Harmony: Harmony Book 1, page 3
“Once again, good evening everyone,” the woman began her speech, proving to Nate that she had already spoken to the audience present there before. “Now that we’re all here, we can finally proceed with the event.”
Nate felt some eyes on his back when the woman said these words, but he remained totally neutral as he paid attention to her.
“As you all know, we are here tonight for a very important reason,” the woman said. “After years of negotiations, our planet has finally been granted permission to participate in the colonization of the world of Harmony!”
The speaker paused dramatically as if expecting someone there to react with surprise and disbelief, but as she herself had said, everyone there already knew that was the case. So, feeling a little embarrassed, she coughed into her fist and pretended that awkward silence hadn’t happened.
“To better explain this matter, I will give the floor to Dr. Hernandes, who is one of the main experts involved in this operation,” the speaker said to the audience, prompting one of the men at the back of the stage to walk up to her and take the microphone she offered him.
“Good evening, everyone,” the scientist said with a serious voice. “As Miss Senna said, and as you all certainly know, the united front of governments and factions from around the world has finally managed to reinvigorate discussions involving the world of Harmony, which had been derailed a decade ago.”
If Nate was struggling to ignore the stares of others before, that battle was lost when Hernandes uttered those words. Part of Nate had hoped that his small but ‘catastrophic’ involvement in worsening the status of the negotiations had been kept a secret among the Magnus and Sinclair families, or perhaps even just among the more powerful factions, but apparently he was extremely mistaken about that and everyone knew the story. Or at least the version that the old men had created to protect their own interests.
“For those who are unaware, Harmony is a world that dwarfs Earth not only in size but also in the amount and density of mana. Since its discovery centuries ago by the Fae, the world has undergone a rapid process of colonization in which factions, nations, and cultures from across existence seek to carve out a piece of the planet for themselves. And we have finally struck a deal with the Fae to expand our interests into the area under their influence. I think I don’t need to tell you how important this endeavor is for our world. Participating in the colonization of the world of Harmony not only represents a real chance to address issues such as overpopulation on our planet and the scarcity of natural resources but also provides us with enormous economic opportunities. We will be able to expand our markets like never before!”
Nate had to snort at the scientist’s mention of economic opportunities. He knew he could count on the greed of the Earthlings to see an entirely new world and only see a chance to continue with the same self-destructive trends they had been having on their own planet. Nate just hoped they would quickly realize that they certainly weren’t the only ones thinking like that, and a bigger world didn’t mean infinite resources. This path certainly wouldn’t lead to harmonious coexistence.
“Why do we have to be under the influence of the Fae?” Nate heard someone ask behind him, but he didn’t recognize the voice.
“That’s a good question with a somewhat complex answer,” Hernandes said. “Firstly, the agreement with the Fae ensures our security against the enmity of other forces under their influence. Thus, we can start our own settlements without worrying about a superior force just sweeping us off the map without a good reason. Technically, at least. Another important reason, however, is exactly the same issue for which you were chosen to be the first representatives of the United States.”
“You mean, besides it being one of the demands of the Great Arcane Families to help with the negotiations?” Kyle Sinclair scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“And of practically every other faction that participated in the negotiations. Don’t forget that, Sinclair,” Carmine Carline corrected the heir of the Sinclair family.
“And the reason they made this demand was due to the great growth opportunity that a world so full of mana represents,” the scientist said quickly, before a discussion could arise from the two young heirs who were glaring at each other. “But what you may not be considering is that you won’t be the only ones benefiting from the incredible mana density,” Hernandes paused for a small dramatic pause to let his audience digest this information before continuing with his explanation. “As you well know, our planet does not have enough mana to sustain beings above Tier 4.”
Nate nodded along with Dr. Hernandes’ explanation. Everyone there knew that the most powerful beings on Earth, such as the Archmages and the Blood Kings, were ‘only’ Tier 4. While for most people who knew of their existence this seemed to be an unreachable level of power, almost as if they were gods walking among mortals, the truth was very different from that. Nate knew that the Fae Emissary who dealt with the negotiations was Tier 6, after all.
“Due to the large amount of mana in the world of Harmony, however, the same is not true there,” Dr. Hernandes continued. “We have evidence that Tier 6 beings can naturally exist there, and the hypotheses we believe is that this is not the limit. So, among many other aspects, the agreement with the Fae is a guarantee that if a Tier 6 doesn’t like how an Earthling looked at them, they won’t cross our own portals to destroy our planet. Or whatever else a Tier 6 is capable of doing.”
Well, Nate was glad to see that his contemporary Earthlings weren’t stupid enough to create a portal to a world with a thousand dangers and not think about the million things that could go wrong. He just hoped they had also considered the possibility of one of the travelers bringing a new virus or disease to Earth, or else things could get ugly. History had proven that, after all.
