A Relatively Powerful Mage

Imri waited impatiently as last-minute preparations were being made. While he initially wanted to keep the group small, it had constantly expanded. Now, dozens of people were going, including most of the extended council. Emelia also insisted on going, wanting to aid the plethora of injured in New Chicago. She also pointed out that her empathetic abilities would be helpful in any negotiations or discussions.

While Imri was waiting, he reviewed his new profession rank-up quest.

New Quest

Runic Engineer rank up: Generate mana 539/4,000,000, have rank 5 in achievements Master Crafted and Mass Assembled 0/2, have achievement Wonderous Crafter 1/1

This quest was doable. The 4 million mana would take less than six months, assuming he never crafted another Mana Absorption Panel, and the chances of that were basically zero. He also planned to liberally use his Runic Refresh ability on anything that hadn’t been made recently.

At the last minute, several more names were added to the list. Sylvi had returned, her feet bare and blistered, though Emelia immediately healed most of the damage. Standing beside her was Imri’s brother, Vallo.

“Brother, it's good to see you. You’re looking better. I mean, the illness is gone,” Vallo said awkwardly.

“Yeah, the integration healed that,” Imri said with a shrug. There was another awkward silence.

“Well, I’m supposed to find someone about temporary lodging. I’ll see you around,” Vallo said before hurrying off.

‘What the hell was that,’ Emelia telepathically shouted into his mind.

‘What do you mean?’ Imri sent, honestly perplexed by what he had done.

‘You haven’t seen your brother since the integration, and that’s all you two had to say to each other?’ she sent.

‘I haven’t seen him in years; we were never that close,’ Imri responded.

‘Oh, that explains some of his emotions. I won’t tell you everything, but he wants to reconnect,’ Emelia explained.

‘Maybe later, when we're not dealing with an impending invasion,’ Imri sent.

‘Are you sure you’re not just making excuses? There seems to always be an impending invasion,’ Emelia pointed out.

‘Fine, I’ll connect with him after the summit,’ Imri agreed.

Before they could leave, Sylvi insisted on giving her report behind closed doors. Imri was reluctant to delay leaving any further and suggested it could wait until after the summit.

“Do you think I ran barefoot all the way here because it can wait a few days,” Sylvi chastised him, glaring with an implied ‘Don’t be an idiot.’.

Imri sighed but did as she said. When everyone had gathered, and Sylvi gave her report, he was glad he had listened. He had suspected the area around Minneapolis had grown more inhospitable, but he couldn’t have fathomed the depth of the changes without hearing it from someone as reliable as Sylvi. The only good news was that they had some time before any significant force would reach them.

“The barons need to hear this. Maybe they’ll be more cooperative if they realize how dire the situation is,” Emery suggested. Everyone agreed, and they quickly ushered the weary Sylvi to get washed and presentable for the summit. Several others went to find Vallo and the girl named Ashlyn, adding them to Celestia’s representatives.

They had to wait about an hour before everyone was ready to go. It was an eclectic gathering with varied appearances. The soldiers had adopted a uniform appearance, with plates of Drake armor sewn into more conventional fatigues, looking somewhat like a bulky Kevlar vest. Likewise, they had modern helmets with Drake bones reinforcing the exterior. They carried enhanced melee weapons and bows supplemented with modern firearms. They all wore patches of a stylized mountain with stars.

Sylvi’s unit, the wraiths, and the other scouts present all wore unnaturally black cloaks that obscured their features. Beneath their cloaks, they wore equally dark leather made from the Umbral Tiger’s hide. Most of them also had a plethora of knives and short swords hidden amongst the billowing fabric, while all wore a bow on their backs.

The noncombatants rounded out their numbers. They all wore black suits with one notable alteration. Their suits had splashes of color resembling nebulas against a star backdrop. Imri doubted all this could have been done since his evolution, so it was just an unhappy coincidence. He had needed a new suit after his body underwent physical changes, and he was dismayed to see he now had a similar jacket. It had been enchanted to shift appearances, giving the illusion of traveling amongst the stars. He had grumbled that such flamboyance would stand out too much. Emelia had just pointed out that he would already stand out, and the jacket was the least of it.

