Me, My Spirit, And I [Book 1 Complete]

Kariss was meeting with the new Amabassor of the Gloddus Queendom, which was the closest trading partner to the city of Westlin and the Shadow Company. The original Ambassador had been sent packing back to the Capital.

"Thank you, Administrator Kariss, for agreeing to meet with us once more after the unfortunate and inexcusable behavior of my predecessor," Ambassador Fairon said. "I am Ambassador Fairon, representing Her Majesty Witch Queen Aseralis—long may she reign."

Fairon was an older woman with a stern look and steel-grey hair. She was dressed in an outfit that had far more severe lines than were typical of Wylderfolk, giving her a more austere air and greater gravitas than the more flamboyant Ambassador she had replaced. She wore the Crest of the Gloddus Queendom proudly on her left breast.

The crest symbolized the beliefs, values, and identity of the Queendom. The stone altar in front of an oak-like tree represented their worship of nature. On top of the altar was a bowl representing sacrifice, a book representing knowledge, and two candles for insight and intuition. Two wands over a shield represented the Witch Queen's defense of the Queendom via magic. Kariss knew the symbology well, as she was originally from the Queendom.

"Welcome to the Shadow Company, Ambassador Fairon. The Aseralis family has been strong supporters of the Company, so it is only right that I meet with representatives of the Witch Queen Aseralis first," Kariss said magnanimously. Her outfit was a simple but high-quality suit-like uniform worn by the staff at the Company. She had a friendly but professional smile on her face.

"Shall we get down to business then and dispense with excess formalities? I know the imperials like their formalities, but I often find that negotiations go more smoothly when both parties aren't having to watch their titles and honorifics," Fairon said as she leaned forward earnestly, but with a professional smile.

"Of course, that is perfectly acceptable, Ambassador,I mean, Fairon. My employer, Mr. Shadow, has given me the authority to negotiate a trade deal between the Queendom and the Shadow Manufacturing Company," Kariss said before pausing for a breath and continuing. "That being said, only our products are for sale. The Company and its processes are not on the table. As long as those terms are acceptable, we can proceed."

There was tension in the air as Kariss waited for the Ambassador's response. The silence stretched on for an uncomfortable period while Fairon considered her options. Kariss could tell by the quickly hidden grimace that her words were not what Fairon wanted to hear. There was a look of frustration in her eyes.

Kariss did her best to remain relaxed, but firm. Her hands grasped in front of her as she observed the other woman waiting for Fairon to respond. She could see in real time as Fairon mentally adjusted her calculations.

"Well, that changes my original plans, but the Witch Queen's Mage Messages said I should expect this and I should focus on a trade agreement instead," Fairon explained while tapping a finger on her armrest.

"I am sure that we can find a mutually beneficial arrangement. Would you like to see a full product list? It has some recent additions that might interest the Queendom," Kariss said with a more genuine smile as she anticipated Fairon's reaction. She glanced at the prepared information packets that had been tailored for each delegation.

"That will help me establish a baseline. We are mainly interested in raw Shadow Steel ingots for our smiths, but I will certainly check the list for anything that might pique Her Majesty's interest," Fairon said, reaching for the list that Kariss held out across the wood and steel conference table. She moved with careful, but casual grace. Each movement is precise with no wasted energy.

Fairon hummed quietly to herself as she examined the list. She had read it with a glance thanks to her high Mind Cultivation but was carefully considering each item.

Shada's experiments had led to a significant increase in their product lineup, but he kept their focus on producing raw or semi-finished goods that could be sent to other crafters for the final touches. The exceptions were the office supplies that Shada had recreated from Earth; these they sold as finished goods with a particular focus on ballpoint pens and fast-drying ink.

The various grades of steel and their suggested uses interested Fairon the most. She was, of course, unfamiliar with the other metals like aluminum but could see their use. However, what caught her attention and made her sit up straighter were the gemstones.

"Now this is intriguing. I see gemstones on this list and in custom sizes as well. Did the Shadow Company take over a mining operation?" Fairon asked in confusion, but in a voice that was more curious than shocked.

"You have a good eye and no we haven't. We are looking into purchasing several iron ore mines and have instructed some prospectors to look for certain rare ores, but we do not own any at this time," Kariss said with a proud smile. She casually reached into a draw where she had samples waiting to be examined

"What?" Fairon asked as her confusion increased. "Who is supplying your Company with this many gems?" she asked in surprise. "The numbers on this sheet simply make no sense."

"We make them, of course," Kariss replied in a way designed to catch Fairon off guard.

