Chapter 5. "How Land is Carved from Afar"

I walked into the sandpit and slowly looked around, making sure the entire pavilion was watching me. “Thank you again for coming here today. Let us begin our first strategy meeting.”

Our humble estate pavilion, the only place with a traditional Emanai sand floor, had been designated as our current ‘war room’. Despite the number of people present, the meeting was private and only the ‘officers’ of my estate, my family, and Aikerim with her delegation were invited inside.

Not hearing any objections, I nodded. “I will start by saying that none of you will be expected to do the impossible. Quite the opposite, in fact. I wish to specifically rely on your current knowledge and expertise acquired at this estate so that we can develop as quickly as possible without causing unnecessary accidents and suffering unwelcome growing pains. Except this time around we will not be making modest workshops — constrained by available space and local supply — to meet the needs of a single Manor, provide gifts for a few select dignitaries, or sell goods at their maximum profit. We will lean fully into our new system of manufacturing, creating goods at scale to feed not only the growing needs of our colony but also the needs of others, be it another Manor, an entire city, a House, or all of the above at once.”

Wrena whistled. “All that talk about identical parts and keeping workers on a single task… you were planning for this as soon as you entered the Manor!”

I blinked. “Yes? I mean I obviously wasn’t anticipating this exact outcome, especially as far back as last summer, but I literally asked for this ‘gift’. It would be quite silly of me to ask for something I am woefully unprepared for.”

She shook her head and hid behind her cup of wine, muttering about my ambitions.

“And I do mean a system,” I pulled out a drawing stick. “Barred from usual Emanai farming practices, I wish to make my land ‘fertile’ for factories and ventures at the very least and raise them not as a battle master training one student at a time but as an arm training entire maniples worth of recruits all at once. Because every single one of those ventures will be yet another good that we don’t have to import.” My stick started dancing in the sand — transcribing my words into shapes and arrows. “Yet another expense reduced to a fraction of its original value. Yet another product we can sell for profit. Yet another taxable income to help us fund our future growth and pay tribute to Emanai and Aikerim Adal. The premise is simple — help someone make ten gold cuts more each year, take one and they keep nine without feeling cheated by the trade. Help a hundred — each of them keeps nine and feels accomplished and we have a hundred cuts in total. Every year.” The latest arrow curved back to the beginning. “Use those hundred cuts to double the prosperity of previous ventures and now they keep eighteen cuts each and we take two hundred. Thus, it will be literally in my best interest to see them prosper. To make you prosper. When done right, this loop does not stop. It spins and it grows. Compounding its growth. A virtuous, self-feeding cycle.”

I waved the stick over the looping arrows. “Achieving and maintaining this cycle is our primary strategic objective. Our campaign, so to say. Everything else is secondary. Remember that. Now, as to where the main battle will take place…”

My stick began to draw a contour. “The reason why our meeting is held today and not a single day earlier is that my Chirps had been tirelessly flying over the Babr Mountains all this time. Collecting soil samples, watching the local populace, imprinting the geography into their eyes. Choosing the best out of what is given.”

Once properly drawn, the Babr Mountains looked nothing like a corpse of a fallen tiger. A curved larva at the very best or, if I squinted my eyes hard enough and looked from afar — a bust of a horse. Or a knight chess piece. The nose and forehead pressed against the plains of Emanai and the long mane of gradually diminishing hills extended hundreds of kilometres eastward into the Hilak and Barsashahr Steppe. The so-called ‘Split Entrails’ region — the bay that extended northward from the South Sea deep into the centre of the Babr Mountains — formed the gap between the horse’s jaws, neck, and chest. Unfortunately for the Kosenya, there were no ears on this piece or the Border Wall in the north of Emanai would have been significantly shorter or even outright unnecessary.

I stabbed the stick into the ‘throatlatch’ crease between the ‘jaw’ and the ‘neck’, the deepest part of the bay. “From what I’ve gathered so far, this appears to be an ideal location for our settlement.”

“That is not even the Split Entrails anymore, this is crawling into the dead carcass itself!” Tarhunna aptly summarised while shaking his head. “Do tell us why sailing this deep into pirate territory is the most preferable choice for you.”

“Good question,” I nodded, unperturbed by his tone and the wary looks half of the pavilion was starting to give me. “There are, in fact, numerous reasons for it.

“The first one is wood. As I said previously, we are not heading there to forge an occasional kattar once in a while or match the current output of Aikerim’s manor. I want our furnaces to roar day and night and the arid southern shores wouldn’t satisfy their hunger. Shipping coal will add unnecessary burden to our limited logistics and if we intend to mine it in the future…” I tapped the horse’s neck once again, “I don’t think I need to tell you where the coal deposits are.

