Knights Apocalyptica

“Delegation ties, with the intent of securing an exclusive economic contract for a total of three years?” A big man in the council rumbled; rubbing his stomach as he spoke.

Hours had passed, and all they’d done was hedge bets and hash out how to work out a beneficial agreement to communicate with one another. What the Duke had neglected to mention throughout the entire discussion was the Church and its pending rejection of this sort of opening up past the walls.

They’d also brought up the Armor, but the council explained that the rumors about the Kingdom would bring them more trouble than it was worth within the confines of Vega.

But from what had been on the table, and the questions Duke Nitidus was willing to entertain, it left Erec speechless. Of course, the Kingdom was primarily interested in information about the rest of the wasteland. Vega wanted to open trade routes. Both sides wanted to know about the other—which obviously led to an agreement to allow diplomats to enter Vega and the Kingdom to assess more details.

Now…

“You expect us to commit to an exclusive economic contract without information about the other markets on the western coast?” The Duke asked.

“Five years pass quickly.” The big man said.

“Yet five years of restrained action might be outside of what the Crown wishes to pursue. We can discuss that later, once more options are available. And, provided that you, as a gesture of good faith, introduce us to your allies.”

After three hours, the niceties wore away, and they were cutting to the heart of what they wanted.

The big guy gave the Duke a gap-toothed grin. “Again, you come back to this point about wanting to meet our allies for free; I thought we already covered that. Nothing is free in Vega.”

“Of course, but the price you ask for is too much.”

“Roll a die on it?” he asked.

Another suggestion to gamble to clarify and solve arguments. It hadn’t been with just the big guy, either. Two other Council Members gave the same suggestion earlier.

“No.” Duke Nitidus said. He frowned at looked at the rest of the Knights. “…It is getting late. I’m sure that my people are tired, or wish to experience your city, and I think after these talks it might be a good idea for both sides to take a break. I doubt we’ll come to an agreement in just a couple of days. Is there a formal process for extended negotiation with your council? Or must we summon your full council over the next few days to come to a partisan agreement?”

The big man reclined back on his throne and looked over at the old bearded man. The old guy was busy twirling his beard, having let the council members and the Duke do most of the talking.

Now, though, he had his cue.

“As the Chairman of the Council Of Magi, I move to extend negotiations with the representatives of the Kingdom Of Cindrus through a subcommittee intending to draft an agreeable compromise. This will then be brought to the full council for a vote. All in favor?”

At that call for a vote, the balls of light floating above the Council’s heads swirled into the center; nine of the eleven. The two who refused were the woman with pointed teeth and the man with bandages wrapped around his face. After seeing the confluence of lights, the old man gave a slow nod, then stood. The balls of light drifted back to their homes.

“Those who wish to be on the subcommittee?”

The woman with pointed teeth grinned as she raised her hand. As did the man with the pompadour, the big man, and the man with a bandaged face.

“Grand, the subcommittee will be made of the following: Archmagi Trista of the Sands, Archmagi Elvis of the Strip, Archmagi Dres the Indomitable, Archmagi Husk the Unclean, and myself.”

Erec rubbed his eyes as the old man rattled off the titles. All of them resulted in a self-pleased smirk on the recipient’s once addressed formally. It wasn’t new. The Court also heralded people by their rank and significant accomplishments. In the couple of formal events he’d attended since becoming a count, some people had a habit of adding the moniker of “Slayer Of The White Stag” to him.

Useless, though. Since their titles told little at all. And Elvis? Of the Strip? Weren’t all these people from here to begin with?

[Well, that was informative. An Elvis impersonator climbed his way into being a ruler of the city formerly known as Vegas. This wasteland never ceases to amaze.]

“So it has been decided. We will have your liaison contact you with the committee meeting time. You may bring any of your party you wish to attend to our future discussions. One last matter of business, as I’m sure you’re eager to experience Vega—we have had a total of a thousand chips sent to each of your parties’ hotel rooms to facilitate an enjoyable visit. I do hope you have an unforgettable experience in our dear city.”

