Bravost, the Emerald Jewel of Savir, had been reclaimed from the talons of the Harpy King and Toro Squa, and its rightful ruler Sultana Dudula reinstalled to the jeweled throne. What remained of the enemy forces fled left, likely to rejoin the main army. Those left behind were holed up in small pockets all over the city, but they weren't going to last much longer with Bravost's forces released from the dungeons.

Kanae and Archbishop Patrice Starborne met with Sultana Dudula as representatives of their respective nations, and Sadul accompanied them at the behest of Premier Theo Mambahu. Archmage Donnu, The Mamba, and Vizier Duran stood beside her. They were all roughed up, but looking a lot better without an enemy force occupying their city.

"Queen Kanae and Archbishop Patrice, my Bravost is free thanks to your efforts. Of course, much of my territory is still under the Harpy King's control. However, we can now act and provide aid. I am… ashamed that the city fell so quickly. It is my own fault. If I had not been so weak and short-sighted, we could have better prepared for their attack. For that, I must apologize to my advisors, Archmage Donnu and cousin Duran." Sultana Dudula bowed her head in each of their directions.

"Please, Your Majesty. As the one charged with protecting the city, Bravost's falling is my failing!" Archmage Donnu insisted.

"By the gods." Vizier Duran sighed. "It took nearly losing the city for you to admit wro—"

The sultana rose to kick Duran in the knee.

"Ow!" He pouted.

"I am still your sultana!" Dudula snapped.

"Sultana, will Bravost be able to provide manpower and supplies to fight the Harpy King?" Kanae interjected to ask.

"Hard to say… We are still counting our losses from the initial attack, many villages across Sala'vir are in need of liberating, cleaning up the city, and defending it in case of another siege. I can provide you with some help and food to feed your army." She nodded to Theo Mambahu.

The Premier of the East Saviran Trading Association whistled sharply. Half a dozen figures emerged from an archway in the back of the room. Kanae immediately recognized some by their shady attire. Mercenaries. Two of whom she had encountered before, Romira and Zep.

Romira, the jackal beastman woman who led Romira's Assassins, had tried to kill them before. Kanae had also met the one-eyed dark elf Zep crossing the Arkesian Waste and was impeded by the wind wall. There were other mercenary leaders whose name she wasn't yet acquainted with.

"At least one of them deserves the death penalty." Kanae eyed Romira in particular.

"B-But Premier, that was the woman who killed Vevass!" Sadul exclaimed.

"Hey, it really was nothing personal! Besides, I'll be giving you a hand free of charge as part of my sentence." Romira lifted her hands.

"We at the association became aware of Romira's crimes, as well as what she was an accessory to at The Diamond and in Avanesse. As punishment, she has been branded with the Cursemark of Death, which will be removed upon paying her dues. You will behave, won't you, child?" The Mamba sneered at her.

"Of course, Premier." She curtsied.

"These mercenaries are under a stricter contract now. They will aid you in the war effort. Use them as you see fit," Dudula insisted.

Kanae noticed Patrice rubbing her own chin. Just what was the archbishop thinking?

As the audience with Sultana Dudula ended and everyone was about to part ways, Archbishop Patrice took a step forward to the throne.

"Your Majesty, I don't believe we are done just yet. I'd like to propose something, but this is for yours and Queen Kanae's ears only," Patrice explained.

Sultana Dudula met Kanae's eyes, then returned to Patrice. Archmage Donnu hesitated to leave, but she motioned for everyone to give them the room. Soon, only Kanae, Patrice, and Dudula remained.

"I'm all ears." Sultana Dudula sat back down.

"Wait." Kanae finally realized. "Are you about to—"

Archbishop Patrice nodded. "Yes, I am. Sultana Dudula, I propose that Bravost join the folds of the Commonwealth of Sin's banner. No longer will Bravost need to suffer foreign attacks or influence. An attack on the Emerald Jewel will be an attack on the Commonwealth, who will be beholden to defend you henceforth."

