Celeste's Landing
Small Hamlet
I beamed with satisfaction at the piece of paper clenched between my now calloused fingers. A week and a bit had passed since I discovered even more of my useful powers, and we had successfully graduated from an empty field with a bunch of refugees hiding in the woods, to a proper town. All of my plans were beginning to take shape and the footprint of a new home was developing before our eyes.
I didn't just sit back and let them do all the hard work, there wasn't enough for me to manage to justify sitting there and watching them sweat. The farmhouses were nearly complete, and the fields were being sowed as I spoke. Soon we'd be producing our own food. For the time being, anyone who wasn't a farmer was being housed in a large, temporary building I asked for in a central location between everything. The idea was for it to serve as a shelter for the people who didn't want to sleep outside, and then when they moved into their homes to turn it into something that everyone could use, like a library.
But having slept in it for several nights, I could safely say that it was a little too temporary. It did nothing to keep the cold on the outside, and I didn't have a family of four to huddle with for warmth like everyone else did. The winds rattled the roof and kept me awake many an hour. I was sat in my office, minding my own business when Jerimiah rushed through the open door and demanded my attention.
"Shane, we've got big trouble."
"What is it?"
"Soldiers, Lunarmar's here."
Having found the time to properly intake the information within my God-given black book, I knew immediately just how much shit we were in. Lunarmar was the Kingdom that most of the people I directed had fled from thanks to years of internal turmoil. They wouldn't pass up a chance for a quick buck at the expense of these people. I stood from my chair and marched through the packed sleeping quarters, coming out into the future town square.
A huge crowd of people had already gathered. At the head of the commotion was a blonde-haired officer wielding a long, steel sabre. With him were seven troops, wearing tabards and chainmail in the colours of their mother nation. They didn't look like the invading force I was expecting. My internal assessment told me that they probably couldn't do much of anything to us. So why were they here?
The crowd parted as I stormed over to the intruders. His eyes locked onto mine and his square jaw was set into a grimace. "I am Luc Jean Lomarac, second son of the Lomarac family and the King's present representative. And who would you be?" He regarded me like a muck covered dreg, only stopping when he noticed the expensive coat I was wearing.
"Shane Blackwood," I replied simply, "I'm… in charge."
His eyes narrowed, "A commoner? In charge?"
I shrugged and looked around to the gathered labourers, "I don't see any nobles here who can do the job." The crowd laughed along with my cheap shot. It didn't do much to fill me with confidence. I was never good at handling conflict, and this was no schoolground 'fight,' these men had weapons and were willing to use them should the need arise.
"The King received a report that a group of people saw fit to establish a town here. Outside of his watchful gaze."
"Is it not our right to settle where we please?"
"Your rights have nothing to do with it," he spat, "This land was claimed by the Kingdom many moons ago, and it continues to be an essential outpost for our future expansion."
I nodded and pointed to the stone tower, "That one over there? The one that's crumbling to pieces?"
"…Yes, that one. You are here by the King's grace alone," he proclaimed, "None shall set foot on our land without paying the proper tithe." The pronouncing of incoming taxation was not a popular one. The murmuring of the crowd took a dark turn and the soldiers behind him suddenly realized that they were essentially surrounded on all sides by angry famers. I needed to step in and talk them down before something terrible happened.
"Let me handle this," I asked, turning to the crowd. Some of the worried citizens with children quickly hurried away before it turned into a brawl. I turned back to the preening nobleman and motioned to the building I called home, "May we speak in private?"
He gave me a weary sigh and pointed at two of the soldiers, "You two, watch the door." He followed me into the wooden cabin and into my office, a small side room that had been reserved for my work. The walls were already plastered with dozens and dozens of pieces of parchment listing everything I needed to know. He studied them for a moment before taking a seat. I sat across from him and interweaved my fingers together.
"Let me reintroduce myself. I am Shane Blackwood, I am the Mayor of this town. As you can see, I'm the one making the plans and getting everybody on the same page."
"A mayor. Importing language from the north?"
"It's imported from somewhere," I smirked, "You came here to ask for tax money."
"I did," he confirmed.
"Do you know who those people are out there?"
His grin thinned out to a terse line, "No."
"They're refugees from Lunarmar. People who lost businesses, homes, family in the Laddite purge. They came here with the clothes on their back and the money in their pockets. The point being, they don't have much money to give." I slipped a hand into my pocket and retrieved a thin, gold coloured bar with the Lunarmarian seal stamped onto it. One of the farmers had given it to me as a thank you for helping with his farm. The implication hung heavy in the air. Luc's face twisted into a scowl.
"You do not understand," he cawed – raising his voice.
