Chapter 852: Path to Hell III

As Leon walked away from Santiago, he found Alix waiting just outside of the cages. The rest of his retinue who’d come with him were tending to the rest of the recently freed slaves, handing out food and healing spells, and while they were all giving him some curious looks, Alix had been the only one to wait.

“So,” she matter-of-factly began, “we freeing him, boss? Or waiting?”

“Waiting,” Leon answered as he glanced back at Santiago. It seemed that their short chat had tired the man out, for he’d slipped into unconsciousness almost as soon as Leon exited his cage. “I’d rather get a—”

“You’re not freeing him?” one of the slaves asked a little indignantly.

The slave was a slip of a girl, barely five feet tall and thin as a rail. Despite this, she was still quite pretty, despite being dressed in rags and looking like she hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in weeks. She was fairly magically weak, being only of the first-tier, and judging by her appearance, Leon estimated that she was in her mid-to-late twenties.

Her question drew the attention of the other former slaves, and Leon felt all of their eyes turn to him, most of them appearing just as indignant as the girl who’d asked him was.

“Not immediately,” Leon answered. “We have a… history with this guy. He used to be a bandit, one that ran a rather rapacious group of deserters from the army of the Cortuban Alliance. I haven’t seen him in almost twenty years, and—”

“Whatever he was before, he’s changed!” the girl declared, and at first, Leon was tempted to write it off as naivety. However, even the older and more magically powerful former slaves behind her were nodding in agreement.

“Why do you say this?” Leon asked, keeping his tone soft to avoid sounding too confrontational.

“He protected us while we’ve been here!” she practically shouted, though Leon noted that Santiago didn’t stir. “Whenever one of those beasts tried to beat us, he would always shout and insult them, drawing them to him! And after it was all done, he’d comfort us when things seemed dark! He’s not a bad man!”

Leon cocked an eyebrow and glanced again at all those behind the girl.

“Do all of you agree with this woman’s assessment?” he loudly asked.

“I do!”

“So do I!”

“And me!”

The strongest of the mages amongst them answered, and about three-quarters of the others nodded in agreement. Those who didn’t nod at least didn’t seem like they were disagreeing, either—more like they were simply opinionless and wanted to leave.

“All right then,” Leon responded. “I’ll consult with my people, but we’ll take your opinions into consideration.”

None of them responded, but given the way some of them stared back at Santiago, Leon used his darkness magic and silently ordered Alix and Gaius, [Guard Santiago. No one frees him without my say-so.]

Alix subtly nodded and took up a position in front of Santiago’s cage, while Gaius posted up on the other side of the warehouse.

“In the meantime,” Leon said after a few moment’s pause, “why don’t we all get out of here and get someone more comfortable?”

—

It took about three hours for Leon to get all of the former slaves comfortable in the tavern. He’d had to move the captured smugglers since most of the slaves not only saw them as captors but had also personally suffered at many of their hands. Leon wasn’t averse to executing the smugglers since he couldn’t spare the time to make sure they reached the care of the Pegasi States, but he also didn’t want to just kill them all without exploring their other options first.

So, he had all of the smugglers put into the cages that the slaves had just come out of, slapping down some privacy wards to ensure they were isolated in their cages, and then had his retinue assemble in the warehouse while the former slaves rested and went through the tavern finding all of the possible supplies they could.

“So, what should we do with him?” Leon asked, nodding pointedly at the still-unconscious form of Santiago. He’d had both Marcus and Anshu see to the man’s wounds, ensuring that he was at least stable, so he wasn’t worried that the man was still out.

“Has he changed?” Gaius wondered aloud. “I’ve rarely heard of former bandits—they usually either die while carrying out their illegal schemes or never change their nature. This man wasn’t just any old bandit, either, he led a massive group of deserters who had been sworn to the Cortuban Pentarchy. Desertion, banditry, and all the other crimes that his people perpetrated aren’t things that one can just walk away from.”

“And he didn’t,” Alix pointed out. “He was imprisoned, nearly executed as a slave gladiator, and then, as far as he told us, spent the next years enslaved. It’s not like he just went back to his old ways. Besides, didn’t those bandits desert the Cortuban army because they weren’t paid or supplied?”

“Crimes done to you don’t excuse crimes you do to others,” Gaius protested.

“I’m with Gaius on that point, at least,” Marcus interjected. “His crimes back in the Alliance were great. And yet, the slaves we freed here seem to hold some affection for him. That’s… promising, at least.”

“Kill him,” Red declared without giving anyone else time to respond. “He is a threat. Kill him now. If those pitiful humans argue, kill them too. They owe us their lives.”

“We’re not killing those we just saved,” Leon admonished.

Red shrugged. “I didn’t think you would, but it would be the best course of action, wouldn’t it? Killing this man? If you don’t know if he’s a threat, then burn him before he can grow and prove himself one.”