"You ask an ancient kingdom to fly the colors of another nation. And are you not a foreign influence? Surely, you understand my reluctance while your army stands just outside the gates of Bravost." She raised her brows.

Kanae suspected as much that, for how grateful Sultana Dudula was, to join hands with an outside power was going to be a hard sell. Bravost and its people had their own pride to consider.

"Bravost will retain its autonomy, I swear." Kanae walked forward. "The same is true for Highgreen and Talahurah. You won't ever have to worry about another Harpy King ever again, or the Empire of Ortesia trying to meddle in your affairs. And an alliance between us can only prosper both sides. Another succubus could easily seize control of your mind to take the offer, but I won't. Because I want us to be equals. Savir has been isolated for so long, you're seeing what it's come to. Don't you think it's finally time to take a step into the rest of the world?"

"Your words… resonate with me. Savir was once united and strong. Now, we are divided and weak. The other counts and viziers may resist your offer, but you have my word that I will seriously consider it." Sultana Dudula descended from her throne and extended a hand.

Kanae clasped the sultana's hand and shook. First Elusis, now Bravost. The last one to convince was Avanesse. On the way out of the palace, Archbishop Patrice wore a particularly smug smile on her face. She was probably happier about this than Kanae was.

"I was going to at least wait until the war was over to bring it up. You're more gung-ho than I am," Kanae said.

"Once Savir joins the Commonwealth, you will have created an empire the size of which has never been seen before on this continent. That is a historic moment! An empress, Amethyst! Demon Empress Kanae Toyomi! Doesn't that just roll off the tongue nicely?" Archbishop Patrice asked.

"I-I suppose it does…" She pressed her fingers together, slightly ashamed about how good that felt.

They rejoined Sadul downstairs along with the mercenaries which numbered around 500 strong, comprising twelve different groups of smugglers, assassins, and sellswords. Theo Mambahu arranged for the association to give a fleet of wagons to field them and carry food supplies.

The Commonwealth army wasted no time marching again, this time westward to confront the Harpy King at the border between Bravost and Avanesse. Sadul split off from them. The beastman merchant had been left in charge of The Mamba and sultana's supplies. Kanae and Archbishop Patrice rode up to the heavily-guarded cage wagon which contained Toro Squa.

Due to the nature of their prisoner, Kanae had assigned three of the army's strongest fighters to be his warden. Petyr Stormcloud and Sivvy Brenhallow rode on either side of the wagon. Meanwhile, Edina Hackett sat atop Toro's cage.

"Knight-Commander." Petyr acknowledged her curtly.

"Hey— waaaait. Did you just call me Knight-Commander?" Kanae gasped.

"Consider it earned. Your tactic to enter the city was nothing short of brilliant. A little bit of the Rook of Rotandrix shone through you. Color me impressed. But that's all the praise you're going to get from me," she said.

"It really is too hard for you to just be nice…"

Though, Kanae sincerely hoped they didn't rely on her again for the next battles to come. Coming up with the Trojan Harpy was the last trick up her sleeves, and it wasn't as if a plan like that would work twice.

However, what would have been a year-long siege instead became an overnight victory. The Harpy King was going to get a terrible surprise when his troops warned him they were coming.

"Queen Kanae." Toro was seated crosslegged and dead center in the wagon. "I presume your meeting with Sultana Dudula went well."

"Not half as well as it's going to go with you, I expect?" Kanae chided.

"On the contrary, I am open to exposing the Harpy King's plans provided that you will release me," he said.

"Fuck you, Toro!" The Knight of Red growled. "Try being imprisoned for as long as you guys did to me."

"My colleague's got a point. You robbed years of her life. What could you possibly tell us now as the Harpy King is on his last legs?" She folded her arms.

The Scorching Dervish sucked on his gums. He knew he had been soundly defeated and wasn't in any position to make bargains. The best he could hope for now was Kanae's mercy, of which she had little to spare for him.

"You may have noticed Riben Crow has been absent of late," Toro started.