“Second — piracy, surprisingly enough. Generally speaking, I am not too worried about the local groups, those are opportunistic fishermen and not full-time pirates. Independently, they lack wermage numbers to pose a real threat to us. Kirana, Huare — both of you saw me fight barbarians, please inform the rest on what are my chances of victory against… let’s say five galleys.”

Kirana raised her head. “How many wermages? Can you do your flying tricks over water?”

“Very few. One per galley, at best. And yes.”

Huare snorted.

Kirana rolled her eyes. “You heard my sister. You cleave sheydayan in half, a single wermage on a wooden ship? Once you break the first, the rest will start jumping into water all by themselves.”

I spread my arms. “There you have it. And I am not planning to defend our settlement alone, nor attacking ships head-on is my only way of fighting back. Nevertheless, while they are decentralised, I wouldn’t rush to call them stupid. If we settle at the entrance of the bay where forests just begin to appear, they will feel the noose tightening around their necks in an instant. Then we would be dealing not with occasional probing attacks, rendered useless by my skills and your might, but an organised fight for their survival. Will we win? Quite likely, but not without paying the price in blood. A cost that would be quite expensive for us to bear. Moreover,” my stick stabbed the tiny gap between the ‘muzzle’ and the ‘shoulder’, “because the entrance to the bay is narrow enough, a couple of well-placed observation spots will provide us with the knowledge of any worrisome fleets of ships coming our way from the South Sea up to five days in advance. Five days! An expeditionary fleet can sail from Samat to the mouth of the bay in six to seven days, trapping the enemy fleet inside. They can row that distance in four. By settling deep, we will have that much awareness and forewarning from day one. Give me five to six tendays and not a single oar will touch the bay’s waters without me knowing about it, making our location even more secure.”

Aikerim inhaled sharply. “The Noosphere.”

I nodded. “Indeed. The noosphere. It is not my intent to play around or take the Goddess’ task lightly. Worse — intentionally pick the worst possible spot, as if trying to prove a point. Tall surrounding slopes, unbroken by mountain passes, put to shame the Border Wall and the desolate nature of plateau’s highlands further hinders overland intrusions. Forest and nomad alike. As such, the easily accessible land routes are on the very shores we would be watching for pirates anyway. And, in the middle of it all, there is an opportunity I can’t simply pass by.”

The crowd murmured as Domina’s tail bristled with a shudder. “An opportunity? What kind?”

“My kind.” I dragged the stick along the edge of the horse’s ‘neck’. “The somewhat straight edge of the bay here is caused by a cliff formation, running almost unbroken from one side of the valley to another. Despite being more than a hundred and fifty kilometres long, it isn’t particularly high — fifty metres or so — and not much of an obstacle. Unless you are a ship trying to sail further upriver into the Babr Mountains… You don’t need to worry, Anaise — I am not thinking that I can establish another Amul City and earn great fortune by trading between pirates and semi-nomadic tribes. While trade with local populace might provide us, and Aikerim, with additional wool and keep them somewhat genial to our presence in the region, the ease of our access to nearby resources, especially lumber from upriver, is far more important. Moreover, a cliff with a river means one thing. Anyone want to guess?”

“A waterfall.”

“Thank you Wrena. A waterfall, indeed.” I thrust my finger sideways, pointing through the window at our aqueduct outside, diligently spinning the trusty cross-flow turbine to this day. “A waterfall that can power enough watermills to satisfy a hundred manors like this one. Flour mills, saw mills, ball mills, pug mills. Carding machines, spinners, looms. Furnace blowers, water hammers, metal rollers, metal stampers… The river isn’t small and if we properly collar it, it can pull its yoke with the strength of a quarter million oxen.”

I took another glance at my silent audience and clapped my palms together. “An inconspicuous, secure nook with plenty of nearby fuel to feed our smithies, kilns, and furnaces. Plenty of motive power to turn our axles, wheels, and belts. Only a tenday and a half away from Samat by sea. The ultramaf- the deep soil, borne from Tana’s fiery womb, might be too strange for the surface plants to flourish but it bears ores of the deep within. Deep ores means steels and alloys that would make Hsaca smiths green with envy. Lack of food? That cliff holds another secret — its nature is different from the hills and slopes of the Babr Mountains. It does not belong. Why is it there, then? It is a piece of the ancient Emanai-Hilak plain that got buried by the fabled ‘fallen godling body’. It is the proof that the ‘Split Entrails’ are long gone, washed away over the aeons, and what is left behind is not an incurable corpse viscera but an old bloodstain. And stains can be cleansed.

“This is why I chose to wage my battle there. Plenty of opportunities that we can exploit and while challenges can be hard, they are not insurmountable. A place that rewards effort, not luck.”