Imri gave the order, and the portal sprang to life. The entire mana supply of Celestia was strained as the long-distance portal connected to the beacon in New Chicago. Fortunately, the new terminal added a bit more efficiency, and as soon as the portal was connected, the drain became relatively trivial.

The contingent stepped through, traveling thousands of kilometers in an instant. Many of those present had never used a portal, and they stared wide-eyed at the metropolis around them, even if it was obstructed within the alley.

Major Harper took over command and had the scouts secure the perimeter. Imri had to resist creating a domain. He had a feeling he would need it before they left. A few befuddled vagrants were put under guard, as the Major didn't want word of their presence spreading before the summit.

They remained in place while they waited for Joel to rendezvous with their contingent. It didn’t take him long. He did a double-take when he saw Imri but didn’t comment on his strange appearance. He quickly summarized what he had learned over the past couple of weeks. The situation worsened, with many rioting as food and water became increasingly scarce and expensive. He hadn’t been able to find out what had happened to Maggie; it was as if she had just disappeared. Even more concerning was that many others had disappeared, numbering the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands.

“Could they just be unaccounted for? It’s not like there is an accurate way of keeping track of everyone,” Major Harper suggested.

“No, sir. It’s too widespread. The tens of thousands missing assume many of the missing are simply unaccounted for. I suspect the actual number is higher,” Joel explained.

“Perhaps our hosts will have some idea of what is happening; it is their city,” Imri said, though he didn’t hold out much hope of them willingly divulging the information. He mentally added that to a list of things he would need to investigate when he liberated the city.

In addition to that information, Joel had built a dossier on each baron. Three of the five hadn’t been a bastion of civil behavior before the integration. One had been a soldier dishonorably discharged for insubordination, another had been a corrupt cop, and the third had been a career criminal. The other two were more challenging to place; one had been a college professor, and the other an auto mechanic. All of them had been fighting each other to varying degrees, and none had been able to form more than a tenuous alliance. They also had become paranoid, each having a security array and private armies patrolling the streets.

The summit was scheduled to take place in the convention center downtown. It wasn’t far away and was certainly close enough for them to walk. However, Imri had a better idea.

Baronesse Horn impatiently tapped her finger on the table. She wasn’t sure why she was waiting on people that wouldn’t show. Her eyes and ears had assured her no outsiders had entered the city in weeks.

Something wasn’t right about the group they had been in contact with. She had received enough reports about the area around Minneapolis to know it was dangerous. If there was a group still surviving in that area, let alone thriving, they shouldn’t be taken lightly. Her fellow Barons and Baronesses didn’t feel the same way, so she was alone in the massive convention center.

“My lady, there is… someone at the entrance. They claim they’re from a place called Celestia,” her aide said.

“Just one person?” she asked.

“Yes, my lady. Though I’m unsure if they’re human,” the man explained.

“What are they?”

“I can’t describe it; they’re something more, something greater,” the man said.

“Send them in,” she ordered. Her servant bowed and raced off to fetch the stranger from Celestia.

Baronesse Horn no longer had any doubts. She was pleased she was the only one here to help this stranger. He might even leave that backwater settlement and work for her if she played her cards right. It paid to have capable subordinates.

Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn’t what she saw. A large man entered the room, immediately drawing her eyes to his. His iris was slightly larger proportionately and continued varying shades of blue to indigo that were bright enough they practically glowed. As she stared transfixed, she noticed they shifted colors. His hair and jacket were similarly colored. Glowing markings that looked like tattoos extended from his fingers below his wrists and out of view behind his jacket. As he stood closer, she realized how large he was, standing nearly a foot and a half taller than her and built like a professional athlete. His skin was marble smooth and unblemished, almost like a polished statue.

It took a moment for the Baronesse to realize she had been staring for an inappropriate amount of time, and the man had grown uncomfortable with her gaze.

“Where are my manners? I’m Baronesse Horn, but you can call me Leslie,” she said, extending her hand.

“Imri,” the strange man said simply as he grasped her hand.

Something about him seemed incongruous; he was nervous despite his physical stature and striking appearance. A brief silence hung in the air, something Leslie couldn’t abide.

“Can I get you anything? Coffee, tea, or water?” she asked, trying to be a polite host.

“Where are the others?” he asked.

