TWO MONTHS AGO
[hider=The Deal is in the Details]
[right][h3]Cillotah Dinoine - Sadatake Castle[/h3][/right]
[hr]
Cillotah Dinoine stared up at the imposing bulk of Sadatake Castle as his ship coasted into Shinkyo's massive outer harbour. Thousands of small boats and hundreds of ships bustled to and fro across the azure surface, small fish darting swiftly over the sandy bottom beneath the keel of the Elven ambassadors vessel.

[i]This is the wealth of Seikatsu.[/i] He thought, eyes locked on the huge fortress that dominated the entire city. [i]And we're busy pissing about in Beival. I will never understand that.[/i] He had been a firm advocate for attacking Akaiba first, the most powerful of all Seikatsu's nationstates, but the council had seen fit to chose Beival where they already maintained a foothold. 

The elven ship was flanked by a pair of Akaiban warships. They were slightly larger, narrower, and certainly faster. He found, to his surprise, that his made him uneasy. He had made Akaiba his personal study over the past several years as the Imperium planned for their great invasion. Like most elves, he considered the humans inferior, what else could they be, and had learned most of what he knew from books and merchants. It seemed that the books and merchants had greatly underestimated Akaiba.

The Iban pilot, a tall thin man who spoke to none of the elven crew, was carefully guiding the gold wrought hull toward a long stone jetty that lay separate from the others. It took Cillotah a moment to realize that they were being taken to an island that was covered in a mishmash of Formarothian, Seikatsu, and Elven style buildings. He had read of this island of course, the Island of the Gaijin. It was the only place a none-Iban was permitted to land when in Akaiba and he felt a flash of irritation. He was an ambassador by all that was holy.

"Go there!" He pointed to the main jetty, some distance further beyond. His Iban was atrocious and he knew it. The pilot simply shook his head.

"Forbidden." Was all the man said. Cillotah would have stomped his feet if he thought it would work but his short time with the Iban aboard had convinced him it would have only reinforced the idea of a spolied elven princeling.

[i]You disgust me, elf.[/i] The pilot watched the elven ambassador from the corner of his eye. [i]You do not think that we all know you bring war to our lands? I think you will find nothing but your grave here.[/i] He spun the ships wheel expertly to guide the vessel between a pair of big barges that were crawling across the harbour. He stood on his toes to see properly and then gave a shout in badly accented elven.

"Sheet home sail! Launch boats!" The crew stared at him for a moment until the ships captain snarled the order again and they rushed to obey. The ships momentum dropped away until they were barely gliding across the surface of the ocean. The ships boats were quickly lowered and willing elves took to the oars, pulling strongly to draw the ship closer to the Island of the Gaijin.

"Drop anchor!" The pilot did not need his ordered echoed this time and the anchor roared overboard, shattering the calm water with a huge splash. "There. I go now." The pilot didn't wait for a response as he strode to the side and dropped into his own little boat. He lifted the oars into place and began to row toward the island. 

As if on cue a decorated barge put out from the island, four large sweeps drawing it quickly across the water toward the elvish ship. Cillotah could make out eight oarsmen, four samuari, and one man in a plain grey robe. He made eye contact with Cillotah as the barge drew closer and though he raised no hand in greeting, the elf knew his counter part had arrived.

The ships crew hastily set up a table and chairs on the deck, clearing a space for the two to speak. Cillotah was already seated, a small silver mug with elven wine in front of him, when he heard the Iban boat gently bump into the side of the ship. The Iban ambassador swiftly gained the desk flanked by a pair of watchful samurai who looked about them without expression. [i]A stoic bunch indeed.[/i] Cillotah stood and bowed to the Iban who returned the gesture.

"Welcome, I am Prince Cillotah Dinoine of the Elven Imperium."

"Shintaro Abe, on behalf of his lordship, the Shogun Sadatake Ayeka."

