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“… Certainly a proposition,” Iron-Striker finished in a neutral tone, eliciting a curious and not-quite-friendly look from Nikolaos.

“If the reports we received of the Sunlit forces pulling back are accurate, then this is the best time for it,” Leon responded. “There will be fewer Imperial forces preventing our attempts to reach the mainland, so we ought to try.”

“And if the bar—if the Imperials attempt to retake the Sword while we’re gone?” the Jaguar asked as his eyes flickered in Cassandra’s direction. “If all of this is merely a ruse to let our guard down?”

“It isn’t,” Cassandra replied. “I’ve been personally assured by my grandmother that they’re pulling support for the Imperial attempts to retake the Sword—for the time being, at least.” She grinned, and while Leon had learned this himself the night before, it was still hard to believe.

He’d gotten in touch with Elise for their regular chats, and while they spoke, she mentioned that there had been some developments, but that it would be better if the Lord Protector and Grand Druid could speak to him about it themselves. So, after fetching them and parking them in front of the comm lotus, they told Leon and Cassandra about their public declarations calling for an end to the war.

Truth be told, Leon was still reeling from the call, but it hadn’t been the impetus for the plan he’d come up with. Rather, it was word from their scouts in the Veins of Vigilance that there were fewer Imperials in the straits and that the massed invasion force was dispersing that had him making these plans.

He was going to assemble some of the best negotiators that his new Kingdom could bring together, and then he was going to take them all to Occulara. Once there, they would begin secret negotiations with the Lord Protector and Grand Druid—or, more accurately, representatives from Ilion and Evergold nominally led by the Lord Protector and Grand Druid.

His biggest problem, though, was who to bring. Bringing those who were too against his desire for peace could be disastrous, but he wasn’t sure if there were any in the Ten Tribes who fully supported him in this endeavor. Still, grabbing some of the less warlike elders would be a start.

“Personal assurances are only useful when trust exists between both sides,” Sar neutrally stated.

“We have to start building trust somewhere,” Leon loudly stated. “We can start with talks.”

“Negotiations,” Nikolaos responded, “would be better held on neutral ground.”

“There isn’t any neutral ground to speak of,” Leon replied. He pulled out a large map and indicated the waterways between Kataigida and the mainland. “All of this ocean is contested by the Pegasi States, the Sunlit Empire, and the cities on the coast of the Shield. The islands we hold are not safe for a meeting of this level, especially since the Ilion and Evergold are actively pulling out of agreements they have with the Sunlit Empire.

“Occulara, meanwhile, may be located in Ilian territory, but it’s a mostly autonomous city-state under the control of Heaven’s Eye, which I am a high-ranking member of. I’ve been in contact with the Director and we’ve reiterated our support for each other’s endeavors. For all the downsides of holding these talks in Occulara, we will be hard-pressed to find anywhere that will be as amenable to hosting these talks as my villa in the city.”

Silence descended upon the room as everyone thought the problem over. The simple fact of the matter was that the Ten Tribes weren’t welcome in essentially any southern land, and though heading as far north as the Bull Kingdom for negotiations might be something Leon would find fun, it was hardly that practical.

“If this is to happen,” Iron-Striker slowly stated, “we’re going to have to make quite a few arrangements. Who is going and who will be left behind? Should we assume that our King will be leading this delegation?”

“I wouldn’t ask any of you to go to Occulara without me there to guarantee security,” Leon said. “At the very least, whatever risk we take going to the city is one I would share with everyone.”

“And if something were to happen to you?” the Jaguar asked with trepidation.

“Then we’ll get the hells out of there,” Leon replied.

The Jaguar sighed. “I do not like this decision, but it’s not one I will fight. For what it’s worth, you were able to guarantee my security when I stayed in the city not long ago.”

Leon nodded in gratitude for the support he gave.

“There’s another problem,” Iron-Striker continued. “There may be… Sunlit incursions against the Sword. There isn’t any indication that they’re preparing anything large enough to penetrate our defenses, but if they were to strike while a portion of our strongest elders is gone…”

“We’ll redeploy the central army to the island,” Leon declared. “The Bison, Hawk, and Lion armies can return to Kataigida for some well-deserved rest while we have the Jaguars, Tigers, Bears, and Ravens replace them.”

“That would more than triple our current occupation forces, assuming each Tribe deploys in similar numbers to those already on the island,” Iron-Striker said.

“Yes it will, if they all occupy the island itself,” Leon confirmed. “Kataigida is protected by the enchanted mist and without our attention turned inward, we can shore up coastal defenses. That’s where the Jaguars, Tigers, and Ravens come in. Since they have the majority of our fleets and arks, we can ensure greater security over our islands and the seas between them now that none of us are working at crossed purposes.”

Some of the elders in the room shifted uncomfortably with Leon’s implied criticism, notably those in the Bear and Spider Tribes.

