Ted reached back out, but Alenia was gone. No point reconnecting—his father wouldn’t change his mind.

Cara prodded at Ted’s chest and silently stared at him, demanding answers.

Ted looked away, his gut a twisting mess of knives. Where to even begin? “I reached out to Alenia.”

Cara’s stare intensified. “Alenia?”

Gramok shifted his weight and joined the glare-at-Ted party. “The Emperor’s assassin.”

“Right.” Ted bit at his lip. “She’s the one who captured me. Killed Ria and took her place.”

Cara recoiled. “You’re talking to her?”

“She made an offer.”

“She betrayed us once,” Cara said, her flat tone screaming disbelief.

“The offer… came from the Emperor.”

“Oh”—Cara turned away, shook her head—“that makes it so trustworthy then.”

Ted stared out from the balcony, down at the army still growing outside. If only it was so easy. “I believe it.”

Heavy footsteps thudded behind him, drew close. A cold steel gauntlet settled on his shoulder.

“Why?” Gramok asked, making no attempt to hide his doubt.

“He…” Ted sighed. The longer he dwelled on the offer, the harder it was to deny that it rang true. That it fit everything he'd seen of the Emperor's twisted psychology. “He’ll keep to the deal.”

“What deal?” Gramok asked.

Ted sucked in air. Closed his eyes. Breathed out. “Nammu’s head on a spike, and he’ll make me Magistrate.”

Neither Cara nor Gramok said a word. Even with his eyes shut, the weight of their judgment crushed down upon every inch of his being.

“No way,” Cara said, a sharp edge bleeding into her words. “Not from now until the end of time.”

It sounded so easy. Just say no. Just keep your soul. Yet more soldiers and mages gathered below, even now. Ignoring reality was a luxury they could no longer afford.

“Look at that army down there,” he said. “We can’t beat them. We can’t flee. Even if we managed to, we’d be abandoning a city of slaves to a fate worse than death.” He paused, wishing the words weren't true. “We could make a real difference.”

Gramok leaned against the wall and peered down at the army. “I don’t buy it. The Emperor holds all the cards. Why offer so much for what he can simply take?”

Ted scoffed. “He doesn’t care about getting Nammu, or even this city. He just wants to drag me down into the mud with him.”

There was a pause. When Gramok spoke again, his tone was softer, drenched in surprise instead of deserved condemnation. “And you’ll let him?”

A long sigh forced itself out from Ted, bringing no relief. “I don’t have a choice.”

Silence.

“You’re right,” Cara said. “You don’t have a choice.”

Ted turned. Met Cara’s crestfallen gaze. Saw the pain written across her face.

She looked away. “Nammu does.”

More damned silence.

Cara was right. Ted wished he could deny it, fight it, but he couldn't. No one could. It was Nammu's fight, Nammu's life, Nammu's choice.

Not that it was a choice. Not really. Not for Nammu.

They danced around the reality, discussing how best to put the offer to her. How best to inform her of her options. How best to let her choose.

Did anyone ever truly get to choose? Ted wasn't so sure anymore.

The discussion plodded along, circling back on itself again and again until Ted couldn’t take it anymore. “Send her up,” he said. “It should be me that explains it, away from her men.”

The others stared at him. Seconds dragged by like eternities. Their expressions said it all.

But this was how it had to be. Cara and Gramok shuffled out, leaving Ted staring down at the city's army. Would they serve him?

No. Ted snorted at the thought. No, the Emperor wouldn’t go that far. He’d let Ted play at running the city, but he wouldn’t hand Ted an army that could be wielded against him.

A cold breeze bit at his cheeks. The strange quiet settled uneasily upon him.

Looking out across the city, with its stone buildings decorated with intricate carvings and marble pillars, he could almost believe he was back on Earth in some historic city in Europe.

Not that he'd ever been. Probably never would, now.

Then his gaze settled on the sharp, steel plated barracks, and the sheer scale of the bridge across the river, and the illusion shattered.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

This wasn't home. Could never be home. The wood elves had feared him, sure, but they never enslaved anyone. Were never cruel for the sake of it.

Hell, he'd even settle for one of Reltan’s lectures about now.

Damn it, how long was Nammu going to take?

Were the human cities much different? Assuming they even had cities. Early neolithic wasn’t exactly the height of human civilization.

Nammu silently emerged from nowhere, suddenly standing beside him. “I hear you have a proposal to save my crew and take the city. One I shalln’t like.”

“Yes,” Ted said, staring out. delaying the inevitable.

“Out with it.”

Dread pulled down on Ted’s heart as he explained his connection to the Emperor, his talks with Alenia, his meeting with the Emperor. Everything he could think of that would feed into her decision.

“Enough,” she said, pulling herself up straight. “Tell me.”

Ted looked her in the eyes. She deserved that, at least. “Your head for the city. For me to be Magistrate. That's the Emperor's terms.”

Nammu’s expression didn’t waver. Her back remained straight, and her shoulders pulled back. “Do you trust him?”

“On this?” Ted swallowed. “Yes.”

She said nothing. The silence stretched out, growing heavier each passing moment.

“We could try to—”

She raised her finger, cutting him off. “Alenia would see through any tricks. If a dog snarls, throw a morsel into its mouth.” Her expression was hard, unflinching, as she turned away. She held her head up high and led Ted back down to the lobby in silence.

A silence that Ted was grateful for.

