Leon stared at the document in his hand, his eyes not taking in a word that was written upon it. Despite the fact that it was a report from his researchers that promised to help him fix the problems he’d had with his darkness gem—namely its inability to make him incorporeal when he used it, as true darkness mages could do—he couldn’t concentrate even a little bit on it.

The reason was fairly simple: he was harboring a Sky Devil in Occulara, and not just any Sky Devil, but the ninth-tier commander who’d led the sacking of Argos and sank so much of the Imperial Fleets that they were still recovering.

And that man had proclaimed him to be his King. The King of the Sky Devils, or the ‘Ten Tribes’, as he’d called them.

Leon wanted that much, but having it dropped so neatly into his lap had him feeling terribly cautious. The fact that the Jaguar had admitted to Leon’s face that his support started and ended with his own Tribe didn’t help matters. If Leon wanted to become the King of his Clan’s former vassals, starting his reign by starting a civil war amongst their people was hardly the way he wanted to begin.

He’d consulted with his retainers and his family, and while everyone was about on the same page of thinking that this was some kind of trap, Leon was a little more skeptical. It had been about a day since the meeting with the Jaguar, and in that time, Leon had wondered at the wisdom of sending someone as powerful and important as the Jaguar to simply act as bait. That had the terrible possibility of backfiring, and ninth-tier mages didn’t exactly grow on trees. If the Jaguar were caught somehow, or otherwise lost—hardly implausible, especially given how close he and Anshu came to being caught when first bringing him onto the continent—then the Sky Devils would’ve lost an essentially irreplaceable asset.

Beyond that, Leon simply didn’t think the Jaguar was lying. His encounter with the man in Argos had him reasonably convinced that the Jaguar was fairly honorable, especially since he’d backed off as soon as Leon had revealed his bloodline, despite Leon not having the power to actually stop him if he’d pressed onward with his sack.

In some ways, he was placing himself at Leon’s mercy as Leon had placed himself at the Jaguar’s back in Argos.

Leon sighed as he contemplated this problem. The Jaguar had been moved to a safer location where he now awaited with the rest of his people. Anastasios and the Grand Druid were still staying in Leon’s villa, so keeping a Sky Devil there would be beyond foolish.

But if there was one person Leon wanted to know about this, it was the Director, both to fulfill his obligation to their partnership and to simply get the man’s advice and support. If Leon accepted the Jaguar’s offer, then he would be relying on the Director to watch over his assets back here in Occulara, after all.

Unfortunately, the man was away, which had taken Leon by surprise. He wondered what kind of business might take the Director out of his office since he’d seldom seen the man outside of it…

… Save for when he dealt with Rufus and when the Director had shown him his Clan’s arks.

‘He’d better be seeing to something of equal imp—’ Leon began to think when Talal stuck his head into Leon’s office.

“He’s back,” the Samarid man said, and Leon all but threw the reports he was reading into his soul realm and sprang to his feet.

Without a word, Leon made his way over to the Hexagon, and the Director’s office within.

Upon being shown in, he found the Director standing in front of his desk, his back turned to the door.

“I heard you were looking for me, Leon,” he said in gravelly tones.

“There’s been… a development,” Leon responded.

“Let me guess: the Grand Druid’s ark is more important than we first thought? Or does the Lord Protector have need of you now, so that he can show up the Grand Druid a bit?”

Bluntly, Leon informed the Director, “The Sky Devils sent someone to meet with me. I met with him in my own home.”

The Director spun around, rare surprise carved into his aged features.

“The Jaguar,” Leon continued, “the one I fought in Argos. He’s claiming that his people want me to be their King. Not all of the Sky Devils, but the Tribe he’s aligned with.”

The Director’s face quickly righted itself to its usual business-like demeanor. “That’s… serious,” he growled. “Where’s the Sky Devil now?”

“I put him up in a small villa just outside of Occulara. Quiet. Out of the way. No reason for them to be seen there.”

“That won’t be enough. We need security. We need… so many things.”

“We need to talk before we do anything. No one’s looking for Sky Devils in Occulara, and I think we can afford to wait until the end of this conversation before we start figuring out what to do with those already here.”

The Director lightly scowled but tipped his head slightly. “Agreed. A strategy going forward is needed before we can decide how to handle this ‘Jaguar’. Tell me what you know.”

Leon quickly informed of what little the Jaguar had told him the night before.

“Fascinating,” the Director murmured as Leon finished his short explanation. “We know so little of the Sky Devils, getting someone so high up in their rank structure that we can speak with is a rare pleasure… Leon, all caution must be taken to prevent this Jaguar from falling into Imperial hands. Such a valuable target isn’t one they’d be willing to just let go.”