I stood up and barked back, "I understand perfectly well!" I insisted, "Might makes right – as much as I'm loathe to admit it. None of the people here are soldiers. We don't even have weapons, you saw that yourself. But would the King not be happy knowing that this important land is being used by his citizens? This is a strategic opportunity for the Kingdom. A permanent claim on contested territory."
Luc did not expect me to shout back. He clenched his knuckles and sat back down with a shake of his head, "Regardless of his intentions for this place, you are building a town without paying the proper taxes. No matter the circumstances, the King would like money flowing into the treasury."
"Because of the wars."
"Yes," he admitted, "Because of the wars."
I knew his game now, "He didn't send you here to collect. We might not have weapons, but he's sending eight men to shake down a town of one-hundred-seventy people. They could have mobbed you to death for all I know."
"An astute observation."
"He sent you here to put us on notice. The next time, it'll be for real. More soldiers, more might."
"Perhaps you aren't quite the dullard I pegged you as."
"Flattering."
"…This pittance of a battalion I was sent with was as offensive to me as it is to you. To call them soldiers is an insult. They are town guards here to make some extra money. I have no doubt we'd be wiped out in an instant under any real threat. The order came down from my dear Father, and his orders came from the King himself."
"How did he find out?" I asked. We were in the middle of nowhere. No roads led through the town.
"Surely you know of his spies? The King is a rather revolutionary thinker; he must keep a close eye on the borders of his nation no matter the circumstance. He hired hundreds of scouts to report anything that strikes them as unusual. One of them followed the caravan here and has been sending notice to him ever since."
"I see. But that's beside the point – they won't be willing to pay. A lot of them have no fondness for Lunarmar at the moment, and they don't have the money."
"Excuses."
"Until the town is large enough to sustain trade and receive an input of money, extracting any taxation will be incredibly difficult. Shaking them for every last gram of gold in their pockets will only harm the economy. Suddenly the money we have becomes more valuable, even if it only occurs locally. Nobody will want to spend anything."
"I fail to see the issue."
"The issue is that this is, as you said, the perfect territory to establish a city on. If we can encourage people to move here, start businesses and establish trade routes by land and sea – this could be a major trading hub. Sounds much better than stamping it out before it can get moving, doesn't it?"
Luc exhaled and shut his eyes, "The decision isn't mine to make. I can relay your concerns to the relevant parties – and your reasoning may sway their actions. With that said, it is unlikely that the King will recognize your authority as the leader of this town. It's common law that a member of a noble family must take the reins."
"I didn't think I was going to be in charge in the first place," I explained, "But someone needed to make some orders. I just want this place to prosper." He didn't seem convinced. I escorted him back out of the building and was glad to see that none of the men he came with had been ripped limb from limb. "I await your response."
"Fine. I'll regale your message to my Father. His judgement is greater than mine. However, there is one other matter I must speak with you about."
"And that is?"
Instead of answering, he beckoned to an unseen person beyond the crowd that had gathered in the square. That person stood out as they weaved through the people. A lot. Because she was busty, blonde, and wearing a very expensive looking red dress that showed more skin than it covered. Her ruby eyes and face that screamed 'I really don't want to be here' made it clear that she was related to him. She stomped over and pouted at Luc.
"Luc! Why in the King's name have you brought me here!"
"Father insisted."
"I don't care! This is the middle of nowhere! Are you certain that he wants me to remain?"
I held up my hand, "Wait, she's staying here?"
He bowed his head humbly, "This radiant woman is my sister, Amelie Jean Lomarac. I hope that you'll treat her well. And don't be fooled by her refined appearance, she is no stranger to tough circumstances."
"Stop ignoring me," she demanded, "I don't want to stay here and be your… damn courier!"
Luc spluttered, "W-We need someone to stay and make sure that things are going well. I thought you'd be happy to do this for Father."
"That was before I found out that there aren't even any buildings!" she seethed. "I thought it would be a cosy little village in a lovely cove – but there's nothing here!" Nothing was a bit of an exaggeration. We'd… started to build a town. That counted for something. The argument was going nowhere.
"I'm Shane Blackwood. It's nice to meet you Miss Lomarac."
She rolled her eyes, "Just call me Amelie." Luc couldn't wait to get out of my sight. He was already walking back to his horse with Amelie turning and getting hot on his tail, "Don't just run away!"
Jerimiah tapped my shoulder, "How did it go?"
"We're safe for now. And it looks like we have a new resident."
"They're not going to trust her. She's a noble from the Lomarac family. Those people are some of the worst scum you can find in the King's court."
"Not much we can do about it."
We sat and observed the battle between the siblings for several minutes. Luc eventually evaded her grasp and trotted away with the rest of the soldiers. She turned to face us and stormed back, placing her hands on her hips with an impatient glare.
"Where can I sleep?"
I stood aside from the door, "Right this way."