[Heh,] Xaphan whispered from Leon’s soul realm, [I like her. She knows the value of fire.]

[Does she? What value does fire have if you use it to solve all your problems? Gotta conserve it, demon, else it’s going to depreciate.]

Xaphan just chuckled and went quiet as Leon’s retinue continued to debate their options.

“I’d prefer we didn’t jump straight to killing this man,” Marcus protested. “Still, I don’t trust him, either.”

“Would you lose any sleep if we did give him my ax?” Alcander asked as he hefted the weapon in question, his killing intent spiking for a moment.

“No, but we’re not barbarians.” Marcus turned his eyes over to Leon. “… Are we?”

“We are people who want to live,” Leon replied. “We’re people who don’t want to unleash a reaving, raping, murderous sixth-tier bandit upon the world.”

“Are you planning on trying to recruit him again?” Valeria whispered, silencing any reply Marcus might’ve had.

“No,” Leon said without hesitation. “That was a mistake on my part. Not making that again.”

Valeria nodded and took a step back.

“I would prefer we didn’t kill him,” Anshu said. “I think he would be fine if we released him. Those who know him best as he is now are those we just freed. If they’re on his side, then doesn’t that show us all we need? Besides, he can help them get to safety, and we wouldn’t have to turn them loose into the swamp.”

“But how much do they know of his past?” Gaius asked. “They don’t understand what he did in the Alliance! All they know is what he did for them, and from the sounds of it, it wasn’t even that much!”

“He provided comfort in a situation where they could expect none,” Anshu coldly replied. “He distracted the guards when they grew violent.”

“Guards who considered you a fellow just a few days ago,” Gaius darkly mumbled.

Anshu’s expression grew wroth, but Leon immediately interposed himself between them.

“That’s enough!” he loudly stated, his aura flaring as he suppressed them both and kept them from doing anything to each other. When he was sure they were backing down, he said, “The decision is mine, but I value all of your opinions. Does anyone have anything they’d like to add to the discussion?”

He looked at each of his people in turn, making eye contact with everyone. He lingered a little longer with Anzu and Maia, seeing as they’d both been silent, but it was clear enough that neither of them had much of an opinion on these matters. However, he did note that Anzu was still watching him, and Leon was reminded of the example that he wanted to set for the young griffin.

“All right, then,” he said. “Marcus. Al. You’re both on guard duty. I’m going to talk to the people and see what they have to say about Santiago. I’ll come to my decision within the hour. Gaius, Alix, head to the main office and give the building another sweep. Everyone else, get helping them with gathering supplies.”

With only one last rather vitriolic look exchanged between Gaius and Anshu, his group went to work, and he sought out the former slaves for questioning. However, all of the information gathered largely matched up with the impression he’d received when they’d assumed he wasn’t going to free Santiago earlier. All of them either thought of Santiago positively or had no real opinion of the man. He even heard a few rather grisly stories about certain ‘powerful’ men who’d come to inspect Santiago, and the agonies they’d inflicted upon him during their inspections.

With all of that now floating around in his mind, Leon took another half hour to think, and as the former slaves were finalizing their gathering of supplies, Leon made his decision.

—

Santiago practically fell to the floor as the chains were removed. Despite his power, he was weak and emaciated, and several of the former slaves rushed forward to help Santiago up.

Most of Leon’s retinue wasn’t particularly happy with this outcome, but Leon felt at least a little vindicated that people were willing to help the man in this situation.

Santiago was a little more conscious at this point, but he was able to mumble no more than a few thanks before the former slaves whisked him off to the tavern.

“I hope that doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass,” Gaius said.

“I’ll have him watched,” Leon said. “I’ll hope for the best, but if he turns back to his old ways, I’ll deal with it personally.”

That seemed to mollify those of his retainers that weren’t enthusiastic about his decision. So, while Santiago was being seen to, he finally decided to take care of the bit of business he’d come to the outpost to conduct.

—

Leon sat alone in the most private room in the outpost: Remi’s old office. In front of him was a silver and glass container, within which was his comm lotus. He’d given an identical copy of what now lay in front of him to the Jaguar when the Sky Devil had departed, ensuring they could communicate when they needed to.

Leon began activating the enchantments on the container, keying in the specific code for the Jaguar’s lotus. Before the man had left, it had been with the understanding that Leon would make this call once he was in the south and ready to head to Kataigida. It would only be then that they would work out the specifics of how exactly that would happen, as the situation in the Veins of Vigilance could change at any time and complicate Leon’s arrival.

It took a worryingly long time for Leon’s comm lotus to connect with the Jaguar’s. He’d assumed that it would work fine since it was able to connect him and his family when they were in Occulara and he in the Forest of Black and White, but the longer the projected screen over the silver and glass container remained simply opaque light, the more he worried that he’d have to proceed without the Jaguar.

