Chapter 39; Echoes of things to come, part 1

Characters of the chapter

Julius Argentus, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, commander of the 1st expeditionary legion of Tevinter

Helbert of the Arbor Commander of the Blackfyre army

Lavena Harvenian, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, commander of the 2nd expeditionary legion of Tevinter

Naelyria Blackfyre Daughter to Evyrys and Laerya Blackfyre, Queen Claimant to the Iron Throne

Tiraen Tasvius, Magister of the Tevinter Imperium, ambassador to Meereen, commander of the 5th expeditionary legion of Tevinter, formerly apprentice to Magister Cato Argos

The Huntress slammed its prow into the side hull of a Braavosi warship. Such was the force of the impact that the enemy ship was cleaved clean in half. Both halves rapidly sunk beneath the waves, leaving behind splinters and a handful of surviving sailors struggling in the water. Some of the Tevinter archers leaned over the edge to fire arrows at them. But most preferred to save their ammunition to those of their enemy still capable of offering resistance, caring little for those who would most likely die of their own accord.

With this enemy vessel destroyed, the Huntress turned to the right, the crew's attention drawn towards the other hostile ships. At the beginning of this fight both sides had brought six vessels into the engagement. Ostensibly the Braavosi had the initial advantage as their fleet counted a single larger warship amongst their number, unlike the Tevinters, who only had ships of around the same size as the Huntress was. But appearances could be deceiving, for the Tevinters had a trick up their sleeve that the Braavosi had very hard time countering.

As they were maneuvering into attack position Tiraen saw the largest Braavosi ship send a ballista bolt flying towards Julius's ship, the Promise of glory. But before the shot could hit home the bolt suddenly shattered against a magical barrier, leaving the Promise completely unharmed. Some moments later the other mages on the huntress unleashed a volley of fireballs, igniting the sails and the upper deck of the Braavosi ship. Tiraen joined the effort with her own magic, raking the side of the enemy ship with lightning, blasting off large chunks of wood. Moments later the mages on Julius's ship finished the job with a second volley of fireballs.

A third enemy vessel had been downed in the opening moments of the engagement. Now that two more had been destroyed only moments apart, one of them the largest ship in this fleet, the remaining Braavosi decided to turn around and withdraw.

"Pursue them! Bring me closer." She ordered. Sails were increased and the rowers increased their pace to the tune of the drummer. Other Tevinter vessels noticed the Huntress's movements and followed after them. The Braavosi ships lacked oars, so the Huntress was able to close in with one of them. As soon as they were close enough Tiraen unleashed another blast of lightning. It hit the rear of the ship, splintering its rudder. Then the whipping beam of electricity travelled upwards, burning or ripping up the sails, tearing at the rigging and the masts. One mast snapped off, falling over the side of the ship.

The movement of the crippled Braavosi vessel slowed to a crawl, unable to escape as two other Imperial ships closed to board with it. In the meantime the remaining two enemy ships continued to flee further and further away. Seeing as no other Imperial vessels were pursuing them, Tiraen concluded it was not worth chasing the enemy further either. The region they were in was an archipelago of smal, l largely uncharted islands. Far too many places for ships to hide and evade hunters. Far too easy to get lost and separated from their allies too and wander into a larger fleet of hostiles too. Today had yielded a good result. Three enemy ships destroyed and a fourth one disabled and captured. Meanwhile their side had sustained only minor damage to their ships. Now was not the time to spoil that result by being too greedy. The survivors among their enemy could be dealt with another day.

Instead the she had the ship come to a full stop, loitering nearby in case the two ships boarding the Braavosi vessel required further assistance. Not that she thought it too likely, with the enemy outnumbered two to one and some of their crew likely already slain by her spell.

She was rather pleased that one of the enemy vessels had been taken intact. It would require some repairs after what she had done to it, but once that was done it could be added to their navy. The Imperium had need of as many ships as could be found, both for the purposes of transportation and battling enemies at sea.

