Affinity: Chaos

Chapter 2188: Archon Region

Grey studied the map in silence for a short while. The lines and markers were clear enough. One city sat on the high ground that overlooked the most likely routes any reinforcements would take. The other controlled the main trade arteries. Both were important, yet the first one mattered more right now.

He placed a finger on the elevated city.

”If we take this one back and wipe out the Gnome force near it, we gain breathing room. From there we can move on the second city with far less risk.”

The Faction Leader nodded at once. ”We reached the same conclusion. The problem is getting close. The Gnomes have sealed the city completely. No one has entered or left for over a week. The Mayor and the remaining defenders are still alive as far as we know, but we have received no word from them. Every attempt to approach has been blocked.”

He did not need to explain the rest. Everyone in the hall understood. Committing a large force to break the encirclement would leave other critical points undefended. The Gnomes would simply strike elsewhere the moment the main strength of the Molten Crest Faction moved. That was why the Faction Leader had been forced into a stalemate, and why he had accepted the Dawson Family’s terms so quickly. Losing access to a single training ground was a small price compared to losing the entire Archon Region.

A brief silence settled over the table. Reynolds glanced at the map again, jaw tight. Conor remained still, though his eyes moved between Grey and the Faction Leader. Heidens sat with his arms loosely folded, waiting.

Grey looked up from the map.

”What if I can take a group there and bring them back in almost an instant?”

The Faction Leader’s eyes sharpened. For a moment he said nothing. Then recognition flickered across his face. Grey Dawson was known for many things, but among the older generation one ability stood out above the rest: his mastery of the space element and his capacity to construct teleportation arrays from nothing. Most arrays still in use across the continent were ancient relics. The method of creating new ones had been considered lost until Grey appeared and, through long study and repeated experiments, recovered it.

”Are you certain?” the Faction Leader asked.

”I am,” Grey answered. ”I will set up an array here first. Then I will enter the city alone, establish a second array inside, and open the connection when the time is right. Once that is done, the rest of you can cross directly.”

A ripple of interest moved through the Elders seated along the table. The Faction Leader leaned forward slightly.

”You can bring a full force inside the city without the Gnomes detecting the movement?”

”Yes. The arrays will handle the transfer. As long as I reach the city and complete the second formation, the rest becomes straightforward.”

The Faction Leader did not hesitate. He had already committed to the broader agreement with the Dawson Family. This method simply made the first objective achievable.

”Very well. We proceed on that basis.”

Grey gave a short nod. ”I will prepare the array here as soon as possible. When I am ready inside the city I will send the signal. You only need to be prepared to move the moment it arrives.”

”If we can appear inside the walls without warning, the Gnomes will have little time to react,” the Faction Leader said. ”Especially if we can withdraw just as quickly once the main force there is broken.”

”The arrays will allow that,” Grey confirmed.

The Faction Leader’s expression eased for the first time since the meeting began. He had spent months searching for a way to break the deadlock. Grey’s presence offered something none of their previous plans had possessed: the ability to strike at the most critical point without stripping the rest of the region bare.

He spent the next few minutes outlining how the Gnomes had been operating around the two cities—patrol patterns, the approximate strength of the enclosing force, and the positions from which they watched the surrounding approaches. Grey listened without interruption, filing the details away. The picture that emerged was tighter than he had expected. The Gnomes held the high ground and the main roads with unusual thoroughness. Conventional reinforcement from outside the region would be detected long before it arrived.

When the Faction Leader finished, Grey spoke again.

”I understand the risks. I will make sure the Gnomes do not notice my approach. Once the second array is active, the rest of the operation can begin.”

The Faction Leader studied him for a moment longer, then inclined his head.

”Then we are agreed. Prepare whatever you need. Adkins will see that you have a secure location and any materials required for the first array. When you are ready to leave for the city, inform me directly.”

Heidens gave a small nod of approval from his seat. Reynolds shifted slightly, already looking more engaged now that a concrete plan existed. Conor remained quiet, but the tension in his shoulders had eased.

Outside the hall the dry heat of the volcano continued to press against the stone walls. Inside, the map still lay open on the table, the marked city now the clear first target. The discussion had moved from stalemate to a workable course of action in less than an hour.

Grey rose from his seat. The next steps were straightforward. He would build the first array here, then find a way into the sealed city alone. Everything after that depended on speed and precision. He wasn’t really worried he wouldn’t be able to make it to the city given his current means.

The Faction Leader watched him for a moment longer before turning to Adkins.

”Make the arrangements. We move as soon as the array is ready.”

The meeting was over. Grey’s plan was plausible so they didn’t have to worry about anything else and wait for Grey to succeed with his teleportation arrays.