Zeke didn't have to wait long for a human to be brought before him. Evidently, human Slaves were quite common around here.
With furrowed brows, he scrutinized the boy. He appeared to be around eight years old, with the caramel-colored skin typical of Korrovan natives. His body was thin, bordering on skeletal, a common sight in Undercity. Fortunately, there were no other visible signs of mistreatment on his body. Not that Zeke could be sure without the use of his Magic.
The boy's breathing quickened as he cast nervous glances around the dimly lit room. It was evident he was afraid of what lay ahead. And understandably so. Being summoned into the council chamber wasn't likely to be a positive sign.
Zeke smiled gently at the boy. "What is your name?"
The boy met Zeke's gaze and took a step closer. The presence of another human appeared to be the only solace he could find in this perilous situation. "My name is Anand, sir," he whispered fearfully.
Zeke lowered himself to one knee to match his eye level. "You don't have to be afraid, Anand. I asked for you to be brought here, and I will make sure nothing happens to you, ok?"
The boy nodded, though he seemed hesitant to trust his words fully. Nevertheless, the trembling of his small frame lessened. Zeke squeezed his shoulders reassuringly as he stood to his full height once more. He then turned to the figures lurking in the darkness. "Who owns this boy?"
"I do," a feminine voice replied. Stepping out of the shadows, she moved with a sinuous grace. Dark hair cascaded like midnight, framing her captivating green eyes. With fluid motions, she glided across the floor, her body flowing effortlessly. It was only as she fully emerged that Zeke noticed the woman lacked legs; instead, her hips transitioned into a long serpentine tail.
She stopped behind the child, placing her hands on his shoulders. The boy froze, not daring to breathe, though she wasn't even looking at him. Instead, her eyes remained fixed on Zeke as she flicked her tongue, tasting the air with its forked tip.
Zeke frowned. Was she testing him? Well, two could play at this game. "Elder Snake, I presume?"
The woman nodded.
"Are you willing to part with this child?"
"…And what if I'm not?" she asked.
Zeke couldn't tell if it was to challenge him or if she was just being playful. Most likely, she was just trying to probe the limits of his capabilities.
"I do have a method that doesn't require your consent," he said seriously. "However, I would not recommend it. The last two times, the recipients died right after the procedure. You might have heard of them; they were both Archmages, after all."
A gasp echoed through the room, likely from Elder Rooster, who was still scrutinizing his every word for falsehoods. Zeke smirked internally. His guess had been right regarding the limits of her powers. Even though he had technically spoken the truth, as both Archmages had died right after, the two actions had nothing to do with one another. He only needed to pay attention so as not to tell an outright lie.
Elder Snake's grin slowly faded, and she nodded stiffly. "I am willing."
As if her words had been the signal, a man strode up to the illuminated circle in the middle of the room. He touched the ground with his hands, and the lines engraved on the floor came to life. It was only now that Zeke realized he had been standing on a Ritual all this time.
Zeke recognized it right away: It was the Enslavement Ritual.
He frowned at this realization. He had likely been brought here to become a Slave himself after the council could figure out who was going to keep him. It was fortunate that he had come prepared. Otherwise, his fate would have been grim.
After the Mage powered the Ritual, Elder Snake spoke to the boy. "I order you to agree to the transfer of your contract."
The boy, still frozen in fear, had no choice but to obey. "I agree to the transfer of contracts," he stammered.
"I agree to the transfer," Zeke said as well.
The next instant, he sensed the boy's Soul fragment transition through the Ritual and merge with his own Soul. Fortunately, the Supra root would not prevent him from using his Soul. Acting swiftly, Zeke seized the unsettled fragment and promptly infused it into the boy, eliciting a startled gasp. His eyes turned white, and he collapsed to his knees.
Zeke was slightly surprised. Previously, he had only performed this method with Chimeroi and hadn't ever experienced such a strong reaction. Was it because a human's body was inherently weaker? Nonetheless, the boy regained his composure soon after and managed to rise to his unsteady feet.
"It is done," Zeke proclaimed proudly. "The contract is broken."
It wasn't only Elder Snake but all the gathered figures that looked at him dubiously. To them, it didn't seem like he had done anything at all. No matter; he hadn't expected them to take his word for it.
He turned to the enslaved Mage and spoke with a commanding voice. "Power the Ritual again." After a short nod from Elder Snake, the man did as he was bid.
Zeke then addressed the newly liberated boy. "I order you to agree to the transfer of your contract." Once again, the boy obeyed and murmured his agreement. However, this time, no transfer took place. After all, Zeke no longer had a fragment to give.
Zeke smirked at Elder Snake. "How about you try to order him now," his voice was teasing, mirroring her tone from earlier.
Elder Snake looked at him for a long moment before issuing her command, but even as she spoke, she never broke eye contact with Zeke. "Come here, boy."
Anand didn't move, causing Elder Snake to frown. "I order you to come to me."
Again, the boy didn't move. If anything, he seemed to slowly inch away from her and toward Zeke.