If the Imperial boarders managed to take prisoners among the hostile crew, those would be a valuable contribution as well. Strong backs and experienced crewmen. She thought it best to have any that were taken pressed into service and distributed to other ships in their navy according to need. The final decision of course belonged to Julius, since aside from the Huntress the vessels present belonged to him. But his thoughts were unlikely to differ all that much from hers. He would heed her advice on the subject at least. Though if they indeed intended to press those crewmen into service, she would have to have each of them inspected to ensure no Faceless Men were among them. She did not need officers and crew falling to assassins, let alone someone more important. She had been teaching any mages she encountered her method of identification and had advised them to make use of it regularly to screen against infiltrators. When it was within her authority she outright commanded it. Those she had taught would teach others in turn, helping to spread the knowledge further. Even so it was hard to tell how well that technique was working, since no other Faceless Men had been caught yet to her knowledge. Though it had to be admitted her information was somewhat out of date here on campaign, away from her usual sources. She hoped that her efforts had done at least some good in protecting the lives of her fellow Tevinters.

"Well fought my friend. Your powers in full display are truly a sight to behold."A familiar voice said.

Tiraen turned her head and saw Naelyria. "I'm unsure if you should be on deck as of yet. The battle is still ongoing."She told her, returning her attention back to the boarding of the enemy ship. Her friend had wanted to watch the battle unfolding on the upper deck along with the rest of them, but Tiraen had forbidden it. Instead Naelyria had been sent to Tiraen's cabin for the duration of the engagement. She had apparently followed the battle unfolding through the windows there.

"It looks to me the fight is mostly concluded. I doubt there is any further risk to me."Naelyria countered.

"Fair enough. But I hope you do understand why I urge caution. There is our friendship of course, but beyond that there is a strategic consideration to keep in mind. You are to be the Queen of Westeros. A person of such importance must not be lost to the actions of our enemy."Tiraen said.

"Oh, I get it."Naelyria said. "But there is only so far I will agree to be limited by my value to your Imperium. I do remember saying I would witness the destruction of the Braavosi in person. I intend to see it through. And I would point out you're a person of importance as well, but you are willing to take risks with your life. If you dare, shouldn't I?"

"I suppose that I am a person of some importance, yes. But I'm the Queen of no country, just a loyal servant of one. And I have my gift to defend my person. You don't. You don't even have more conventional defenses in armor or weapons training."Tiraen said.

"Then perhaps that is something we should rectify."Naelyria said.

"Yes. Perhaps we should."Tiraen concurred, a momentary smile passing on her lips.

Naelyria meanwhile had directed her attention to the burning Braavosi main vessel. "My, that is quite a sight. I never pictured myself having an appetite for scenes of destruction. But when it's the Braavosi? Then a sight like that warms my heart like you wouldn't believe. I could get used to seeing more scenes like this."

Tiraen chuckled. "Then you are in luck. There is a good chance we will be able to indulge you. There is a lot more fighting ahead if the Braavosi are to be destroyed for good. Many more chances to witness things like this."

"Culminating in the destruction of their city I hope?" Naelyria said with a savage grin. "I'm glad, and look forward to the conclusion. It's what these murderers deserve. Only when it is done will justice have been done."

Tiraen nodded. That justice would be delivered. Braavos would cry tears of blood for their crime.

The fighting on the remaining enemy ship looked to be coming to an end as the Tevinter boarders gained control of it. Some moments later their attention was drawn to movement on the Promise of Glory: one of the sailors waving a pair of signaling flags at them.

"…It looks as if Julius considers this engagement concluded." Tiraen said after a few moments of interpreting the message.

"We're done here. Make ready to bring us about and head back to dry land. We'll set off as soon as the captured ship is ready for transit." She then commanded her crew.

The fleet headed back to where they had come from. The Braavosi ship was towed away by one of theirs, while the other ships assumed escort formation around their prize. Some time went by sailing past small islands in this region. Then they began running into other ships of their fleet. First picket ships that passed them close by to confirm their identity, then the bulk of their fleet.