“I’m aware of that. I’m more concerned about whether or not I ought to accept his offer, or whether or not I should head to their island…”

“Has this not been your goal for years, now? You’ve been speaking a great deal for more than a decade about the Sky Devils, and now an opportunity comes to see their lands and speak with their leaders, and you’re balking?”

“Everyone’s convinced that it’s a trap. I… it’s a possibility that can’t be ignored.”

The Director sighed. “It would be… remarkable of them if they were able to stop a ninth-tier mage from going where he wanted. If anyone could do it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sky Devils could, but… Have you spoken with Jaguar since your initial conversation last night?”

“No.”

“Why don’t you bring him here? We can speak to him together.”

“In the **ing Hexagon itself? Are you insane? There’s no way he wouldn’t be missed if we just walk in through the front door! Even if we tried something more stealthy, it still carries greater risk than if we just met him somewhere else!”

The Director scowled again. “The Hexagon has some of the finest security enchantments and procedures in all Imperial territory, but I concede you the point. There are other options to pursue…”

—

Leon, invisible, moved quickly through the air, the Jaguar just behind him. The two moved unencumbered by retainers or assistants, completely undetectable to anyone not using one of Leon’s darkness gems. Their destination was none other than one of Penelope’s more modest countryside villas about thirty miles outside of Occulara’s city limits.

As they approached, Leon inspected it. It was private, well-secured, and unassuming. It seemed that if the villa was under any kind of Imperial surveillance, as the Hexagon and Penelope’s more utilized homes might be, then the surveillance was subtle indeed for Leon couldn’t sense anything. As far as he could tell, this place was as good as he could hope for, for a clandestine meeting.

He and the Jaguar skipped right over most of the villa, landing in the back courtyard. The enchantments on the villa caused them both to become visible again almost immediately upon landing, but Leon darted forward, ushering the Jaguar inside in a matter of seconds.

“Quite cautious, aren’t you?” the Jaguar asked as Leon closed the back door behind them.

Leon gave him a slightly exasperated look. “We’re in the heart of Imperial territory. A little caution is warranted, I think.”

“As you say,” said a voice from just beyond the back atrium, and Leon looked up to see the familiar figure of Penelope standing in a door frame, her arms crossed as she stared at the two of them. “Come on in. Let’s get this over with.”

She led them deeper into the villa and Leon noticed that there wasn’t a servant to be seen. The estate, relatively small as it was, would’ve still required a staff of at least a handful to maintain, yet he was gratified to see that Penelope had gotten them all out for a while.

Upon arriving at the dining room, Leon found the Director already waiting for them. The old man smiled and stood upon their entrance, and Leon relaxed slightly. As much as he didn’t think the Jaguar one to stab him in the back, it still alleviated his stressed mind to have another ninth-tier mage with him, watching his back.

The Jaguar’s response wasn’t nearly so relaxed, as the man had wound himself tense from the moment Leon had gone to grab him and bring him to this meeting. He glared at the Director, though Leon noted his aura barely flickered. As much as his body language conveyed anger, his aura showed that he was keeping a tight lid on his emotions.

“It’s good that we’re all here, now,” the Director said slowly. “Shall we take our seats now, and begin our talks?”

The Jaguar sighed. “Working with thieves and savages…”

“Why don’t we start there?” Leon said as he sat at the head of the dining table, flanked on both sides by Penelope and the Director. “How are we thieves and savages?”

The Jaguar smirked, taking a seat at the opposite end of the table, not looking at all like he considered himself outbalanced despite being outnumbered.

“Traitors. That’s what Heaven’s Eye was in the wake of the devastation eighty-thousand years ago. Remains of your Clan, but puppeted by the barbarians of this plane, turning the resources that should’ve sustained our war against the locals instead against us. The Empires could not exist without those organizations that became Heaven’s Eye. Neither would my people have been forced to Kataigida.”

“Kataigida?” Penelope asked.

“What we call our home. You call it our Hell. I’ll admit to finding it… somewhat flattering, though we prefer our name for our new homeland.”

“Lord Jaguar,” the Director began, “you made quite the offer to my colleague. I wish to discuss the terms further.”

“Your ‘colleague’?” the Jaguar whispered, his tone offended.

“Yes,” Leon interjected. “Colleague. ‘Partner’ would also be accurate. I can’t say that I’ve returned Heaven’s Eye to the purview of my Clan, but I will say that I’ve… retaken some of it. The Director still maintains direct control, but he’s tied his fate to mine and allowed me to claim at least some of Heaven’s Eye for myself.”

