CHAPTER XXXVII
in which shit hits the fan...
Mercayen
After spreading word around town, the Silver Foxes assemble the next day in front of the southern Brenthian gate. A crowds already waiting for this mysterious Mercayen related event that's been gossiped about. It's not long before an airship arrives and lowers down the recovered statue of Mercayen that Haas had found in the Ruined Land. There are speeches, praying, and dedications, with the statue working as a rallying point for the displaced survivors of the fallen pillar. The celebration doesn't last long, though, because the centaurs are on the march...
Hostile Negotiations
Glad does some aerial reconnaissance that he relays back to the authorities, almost getting arrested when he carves a dividing line in the sand. He then stages a defensive electrical buffer running through the forest parallel to the line and a rebuffing kinetic barrier in the air. The Brenthian royal guard began making preparations and the eager to fight Mercayen expats were asked to retreat into the city for safety. Meanwhile, Ra'jira snuck off to do some closer reconnaissance, where he was able to locate LeShrac's likely location. But he ended up stuck behind enemy lines while the centaurs, represented by LeShrac's son Dronall, began their sham negotiation with Ricotta. The two went to a secluded area, unknowingly accompanied by Haas, where Ricotta agreed to give the centaurs sanctuary for a period of time. However, when he returned to his army, Dronall claimed that the Brenthians refused them assistance, riling up the centaur army. Haas struggled to refute the claim but was eventually able to be heard through some assistance from her party. During the tense standoff that followed, Dronall threatened Ricotta by pointing his spear against her neck. Glad kept the spear pushed back with kinetic and later refused to let Dronall keep it after his hostile display, which triggered the breakout of battle.
Haas subdued Dronall, who showed signs of suppression and bewilderment, and coordinated with Ricotta to get him into the city for further questioning. Then she focused on retrieving Ra'jira. Meanwhile, Glad, Krom, Eierryn, and Maus did their best to hold the line with the Brenthians, mostly by providing relief in spots where the centaurs were overtaking the phalanx. They were eventually able to hold off the centaurs enough for the Brenthians to make a tactical retreat into the city.