Beyond that could be seen the camp of their army, which currently consisted of the first and second legions, the surviving Blackfyre troops as well contingents assigned to them from their vassal cities. An ample force to take on the city of Braavos by her current estimation. And there were other forces to call upon should that become necessary. The third and fourth legions were some distance south of them on the coast, keeping watch on the Qunari. The third and fourth legions were also accelerating their efforts to root out the pirate threat that had been nibbling at the Imperium for so many years now, at last free to seek to do so thanks to the current circumstances. The sixth had dispersed its strength in various locations, maintaining a presence to help ensure their various vassals remained honest and loyal.

Their naval assets were plentiful now as well, having swollen in size as they had trekked towards the Narrow Sea, picking up additional squadrons from allied seaside cities as they went. Volantis and Pentos had made the largest individual contributions, both cities contributing roughly a dozen warships to the cause. At the end of the journey the naval might of the second expeditionary legion had been joined to that. As the sixth was inland and in no need of ships at the moment, they had lent what ships the third and fourth had not required to help them in their tasks. Add to that the ships loyal to House Blackfyre and it was quite a sizeable armada.

Even then she was somewhat uncertain about challenging the full naval might of the Braavosi and the Merchant Marines while the orb was not with them. The Imperial side was loaded with spellcasters it was true, and this did give them an edge. But their enemy had numbers too, and experienced sailors of considerable quality, ones that knew their native waters well.

If the foe brought their full might to bear in a single large naval battle and their side had to take them on conventionally, heavy casualties would be almost guaranteed, no matter who the final victor would be. Just like it had been when fighting the dothraki. And just as before heavy losses were not acceptable. The orb could bring a quick and costless victory once again, but concern over the possibility of their enemies stealing their greatest weapon meant it would not be moved out of safety unless the need for it was clear and pressing. Careful timing between need and availability was the key then.

Fortunately the naval warfare in these parts was typically waged by lone ships and smaller squadrons. Until now the Imperium had kept the bulk of their fleets in reserve, unwilling to commit to a likely costly decisive confrontation. Battling multiple enemies had forced them to keep their forces dispersed, fearful that concentrating their strength against one side would leave them vulnerable against the others. And until now the same had held true of the other factions vying for control of these waters. The situation had changed now, but the Braavosi were yet to adapt to the new circumstances. Perhaps they were fearful of providing a tempting target for the orb, unaware of its current position. Or perhaps they were reluctant to send their fleets and crews away with a large ground army bearing down on them, preferring to keep the majority of their forces close by to defend the city itself. Or perhaps they really had been caught unawares, slow to respond to the relatively sudden shift in the Imperium's strategy. Whatever the cause, it had allowed the Imperium to fight with a more methodical strategy for the time being. Their fleet advanced steadily alongside their ground forces, battling small squadrons like the one they faced today, capturing Braavosi held outposts along the coast as they advanced. Combining several smaller victories Tevinter was slowly working to shift the odds more clearly in their favor.

Tiraen was certain the Braavosi would not allow themselves to be bled slowly to death for very long. A bigger confrontation was inevitable, at least by the time their forces reached Braavos itself. Already there were early signs of their enemy withdrawing their forces to create a greater concentration of force. The Imperium's spies were watching for the moment Braavos thought to launch a major against them. As soon as they got word of that the orb would be sent out and sailed to them with haste. Until that time the imperial operatives were doing their own work to improve the Imperium's chances, torching ships at anchor, assassinating naval officers, poisoning food stores, all manner of acts sabotage. Trying to counteract the threat of the Faceless Men had severely limited their ability to carry out such attacks, but even so some damage would be done.

The Huntress was brought ashore, Naelyria and Tiraen disembarking. They joined up with Julius, Tiraen and him embracing briefly, congratulating each other for their victory today. Naelyria stood a bit further back, smiling at her friend's happiness. Then together all three of them headed through the camp to the main command tent. There were still some matters to oversee today, reports to review, troops to manage, all that. Yet Tiraen could not wait for the moment their duties were squared away. Today had a far more momentous event coming.