The Jaguar smiled and said nothing.

“We can discuss the nuances of our alliance later,” the Director diplomatically stated. “For now, I was more interested in the nuances of your people, Jaguar.”

“And I’m inclined to keep you wondering,” the Jaguar replied, his tone almost mocking.

“I would know, too,” Leon responded. “If you would call me King, then it’s unseemly to judge my allies so harshly.”

“There is no judgment here,” the Jaguar growled.

‘Horse **,’ Leon thought.

Aloud, he said, “Good. We’re all friends here. That’s what we’re going to need if all of our ambitions are to be met.”

“And what are our ambitions?” the Jaguar inquired.

“To be discussed later,” Leon deflected. “For now, politics. Can you give us the general political breakdown of your people?”

The Jaguar continued smiling and saying nothing for several long seconds, his eyes flickering from Leon to the Director and back. Penelope, it seemed, didn’t warrant his attention that much.

Right before Leon was going to reiterate his question, however, the Jaguar said, “We are an alliance of ten Tribes. We formed from the remains of the followers of the Most Venerable Thunderbird and her successors, to whom we were sworn. Under them, we achieved many great things. We were also here when her bloodline met its end. In the chaos that followed that catastrophe, to which I cannot speak too knowledgeably having never studied the fall too closely, many Clans were forced south, unable to evacuate with many other vassals and the remains of the Most Venerable Thunderbird administration.

“We numbered several million, divided amongst many Clans. Upon reaching Kataigida, we reorganized ourselves and managed to repel those locals who attempted to follow us to our island. After managing to secure our survival, those groups we formed to defend ourselves became the basis for the Ten Tribes. Clans, led by Chiefs, united into Tribes, governing themselves by a council of each Clan’s elders. The Ten Tribes as a whole remained unified by forming an Elder Council, where every Clan elder was allowed to be heard—though only those who directly presided over a Tribal council had a vote.”

“Who are these presidents?” the Director asked.

“Leaders elected by each Tribal Council,” the Jaguar explained. “Their only purpose is to officiate Tribal business, and to vote in the Elder Council.”

“How many Clans exist now?” Penelope asked, finally joining the conversation.

The Jaguar appeared utterly unperturbed by her sudden interjection, answering, “Hundreds. The largest of our Tribes is the Booming Brown Bears, possessing by itself more than a hundred and fifty constituent Clans. Our smallest, however, is the Ancestral Harts, composed of only thirty Clans.”

“That’s some disparity,” the Director murmured. “Say Leon were to accept your offer, how many of these Clans and Tribes would rally to him? You’ve committed your Tribe, but would others be so willing?”

The Jaguar’s features remained unclouded by doubt, projecting nothing but stoic seriousness and conviction as he said, “I can make no promises for any but my own Tribe. There are other Tribes that hold the old ways to be true, who remember our pledges and years to reclaim old honors. But others wish for change, who would turn us away from our ancient traditions and forget who we were.”

“Some might say that change is necessary to adapt to changing circumstances,” Penelope drily observed.

“And others,” the Jaguar countered, “might say that change for the sake of it can be destructive. If we lose who we are, then what’s the point of changing at all? Better to die faithful to your Ancestors than to give up all that you are for the sake of survival.”

The spotted man spoke with conviction, and Leon was inclined to believe that he truly believed these words, at least.

“If we must change, then we must,” he continued, sounding just a little more resigned. “However, we must always keep who we are and who we were in mind, lest we lose ourselves forging ourselves anew. Those in power now would see us discard all that we are and that we once were for the sake of petty victory over savages. I would see my people down a new path.”

“A path that leads to me?” Leon asked. He smirked and cocked an eyebrow. “Or a path that leads through me?”

“The Kings of old that we swore ourselves to,” the Jaguar said, “led us to thousands of years of glory and power. Our existence as it is now can’t even be compared to what it once was. What’s more, our honor, in not following our Lords to the great beyond, is terribly tarnished—as much as others might wish to deny that fact. It has been thousands of years more that we’ve been absent our monarchs, and it has led us to stagnation and greater dishonor.

“My path leads to you, for it is only you who can deliver us from our miserable existence. It is only a Prince of the blood that can truly unite us, who can forgive our dishonor and allow us to move beyond the limits of this savage plane. I wish for us to return home, to our ancient home, within the Nexus, and amongst distant stars. You are the best hope we have for a future, and the clearest choice to lead us.

“Ask any questions you wish, and I’ll answer as I can, but as far as I’m concerned, that’s all that I need to say.”