“That could work if we’re properly coordinated,” Iron-Striker thought aloud. “What I’m most concerned about is how well we’ll cooperate when you’re gone.”

“Why don’t you straighten your tongue,” Nikolaos practically spat. “Do you have something to say to anyone here?”

“Case in point…” Iron-Striker softly said with an exasperated look.

“I trust,” Leon said as he stared directly at Nikolaos, “that we all know how important it is to defend Kataigida, all the islands that surround her, and the Sword. I trust that no one will allow their personal feelings to get in the way of that. I trust that now you will all remember not only your oaths to me but to acknowledge the inherent benefits of having a proper command structure. I trust that all of you trust me enough to select someone worthy to be in charge while I’m gone—though I’ll hardly be out of contact—and that you’ll save your complaints for when I return.”

Nikolaos returned Leon’s stare and, with a chastised look, said, “The Jaguar Tribe will do our best to keep the peace. We will be as reasonable as possible.”

The other Lawspeakers among the Tribes made similar statements as Leon turned about the room.

“Good,” Leon said. “The last thing I’m going to trust is that no one is going to succumb to the temptations to settle old scores just because I’m no longer physically present on Kataigida—as I said, I’ll be remaining in close contact, so don’t think I won’t hear about treasons, abuses of power, and other such offenses just because you can’t see me. Do I need to say more?”

“No, Your Majesty,” Iron-Striker said for the whole room, addressing Leon using a Royal style to emphasize his loyalty. “You will return to find Kataigida as you left it.”

“Ensuring that will be part of your job,” Leon replied with a smile. “You will remain in Stormhollow and coordinate with all of us.”

His statement practically sucked all the air out of the room. What he was saying was that he was practically leaving Iron-Striker in charge of day-to-day operations while he was gone. He wouldn’t have the legal authority he held while he was filling the role of Thunderer, but he would still enjoy unmatched power in Leon’s Kingdom with this appointment.

Iron-Striker stared at him, his mouth hanging slightly open in shock, and his reaction was hardly unique amongst the assembled elders.

Before anyone could complain, Leon kept giving our appointments.

“The Jaguar of the West will be in overall command of the military forces west of Kataigida,” Leon declared. “The fleets, the armies, they will report to you.”

The Jaguar seemed unable to do much more than mutely nod.

“As for our forces east of Kataigida, they will be led by Solomon.”

Solomon was a little more composed than most of the other elders, and he replied, “I will not disappoint you, Leon.”

“I know you won’t,” Leon replied. Glancing between Solomon and the Jaguar, he added, “You two will appoint your sub-commanders. I understand that you’re going to feel some measure of obligation to fill any such positions with fellows from your Tribes. I won’t argue with such appointments based on Tribe alone. All I ask is that such appointments are made based on competence and that you don’t neglect potential talent within other Tribes.”

He received affirmations from both that they understood, and he then turned to Iron-Striker.

“You are not going to have the same power; civil appointments at the highest level will be made by me, though you can fill out your office’s staff as you please.”

Iron-Striker nodded without hesitation.

Over the next few minutes, Leon began handing out certain titles. He left it unsaid that these were provisional positions, but he was certain they all understood that anyway. Most notable among the appointments were Nikolaos being invited to be his Minister of Laws, Minister of the Treasury being offered to the Eagle Chrysi, and Minister of Works to the Raven Frode, all of whom accepted. The Bears weren’t offered much more, but since Iron-Striker was one of them, he trusted that they wouldn’t be too upset.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any ninth-tier mages without bloodlines among the Tribes, otherwise, he would’ve given at least one high-level position to them. As it was, most of the bureaucracy was going to be staffed by bloodline-less mages anyway, he’d just have to ensure that they could rise as high as their skills allowed in the future.

But for all the appointments that Leon handed out, there were a few rather obvious people who hadn’t been offered anything yet. Most notable were Sar and Exallos, so Leon made sure to extend to them the invitation to join his negotiation team. They weren’t particularly fond of war and so far had proven themselves more than loyal, so he figured they’d be the perfect men to lead the initial peace negotiations.

There was quite a bit more organization to handle, but for the most part, the most important bits of business were taken care of with those appointments. They’d be making their way to Occulara in only a few weeks’ time…

---

“She’s a real beauty,” Leon said with naked admiration.

“Absolutely!” Asger gushed as he showed Leon around the arkpad, upon which sat a large ark, though not one so large as to be an obvious military platform. “She’s the pinnacle of my Tribe’s arksmithing techniques! We won’t produce anything of superior quality until we start getting a better supply of that thunder wood of yours!”

“We’ll have to get on that as soon as we can,” Leon replied with a wide smile. He was already planning on bringing Nestor and Helen back with him, he’d have to consult with Tikos about what it would be able to do remotely. After all, production of thunder wood was still reliant upon Tikos’ power to prepare the wood before its lightning treatment.

“Now,” Leon continued, “why don’t we get on with this tour?”

