The first rays of sunlight had barely appeared on the horizon when Strax, Rogue, and Samira gathered in the small makeshift hall of the mansion. The sturdy wooden table, seemingly out of place in the rustic environment, was covered with papers and notes that had started piling up as ideas flowed.
Samira leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a clear expression of discontent on her face. Her eyes swept over Rogue, who sat at the table, far too relaxed for someone supposedly discussing something serious.
'Tsk, I'm going to kill her before he starts getting interested if I let this happen... This is going to be a problem.' She clicked her tongue as she glared at Rogue, who merely smiled happily.
"Well, if we're really going to form this guild, we need to set priorities," Strax began, trying to maintain his calm. His patience with the two was wearing thin with every second of interaction. He knew these two had a long history of exchanged barbs, and it wouldn't be easy to keep them focused if the provocations started, but this was already infuriating him!
"Priorities, of course," Rogue said, tossing a lock of hair behind her with a mischievous smile, as if talking about an entirely different priority. She shot a direct glance at Samira, whose jaw clenched tightly.
"I've already told you, that evasive approach won't work in Vorah. We're not dealing with back-alley espionage in Eudoria here," Samira retorted, pushing off the wall and stepping toward the table. "The game is different here. We need strength, soldiers. We need to be ready to face direct attacks, both from Kryssia and the Duchy."
Rogue rolled her eyes, leaning forward. "Sweetheart, if you think we'll survive with just swords and shields, we'll be crushed before we even get off the ground. We need information. We need to know what our enemies are planning before they even suspect what we're up to. I mean, information is a powerful weapon. I don't know why Cristine isn't here, but I'm sure she has everything she needs to create a shadow guild like the Black Association and control the underworld. After all, she
is
the daughter of the Assassin Queen." Rogue said, while Strax glanced at her with a touch of curiosity.
'She came well-prepared... already knows about Cristine's mother... interesting,' Strax thought as Samira raised an eyebrow at him. But he had to hide his reaction somehow to avoid sparking a war.
Strax sighed, rubbing his temple as he looked to both sides of the table. He knew they both had valid points, but the problem was their completely opposite approaches, leaving him caught in the crossfire. "We need both," he finally said, breaking the tense silence. "We need strength, Samira, you're right. But we also need information, Rogue, to know when and where to apply that strength."
Rogue clicked her tongue, leaning back in her chair, clearly satisfied. "See? At least someone here has some sense."
Samira leaned over the table, her eyes blazing. "Strength without discipline is useless. If we're going to create a guild, we need trained soldiers, not just a bunch of informants and spies. We need to make sure we can sustain attacks and protect the city. And if you think sneaking around in the shadows is going to save us when the Duchy comes knocking on our door, you're underestimating our enemies."
"Oh, so you're suggesting we form an army, is that it?" Rogue asked, raising an eyebrow. "How many men do you think we need, Samira? A hundred? A thousand? And how exactly do you plan on managing that? We're in Vorah, not in the heart of an empire. We barely have the resources to start something small, let alone maintain a troop, and that bastard of Strax's father will stop us the second he sees the number of soldiers drop."
"We only need enough to make a difference," Samira countered, still calm but with a harder tone. "I'm not talking about forming an empire, but we need to be ready to fight. You saw what Kryssia's ice did to Eudoria. You told me yourself that her ice doesn't melt, no matter what they try. If she decides to move forward, do you really think spies are going to stop that? Not to mention, she has her own soldiers, so the situation is even worse."
Strax sighed but couldn't help a small smile. They were a pain to deal with, but deep down, he knew that this dynamic was what would make the guild succeed. Strength and strategy. Power and intelligence. They needed both, and he was confident that together they could build something truly powerful.
"Alright, that's settled," he said firmly. "Let's start working on the base and recruit our first members. And we need to prepare for the duchy. That means both training and gathering information. We need to be ready for the worst."
Rogue stood up, stretching her arms. "I'll start making connections and see what I can get in terms of materials and labor."
"I'll handle the training," Samira said, still crossing her arms. "When the recruits arrive, I'll make sure they're ready to fight."
"Good," Strax nodded. "Everyone knows what they need to do. Now, we just need to act fast. The duchy won't give us much time."
The two women moved away, each heading off to pursue their tasks. Strax watched them for a moment before sighing and turning back to the map. He had a feeling that time was not on their side, and not just because of Kryssia or the duchy...
"Did they already leave..." Cristine said, emerging into the room. "Why did you ask me not to participate in the meeting? I mean, I was here the whole time, but..." she commented.
"A bad feeling," Strax replied, his gaze fixed on the map.
He was staring intently at a spot. "Isn't this where Beatrice was found?" Cristine questioned, noticing Strax's finger hovering around a somewhat... grim location.
"I don't know why, but... I have a sense that something is wrong here, at this point," he said, pointing to an abandoned cabin.
"You felt that out of nowhere? How strange..." Cristine laughed. "Do you want me to go check it out?"
"No, I want you to send someone else to go there. I know you still have part of your guild here; they probably don't know that the Black Association is gone yet. Try to recruit the best of them for our guild," Strax instructed.
"Got it... are you that afraid I might get hurt checking something you don't even know is there?" she asked, chuckling.
"Yeah, you're way too important, and I'm not about to risk your life over a bad feeling that might not even be real," he replied, still gazing at the spot.
'The last time I felt something like this... was when she was kidnapped... something is definitely wrong...'