Chương 1197: 1227 - Leaving for the Games

Magic pulsed within the comms room, rippling slightly as it brushed up against the privacy wards, and then concentrated in the large slate in the center of the room. Light shone from the slate's face, resolving into the figure of Justin, Valeria's father.

"King Leon," he whispered deferentially. It had been a long time since Leon had pulled him from Nestor's veritable tomb, and though he remained respectful, that time had also given him a sense of familiarity that Leon wasn't entirely comfortable with. Valeria sat with him, though, and he wasn't going to make that big of a deal out of Justin's almost easygoing attitude.

"Justin," he replied.

"Father," Valeria warmly added, her face alight with such joy that Leon almost felt guilty that he couldn't forget who was responsible for his father's death. Almost.

"You're looking better than the last time we checked in," Leon observed as his eyes quickly flitted over Justin, giving him a once-over. The man had long since recovered fully from his injuries, and though he hadn't yet achieved Apotheosis, he'd at least grown to the tenth-tier. Such growth required resources, and fortunately, Justin had been upfront with where his resources had come from—the same place the rest of his outfit had come from.

He was bedecked in vibrant green robes with a simple golden chain hanging from his neck. His wrists were clad in golden bracers with painted eyes over his wrists, and his long silver hair was kept in check by a tight braid and a thin golden circlet. In the center of the circlet was a pale opal, cloudy but shifting unnaturally in the light.

All of the gold, Leon knew, wasn't being worn by choice but rather as a result of Justin's alliance with Anassa Auset, one of the few fifteenth-tier Anakes in the Storm Lands that had actively involved herself in the conflict between Kamran and Halbast—on the side of Halbast. From what Leon understood, her open support for Kamran's rival had greatly increased his personal power, securing much of his territory from assault and allowing him to push more power into combatting Kamran.

Given Justin's previous position as one of Kamran's agents, he'd apparently managed to convince Auset to take him in and provide him with material support, so long as he provided her with valuable intel at the same time. To Leon's understanding, his involvement with Justin remained unknown, but Justin had managed to send word back to him every decade or so, giving him more detailed information about the goings-on in the Far East than anything else.

"The Honorable Anassa Auset has recently increased my funding," Justin explained.

"I must wear the attire of my station or else no one will listen to me. Anassa Auset has little care for informality; rigid adherence to protocol has been drilled into the skulls of those who serve under her—and in some cases, I mean that literally."

"Really?" Valeria asked skeptically.

"That seems… extreme."

"It is, my dear, but it's an undeniable show of faith and loyalty, and Auset prizes both."

"That's interesting, Justin," Leon said with as genial of a smile as he could muster, "but honestly, I was referring more to you than your fashion sense. You're looking well." For a moment, it seemed Justin was at a bit of a loss for words. Finally, he managed a surprised, "… Thank you…" After a moment spent collecting himself, he added, "Auset has been generous to me, and I have delivered results to her. She was so pleased that she recently increased my ration of Postra ambrosia."

Leon cocked an eyebrow, and Valeria explained, "It's not the best quality, but it's close. Out of all higher-quality brands of ambrosia, Postra is perhaps the most common and least expensive." A nod of thanks was Leon's response.

"What kind of information did you retrieve that gained you such treasure?"

"My efforts in the past century and a half have been focused on the Nexus."

"Yes," Leon interjected, knowing this part.

"Getting out of the Nexus has been prohibitively difficult, complicating your attempts to network." An awkward smile briefly flickered across Justin's face.

"Right. Yes. Uh… well, that changed last year. I embedded someone in the ranks of Basileus Aeschylus." As Justin paused for a moment, Leon's countenance fell sharply. Aeschylus was one of Kamran's most trusted lieutenants, being trusted with the possession of the ancient city-sized vault of the Thunderbird Clan. Forged from Adamant, it was nigh-indestructible and resistant to all attempts to crack it open, but it was only a matter of time before someone got in.

"The competition between Halbast and Kamran has been little more than a simmer out here," Justin continued.

"A few minor skirmishes—likely lesser-ranked Lords being directed to probe the other's defenses for weakness or measuring their response to pressure. Halbast has been the more aggressive, strangely, as Kamran has taken long leaves from the Nexus. Even my most trusted contacts don't entirely know what he's been doing, but whatever it is, he's taken entire fleets out into the Void."

"Conquest?" Leon wondered aloud.

"My friend in Kamran's treasury hasn't noticed any unaccounted-for uptick in taxes or tribute. The flow of people moving in and out of his territory remains in expectation. If Kamran has been out running serious campaigns, then it hasn't resulted in the acquisition of new territory or population centers—at least, none that we can measure from here." Leon frowned in concern, unsure how to take that information.

"What is he doing, then?" Valeria asked, speaking for them both with her question.

"I'd have thought that he'd be more involved in seeking the Storm Throne, so what kind of project is distracting him from that?"

