Sable Tanzanight chafed at the confines of the family meeting, the stifling air of the eastern mines. She longed for the wild, for the true embrace of nature with her panther companion by her side. Instead, she was here, subjected to the endless, suffocating drone of politics – the very thing she loathed most. For ten years, her family had ruled these mines, supplying the city with iron. Now, the iron veins were dwindling, but a new substance, powerful and unsettling, had been unearthed in the deepest strata. She had witnessed its potency firsthand, how it had infused Shade Mossbrook’s blade, allowing her to effortlessly cut down a horde of encroaching zombies. Zombies that had spilled into her wild. That, Sable fumed, was what her family should be discussing: the escalating threat in the wasteland, and the Defense Force's utter failure to contain it. But Ether was not the solution. Sable distrusted it, inherently. It wasn't natural, and therefore, this entire debate about its fate was meaningless in her eyes. She cared not if it was sold to the Snowdrifts or wielded to challenge the Petalcrests. In her mind, it belonged where it was found: deep within the dark earth.
Safara, the eldest Tanzanight sister and admiral of the city’s navy, chaired the meeting, a woman clearly as ill-suited to the mine’s claustrophobic depths as Sable herself. “My loyalty,” Safara stated, her voice clear and resonant, “is with the city. And the Petalcrests serve the city well. Therefore, I believe we should work with them towards peace.”
Archbishop Zalika spoke next, her gaze thoughtful. “I’ve been considering this deeply since we last spoke. While I agree peace is the best path forward, I’m no longer certain it’s an option. We must consider if war is inevitable and if so, use the element of surprise to our advantage.”
Nia, the young understudy to Zalika, was caught off guard by the Archbishop’s apparent change of heart, interjected, “Your Excellency, we always pray that peace is an option. Please don’t lose faith now.”
Aziza added, “I, too, have been thinking since our last meeting. I believe we should entertain an offer from the Snowdrifts, see how much Ether is truly worth to them.”
Chiara, ever the pragmatist, interjected, “Wait, I’m confused. Last time Zalika was for peace and Aziza was for war. What did I miss?”
Safara cut in, a frown creasing her brow. “I don’t believe we have the element of surprise. I can’t be the only one who found it strange that the newspaper printed the discovery of Ether the day after we found it. I can only assume Bravira immediately sold the story. What other secrets of ours is she sharing? If that’s true, how can we trust the rest of the Vicinages? For war to be successful, we need to rely on the other families. Which families are truly with us?”
Chiara offered, “Yes the newspaper article was strange but we’ve sent samples of Ether to select key individuals in the city. We need critical components of society to become dependent on Ether. They will be loyal to its power. We can rely on them to bring coin and their families to our side.”
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Zalika added, “Let’s do a quick tally. If we were to go to war, who has the greater strength? We have Safara’s navy to counter any invasion by Azalea Petalcrest, assuming she would even fight for her sister Elodie. We have Viper and her snakes. We have Shade and her blade. We have Electra and her Light Bringer. We have Jada and her explosions. We have Justine and her police. We have…”
Aziza cut her off, a sharp edge to her voice. “They have Valery and the Defense Force, which includes Robina Torqueburn and her mechanical giant. With that thing alone, we are out-gunned. They also have more coin to offer the Reddingtons, and if Avalon Skylar returns, then we truly don’t stand a chance.”
Safara fixed Aziza with a penetrating gaze. “Zalika is wise, and so I can understand why she is entertaining a different position than last time. But tell me, Aziza, we all know you do not share that gift. What has made you sway?”
Aziza blushed, unaccustomed to such bluntness from her family. But these were her sisters; transparency was essential. “To be honest, I’ve been invited by the Snowdrifts to see the Old Fort and discuss a potential deal.” Aziza braced herself for an onslaught, but instead, her sisters seemed to nod in agreement.
“This is excellent!” Zalika exclaimed, her eyes gleaming. “It gives us a chance to talk to the Snowdrifts. Maybe they would be interested in siding with us against the Petalcrests.”
Sable, who had been simmering in silent fury, let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh, speaking for the first time. “And you are supposed to be the wise one? Don’t you all see? This Ether stuff is a curse. No matter what we do with it, it will bring only pain and destruction. Let’s blow up the mine and be done with it.”
Nia was quick to counter, her voice sharp. “That’s easy for you to say, living outside the city with your little forest friends. But for the rest of us, we have bills to pay! Ether is not just the solution to our current financial problems; it’s the solution to all our future financial problems. Can’t you see that, sister?”
Sable rolled her eyes. She was done. Done with this pointless meeting. All her sisters did was talk. One wanted war. One wanted to trade. But not a single one was taking action. Well, Sable had had enough. This was the last meeting she would ever attend. She rose from her seat and left without a word of goodbye to any of them. The door slammed shut behind her, echoing through the cavern. A small part of her, a childish, vulnerable part, was annoyed that no one had rushed after her, begging her to stay. Well, screw all of them, she thought, her anger a hot, cleansing flame. She missed her panther. She wanted to be back in the wild, immediately.
“Hey, Trane! Let’s get going!” she called out to the train conductor, already striding towards the waiting engine.
Trane’s head poked out from the cab. “Aren’t we supposed to wait for the rest of your sisters? This is the last trip for the day.”
Sable was in no mood for waiting. “They told me to go on ahead,” she lied, the words feeling clumsy on her tongue. “Because they’re going to be talking all night.”
