In a shadowy hideaway inside the dragon city Relead gathers the last supplies from his shop. This is valuable product. Can’t just leave it in enemy territory. A scaled hand turns the door to his underground shop. Relead jumps back at the scales then quickly recovers. “Oh it’s just you.” A human figure in black robes enters his shop. They were some of his best customers. They bought bags and bags of hard drugs from him. Opiates, nummers, some real hardcore users. “You are fleeing?” they ask. Relead nods. “How will we get the anesthetic then?”
“I’ll be in my shop a town over. You can come visit me there.”
“Our experiments will not allow us to leave this city.” The customer says in a low voice.
Relead pats him on the shoulder. “Try going sober. It’s not that bad.” The customer grabs Relead’s hand. “That is not an option.” More robbed men entered the shop. They bind the Chosen in ropes and carry what stock out of the shop that they can.
The kobolds have been split, a 50/50 mixing between the old mountain and the new mountain. This way the new kobolds will be quickly indoctrinated into this new way of life. Living as citizens and not as slaves. The slaves that I have bought and freed are now being sent to the new mountain. The mountain is a natural defense line that encompases the northern most parts of my land. From the base of it we will build a way marking my land that will circle around the city and lead back to my old home. I have my enslaved dragoness following my orders to oversee the building. Our only unprotected border will be with the demihuman forest, but they have already been placated. In the future I may extend into their lands. They would have no qualms with it. I am the chosen who united the tribes afterall.
“Go home!” I yell at the bronze dragon. He giggles at me. Everything I do makes this guy giggle. I have no clue why he is still here. “Why are you here?”
“For fun. This is the most fun I’ve seen in centuries.” I should introduce him to Eris, they seem like they’d get along.
Either way I’m stuck with him. He follows me around everywhere. Even to my public meeting with the humans.
“Greetings people of….” I blank on the city’s name. Great start The baron quickly supplies it. “Igdoshi”
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“Greetings people of Igdoshi. I am your new leader.” Bronze begins to laugh but a side eye makes him keep it in. “Do not fear me. I am a just leader. For the regular citizens your lifes will stay almost the same.” The stage is large and people surround me at all angles. This is just a boring press speech. I need hearts and minds. This is the only purpose that this serves. A bottles comes flying out of the crowd. It hits me on my knee and shatters. The crowd goes silent. I look to the crowd. They quickly part away from one man. He’s an older gentleman dressed in a fancy outfit. I extend my hand. He tries to run but the crowd forms a wall preventing that. I hook my claw into the back of his shirt and pull him out of the crowd. I set him in the palm of my hand. He cowers from my glare. Raising his arms to protect his fice like I’m about to attack him. I take a deep breath. Then exhale it. “Why did you do that?”
He looks out from behind his arms. He regains his composure then yells in my face. “You will never break our spirit, foul beast! The gods will smite you! We will resist you at every turn!”
“Have I done something to you?”
“You stripped all the nobles of their noble ranks!”
“I see, you are a formal noble then. I will clarify.” I pause for a second choosing my words carefully. “All men are created equal. We bleed the same and will die alone. One's birth does give privilege. The privilege to not starve as a child, the privilege to attend schools. I am not discrediting you or your experiences. I am saying that everyone should be equal. Not to tear you down but to build the lower classes up. Ability over birth. Has your station changed after losing your noble title? You still own land, you still collect taxes, your life is almost entirely unchanged?”
“You intend to free all the slaves!”
“I bought them fair and square. What I do with them after buying them is my business. They will eventually be reintroduced into society as free people. They will live like anyone else. Race isn’t an issue. Like I can teach a kobold to forge steel I can teach a peasant to manage land.”
“It will not be in your lifetime that you see this change. Over generations the common folk will be selected by ability to be trained in what job suits them best. Why let potential go to waste?”
He looks defeated, but not accepting of my words. I decide to leave it be and set him back on the ground. The baron smiles at me. Bronze is still restraining his laughter.
After the ceremony the Baron Herbet pulled me aside. “There is another problem. One that us above the law can not solve.” I nod. “One of the king’s chosen has gone missing.”
“Good for me.”
“Not good for you. He went missing in my-” He pauses, looking at me with fearful eyes. “In your city.”
“Did the king tell you this? It doesn’t seem to be common knowledge.” The baron nods. I smile at him. He came to me first with this information. Be it me holding his son hostage or genuine loyalty I am grateful.