The time for Leon’s retinue to leave came soon enough, and not a single member of the Legion came to stop them, not even when they brazenly marched through the docks like they were parade grounds. They took their places on the timber transport ship, and once everyone was on board, the ship departed.

The space they had was cramped and relatively uncomfortable, but Leon could see that the remaining dreadnought from Sigebert’s fleet wasn’t being prepped to move, so any lingering doubts he had over their course of action faded into nothing. It seemed that Basina had gotten her way and the remains of Sigebert’s fleet weren’t going to be allowed to return to the Bull Kingdom just yet.

It was an uncomfortable trip. There was little in the way of privacy since everyone, crew included, all slept and ate in the same room, and the captain of the ship was rather insistent that Leon’s people stay away from the timber that had been secured on the deck. Leon tried to reason with him, saying that no one wanted his wood, but the captain didn’t want to hear it. Leon was only able to extract a very reluctant promise to let him and Anzu above the deck once a day for a few hours so that he didn’t have to deal with a stir-crazy fifth-tier griffin.

If Leon hadn’t been able to use his magic senses to keep an eye on the captain, the rest of the crew when they went about their duties, and the ship’s course, he might’ve been concerned the captain planned something untoward. As it was, all he and his retinue had to endure were a few strange looks every now and then—the crew otherwise left them alone.

They largely spent their time training. Leon did his best to keep them focused on one thing and one thing only: ascension to the fifth-tier.

Anshu was there, as well, but he kept to himself. He didn’t say or do that much, spending his time much the same as the rest of Leon’s retinue—either reading a couple books that he’d stashed away in his soul realm, or quietly meditating. From the way his magic swirled about him, Leon could tell that while he wasn’t close to forming his magic body and ascending to the sixth-tier, he hadn’t just started, either.

And so, about a week and a half passed, with Leon and his companions stuffed in the cramped crew quarters of the ship, eating nothing but the travel rations that Leon had stored in his soul realm, doing their best not to count the seconds until they could leave the ship.

Leon tried to stay as positive as he could, but after only three days—at which point they’d only just passed the fourth island—he was already weighing the logistics of taking Anzu and flying to Kraterok. He never seriously considered it, but how much longer the journey was going to take was constantly on his mind, let alone the possibility of returning to the Bull Kingdom in similar conditions.

But, finally, finally, the ship pulled into the harbor at Kraterok. There were still a few Legion ships around, but for the most part, it seemed like the city had gone back to whatever ‘normal’ had been before Jormun had showed up. Leon could sense a few Legion marines here and there, but it seemed like whoever had been installed as the interim Earl was the one keeping the peace.

Leon and his retinue stumbled off the ship at the earliest opportunity, the captain even seeming somewhat taken aback as he thundered down below deck, shouting for everyone to get off his ship, only to find that Leon and his companions were already trying to push their way past him to get the hells off his damn boat and back onto dry land.

After some brief, almost comical celebrations, Alix, Alcander, and Marcus all went off to find some place where everyone could spend a few nights, because there was no way any of them were going to get on another ship bound for the Bull Kingdom before they could rest up and get some privacy, first.

Leon, however, didn’t accompany them. Instead, Anshu lightly grabbed his arm and asked to speak privately, which Leon agreed to, only allowing Anzu and Maia to accompany them. Anshu seemed a bit leery of Maia, but agreed after what seemed like several long seconds of intense contemplation.

Despite the size of the city and the Legion occupation, it was decidedly much easier to find a private spot for them to talk than it was in the Earl’s seat on the fifth island. Huge swathes of the city were still uninhabited after so many died defending it from the Legion, or from those who’d left before the battle and had yet to return. After only about ten minutes of walking, Leon led his small entourage to a deserted neighborhood that lacked even scavengers—perhaps the tiny townhouses and cheap apartments had already been picked clean, or perhaps the local peacekeeping forces had kept looting to a minimum; regardless, it was a place where they could talk in peace.

“So,” Leon said as he led the group on a slow walk through the deserted street, the sun above shining, the faded pastel paints on the buildings almost sparkling in the beauty of the early afternoon, “have you come to a decision, yet?”

“I have,” Anshu gravely stated. “I have nothing left. My family is gone, my ship is gone, my crew is gone. All of my worldly possessions I’m either wearing or are stored in a small pile within my soul realm. I am a man with just about nothing left to lose, other than a few heirlooms and his own life. I don’t even have money.”

“You do have magic, though,” Leon pointed out.

“I suppose I do have that, too,” Anshu conceded. “But my point remains. I have just about nothing left of my own, and I don’t have the magic power to carve out my own place in the world. I can only seek shelter under someone stronger than I am, someone with more connections and more resources.”

Leon smiled as he let Anshu continue; at this point, he felt like he already knew what the Indradian was going to say.

“I would accept your offer of employment, Leon Raime. Assuming, of course, that you don’t try to take advantage of my current circumstances to try and force me into a restrictive contract, or the like.”