Leon smiled a little more, finding the man fairly persuasive. He could detect no falsehood in him—not that he considered himself particularly skilled at ferreting out falsehoods, but he believed that the Jaguar was speaking his truth.

The problem was that it sounded like there were others in the Ten Tribes who had their own truths, as well, and from the way that the Jaguar was speaking, he didn’t think the man would give him an accurate accounting of their truths even if he were to ask.

If he wanted that, he’d have to go to the Sky Devil’s H—to Kataigida—and speak with the Tribes themselves.

“Who are these Tribes that you speak of with such vague, yet vehement disdain?” the Director asked.

“The Tiger Tribe,” the Jaguar readily answered. “The Bears. They wish to break Tribal allegiances, shatter our system, and create what they believe would be ‘one people’. They would erase all that we are, force us all to fit into their one vision of unity, and leave us culturally and spiritually deprived. They would have us forget not only our honor, but our Ancestors, and our true Kings. They would have my people hand them their fates, to be decided by them and them alone. I would not see this happen.”

“And how would you go about that?” Leon asked. “I’m sure your Tribe is strong, but can it handle the other nine if it came to open war?”

“I would never fight my own people,” the Jaguar protested, but after a moment he added, “Willingly. Not that it would ever come down to that. I’m sure the Blackhearted Lions would join my Jaguars. The Screaming Eagles could be easily persuaded, I believe. Only three more Tribes after that, and Kataigida is yours.”

“You make it sound so easy,” Leon quipped.

“It isn’t,” the Jaguar responded. “The Thunderer would not see it so.”

“Who’s that?” Penelope asked.

“Thunderers are, in effect if not in name, monarchs. Kings.” The Jaguar practically spat the term, where he’d spoken it only with reverence when trying to get Leon to take the title. “They are elected by the Elder Council when it is deemed appropriate, and as such are not permanent posts. In the past thousand years, the current Thunderer is only the second to be called upon to serve. And he did so under the banner of ‘reform’, pushing the changes that are killing my people.”

“Who is he, specifically?” Penelope pressed.

“A tenth-tier mage of great tactical brilliance and strategically competent,” the Jaguar replied, though speaking only grudgingly. “Were he not attempting to destroy my people, I would respect him greatly. But he is not the King to whom we owe our allegiance, and his attempts to make himself one will never succeed.”

“However bad this Thunderer is,” Leon said, “how can you be sure that I would be any different? You don’t know me, you don’t know how great of a King I may make. Why bet so much on me, then?”

The Jaguar sighed. “When our way of life is threatened, then we do what we must. We make the surest bets we possibly can. I would bet upon you and the power you wield. You needn’t rule directly, the Elder Council can continue as they have been. But you can unite us, settle our disagreements as needed. You are the rallying cry we need to halt our infighting, and truly become one people. That requires a great leader, but not necessarily a great administrator.”

Leon smiled self-deprecatingly. ‘If he knew my history, he wouldn’t be so quick to jump into my corner,’ he thought.

But aloud, he said, “Your faith is… overwhelming. I thank you for the information. We’ll likely have more meetings like this in the coming days, but for the moment, might I confer with my partners? You can rest assured that the moment I make my decision, you’ll be among the first to know.”

The Jaguar gave Penelope and the Director suspicious looks, but nodded and stood up, and Leon showed him into an adjacent room. They’d return to the Jaguar’s temporary villa together after Leon checked in with the other two. Upon returning, he found the Director and Penelope already deep in conversation about what the Jaguar had revealed.

“We need a better idea of their military capability,” the Director immediately said as Leon sat back down. “How proficient are they in building arks? Their weapons are potent, and we’ll certainly need them, but what more can they provide us in our rise to the Nexus?”

“However many they need, they’ll need to save for their own people, not for us,” Penelope pointed out. “Evacuating a small continent to the Nexus isn’t going to be easy, to put it insultingly mildly.”

“But having a larger base to work with will be needed,” the Director pointed out. “What’s the point of heading to the Nexus if we lose all that we’ve built along the way? If we have to start over as soon as we arrive, then we might as well stay here and die in luxury and power.”

“I think that whatever happens,” Leon said, “they’ll be integral to our plans to get off this plane.”

“Are you saying you’re going to take him up on his offer?” Penelope asked a little skeptically. “Can’t resist the lure of that throne now that someone’s offering it?”

Leon shrugged. “I’m leaning towards accepting now. But nothing’s set in stone, and there’s plenty of time for that to change. Let’s see what comes next, and how the Empires might react to it. Let’s see how easily I might be able to fly to and from their island. Let’s see about a lot of things, and then maybe I’ll come to a decision, and we can finally properly start to plan our escape from this plane, once and for all.”