The silence was my answer.

“Why are you still lying with your mouths agape,” Irje noisily stood up from her couch, hands balled into fists, “as if chicks waiting to have their gizzards filled? He calls for you — if your heart still wavers, tuck your tail between your legs and leave! Otherwise, stand up, raise your cup, and cry ‘Ullah’!”

My estate stood up with a cheerful roar, splashing wine all around, and I briefly wondered if I went a little bit too far with my explanations. Nevertheless, I didn’t come here to make battle speeches or inspire confidence but to properly introduce my ‘summit’ to the path I plotted for our colony. No, not a summit — in Emanai political system, Speakers were primarily a representative title, uniting the will of their Houses and Manors into a single voice, whereas I needed my ‘ministries’ in a distributive role, fracturing power and authority of my nascent administration into relevant independent departments. Representation could wait and, once the noosphere and data gardens started to wake, it wouldn’t even be a necessity beyond performative reasons. The people would be heard no matter what.

Picking up a cup for myself, I mirrored their gesture. “My heart sings, knowing that our Generals and Manipulars are eager! Allow me, then, to name the arms and maniples you will be leading!”

I toasted my cougar. “Irje. I want you to oversee the people. Not just servants or workers but everyone. As the five maniples protect us from outside threats, I want you to uphold the peace from within. Guards will answer to you and so will guard captains and any other, similar groups like firefighters. Every arsonist, thief, and murderer will fear your name and every resident, guest, and merchant will sleep soundly, knowing that their peace is guaranteed by your power. I want you to handle recruitment, ensuring we have a healthy amount of available workers at all times. It is a critical matter for us and there is simply no one better than you that I can trust. Do what you think is necessary and keep your local connections strong. If we end up needing a lot more, I would be delighted if we are able to ‘summon’ workers from Samat with just a single letter and a hefty pouch of silver.”

As I spoke, Irje’s grin transformed into a focused look of an experienced overseer, I could see the gears spinning behind her eyes already. “Just silver?”

“No, but we can develop a list of additional perks at a later time.”

She nodded in understanding and beckoned a nearby scribe, commandeering his wax tablet.

My eyes turned to the next couch and the swaying tail above it. “Anaise. Giving you trade alone is simply too little, I want you to oversee the treasury and the rest of our supplies. When it comes to distributing funds and allocating budgets, your seal might not be the only one needed but it will be the final one. When it comes to the necessary trades to keep us afloat, I need you to act decisively and independently. You are the Lady of the Kiymetl House, a firstborn daughter of Aikerim Adal — not only will you receive better offers and cow opportunistic scoundrels with your presence but you will flourish splendidly in this role. You will have all the aides and clerks that you need, including my ‘daimonic’ assistance — please ensure that every project we will be rushing has their material needs met and anything otherwise critical is well accounted for.”

Anaise gave me a conspiratorial smile. “I will need ‘that’ too.”

I nodded. “You will have it.”

Once Irje underwent the so-called ‘spell breakthrough’ with the help of my trimmer, Anaise made it quite clear that she wouldn’t be left behind. When magic was involved, she was the most driven amongst us. My cougar was quite happy being an actual wermage, I had a predominantly academic curiosity, and Yeva was indifferent. Anaise wanted to be a great wermage. She sought out Virnan Shah as her teacher not because she liked maths but because mathematical thought strengthened spellwork. She entered my sadaq as a ‘mere’ third wife because she wanted to hold me and my magic-enhancing ideas close. A breakthrough-inducing living tech? The one that Irje empirically showed to be neither inherently deadly nor Spark-extinguishing for wermages? Yeah, she would have me for dinner the moment I said no.

I considered myself lucky that Anaise was patient enough to wait for her personal tool and leave the trimmer for Irje. Especially once I promised it would look like an oar, have more calculating power than my cougar’s ‘smart chainsword’, and a couple of flexible tentacles on top to form basic oar runes on demand. It was a ‘smart’ caliper kit with an extended handle, but she didn’t need to know that. What mattered was that it could crunch numbers and do some nifty geometrical processing without requiring full Harald integration. Hopefully I could coax it to connect and augment her nervous system without any issues.

If things worked out well enough, I might consider making it less of a ‘wife-only’ thing and more of a ‘ministry’ thing. After all, I had to follow the most important rule for every dictator and leader alike and keep the ones keeping me in power loyal to my cause. I would sleep soundly knowing that my inner circle was properly ‘bribed’ by gifts that no other House, Clan, or tribe could match. Which was why I wasn’t relinquishing my hold on the treasury and the loyalty it could generate through wealth distribution — Anaise was made the executor of our policies but not the sole policymaker. She was the hand that drew silver from our war chest but not the sole will.

