Embassies

The leader of the legions piled up a few logs, sprinkled them with oil, then lit a fire. She added more logs as the embers smouldered, then sat down opposite the oasis..
What an affair! She'd been through some very tough battles, against homins, kitins and her own weaknesses. Conviction and violence had always been effective responses, from her point of view, but now they were unsuited to the completely new world opening up to her: that of politics and negotiation..
Completely new? She had already been an ambassador to the Zoraïs and Tryker, but this was about asserting the Sharük's presence and friendship with the two nations concerned. It was within her military grasp. But lately, she'd been faced with diplomacy with a nation with whom the sharük didn't get along, and who didn't want to go her way. Worse still, the pillars that had hitherto been stable foundations in her mind were now at odds with each other.:
-akash, honor, not to submit to the matis, to assert the imperial will, its autonomy.
-orak, discipline, to obey sharükos' directive, whatever it may cost her, honor included. But discipline isn't just about respecting the imperial hierarchy and its orders, it's also about respecting the rules of the game..
Consequently, simply crossing the Kingdom with an armed convoy while tensions persisted, without respecting the rules of the forest, corresponded to two things: not respecting Matis laws, or not legitimizing them. If this had only concerned the fyros, she would clearly have approved of the second option, but here she had to reconcile with the citizens of the lakes. Diplomacy had to be conducted with rivals and allies who were not on the same wavelength..

dey, for two reasons. The patriots had already agreed to go through the forest, and the conditions with the Kingdom had been negotiated. To change this decision would have been blatantly inconsistent and immature. And secondly, the decision had not been taken by chance: it was necessary to commemorate what the water route had originally been: a vital axis of exchange between Tryker and Fyros, passing through the edge of the forest..
It wasn't just us against the others, but us with our friends who didn't necessarily agree on all points against, or rather, with our rivals but in no bad relationship with our friends. naveruss would have gladly resolved these issues with a sledgehammer, against the face of the orskos, but also of certain fyros..

akash. It was in itself the only pillar scorned, was it already definitively so? The fyros was going to have to cleanse her honor and prove herself in a field other than handing out slaps. Conviction and rigor would be the answers. The matis were committed to respecting her command and she was counting on that. Either they would keep their commitments and obey her orders, or they would not and legitimize their exclusion from the convoy and the forced passage into the forest..

What if they were perfectly disciplined, even more so than the fyros, without losing face by complying with her directives? So, failing to humiliate them, she'll put them through an infamous but legitimate military rigor during the few moments of the journey..

If only she could count on azazor's support, but now she was in a situation where "us" was no longer even a homogeneous block, a bloc that also had to be reconciled..

"Sharükos is counting on me, I'm committed to the success of the convoy with the sharük, the trykers, and even the orskos! I'll overcome any difficulties, put all the energy and righteousness into it!"

Azazor and a heavy-bodied homin sit around a fire in the Hidden Spring marauding camp. A leg of bodoc is cooking over the fire, while a barrel of shooki liqueur, already well-started, slowly thaws next to it..

- In the end, the matis chickened out and didn't come to escort the caravan. There was only the alcoholic ambassador Nilstilar, present from beginning to end, and the royal clerk Copal, who followed the entire journey through the kingdom without flinching..
- See, I told you they'd snub you..
- Yeah... When I think that they've filled our heads with their rules and their attempt at submission, and the result? Nothing. No matter how hard I prodded the two present, nothing happened. Head down and not a word. So what to think?
- How weak they are.
- Yep, in front of Naveruss and Ulymorus, in a position of strength due to their numbers and the mediocrity of our negotiators, they were able to show off. But in front of all the trykers and fyros present, as well as the rangers, they kept a low profile..

The homin nods in agreement, while Azazor pauses, seeming to reflect..

- Or maybe they realized they'd overdone it and decided not to add to it. Maybe they'd heard about the Trykers' discontent and the risk of the convoy passing through the Shadow Route. After all, I was close to pulling it off..
- In the end, only Naveruss was blocked.?
- That's it. That's it. Even Wixarika was up for it. Anyway, it's a good thing they didn't come to escort us. Just goes to show, it's only the balance of power that works with them. A good blow of pressure, head held high, and there they go..
- You have to use your nerve. That's usually enough with most homins. It's only with kitins that it doesn't work..

The homin bursts out laughing, followed by Azazor..

- Too bad Naveruss didn't understand that. But she obviously didn't understand a lot of things..
- She's probably mad at you?
- What if she's mad at me? Of course she is. She has her pride. She even offered me a duel, which I was happy to refuse. What would that have proved? That she's a better fighter? And then what? In any case, without the real death at stake, duels are a joke..
- Ask him to fight without armor.
- Why would I do that? To scare him with my scars?
- Non, ton gros bide.

Azazor smiled and patted his stomach..

- You can talk!
- No, you idiot. She has to fight without armor so that combat encourages dodging rather than parrying. Too often in the New Lands, homins fight by parrying. And yet, when death can take you permanently, you don't want to parry blows but avoid them at all costs. So force her to fight by dodging. And you'll win..
- How do you know?
- That's all you've been doing your whole trip. Otherwise, you'd be dead.

As he says this, he cuts off a piece of grilled bodoc and hurriedly swallows it..

- There's no denying it, I've missed this cooked meat. You really must come back to the Cloudy Cliff Outpost with Eeri. We've never eaten so well.
- One day perhaps my big Krapoutos, one day... when I have completely despaired of my people...

He also helps himself to a piece of bodoc, which he passes along with a glassful of shooki. Behind them, the marauders look on warily. It's not every day they tolerate a Fyros patriot in their camp. But Akilia is on the prowl and Krapoutos answers for him. And it's true that this grilled bodoc smells delicious!.