"Make them? You can't make gems! They are one of the un-Duplicatables!" Fairon said, her voice rising on the last word as confusion shifted to shock. Her steel grey eyebrows were raised and her face had a look of disbelief as she straightened in her chair.

"I never said anything about Duplication. Mr. Shadow is a clever person and figured out how to make gemstones magically," Kariss said, her smile growing larger.

"I am...I was not prepared for this list. I must send a copy to the Capital. I will have to wait on her response before we can continue," Fairon asked in a far less certain voice than she had started with at the beginning of the meeting. Her eyes never left the list as she read and reread the entries on gemstones.

The Queendom was known for importing large numbers of gemstones for the use in spells, rituals, and various other magical workings. The prices listed were astoundingly low and would revolutionize the practice of magic. With this many gems things that were once too expensive suddenly became much more managable. That wasn't even considering the absurdity of custom gemstones of specific sizes. That was a particularly ludicrous idea to Fairon, but the possibilities made her head spin. She actually swayed in her seat slightly as she considered.

" I will be meeting with representatives of two other nations to establish trade deals as well this week, so it is important to hurry if you want to get the best deal," Kariss said.

"Yes, I will keep that in mind. If you will excuse me I will get with my team and have messages sent immediately," Fairon said while standing from her seat. Her request to be excused was a mere formality.

Fairon clutched the list tightly as she studied it while walking to the door She was depending on her other senses to help her navigate. The rest of her delegation collected her as they all began a whispered discussion as they exited the building.

—

"Welcome back to the Shadow Manufacturing Company, Ambassador Hammerfell," Kariss said cheerfully after her meeting with Fairon the day before.

"Thank you for having me back after that mess with the other delegations. Please call me Yolden."

Kariss nodded in acknowledgement. "Yolden, please have a seat," Kariss said as she directed him to a specially made chair designed for the dwarf before moving to her own chair.

The dwarven chair was designed with the short, wide dwarves in mind. The seat was higher than it would be for a human, the armrests further apart, and the back set to be more in line with a dwarf's anatomy. It had been custom-made by one of the Company Shapers out of the highest quality steel they produced. It was a statement on multiple levels.

Yolden paused to examine the heavy steel chair. He had no trouble moving it and was distracted by the carefully designed carvings. The metal quality also caught his attention.

"This is too fine a chair for someone of my status, Miss Kariss," Yolden said quietly. His originally casual voice shifted to a more formal tone.

"Nonsense. Mr. Shadow commissioned one of our finest Shapers to make it for you after noticing how inadequate our seating was for the dwarven delegation in our last meeting."

Kariss held her hand out towards the chair directing the dwarven Ambassdor to sit. Yolden was obviously reluctant and the silence stretched for a moment before he spoke.

"Did you know that dwarves can hear metals singing?" Yolden asked. His eyes never left the chair. His face was tiled and his head cocked while he listened for the song of the chair.

"I did not. Is it a racial Trait?" Kariss asked in polite curiosity. She adjusted the papers on her desk needlessly while she waited for a response.

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After a pause Yolden finally spoke. "It is, but the reason I mention it at all is because this chair, this wonderful steel chair, sings so clearly. It is pure, too pure and it is beautiful," Yolden said. He had yet to look at Kariss since laying eyes on the steel chair.

"What does it sing?" Kariss asked, almost tilting her own head to listen to for a sound she knew she couldn't hear.

"It sings of magic. This steel has never seen the touch of fire nor coal. It has been purified and refined using magic in a way that I can't understand. It's beautiful," Yolden said again in a voice that sounded like he was nearly in tears.

Shada, who was present for this particular meeting, invisible and intangible, spoke to Kariss privately via Spirit Speech. "Let him know the chair is for sale if he likes, or perhaps offer it as a gift. The dwarves are my best bet for finding more exotic ores and minerals."

Kariss nodded imperceptibly before speaking. "If the chair interests you so much, we can include it as part of our negotiations."

"Truly?" Yolden asked in surprise. "Then let's get down to business." He straightened and regained his composure quickly before finally sitting.

"First, let me say that yours is the second trade meeting I have had this week. I spoke to the representative of the Queendom first, but nothing has been finalized." Kariss continued to speak as she reached for a packet of information to hand to the dwarf whose fingers she noted trembled on the chair's armrest. "I have a list of goods that we are producing, things we can produce, and a few things we might be able to produce if we can source the right materials."

Kariss held the packet out towards the dwarf who slowly took it in his broad stubby fingers.

