We headed to one of the corners inside the city, where more Lizards were stationed. A large tent was set up in the open, with smaller tents surrounding it. We headed towards the large tent, and entered inside. The tent had a few separate rooms, but the middle section was open. Inside, a few Shades and Lizards stood around a table. Harlin was there too, he was talking about something when we entered. "They have ordered our return, which is not great. The situation is getting worse. We need people here, but they want to take the people away instead".
As they stared at the map of the North, the heavily armoured Lizard I came with, said "General, this Human was in Arangard, and says he knows you". Harlin turned around and smiled. "Long time no see, you changed quite a bit. I already know you arrived to the North. Great that you came". I replied "You changed as well, but I'm not here for pleasantries", and walked up to the table. On it, I saw the map with the strategic positions of our troops. 'Hmm, it doesn't seem great indeed' I thought.
Harlin asked "You've been to Arangard, what happened over there?". I replied "An army must've slipped by you guys, because they arrived at Obsidian Mountains no problem. With those Contraptions that shoot boulders I might add. Well, turns out these Contraptions were rigged to begin with. They had Formations placed on them… You should know what happened next". He nodded, and said "Yes, and the situation is very bad. Not only did we suffer huge damages, Royals even suspect you". I snorted and said "I expected as much already. It was me who told them to take those things, and dismantle them. That Eterian was probably aware we would take them either way, so their plan worked a 100%".
Harlin shook his head, and said "I never suspected you. You even ran back to warn the people. Royals will be Royals, just like you told me a few years ago". I asked "How are you guys faring here? Where is Crow?". A Shade next to me replied, "We are in deep shit to be honest. The walls need to be repaired, otherwise we will lose all defences. We don't have the skilled workers, to carry out those jobs. Supplies are a problem too. Because of the distance between cities, we are running low. Us Shades can feed on pretty much anything, but Lizards will be doomed".
Another Shade added, "Crow went outside to scout. He prefers to take such matters into his own hands. He should be back in a day or two". I nodded, and said to Harlin "I will stay in Sedon for a while, then I have to run someplace else. What about Voltars though?". He replied "Voltars are doing fine. Their city is very hard to attack and conquer. Although I say this, they are not able to help us much, besides sending some resources and supplies. That's still great, they are helping as much as they can. But as it was mentioned, our supplies are running thin, and their supplies get "lost" sometimes". I knew perfectly well what he meant. 'So, someone is attacking the supply transport, the purpose to me is clear. Make Sedon as weak as it is possible, then strike' I thought.
This was one possibility though. They could strike Sedon when the Royal Army left, or they could attack the Royal Army, while they were on the move. They could also plan something else. I asked "What about Atols? Where are they?". Harlin snorted, then replied "Them? They send in a few of their warriors, but so what? I could count them on my fingers, while the rest of them stays in their garden. Useless bunch, that's what they are".
'Perhaps, or perhaps not' I thought. Apium had its internal struggles, I wasn't sure how the forces were divided now, but that could've been the reason. I said "I will visit Apium soon, I need to anyway. What about Golems? They still maintain neutrality?". Harlin laughed this time, but it was an angry laugh. He said "Those fucking stones? At least Atols send in someone, and are on our side. Golems? Totally indifferent, I suspect they might turn out to be our enemies, and not so neutral after all".
I nodded, and said "I will talk with them too, but I need to go to Apium first… Let me just tell you this. I have no idea what those Eterians have in plan. I don't know if they want you to leave, or not. Because there are many possibilities, and each of them has its own consequences. Do what you think is best, I already gave one bad advice". Harlin shook his head, and said "You are wrong. Royals would take those machines, and try to use them. The damage would be even worse than you expect". Ultimately, it didn't matter anymore. What was done, was done.
One of the Lizards asked "Why do you want to visit Apium though?". I replied "Because I need poison. I also need another thing, which I think will help us face Eterians better". The silent room became a bit rowdy. Harlin shouted "Quiet!". When everyone quieted down, he asked "What do you have in mind? Is there really a way to fight against Eterians?". I replied "It's just a guess, but I think Serelis may help us. It has a mind calming effect, which might help us break through those illusions or charms. As I said, it's just a hunch. Whether it works or not, it remains to be seen".
He replied, "Good enough for me. Unfortunately, Sedon will have to fare by itself for a while. I will try to persuade Royals, to leave at least a few of our people here. As for your trip to Apium, do you need anything?". I shook my head, and said "No. Alicia is already working on my new weapon. Suly is also working on something for me. Fox is with her, so in case of another attack, she and Lazar should be alright. I just have to get Atols to cooperate… whether by force or not".
Harlin nodded, and said "Alright. Let me fill you in. I will also give you an updated map. It's better if you avoid some of the areas, especially since you are going there alone". I nodded, and Harlin pointed out the enemy locations on the map. He also explained where the main forces of our enemies were. He also noted that the Land of Mirages was still there, and our scouts saw Eterians walking into that. This just proved, it was still their territory. I asked "Is there any way to deal with that mist or fog?". Harlin shook his head, and said "No. But at least we now know why no one ever returned from that place. Eterians simply killed them, or even worse enslaved them".
That made perfect sense, but that also meant we had no way of attacking our greatest enemy. I asked "What's the situation with Tremor?". He replied "They had many more Furians, than we expected. Although you guys constantly sent people to kill Furians off, it wasn't enough. Additionally, we also saw Furians enter the Land of Mirages. They must've been allies with Eterians for a long time now. Thankfully Avians no longer exist, otherwise we would be in hell today. I guess this one is on you".
He then continued "Mordars are a pain in the ass too. I don't know how, but they were able to mask themselves as normal dead trees. Watch out when you walk past the Dead Forest, or a larger amount of trees. Some of them may be Mordars. That is why we cut down all the trees surrounding Sedon. They probably hide in the Dead Forest though, waiting to ambush us one day or another".
I nodded, and asked another question. "What about the other races?". He said "Vanauts are suspiciously quiet. We think they are planning something. As for others inside Tremor? Completely enslaved. They either work like slaves, or act as dispensable soldiers. Ruled with fear, not respect". With that, I had most of the answers I was looking for. I still wanted to talk with Crow, and find out what he found during his scouting. 'I can visit Voltars on the way to Apium. Maybe they can provide some insights to the struggle after all' I thought.
Harlin told me to choose any tent I wanted, and rest there. If I needed anything, I just had to ask. On my way out, a Shade appeared in front of me. It was the female Shade I encountered before. She asked "You really know Crow?". This was a bit surprising question, but I nodded my head in response. She asked another question, "Are you perhaps the one he always talks about?". I smiled, and said "Perhaps, why do you ask?". She said "I just wanted to apologize. Don't take it against me, we need to be careful here". I shook my hand, and said "No harm done. You did a good job, the city needs people like you guys. Keep it up". I then said farewell to her, and left.