Leon laughed and said, “No, I will pay you a fair wage. I have quite a few financial resources at my disposal…”

The two haggled for a few minutes, but eventually settled on a wage of about twenty thousand silvers per month. It was a staggering sum of money, but it was less even than a knight of similar power within the Legion would be paid, and Leon had six hundred million silvers to play with.

Or, perhaps a little less, since he’d probably spent about a million or two on all of his expenses over the years, and on paying those already in his retinue. However, once he returned to the Bull Kingdom, he fully intended to have a talk with Elise about how best to make that money work for them instead of just sitting in a big pile in a Heaven’s Eye account gathering dust.

Anshu didn’t look happy when the negotiation was over, but neither did he look particularly aggrieved. It was a fair enough wage, and Leon had also promised hazard pay, bonuses for tier ascension, and the right to renegotiate his wage at every tier ascension, so there wasn’t much to complain about. He even had the right to leave the contract for just about any reason, if he so chose—Leon wasn’t looking for slaves or indentured servants, he needed people who wanted to stay with him, for whatever reason he could give them.

“There is one more thing…” the Indradian said as the negotiations wound down.

“What is it?” Leon asked, wondering what else the man might need. His salary was already more than enough to satisfy all of his material needs, and most of his wants, too, and he already had a good weapon and armor, so Leon wasn’t sure what else he may want out of this.

“Do you have any intention of passing by the Raj?” Anshu asked.

“Maybe…” Leon said with a frown of thought. He didn’t know quite how he’d reach the Central Empires, and while the Indra Raj was quite out of the way, he could envision sailing down that way to be one possible route. “Hard to say, I have no idea what might come in the next few months, let alone the next few years. Why do you ask?”

Anshu sighed, looking almost like he was working up to making a big request. Or maybe working up his nerve to make some kind of decision…

“I do have some business in the Raj. Business I never thought I would actually get around to, but if you haven’t lied to me and you are an eighth-tier mage, then finishing this last bit of business might just be possible.”

“What kind of ‘business’ are we talking about here?” Leon asked. The way Anshu had said ‘business’ led him to believe that he had some enemies he wanted to take care of, and asking Leon to make those enemies his own was… not unreasonable given the demands Leon knew he’d be making of Anshu in the future, but neither were they particularly welcome. “Looking to visit some violence upon someone? Vengeance, maybe?”

“Vengeance would be one way of putting it,” Anshu whispered, his even, serious tone wavering with concealed hatred just enough for Leon to pick up on it. “My cousin who was responsible for my family’s exile was caught and put to death very soon after the Rajah caught him in bed with one of his daughters. His death was justified, and I hold no grudge. However, much of the rest of my family was put to death, as well, either by the Rajah’s executioner, or by the circumstances of our fall. My father and brothers were beheaded, my uncles stripped of their titles and wealth and exiled along with their families. As far as I know, all of them met violent ends at the hands of my family’s enemies once they no longer had the political tools to keep the vultures at bay.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I thought you told me after you were captured that your family had been exiled?”

Anshu shrugged. “I lied. I didn’t want to get too into my family history during an interrogation.”

Leon considered making a big deal out of that lie, but after a second of thought, he decided not to. He’d lied plenty, both directly and through omission, while he was a knight in the Bull Kingdom. With a shrug, Leon asked, “Are these enemies you speak of the targets of your ire?”

“Yes,” Anshu said without hesitation. “I was hoping for some assistance in dealing with them, if possible.”

Leon’s thoughtful frown deepened slightly. He didn’t revenge himself upon Justin Isynos, but he understood Anshu’s hope. But he didn’t immediately agree.

“These people, are they powerful? Do they include the Rajah?” Leon asked. The Raj was the most powerful nation outside of the Central Empires, and he imagined that its ruler was powerful enough to command that kind of respect. Making such an enemy was… problematic, especially so when it was just to recruit a single fifth-tier mage that he didn’t know that well.

“They are, and the Rajah is… not included,” Anshu hesitantly confirmed, though it seemed he struggled mightily to reach that conclusion. Leon decided to quietly contemplate the chances that Anshu would change his mind as they spent more time together. “Great nobles and landowners within the Raj. Rich and strong. But not so great that they can stand against someone of the eighth-tier… Only the power of the Rajah himself could protect them against you.”

“Still, taking out some powerful nobles might make an enemy out of the entire Raj,” Leon pointed out. “I can’t imagine there’s any monarch anywhere who would take too kindly to a foreigner infiltrating their realm and assassinating their great men and women. They would strike back.” Leon noticed Anshu’s eyes slightly tighten when he mentioned ‘great women’, but the Indradian didn’t say anything about it.

“I don’t ask lightly, nor do I expect you to agree,” Anshu said. “As far as I’m concerned, our contract was decided once our salary negotiations were over. If you refuse, then I will accept it.”

Leon nodded, though his frown remained. “I will… take it under consideration. For now, my business will take priority.”

“I understand,” Anshu replied. “I will be your retainer. Your enemies are mine, but mine need not be yours.”