This meeting had been informative, even for someone not as adept at politics as himself. But now his energy was burning low, the constant talking and being around everyone and trying to make sense of it exhausted him.

Escape the court, but in this life as a Knight, the court would never escape him.

With a few more formal farewells, the exterior council chamber turned black as a hole opened out of the sphere, letting all the Knights out, so the council could conclude whatever business they had.

And with that, they were free.

— - ☢ - — - ☼ - — - ☢ - —

Shortly after returning to his hotel room, Erec threw the broken shard of glass in his pocket into the trash. In the end, he hadn’t needed to spill any Magi blood. He traded it for his axe, whose feeling he missed on his back. It was odd not having a ton of steel between him and it, but it felt much better to have an actual weapon on him.

Barely a few minutes after arriving and strapping on his weapon, they had a knock on the door.

Garin stopped fussing with his tie and looked at Erec.

Erec had a feeling he knew would be there, so he went and answered. Enide gave him a big smile, a gun strapped to her hip. But it was a side-arm, not the big las-rifle she preferred. She gave him a once over and bit her lip.

“Think I prefer you with the axe, but maybe you should take the shirt off. Might look better.” She said, slipping past him into the room.

“Whoa,” Garin called out, “Still here, Enide. You two need some privacy?”

She paused, then gave him a rather sheepish wave, “Ah, no. This works out. Grabbing him, you, then we’ll go find Olivia, then we’re out. Take it Boldwick has given his blessings to at least let you see the city?”

“Wants us to take in as much as we can. Or, at the very least, he has left no other standing orders for us besides ‘two drinks’ and ‘carry your weapons at all times.’”

“Only two?”

“While it’s important to observe and explore, being around this many unknown people is dangerous."

Enide opened her jaw, then closed it. She grabbed Erec by the arm and squeezed his bicep, and then pointed to the giant axe on his back. “Trouble? With him?”

“Expecting trouble with him around is a bit… You realize he’s only an Initiate, right?”

“I saw this man take down a swarm of old-world military bots.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Erec gave a nervous laugh. The way they talked around him was uncomfortable. In the same way that when people called him a hero in the Kingdom, he felt a pit in his stomach. Fury had power behind it—but it didn’t make him anywhere near immortal.

Not when human monsters like the Grandmaster, the Council, and a good number of their Senior Knights existed.

Part of him contested that, a prideful and dangerous spark inside of him. Being around Knights and Master Knights so often made him forget that most people didn’t amount anywhere near an Initiate’s level of Strength, let alone his. Definitely not that of the higher-ranking Knights.

But this was a hub within the wasteland. The people who gathered here weren’t like the commoners in the depths of the caverns. They had to at least deal with monsters.

Enide didn’t relinquish his arm. Instead, she wrapped her own around it, pressing against his side.

“So, lover boy, ready to go collect your girlfriend?” she asked.

“I’d say so. Let’s go get a taste of this city,” Garin said.

With that, they were off, leaving the room and locking it. Olivia was a couple of doors down and was not prepared for the double date at that minute. She ran off to the bathroom to fix up her hair, as the three of them awkwardly sat in the lounge area near her windows.

Gwen was there, awkwardly eying them up and making jokes. But Erec got the distinct impression she felt left out. Her eyes kept straying to him, and she kept mentioning Bedwyr.

No wonder she was thinking of his brother. And given that things between them were still rocky, he could only imagine the thoughts going through her head.

She suggested that she’d go talk Colin into trying to gamble at one of the casinos—and the very thought of the two of them doing that set off Garin into a round of laughter and jokes that left Gwen more emboldened than ever. By the time Olivia returned with her hair masterfully shaped and beautiful, Gwen trailed them out the door to drag Colin from his room. Erec shivered as he imagined how that would go.

But his feeling was swept away, replaced with the thrill of having Enide next to him.

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