Nine people marched across the bridge towards Jason’s cloud palace. They were clearly unlike the people Jason had been negotiating with, although they were from the noble houses currently missing people. These were not articulate servants or refined aristocrats. These were adventurers. Their gear was worn and practical, their weapons carried with the familiarity of years. They were slung ready for use, not displayed for the decorative value of their bejewelled hilts.

They stopped in front of the large doors, which turned into mist and vanished. Behind them was a garden atrium with sunlight spilling from above. In the doorway was the dark figure of Shade.

“What can I do for you, gentlemen?”

“My name Ben Headingway, of House Headingway,” the man at the front said, his voice as gruff as his appearance. “Each person here represents a noble house of Cyrion; I think you can guess which ones. We want to speak with Asano.”

“Of course, Lord Headingway. Please come in.”

“We’re not going in there,” Ben said. “He has all the power in there.”

“If his power in here is your concern, Lord Headingway, I’m afraid you have some bad news coming about out there. I’m sorry we couldn’t accommodate you today.”

Mist started to form new doors, then dispersed again.

“Hold on, Shade,” Jason said as he floated into view from above. “These people are clearly adventurers. Good adventurers don’t walk into places filled with unknown power and uncertain threats.”

“If that is the metric, Mr Asano, wouldn’t that make you a mediocre adven—”

“That will be all, thank you.”

“Very good, Mr Asano.”

Shade vanished into Jason’s shadow as he landed just inside the doors. That placed him right in front of Ben, who was significantly taller. He had the dark skin of a Cyrion native, his long hair woven with beads which Jason could feel radiating magic.

“I hope you’re not here to fight,” Jason said.

“I don’t like fighting other adventurers,” Ben said. “I like fighting monsters. Protecting people, providing for my house. Being the foundation holding it up, as my ancestors were before me. But you came into that house, and you took my family away. I don’t like fighting people, especially when there are stories around them like the ones around you. But I will, if that’s what it comes to. You took my nephew.”

Jason nodded.

“Without admitting to any action on my part, I’m sure you could understand why I might do such a thing.”

“I do,” Ben acknowledged. “The thing about noble houses is that when they get old enough, most of the people in it start to forget things. Become entitled. Forget that the money and power and influence doesn’t come from some inherent greatness they were born with.”

He rested a casual hand on his sword hilt.

“It comes from this. From the people willing to get dirty and bloody. To die for the family, if that’s what it takes. They forget that if they try to exploit the wrong person, it’s people like us who bleed to set things right.”

“You see, this is where you’re losing me, Ben. Your problem seems to be who your family exploited, not that they were exploiting people at all.”

“Ideals are all well and good, but power is what brings about change. Your ideals around slavery, for example, mattered to no one until you took away the System.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

“Then let us set aside wishful thinking and deal with the practicalities. Our families thought they could extract some cheap benefits from you. They were wrong, and paid the price for that. As we speak, all of our families are absolving the contracts for the people from your world. We’re even giving them generous severance bonuses.”

“Yeah, I can see the warm glow of having done the right thing radiating out of you.”

“Asano, you know that we won’t back down until our people are returned to us. You took them, leaving only two things: a letter from you and poisoned food that would render them unconscious, rather than kill them. You wanted us to know they were alive and that you took them.”

“Allegedly.”

“I’m not here for games, Asano, or the cheap words of politicians. I don’t want to fight someone like you, but we will not allow you to keep our people. You are powerful, and have powerful friends. But you have made a lot of enemies by taking away the System, and the noble houses of Cyrion also have many connections. If we move against you in earnest, we will find no shortage of allies.”

“You say that like your families won’t come looking for revenge after they have their people back.”

“You came into our homes and took members of our families.”

“I didn’t start this fight. The people from Earth mean very little to your families. Even though I find the indenture system laws unconscionable, I offered to buy their contracts at more than fair prices. Instead, your families used those laws to hold them hostage. To try and extort me. Because they had the power to do so and, as you said, power is what mattered. In fact, you’ve been right about everything. Ideals accomplish nothing alone, and you did try to exploit the wrong people.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

“We have moved to rectify this situation and make amends. Yes, I am certain that my family will try to make you pay for what you have done. That was inevitable from the moment you chose to do things this way, and you’re smart enough to know that. And that the enmity between us will be very different if our people are not returned. Give them back, and you’ve delivered a political humiliation. Don’t, and you’ve started a war.”

“I honestly don’t have your people,” Jason said. “I did hear something that may be relevant, though. A friend of mine popped over to Sadi Andali recently. She’s very fast, even without portals, and she had a few things to sell off. She heard that some unusual products are moving through the slave markets there. What seemed to be aristocrats, from their rank and bearings.”

The people behind Ben stirred, but didn’t speak up. Ben’s gaze became even more flinty, as if it could bore through Jason’s head.

“The Sadi Andali slave markets.”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Which one?”

“Split between them, from what I heard. Not sure which ones, so I suppose you’ll need to hit them all. Simultaneously, or you might find yourself dealing with hostages. You should probably call in some favours from those many connections you mentioned.”