Speaking of policies. “Yeva.”

Yeva smiled. “Justice, law, and healthcare.”

“Indeed,” I mirrored her knowing smile, “the estate knows you as the ‘all-seeing medicine woman’ — there is simply no need to spend time and effort replacing you with anyone else. In the meantime, I need you to construct a foundation of our legal system before our departure so that we all can discuss it amongst ourselves and propose any necessary additions to suit our needs. Make it simple for now — something we can chisel on a pillar or a monument at a central square for all to see and for the common people to understand and rally behind.

“I do not expect a lot of healing, especially once the preventative healthcare comes into effect, but I want you to be the face of it nevertheless. After all, you will be the one judging criminals and I don’t want you to become despised or feared amongst the population. You will be working closely with Irje, as such-” My finger shifted to a figure standing behind Yeva’s couch. A trusty wertiger bodyguard that Aikerim purchased for me at the beginning of my ‘career’. “Viter. I want you to be that link. You will head a ‘peace-keeping’ group of guards with Irje as your new mistress and Yeva as your guide. Teach them what you already learned serving ‘the medicine woman’ directly for they will need to know our ways of delivering justice. They would need to follow them unquestionably, too. Their task would be enforcement, not interpretation.”

Viter glanced down at my finger then at me and gave me a solemn nod. I nodded back and turned to my next target. “Isra Haleh.”

My smith twitched. “Yes!?”

I gave her an assuring smile. “Just as we spoke about it before, I wish for you to be my ministra of industry. Machines will answer to you and you will answer to me and no one else. While I still want you to work on special projects, your task as my ministra would be to break apart my projects into lists of materials needed, amount of workers necessary, and expected time frames. Certain projects will need to be further broken apart into lists of commands and necessary jigs, so that an urchin from the streets can be taught to perform any of those steps in less than a day.”

“But I already did that…”

“New projects, Isra. A lot of new projects. We will need to make another ‘steam bull’ to take with us — the waterfall is great and all but I want our first sawmill to spin up within days after our arrival. We will need ‘steam donkeys’ too — smaller versions of the ‘bull’ that can turn a couple machines at most — power will be needed in remote places, be it for logging, mining, or even moving ships in still weather. Once that is done and you have a well-trained crew, we will start making ‘steam oxen’ that can pull not only themselves but a cart… or a plough. And that is just the steam branch of our projects. There is the steelmaking branch and the absolutely critical ‘make machines to make machines’ branch. And then there are secret projects.” I approached her table, and leaned close to her ear. “I will teach you how to tame lightning, Isra.”

Isra licked her lips as her two large dreamy cow eyes stared into my soul. “…How soon?”

But I was ready for such an attack. “As soon as possible, but only once the other ones are well underway — not only they are more critical for our well-being but we would need them for this project anyway.”

I stepped aside as Isra got suddenly interested in how many workers Irje was planning to recruit and why she wasn’t recruiting five thousand of them and turned toward the other master in the room. “Wrena Khayrat.”

The werfox artisan smirked. “Are you going to whisper sweet nothings into my ear as well? I have two husbands now — don’t make them jealous. And don’t make me cry bloody tears when Domina calls me back.”

“I won’t. I want you to oversee general construction. You are a good carpenter and a good forewoman. I want the first but I need the later.”

Wrena rubbed her neck. “Manipular command might be willing to recognise you as a local magistrate but their engineers won’t recognise me as their superior and unless you have the title of a General, you have no authority to order any of them either. All we can do is ask for their aid.”

I rubbed my chin in thought, “Considering we are promised aid already, how much I can ask for?”

“If you asked them to aid in establishing a colony, that is what they will do,” Huare stepped in. “Land surveying, walls, roads, a temple to the Goddess. Bridges, if necessary. The rest would depend on the will of the commander, but you will have an easier time asking for communal projects than personal ones. Granaries. Warehouses, perhaps. They might even build baths, if not for you then for themselves.”

Kirana shook her head. “They will build a separate fort, sister. For just as they won’t listen to orders from Erf, they won’t allow their maniples to be judged by his wife. Nor would they entertain Erf’s workers in their midst.”

“It is only five maniples.”

“And Erf just spoke of secret projects. I do not think he ever planned on convincing them otherwise.”

“Ah.”

I hummed. “Surveying won’t be necessary… walls, roads, and a temple? Important, yes, but…”

“A proper curtain wall isn’t built in a tenday,” Huare reasoned. “Especially if you wish to enclose a decent area for your colony and not just your Manor.”