This time, the Elders' response was even more pronounced, each reacting in their own manner. This was undeniably shocking. Zeke couldn't fault them for the loss of composure; it was one thing to hear about a potential way of breaking the Slave Ritual, but witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different matter. Moreover, his apparent ease in accomplishing it added to the astonishment.
Zeke patiently waited for the commotion to subside before initiating the final stage of his plan. His voice took on a dignified tone as he began his final plea. "I have demonstrated my worth before you, both through words... as well as actions," he stated, gesturing towards the boy. "You've been informed of my plans and intentions, my truthfulness confirmed by Elder Rooster. And though I possess the power to destroy you, I have chosen a different path—a path of peace. Taking on considerable risk, I've come to you alone, without guards, risking my life in the process. All of this, I've done in the hope that you would embrace the opportunity I've presented."
He paused his speech and swept his gaze over the silhouettes surrounding him. "The question is, are you willing to embark on this path? Are you willing to abandon your foolish hatred for the good of your kind? Or will you let your stubborn pride continue to stand in the way of actual progress?"
There was no reply, but he hadn't expected one either. It would be impossible for them to make such a decision on the spot. Having accomplished what he set out to do, Zeke decided it was time to take a step back. "I've said my piece, and now I will leave you to your thoughts. Take your time and discuss my offer amongst yourselves and with your people."
With those words, he casually strode in the direction Anand and the Mage had come from, anticipating to find the exit there. Unimpeded, he made his way off the stage and into the darkness. Before departing, however, he glanced back one last time. "I'll expect your decision in a week's time," he declared, his voice carrying across the chamber. "And I'll see you soon, Anand."
***
The moment he reached the border, Zeke let out a sigh he had been holding. During his entire stay in the northern district, he hadn't dared to show any signs of weakness. But now that he was back, there was no use in putting up a front anymore.
The instant he disappeared from sight, he slumped against the wall and let his body slide to the floor.
This… this could have gone very badly.
Zeke was well aware that he had skirted the line between life and death on more than one occasion. He had not expected the Elders to be so unreasonable as to attack him on sight. No matter how thorough his preparations, there was only so much planning could do. It wasn't like he could see the future, after all.
His thoughts naturally turned to Elder Rat, who had revealed his ability to do exactly that, and Elder Rooster, who could discern truth from lies. A smile slowly spread across his face. Even though this gamble had been risky, the potential gains matched the wager. If he were able to get them on his side, his future returns would be tremendous.
Zeke slowly got up and finished his ascent to the top of the wall, where Soria and some of his elites were still waiting.
"You are back, Master," Soria said, the relief clear in her voice.
Zeke smiled at her. "I am, and the mission was a success. Let's return home." Soria nodded and ordered a few of the men to inform the rest of the forces of our retreat. Their purpose here had been to pressure the northern district to guarantee his safety. However, now that he had returned, there was no reason to waste any more manpower. There was a lot to do, after all.
The auction was only a couple of days away, and it heralded his return to the surface. Before then, Zeke wanted to put his affairs in order and bring a measure of stability to Undercity. There was much to do. People needed to be instructed, hierarchies established, and trade deals signed. Honestly, it would be an impossible workload if not for Akasha's help.
By splitting her mind, the spirit could do the work of a dozen highly skilled bureaucrats working in tandem. Even so, time was tight, and he would also have to wait for the Venomous Cabal to make their decision, though Zeke wasn't worried. The mere fact that he had been allowed to leave so easily spoke volumes about their state of mind.
At this point, giving them time to choose was more of a formality than anything else. Zeke wasn't sure if all the tribes would agree, as a couple of the Elders had appeared pretty hostile. It remained to be seen if they would be able to let go of that hatred for the betterment of their people. Even so, Zeke was confident that Elder Sheep, Rat, Rooster, and Wolf would be joining him. Elder Monkey was most likely going to agree as well.
As he made his way through the streets of Undercity with his retinue in tow. Zeke remembered something he had been ignoring for a while now. It had been a long time since he used his [Transposition] spell to check for any messages from Tradespire. With everything that had happened in the mines and his subsequent escape through the desert, it had completely slipped his mind.
Focusing on that distant feeling, he connected to the Spatial node. The next moment, the familiar image of his transfer point came into view. Gold bars, coins, a bottle of water, food, and three neatly stacked letters were waiting for him.
Zeke's heart dropped; three letters. This could only mean that something important had happened… Hopefully, it wasn't bad news.
Steadying his mind, he used his magic to wrap a layer of Spatial Mana around the letters gently. At the next moment, they appeared in his hand. Zeke stared at the topmost letter. It was from his mother and likely an update on the current situation in Tradespire. They had agreed on periodic updates, after all.
The second letter was from Margret. He had not heard from her at all since she had left for her mission. If he was lucky, she had had a breakthrough in her task.
The last letter was from Lara Sonnenstrahl. Strange. Wasn't she deployed to the border? Opening the envelope, he started to read, his expression turning darker with every line.