Williamsburg, Virginia - 10:12 AM


    I stepped off of the train and onto the station platform, enjoying the sea breeze as it crossed my face. Taking a deep breath, I relished it for a few moments before moving with the traffic towards the exit and looking towards the sky.


    Once I stepped onto the street, a quest popped up.


    <<<>>>


    [[Jamestown/Williamsburg Scenario 3-1]]


    Little by little, the coast of Virginia has been lost to the sea. Newport News has disappeared along with everything north to the Maryland state line going with it. A conflict is almost upon you.


    The Atlanteans, fierce warriors belonging to a country somewhere deep under the Atlantic Ocean, have come. Long have they desired a civilization above the waves, and what better place to start than where the surface dwellers sailed and conquered and built.


    Now they seek to do the same.


    Not all is without hope. The Atlanteans may have the edge in technology, but they are people, too. Depending on how they are greeted, war may be averted.


    The First Delegation of the 12th Atlantean Navy will be arriving shortly. A party of ten has been invited to parlay with the admirable Admiral Chekanhat. You know their intentions, but what happens next is up to you.


    Objective: Determine humanity’s diplomatic delegation and wait for Admiral Chekanhat near the sea.


    Time remaining: 1 hour, 47 minutes.


    Reward: 1,000 points to those who greet him.


    <<<>>>


    I rolled my eyes as I snapped away the quest screen. Just like the quest said, everything north and east of Williamsburg was gone, eroded into the sea. The administrators had warned the people that it was going to happen back when the first scenario dropped, at least. There were still a few who refused to abandon their homes, but the vast majority of the population had moved further inland to avoid it.


    For the people of Newport News, that meant fleeing to either Williamsburg or Norfolk, while most everyone else headed toward the north fleeing to Maryland or Richmond, depending on what they were thinking at the time. The Chesapeake Bay had gotten much, much larger, now pushing far enough west to engulf Burwell Bay.


    “Alright, Sara, could you please tell me where my friends are?” I asked. She had started looking once we got close enough that Williamsburg was in range, and her response came quickly.


    <<<>>>


    [[Patron Message]]


    Of course. It looks like Kayla has taken the lead on rallying the people. As you would expect, Jeff is with her. They’re in the Movie Tavern, which has been made part of a player-run safe zone. That’s where the diplomacy meeting is happening now.


    Ashley is asleep in the train and Bethany is being watched by Corwin while she works. The Angel Express is parked on the tracks just a few blocks away from the safe zone.


    Jamie and Mercury are currently taking out a swarm of Mudjumpers down on the James River. They seem to be in competition over who will kill the most. Surprisingly, I think he’s got an edge here, if only because the Princess seems to be feeding him information.


    It’s good to be back home, Anthony. I missed everyone.


    <<<>>>


    I smiled. “It is good to be back home, isn’t it?” I asked, echoing the sentiment. Home was wherever the guild was, now.


    Stretching, I set on my Heelies and began heading towards Kayla and Jeff. It only took me a few minutes to arrive given my speed.


    The Shops at High Street and the apartments nearby had all been turned into a safe zone thanks to the work of the people here led by Austin Tallow. While he wasn’t a combatant, he had the Community Architect class that allowed him to basically perform most of the logistics himself. His contributions towards making Williamsburg more stable had saved it several times.


    When I entered the safe zone, I saw a lot of people crowded around the different restaurants and shops. A merchant caravan from Norfolk had crossed the James River when they heard that the scenario was going to be ramping up soon. Their true destination was Richmond, but they could stand to stop and show their wares for someplace that needed it.


    I ignored them, though. While they might have one or two trinkets that would catch the eyes of the other guild members, there wasn’t anything with them for me. So I headed straight for the Movie Tavern. It was a nice place built of brick where you could order full meals while you watched whatever was playing. With a bit of construction, it became the perfect place to host events.


    Unfortunately, I was stopped at the door.


    “Sorry, but no one’s allowed in at the moment,” a man wearing furs said, holding up his hand as I approached. “There’s a private meeting going on right now. It shouldn’t be too much longer, though, so feel free to check out Donovan’s Caravan for a bit.”


    “Oh, no, I’m supposed to be in there,” I said with a smile, ignoring the oversized woodcutter’s axe leaning against the wall behind him. I offered him my hand. “Anthony Franklin. I’m a member of Sol Ligatus. Kayla and Jeff are expecting me.”