“Should we strive for expansive walls from the start?” Yeva pondered. “Won’t we need to upgrade them shortly thereafter? We will have better building materials in sufficient quantities within five years and if we are talking about walls similar to that of Bayan Gol, the design is… traditional.”

I shook my head “While we should make some changes to ‘future-proof’ our design a bit, like replacing standard towers with angled bastions, the rest should remain as is. Traditional is good — if it wasn’t effective against the common threats, it would have waned into obscurity already. Bayan Gol’s defences are tested almost yearly and the fact that the city is still standing is a testament to their strength. Meanwhile, a full on trace italienne would fare poorly against Spark-enhanced escalades and the likes of sheydayan might even leap over the much gentler slopes outright. By the time we will have the necessary tools and trained people for a polygonal trace, a more flexible system of distributed forts would serve us far better than any curtain wall expansions or upgrades. Then there is a psychological aspect. A well-known imposing barrier of stone, anchoring runes, and rammed earth humbles a would-be attacker and fills a colonist with a sense of safety. We do need to look like a proper colony to retain our early workers, especially since we won’t be distributing lands for personal farming. As such, not only do we need a properly-looking curtain wall but one large enough to encompass not just the settlement but farmlands too.”

I sighed and faced Wrena once again. “And this is why I need someone like you even more so now. Whether the maniples are unwilling, unable due to time constraints, or shouldn’t be involved in the first place, plenty of things still need to be built. Plenty of tasks still need to be done. Workshops and greenhouses for our projects, as well as barracks and warehouses to provide immediate shelter for people and goods alike. Forests need to be cut without pause for the next few decades and collected lumber needs to be processed. Huare, Kirana — I need you to aid Wrena as well. I do not ask you to answer to her directly, but you are our only earth mages so far and the ones I can trust. A single spell of yours can save us a day or more of murk labour and sooner we can put the immediate chores of settling behind, faster we can start working on real projects and make ourselves comfortable. Moreover, as Enoch wermages with military experience, you can be our link with maniple engineers, most of whom came from your House to begin with. Make sure I don’t end up accidentally asking for something unreasonable but also watch out if they try to be discourteous with their promised aid.”

Huare smirked. “You heard our answer before we reached Bayan Gol.”

“Well,” Wrena glanced at Irje, “as long as I have good people, I don’t see why not. Can’t say that building houses is my life’s desire but I do wish to see how your trusses fare when they are made of wood instead of ink.”

“And you will see plenty.” I gave all three a grateful and resolute nod and turned again. “Shahin Esca.”

The lamura raised her chin, as if daring me not to disappoint.

I met her gaze. “A liaison. We will be rubbing elbows with local groups as soon as we arrive and will eventually start receiving visitors from afar. All of them will seek to fulfil their individual wants and all of them will have one or few people in power. At the same time, we are not heading to the Babr Mountains to make enemies — I do not wish to waste our time and people, subjugating scattered tribes that would vanish into mountains as soon as we look elsewhere nor do I seek to plunder half-starved barbarians that have less silver amongst their entire tribe than I carry with me while shopping. We are not heading there solely to make friends either — while we should seek to avoid unnecessary conflict by the means of trade and occasional gifts to local chieftains, our main priority is maintaining foothold on the land we take and developing our colony within, excessive concessions that drain our war chest for little gain should be avoided just as much as unnecessary military campaigns. Thus, I need someone with decades of experience in meeting dignitaries and a keen sense not only to discover what they truly seek from us but also whether we should reply with bread, with silence, or with sword.”

“But can we trust her beyond the walls of my mother’s Manor?” Anaise sized up the lamura. “Beyond the walls of Samat and Emanai?”

“Trust your husband’s foresight.” Shahin pulled up a coil of her tail, showing off the glint of black and gold scales through the gaps of her winter clothes, and leaned on it like it was a giant fleshy chair. “For while he speaks of petty chiefs and faceless visitors, he does not forget about Esca. My Clan would not miss your departure nor would we be willing to part our ways with Erf and his knowledge. As such, it is not a question whether I come or not but whether you will be speaking with me, another lamura, or an entire mission. Do you wish to learn for yourself whether they will repeat my past mistakes? Make worse ones instead? Some of my relatives — jealous of my turned fortune — accuse me in their whispers for being meek and content with ‘paltry’ boons, claiming to easily match and then eclipse my gains by being… insistent.”

Anaise glanced at me, at Irje and Yeva, pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Do it proper, then, if you are willing. They can… insist upon you as much as they like — I do not care — as long as Esca keeps treating us honourably, you alone can represent your Clan and choose who amongst your kin will profit from our trades. That should give you plenty of influence in the south.”

