268. Bilatreeral Engagement

268. Bilatreeral Engagement

268

Year 265

More Lumoofs Travels

Another one. Lumoof nodded, as he checked his equipment. Wheres Kafa?

On the way. Stella nodded. Though Im sure you will be enough, we do want to increase our teams experience. The void lady smiled. Kafa and Edna both walked in.

Both of you?

Edna shook his head, but Kafa nodded. The new lizardfolk domainholder was ready. An exploratory trip to a new world. Most of the time, it was Stella, Edna and Lumoof that did the visits. But Stella found more than one world, and so, there would be another team. Roon, Ezar and Edna would go to the other one.

Stella had to be on standby for the demon meteor shower. Stellas [void explorers], now three of them, moved faster. There would come a time where theyd most likely discover more worlds than they could explore safely. Ready?

Never. Lumoof chuckled.

Off you go anyway. Stella laughed, and the void portal sucked them through.

***

They landed in what appeared to be a lush field of greenery, teeming with life. Bugs. Insects. Kafa looked around, and sniffed. I sense a great disturbance in the fabric of reality.

Lumoof nodded, as he felt it too. He expanded his senses, tapping into the grass and the bushes, and felt it instantly. It was very far away.

Reality. Both of them experienced how it felt to have reality tear apart before their eyes. There were ripples everywhere. Something is wrong. And they both know it.

But this world shouldnt be like that. Lumoof reached out and sensed the worlds core, and felt it intact. Lumoof briefly looked up to get a sense of their location. This world, discovered by the [void explorer], was not linked to any others they know. But it was linked to three other worlds. There were paths they could see.

Kafa tensed, sharing Lumoofs vision of the stars. But there are no demons?

Then what could it be? Lumoof looked back, as a cloak of magic appeared around him. To most people, he was as good as invisible. Kafas scales transformed, its lustrous scales functioned as if they were the scales of a chameleon, shifting color to match its surroundings.

Camouflage.

The pair rushed through vast forests and fields of animals-

They moved, sensing the unusual disturbance in the reality of space. But as they got closer, they began to sense the source of it. It felt like powers similar to the void.

A native void mage? Lumoof said.

It was not impossible. Void mages can occur naturally. If there was some kind of people like the Zaratans-

Lumoofs eyes widened. The information was relayed through the artificial mind network and they returned with a confirmation. It matched most signatures. Zaratan.

It was a land of life, but as they sped up, they heard the roar of battle.

Attack the creature! The command came from a dwarven warlord of somekind, surrounded by an army.

There was a gigantic Zaratan in a half-dried lake, attacked by the natives. The natives were dwarves, and they had cannons. Those weapons bombarded the Zaratan, and the Zaratan attempted to defend itself with the use of void magic. But it was clearly injured, there were multiple deep cuts that had rotted throughout its body and signaled the presence of combat some time ago. Its use of void magic was different from Stella. It twisted reality in order to deflect the shells.

Lumoof landed nearby and quickly tapped into my network of minds to figure out what was happening. We connected with all the leaves and surviving plants in the battlefield, and listened to the dwarven attackers.

How long before we can cut this turtle up and make weapons out of its shell? One of the dwarves complained to the other.

A bit more. Its magic is waning. This is it flailing at its last breaths. Another of the dwarven attackers said.

The lord commanded. Keep attacking. We must not let this opportunity go!

The connected grass focused on the aides and sycophants around the Dwarf Lord. Its always lucky that aides and shoepolishers exist to recite the plan to everyone present. With the [Void] turtles body, we would be able to attack the [void] creatures in the depths and reach the ores. Well finally be able to match the other Dwarven Lords in power!

Lumoof looked at Kafa. Ill provide aid to the Zaratan. Hold them off.

Kafa nodded, and in a blink, he was gone.

The dwarves cannons attempted another volley of attacks, but they all smashed into a magical shield. The lizard warrior activated a magical item that contained [shield] spells, and landed in front of the Dwarven army.

Cease this attack at once, and Ill let you live. Continue, and I will not be merciful. Kafa said with practised arrogance. His domainholders aura radiated outward-

Lumoof landed right next to the surprised Zaratan. Careful, Kafa. The weight of your domain can hurt this injured Zaratan.