“I’m sorry, who?” Leslie asked.

“The other nobles. I specifically asked for all of them to be here,” he clarified.

“My barony would be happy to accommodate any arrangements you might need,” she offered, hoping to strike a deal with this powerful individual before anyone else knew he was here.

“No. I don’t have time to repeat myself five times. They all need to be here,” he demanded, all sense of insecurity gone, replaced with power and confidence. The man was direct and not a fan of small talk.

“Unfortunately, they are a paranoid lot. Most don’t leave their complexes unless absolutely necessary,” she said.

“This is necessary,” he insisted.

“I’ll get a message to each of them, but I have limited influence over them. We don’t get along very well, and I don’t think all five of us have ever been in a room together,” she explained.

“Just stress the meeting's importance and let them know they will regret not coming,” the man said with an exasperated sigh.

“I was told there would be a small delegation arriving,” she said.

“They’re nearby,” he said with a shrug.

“That’s strange; I wasn’t told of any newcomers crossing the perimeter. I’m also surprised someone with your appearance could get in unnoticed,” she said.

“I have my ways,” he said with a wry grin.

Unfortunately, the man didn’t give Leslie much more to go off, and before she could engage him further, he closed his eyes and zoned out. Despite his earlier annoyance that she was the only one present, he seemed perfectly content to wait an hour or two to get everyone here.

While he was meditating, Leslie sent messages to all her informants. That proved to be fruitless. Anyone would have reported such a strange newcomer if they had seen him before. Even her methods were equally ineffectual. Her Identify skill, which had a trait that improved it, returned nothing.

Leslie knew she should leave the man in peace; he clearly didn’t want to engage in small talk. However, the eerie silence made her uncomfortable, and she couldn’t help herself. Fortunately, he didn’t seem too offended when his meditation was interrupted. Unfortunately, his answers were straightforward and to the point. He confirmed everything that had already been said but steered the conversation away from new topics. He was incredibly uncomfortable whenever Leslie tried to ask any personal questions.

She was almost relieved when the other barons started to arrive. The large conference room quickly began to fill up with guards and support staff. Leslie noticed Imri seemed unconcerned by the thuggish brutes who overtly carried assault rifles. However, he didn’t bother with meditation any longer, and he now wore several rings that hadn’t been there a few moments ago.

“Leslie, if this some ploy to convince us that you should be a countess…” Baron Pearson said, being the last to arrive.

“We informed you we would be coming today, and I was told you were expecting us,” Imri said.

“And you are?” Pearson snapped.

“Lord Padar, Baron of Celestia,” Imri said.

Leslie stared in disbelief. Then she thought about it momentarily; it shouldn’t have been surprising that someone with this kind of presence was a lord and progenitor. She considered what she had said, mortified of having been disrespectful. Fortunately, she didn’t think she had said anything to insult him or his settlement.

“Are we supposed to be impressed? You're in the presence of the lords of New Chicago, not some backwater hamlet,” Pearson said.

Leslie resisted the urge to facepalm; Pearson couldn’t read people if his life depended on it. At least any gaff she had made would be quickly forgotten when compared with this buffoon.

“I’ve toured your city extensively. I’ll take Celestia over this dying metropolis,” Imri said.

“How dare you?” Pearson shouted angrily as he got into the man's face, even though Imri towered well above him. Several other Barons looked almost as upset, and many goons had their hands near weapons. However, Imri seemed utterly unconcerned by any possibility of violence, as if he was confident in a favorable outcome, which completely terrified Leslie.

“I thought there would be a delegation arriving. I assumed that was more than one person,” Baronesse Dotson said, somewhat defusing the tension.

“They're nearby. Now that everyone is here, it would be rude of me to keep you waiting,” Imri said with a smirk.

He snapped his finger audibly, and a large section of the wall disappeared. Where it had been was replaced by the sight of an alley. Several soldiers with bulky vests stepped through, moving with ease despite the seeming physicality of their gear. Behind them came representatives in strangely colored suits that matched Imri’s appearance. Lastly, the shadows seemed to materialize, and several people in dark cloaks appeared from the shadows, moving with grace and alacrity.

Leslie was sure of one thing: they were utterly outclassed if it came to a fight. She would do whatever it took to get on their good side.