POV : RED FAIRY RESIDENCE

  Lounging in her opulent mansion, the Red Fairy settled into her favorite chair, her pink fuzzy slippers adorably mismatched against the lavish decor. As she flipped through the channels, she found herself watching the Live show. Even though she worked for the show, she still loved tuning in. Sometimes it was good. Sometimes it was dull. A lot of the moments repeated themselves over the seasons: people panicking, betraying each other, and doing their best to survive. Over the years, she had grown jaded and bored with the predictability of it all.

  But this was the first time she’d seen someone almost voluntarily call her. ‘What would I do if he summoned me?‘ she thought, her brow furrowing. ‘Would I blow his head off?‘ Her inner Atlas, carrying a hefty backpack full of mana coins, shook its head vigorously. ‘No, no, no.‘

  She liked the guy, but She couldn’t help considering how annoying it would be to develop a reputation for being soft. ‘Then it would be nonstop, 24/7 summons of, oh, Red Fairy, what should we do about this? Oh, Red Fairy, it’s not fair that you’re not showing us the leaderboard. Oh, Red Fairy, you didn’t explain the rules clearly.‘

  Imagining it all made her groan. Her life would no longer be her own; she’d be making appearances left and right, working harder than a third world call center operator. The thought was enough to make her cringe, and she shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

  Luckily it was a decision she didn’t have to make. She nibbled on a spicy jalapex flower ball, sipped her drink and continued lounging completely.

  ‘‘‘

  POV : FORT BONE

  Olivia said, "All right, everybody, let's have a quick pause. That was some pretty big news Atlas just dumped on us."

  Atlas shrugged, "It wasn't my fault. I thought everyone should know and really think about it."

  "Well, I'm glad you told us, Atlas," Olivia continued, her tone brightening. "And now we have a second option. We can always float that idea around. It doesn't mean we have to give up on saving more people in the wasteland."

  "Good. John, what do you think about our next move for this war? Alexander, you're in charge of the army. How are our men?"

  Alexander stood tall, a grin spreading wide across his face. “We’re stronger than oak, folks. Our men are as tough as they come, seasoned from that skeleton horde. And them new recruits are pourin’ in fast. Will’s plays have been fantastic for bringin’ ’em in. And those booths you set up, Olivia, with the gals in Fort Bone Empire outfits recruitin’ new soldiers? That was downright brilliant.”

  "Never underestimate the power of a wink, a smile, and the chance of heroism," Olivia replied, pride swelling in her chest. Fort Bone’s empire had grown exponentially. With all the Mana coins pouring in from taxes, Bone Appetit booming, and their improved bone armor sales, the coffers were looking good. Amber had confirmed it in her last financial report.

  "So, we’re strong militarily and economically. If we start this war, how will it hit us?" Atlas frowned, his voice serious. "This is something I didn't talk to you all about before. War always costs. No matter how good we are, it's going to cost us money, and it's going to cost lives. I've fought wars across this wasteland. Once you start, it doesn’t stop. And I don’t think it’s going to stop now. That first crossbow bolt—when it was fired—was probably heard across the entire wasteland."

  Olivia sighed. "If we can't stop the war, can we at least reduce the scale?"

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "We could," Atlas replied, thinking aloud. "Instead of a full-scale war, we try to take over America United. We could call in all our allies."

  Olivia shook her head. "That doesn’t really shrink the scope of it, though. So what else can we do?"

  "I say we call in one other person. Someone I hadn’t thought of before…," Atlas said, his voice hinting at something more.

  "Oh?" Olivia leaned forward, intrigued.

  Atlas summoned the mini faeries, promising them rock sugar and candied ants. They squealed in delight and buzzed out of the War Council room, heading straight for the Wasted Tavern. There, they found Mohammed sitting with his two partners.

  "Mohammed, Mohammed, Mohammed!" they chirped excitedly.

  Mohammed looked up, surprised. He had been reviewing weekly numbers with Mrs. Harrington and Victoria.