After a long effort the pieces were finally in place for the marriage between her and Julius. The ceremony was set to take place this evening at sunset. It was only about an hour past midday, but already there were some sights of merriment to be seen in the camp, most prominently from troops belonging to the first legion, the soldiers rejoicing in the good fortune of their commander. Some had started early it seemed. And more would follow as night approached. No doubt the fifth legion had planned their own celebrations in response to these glad tidings. It would be a welcome break to all of them from all this hardship and fighting. Truly she pitied the soldiers who were stuck on guard duty tonight.

With the wedding ceremony only hours away, she had almost been reluctant to have herself and Julius meet the Braavosi in combat. Rather uncharacteristic of her, seeing as she had never shied away from battle before. But no part of her had desired to have their foe by chance ruin what was to be a perfect moment in her life. To her great relief no harm had come to either of them. Now, in the safety of their camp, there was no further danger. The days leading up to this she had spent every moment she could spare making damn sure of that.

The three of them reached the command tent and took their customary places around the table that dominated the center. Naelyria had little to contribute to meetings like this, given she had no experience in strategy or tactics, and she because she had already given command of her troops to Julius for the campaign. Nevertheless she had requested to be present, so she could keep informed of recent events, and so she could listen and learn, piecing together the kind of military knowledge she was currently lacking. And of late she had been seeking to converse a great deal on topics related to governing and leadership. Tiraen could tell her friend was serious about her role as the future Queen of Westeros, seeking the kind of learning that would help her with that. It had Tiraen thinking. When there was time perhaps she should give Naelyria a more formal kind of education on such subjects, like had been given to her in her youth? She should be able to arrange such easily enough. Of course doing her part in leading this army would have to come first, but she was certain she could fit this into her schedule. Naelyria already frequently accompanied her on the field. Times between actual fighting could be turned into learning opportunities, teaching her friend how to analyze the terrain from a tactical standpoint, what kind of orders give in what situations. At other times she could give her some reading, to quiz her about later. They could even play out different tactical scenarios and historical battles using miniatures. Teaching her about matters of governance would have to wait for a better time, but that too could be arranged in the future.

Yes, after all, why not? She would be doing her friend a favor and providing the Imperium with a more capable ally. She would have to talk to Naelyria about this very soon.

After some time of waiting they were joined by Lavena Harvenian, the commander of the second legion. A rather ordinary looking woman perhaps five or six years older than Tiraen, dressed in dark clothes decorated with golden vine patterns. An adequately powerful mage, though nowhere near the kind of potency Tiraen and Julius commanded. A casual acquaintance to Tiraen even before either of them had come to Essos. They had never become close enough to be considered friends, but neither were they rivals. There was simply the arm's length caution that existed between all Imperial families not directly allied with one another.

Lavena was also one of the few high ranking Tevinters who had no direct association with Venatori Loyalists, though she had to be at least partially aware that many others around her were part of some clandestine association. Recruiting Lavena had been deemed risky, as, though loyal to Tevinter, she was not thought to possess the kind of absolute commitment that was required of the Venatori. And she certainly she could not be in any way loyal to the Elder One. But for the time being that hardly mattered. They were still all on the side of the Imperium. As long as Lavena did not put herself between the Venatori objectives and become a threat, that was reason enough to leave her be.

Next to enter was a thick-set man with thinning, greying hair. He was Helbert of the Arbor, the ranking officer of the Blackfyre troops. A former hedge knight that had sought gainful employment and found it with the Blackfyres, rising in ranks as his competence and loyalty had been proven. Eventually he had been let in on the secret of the true lineage of the family he served, as well as their ties to the Tevinter Imperium. Of him Tiraen had not had time to form a clear opinion of. But he seemed competent, though a little miffed that he was placed under foreign command. Perhaps he had hoped he would always receive his orders through an intermediary like Naelyria or the late Lord Evyrys. That way he could at least pretend foreigners did not give him orders.

