Affinity: Chaos

Chapter 2187: Molten Crest Faction

Grey had originally intended to spend several quiet days in Thalor City. The deal his grandfather struck with the Molten Crest Faction ended that plan. He had no choice but to leave the next morning.

The Peak Sovereign assigned to accompany them was someone Grey already knew. The man had maintained a close relationship with Lucas over the years and had visited Red City more than once while Lucas remained stuck there because of the war.

When the middle-aged man walked out of the manor, both Grey and Conor called out at the same time.

”Uncle Heidens.”

Heidens walked over, his gaze settling on Grey first. ”How is your father?”

”He’s doing well,” Grey answered.

”Good.” Heidens gave a short nod and turned toward the open sky. ”Come on. Let’s go.”

He took the lead. Grey, Reynolds, and Conor rose into the air behind him and followed as he set a steady course toward the Archon Region.

They flew without rest. In barely two days they crossed the border of the Upoya Region and entered Archon territory. This was Grey’s first time in the region. Years earlier, while he had traveled the Aurora Continent setting up teleportation arrays, the Molten Crest Faction had never approached him. The old conflict between the two forces had clearly kept them at a distance. Only the worsening war had finally forced them to seek the Dawson Family’s help.

Heidens did not waste time on detours. He led them straight toward the Molten Crest Faction’s main grounds. Another three days of continuous flight brought them to their destination: a sprawling complex built at the foot of a dormant volcano.

Even from a distance the land looked harsh. The slopes of the volcano were black and barren, streaked with old lava flows that had long since cooled into jagged rock. The air that reached them carried a dry, sharp heat that stung the nostrils and throat. As Sovereigns they negated the discomfort with little effort, yet the oppressive warmth still hung over everything like a constant presence. On the journey here they had already confirmed what the reports claimed. The Archon Region was under heavy Gnome attack, and the signs of recent fighting marked the land in places.

The Faction’s outer walls rose ahead, dark stone reinforced with metal. Two young guards in Molten Crest attire stepped forward as the group landed before the main gates.

”State your business,” one of them said. His tone remained respectful. He could not sense the cultivation of any of the four people standing in front of him, and their bearing alone suggested they came from no ordinary background.

”We are from the Dawson Family,” Heidens replied evenly. ”Take us to your Faction Leader. We have urgent matters to discuss.”

Before the guards could respond, the heavy gates opened from inside. A middle-aged man stepped out, an amiable smile already on his face.

”Heidens. We’ve been waiting for you. Please, come this way. The Faction Leader is expecting you.”

His eyes moved briefly over Reynolds and Conor before settling on Grey. Grey’s features were distinctive enough that even someone who had never met him in person could recognize him once the connection was made. The man clearly knew Grey would be part of the group.

Heidens met the smile with a calm nod. ”Adkins.”

For a single heartbeat an invisible pressure flared between the two Peak Sovereigns. The air seemed to tighten. The two guards at the gate stiffened as the weight of that brief clash washed over them, then the sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

Adkins turned and led them into the Faction grounds. They followed a wide path that climbed gently toward the northern section of the complex. Black-stone buildings stood in orderly rows, many of them showing the same dark volcanic rock used in the outer walls. The heat in the air never fully faded.

Reynolds glanced around as they walked, taking in the dense formation of structures and the occasional patrol of disciples. Conor remained quiet, though his eyes moved constantly, measuring the strength of the auras that occasionally brushed against them from deeper within the Faction.

They soon reached a large compound that held a broad main building with four wings. Adkins brought them directly to the central hall. Inside, the Faction Leader already sat at the head of a long table, five Elders arranged to either side of him.

The arrival of the group drew every pair of eyes in the room.

The Faction Leader was a man who looked to be in his late fifties, his hair already white. He regarded Heidens with a faint, knowing smile.

”Heidens. I didn’t think that old man would send you personally.”

”He wanted to show his sincerity,” Heidens answered.

The Faction Leader gave a short chuckle and gestured toward the empty seats. ”Sit.”

Once they had taken their places, the Faction Leader’s attention shifted fully to Grey.

”So this is the famous Grey Dawson. Your reputation precedes you.”

Every gaze in the hall settled on Grey at once. The weight of so many powerful stares would have made most young experts uncomfortable. Grey did not flinch. He met the Faction Leader’s eyes and answered in a level voice.

”Rumors are only rumors. They rarely show who a person actually is.”

”True enough,” the Faction Leader replied. ”But there is rarely smoke without fire.”

He had no interest in prolonging a conversation with a junior. His tone became businesslike at once.

”The two cities under the heaviest attack are strategically important. If we can stabilize them, and if your presence has the same effect here that it did in the Pyre Region, we can break the Gnomes’ hold on the entire area in a single coordinated sweep.”

He indicated the locations on a map spread across the table. Grey, Heidens, and the others leaned in to study the positions.

One city sat directly along the main trade routes that fed the region. Constant Gnome raids there had made the movement of resources slow and dangerous. The second city occupied high ground that overlooked the most likely paths reinforcements would take from neighboring regions. From that position the Gnomes could detect incoming support long before it arrived. They had not tried to seize either city completely. Doing so would have forced the human forces of the Archon Region into an all-out war the Gnomes still preferred to avoid.

Reynolds studied the map in silence, already weighing the practical difficulties. Conor’s expression remained neutral, though a faint tightness at the corner of his mouth suggested he understood exactly how exposed those two positions left the rest of the region.

The Faction Leader sat back and looked at Grey again, waiting.

The hall remained quiet for a moment as they all studied the map in silence.