It was a bit of a hike to get to where the rebels kept their prisoners. Not up, but down. After a handful of turns that forced Pax to focus so he didn’t get turned around, Kalter led them to a stairwell and took them down another two floors below the main one.

Pax heard grunts of effort and the clamor of weapons before they emerged and found a large open space that the rebels had turned into a training area. The smell of leather and sweat hung in the air, and Pax could see multiple groups of warriors. They trained under the direction of sergeants who reminded him of Captain Stoneheart, the merciless officer who’d run the war games for the academies. Three desks stood at the front of the vast space, formed to make a small reception area. A clerk looked up from a stack of papers he was working on when they stepped out of the stairwell.

“Oh, hi Kalter. Got some new warrior recruits for me?”

“No. I’m taking them to the prisoner wing.”

Distaste and a touch of curiosity changed the clerk’s expression, but he just stood up and fished some keys out of the desk before heading toward a locked door behind him on the right. “I’ll unlock the door and let you into the hallway. Just make sure you check in with the sergeant before going into the cell area.”

Rin gave Pax a concerned look.

“As long as you’re expected, you’ll be fine.” He looked over his shoulder at them, sounding more reassuring. “She’s mostly there to keep the curious away. There isn’t much chance of anyone escaping. Even if they could bust their manacles and get out of their cells, they’d have to get through all of us here on their way out.”

Pax flinched at the image of his powerful former employer and his people manacled and confined to cages. Langley was going to be furious. Swallowing down his worry, Pax followed the clerk. Once he unlocked the heavy door and held it open for them, Pax and his friends followed Kalter down the hallway, woodenly answering the guard’s questions when they reached her.

It wasn’t more than a few minutes before Kalter escorted them into the impromptu prison area and turned them over to the guard stationed there before turning on his heel and leaving again.

“Let me notify the lieutenant that you’ve arrived.” The guard didn’t give them a chance to respond, before standing up from her desk and walking down the wide hallway between the two rows of cells lining either side.

At least it was nowhere near as nasty as the hole that the Thanhil guards had shoved him and Tomis into the night before their Awakening.

“Not the worst prison I’ve been in,” Tomis muttered next to him, mirroring Pax’s thoughts.

The prison was a testament to what a dedicated earth mage could create when given a task by the base commander with no bureaucratic red tape hindering them. After the entry area with desks, tables and chairs, the actual cells began.

Pax could see another area opening up after the cells, the area the guard was currently heading toward. The vague outline of furniture and tables stacked with equipment made him want to shudder at what the people in charge here might use it for. His mind jumped right to torture or Interrogation, despite his hope that the rebels would behave better than the empire. He pulled his focus back to the cells and their occupants.

The cells looked to be carved from living stone, the walls blending seamlessly in a smooth, unblemished surface with the polished stone floor and ceiling. Mages had even made the bars along the fronts of the cells from pillars of solid stone, affording a clear view of the prisoners and what they were doing.

Each cell was a square size, three full paces across. Along the back of the closest ones, Pax saw mages had grown stone benches out of the back of the cells at about knee height, providing a smooth but hard surface for sitting and sleeping.

A burbling of water caught his attention, and he saw a thin stream of water pouring from a stone spigot in the back corner of the cell to disappear into a small hole in the floor. It looked like a much better solution for personal hygiene and drinking water than the nasty conditions in Thanhil’s cells.

At least many of the cells were empty. He saw familiar faces from Langley’s crew along with ones he didn’t recognize. Based on the facial bruises and sullen looks, some of them were likely just rebel troublemakers who needed some time to cool off in a cell.

“If it isn’t the traitors themselves.” The disdainful drawl came from one of the cells along the left wall.

Pax flushed when he saw Mage Lyndara had moved up to the bars of her cell to glare at them. She’d lost none of the lethal agility that spoke of a dangerous rogue and made Pax glad there was a row of solid bars between them.

“Now, Lyndara, we haven’t given the kids a chance to explain themselves.” Captain Langley’s quiet voice felt even more dangerous as he stepped up to the bars of his cell next to his second in command. He looked between Pax and Rin with a look that demanded answers, as if they were the ones in a cage under his authority.

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In the other cells, his words had drawn the interest of the rebel prisoners. With how boring sitting in a cell likely was, any drama would likely be the highlight of their day.

“That’ll be enough out of you two. We’ll be the ones asking the questions.” A warrior strode out of the back area with the confidence that only came from commanding other warriors and getting immediate obedience on a regular basis.

Behind him, Pax recognized Warrior Prescott who’d met them the day they arrived and escorted them into the base. Her amiable smile was gone, and she followed the officer with stiff attention. The original guard strode past them without a word and sat back down at her desk.

The officer turned from the two loyalists, and his frown turned to something approaching a smile. “You must be Mage Vipersworn, along with a couple of your crewmates?”

“Yes, this is Mage Rin Esta and Crafter Tomis Deepforge, two of my crew. A note from the commander asked us to come here on our way to dinner. What can we do to help?”