Despite the fact she didn't know all that much about him yet, Helbert provided a potentially interesting window to the Westerosi. Tiraen had read of those people of course, learning of their people and culture. But that did not tell what they were really like, beyond the things they chose to commit to paper. Naelyria and her family had lived most of their life in Essos. Most of what they knew of their homeland came from stories told to them and the brief time they had spent there. So they didn't really count. Through this one she might learn more of them, given time. And greater comprehension would surely not hurt.

After him a number of other leaders of support contingents assigned to the army arrived and took their places. Soon they were all gathered.

"So, what news?" Lavena asked, starting the meeting.

"Before we came here ships under the command of Tiraen and I defeated a small Braavosi fleet. Three ships were destroyed, one more disabled and captured. Two other enemy vessels escaped, their current whereabouts are unknown. I suspect the last two ships only took light to no casualties to their crews before disengaging." Julius said.

"Do we know why this particular batch of ships was here?" Helbert asked.

"Scouting, or looking to raid us most likely, same as before. Nothing to be concerned over I should think." Julius replied.

"So far this has been the only engagement at sea today. If the enemy had more ships in the vicinity I believe they'd have brought them to the fight. So I do not think a second attack today is too likely. But we continue to keep watch in case I'm wrong." He concluded.

"Please do. Given your planned wedding with Lady Tasvius, I do not think our forces would be at their best should an enemy sneak up to us." Lavena said. There was a moment of light laughter around the table, Tiraen and Julius laughing with the rest.

"Aye, this is true." Tiraen said, returning to seriousness. "And… not to sour the moment, but I think it prudent to stress that the risk is real, in more ways than one. For now we have been safe from new assassination attempts. But our enemies might have been looking for an opportunity just like this one. I would have us all keep that in mind today and ensure their safety, just in case. I know most of us would prefer not to worry over such matters at the cusp of a celebration. I would not. But better that then have us suffer losses because we foolishly lowered our guard. Today is to be a happy moment for me and Julius. I would have nothing sour it. Especially not this."

"Especially not in light of what happened the last time I believed I was in for a happy moment." She added in her mind.

"I agree. Let us not give our enemy a chance to inflict such a thing on us. I for one would never wish to live through that again." Naelyria said.

There were somber nods from the others gathered. Tiraen was now sure they understood her warning, and would be taking it sufficiently seriously.

"Well, moving on, on dry land there is little of note to report. Both Tevinter and Blackfyre troops have been on patrol all day, but no sign of enemies. Our opposition is reluctant to commit to a battle of any kind with our ground forces." Lavena said next.

"I doubt we will see much on that front." Tiraen said. "All our enemy has is their sailors and mercenary groups employed by their city's notables. Neither would be a match for our legions while on land. Their Antivan allies are more or less the same. And while the Braavosi Water Dancers are skilled, they are few and are I'll suited to fighting in battle lines. No, I don't think our ground forces will see significant action until we reach their city. Our enemy will most likely continue to play to their strengths and seek to challenge us at sea."

"Yes, that could well be. And if so I'll be pleased our strength was saved for Braavos itself. But like at sea, we need to stay vigilant in case." Lavena concurred.

"So those are the major points to go over as far as our forces. Anything to share on the events of the wider world?" She asked.

"Well, to return to an earlier topic for a moment, there have been a number of assassination attempts and acts of sabotage. The target looks to be our military resources. Some of these attacks have sadly been successful, while others have been foiled. We have launched reprisals of our own, which have also met with mixed results. For the safety of our operatives I'm not allowed to go into details on any missions at this meeting. But rest assured each of you will be kept informed on anything you need to know." Julius said.

"Very well. For my part I'd like to have a report on enemy attacks that have a direct impact on our operations here. But you can bring that to me in writing later. I'll see to that it is provided to the rest of us here as required." Lavena said.

"Lady Tasvius, it would seem like your method of detecting the Faceless Men is doing some good. After all we have not been targeted even once, even though our force is the most direct threat to Braavos right now." She said to Tiraen.

"You could be right…" Tiraen said, scratching her chin in contemplation. "If so then I'm glad it's making a difference. I just hope more will adopt the technique soon. It seems to be our best bet to containing this problem."