Just as a scowl was carving its way across his features, the screen flashed and then began to grow distinct. Leon perked up as a figure began to take shape within the screen, and slowly, that figure resolved into the familiar visage of the Jaguar. To Leon’s relative shock, the man wasn’t alone, but stood with two aged figures to his right and left.

“Leon,” he growled, his deep voice resonating through the connection of their comm lotuses. “Apologies if I took too long to answer you, I had to find my fellow elders.”

Leon smiled. “That’s… fine. I’m not generally keen on surprises, but this is fine. Perhaps introductions are in order?”

“Yes,” the Jaguar replied. “This is Ioannis,” he said as he indicated the man on his right, and the man on his left he introduced, “and this is Nicanor. Our Tribe has many elders, but these two can represent the whole council for this talk.”

“Greetings,” Leon said, wishing that the comm lotuses were able to read auras so that he could gauge Ioannis and Nicanor’s power. As it was, all he knew about them was that they were fairly tanned and aged and that neither of them were dressed particularly ostentatiously. “I am Leon Raime, the only living heir of the Thunderbird.”

“An honor it is to finally meet you,” Nicanor immediately stated. “I assure you that our entire Tribe awaits your arrival with bated breath! To have the long-lost bloodline of our ancient Kings finally restored to us… oh, the thought alone brings me joy!”

Ioannis was a little more circumspect, but he nodded in time with Nicanor’s words.

“Mm. Yes. My arrival is exactly what this call is supposed to establish. Now, as it is, I and my followers have flown down to the Pegasi States, near the coast, about parallel with the midpoint of the Sword.”

“That… is a dangerous area,” the Jaguar replied seriously. “It was a long shot in the first place, but I don’t think there’s even the slightest chance that we’re going to get a ship to you from there. You’re going to have to get to the Sword, and then we’ll be able to pick you up.”

“And your people on the island won’t try to attack us?” Leon asked.

“I’ve taken the liberty of sending some of my best people to wait there, just in case, along with several of my Tribe’s fastest ships. They will abide by our agreement, and they will do so discreetly, ensuring that none of the other Tribes are aware of your presence until you’ve arrived on Kataigida.”

“How wise is that?” Leon wondered aloud. “You would make me King, yet demand that I slink unseen into the lands of those who you would have acclaim me their ruler? I rather think that showing up as the Thunderbird reborn would make more of an impact.”

“What a splendid idea!” Nicanor obsequiously gushed. “No good man of the Ten Tribes would ever protest your enthronement then!”

“There are problems,” Ioannis growled, his voice even deeper than the Jaguar’s. “We don’t know if you’ll be able to penetrate the misty veil that guards our fair island against all interlopers. The barbarians on the mainland are able to get through, but their ships are strong, and they’ve had many millennia to figure out their way through. Even then, they cannot penetrate the veil without danger.”

“How high does this veil extend?” Leon asked. “I can fly just about as high as anyone can without venturing out into the empty Void.”

“The mist itself only rises so far, but the magic that protects Kataigida forms a shell around the island,” Ioannis said.

“Not a perfect one,” the Jaguar corrected. “The Imperials, using some of those new flight devices that have been popping up recently, have managed to get some scouts through in the north, though I know not how.”

Leon felt that, were he not already concentrating on smiling pleasantly, he might’ve reacted more obviously to that statement. As it was, he let it go by without confirming that it was likely his flight suits and flight belts that made this possible.

“There can be other ways to reveal you to our people and our fellow Tribes,” the Jaguar insisted. “Right now, it is my firm belief that we ought to get you here to the lands of the Jaguar Tribe, where we can make clear our support. If we do not, who knows what the Thunderer and those that support him might do? If they get wind that an heir of the Thunderbird approaches, they might do anything to make sure that you don’t reclaim the power that they’ve usurped.”

Leon’s smile finally did flicker slightly. The Thunderer was, as far as he knew, a tenth-tier mage, though one much more recently ascended compared to the Lord Protector or the Grand Druid. Only the Sunlit Emperor had been tenth-tier for less time. So, while he wasn’t the strongest that he could be, Leon could still see the wisdom in not giving the Thunderer any possible opportunities to act against him until he had more local support on the island itself.

“Very well,” he relented. “We’ll just have to come up with something more suitable for announcing me, then. For now, why don’t you explain where your people are waiting, and I’ll lead my people there.”

“It won’t be easy,” the Jaguar said. “We can get word to those waiting to expect you, but there are other defenses that have been extended around many places on the Sword. Getting anywhere without notice has been made nearly impossible.”

Leon gave him a blank look and then shrugged. “Have your people cast off, then. We’ll bypass the island and land directly on your ships as they leave the Sword. Let’s not make this rendezvous too complicated if we don’t have to.”

The Jaguar frowned slightly, but after only a moment of contemplation, he nodded. “We can do that…”

They went over the finer details for a little while longer before their call had to end. But once it did, Leon smiled, for he was now set to reach the Sky Devil’s Hell in only a few days.