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<span style="font-weight:400">Valeria takes a deep breath. She and her herd have finally stepped down from the Mountain of Mourn and now she finally saw the exhrating sight and air of the Warpstone Desert. No longer she is stuck on the mountains where Celestial and Light Winds of Magic can suffocate her and the barren sands dotted by many green crystals is a wee sight. It''s been more than a month since shest departed, marching almost nonstop, and finally she glimpsed at the eastern kingdom her mother set her to find.
<span style="font-weight:400">The journey here is somehow quite smooth. As most of the conflict and Chaos Gods attention are elsewhere. After theirst stop at the Moot, they get a few ogres that join the herd and guide them through the sted Lands and to the ins of Zharr where the Chaos Dwarves rule. Due to the ogres guiding them and the Chaos Dwarves trade with the Ogre Kingdoms, the herd are allowed to pass without much fuss and less tax than the traders from the Empire going to Cathay. These traders are few but they almost alwayse with a grand convoy but not as big as her herd. Valeria doesn’t like how the Chaos Dwarves look at her and her lesser daemon sisters though. There is still the asional orc raid and orc ve uprising but those are quickly resolved.
<span style="font-weight:400">Entering the Mountain of Mourn is the most problematic part. Due to the high concentration of Celestial and Light magic in high ces, the lesser daemons can’t help much and there’s plenty of fight with petty ogre tribes that doesn’t entirely follow Greasus Goldtooth rule. But those are very few and easily dispatched. This also means that the herd have no shortage of food as even the ogres within the herd are very fine doing cannibalism. After that they went through the treacherous and twisting path of the Bone Road, which finally led her to the Warpstone Desert. Valeria saw a huge fortress city east to southeast of their current position and she sensed something really powerful within the city.
<span style="font-weight:400">Valeria halted her steps as she gulped. Whoever inside the city has noticed her too. And she felt they wereparable to her mother. Regardless, she marches on through the Warpstone Desert. If any problem arises, she can just blow the Horn and call her mother. As the herd marched, Valeria’s unease continued. She is being watched. Some of her sisters felt the same but none is being watched as closely as her.
<span style="font-weight:400">One long ufortable marchter, the herd stops before the great wall of the fortress city of Shang-Yang. Two huge terracotta statues stood side by side beside the city gate. Thend surrounding the fortress city has already turned into fertile rice fields though no one is outside as it is almost evening. Valeria and two of the other lesser daemons walked forward. But before she could announce herself, the city gate opened. Out rode 36 cavalry riding Kirin with mirror shields. They surround Valeria and the two lesser daemons. The golden herd behind mors in anger, taking out their rugged weapons and preparing to charge forward. But Valeria raises her hand and stops them. The beastmen are barely in control.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait here.” Valeriamands. She wants to add that if she doesn''t leave after a day they are to assault the city. Though she didn’t say it because she doesn’t know if they can even assault the city and in addition to that powerful presence within the city.
<span style="font-weight:400">The cavalrymen nudges Valeria and other two into the city with their ives and Valeria follows along. Entering the city, she saw that the city is nicer than ces she has visited. The entire street is paved, clean buildings and its surrounding, and the exotic architecture is much more pleasing than the ones in the empire.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why did you let them inside!? You have to kill them! They are beastmen!” shouts one of the traders in silk clothing being pushed back by an exasperated guard. Some other people from the Empire shouted the same. These are the traders that stay in Shang-Yang until winter passes before returning to the Empire with the goods from Cathay. The Kirin cavalry escort Valeria and her sisters to the pce inside the city.
<span style="font-weight:400">Entering the pce, Valeria notices plenty of enchantment weaved into the pce walls and almost all of the guards have enchanted equipment. Valeria is then separated by her two sisters as she is led to a different room. Seeing as none of the guards ever spoke a word to her, she just entered the room without much pause. Only for her toe face to face with the powerful entity within the city.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You finally arrived. Come sit.” Said a huge man with a finely groomed ck hair and beard while his entire eyes is white. He wears an ornate armor shaped like the face of some creature above his clothes.