"I've asked myself that many times, little one," Justin replied with a warm smile despite the subject matter.

"For now, we'll have to sate ourselves on speculation alone."

"Is he back in the Nexus now?" Leon asked, his concern over upcoming events spiking.

"Yes."

"Is he preparing to leave again in the near future?"

"That would be… unwise," Justin said with a complicated look.

"That isn't to say that he won't, I can't say for sure. All I can say is that Halbast upped his aggression while Kamran was gone, which brings us back to Aeschylus. While they've been simmering the Nexus, their conflict is heating up out in the planes. A foray by some of Halbast's Strategoi seized a minor planar cluster of little significance—which was a result of Auset's alliance as those Strategoi had previously been tasked with securing borders against a possible incursion from her.

Aeschylus responded in force, and now it's looking like the resources of the planes are being directed toward open war." Leon nodded in understanding.

"If Kamran left the Nexus now, Halbast might make a direct move."

"Those are my thoughts," Justin responded.

"But given Kamran's seeming lack of care for this competition so far, I can see him leaving the Nexus for his personal projects anyway. If he does, though, it will leave his Nexus territories vulnerable." Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"I'll be attending the Belicenian Games," Leon stated.

"So I've heard," Justin responded.

"Somewhat indirectly, of course, but there are plenty of people out here in the east who still haven't stopped talking about how the Ocean Lords finally no longer hold sway within the Storm Lands." Leon simply nodded; he wouldn't say that they held no influence given his affiliation with Miuna, but he understood Justin's point anyway.

"Should I be worried about him?" Leon directly asked. Justin's answer was swift and straightforward.

"From him personally? No. But he will have some subordinates and allies participating in the Games. Antipatra, a Basilissa in the Burning Lands, will be participating. Watch out for her more than anyone else."

"If she tries anything, we'll cut her down," Valeria declared, her determination so complete that it didn't seem there was any room in her mind for any other result.

"Confidence is good, dear girl, but keep a level head," Justin lightly chided." We'll be fine, Father," Valeria retorted as she took Leon' arm. Her defiance lasted for all of two seconds, however, her face falling as she asked, "Any word on… Mother?" Leon stiffened slightly as his hawkish gaze focused on Justin.

"She… remains under house arrest," Justin said.

"No favors I have, no contacts I've made, no bribes I can pay have allowed me to sneak a message to her. I have been continuously assured of her safety and comfort, but all of that comes second, third, and fourth-hand. As of yet, I'm not in a position to even start making a plan for freeing Ariana, let alone enacting one." A tense silence followed, Valeria slumping against Leon as he moved to get his arm around her.

As the silence stretched, he asked, "You've said in the past that Kamran was waiting for Aeschylus to open my Clan's vault. Is that still the case with everything going on?" Justin answered quickly as if in a hurry to change the subject.

"I can no longer say. With Aeschylus' involvement in the conflict with Halbast, focus is taken away from the vault. And with Kamran's frequent absences, it seems like his focus is elsewhere, too." Justin might have continued, but one of the eyes on his bracers began to glow, drawing his attention.

"Ah, please forgive me, Leon, Valeria. It seems Auset is assigning me some new duty."

"Should we be worried?" Leon asked as Valeria stiffened.

"No," Justin immediately assured them.

"My duties are fairly easy and mostly bureaucratic. Feel free to put me out of mind for the time being and focus on the Belicenian Games. Bring back a win to Artorion, you hear me?" His final statement seemed like an attempt at lightening the mood, but the awkwardness continued and even seemed to intensify.

"We'll… we will acquit ourselves well," Leon finally said. He gave Justin a nod, silently telling him that he could leave—a lifeline that Justin immediately took.

"I love you, Valeria," he said.

"I love you, too, Father," she replied. They shared one more smile before Justin raised his hand and the comm slate went dark. For long seconds that threatened to stretch into minutes, Valeria remained there with Leon, unmoving, her aura more chaotic than Leon had seen in a while. He didn't say anything, though, and simply held her against him. She would speak when she was ready. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait overly long.

"We… we need to train harder," Valeria said as her aura righted itself in response to her conviction.

"My mother rots in Kamran's prison and there's nothing we can do about it. We need to train harder!" She shot to her feet as if intending to immediately head out to train, and Leon wasn't that interested in stopping her. Instead, he sent her a challenging grin and said, "Race you there…" The challenging grin was returned, and together, they shot out of the comms room at blazing speeds.

The wind blew through the valley, rustling trees, foliage in the forests, and the growing food on the nearby farms. Birds chirped, men and women sang and shouted in the city far below, and the roar of training war beasts echoed from the mountain slopes on the eastern side of the valley. The air was fresh and clean, no clouds marred—or graced, in Leon's opinion—the sky, and the light of the Origin Spark shone down as if cosmically smiling at all its light touched. Leon loved it. He didn't want to leave yet.