The scientist then spent a few more minutes giving fairly useless information about the world of Harmony since these were all things everyone there already knew. He spoke again about how forces from all corners of the universe were becoming increasingly more present there, talked about how this meant a mix of races and cultures with which the Earthlings would have to learn to deal and coexist if they didn’t want things to get ugly, and even gave some information about the planet’s fauna and flora, although he didn’t have much information on that since the government hadn’t sent anyone to the world yet. At least not officially. When he finished his speech, he handed the microphone over to none other than Captain Hart, who began his part in the show.
“Good evening, everyone,” the captain said in a neutral tone. “I’m here to talk a little about your role in all of this,” he made a point to look through the audience before continuing. “You are not colonizers. Most of you don’t even have authorization to act with any form of authority while representing our planet. The connections you have ensure that you are the first ones we will be sending through the portal, that’s true, but by no means will you be the last. And we are not the only nation doing this today. You are being sent first to test the waters and to show that we are not a planet entirely made up of Tier 0 beings. If you don’t die horribly within a week or two, we’ll send more.”
Nate had to contain his laughter at seeing the expressions of discontent and annoyance on the people around him, even on poor Lucy. He was really starting to like Captain Hart more. The young man thought most of them must have already understood the reason why the government had so easily given in to the demands of the Arcane Families and the other factions, but apparently all those young people were still stuck in the idea that greatness was their birthright. Well, Nate was sure that all the experience they would go through would be quite humbling.
“You will be sent to the city of Tidehaven, which is one of the largest and most important cities in the kingdom of Goldencrest. This is a nation founded and controlled by the Fae, although now it is home to many other species and cultures. There, you will be free to pursue your own interests and those of the factions funding you. What you must know and keep in your heads at all times is that no one there will care about how important, powerful, rich, or anything else your family is here. All the effort the governments make to hide the existence of magic and supernatural beings? None of that will exist there. Here you can do almost anything and get away with it because of your faction’s influences, but there, if you act like the entitled and untouchable, trust-funding kids most of you are, someone will rip your heads off and use them as a toilet.”
Nate was liking the captain more and more every second. The guy had to be a special kind of confident to insult so many people capable of blowing him out of existence at the same time. That had to be some talent! And judging by the expressions of the others on stage directed at Hart, Nate wasn’t the only one thinking the captain must be seconds away from turning into human barbecue.
“You have to be smart and clever,” the captain continued. “Here on this planet, you have the advantage of walking the streets knowing you are the most powerful people around. There, that will be far from true. There, a merchant can be as powerful as an Archmage, so you need to get that into your heads. It’s a dangerous new world, and the most powerful of you are only Tier 2. There will be children there capable of kicking your asses if they so desire. If you don’t want to have to run back to Earth with your tails between your legs when you find out that your family’s influences don’t make you untouchable, then keep your heads down and follow the laws of the places where you’ll be to the letter. I know some of you will feel confident because you have groups behind you, but trust me when I say they will be completely useless if a noble decides to sentence all of you to death because one of you thought it would be a good idea to disrespect and harass their favorite employee.”
Well, Nate had to agree that this was excellent advice, even if the captain hadn’t given it in the most efficient way for it to sink into the heads of all those idiots showing clear signs of irritation. Not that Nate cared, of course, since it would be fun to see who would be the first to run crying to their parents after getting into trouble with someone who, on Earth, would never have the means to protect themselves. He wondered how long it would take for these proud representatives of the ‘best Earth could offer’ to finally realize that, outside their small and weak world, they were nothing. That all that perceived power and status they enjoyed because of the blood in their veins meant nothing in front of those more powerful than them.
A lesson Nate had learned many years before, and now it was time for others to learn too. That was something for the future, however, as at that moment everyone there still had to listen to more speeches and instructions before they could finally proceed with the reason why everyone was there.
◆◆◆
“What the hell are you doing here, man?” Nate was ignoring a conversation between Lucy and some of her ‘friends’ when he heard someone approaching from behind. Turning around, he confirmed his suspicion and saw Trevor Beastsoul walking towards him with a large backpack on his shoulders.
In fact, everyone there, with the exception of Nate, was finally grabbing their luggage as they prepared to step into a new world for the first time. The smarter ones among them, like Trevor, were carrying only what they could easily handle, but others carried enough baggage that they alone couldn’t carry everything. Unfortunately, Lucy was one of those people, but she had people to help her carry her things, and Nate was certain that she hadn’t been the one to prepare the luggage and make the choices. Still totally excessive, however, since Nate knew that the portal would be reopened in a week.
“I have no idea,” Nate shrugged as he responded to the young man who had once been his friend. “I was heading home from work when Mr. ‘I hate youngsters’ here kidnapped me.”
“One of the requirements during these last rounds of negotiations with the Faerie Emissary was that Mr. Harris receive one of the spots for the portal,” Captain Harris said, joining the conversation after seeing Nate pointing at him. “If he doesn’t go through that portal, no one else in the world does.”
“Considering that for the time being the number of people we can send is quite limited, that surely must have left a lot of people annoyed,” Trevor scoffed and rolled his eyes. “But does that really mean you actually got involved with the Fae years ago? Come on, man, tell me the true story of what happened! I’ve only heard rumors!”
