Chương 1130: 1160 - Second Wave

The sky was clear and the light of the Origin Spark freely shone down into the Artor Valley. Leon was sad to see Mir's storm clear up, but after receiving some concerns about life in the valley with such a permanent storm around it, he ventured to the top of the nine-peaked mountain and asked Mir to relax. For its part, Mir didn't require much persuading. It mostly used its power to protect itself, deterring most people from attempting to visit.

With Leon personally vowing to keep it safe and isolated, maintaining its desired peace, it was fine with retracting its power. Once it did, Leon gave a further order to allow the misty veil to dissipate, bringing light and peace back to the mountains surrounding the Artor Valley once again. The misty veil was enchanted to help keep native flora and fauna alive within it, but it was simply healthier—not to mention cheaper, magically speaking—to not keep the misty veil up in perpetuity.

Though he preferred overcast skies and the resonance he felt within his blood to fierce weather, seeing his valley bathed in pseudo-sunlight brought a measure of peace to Leon's mind that he relished. So, with Maia at his side, he flew a ways up the nine-peaked mountain where she'd found a small mountain spring overlooking the western part of the valley, and there they sat and simply enjoyed the weather and view. At least, until Leon received a message from Elise—Numa was hoping to meet with him.

Leon acquiesced, though not without great reluctance. He'd already charged Gaius and Clear Day to head up negotiations with Numa, signaling his intentions with those picks when he could've asked Alcander or the Jaguar to handle them. He'd thought Numa would take part in those negotiations, but it seemed he was mistaken about that. Elise escorted Numa to the spring only a few minutes later, and she and a rather sulky Maia went off into the forest by the spring, leaving Leon alone with Numa.

The silence between them lasted for a considerable time. Leon wanted Numa to explain why he requested the meeting, and it seemed that Numa was expecting him to castigate him or something of that nature given how on edge and apprehensive he seemed to be. But Leon was patient and more than willing to wait the other King out, and Numa finally rose to the unspoken challenge.

"Negotiations are proceeding. But I was hoping we could speed them along." Leon gave him a side-eyed look. Numa was standing ramrod straight while Leon lounged on a boulder that he'd used earth magic to roughly carve into the shape of a recliner.

"Have you an offer for me?" he asked. Numa breathed deeply, his apprehension slowly giving way to determination.

"Are you a threat to my Kingdom?" he bluntly asked.

"I am a threat to those that threaten my Kingdom. Which you have."

"Is there no possibility for reconciliation, then?"

"There is." Numa's gaze sharpened until Leon half-smiled and added, "Your submission will be reconciliation enough for me. Shatufan, however…"

"I have never known Shatufan or its representatives to act in any way other than honorable," Numa stated. After a moment's thought, his fingers curled into a loose fist and he clarified, "Or… Maybe… Maybe more honorable than others, but less than some. They've dealt with my Highcastle fairly, even if they—even though they always act in their own self-interest first and foremost."

"As everyone does. What do you think my self-interest is, Numa?" Numa gave him a long, searching look. Instead of directly answering, he stated, "The annexation of another Kingdom will always present certain problems."

"Aye. That's why I'm not demanding annexation. Only submission. Continue ruling your land, so long as you acknowledge me as your King." Numa turned and stared out at the valley. He breathed deeply, his eyes barely moving to take in the spectacular view. After taking the time to work himself up to it, he said, "You ask a heavy price. I almost wish I led that expedition against my better judgment. And died alongside my cousin. For a King to kneel…"

Leon smiled shallowly and asked, "Is it right to have a King show such pride in this circumstance? I won't spare your Kingdom if you reject my terms." Numa snorted.

"What King doesn't have pride? What King shouldn't have pride? Do you have none? Do you believe I shouldn't?" Leon's smile grew and he finally turned to face Numa fully, his appreciation for the other King marginally growing. Numa continued, "All Kings must have pride. If they have none, then who would ever follow them? What… Who would follow them? Why would—Why should anyone follow a King who won't stand up for himself, let alone those he would rule over? Of course… Of course I have pride, Leon Raime.

As a King, I must have pride. So I ask you: if I had no pride and bowed—if I had bent my knees in your throne room when you demanded… What do you think would've happened? Do you believe my Kingdom would've submitted to you themselves? If I do not rule them as they expect to be ruled, then they will… they'll be unruly, and you would have to conquer them anyway." Leon sat up a little straighter and regarded Numa in a new light.

Despite his unimpressive physique, Leon was finding more to appreciate the man almost by the sentence.