He wanted to stay and chat with Nestor, the Thunderbird, and the Great Black Dragon. He wanted to meditate in Tikos' forests and study the newest enchantments coming from Nestor's lab and the Raven Tribe. He wanted to train and rocket himself as quickly as he could to the highest echelons of power in the universe. He couldn't stay, though. It was time for him to leave for the Belicenian Games.

The Games would start in just a few days less than three months, but he had people to meet first, and introductions to have. The slightest of frowns carved its way across his face, drawing the attention of the man standing next to him.

"Nervous?" Archelaus asked with a gentle smile.

"Not much," Leon responded as he focused on the area around him. The last checks were being made to the task force he'd be leading to Belicenion, consisting of his four ancient arks and some of the strongest mages he could wrangle together. He wasn't leaving Artorion defenseless, but he wanted to make an impression. To that end, Iron-Striker was staying behind, but the Jaguar, Sar, and Singer-in-Caves would be joining him. Additionally, all of his wives were joining him, too, as were most of his friends.

He'd have Clear Day with him for diplomatic dealings, and Red there to eat his enemies if they looked at him funny. Almost more than all of them, he had Archelaus beside him, an ally of sorts even if their alliance was rather informal. They stood on a stone platform on the south side of the valley, watching the task force finish its last checks and boarding the last few stragglers. In less than an hour, they would be leaving Artorion behind.

"Not even about how your teams will perform?" Archelaus asked.

"Some treat the Belicenian Games as little more than entertainment, but others place much stock in sporting events. They might take it as a matter of pride that their teams win, no matter what they have to do to make that happen."

"I have confidence in my teams," Leon simply replied. Given what was allowed in the Games, he had three large chariot teams and more than fifty pre-Apotheosis gladiators, including several elders and Chiefs, already loaded into Storm Herald. He'd be meeting with them not long after they set out to assure them of his confidence and the lack of consequences for failure aside from a bruised ego.

'That will be motivation enough given the pride of athletes,' Leon thought.

"I'm ready," he said to the other Despot.

"Let's go." Archelaus nodded, and together, they took off. They separated on approach to Storm Herald, and where Leon flew directly into the ark's main hangar, Archelaus rose above it slightly and conjured his method of transportation: the eight-sided mechanical compass-thing that Leon knew he was wont to ride. Elise, Valeria, Cassandra, Maia, and a host of others met Leon in the hangar, and nearly all of them bowed as he made his entrance.

"Relax," his voice boomed as he set down next to his wives. To them, he asked with greater confidence even as his voice returned to a more normal volume, "Ready to see these Games?"

"Absolutely!" Elise said vigorously, a look of extreme excitement spreading across her face. Leon knew she'd always been a fan of athletic competitions, gladiators and chariot races in particular—which was partially why those particular sports had proliferated throughout his Kingdom over the past two centuries.

"This will be quite the spectacle," Valeria said.

"I look forward to gauging out potential friends and enemies."

"And beating the latter black and blue!" Cassandra added with a vicious grin. Maia, more aloof than any of them, merely pulsed their connection with an almost territorial feeling of love and support, which Leon returned gladly.

"Wonderful," Leon said as he turned from them and addressed the rest of the crowd in the hangar. Most of them were the crew members of the ark making sure everything was properly stored and locked down for the upcoming jumps through the Void, but there were a few support staff for the athletes who had only just boarded the ark before Leon, and much of their equipment was still unsecured. Despite this, everyone had stopped at his entrance, and now nearly all eyes in the room were on him.

"Be prepared for anything," Leon said to them.

"We have no idea what will happen on Belicenion. But more than anything: be prepared for victory!" Thunderous stomping and shouting answered him and seemed to echo throughout the enormous ark. With a smile on his face, Leon led his family to their private chambers, and soon after, Storm Herald, escorted by Bolt in Shadow, Silver Spear, and Bright Intent, flew northward from Artorion. Archelaus seemed to easily putter alongside them on his flying octagon, keeping pace despite how paradoxically slow he seemed.

Leon almost wanted to repeat his invitation to the man to host him on Storm Herald, but he knew that Archelaus would only refuse, as he'd done every time Leon had made the same invitation. In just a few hours, they would emerge into the Void and then begin making their jumps to link up with their fellow Storm Lords. Far to the south, Leon knew that Miuna was doing likewise, having left Artorion just a few days ago laden with her share of Titanstone that had been extracted from the mine on the southern shore.

For one hundred and fifty years Leon had been in the Nexus, but the hard beating of his heart against his chest reminded him that this, more than his initial arrival to the Nexus, would be his true entrance to the politics, problems, and people of the Nexus. These few days between him and the other Storm Lords would be the last days when he was still a relatively unknown figure in the Far West, known only for the apparently common claim of descent from the Thunderbird and for defeating Despot Terris' assault.

Soon, the Storm Lords would know him personally, beyond his reputation, for better and for worse…