Days following the attack on the Red Dawn safehouse were hazy; confusion reigned as to what was happening. Still, whispers spread through the city of the Aetherborn's sudden, brutal rise to power, and many eyed events suspiciously. Aeron knew such a daring move would bring both positive and negative repercussions. For the time being, every step they took felt like walking on a razor's edge: one wrong step and over they would go.
But he had a plan, as he always did.
Purple and gold hues rioted across the firmament as the sun had dipped below the horizon, and Aeron sat in his chamber and went through the reports and communications by his spies. The Red Dawn had not retaliated as yet, but that was only a question of time before these people regrouped for their revenge. Yet, he was not troubled about their immediate reaction; he was thinking two steps ahead.
"How do things stand with the Vallians?" Aeron asked without lifting his head.
Lira stood at the door but responded right away. "They're vacillating. Some of their leaders prefer to see more stability first before they make their final commitment. Others are already thinking about their allegiance with the Red Dawn. They stand in a fragile position where they are torn between their decision whether to stay with us or gamble with the upcoming power.
Aeron frowned, drumming the edge of his desk. "We need to show them that we are the better option. Not good enough to intimidate; we need to offer them something they cannot refuse.
Lira nodded, and he clearly knew where he was going. "What are you thinking?"
Aeron turned to her, his eyes glinting. "We harness the power of the Aether Crystals."
The Aether Crystals were one of the rarest and most powerful components, and it wasn't until quite recently that Aeron actually found some deep beneath the caverns of the town. The power in them was inestimable, and they would lift any magic higher, elevating their owner beyond the ordinary. Very few of these had ever been discovered, and all those had been tightly closed by robust factions, but somehow Aeron found his way in.
He knew that offering them a portion of this very power would give the Vallians cause to think twice before reneging on their alliance.
Lira's eyes sparkled as she caught his drift. "You are going to make them do your biddings with the Aether Crystals?
"Not force," Aeron replied with a smile. "We offer them a gift. A taste of power that will bind them to us. When they realize what they could achieve with access to the crystals, they'll have no choice but to side with us. The Red Dawn may offer them land and riches, but we'll give them power they've never dreamed of."
The following morning, word was forwarded to the Vallians to present their chiefs before Aeron in agreement. He knew the real trepidation had yet to subside. Such was not an easy decision to be made on the Vallian's part-a choice between him and the Red Dawn took so much from their hearts.
Deep beneath the city, in a grand hall, Aeron waited for them. His mind was honed, set for that which would have to be. It was an assembly of the leaders amongst the Vallians, each face a mask of doubt and curiosity. They had heard the rumors, had felt the shifting tides of power, but to see the Aetherborn-to see the confidence, the calculated resolve in Aeron's eyes-was quite another thing altogether.
Aeron rose in their honor and swept a hand toward the chairs. "I trust your journey was uneventful?
Thalor, in a thick voice, the grizzled leader of the Vallians, nodded. "We have come as you wished, Aeron. Yet, let us be frank-our patience is wearing thin. The Red Dawn offers tangible rewards, whereas you." He threw a glance around the room. "Well, you offer uncertainty."
Aeron smiled, his confident smile never once faltering. "Uncertainty? Perhaps. But it is within uncertainties that often lie the seeds of opportunity. I can offer you a chance at a power the Red Dawn can only dream of. A power which shall place you above the petty squabbles of city politics. I offer you the Aether Crystals."
He stepped aside, and there was a small pedestal with one lustrous crystal laid on it, in whose light the whole apartment shone with some sort of supernatural glow; strange shadows were cast upon the wall. And from it came energy, a surge of life, as it were.
The Vallians stared on in wonder; Thalor, with eyes wide with surprise, approached the pedestal cautiously. "Is this. what I think it is?"
"It is," Aeron said in a low, deliberating tone. "The Aether Crystals hold within them the key to unlocking the true potency of who wields them. And I am ready to share them with you-if you choose to stand with me."
Thalor stared hard at the crystal, his face several shades of torn. "At what price, such power? Aeron smiled broadly. "Your loyalty, yours, and that of your people, stand with me, and the Aether Crystals shall be yours for commanding.
Back in their Aetherborn stronghold, the air was heavy with tension. Lira paced across the room while her mind whirred with implications after Aeron's offer. "This is a dangerous play," she said, "the Vallian pride, perhaps, would not exactly accept an offer of power in such a manner. What if they say no?
"They won't," Aeron said, unwavering as stone. "It's the single form of currency they can't afford to look the other way. Once they experience the crystal's power firsthand, they'll be addicted." Hours dragged on till Thalor was finally back inside the keep, his decision in his hand. The face gave nothing away, but in the spark of his eyes, Aeron knew all was as it needed to be. "We have decided," Thalor said tonelessly, "we are on your side. The Vallians are yours-if the crystals prove to be as powerful as you say." Aeron nodded, his expression serious. "You won't regret this. The Red Dawn may have the numbers, but they lack vision. And with the Aether Crystals, we'll reshape this city in our image." When Vallians swore oaths of loyalty to Aetherborn, Aeron knew right then and there that he had himself secured within the city. The Red Dawn would have to buckle to the might of the Aether Crystals. Yet, Aeron wasn't done. Aeron knew the Red Dawn would come for him sooner or later. The game was far from over. With the Aetherborn in their midst and their power still growing, the City drew in newer faces. With Aeron just lighting the fuse, the City was ready to go up in smoke.