Leon felt a little bad, but he had to take of his business first and foremost. He wasn’t paying Anshu for the privilege of tagging along on someone else’s revenge quest. However, though Anshu said that he would accept it if Leon refused, based on the man’s subtle body language—the occasional curling of his fingers into a fist, the way his eyes refused to meet Leon’s when he spoke of his desire—Leon understood that Anshu’s would be only a temporary employment if he did not help the man take care of this business.

The two went quiet for a short few seconds, neither of them quite knowing what to say. The tension was only broken when Maia spoke to the both of them mentally—though her question was directed at Anshu, [You are from the Indra Raj. Are you familiar with the Free Cities of the Tam?]

Anshu glanced at her, his eyes momentarily narrowing into a nasty glare. For that moment, Leon thought the man was going to refuse to answer, just as he had the knightess that Sigebert had sent to interrogate him following his capture. However, as Maia glared back at him, her aura on full display, and with Leon taking a step in Maia’s direction and standing next to her in solidarity, Anshu blinked and responded.

“I am quite familiar with them,” he tersely said.

“What can you tell us about them, then?” Leon asked as he pointedly took one of Maia’s hands into his own. The river nymph subtly, but noticeably, leaned into him. The two made it clear enough by their body language that if Anshu had any reservations about speaking with a woman, then they were better checked at the door.

Anshu began slowly and hesitantly, but sped up and spoke with more passion as he spoke more of the region of the world that had once been his home.

“The Free Cities of the Tam are a number of independent trade cities on the southern coast of Aeterna. They lie just beyond the Raj’s southern border, on the far side of the White Tiger Mountains. Most of the jungle stops on our side of the mountains, leaving the Tam to be relatively arid, but with exceedingly fertile farmland. The merchants of the Tam are extremely rich, trading in the many spices that grow in their lands to all corners of the world. Many Rajah’s have attempted to exert their dominance over the coast, but no matter how far they’ve pushed, they rarely manage to make their control last for more than a single generation. The Free Cities of the Tam owe no foreign monarch their allegiance these days, and will often squabble and bicker amongst themselves over shipping lanes and trade zones, but will usually band together as one if any of them are threatened by an external force.

“Despite all of this, if you were to take a man out of the Tam and a man out of the Raj, you’d hardly be able to spot a difference between them. We worship the same gods, speak the same language, dress the same, and look the same. They just don’t acknowledge our Rajah or his laws, and are known for their… improper culture and excessive greed.”

The way Anshu’s eyes darted toward Maia when he spoke of ‘improper culture’, Leon wondered if there was more equality between the genders in the Tam—the Indradian had repeatedly said that there was a wide disparity within the Raj between men and women, and he supposed that could lead to quite the culture clash even amongst two peoples that were apparently otherwise indistinguishable.

“There something about the Free Cities that interests you?” Leon asked as he glanced at his river nymph lover.

Maia nodded. [My father was from there. My mother stole him from his palace and took him north, where he fathered me and my sisters.]

“From… his palace?” Anshu asked, the light of recognition shining from his eyes. “Was your father from Chola?”

Maia nodded.

“He wasn’t… he wasn’t Ellalan, was he?”

Again, Maia nodded, and Anshu stumbled backward as if physically struck.

“That name mean something to you?” Leon asked as his eyes flit from Maia to Anshu.

“Ellalan was a Prince of Chola, the most powerful of the Tam states,” Anshu explained, his voice hoarse as if he’d just spent hours screaming at the top of his lungs, the respect in his tone evident even though he spoke of someone who wasn’t from the Raj. “He was a brilliant military leader. Two hundred years ago, the previous Rajah attempted to subjugate the Tam as so many of his ancestors had, and Ellalan was the man who stopped him. He led a comparatively small Tam host that shadowed the Raj’s army, picking at it bit by bit and forcing them into more favorable terrain. Finally, Ellalan smashed the Raj’s army while they were crossing a river, forcing an end to the campaign. The Free Cities of the Tam remained free because of Ellalan, and many thought he would rise to become a great King of the region, uniting them against all potential foreign enemies, only for him to disappear several years later.

“That such a man was taken by a nymph and dragged to the other side of the world…” Anshu looked almost beside himself with shock, but as his eyes flickered back toward Maia, Leon noticed that he looked at the river nymph with marginally less antipathy and distrust.

[I would like to see the home of my father, if possible,] Maia stated, her face completely impassive, as if what had sent Anshu reeling had been nothing more than a dinner recipe. Still, for all that she appeared rather distant and disinterested, Leon’s desire to visit that end of the world skyrocketed. His lady wanted to go there, and it wasn’t like he had much of a reason to say no.

“Then I’ll be sure to make some time,” Leon said.

After that, none of them had much left to say, and so they went and found the rest of Leon’s retinue at the inn they’d holed up in, Anshu now one of Leon’s subordinates. They needed a few more days of rest, but Leon eventually managed to snag a few bunks on one of the first tribute ships being sent back to the Bull Kingdom from the Isles for him and his people.

It would be a long and uncomfortable journey, but it was time for them to return to the Kingdom. Their time there was going to be limited, but they still had much to do before it became time to finally leave for good, and head south.