I nodded in agreement. As far as I knew from Yeva, once the dust around the glass debacle settled, the Esca at large seemed to embrace a ‘wait and see’ policy when it came to me and mine, with few individual glass-focused families continuing to show greater involvement. Not that different from me dealing with Aikerim and Amanzhan while the rest of the Kiymetl sat and watched. Not that unexpected either — after all we were still a small fry to them by all intents and purposes and while they were known as the sole glassmakers in the region, glass wasn’t their sole vocation either. Removing me outright was of little use once Aikerim had the recipes and, to be fair, they benefited more from our exchange since my techniques were easily teachable while their artistic glass-shaping skills, honed over decades if not centuries of practice, not so much. Shahin’s release from her Servitude and subsequent appointment to a position of influence would further mollify the Esca for the time being. At the very least, make them struggle to justify any aggressive actions toward our nascent colony.

Not that I expected them to do something as ridiculous as setting off an Emanai war just to capture me but I had to play it safe no matter what. Considering Shahin remained unperturbed by the challenge and eager for the opportunity given to her, everything seemed to be in order.

“Then allow me to begin my duties post haste,” Shahin turned toward me as her hands formed a loose circle over her stomach, likely where other wermages perceived her Spark to be. A polite lamurian gesture when speaking to a higher-ranking official — she didn’t waste a single moment to lock her new position in. “What path do you wish to take with the lamuras that currently reside here? While I can make them see reason and remain here without complaint — despite both you and Yeva leaving — for at least some time, this can be an opportunity to take some of them with you. Stoke their ambition and you will have dedicated wermages with little effort. Not just glassmakers but fire mages, ship captains, administrators. Yes, they will expect an appropriate reward — and thus can be trusted — but since the cornerstone of your strategy is giving away daimonic rewards and artisanal ventures for a share of resultant profits, you have little to lose and plenty to gain.”

“Perhaps,” I allowed, “but I will expect allegiance. If not to me directly, then to the colony I envisioned. They might be competent but they are Esca and this is an Emanai affair first and foremost — I cannot afford the ambiguity before my Domina’s House and especially before our goddess. Your kin will adhere to the laws we make and accept the justice I render. In turn, I will treat them, and everyone else that swears similar allegiance, as my kin. I won’t hold it against them if they decide to part ways at any point but I won’t tolerate any betrayal until that time.”

If only my finger was this eager or the Kiymetl and Enoch weren’t distracted by the Hilak affair. Alas, the only able and willing faction was the one I couldn’t welcome with open arms. Perhaps it was my penance for the unwillingness to waddle through local power dynamics until now.

“I will await until I see your laws, then.” Shahin inclined her head in reply. If my answer didn’t satisfy her, she didn’t show it.

“As for the other tasks,” I glanced around but didn’t let my eyes linger on anyone. The few I didn’t name already knew what they were doing. Aziz and his staff would obviously keep cooking. Keivan and uncle Tuk would be overseeing brickworks before they could resume their usual pottery and my mother… Meila’s desire to farm was less about farming and more about being independent and in control of her own self, something that she lacked most of her life. Pushing high-responsibility duties onto her just because she was my mother would benefit no one. “I will handle them myself. The knowledge-related aspects such as communications, reports and statistics, general training and education. Alchemistry, since Yeva will be too busy with other matters and some materials are too costly or impossible to obtain yet extremely beneficial for our growth and profit of our future artisans.”

“You will handle reports?” Tarhunna raised his eyebrows. “Magistrate is too important of a task for you to keep playing the role of a Procurer and a clerk. If Irje is unable to find you aides, I-”

I raised my hand to still his words. “It is not a question of prudence but the lack of choice. The quality of reports I seek won’t be achieved with just ten aides nor with a hundred and we can’t set out to conquer untamed wilds with a thousand clerks and five labourers. As I said before, our strategy is wealth multiplication and our focus will be on the jobs that are most efficient at it right now — everything else will be kept at a necessary minimum or replaced with more affordable alternatives. This is why we are bringing labourers, artisans, and traders but leaving seemingly essential farmers behind in lieu of grain ships. This is why we are skimping on guards while there are maniples to guarantee safety. And if a portion of my daily time can be used to substitute a hundred clerical jobs, it is but a small price to pay. Needless to say, I am not going to simply walk those solutions back once we are settled but introduce new, better methods. Thus, agriculture and defence will be under my oversight as well. For now, at least — I will give away those sashes once I find, or train, appropriate people to wear them.”

“Eclectic and unorthodox,” Tarhunna summarised. “Ambitious and unpredictable. But that is your path and if Goddess wills it, I shan’t speak on it any further. Yet, my path is mine to walk and even if our Domina decrees for it to follow yours for now, I will walk it as I see fit. My tasks are different from yours and I will not cripple myself by discarding the wisdom of my past and assistance of my aides. Nor will I let my status tarnish for the sake of your ideals. Reject my advice if you want but my daughter and wife deserve to hear more than just your words alone.”

