady progress on expansion and development.
"Welcome home," the old soldier said. "We've held things together. Now what?"
"Now we prepare," Elion said, looking out at the settlement he'd built. "The Empire is coming eventually. But when they do, they'll find we're not alone. And that might make all the difference."
The storm clouds were gathering. But Shadowhaven—and its System Bearer allies—would weather them together.