<span style="font-weight:400">Valeria sat on the chair provided, a small table stood in between her and his seat.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You must forgive my men. I told them to not bother speaking as I thought you won’t understand ournguage,” He said as he poured some tea into a small cup, “Tea?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No.” Valeria instantly refuses. She doesn''t even know what tea is.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Tell me about yourself…” He pauses. Waiting for Valeria to answer but she just stares at him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah, where’s my manners? I am Zhao Ming, the Ruler of Shang-Yang.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I am Valeria. The Chieftess of the Second Golden Herd.” as Valeria answers, Zhao Ming smiles. Finally he’s getting somewhere.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So Valeria, tell me about yourself.” He continues
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t know where to start.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmmm. You said you are the chieftess of the Second Golden Herd. Who is the first?” Zhao Ming starts
<span style="font-weight:400">“My mother.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course. And where is she?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Back in the Old World.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“And why do youe here? You didn’te from the Ivory Road, that means you are determined to get here.” Zhao Ming continued to ask. This is not progressing the way he likes it.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ivory Road?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s a trade route. Should be safer than arriving from the Northwest where youe from.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No, we don’t know any Ivory Road.” The two cups of tea have grown cold. But Valeria takes the cup nheless as she needs to drink if she is going to be interrogated. But Zhao Ming’s hand stops her hand and reheats the tea with his magic before letting Valeria to continue. Valeria drinks the now warm tea and notes its unique taste though she can’t really put it into words as she didn’t know much about other drinks. Zhao Ming also drinks his tea.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As for why we are here. My mother asked me toe here and find a ce to settle or make some alliance.” Valeria finally opens up and Zhao Ming smiles.
<span style="font-weight:400">“And you did arrive here. I apud your determination,” Hepliments her “As for a ce to settle or an alliance. It can be arranged.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is this why you are looking at me like that?” Valeria finally asks, his staring is not even subtle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well yes. Simply put, I want you.” Zhao Ming finally deres his intent
<span style="font-weight:400">Then a very loud horn sounds from within the pce, shocking the entire fortress city from its sound.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">I gaze at my herd’s new equipment. Now they look like a proper army. With elven te armors over their golden skin and elven made weapons. Many of the beastmen’s makeshift cksmiths are now learning how to cold forge new armors and weapons. It doesn’t matter if they cannot channel magic as the Spell Slot tes can help them with that. Now the main problem is to acquire metals as fast as we forge them. We still has some stockpiles from the Eonirs but it will be quickly used up at this point. I should have added that to the list of my demands to Balthasar Gelt. Though moving huge amounts of metals are harder to conceal so I think he won’t ept it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then I felt something in my head. My hand instantly grabbed whatever it was. Followed by a squawk sound. In my hand is a bird. A seagull? Or is it bigger? I can’t really tell with my real size. The bird stood up and stood on my hand. Oh, it’s an albatross.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You. You are the one that woke me up. Tomorrow, go north to the coast. I have a gift for you.” The albatross said and immediately flew away.
<span style="font-weight:400">Did the bird just speak? I look around to make sure I am not mistaken but no one else is around me when it speaks. Though I found someone I have been looking for.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Lak!” I shouted and my daughter jolted in surprise. Moving something away from my sight.
<span style="font-weight:400">“There you are. You miss the visit to the armory and the first pick for new equipment. Where were you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I was looking at some ruins.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ruins within the city? What did you find?” At my question, she seemed hesitant before showing me a fancy elven hand mirror. Faintly magical.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. Well then, go to Kal. He should be still handing out equipment from the armory. There should still be some enchanted armor or even a magic staff for you.” She nodded before leaving in a hurry. Wonder what happened.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then I hear a loud horn deep within my head. The entire herd stops, also hearing the loud horn. The expedition herd is in danger.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Dorn! To me! Kal! Druig! Repair and Fortify the city!” The herd immediately moved into a frenzy. Few hundred of the newly armored and equipped beastmen, minotaurs, and a dozen shamans assembled around me. A sh of silver, then Wolfe also arrived. Tracing my connection to the horn artifact, I open a gateway and teleport there.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">With a sh of a golden light, a thousand beastmen including Vriel and Dorn teleported instantly to Grand Cathay. Lak looked at where her mother once stood. Once again, she is left behind. She knows she has other responsibilities. But she wanted her mother to trust her more. She turns and goes with the group of beastmen shamans and cksmiths that will learn cold forging.
<span style="font-weight:400">The magical mirror tied to her belt glows faintly purple. The Keeper of Secret from the previous battle bound herself into the mirror. anesh has found The Keeper of Secret’s attempt on running from its disappointment amusing and has granted her onest chance. While The Keeper of Secret swore that she will not make another mistake. More in desperation but also personal vengeance. She will not be cast away like the Masque of anesh did.
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">Back in Shang-Yang, Zhao Ming finally releases his hands on his ears.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What did you do?” He asked in apprehension only to find her gone and the door to the room opened. Looks like his attempt on wooing his newest guest have failed catastrophically. She even has a magical artifact that can even deafen him. The problem now is what is its effect.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then he felt a powerful presence strike the magical barrier of Shang-Yang.