Edina sat upright, her ears perking to the sound of her necromancer rival's name.

"And it's not just because he cut and ran as the Harpy King is losing the war?" Kanae asked.

"You misunderstand. It matters little to Riben whether the Harpy King is winning or losing. I've heard their whispers, between him and the Necronomicon. The only thing that matters to them is death," Toro explained.

"So, you gonna tell us? Or am I gonna have to make you an undead minion to answer for me?" Edina licked her lips.

"This one is on me. He's gone to Atrell. It is a desolate wasteland not unlike the Arkesian Waste. Atrell is an enormous dry basin littered with bones, the final resting place of gwarmceros that pull edirashems and the crescent-horned gorkanocs, and home to countless two-headed carrions that pick clean their carcasses. Riben Crow intends to raise an army of those undead beasts to lay siege to Avanesse," he explained.

"Finally. The showdown I've been fantasizing about! Time to get my hands on the Necronomicon." The squirreling summoned her undead dragon mid-air.

Kanae dragged Edina back down by the tail before she could fly up to it.

"Ow! What was that for?" Edina pouted, rubbing her ass.

"You were about to rush out alone and get yourself killed. With the Necronomicon, Riben is as strong as you. Maybe stronger. If anything, we should go as an army," Kanae said.

"But we don't got time for all of us to take a detour. Better for you guys to hit the Harpy King while I hit Riben," she explained.

"I'll go with Edina," Petyr volunteered suddenly. "As much as I want to confront Riley, I know what a necromancer with unhinged power can do. Holy magic is an undead's direct counter. I can make short work of Riben's army."

"Ugh… mine, too, if you ain't careful…" The necromancer frowned.

"I also insist you take Delayn. A priest will be just as helpful as a paladin, and she is a very potent one. Let me go fetch her," Archbishop Patrice said and rode off.

The extra help should be welcomed, but Edina threw both hands in the air and her mouth hung agape.

"Hey, guys! What's going on over here?" Arenade galloped over none the wiser.

"Oh, great. Who's next? You gonna have Arenade help me, too?" Edina groaned.

"Two priests, a paladin, and a necromancer sounds like the start of a bar joke!" Sivvy guffawed from the opposite side of the wagon.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. No one's volunteering me to do a damn thing until I know what's going on!" The high elf huffed.

"Arenade, how would you like to be a hero and cleanse the world of an evil necromancer?" Kanae offered.

"Would I ever!" She pointed her Halo of Holy Radiance at Edina.

"NOT ME, COWTITS!" the squirreling cried.

Archbishop Patrice returned with Delayn in tow, and the task force to face Riben Crow was set. Edina, Petyr, Arenade, and Delayn. On that roster alone, Riben Crow didn't stand a chance. Unless he had something up his sleeves.

As they mapped out a path to Atrell and geared up to leave, a wave of worry washed over Kanae. Edina was going after the Necronomicon, the same living grimoire that led Riben to madness. She nearly lost her friend to Hax'gorah and the Pillar of the Damned, this time…

"Edina!" Kanae shouted as the group mounted the undead dragon.

The squirreling glanced down. She flashed a grin and thumbs up.

"We'll be back in a jiff! Honestly, I think you guys are gonna have it tougher. Petyr over here might just mop Riben up herself," Edina said.

"It's a plain fact," Petyr chimed in to add.

"I'm not worried about the others. I know you guys are going to do fine. You just better not do anything stupid, alright?" she implored.

"Hey, hey, hey." The squirreling brushed off her concerns. "Who do you think I am? The greatest necromancer in the world!"

And with that, Edina's dragon lifted off and took to the skies. Kanae watched until they shrank into the distance, then sighed out her nose.

"That better not be a trap, Toro." Kanae glared.

"It would certainly be a bold choice, seeing as I'm still your captivity." Toro shrugged.

"Come, Amethyst. Those four have a battle of their own, and so do we." Archbishop Patrice beckoned her to the vanguard of their army.