"Even with such a loss inflicted upon you? Even with threats of annihilation at my hands? Still, you think this way?" Numa spun around to look him in the eye, his expression set with determination and his arms folded across his chest.

"I do. And so do you."

"You think to know what's in my head?" Leon challenged, a current of amusement running within his tone.

"Such is the position you found yourself in with Terris, is it not? And still, you were resolved to fight to the bitter end." Numa darkly chuckled.

"You made quite a few people in the Far West unhappy with your survival, that's—that's for sure." Leon pushed himself off the boulder. His opinion of the other King was rapidly increasing, but he needed another challenge.

"So you're saying that your pride is worth it? That risking my displeasure is worth maintaining your pride? I could carve a bloody path through your Kingdom if sufficiently angered…"

"Was it worth it to you?" Numa countered.

"You suffered, that much—that much is known. It's plain—I can plainly see it. Was it worth it to resist such a powerful foe?" Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Another challenge. Just one more.

"I won."

"This time. What about next time? What if it's a Basileus who comes next time? Or an Anax? Would you—Will you submit then, to spare your Kingdom a way you cannot win? Or would— will you take any chance at all to win a second time?" Leon's smile threatened to split his face in half. He took a few steps forward and clapped Numa on the shoulder, surprising the other man.

"I've decided that I like you, Numa," Leon said.

"I was planning on using the prisoners I took from your expedition for bargaining power."

"The survivors of the expedition were picked up, they're home already," Numa said leadingly.

"Only those few I released," Leon replied.

"Loia and a dozen others. Plus those from the other cities." Numa's eyes widened, but he otherwise checked his reaction.

"My cousin's alive?"

"Yes, though she wishes not to be. Apparently, someone she cared about died as your force was advancing upon my city." A sigh almost deeper than any Leon had ever heard escaped Numa's lips.

"Loia… She asked… She asked to lead my army in this. I don't think she expected much resistance from you. Maybe… Maybe they'd get close and you'd come to terms. I thought… I thought otherwise, but my ministers argued in favor of a more lionish approach." Leon hummed in acknowledgment.

"I will release them to you, free of ransom or other demands." Numa frowned.

"Such things—Such gifts are never free."

"Neither was this one," Leon responded.

"This exchange has been payment enough. Now, come and sit with me. Do you like to hunt?" Numa hesitated, clearly unsure how to take Leon's sudden friendly demeanor.

"I… Yes, all men of the Highcastle enjoy such pursuits."

"What do you hunt, then?" Leon asked.

"I admit that I rarely have much time to hone my skills, but my childhood was spent hunting with my father far from human civilization, and I wouldn't mind heading out to sharpen my skills soon. Perhaps you could join me?" A long pause followed, and Numa opened and closed his mouth several times. Finally, he stated, "The Blackbone Fens might be your best bet for hard… for spirited quarry. For others—For more dangerous fare, then the Red Mountains are better." Leon cocked an eyebrow.

The Red Mountains were what those from Highcastle called the mountains around the Artor Valley and south of the Southfells around the Finger Lakes, he gathered. The mountains themselves weren't particularly red, but the enormous trees that grew upon them were.

"Consider this an official invitation, then," Leon pushed.

"When all this is over, let's go hunting!" Numa merely nodded, and Leon put thoughts of the other man's Kingdom from his mind for the time being. Such matters could be left to their respective negotiators. For now, the best thing for their people was if their rulers had a workable personal relationship. So, Leon chatted with Numa for a few minutes longer before allowing the man to leave. Numa would submit to him, or his Kingdom would be destroyed. But that didn't mean they couldn't be friends, did it?

From within the Red Mountains, Leon looked upon it: the portal through which he'd entered the Nexus. Behind them were Silver Spear, Bolt in Shadow, and Bright Intent, while next to him hovered Clear Day, Anastasios, and Eva, along with two hundred of their respective followers. The four of them had recovered from their physical wounds sustained during the war, but none of their guard details had sat the fighting out and had suffered for it.

Leon still had around three hundred Tempest Knights remaining, but the couple dozen from Anastasios and Eva's guards were about all they had left. For a little while longer, anyway. While they waited, Leon let his gaze wander. They were hovering high enough that he could see with his eyes Sentudon and bits of Shatufan. Krizos was too far away and behind too many hills, mountains, and forests—and with the way the Nexus was structured, clouds —for him to see clearly, however.

"Still no word…" he whispered.

"I'd be impressed at their obstinance if they were resisting anyone but me."