"I'm sure it will save lives. And once we take the Temple of the Faceless Men perhaps we can put a stop to these attacks for good." Julius said.

"Unfortunately the Faceless Men have not been the only enemy harrying us as of late." He continued.

"Tiraen, one of the convoys moving between Meereen and Bellidarius was intercepted. By the Second Sons." He told her.

"Again? That's the third time in two weeks…" She said. "How bad?" She asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"A handful of survivors, enough to confirm the culprits. But the rest of the people in the caravan… all gone. A few wagons stolen, the rest burned with their cargo. Pack animals stolen or killed. A force was sent out in retaliation but they failed to locate the enemy. Pretty typical pattern for an attack from the Second Sons." He detailed.

"Yeah, though the frequency is unusual. The scum are getting a lot more aggressive. Could be that the Dragon Queen has ordered an escalation now that her Dothraki are no longer in our way." Tiraen contemplated.

"What was the cargo?" Helbert asked.

"Supplies intended for the Fifth Expeditionary Legion. Food mostly, and spare uniforms. Some weapons and armor too. The loss of the convoy is not a disaster by any standard, but certainly disruptive in the functions of the legion." Julius replied.

"What makes this strange is that is that our people sought to learn from the first to attacks and had sought to prepare for them. The number of guards had been increased, they rescheduled their departure, and the convoy took a different route. Yet the enemy were able to locate them even so, hitting the caravan at exactly the worst place and exactly the worst time." Julius said.

"Seriously? New route and time and they still got hit?" Tiraen huffed. "If they were able to do that and then get away from our counterattack then they must have pretty accurate information about our movements. Could be someone is feeding them information. I'll put out some feelers in Bellidarius and Meereen, see what my agents can dig up. This needs to be brought to an end, and quickly. Meanwhile I'll send as many of the legions supplies as possible by sea from now on. The Second Sons have no ships and I doubt any of our enemies that do would dare to strike that far into our territory. Well, perhaps the pirates might, but the third and fourth legions will sort that out soon enough."

"Do you have enough ships left for this?" Naelyria asked.

"Sadly, no. Not with so many ships here with us or with the other legions." Tiraen said. "I cannot bring all the supplies my legions need this way. But I figure the more the better, no? It will at least alleviate any shortages that may result because of these raids."

"Would this problem be brought to an end more quickly if the full measure of the fifth was brought to bear against the Second Sons? If they are raiding close to the city then they must be close by. With enough time effort and patience I'm sure your legion could run them down and finish them off." Lavena suggested.

"Aye, they could. And this is something that shall be done. But only after I've returned to my legion. If this is to be attempted I should be there to lead the effort. I can't entrust it to someone else. Besides, the fifth has another charge, one they must not be distracted from. Once Braavos burns I'll be free to return and deal with this. Till then my troops must endure." Tiraen said.

"True enough. Now that we ae discussing that, there is one more matter to discuss regarding Bellidarius." Julius said. "There has been an attempt to seize the orb."

There was a shocked silence around the table. Even those who had managed not to hear of the orb directly could guess this was about the superweapon employed against the Dothraki.

"What? You don't mean to say that…?" Tiraen finally managed.

"Relax. If the weapon had been lost to us I would have opened this meeting with those news." Julius assured. "No. The orb remains secure. The defenses we had set around the weapon held our enemy off. But nevertheless it's best you all know such an attack took place.

Tiraen sighed with relief. "Sure. But holy damn, don't give me a scare like that. You almost gave me a heart attack.

"I think that goes for all of us." Lavena commented. "Who were the culprits?" She asked.

"A band of elves. Reportedly better armed and armored than our onsite troops ever remember seeing." Julius said. "It's rather likely they are of the same group you encountered during your mission." She told Tiraen.

"If they are as you describe, then I agree. It seems too much of a coincidence otherwise. They made an attempt to regain the artefact they lost to us. Just as I believed they would." She said.

"Pardon me… what's this mission you speak of?" Lavena asked.

