“The Hindel have agreed to meet with you, Baroness,” Gwen greeted me as I entered my office for the morning’s work.

I had managed to divide the day well enough to get everything accomplished I needed, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Gwen and Zui to help. They worked well together and managed my schedule so that I was able to split morning and afternoons between the Keep and Dojo.

I spent evenings training, a more manageable task as more and more cultivators began making appearances at the Dojo as payment for Rift access. I was still a few months from hosting the first tournament, but my plans were already spreading. I wanted the new cultivators to have a firm grasp of their cultivation before they competed, even though I didn’t expect them to win.

The first Beast Tamers wouldn’t have much of a chance when fighting against any of the Sect cultivators in battle; their bonded weren’t battle-focused. But they might do well in obstacle courses and races, especially if I added a racecourse focused on flight.

Something to consider, although I wasn’t really planning an Olympic-style tournament, I would have martial events, racing events, and events focused on the professions. I wanted my cultivators to test themselves against other people in every field.

The only way to build a firm foundation with martial techniques was by testing them; the same held true for the professions. Nothing encouraged individuals to press the boundaries of their expectations than seeing how others prospered. And if you could fight against people you’ve never encountered, that makes for an even better opportunity for advancement. Solidifying a fighting style and professional work ethic forged in the fire of competition makes for a stronger individual.

“Where?” I asked, giving Gwen my full attention.

Lord Chon had refused to meet with them, that decision only one of the many decisions he made that was harmful to the town. Not satisfied with simply not meeting with them, he had gone so far as to ban them from the town. The town grew to support that ban, and while it might have had the infrastructure to support a visit by the Hindel at one point, it was long gone.

I had sent assurances to the Hindel that I was not Lord Chon, and the Hindel people would be welcome in my town and my Fief. I had relied on Haru Osaka, the Sato-osa of the Kamakura Prefecture, to mediate discussions up to this point. She and her town had established some small amount of trade with the Hindel, enough, it seemed, that they were willing to agree to a meeting.

“Here,” Gwen informed me. “They have agreed to send an Alpha and members of her pod to represent them. They will arrive in three days.”

Hindel society was similar to dolphins. They have a fission-fusion community where members join and leave herds frequently. They were hunter-gathers, constantly moving to new hunting grounds, but they did harvest kelp and seaweed they discovered growing wild.

They had a few established colonies where they could practice crafting using their Qi talents. They had proven their skills to create items with the same quality as any of our products. But they focused more on talismans and runes, the medium they live in, making it hard to advance in professions where a fire was needed.

What they produced were often works of art. They used shells, coral, and pearls extensively. But their most sought-after item was a strain of seaweed that, when fermented with a brine of seawater and fish bones, made a health and Qi restorative potion.

A potion that was much better than anything our Alchemist could refine, even now. Their refusal to share the technique to create that potion was a longstanding bone of contention between our people. One, I believed they should continue.

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“They aren’t giving much notice, are they?” I responded, not sure if I should be insulted or not.

“One of their hunting herds happened to be migrating nearby. The Alpha of that herd has enough authority to agree to any deal you might reach. If not for that, we would have had to wait until messages were sent and someone could be summoned,” Gwen explained.

“So, they aren’t acting intentionally to put us at a disadvantage?” I asked.

“I’m sure some of that factored in,” Zui answered. “But the Hindel, for the most part, don’t play the type of one-upmanship games that Elves are known for.

“They will bargain, and when they do, they bargain to gain every advantage they can, but their society is too alien, too different from ours to play the type of social maneuvering that we play with each other.”

“You’ve dealt with the Hindel, Zui?” I asked.

“Only a few times,” she conceded. “You need flying beasts to reach Aerial Sect on Guade Island where I come from. The Hindel do not do well with flying.”

“What protocols should I be aware of?” I wondered.

There were resources available, including etiquette reference material offered by the Sect, material I decided I needed to purchase. I would be representing my people as a Baroness with the Alpha Hindel, and any breaches of protocol or unintended insults could be costly.

The coral that the Spirits had destroyed while protecting the town had proven to be vital. I needed to be able to harvest enough coral each year to produce millions of jade token communicators.

The reef needed to be healed, and growth expedited in a healthy manner. I wanted sustainable farming and a diverse ecosystem to promote continued growth.

“The Hindel are not as concerned as Elves about those types of things. They will present you with a gift, so you should have something to offer in exchange. They will expect food and drink, but they seldom sample what is offered, so there is no reason to hold a state banquet,” Zui answered.

“They are communal, so holding the meeting in an area large enough to house however many people they bring is the only other expectation they will have.”

“I wonder if their ability with Qi is enough like ours that they could use a set of communicators?” I replied thoughtfully.

“They are able to send and receive missives, so it might be possible,” Zui reasoned.

“We can give them a set and have them test it. If they can use them, they might be interested in signing a trade agreement with us to purchase more,” I decided.

“Should we house the meeting in the Keep?” I asked. “I’m not sure if there is anything closer to the docks that would be suitable.”

“I believe the Dojo might be more suitable,” Gwen suggested.

“It borders the river so the Hindel will have egress without the hassle of maneuvering their containment tanks through narrow passages. And the Dojo can use illusion arrays to open a small arena that will suit.”

“I have to agree,” Zui said. “Additionally, the available water Qi should allow them to meet in comfort.”

“Has anyone created a meeting place for them located within the ocean itself?” I wondered. “Or are the Hindel forced on land for every interaction and discussion with Elves?”

“I don’t believe anyone has ever considered that option,” Zui answered hesitantly.

“Then I suggest we hold the meeting at the coral reef. I want them to see for themselves what the problem is. I am asking for their help. The least I can do is meet them in an environment they are most comfortable with,” I replied decisively.

“How will you communicate?” Gwen asked.

“I have affinities with water and air,” I answered, my amusement evident. “I’ll create a bubble using my elemental Qi to form the water into a shield and keep the air in pockets while refreshing it occasionally to keep it breathable.”

“Can you sustain something large enough to protect a few people?” Gwen asked. “As mentioned, the Hindel are most comfortable in groups, and they might misunderstand the gesture you are making if you meet them alone.”

“Well enough for a dozen people, but I only intend to bring the both of you and Lily, the woman leading the coral farmers.”

“Are you intentionally bringing only women?” Gwen asked.

“Not really,” I replied, “but the Hindel are matriarchal, so there is no harm in highlighting the fact that this Fief is ruled by a Baroness.”

“There are arrays that can be used,” Zui mused, “arrays that conform to a person and adjust the environment to suit that individual. We might be better off building a pavilion with those environmental arrays installed.”

“Can that be built in a day?” Gwen asked.

“Easily, and I’m sure Bob already has something designed and ready to be deployed.”