“And you are unable to fulfil your duties any other way?” I asked just to be sure. The meaning behind his flowery language wasn’t hard to grasp after spending days of cajoling Anaise from doing the very same thing — the man wanted to keep his slaves. While I could supplement my wife’s lack of status-affirming personal slaves with other social perks and satisfy her private needs and wants without relying on Companions, Tarhunna was far trickier to please. As a husband to a Domina, his wealth and magical prowess had more effect on Aikerim’s social status rather than his and, as the father of Anaise, he was already promised most of the boons I was giving to this Manor. Suffice to say, I wasn’t planning on warming his bed either.

The bells on his horns tinkled as he shook his head. “No. Consider this as my first lesson to you as a magistrate — while you should seek to impose your will on the local petty chiefs and it is reasonable to rely on Shahin Esca for lamurian affairs, there will be times when you will entertain guests from Emanai with status and influence comparable or greater than mine. Are you willing to send them away due to the company they keep? To deny Anaise her friends because they weren’t sufficiently uncomfortable during their travels? To slam the gates of your settlement shut in front of a Matriarch and her loyal Companions?”

I raised my eyebrows. “I won’t let pride and ideals muddle my thoughts and fog my vision just because I was given a parcel of land to conquer and govern. Honourable guests will be treated appropriately so as not to bring any shame onto the Kiymetl and Aikerim Adal and, as long as they don’t intentionally stir trouble in my domain, I will leave them and their retinues to their own devices.”

“Then prove your words with deeds,” Tarhunna spread his arms, “do so now, so that you are ready when they come. Remember — your grain, trade, and security are guaranteed by the Houses of Emanai and the Kamshad Matriarch won’t miss the opportunity to rescind her favours and fleece you for your secrets once you are desperate. All it would take is but a single misstep.”

I considered my choices. Telling him to stay behind was not an option nor could I ask him to quarter with the maniples or build another colony nearby ‘with chatrang and Companions’ — Tarhunna was coming and coming to where I was because Aikerim wanted him to come. She wished for her son to learn ‘in the field’, for her daughter to have trusted persons by her side outside of our sadaq, and for me to be observed. She was leveraging a lot of her personal and political wealth on this venture and I couldn’t begrudge her for seeking a peace of mind through independent reports on my progress. Additionally, despite his blatant push, what Tarhunna said wasn’t without reason and while I had serious doubts whether a Matriarch, let alone a Pillar one, would even consider spending thirty days on a trip to the middle of nowhere on the off chance that I step on someone’s foot during a greeting, personal envoys were a thing. Moreover, intentionally or not, Tarhunna wove emotion into his words of reason. A seed of uncertainty that could sprout and bloom in the hearts of onlookers if I continued to debate his points. A trifle matter otherwise but I was pushing against personal wants and established norms of their society where slaves were seen either as a part of the natural order or an outright necessity so that the ‘lazy’ are appropriately productive for the greater good of the many. Considering my administrative abilities were yet to be proven in action, an uncertain Domina now was definitely not in my plans. Win the battle — lose the war, and all that.

An exemption, then, but an exceptional one.

“I will recognise you as Aikerim’s ambassador. Apart from being the honourable father-in-law, this title will specifically recognise you and your close entourage as an extension of our Domina’s will. The estate you will reside in will be treated as a part of her Manor, with me and mine needing a direct permission to enter, while you and your entourage will be given safe conduct across my lands.”

Tarhunna frowned. “So, an Envoy with a Manor?”

“No,” I shook my head, “an embassy. Despite the similarities in how legal matters would be handled, there will be plenty of differences too. It will be an appointed title, chosen by Aikerim, and while I will have no say in the selection process of the person or their entourage, I will retain the right to withdraw my welcome to either party. One Siavash was plenty enough. Thus, you will have the independence that you seek but not the authority of a Manor. You can bring slaves as part of your mission, at least for the time being, but know this: if they escape, I will not aid you in their capture nor would I allow your guards and overseers ransack my colony looking for them. You were speaking of loyal aides that you can rely on? Bring them.”

Emanai Manors weren’t amateurs at diplomacy despite the lack of embassies and permanent diplomatic missions — the numerous envoys and heralds were sent to accomplish specific tasks and returned once they were done, with more ‘permanent’ tasks delegated to hostages, wards, and husbands. A different but not inherently simplistic system, focused on inter-personal and inter-tribal relationships rather than an institutional approach targeting populations and governments at large. Due to the transient nature of envoys, the system leaned heavily on the laws of hospitality but it also expanded on them in turn. Which was why I didn’t need to introduce the concept of diplomatic immunity as they had safe conduct. Envoys and messengers were expected to have the necessary safety to conduct their duties without fear of jail and accusations. Or getting their head chopped off for delivering bad news. There were reasonable exemptions and conditions too — Shahin lost her safe conduct once she spilled blood in her host’s manor, for example.