"A classified matter. But this weapon came to us as a result. And these elves I presume are one of the many groups that would want it for themselves." Tiraen clarified.

"How bad was it? How close did they get to the orb?" She asked.

"They made it to the orb's chamber. Along the way they killed almost twenty guards belonging to the Fifth. Dispatched efficiently enough that no alarm was raised until the bodies were discovered. I'm sorry Tiraen." He said.

Tiraen nodded, sighing. "They perished doing their duty for the Imperium. I shall remember the sacrifice."

"We do not know what exactly transpired inside the chamber, but it looks as if the enemy did not expect our measures against mages and did not have the means to counteract them. The elves did have a spellcaster with them, which looks to have gone berserk and wiped most of their group. At that point the alarm had been raised. Two surviving enemies ran into one of our patrols within the pyramid complex and were promptly slain. The mage was then dispatched with arrows, bringing the incident to an end." He continued.

"Well, I'm pleased to hear the orb remains secure. Still, if the enemy managed to get all the way into the orb's chamber completely unnoticed then this was way too close a call. We will need to exercise greater caution in the future. Otherwise someone might come along who will do what these elves could not." Tiraen said.

"Do we know where these elves came from? Were they already infiltrated in the city, or did they come in from the outside?" She asked.

"Cato writes that he is still investigating that. But if they had been infiltrated in the city then I imagine it would have had to have been amongst the elven slaves there. Anyone else would have been noticed. Not a whole lot of elven slaves within Bellidarius, and Cato says so far none of the owners have reported any to be missing. So for the time being I think it more likely these attackers came from somewhere outside the city." Julius said.

"Though that still leaves unanswered the mystery of how these elves got inside the walls undetected. Even under typical circumstances all the gates are heavily guarded and patrols on the streets are frequent. With the Fifth there to protect the artefact those measures have only been increased. And this hostile team made it through unnoticed anyway. All the deaths were inside the pyramid. Our people in the city are working to figure it out of course, but at the moment they have no idea how this could have been done." He added.

"Through the sewers maybe?" Naelyria suggested. "I understand all three cities of Slaver's Bay have an extensive network of such construction, handling the flow of both rainwater and bodily waste. There would be several access points emptying outside the city, with little to no guards to watch over them. Once in the sewers they could get under most buildings, then find their way up once they're close enough to the pyramid. And no one would bother them along the way because just about no one would like to be down there on account of the stench."

Julius looked surprised, then grasped his chin, considering. "You know, that's a very good point. That is a very plausible way they could have gotten in." He said then. "I'll have our people in Bellidarius look into that. There should be something we could do to protect the sewer entrances. Too late to stop this incident of course, but it should make us more secure in case someone else decides to make use of these passages. You may have just helped us patch a serious flaw in our safety. Thanks for that. Well done."

Naelyria nodded at the compliment.

"How come you know about sewer systems? Doesn't sound like something you'd usually be interested in." Tiraen asked.

"It was just some random reading I came across during the stay in Meereen. And you're right. Not usually my thing, but I happened to be very bored that day, looking for anything to distract me." She said. "Plus, I've heard it said that you know a true civilization by its bowels. Happening across this reading seemed like a good opportunity to… educate myself." She added mischievously.

"Heh. I suppose." Tiraen said.

"It does sound like the Fifth Legion and Magister Argos have matters well in hand. I'm sure they will continue to do their duty admirably, for the good of the Imperium." Lavena said.

"Now then, Captain Narzzos, I understand there was a small brawl last night between my troops and the soldiers under your command…" She continued.

The meeting moved on to smaller matters. To supply lines and disciplining soldiers that had committed infractions. Deciding the duties different units would have either on the march or in camp. All that. With only a small number of troops and ships under her direct command there wasn't much she needed to go over with the others. She soon lost interest, drifting into her own thoughts. She thought of the wedding ceremony and how the preparations were going. Continuing to daydream, a smile crept to her lips, pleasant butterflies in her stomach. If the others in the meeting noticed at all, they left her be, more than likely able to guess where her mind was.