Book V: Chapter 9 | Ab Urbe Condita

“That's it?”

Galle looks at what is effectively four or five stone huts surrounded by a stone wall. The senator smiles, and as he shows the city upon the cliff—a tall plateau overlooking the shore on three sides—he proclaims, "Behold, Pompaniana, the first city of Foederati Pliniae."

"You mean this? This is your city that you spent so long building? You made fun of my tribe, calling us backwards and primitives. My tribe is three times this size, with many more houses than this, and a much more impressive wall."

Galley, now dressed in the large fur and lacquered armor of her people, with a banner behind her back, looks to her companions in amusement. Her companions, unable to show expression thanks to their large dog masks, simply look on.

Pampaniana shrugs. "Well, we have to start somewhere. And while the city may be modest for now, it is graced by the power of the Roman gods, the genius of Pliny, and the loyalty of our men, with space to expand."

They walk towards the city gate. Regulus and Marcus salute the party, and the gate opens for them. A trained monster, using fire, was forced to push open the large gate and its metal cage, the metal taken from what was once the old pleasure palace Nicochena, now the Confederated City.Galley looks at the metal cage in which the headless creature is stuck.

"If you were planning on using all of this metal," she asks, "why not just use the ancient palace? You would have a noble religious structure as well as all of that metal that you could use."

Barbara laughs cruelly and says, "It smells bad. We didn't want it."

Pliny, standing by her side, puts a hand on her shoulder. "Speak honestly, Barbara. They are allies now. There's no need to be dismissive anymore. We should be generous in victory."

Barbara nods. She sighs and turns to Galley and says, "We only really wanted the steel, which isn't really theirs, and we don't want to break the city for them, but the city itself is actually not very good. We think it was picked as a location because the waters there are calm, but it's actually not in a good spot for a city, let alone for a capital. <Undercooked>The power of the Cat Pirates was able to control this entire sea, from what I understand.</Undercooked>"

Galley looks out at the sea. New boats were floating in the waters, some of them controlled by the Skiapeds, whom the Plinians have taught to sail.

Barbara continues, "They only had power because they had no competitors. The moment anyone gave them any push, they would crumple. Just look what we did. This site, though, this site is meant to control cities."

Now that they were inside the city, she encourages Galley to climb up with her to an elevated platform. Their lookout tower was found in the center of the city, between all of the small huts. From here, they could see the coast and the other land mass across the chasm. Barbara pulls out her tablet, and with stylus ready, she erases a few scratches that she had, and then begins to draw and carve on the wax of her tablet, showing the outline of the region.

"Look here, we are surrounded by water on three sides. We are on a hilltop that is almost a cliff. We are protected, and yet we control all sides of the water. Across from us is another land mass, which, if we build another city over here, or even just a guard post, nothing can enter the open waters without our permission. Nothing can go in or out. If you want to reach the open sea from the great river, you have to pass through our city. If the merfolk want to trade their kelp with the cities, they have to go to us. The Cat people will benefit from this, to be sure, but they will be downstream, you could say."

Galley asks, "Okay, but you're going to need people for that, and you have 20..."

"40," Barbara corrected, "40."

"But why all the ambition?"

Pliny looks over and says to her, "We were sent on a commission. We thought we were going to need to build a city that the emperor of this realm would call upon for aid. But seeing as there is no real Imperator of this realm, we are going to have to build it ourselves."

Galley looks at them as if talking to a crazy man sharing his delusions. "You're hoping to rule all of the inner cities hundreds of miles away from this wooden and mud fort? This mud fortress?"

"It's a slow start now," the senator says, "but from this town, a city will grow. There are many who have been seeking refuge from the pirates. They will find their place here, and they will adapt to our laws and our customs. They will find a safe harbor and good laws. And from there, a new city will be built, just as Aeneas and Romulus did of old. This is just the beginning."

Barbara says, "Besides, there are already 10 forts like this all across the bay. We've been teaching the Monopeds our ways of construction, and some of the loyal Cat people who have joined our cause have begun founding new cities along the bay."

Galley drops her sarcasm at that remark. "Well, whatever you guys are doing, you're clearly doing it quickly. And on that note, I believe it is time for me to return to my people. Perhaps we may meet again, hopefully as allies. I would hate to be against a force that can use those monsters in battle."

Turning again to the caged creature holding the door, Pampaniana shakes his head. "These creatures are nothing but chaos. We would never bring them to battle. Chaos is only for our enemies."

Galley scoffs and then looks behind her and sees the elves training the Skiapeds, or the Monopeds, in the ways of archery and military affairs, some of them even being trained in charioteering. They held a banner, a red banner with a foot crushing the symbol of Takashi, yes. And under them, four letters: S.P.Q.P.

"May we meet under more fortuitous circumstances, as many as can be hoped for," Galley remarks. She and her companions take their leave.