When they reached the lobby, Nammu spoke to her lieutenant, the high elf, for several minutes. Anger, fury, rage flashed across his face, but the conversation remained hushed, and his temper dulled. He had all the bearings of a soldier, or a ranger. He’d do what had to be done.

A shared nod ended the conversation between them, and Nammu called the other rebels to assemble. Around fifty of them gathered in the lobby, a cobbled-together mix of humans, elves, minotaurs, and dwarves. All wore armor of some kind or another, most wearing uniforms pilfered from the armory or slain soldiers.

The rebels hung on her words as she thanked them, praised them, told them they had achieved amazing things. Lies mixed with truth.

She appointed her high elven lieutenant—Gantien—as their new leader. Told them that he had all the skills they needed for the next phase. Told them to keep faith, and to follow Gantien’s orders no matter what. Reminded them why they fought.

Reminded them their lives were forfeit to the cause.

They cheered. They didn’t understand. Not yet. How could they?

Then came her final orders. “Remove the barricade. Unbar the gate. Do not interfere.”

Silence spread through the rebels, followed by a wave of whispers. But they did as they were told, followed their orders like good soldiers.

Ted cast Communicate and connected with Alenia. I’m bringing her out in a moment.

Good, came the reply. Ensure she’s collared.

Ted scowled. Her last moments should be her own, but it wasn’t worth the risk. Not for that. Ted walked over to the bin of slave collars, and stared down into them. They were similar to the Magistrate’s collars, without depending upon the network he’d shattered.

Which meant they still worked.

He unslung his pack and pulled out the collar he’d taken from the Magistrate’s quarters. The complex interplay of Portals and Telepathy magic was impressive, even if it was turned to a dark purpose. The Portals magic pulsed within it, seeking a connection it had no hope of finding.

Would Alenia notice the difference? Probably not. Even if she did, he doubted it would matter. His fath— The Emperor was still getting his blood price.

Ted followed every line and curve of the magic, memorizing its secrets. Digging deeper, there was a nexus of Dark magic buried within it. Half of it handled the mind control elements, but the other half…

He froze. His gut clenched.

Death.

Not the entity, whatever he or it was. The aspect. The effect. The failsafe.

A pulse of mana and spirit in the right place would be enough to trigger it. Nammu’s end would be quick and painless.

He memorized the effect and approached Nammu, holding up the disconnected collar. “She insists you’re collared.”

Nammu glanced at the collar. She let out a half chuckle, and her lips pressed together. “That will do,” she said, taking the collar and placing it around her own neck. When it clicked together, the magic within it flared, only to die back down again when it found no connection. “Shall we?”

Two lines of rebels had formed, each facing the other with their weapons raised. Nammu walked between them, thanking each one for their service.

Ted followed at a respectful distance. Let them have this time.

She spoke to Gantien last. Handed him her daggers. “Kalra sovana, ishkval.”

He bowed his head. “Kalra sovana, ishktai.”

She bowed her head in return, and then set off. She walked slow and, even now, she held her head high.

Ted walked close behind. If they were doing this, might as well make it look real.

He glanced back at Cara. She shifted from foot to foot, her bow clenched in her hand. Ready to fight.

Outside, two shield walls of soldiers faced each other, leaving a ten yard wide passage between them. Each formation as at least fifty soldiers long and four deep. Behind each file stood a mage, and all of them shone with Protection magic.

At the end of this show of force stood Alenia, dressed in her dark, rune embossed leather that gave off no hint of magic. She was flanked by four mages, in their gold trimmed white robes, shining with magical power.

Ted fired a Message off at Cara, using only Mental components. If this goes wrong, don't try to rescue us. They’d never stood a chance, had they?

Nammu came to a stop in front of Alenia.

Alenia glanced at the broken collar and then at Ted, before turning on Nammu. “Enibu-Nammu, you have been found guilty of taking up arms against the Divine Empire. The sentence is death, to be carried out immediately.”

Ted took up position behind Nammu. “Any last words?”

She looked around at the rows of faceless soldiers, and the mages behind them, and projected her voice. “May the city grow like I have. May the city live like I have.”

Ted swallowed. Placed his finger upon the collar. What if he teleported her to Valbort? Covered it with an explosion, pretended he incinerated her?

A message from Nammu pressed into his mind. Remember what I would have done to win. Do what needs to be done, Ted Tolabar Soa’roaska.

His chest pulled tight, but she was right. He drew on his mana and spirit—both ravenous, eager to be spent—and guided them into the collar. Directed them to that buried safeguard.

For an instant, the collar sucked light from the air.

The tension holding Nammu up slipped away. Her body thudded against the floor.

Alenia raised her hand and gestured at the corpse. A soldier stepped forward and hacked the head from the body.

Every instinct told Ted to intervene to stop this, but he held still. This had to be.

When the soldier was done, he sheathed his sword and lifted up the head, showing it to Alenia.

She inspected the head. Satisfied, she looked at Ted with a blank expression and a tiny tilt of her head. Approval? Acknowledgement? Disgust?

He couldn't tell. It didn't matter.

She lifted the head. Showed it to the assembled soldiers, and the civilians watching from the buildings around the plaza. “The rebellion is over, ended by the brave actions of Crown Prince Edwin Williams. By order of the Divine Emperor, the Crown Prince is appointed Magistrate of Hallowed Falls.”

A cheer went out from the soldiers. They raised their swords and bashed them against their shields.

The city was his.

Now to make it worth the price.