Blue Core

Chapter 18B: Year 1, Day 236 – Iniri

Youre kidding. Blue sounded skeptical, and Iniri didnt blame him.

No. This is the thirteenth request, too. Iniri rolled her eyes. Youd think they would have given up after the first twelve.

Im surprised it took you this long to bring it up.

I did bring it up before, Blue, Iniri said gently.

Oh. Im sorry.

I dont blame you, she told him. He hadnt really been in the mood to deal with Orrelins complaints when theyd sent the first diplomatic message about Blues Fortress passing over their land. She hadnt either, and had summarily tossed it. But theyd kept sending them, demanding some unspecified restitution for Blues violation of their borders and supposed damages. It was bizarrely arrogant, especially once word spread that the Fortress had utterly annihilated Port Anell.

Yet there were no fangs to the messages. No threats accompanied the demands, not even an intimation of a penalty. It seemed to be just an annoyance campaign, as if they could pester Blue into compliance. Though considering the messages were coming to Iniri, it wasnt like Blue really even saw them.

Iniri could only guess the constant messaging was some internal political gambit. Orrelin couldnt forge Iniris magical signature, or for that matter, Blues. Until one of them sent a response, Orrelin couldnt credibly claim to have gotten one, either to its citizens or the world at large. It seemed laughably petty in the face of everything that was going on, but everyone knew Orrelin thought of its own affairs as the most important thing in the world.

The annoyance could work in their favor, though. Blue certainly didnt need to play politics, as the affair with Port Anell demonstrated with some finality. That didnt mean there was no reason, as it was always better for people to cooperate than simply obey out of fear, and Orrelins complaint was a perfect opportunity to play the game.

You know, its a good excuse to get Shayma into Orrelin, she suggested. We need to see if theyve got blightbeast problems to begin with, and even if they dont we need to harden them against the potential of such.

Its a good excuse but Im not apologizing for flying over a corner of their land. Thats probably going to counter any potential political points for going there by invitation instead of just sweeping in like Id like.

In Orrelin, not likely. To everyone else? Theyll see youre willing to work with them if they arent too difficult.

I guess we might as well, since as you say we have to go over there anyway. Blue was silent for a moment. Also, thanks for taking care of things while I was preoccupied. Iniri smiled. It was good to have Blue paying real attention to things again, even if hed perked up for a while when Marin was born. Not only was it good politically, she also missed just talking with him. If she was honest, she missed the intimacy as well, which had been summarily cut short and now might resume again.

It was no trouble. Its our Bargain, but I also know what its like to lose somebody. For all that Blue was a Power and existed in some ways beyond her comprehension, he was also an ordinary person with ordinary worries for the people he cared about.

Doesnt mean I should ignore everyone else. Blue sighed. It shouldnt be a problem in the future, but still, dont be afraid to reel me in if Im getting stuck inside my own head.

Ill keep that in mind, Iniri replied, centering the missive from Orrelin on her desk and weighting down the corners so it didnt try to curl back to its original scroll form. Do you want to warn them about the blightbeasts in advance?

I have no idea. I dont know anything about them except that the representatives were very rude and their country is really creepy. Whether theyre smart enough to understand that theyre in real danger or not is beyond me.

I suppose we might as well. Iniri tapped a finger on the paper, considering a reply. Personally, I doubt that theyll believe theres a danger. They havent been properly threatened for so long that they probably believe theyre invincible.

Thats ridiculous. The Chiuxatli alone could take over Orrelin. Being in a plateau doesnt mean anything!

Im sure its not as ridiculous as it seems, Iniri said with a laugh. Those walls are probably part of a country-wide defensive working, so you can imagine how tough that would be to get through.

Eh. Its not as impressive when you are a whole country yourself, Blue said, though by his tone he was conceding her point. I want to get things started soon, though. Next few days. The fact that Im not noticing as many blightbeasts hurling themselves against the wall has me a little worried.

Iniri glanced reflexively out toward the ocean, though the wall wasnt actually visible from Meil. It wasnt even visible from the shore, but shed gone out with the [Torc of the Stars] to take a look. The wall was an unrelieved barrier of ominous darkness, anchored by white pillars projecting up from the ocean floor. The wall stretched over four hundred miles, from north of Tarnil to just south of it, and served to catch all of the unpleasant things that swam through the ocean or crossed the lowways. That wasnt enough to catch every blightbeast released from the mage-kings islands, but it did a reasonable enough job. Or had.

Then Ill send this out today, and well figure out where Shayma ought to go.

Thanks, Iniri! Youre the best. He kept chatting with her while she drafted a simple missive back to Orrelin, even asking after Marin. Who was, according to the maid whod volunteered to be the primary nanny, almost frighteningly healthy. Iniri was glad she had someone in her household who knew more about infants than she did. Somehow her instruction and education had been somewhat lacking in a practical understanding of newborn children. She could figure out most of it; mothers had been doing so since time immemorial. But it was nice to have someone who had some practical experience.

She summoned a page and sent him off with the reply before using [Swiftray] to move to her tower and check on Marin. Catherine had been with her throughout the entire invasion debacle, and while she wasnt a Classer she had more than earned the trust to take care of Marin. As soon as Iniri entered the room, Catherine smiled and stood to hand back her son without Iniri needing to say anything. She knew how much Iniri doted on the infant.

The truth was, she felt far more secure about Marins future now that Shayma was back, and with the absolute monstrosity of an Artifact that Blue had made her. It was true Blue had made a Bargain to protect Tarnil, but if he did so grudgingly there was no telling what the long term effects would be. It wasnt even impossible for Blue to break his Bargain, for all that doing so would hurt him. Shed seen the sort of depression that had taken hold of him in people whod lost everything during the war, and it wasnt always survivable.

Iniri just hoped his new, proactive stance didnt cause trouble he wasnt ready to deal with.

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