“Walk your path, but the shrubs are yours to cut down, is it?” His chuckle rumbled through the room but his eyes remained sharp. “If that is your way of showing fangs, you will need extensive practice and quickly.”

I shook my head again. “That was not my intent, honourable father-in-law, for I came here today to establish a cabinet. Not a competition to foster innovation but unity that begets the swiftness of action. You raised your concerns. I heard them, considered your position and status, and offered a solution that would meet your demands without further delaying and endangering the path the Divine Heurisk gave us.”

I held his gaze when I spoke those words. Fight reason with reason. Doubt with doubt. Tarhunna was shrewd enough to hear the unsaid and by tactically invoking the title of our goddess I let him know that this was my one and only concession on this matter.

He hummed and relaxed back into his couch. “Supplies and builders?”

I gestured at Anaise. “Enough to maintain an acceptable entourage as Anaise’s father and Aikerim Adal’s husband. You are free to bring more at your own expense. Likewise, your personal estate will have priority in its construction but it won’t be the first project to be built either.”

The bells tinkled once again. “Amalric and I will depart on the first ship. The trials of uncivilised land are nothing but trifles to a proper wermage, especially one born for Purpose and not Servitude, and I was marching in the gloom of the Forest long before your mother was even born. To ensure that Aikerim is occupied only by a single major venture overseas, I will adhere to your schedule… for the time being. Do rally your workers proper.”

“Watch me.” I suppressed the urge to sigh. Tarhunna definitely knew how to barge in like a bull only slither away like a snake. I couldn’t even get angry at him — he was competent enough to know what he could get and wise enough to be content with it. He even acknowledged my mother, well, as my mother. Considering the influence mothers had on their children in Emanai and my status that was less of a polite gesture and more of a political kickback. Not a necessary one, but a welcome one nevertheless. “Now, if that was all-”

“Who will be responsible for my wool deliveries?” Aikerim stepped in, her lip curled into a pout. “I was expecting you to take sheep from the barbarians yet you refuse to even consider subjugating the nearmost tribes. Are you planning on bringing a small flock of wellbreds from Emanai and swelling their numbers with your concoctions? Or are you plotting to do something even more outrageous like purifying their seed?”

Her tone was lighthearted, likely to smooth any ripples between me and Tarhunna, and her tail lively but her request was undeniable.

“I considered both, actually, but there are some issues with that plan that made me ponder other paths to supply you with good wool in large quantities. The first issue is visibility. A sheep’s worth is common knowledge across the land and more so amongst the Babr tribes. The size and quality of our herds would be obvious to many, attracting immediate attention of the not-so-desirable kind and I loathe to spend my precious labour force on extensive guard patrols right from the start. Neither do I wish to be visited by some local Jason with his Argonauts, looking to claim my best fleece. The second issue is the lack of efficiency. Yes, sheep are unquestionably good at making wool but, apart from milk during the lambing season, they offer little else of value to me. I won’t be able to slaughter them for meat or sheepskins as that would interfere with wool output nor do I need them for vegetation control. Lastly, the terrain and vegetation around the waterfall aren’t ideal for sheep and expansion into more favourable meadows would come at a cost. Logistical and military. Rather than being content with mediocrity, I wish to pick a different type of animals — alpas. Are you familiar with llamas or alpacas?”

Aikerim frowned and exchanged looks with Tarhunna and then with Shahin. Judging by their faces, that was a no.

I hummed in thought. Vicuñas were extinct by the first scattering to arrive with humans on Tana and alpas, while being an early stable designer species, came into existence far too late to be here ‘naturally’. “Imagine woolly camels. Apart from the luxurious wool they were designed to produce aplenty, they are robust pack animals, accustomed to rugged and mountainous terrain. They will walk where mules and donkeys stumble and they are brave enough to act as guard dogs if necessary. Worry not about their numbers — once the pools are warm and full of nutrients, I will spawn them by a dozen. If we are not disturbed, we can have up to a thousand heads by the early summer and shear them by the mid-autumn. Enough wool for sixteen thousand elbows of cloth, if we are using standard armspan bolt widths. Smooth like the cheek of a babe and warm like a lover’s embrace.”

Aikerim blinked. “Woolly camels that act like dogs yet spawn in pools? No, Erf, I will not be imagining that at all — I wish to sleep soundly and without terrors.”