It was a good decision to align with the Vallians, yet Aeron knew it wasn't enough to see him through. The Vallians were formidable, and questions of loyalty always ended in questions. They were a lot of fighters, mercenaries at heart, and if a better chance came their way, they could easily leave him in search of a better deal. The balances in the world of power were precarious, and Aeron knew well that trust could disappear as suddenly as the wind.
Watchful Lira began talking with people about this new alliance, making the word get out, especially among the influential ones. The need for caution now must be stronger than when they dealt with only the Mercantile Guild. The news was spreading, and other powerful groups within the city began to take note of the Aetherborn.
One morning, Aeron sat in his new command centre beneath the tavern; Lira came in, holding a report. No hello, no cute smile, just all business as she got right to it: "We have gotten the attention of the Blood Serpents." She dropped the paper onto the table. "They're already moving against us."
Aeron's face creased with worry. The Blood Serpents were a pitiless, dark gang of murderers, spies, and drug runners. The people feared them just because they would strike and then just disappear. For years, they had been an invisible force in the city, always lurking in the background, but now they had seen the increase in power of the Aetherborn.
"How did they find us?" Aeron asked. He spoke calmly, but he knew a part of him was ready for the worst.
She screwed up her eyes. "The smallest faction, frightened perhaps that our pack of thieves may find them first, might have called in. Then again, the Mercantile Association might be spreading their 'rumors'. Either way, they're coming, and there won't be any silence about it.".
He relaxed back in his chair, deciding on the course of action. "We cannot allow them to attack us first; we have to find out where they are coming from and attack them before they can defend themselves.
"That sounds easy, but it is not," said Lira. "The Blood Serpents work in secret. They will know all about us before we even see them near."
Aeron stood up, strength filling him. "Then we make sure they never get the chance to strike. We take it back from them."
Aeron sprang into action without wasting any time. His best spies and assassins were ordered into the ranks of the Blood Serpents to try and find a way into their plans and weaknesses. Meanwhile, he worked at securing their position within the city, making sure no attack could breach the base of the Aetherborn. Every door, every window, every small weakness inside was to be reinforced. It had happened once; it couldn't happen a second time.
It wasn't long before the spies got wind of it: it was the Blood Serpents' preparation for an ambush.
They were supposed to lay an ambush in one of the small alleys in the outskirts of the city, which was especially dark and away from the limelight. This place would provide an ideal spot for they preferred the dead of night. The time of night when the moon has been veiled with dense layers of clouds and the streets are already getting quiet.
Aeron waited for nothing. He and Lira readied themselves, leading a handpicked contingent of elite warriors-to take to the field against the assassins head-on. This would not be a fight for survival but a message: one must never underestimate an Aetherborn.
The night had fallen, and with each step that this group of Aeron made into the alley, it would fall gently, while they too realized their silent surroundings. Every step was cautious, every movement sure. They were prepared for whatever might happen.
When they turned into the alley, there were the Blood Serpents, waiting for them.
But this wasn't the ambush Aeron was expecting.
There were only two persons standing at the other end of the alley instead of silent murderers hidden in the darkness: a man and a woman, dressed in black armor, their faces veiled with hoods, unmoving, mute.
Something felt off to Aeron; something wasn't right.
"Come out," Aeron said, his voice carried by the still air.
Nothing happened for a moment. Then, the man drew closer, the features of his face becoming familiar-a face Aeron knew so well.
Karan was one of the leaders of the Blood Serpents, a man who at one time had been a friend to the Mercantile Guild. His sharp face was memorable, his cold, careful eyes seeing everything.
"You've been busy," Karan said, his voice smooth, almost mocking. "It seems the Aetherborn are making waves. But you're not the only ones making moves."
Aeron gripped the weapon. "What do you want, Karan?
This, the woman standing next to Karan, came closer to him. The glint in her eyes had become fearful, eager. "We want what you want, exactly. The power, the control. But we have come not to join, but to warn you."
"Warn me?" Aeron echoed incredulously.
Karan smiled teasingly. "The Blood Serpents do not like being threatened. Even if you had earned some respect, you still are a new power. Big groups have their sights set on you, and they are grumpy. If you think the Guild is the only problem you have, you are sorely mistaken.
Aeron drew up tall and straight. "I'm not afraid of you or some other gang."
The woman's soft laughter cut through like a knife through dead air. "You ought to be. We do not issue threats, Aeron. We make promises. The world's power will break your dreams if you are not careful. But do not concern yourself," she said, that twist of a smile upon her lips, "we shall be watching. Very closely."
And with that, the two had pivoted and disappeared into the darkness, leaving Aeron to his thoughts in the alley, their words carrying their full weight upon him.
Aeron and Lira were reunited within the safety of their stronghold, the taste of that meeting with the Blood Serpents still sour in their mouths.
"They're serious," Lira whispered. "Blood Serpents are strong and powerful; it is crystal clear there was a warning against us: if we proceed like this, everybody will know about us-from the small groups to the big leaders." Aeron nodded. "Then we ought to be ready. We have announced our presence, and now the time has come to consolidate. We cannot afford this time to be found sleeping. Lira looked so determined: "We need to make more friends. If we cannot fight them all at once, then we have to separate them, make them fight each other." Aeron's lips curled into a smile. "Let them think they control the game. We'll show them that we're the ones calling the shots." They were no longer just a rebellion group; they were a force-something that would make the people turn their heads toward them. But as they marched forward, he knew the difficulties that lay ahead would be many more strenuous than before, for the bigger groups would come after them, and they needed preparation in order to put up a good fight. It was a time to stop playing in the shadows: time for the Aetherborn to step into the light. They would prove to all that no one was beyond their reach, not even the smallest group.