The days following Leon’s election were hectic and tense in equal measure, not least of which due to his decision to bring Iron-Striker into the fold. The Jaguar wasn’t happy, but with Leon’s decision to give the former Thunderer a chance, he let the matter be, though not without making sure Leon knew he’d be watching Iron-Striker for any signs of betrayal.
The other big reason for the tension was that Leon started bringing Cassandra with him wherever he went. As one of his wives, he felt it best that she be seen. Since peace between the Ten Tribes and the Empires was also one of his goals, he also wanted everyone—the elders, especially—to get to know her and be thusly more amenable to ceasing hostilities.
How much of that he could accomplish he wasn’t sure, but after a week without incidents, he was tentatively confident that things were going to work out.
The biggest sign that they might not, however, was Hector. The man had left Stormhollow right after the vote and seemingly dropped off the face of Aeterna, and more concerningly, several battalions of Tigers in the former Thunderer’s army disappeared with him.
The second biggest sign was the Spiders. Like Hector, they took off after the vote, leaving Stormhollow bereft of their presence, but Leon at least knew that they’d returned to their Tribal territory. What they might be cooking up in the northwestern mountains he couldn’t say, but with six Tribes solidly in his corner and two more a little more tentatively on his side, he wasn’t too worried about what the Spiders might do.
His final problem in the Tribes was the Bears. They presented perhaps the biggest threat to his rule, but with Iron-Striker on his side, he was sure they would quickly fall in line. Showing them that they still had a place in his Kingdom, while also ensuring that the Tribes’ only tenth-tier mage wasn’t alienated from him was a big priority.
But what his place would be in his new Kingdom wasn’t yet ascertained, for in the week that he’d been King, Leon hadn’t had the opportunity to do much state-building. Instead, he led frequent parades throughout Stormhollow, performed several ceremonies glorifying the Thunderbird, and performed even more public ceremonies receiving the submission of the Tribes still present in the city. It was vitally important that everyone had an opportunity to see their new King, and for them to see their ruling Tribes bowing down to him.
Thankfully, there was no specific crowning ceremony. Leon was considered King as soon as the vote was concluded in his favor, and he wasn’t going to insist on otherwise. So, after receiving the public submission of all but the Spiders—Iron-Striker performing his submission ceremony on behalf of the many Bears who’d left the city, including the Beast Lord—the ceremonies were essentially complete, and he could get down to more important business…
---
Leon breathed in the scent of his soul realm, reveling in how alive it felt. It wasn’t alive, of course, everything within that he’d built was made of the Mists of Chaos, and so wasn’t ‘real’, but it still felt real. His magic brought the cold wind blowing through the mountains of his soul realm and down into the forested valley of his Mind Palace. The trees, despite not being ‘real’, still left their scent upon the breeze, bringing him no small amount of comfort.
Such a thing would’ve been impossible just a few tiers ago, when his soul realm was smaller, and his power wasn’t as great. He could still remember the days when the air in his soul realm felt stagnant and stuffy, nearly requiring effort to breathe.
But now it almost felt like a proper forest. There weren’t any animal calls and the flowers didn’t have quite as much effect on the air as the real Forest of Black and White, upon which Leon’s soul realm was modeled, but when he wasn’t paying attention, he could almost think he was back home.
And for the moment, he needed that comfort. The first proper meeting he’d have with the Elder Council would take place in just a couple hours, and there he’d be deciding the direction that his new Kingdom would take in the coming years—or rather, he’d be announcing the direction he wanted to take, and he wasn’t quite sure how the Tribes were going to take it. He’d never hidden his intentions before, but now, having brought Iron-Striker onto his side he had some worries that the Tribes might lose faith if he pressed too hard for what he wanted.
“You’re worrying too much,” Xaphan growled. Leon had only been sitting on the shallow steps up to his throne in the middle of his Mind Palace, so the Lord of Flame wasn’t too far away. “You’re giving me a headache.”
“Good. That means you can share in my pain.”
“Don’t share your fucking pain with me, human! I don’t need it!”
“Too late, it’s been shared, no take-backs.”
“You’re giving me conniptions, boy.”
“Wow, aren’t I generous? Giving you both headaches and conniptions?”
“I’d rather have neither. You’ve given me something as useful as a eunuch in a brothel.”
“Wouldn’t eunuchs be useful in a brothel, though? I can think of quite a few things people without sex drive can do that’d be useful in a place that sells sex. They can be trusted not to partake in the offerings, so to speak…”
Xaphan groaned in frustration, bringing no small amount of joy to Leon. Before either of them could continue their barbed conversations, another voice joined theirs.
“Well, well, well, aren’t you two boys having fun?”
Leon turned his head and saw the Thunderbird herself in human form sitting on the edge of the huge stone perch he’d built for her. She was reclining back on her arm and gazing at him with motherly pride and a mirthful smile.
“Is this how a King should be acting?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Leon playfully replied as he rose to his feet. “How should a King be acting?”