  "You've been summoned to the castle!" the faeries announced, their wings fluttering with excitement.

  "Castle, castle, castle!" they echoed.

  Mohammed blinked, taken aback. He’d signed the contract with Fort Bone but never expected to be literally summoned for a council meeting. A council meeting! The promise of one of those hundred tokens had been enough to hook him, and his economic power was growing steadily.

  "Well, ladies," Mohammed said, smiling, "I think we've reached the second part of our goal."

  The two women nodded in agreement, and together they followed the mini faeries back to the council room. Atlas and the others were on a break, waiting. As they arrived, Atlas stood, his expression serious.

  "Mohammed, we're on the verge of a war."

  Mohammed nodded gravely. "Yes, we heard. The arena’s been buzzing with rumors all day."

  Atlas wasted no time. "We need to know—what are the chances of the Celestial Empire joining our side?"

  Victoria, who was leading the negotiations with Minister Wei of the Celestial Empire, chimed in. "The Celestial Empire values honor and face. So far, we haven’t had any real issues with them… except for that small economic war."

  The three of them exchanged glances, choosing not to point out that it had been their actions that sparked that war in the first place.

  ‘‘‘

  “So, if we sent a delegation, do you think they’d join us in the war?” Atlas asked.

  Victoria shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never spoken to the Emperor. I worked directly with one of his ministers, though. I could go with Olivia, and we’ll see about scheduling an appointment with the Emperor himself.”

  Atlas thought to himself, ‘Man, those Chinese army guys really take this whole empire and celestial kingdom thing seriously. Maybe I should be more formal... Nah.‘

  “Alright, let’s do that,” he said, shaking his head slightly. “Because I don’t think we should be making a move on one of the strongest empires in the wasteland without getting approval—or at least a non-aggression pact, from the other.”

  Everyone in the council nodded, the weight of Atlas’s words sinking in. They broke up and went their separate ways, each member contemplating the challenges ahead and the uncertain road to alliances in a brewing war.

  ---

  The next day, Olivia met up with Victoria, and together they portaled to the Celestial Empire for their appointment with Minister Wei. Victoria had prepped Olivia on the proper etiquette, so when they arrived, both bowed deeply with respectful kowtows to the minister.

  “Get up, get up,” Minister Wei said, waving them off but appreciating the formalities. “We are all citizens of this wasteland trying to make it a better place. No need for such formalities.”

  ‘Oh, right, like I believe that,‘ Olivia thought, but she kept a sweet smile. “Thank you, Minister Wei. Your wisdom and civility are well known across the wasteland.”

  “Of course, of course,” he replied, stroking his long chin hairs, his official blue-buttoned hat indicating his high status.

  “And we have something for you in return. It is tradition for the Fort Bone Empire to greet our allies properly.”

  Olivia handed over a beautifully crafted treasure chest. Inside were mana coins, a selection of Fort Bone delicacies, mini stuffed toys of Portilla and Crushir, and two gold-plated sets of armor. Though decorative, the armor sparkled like Alexander’s town attire—flashy and impressive.

  “Oh my, this is indeed a magnificent gift!” Minister Wei exclaimed, his eyes gleaming as he accepted the chest.

  They discussed the possibility of a meeting with the Emperor. “The Emperor meets once a week to discuss wasteland affairs, and we’re aware a war is on the horizon. You may attend tomorrow during our weekly session. But I must warn you, in the Celestial Court, every action is under scrutiny.”

  Victoria and Olivia thanked him, setting the appointment for the next day. As they left the minister’s courtyard, Olivia frowned. “What did he mean by ‘every action is observed’?”

  “Well,” Victoria explained, “based on my experience, the more important you are, the larger your entourage should be. I don’t think we can handle this with just the two of us. We need to bring Atlas. We need soldiers in pretty armor. We need the marching band! And we definitely need a gift—something that will really impress the Emperor.”

  Olivia sighed. “That’s a lot to pull together in one night, but we can handle it. Why don’t we split up?”

  ---