The officer winced. “Sorry to take you away from your meal, especially after the day I’ve heard you had. We’ll get this done as quickly as possible. Follow me, please.”

It wasn’t a request. He turned back toward the rear section, already striding away with the obvious expectation that Pax and his friends would follow.

They didn’t.

Pax cleared his throat and waited, suppressing the nerves that tried to flare up inside him. But he was tired of being ordered around by the leadership here as if he were just some cog in their machine that should do as told.

The officer’s steps slowed, and he turned around, one eye arced in imperious question. When Pax just waited silently, he frowned impatiently. “What?”

Behind him, Pax could feel the tension in Rin and Tomis, but both of them backed him up, not speaking or moving. To his side, one of the bruised-up warriors had moved right up to grip the cell bars, watching the confrontation with rapt attention.

“First of all, we introduced ourselves. Would you show us the courtesy of doing the same? We’ve recently arrived and don’t know very many people here.”

The man’s irritation seemed to deflate at the reasonable request, as if he’d been expecting something more confrontational.

Pax suppressed a smile, glad his tactic had worked to set the man off balance.

“Of course. I apologize. This is Sergeant Adele Prescott, one of mine. And I’m Lieutenant Garrick Lancaster, your superior officer.”

Pax didn’t suppress his surprise quickly enough, because a slight touch of arrogance crossed Lancaster’s expression.

“Yes. They’ve assigned you to the 4th platoon, correct?” At Pax’s reluctant nod, a self-satisfied smile emerged on his face. “I’m the commanding officer over 1st through 4th Platoons, which makes me your superior officer. Now, if there are no more questions, let’s get this done.”

This time, he didn’t turn, but waited for Pax’s acknowledgement. Pax didn’t give it to him, instead leaning into his Charisma and political maneuvering skills he’d developed.

“I’d like to know exactly what you’re planning and what you expect my role to be in this.”

Now true irritation filled Lancaster's face. “I understand you’re new here, but I’m not in the habit of explaining myself to underlings, much less students.”

Around them, everyone had gone completely silent, the background noise of multiple prisoners and other rebels gone.

Pax focused on staying calm and sounding clinical, channeling the confidence that he’d seen Incedis use in situations like this. Inside, he decided it was time. He needed to set the tone of how he expected the rebel leadership to treat him.

If he didn’t, he’d be right back in the same situation, being at the mercy of those more powerful than him. The difference this time was that he was bringing valuable assets to the situation, which finally gave him the power he needed.

“I understand. However, I’m not in the habit of going along with orders for the sake of orders. I’d like an explanation, and then I can tell you if we’ll participate in your plan.”

Lieutenant Lancaster’s brow furrowed, as it seemed to take a few moments for him to process exactly what Pax had said. Pax could immediately tell when he had, because his face turned red and his mouth opened and closed two or three times without a word coming out.

Pax kept his expression under control, maintaining an expression of expectant curiosity. Someone in a cell suppressed a snort of laughter. Behind Lancaster, Pax caught a flicker of admiration in Prescott’s eyes, though her stiff visage didn’t waver.

When Lancaster spoke, he was livid. “That is enough. This might not be the empire, but we have order and rules here or else we’d be nothing more than rabble ourselves. Now, you’ll do as ordered, or I’ll have you thrown into one of these cells until you have a better attitude. Understand?” By the end of his tirade, he was jabbing a finger in Pax’s face.

A furious anger pushed inside Pax, insisting he tell the flick exactly what would happen if the man tried to throw him in a cell. But Pax had come a long way from the street rat with a touchy temper.

Now, he kept a calm demeanor that was such a contrast to the lieutenant’s it made the man look even more like a fool.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Pax let mild regret show and barely kept the vindictive pleasure from his face as he continued in a calm tone. “Please inform the rebel leadership here that my crew and I will no longer be helping the rebellion Tame new beasts or unlock new mage elements until we receive a personal apology and a clear outline of our privileges and responsibilities. We would also like a summary of how the leadership plans to utilize our abilities so we can best help the rebellion. Please send one of your negotiators to contact Mage Esta here. She’s in charge of overseeing negotiations for our crew.”

A sudden flash of worry broke through the irritation in Lancaster’s eyes. Maybe the flick was finally realizing how seriously he’d messed up. Pax didn’t care.

He leaned in and let some of his own rage and irritation flare up as his voice lowered to a threatening growl. “Good luck winning this war without us.”

Lancaster opened his mouth to object, or maybe to apologize.

Pax had already turned on his heel, Rin and Tomis right behind him. The guard at the door stared at them in astonishment, but didn’t get in their way.

Behind them, Pax heard Captain Langley chuckle and say to Lancaster. “If you let that mage slip through your fingers, the rebellion deserves to lose.” Then Langley raised his voice so his next words were loud enough for everyone to hear. “Make another note that my crew and I refuse to work with anyone except Mage Vipersworn.”

As the door closed behind them, Pax let a grim smile of victory emerge on his face. He was done keeping his abilities hidden while others walked over him. And now, he finally had the power to do something about it.