“Domineering!” Xaphan immediately replied. “He should be walking around like he’s got the biggest swingin’ dick in the room! Kings are the most important people around and should blazing act like it!”
“Crude, but not wrong,” the Thunderbird said as she lightly dropped down to the ground and sauntered over to Leon. Her smile didn’t fade in the slightest, and as she approached, she pulled him into a tight hug. “Well done, Leon,” she whispered into his ear. “I’m so proud of what you’ve managed to accomplish.”
Leon gratefully returned the hug. “I’ve missed having you around,” he said. “I think you spoiled me a bit with how frequently we’ve trained in the past decade.”
“You’re like my own grandson,” she responded as they finally broke their hug. “What kind of grandmother would I be if I didn’t spoil you at least a little bit?” Her smile turned into a grin, and together, they sat back down on the steps of Leon’s throne platform. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around. I didn’t want to influence you unduly in this endeavor. It was important for me to see how you’d perform when it finally came time to make your case for being King.”
“Not a fair test,” Xaphan growled as he walked over to the edge of his pavilion to speak more comfortably. “These barbarians Leon had to lower himself to speak with were, as they ought to be, craving to be subjects. They are men fit to be slaves.”
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“You deride them as slaves and barbarians while saying they ought to be in the same breath,” Leon pointed out. “Aren’t you being just a little contradictory?”
“Not at all,” Xaphan responded. “I am pointing out what they are, and that they should be like that when interacting with my host. No human is above you, Leon, for you carry within you a Lord of Flame!”
He raised his arms for effect, but Leon only shrugged and moved on.
“I suppose he’s not entirely wrong; the Ten Tribes were almost surprisingly amenable to having me as their King. Only a couple Tribes have been particularly uncooperative, and even then, they’re not entirely monolithic in their views, either.”
“Tell me about them,” the Thunderbird asked.
Leon took a few minutes to give her the gist of how the Ten Tribes had behaved since his arrival on Kataigida but placed more emphasis on how the Bears, Spiders, and Tigers were showing signs of resistance. When Leon finished, the Thunderbird leaned back as she turned the problem over in her head, giving Xaphan the opportunity to speak first.
“If they’re being too much of a problem,” the demon said, “destroy them. Or one of them, at least. Show the others that you’re no pushover! Show them the consequences of standing against their rightful ruler!”
“More bees are caught with honey than vinegar,” Leon responded.
“You’re trying to catch a bunch of dipshit humans with more pride than sense, not fucking bees!” Xaphan replied. “If you respond to them too flaccidly, they’ll think you weak! The other Tribes will think you weak and eventually disregard everything you have to say! These first days are critical! Assert your power and establish your dominance!”
Leon couldn’t help but grin despite himself. He didn’t want to be tyrannical, but he knew that at least some of what Xaphan was saying had some merit—not to mention hitting the Bears and Spiders back appealed to him on a visceral level, too.
But he refrained from replying until the Thunderbird said her piece.
After a few more seconds, the Thunderbird said, “I remember the Booming Brown Bear and the Ji Spider well. The Star-Tearing Tiger, as well… All were some of the most frustrating of my vassals to keep under control. Their blood runs hot and their pride runs thick. Several times during my life I had to defend myself against coups and rebellions, and these three Clans were usually involved, even if only tangentially.”
“They were involved in rebellions, but you allowed them to continue on?” Leon asked.
“Weak,” Xaphan grunted before the Thunderbird’s yellow eyes flashed and his face slammed into the ground. Just a quick expression of what little power she had left still manhandled the ninth-tier demon.
“Those directly responsible for stirring up problems were always taken care of permanently,” she said. “I have never been too fond of exterminating entire bloodlines for the actions of a few, though I’ve been forced to come close multiple times. Power invites challenge, especially from the prideful.”
“In this case, what would you do?” Leon asked. “They have resisted my ascent as their King, and could very well rebel against me. I don’t want to start a civil war as my first act as King, though I understand that might not be up to me…”
“Always conduct yourself with great honor,” the Thunderbird said. “Be magnanimous and generous with your supporters, but don’t let them walk over you. Present a strong face and punish those who attempt to trample upon it. As you say, a civil war may be inevitable given how some of these unworthy descendants have chosen to wield their ancestors’ power, but if it is, ensure that you are the aggrieved party. That way, you will be in the right when you retaliate.”
While she spoke, she lessened her hold over Xaphan, and the fire demon struggled back to his feet. “If that’s the route you’re going to go down, then always be in a position to hit back harder than they hit you!”
“A wise course of action,” the Thunderbird agreed. “Accept them if they come back to you. But if they don’t, ensure they regret moving against you.”
Leon nodded. “I was already planning on doing just that.”
“Trust your instincts, then,” the Thunderbird said.
“And if you don’t, then act like you do,” Xaphan added. “Be confident. And if you can’t be confident, then act like you are.”
“Got any advice for anything else?” Leon asked.
“Asking for anything in particular?” the Thunderbird inquired.