“Eh?” Asger blurted out in surprise. It seemed he’d gotten a little too into admiring the work of his Tribe’s arksmiths while Leon was lost in his thoughts. “Right! Let’s go!”

The ark truly was a thing of beauty. It had a sleek arrowhead shape and was large enough to need a crew of twenty at least, making it about as large as Leon’s yacht. It wasn’t a military vessel, though it was about as armored as it could be and remain airborne, and was armed with half a dozen of the Ten Tribes’ most advanced Flame Lances. Unfortunately, it had been in the final stages of construction when Leon gave the Ravens his designs for Lightning Lances, so his more accurate and longer-ranged weaponry wasn’t yet installed upon this ark, and neither were the massive cannons that the Ravens had been testing upon his first arrival to their territory.

Most important of all the ark’s features, however, were its speed and its stealth capabilities. It was sleeker and narrower than most arks, allowing it to fly faster than just about any modern Tribal or Imperial ark could manage. This shape imparted some stealth capabilities that the Ravens had increased with robust enchantments. The ark wasn’t as stealthy as the Director’s personal ark, but that was hardly fair given that vessel was a relic of Leon’s Clan.

So, while it wasn’t capable of turning invisible, this ark would likely pass most air defenses without them even knowing it was there. It would take a powerful mage concentrating on an intense aerial scan with their magic senses at just the right time to spot them, and even if they did, the ark’s speed would help ensure that the chances of interdiction remained low.

This would naturally not only be the ark that Leon and his entourage would take back to the mainland, but it would also be Leon’s personal ark until the Ravens built something better—or so Asger insisted.

As all of the ark’s functions were explained to him, Asger led Leon onto the ark and through its halls. The décor was delightfully spartan, with a focus on physical murals depicting birds in flight and soft lighting that didn’t draw on the ark’s power too much. There wasn’t much furniture within, but there was enough for the dedicated crew and about as many passengers to be as comfortable as they wanted to be during their flight.

With this ark, Leon and his people would be able to return to Occulara in only a few days, cutting their unaided travel time in half.

“She’s perfect,” Leon declared once the tour was done.

“Of course she is!” Asger agreed. “She was made by Raven hands!”

Leon chuckled and clapped the ninth-tier mage on the shoulder.

He now had his very own ark, and he couldn’t be happier.

---

Leon and his chosen delegation assembled around a large arkpad close to Elder Hall once it came time to leave. Leon was eager to get underway, but there were a few ceremonial affairs to handle first, chief among them being the handing of power over to Iron-Striker until his return. Fortunately, in the few weeks since his decision, Leon hadn’t received too much pushback from the Tribes about appointing Iron-Striker as, effectively, his regent, and he supposed that the other bureaucratic appointments he’d made had something to do with that. It helped to delegate power away from Iron-Striker so that his role remained merely administrative.

To help assuage potential fears, Leon made sure that the comm lotus he was leaving behind in his temporary palace was available to any elder who needed to speak to him while he was gone. All it would take to inform him of something happening was to call him up and let him know.

Once all of the ceremonies were complete, Leon led first his retainers on board the ark, followed by the Tribesmen. Sar and Exallos were each bringing eight of their Tribesmen with them, though none were stronger than the sixth-tier. These Tribesmen would act as their adjutants and secretaries.

That left Leon’s remaining delegation room for six additional passengers to join them comfortably. Alix and Alcander had twelve Tempest Knights join them, reasoning the knights could endure a couple days of cramped conditions to ensure their King remained safe. They tried to bring even more, but the ark’s permanent crew began making noise about the additional weight, so Leon had to limit his retainers to those they’d already selected.

More notable by their absence were Anna’s war beasts. Given that the journey back to Occulara was only for a few weeks, Leon had asked her to leave them behind. Fortunately for the animals, Eirene was staying behind to see to them, though leaving her girlfriend behind hardly made Anna happy.

Once boarding, Leon and his people got themselves settled in. As beautiful and advanced as the ark was, they’d still be stuck inside the vessel for a few days until they reached their destination, so getting comfortable was of paramount importance.

And with that complete, the ark took off.

Their mission wasn’t a secret one, and as they departed, Leon used light enchantments that simulated windows to watch the crowds of Tribesmen cheer as the ark took off. Thousands had come out to catch just a glimpse of him.

It reinforced his conviction to forge a lasting peace between the Ten Tribes and the Empires. These were his people now; it was his responsibility to keep them as safe as possible.

The ark turned west and began to accelerate. It soon reached an impressive speed and Stormhollow was left far behind them. Their route would be circuitous; as advanced as their stealth enchantments may be, no one was taking any chances of flying over Sunlit territory. So they’d fly first over the Sword and the Pegasi States before turning northward.

Leon sighed as Stormhollow vanished behind them. For all the importance of the mission and all the dangers it held, the thing that he thought about the most was returning to Elise. And once they returned to Kataigida, he was planning on bringing her with them, too. It was time for his family to be whole again.