It took Cillotah a moment to remember that the Iban put their last names first, identifying their house and therefore their lineage. He did not recognize Shintaro but thought it best to keep that knowledge to himself. The Iban tended to be a touchy lot and there was no sense antagonizing their ambassador. 

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me." Cillotah sat, gesturing to the other chair. The Iban looked at it for a moment and then perched on the edge of the seat. 

"I was ordered to do so. It is my duty." Shintaro responded. [i]And if I have my way I will personally hack your head from your shoulders, you blue skinned snake.[/i] He, like many of his kin, had lost family in the various engagements with the Imperium. It was likewise common knowledge that the Imperium had come to Seikatsu with the intention of conquering the continent. [i]What is it you want?[/i]

"Duty is important, is it not." Cillotah found himself agreeing with the Iban. When the other man did not reply he decided to get to business. From what he had read, the Iban were not ones for small talk when it came to dealing with foreigners. "I have come to offer your Shogun an alliance."

"Go on." The Iban did not even bat an eye at the idea. 

"You are no doubt aware that our forces have landed in Beival with the intention of securing that region for the Imperium." Again the Iban remained silent. "General Neldor, supreme commander of our armies, would like to invite you to join us in crushing your traditional foes in Draivim and Keraam. In return he offers to turn Keraam over to Akaiba as a client state and identify that as the new border between your great state and ours."

[i]Right, and I am the Queen of Formaroth.[/i] Shintaro wanted to laugh in the elfs face but he had been given strict instruction by the Shogun.

“Let the elf make his offer. I imagine he will dangle the lure of Kareem in our faces as though we cannot take the territory on our own.  Never forget, the elf thinks he is superior to the human and the idea that we are powerful in our own right has probably never crossed his mind. When he offers you the bait, take it, say thank you, and then we will destroy him.” The Shogun had been very clear and Shintaro knew that for every idea he himself had, Ayeka was ten ideas ahead of him. 

[i]Praise the gods that he is on the throne now. Any other one of his siblings and we would be dead already.[/i] Shintaro resisted the urge to smile slightly and nodded slowly as if he were considering the elvish offer.

“They will take the offer. They have no choice. They cannot fight us and Kareemese at the same time.” Neldor had been confident when he had issued his instructions to Cillotah before the ship had sailed for Akaiba. “We, on the other hand, can conquer their whole kind without assistance. But wouldn’t it be nice if they helped?” How the assembled officers had chuckled at the notion.

“How do you intend to have use assist?” Shintaro asked, still immobile on the edge of his seat. A pair of seagulls circled overhead screaming and one shit on the table between the two men. Cillotah started. Shinatro did not move.

“Er, General Neldor suggested that an Imperial army land in Noiba, and with your support, march on Kareem from the west. This would catch them between our two forces and allow us to ensure none can flee to regroup later.”

[i]Exactly as Ayeka said they would suggest.[/i] Shintaro felt a glow of admiration for his Shogun. The man was as clever as his daughter was beautiful. “I find this acceptable. How many soldiers will you be sending?”

“Seventy thousand.” Cillotah said proudly, expecting some sort of reaction from Shintaro but the man might as well have been carved of stone. He snapped his fingers and a map was brought forward and spread across the table, smearing the seagull shit across the back. “I would suggest here.” He tapped a bay roughly half the way along the Noiban coast.

“No.” Shintaro said simply. “Here.” He tapped a point much deeper into Kareem. “Our armies already occupy much of their territory and your army will be of no use in the fighting if it is hiding behind our lines.”

“Provoke him, but carefully.” Ayeka had said as Shintaro took his leave. “Suggest that his race are cowards. He will take the bait.”

“Very well,” snapped Cillotah , stung by the insult that elven forces would hide behind anyone. “This is agreeable. We can have our armies in place in one month. Will that suit you?”

“Yes, perfectly.” Shintaro nodded and sat back on his edge once again. 

“All that remains is for us to draw up the paperwork then, and the smaller details of course.” Cillotah waved a pair of scribes forward and the real negotiations began.[/hider]