Leon quickly gave her and Xaphan a rundown on everything he’d been turning over in his head for the past week: peace with the Empires, and his recruitment of Iron-Striker most of all.
“It was a good idea to bring this former leader to your side,” the Thunderbird said. “He can solve a lot of short-term problems with your rebellious vassals.”
“But he’s still an enemy,” Xaphan warned. “Always watch him. Always be ready for him to resort to shit-eating behavior. He opposed you once, he will oppose you again.”
“He acted with honor and dignity, showing respect to the Ten Tribes in the process,” Leon said. “If he ever stabs me, it won’t be in the back.”
“You say that now, but what about in a thousand years?” Xaphan asked.
“In a thousand years I’ll hopefully be in a significantly different place,” Leon murmured. “I’m not even forty years old yet, how can I guess how I’ll act in a millennium?”
“You’d better fucking start,” Xaphan growled. “Be ready for anything.”
“For now,” the Thunderbird interjected, “I wouldn’t trust this ‘Iron-Striker’ with anything sensitive. Let him be your advisor, but he must earn his place.”
Leon frowned lightly. He could see the wisdom in the Thunderbird and Xaphan’s words of caution, but he thought he had a good read on Iron-Striker at this point. He thought the man was trustworthy enough to not need babysitting.
“What about the Empires?” he asked.
“Treat them as they are,” the Thunderbird said. “They are currently enemies. If you want to make peace with them, then do so. But remember that they are not your friends.”
“In at least one case, they’re family,” Leon said.
“The most distant case, as I understand it,” the Thunderbird replied.
Leon nodded in confirmation.
“Be extra careful with them, then,” she said. “They want what you can give them. Babies, remnants of the Clan, anything at all. They might not take too well to you now having a powerful Kingdom at your back.”
“If it’s at your back,” Xaphan pointed out. “It’s not until they commit. Don’t trust words until they’re put into action.”
“Well said,” the Thunderbird stated.
“What’s the point of marrying Cassandra if I can’t trust her family?” Leon asked them. “So far, they haven’t acted against me, and I still have them on the hook for additional benefits. I can trust their self-interest, at least, as well as the Grand Druid’s love for Cassandra at least.”
“Don’t trust too much in the bonds of family,” the Thunderbird cautioned. “For many people, such bonds aren’t that strong.”
“But I’ve seen them for the Sacred Golden Empire,” Leon protested. “I’ll treat them with all due caution, but I feel like they can be trusted at least to a degree.”
The Thunderbird shrugged. “Be a King,” she said. “Make mistakes. Just try to minimize the potential damage so my line doesn’t end with you, all right?”
Leon considered being insulted that she was seemingly more concerned about her power being passed down than about him, but her teasing smile kept him feeling light-hearted.
“Well, thanks for the words of advice,” he said. “I think you’ve shared a lot of wisdom with me today. But I need to do some things on my own, so don’t take it too personally if I don’t heed some of your warnings.”
“Your perception of the world is different from ours,” the Thunderbird said. “We aren’t out there with you, interacting with everyone that you are. So our advice is going to be tempered by our own experiences, and I can say that mine at least weren’t always that pleasant. Trust is hard to come by, and I don’t want to see you handing it out too carelessly.”
“I’m remaining vigilant,” Leon said.
The Thunderbird smiled and rose to her feet, Leon following a moment later. “That’s all I can ask, then.” She pulled him into another hug. “For now, just know that I’m proud of you. I know that you’ll rise higher. My expectations of you are high, but I know you’ll meet them.”
Leon smiled and hugged her back. “Thank you,” he said. “Now that I’m a King, will you be around more often?”
“I suppose I should be, shouldn’t I?” she said. “Your training is still woefully incomplete, and you’ll need someone to give you honest advice, won’t you?”
“Of course.”
“What about me?” Xaphan crackled as he put on a show of being aggrieved. “No hug for me? No warm words?”
“You’re warm enough on your own,” Leon replied. “Besides, I’d rather not test my magic body against your flames.”
“Kings shouldn’t be cowards,” Xaphan teased.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Leon responded. “I should get back out there. Deal with the Tribes.”
“Don’t fuck it up!” Xaphan said. He then muttered, “I know you will, though.”
“Fuck you too, demon!” Leon cheerfully called out as he returned to his throne. He shared one last look with the Thunderbird before sitting down, relishing her familial look as he returned to his physical body. He briefly pondered if that was what it would be like to have a mother…
Regardless, as he opened his eyes back in the physical world, he found himself in a palace in the center of Stormhollow. It wasn’t as large as the Jaguars’ guest palace, but it was more centrally located and didn’t show any favor to any of the Tribes with its location. It was fairly unfurnished, but he didn’t mind much. It was far more important for the Elder Hall to be nearby than for his living space to be luxurious.
‘Speaking of which…’ he thought as he rose to his feet. It was time to go and deal with his elders, Iron-Striker, and Cassandra all in the same room, and somehow wrangle all of them onto the same page about those who were no longer present…