The dwarves froze in fear.

Old Zaratan, allow me. Its throat and neck was injured, but the moment Lumoofs hands touched its body, a link in the mind was established.

Kafa looked at Lumoof. I believe we need lady Stella here.

I believe we do. Lumoof said.

The dwarven lord proceeded to narrate why these metals were important. This, in many ways, was a typical dwarven society, with a heavy emphasis on crafting, technology, and equipment. Sunmetal and Sunsteel, were critical for their prosperity, because it allowed creation of equipments capable of delivering more for less.

Most crucially, they allowed the creation of the strongest of the Dwarven War Machines. The Giant Spiders.

Lumoof frowned at the mention of war machines, and asked to see one.

The Dwarven Lord gulped. We only possess two.

I will not harm them. Lumoof said.

The War Machines were gigantic weapons. They were smaller than the Demon Walkers, but big enough that they were easily one of the largest weapons. But their design was surprisingly elegant and slender. It reminded Lumoof of one of Aeons memories. A Protoss Colossus from Starcraft.

We pack as much Sunsteel as we can onto these things. The Dwarven Lord of Greyhold explained. There was a Dwarven Engineer who walked over.

And these are your most powerful weapons of war?

Yes.

Lumoof once remembered Stella and the heroes spoke of a world that ran on steam and pipes. Of machines made of steel. But looking at the machine in front of him, its slender legs and small body, it didnt match what Stella told him.

Lumoof knew that Alka couldve made something better. Easily. In combat ability. Or design. But to achieve the same power to weight ratio, it would require a fair bit of high level craftsmanship that only those in the level 100s could achieve.

Do you all not have crystal weapons and crystal equipment? Lumoof asked, curious.

The dwarves look at each other. We do- but we mostly use them as a magical storage to power the Sunsteels Enchantments.

Lumoofs eyes watched, and the artificial minds quickly analyzed the data. It was likely that they needed Sunsteel for the hinges, because the Sunsteel offered significant performance without weight. The legs and hinges of the War Machines were slender structures, only possible because of Sunsteel.

My priest looked back at dwarves. And why do you need these weapons of war?

Well, other dwarves, of course!

The dwarves of Delvegard were territorial, and frequently fought brutal wars. They tried their best to negotiate, but once war broke out, all combatants would pull out all their stops. In short, when they went to war, its all or nothing.

Kafa was shocked to hear that the dwarves were so brutal and ruthless. They are nothing like the Mountainworlds dwarves.

A different history. Lumoof commented. History is a shadow, forever looming over the psyche of society.

Kafa nodded. The two sat in a room.

What do you think of this world, Kafa? Lumoof asked.

The lizardfolk closed his eyes. Hungry for war.

Not that. How is this world valuable to us? Or it is not? That ultimately depends whether we intervene or not.

Kafas eyes opened. -Patriarch Lumoof, that is a question that is worth-

A million lives. Probably more. Lumoof smiled. Our type of engagement is vast. Ignore and do nothing, which is the least engagement. Then, theres a trading relationship. Then, as a colony or vassal state of some kind. And at the end, full domination.

Theres also the friendliness of that engagement. Do we engage the locals? Do we ignore them? Do we send our own people because we cant trust these guys? Do we- enslave them?

Surely not. Kafa reacted at the last word.

I know. But the range of engagement remains present. It is a choice, even if a choice we do not like.

Kafa thought of that conversation with Edna. This was truly the weight of their task. They were now the eyes and ears of the Order, and the Order was a machine that would consume worlds. We need more information.

That is also an option. Lumoof smiled at the younger domainholder.

What- what would you do, Patriarch Lumoof?

I will first propose a friendly relationship. A trading relationship to buy these Sunmetals and Sunsteels from these dwarves.

Kafa paused. Given how critical it is to their war-

They are unlikely to agree. If the Sunsteel proves critical to our war, they will therefore need to be conquered. Or at least, we will need to establish our own presence, and start mining these Sunsteel using our own forces.

-Is the Sunsteel that important? Kafa interjected. It doesnt seem like it would be.

Lumoof waited. Kafa was right. Its not critical, but good to have. No. We have alternatives. But let us propose a trade, and well see how these dwarves react.