    The man frowned and gingerly accepted the handshake. “I thought I knew everyone in Sol Ligatus, aside from the crafters that never leave the train,” he said suspiciously. “You one of them?”


    “Ashley or Bethany? No, can’t say that I am. I’ve just arrived from out of town. Had a bit of a whirlwind adventure all across the US, you know how it is. They don’t know I’m here yet, unless they do, but I’d really like to see how Kayla’s doing against Warren. She’s making a lot of riveting points, but the crowd’s still a bit wary.”This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    “Uh huh,” he said. “How do you know what’s going on in there if you just arrived?”


    “Right, sorry. I’m a psychic,” I replied, and a hint of recognition sparked in his eyes. “Kayla’s advocating for fighting against the Atlanteans, which is a big thing that nobody wants but needs to happen. We should know since the same thing happened in Etson, where we come from. Warren, however, really wants to try a more diplomatic approach without realizing how much of a bad idea that is.”


    I scratched the back of my head as I looked past him and into the building. “See, the Atlanteans are all about the glory of battle, war, and so forth. I liken them to technologically advanced sea Mongols, personally. Not above a slaughter, want to continue turning the land to sea, really doesn’t like us land lubbers. Sure the admiral will put on a diplomatic showing, but he really doesn’t mind if he has to go to war. Hoping for it, really.”


    “Okay, now I remember,” the guard said with a smile. “Keep on the lookout for a psychic that likes to talk. I had forgotten your name, sorry.”


    “No worries, man. Am I good to go in?” I asked, pointing towards the door.


    “Yeah, go on through. You know where they are?”


    “Sure do, and thanks,” I said as he opened the way for me, and I stepped inside.


    There were a few groups lounging in the small restaurant area on the other side of the door. They had been talking quietly to themselves, but stopped when I walked in. I gave them a friendly nod before heading towards where I could feel the meeting take place.


    “Hey, you can’t—” someone started to call.


    “Take it up with the guard, I’m invited,” I said, giving them no more of my time as I headed towards theater 7.


    The front half of the room was completely filled with people watching and listening to the two speakers. These were the strongest that Williamsburg had to offer while their less fortunate members were forced to sit outside. Despite their strength, it was easy to tell just how tense the situation was.


    Nearly everyone was uncomfortable to be here and it showed clearly in their aura. It was hard to tell if they were leaning towards Kayla or Warren by that alone, but it didn’t matter. I had faith in her. Jumping over the divider, I took a seat near the back where the lights were turned off. No one seemed to notice my intrusion.


    Kayla didn’t look like she was having any trouble being in front of so many strangers. The short woman appeared to be in her element as she listened to her debate partner’s speech. It was easy to tell that she was in full Credibility mode today, as she should be. There was a serious look on her face, which was only offset by the white sequin-covered jacket that wouldn’t be out of place on an Elvis impersonator.


    I had to stifle a laugh. It looked so out of place, but Graceland seemed to have been kind to them.


    Warren was an older man with streaks of gray in his hair. He had decided to attend in a dapper black suit, and it fit him well. It was always a thrill to see two people with what I’d consider charisma-based classes debate each other. The crowd gave him a fair bit of their attention, and I could see people nodding along.


    “There is no reason to turn this into a bloodbath,” Warren said, his voice nasal but assertive. “Kayla has made some fine points about how they have encroached on our state, and they are irrefutable, but this is our chance at first contact. They have reached out to us to negotiate, and I do not believe that spitting in their face by bringing violence to the table right from the get-go is doing either of us the service she thinks it is.”


    He sighed, panning his gaze across the crowd. I still went unnoticed, sitting in the dark as I was. “The system was clearly made to sway towards fights, but look at everything else. We have merchant classes, construction classes, craftsmen, and healers. Our new world may promote violence, but that is not all we need to be. If that were the case, then why are diplomats like myself and Kayla necessary?”


    A murmur of agreement rippled through the crowd.


    “It is for moments like this,” Warren continued, slapping his hand on the podium at each word. “This isn’t even something we should be considering! The scenario quest clearly states that we’re to send a diplomatic delegation to meet with Admiral Chekanhat. War may be upon us, but other paths lie between us. There is no reason to say that there aren’t avenues to peace and prosperity between our people, our nations, when there is so much that we can offer to each other. If it turns to violence, so be it, but it shouldn’t be on us to begin with it.”