“I can’t,” Nate said honestly.
“Do you know anything, Lucy?” Trevor tried.
“Yes,” Lucy nodded, momentarily ignoring the other mages from the families subordinate to hers who would be accompanying them on a joint front. “But I also can’t say anything.”
“Seriously, did they use magic to make you unable to say something?” Trevor speculated with a raised eyebrow.
The two other young ones just shrugged, which while not technically considered an answer, was enough for the werewolf to be sure that this had been the case. He had never really wondered why the two of them had never told him what had happened, just assuming that they didn’t want to remember it, but apparently the truth was much more sinister than that. Which, in turn, made Trevor decide which rumor he believed more at the moment.
“So you don’t even have luggage?” Trevor suddenly asked, only then realizing that Nate had nothing with him. “Or any currency accepted there? Did they even give you a way to communicate with people from Harmony, like the translation ring I’m using?”
“Nope,” Nate shrugged again. “I guess I’ll have to figure it out on my own.”
“Wait, what?” Lucy exclaimed incredulously and genuinely confused. “How do you mean on your own? You’re coming with us, aren’t you? The family provided me with resources to ensure a safe housing and everything else we might need while we try to understand how things work in Harmony.”
“Lucienne,” one of the mage girls who was pretending not to pay attention to the conversation interjected. “You know we can’t do that.”
“She’s right,” Nate said with a nod of his head before Lucy could argue that point. “I can’t use resources from the Magnus family, have you forgot?”
Lucy began to make a rhetorical speech about how that didn’t matter and how no one would find out, all while totally ignoring the sharks around them who would surely betray them to gain their own advantage. Not wanting to make her even more nervous, Nate decided to assure her that he would be fine. “I’ll be fine, Lucy, really. Trust me on this, okay?”
“Okay,” Lucy said with a relieved sigh after a second looking at Nate’s face, recognizing the expression and the sparkle in his eyes.
“Seriously, that easy?” Trevor asked with a snort, but the other two just shrugged again, which the werewolf was beginning to think must be their trademark. “Why don’t you come with me, Nate? You can’t be alone.”
“Thanks for the offer, really,” Nate said sincerely. “But we both know that would only bring trouble for you and your group.”
“Good to see you’re still the same stubborn guy,” Trevor said with a little laugh as he shook his head. “I’d offer you one of our translation items, but I’m sure you know they have to be bound to the user. Any chance you’ll let me lend you some money so you can at least find a place to stay for the week until the portal opens again?”
“No way,” Nate laughed with humor. “I know the fees your family charges.”
“Hey!” Trevor exclaimed pretending to be offended. “Those are just rumors!”
The two of them continued to talk while Lucy returned to deal with the other members of the Arcane families who would accompany her. Nate actually even followed Trevor to his group, which surprisingly included Carmine Carline. Their families must be betting heavily on this chance, as the two young heirs famously hated each other.
Nate hadn’t seen the girl in years, even though they still kept in touch, which made it clear for him that the girl had already stopped aging normally. In fact, she looked exactly the same as when they last saw each other at 20 years old. Which, upon reflection, was also the same as she looked for a few years before that. She was exactly what one would expect from a vampire princess: beautiful and dangerous. With skin almost as white as snow, she had long straight hair framing a face that was the envy of every girl who knew her. The most striking parts of her face, however, were the red eyes that seemed to shine and the pronounced canines that always appeared when the girl smiled. Her face wasn’t the only perfect thing about her, Nate knew, as he was having to fight the urge to let his eyes fall to the neckline of the dress that showed enough of her perfect and large breasts to make any man drool. Although why the vampire was wearing a sleeveless black dress that went down to her knees, Nate didn’t know.
“Are you sure you want to do this as a mere human, a Tier 0 being?” Carmine asked discreetly at a moment when everyone else in her group was distracted. “I can solve this problem pretty quickly, you know. You would be one of us, with all the rights and protections,” the 1.65-meter girl then looked at him with a teasing and mischievous expression, and with a hint of hunger shining in her eyes. As if that weren’t enough, she discreetly took Nate’s hand and wrapped his arm around her waist while standing on tiptoe - pressing her chest against him - and whispered in his ear. “Not to mention all the other perks.”
“Thank you for the offer, Carmine, really,” Nate said with a sigh, being unable to resist the urge to pull the girl closer to him. “But my answer is the same as every other time you’ve offered me this. We both know I wouldn’t fit into your culture.”
“Yeah,” Carmine replied with a disappointed sigh, even though she already knew what the answer would be even before making the offer. She had hoped, however, that the situation they were in would make the man change his mind.
“But good job with your new approach,” Nate said, laughing. “To think you were once that shy girl who couldn’t even talk to people you didn’t know. I didn’t know you were the ‘seductive’ type of vampire, but knowing that, I’m sure you won’t have any trouble getting subordinates and ‘food’ in Harmony.”