The packet had more technical details and included speculative uses of various materials taken directly from Shada's personal notes. Yolden read it quickly before speaking again.

"This is quite the list. There are a half-dozen types of steel on here, each designed with different applications. Are you sure your Company can produce these in bulk as you have listed?"

"Absolutely. The processes can be scaled up with time and proper investment. The only real limit is the amount of time that Mr. Shadow can devote to making the key enchantments."

Yolden stroked his braided beard in consideration. "There are many things I have never heard of on this list, but steel is our main focus."

"Ask him about ores, minerals, and skyships," Shada instructed Kariss.

"I know we went over this. Let me work in peace, please," Kariss responded, much to Shada's chagrin. She swatted at the air like she was shooing a fly.

"Now that you have a better idea of what we can provide, I would be interested in hearing what ores and minerals that you might be able to trade for steel."

"Well the dwarfholds hardly lack ore or rocks. Can you be more specific?" Yolden asked as he set the list on the desk.

"Actually, right now Mr. Shadow is more interested in variety than specifics." Kariss paused as if thinking. "We are also interested in your skyships. If you turn to page three, there is a metal called aluminum. It is incredibly lightweight, and we are wondering if it might be useful in skyship construction. In fact, we are hoping to commission several custom skyships as part of this deal."

"Metal skyships? That isn't possible. Metals are far too heavy," Yolden said in an offhand manner as he turned to the page in question.

"Mr. Shadow assures me that aluminum is light enough and strong enough for the job," Kariss pulled out a case containing metal samples that she handed to Yolden. "See for yourself."

Yolden's focus tightened as he carefully checked each sample. He used his Traits, Skills, hands, and even teeth on the various metals before he looked back at Kariss.

She thought it was amusing to watch someone hold a piece of metal to their ear and listen intently.

"This could work." He carefully placed the aluminum sample back in its slot before speaking again. "Let's discuss details," Yolden said as he switched into professional negotiator mode.

What followed was a fierce but pleasant discussion about mutually beneficial trade.

While Kariss focused on profit, expansion, and Shada's interests Yolden was considering the implications of what was available. If his mental calculations were right the cost to run and maintain skyships could be cut in half using this new metal.

The steel alone was worth visiting Westlin, but the other things Shada were producing had world shaking implications. The dwarven Smiths would be beside themselves in glee at having access to a steady supply of steel, but the other metals? Those were icing on the cake.

—

There is a certain sameness that comes with these types of meetings and Kariss was tired from previous negoiations. With a forced and professional smile, Kariss greeted Ambassador Caralius of the Eastern Imperium before making herself comfortable at the conference table. She was not looking forward to dealing with the misogynistic Ambassador, but trade with the Imperium was just too valuable.

"Let me start by addressing your original request again. We are not willing to sign any exclusive trade contracts at this time or in the future. I am currently in negotiations with the Queendom and have already finished a preliminary deal with the dwarf holds." Kariss was far more formal and stiff while speaking with Caralius. She gripped her hands tightly in front of her while staring at the ambassador as if preparing for a fight.

Before Caralius could speak Kariss continued. "I have an information packet prepared. Please read it before we begin," she said as she thrust the papers forward and not so subtly taking control of the meeting

"Right to business, I see. How brash, but I am an adaptable man," Caralius said with a somewhat slimy smile. He took the offered papers and tried unsuccessfully to brush her fingers in the process.

Kariss's response was to raise her eyebrows as she waited for the man to read the papers while ignoring his flirtatious smile.

"Oh, very well. The Imperium wants steel arms and armor for our Legions. Barring that, we want raw steel for our own Smiths," Caralius said, getting to the point with an exaggerated sigh.

Kariss tilted her head in consideration as she listened to Shada speaking via Spirit Speech. "Let him know that we can provide blade blanks and armor parts, but that they would have to be further refined by crafters. I am not trying to put people out of a job here."

"As of right now custom arms and armor are not part of our product list. The Shadow Company is primarily focused on raw materials. However, we could provide blank blades and certain armor pieces to be further refined by your crafters in addition to raw steel."

"Oh? Is your process that flexible? How are you managing this without Duplicators working for you?" Caralius's questions were a clear attempt to find out more about how the Shadow Company was making so many different things. He had enough pull in Westlin to know that the Shadow Company didn't employ nearly enough Duplicator Mages to account for their output.

"The process is not flexible, but Mr. Shadow is a visionary and informed me today that such an option was possible in anticipation of your request. It is rather obvious that the Imperiums main focus would be militant afterall you guys do go to war as often as the sun rises."