"We would all do the same in their situation," Anastasios said almost proudly.

"Perhaps not the smartest option given the threat arrayed against them, but they yet have forces they can call upon. Perhaps they still do not quite understand the gravity of their situation even after the defeat of their expedition."

"They understand well," Eva coldly argued.

"What I doubt they understand is their own strength. Or the more prideful among them are demanding death before negotiation." Leon grinned slightly at the mention of pride. Negotiations hadn't lasted long with Numa, and for the most part, he'd agreed to Leon's terms. He hadn't formally submitted yet, however, as he had to return to Rolor's Highcastle and properly prepare his Kingdom for becoming a Principality instead.

He took Loia home with him, as well as the other Highcastle prisoners, but that wasn't the only thing he could be grateful for—Leon had allowed the Highcastle itself to remain standing so long as his demanded monument to the Thunderbird was still built. In general, his other demands were met; it had only been the amount of tribute demanded that had taken so long to negotiate. Again, Leon was lenient, but his demands were still more than nominal.

In the end, an amount was given, which could be met with either Titanstone or Lumenite—both of which Highcastle produced, to Leon's surprise. They didn't have any Titanstone mines, but they did refine it from elsewhere, and they also had relatively small facilities for producing Lumenite. If the entire tribute was given in Lumenite, they'd be giving half again as much as Alhamachim was obligated to give. Given the other privileges Leon afforded Highcastle, it wasn't that bad.

They were wealthier and more powerful than Alhamachim, so despite giving more in tribute, it was a smaller percentage of what they produced. Instead, the hardest condition of Leon's was the demand for Numa's personal submission and his demotion from King to Prince. If the other three cities remained stubborn, they'd wish for such problems. Leon was ready to lay them low if they refused him.

He wouldn't send envoys out to negotiate with them; if they didn't send any to him, then his armada would arrive on their doorstep, and they could negotiate with his Lances. For the moment, his armada wasn't that impressive, though it was still the dominant force west of the Bolt Mountains. All but his ancient arks were essentially too damaged to fly far from the Artor Valley. But… with what was about to arrive, they wouldn't have to.

A chime sounded from the comm slate in his hand, and when Leon answered, Anshu's face from the bridge of Bolt in Shadow appeared.

"Your Majesty, they're coming through now." Light flashed around the portal, and the noses of the leading arks came flying through. The familiar shapes of Thunderman arks soon resolved themselves, pushing ahead to make room for those that followed. First came the scout frigates, and Leon couldn't help but quickly count them as they appeared.

'… Twenty-four,' he finished with a wide grin. Not a single one lost in their jump. Though the Nestorian drives weren't nearly as good as the Leonine drives, the wisps sent back to Aeterna had apparently been enough to ensure their smallest arks reached the Nexus without losses. Behind the frigates came the rest of the armada; two city arks, eight carriers, twelve heavy cruisers, and fourteen destroyers.

Twice the fleet that Leon had taken to the Nexus, minus the ancient arks—the Ravens must've busted their asses to build so many in only a year. Leon guessed that Iron-Striker must have successfully gotten the other Tribes to help in building these new arks while he was gone.

'I'll have to head back to Aeterna soon to see for myself,' Leon thought, though when that could be, he didn't know. He certainly couldn't take the time to visit for long, but putting in an appearance in his Kingdom proper was probably a good idea, if only to remind the Ten Tribes that he was still their King. The newly arrived arks hovered in front of the portal as if presenting themselves for his inspection, and he couldn't help but look them over with an appraising eye.

He found nothing to criticize; they were all impeccable as far as he could tell—which, to be fair, wasn't that much from the outside. But they were certainly going to soon prove their capabilities for all to see. Leon glanced at the projection of Anshu over his comm slate.

"Have them moved quickly. We're closer to Sentudon than I'd like, and I don't want to give any stupid people ideas." Anshu nodded and began barking orders. Leon felt the magic engines of the arks thrum seconds later as they flew overhead, due south. With Terris gone and his only threats coming from the cities of the Far West, this fleet now made Artorion untouchable—or, more accurately, even more untouchable than it already was.

More excitingly, the colonists aboard the city arks were going to be a great boon to the city's development. And depending on how the cities took his sudden increase in power, he might soon be sending the fleet back to Aeterna after they unloaded their cargo and passengers. With Artorion secure, he could spare the arks to bring more colonists more quickly. He sighed as he and his group returned to the ancient arks to follow the armada back to Artorion.

Soon, this would be cleaned up and he would be able to relax without fear for his new city. Soon.