“This is your price, then? The destruction of the Sadi Andali slave trade?”

“I’m sure this won’t stop it. The fact that the country still exists at all tells me that. It’s too convenient a place for powerful people in need of dirty deeds but clean hands. Not that I’d exploit that to make some kind of point. You have a good day, bloke.”

The mist doors reformed, removing Jason from view.

***

The desert town was a ramshackle place, mostly tents of washed out brown and yellow, pitched alongside a river. Some crude mud brick buildings were scattered around, and a few large colourful tents stood out from the others. The town was never meant to last, and the people in it were clearly used to adventurer raids. Those that could, fled. The slaves would normally refuse to go through portals with rescue at hand, but few could tolerate the pain collars.

Ben watched the adventurers swarm over the town. This was not his first time on such a raid, and he knew the routine just as well as the residents. Asano was right about the long-term efficacy of the operation. Even hitting every slave market in the tiny nation at once would only slow them down, ultimately stopping nothing.

There were churches here, although the nomadic nature of the town meant they were not actually sanctified. These were the larger and more colourful tents, not holy ground or, in most cases, unholy ground. Dark gods, their temples hidden away in civilised society, were openly worshipped here. They could flaunt their existence, at least until adventurers came calling. Even then, the clergy mostly escaped. The dark gods made sure that their thralls were elusive.

Not every church tent belonged to a dark god. Deities like Strength and Desolate weren’t considered evil, but didn’t care about the morality of their followers. There was an agreement with such churches that they wouldn’t shelter residents during adventurer raids. In turn, the adventurers would leave their tents in peace. Most such churches were of lesser gods, the exception being a bright red tent in a prime position upstream.

The operation was largely wrapped up, with none of the family members found. Ben made his way to the large red tent, as it never hurt to pay respects to Dominion. To his surprise, he sensed a gold-rank presence within. He was clearly sensed in turn as a priest came out to meet him.

“Priest,” Ben said in greeting, not knowing the man’s name. “I am Benjamin Headingway, of House Headingway.”

“I have heard of you. I am Brian, priest of Dominion.”

“What is such a high-ranking priest doing in this place?”

Brian let out a chuckle.

“Our church is an organisation built more on doing what you’re told than asking why.”

“We are seeking members of the noble houses who have supposedly been sold here.”

“I thought it might be something like that. As it happens, I did come across a noble slave in the market here.”

“Do you know what happened to them?”

“I do. I suspected that something like this might happen, and that it would be best to keep him safe until someone like you arrived. So, I bought him.”

“You bought him?”

“Yes. He’s inside.”

Brian gestured in the direction of the tent.

“Please.”

Ben followed Brian into the tent. While the rich, crimson fabric of the tent was enchanted against sun bleaching, the interior was plain and functional. There was an altar with kneeling mats set out in front of it, and a private living area, sectioned off with standing screens. Off to the side was a thick wooden post, driven into the hard earth floor. Ben could sense the reinforcement magic that prevented the man chained to it from freeing himself with silver-rank strength.

Ben recognised Patterson Kennington. They had no acquaintance, but all of the rescue teams had been shown images of the targets. He was on his knees, forced into hugging the post with his arms chained together on the other side of it. He was unconscious, slumped against the wooden pole.

“You left him like this?” Ben asked.

“He’s a slave, and a disobedient one at that. Most owners faced with a slave like this would whip him and throw him in a hole until he learned his place. By disobedient slave standards, this is downright palatial.”

“He’s not a slave; he is a nobleman of Estercost.”

“I think you’ll find, Lord Headingway, that slavery isn’t a volunteer position. If someone has the power to make you one, you are one, and you don’t get a say in the matter. It’s not fair, but while ideals are all well and good, it is power that brings about change.”

Ben’s gaze snapped from Patterson to Brian.

“Asano set this all up,” he realised. “Even this, and you.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Why would your church agree to be lackeys to Asano? Isn’t Slavery a subordinate god to yours? Why would you work with someone working to destroy it?”

“The irony of our church, Lord Headingway, is that those most favoured by our god will never be in it. We guide them, and sometimes we serve them. I am a priest of Dominion. We do not venerate power itself, but the establishment of power over others. Rulership. The exercising of authority. Yes, slavery is one form of power and control, but it is a small thing. A petty tyranny. My lord looks higher.”

“Higher?”

“Look at what’s happening out there, and all across Sadi Andali. Someone has set the great and noble houses of Cyrion dancing to his tune.”

“You truly think that Asano is so grand?”

“I never said a name.”

Ben snorted derision.

“If he’s so great, why play political games? He has what he wanted. Why make enemies by humiliating us like this?”

“Because you tried to put him in his place. He no longer has time to educate small concerns like you, one at a time. He is busy figuring out how to not conquer a world. My god values that far more than auctioning off shackled victims. Speaking of which, will you be taking this slave?”

“Of course I will.”

“Excellent. Will you pay in spirit coins, or a promissory note to the church?”