Caralius's smile never left his face as he listened to Kariss's veiled complaints. "The Imperium must grow."

"There are other ways to grow than war."

Shada watched the two argue for several minutes about the necessity of war. He was considering the implications of essentially becoming an arms dealer, but even if he restricted production to raw steel he knew someone would turn it into a weapon. It was better that he benefited. Besides in time his Companies' influence may expand so much that he would have power to shift the tides of war.

"Let us return to the matter at hand shall we? Trade, everyone benefits from it so there is nothing to argue over, but the details. You have steel, we want it. It is just a matter of deciding how much we can get for a good price." Caralius's slimy smile was back.

From that point onward, Kariss and Caralius began a fierce series of negotiations that were far less friendly than Kariss's other meetings. In the end, a relatively fair trade agreement was reached. The deal with the Imperium would require a lot of expansion to meet, but it would be their most financially profitable deal Kariss predicted.

"It was a pleasure trading words with you, Miss Kariss. Shall we continue discussing the finer points over dinner?" Caralius asked as their meeting drew to a close.

"I am afraid I am far too busy. I do appreciate the offer," Kariss said in a tone that implied she did not appreciate the offer at all.

"Very well. I look forward to presenting this to my superiors," Caralius said as he tried to make a graceful exit.

—

Fairon and Kariss's next meeting had a shift in focus.

"Her Majesty has instructed me to focus our talks on trade for these gemstones you are producing. Their use in the Craft are many and varied. I have been instructed to go beyond mere trade in chips," Fairon said as if chips were somehow beneath her notice. She was far less casually and more formal during this third meeting with Kariss.

"What does the Queendom have to offer besides chips?" Kariss asked. She was also more formal. Her mood still has not recovered from having to deal with Caralius.

"Many things. For example, there are several iron mines near here whose output could be shifted to Westlin and the Shadow Company. I am sure we can find other things to interest you," Fairon said with a pleasing smile.

—

Kariss was technically alone in her office with its Wyldwood desk and steel accents. The smell of ink and hot tea filled the air as she relaxed in her chair with a cup of steaming liquid in her hands. She glanced up from her cup before speaking. "Are you there Shada? I am ready to go over the agreements now."

"I am here, let's review, shall we?" Shada asked as he materialized before Kariss.

"The past few weeks of negotiations have been exhausting, but I think we got some great deals," Kariss said as she sipped her tea.

"It would seem so from your written reports," Shada agreed.

Shada was quite pleased with how the meeting with the dwarves had gone. Dwarven skyships would be making regular trips to Westlin to pick up Shadow Steel and other products while dropping off ores and minerals for Shada to study. Tentative plans for his own fleet of sleek metal skyships had also been established. Eventually, Shada figured he could produce his own skyships, but the designs and enchantments involved were specialties of the dwarves.

"As you know, I am least satisfied with the deal we got from the Imperial delegation. Despite being an absolute ass, Caralius is a skilled negotiator. The amount of steel they want will require a lot of expansion, but the profits are lower. However, that is somewhat balanced by them building a teleportation node just for our company to provide them with steel," Kariss said as she showed the deal to Shada.

"I see. That is far less than we are getting per pound elsewhere, but the lower shipping costs of teleportation should make up for it some. If I am not mistaken, the teleportation nodes tap the ley lines for power. I bet I can figure out how they do that with enough time, which shifts things in our favor," Shada explained as he pretended that his cat's eyes actually worked and he wasn't reading with his 360 degree spirit sight.

Kariss nodded in response before pointing to another paper with the teacup gripped in her hand. She almost sloshed tea on the desk, but her Cultivation meant her reflexes were supernaturally acute.

"Now the Gloddus deal is particularly good for us as they are trading raw materials in addition to chips. Fairon indicated that we may be able to buy those nearby mines outright in the future," Kariss said with a hint of enthusiasm returning to her voice.

They spent several hours discussing the details before Shada left. By that point Kariss looked ready for bed and everything of importance could wait for another day.

The Shadow Companies growth was exceptional and they were expanding in multiple directions, but Shada was the limiting factor. He did the key enchantments personally with Vanestra's help and oversaw their maintence. This meant that everything was centralized at the growing Company compound in Westlin.

Shada had plans to add more business to the Shadow Companies growing umbrella. He was hoping to open Shadow Shipping using dwarven crafted metal airships. It would give his company direct control over trade routes and spread their products near and far.