Sava’s council house stood above the river, with the old storm barrier visible through the east windows. Its stone ribs rose along the bank, holding back the water and a web of ward lines that had been repaired for generations.
Yan and Wei came with Sava’s invitation. Ning and Bai waited outside with the route map, where the council could see them if it wanted to ask about supplies. Sava had said the discussion would concern the barrier first.
“The Registry’s order says we must send our garrison to the capital,” a councilwoman said. “The coalition wants our routes. If we join, who controls the ward?”
“Your council does,” Wei said. “The compact does not require you to turn the barrier off.”
“And if the Registry sends an activation command?” another council member asked. “The seal is tied to their relay.”
“You can obey it or isolate the command line,” Wei said. “That choice belongs to your town. We won’t force it.”
The ward engineer sat at the end of the table with a rough drawing of the town’s seal. “We cannot cut the relay in the middle of a storm. The barrier may fail if the wrong line is severed.”