    “Thank you, Warren, your time is up,” a woman in the front row said before turning to Kayla. “You have the floor.”


    Kayla nodded and adjusted her glasses. “The first thing I want to say is that I am not opposed to Warren’s dreams of peace,” she said. Jeff, seated in the crowd in front of her, started nodding. “I think brokering a wonderful relationship with another country, even one that used to be as fictional as Atlantis, is a great thing to strive for. However, in this case, it is an egregious folly.”


    She let the crowd ruminate on her words. “Some of you know the story of Sol Ligatus, while some haven’t gotten to know me and the others yet. We haven’t spoken about our experiences at length, so let me give you a little insight now.” The crowd was all ears. Most of the ones here would have gotten snippets and rumors on occasion, but that was different from hearing it straight from the source.


    “We have been all over the eastern United States. From Etson, Florida, where we started, to Atlanta, to Pittsburgh and Chicago, and to Memphis and Trenton. Do you know how many times we could negotiate with monsters that the administrators considered people like us?” Kayla paused to let the audience mull it over before holding up a single finger. “Once with a Dryad and a group of Kobolds, and only because they were being oppressed by an empire of wasp monsters that were threatening us.”


    Sighing, she took off her glasses. “The administrators aren’t here to give us scenarios that make us feel good, they’re here to give us scenarios that impress Patrons. They want to see us struggle and, while our victories certainly make for good television or drama or whatever this all amounts to, they don’t need us to win. Warren pointed out that the scenario quest did say to make a diplomatic delegation. That is true, and I’ll give that to him. However, everything else points to war.”


    Kayla raised her hand and started counting off as she clearly read from something in front of her. “A conflict is almost upon you, the Atlanteans are fierce warriors, seeking to do the same as the conquerors of this land before. The red flags are massive and easy to spot, and I can’t believe that Warren is just ignoring them.”


    “I’m not ignoring them,” the man muttered.


    She didn’t dignify that with a response. “What this tells me is that this won’t be a diplomatic delegation meant to broker peace between us, but to surrender wholly to their reign,” Kayla insisted. “Because that’s how warmongers think. They want this fight. They want the glory that it brings and the death that it causes and the rewards of the land that they can take.


    “Now, I know I’m an outsider. I’m not from Virginia, nor was I here to struggle beside you. That doesn’t mean I can’t empathize with you. We at Sol Ligatus have traveled all over, meeting people just like you and fighting by their side. Not just defending them, but working together as brothers and sisters of battle. I can wholeheartedly say that there will be bloodshed no matter what we say to the admiral.”


    Kayla’s eyes flicked up to me. She looked into mine despite the glare from the lights shining on her, and pointed. “But there’s someone else you need to hear from. Someone who has abilities that allows him to see the future, and knows that Warren’s plan will never work. Anthony, I know you have a few things to say, come on down here.”


    “Oh shit, the boss is here?” Jeff said, standing up and turning around. He got a big, goofy grin on his face as he waved, and I smiled back.


    “Hey, Jeff,” I laughed as I got out of my seat.


    “Who’s this?” Warren asked in protest. “This was supposed to be between us, Mrs. Mills, not some random person. Who even let him in here?”


    “Like I said, he can see the future,” she stated, taking no offense. “He’s my guest, and the real guild leader of Sol Ligatus.”


    Just as the man was about to complain further, I started walking on the back of the chairs, avoiding the crowd before I ended up between Kayla and Warren. I turned around to face the people. Some were starting to get upset while others were intrigued by my sudden appearance.


    Putting my hands on my hips, I exuded the calming aura of my Peacekeeper’s Will. The mood chilled in a heartbeat as it washed over the room. I tried to look stern.


    <<<>>>


    [[Guild Chat]]


    Jeff: The boss man is back!


    <<<>>>


    My stern facade broke as the chat began filling up with welcoming messages. Glancing down at Jeff, I couldn’t help my smile.


    “Thank you, Kayla,” I said, nodding to my friend. “I’m Anthony Franklin. Psychic, seer, soothsayer, fighter, and the big stick of Sol Ligatus. Let me tell you everything about how terrifying the Atlanteans can be, and exactly how we can defeat them…”