Siel sat at his desk reading reports.
Most people don't realize just how much paperwork running a merchant business is, and an illegal crime syndicate has at least ten times the amount of paperwork.
But he did not mind, they had yet to find someone uncompromised to takeover for Salumun.
"Sir, it is time."
Siel looked up to see Janith in front of him, he stood stoically there waiting for Siel. Siel got a bronze ring out of a drawer, and put it on.
"Understood, let's not keep them waiting."
He stood and left with Janith to the teleportation circle that led to an indiscriminate location, that was still ten miles from the agreed upon meeting place.
Siel looked at the newly made teleportation circle that was carved unto a stone slab that was transported here.
"Ledina does excellent work, remind me to give her a raise when we get back."
Janith scanned the surrounding area, making note of any possible position that someone could ambush them.
Most bushes and trees were cleared by the teleportation circle team.
"Yes, sir, she certainly does, and I will."
"Good, shall we depart?"
"Yes, sir."
They started the trek.
"I keep telling Haysith and you that Siel is fine."
"With all due respect sir, we will always be warriors, and warriors always show respect to great leaders."
"Flowery titles does not make a great leader."
"No, but for those who've earned it on the field of battle, deserve to be set on a pedestal. So, that others may learn, and hopefully reiterate the actions."
Siel chuckled.
"So, I'm a learning tool?"
"No, an aspiration."
"Huh, I'll be sure to have the memorial mason carve that on my grave marker."
"Only sham leaders get burials."
"Then, what do real leaders get?"
"A ditch if they're lucky, or their body desecrated by their enemies if not."
Siel cracked a smile.
"It sounds like real leaders get the head of the spear, while the rest gets the shaft."
"True, but they get something much better than a funeral."
"What?"
"They become legends. Their names and stories written into the fabric of history itself!"
A snake struck at Siel from the tall grass, but Janith crushed its head flat before it could reach him.
"I can tell you now, history is written on cheap parchment, and it's dictated by the victor."
"I apologize sir, but I don't believe that."
"Never apologize for what you do or don't believe in. As for not believing me, life will show you, it always does."
They continued to chat idly until they reached the place.
Janith acting as a vanguard of sorts, making sure no ill befell Siel.
"They're not here."
Janith stated after he took a look around.
"Then we wait."
__________
An hour of them waiting passed.
"They're late."
Janith snidely remarked.
"No, they've been here for some time. Isn't that correct?"
Siel said quite loudly towards the bush to their left.
"Quite perceptive."
A najaje stepped out of the shrubbery.
The najaje are a non-monster herbivorous lizard race that lives in the Kash desert.
Being on the smaller side of reptilian species, they only average around five feet in height.
They have neck hoods used for intimidation, slim bodies normally dark in color, a long tail, and webbed splayed feet with special toes that allow them to run across the sands - and by some accounts even water - with ease.
"Indeed I am, Kojo."
Kojo's hood raised a little in alarm when he heard his name spoke.
"How did..."
"Easily accessible, if you know the right people, and I do. Where is..."
Janith looked around.
"No names!"
"Fine, where is he? We agreed to discuss terms."
"Do you think an important person such as he would risk coming here? I can't believe you came yourself in the flesh!"
Siel shrugged.
"It is respectful to show up for a meeting."
"We came here to talk business, not about respect, old man."
Janith's hand went to his weapon in anger, but a look from his master dissuaded him from taking further action.
"Yes, indeed we have come to talk about business. He wanted to talk about transporting goods through my territory, correct?"
The lizard bobbed his head, while a long black tongue slipped out of his mouth, and licked both eyes in rapid succession.
"Yes, drugs, contraband food and alcohol, and other things of the like that'll make you more coin than you'd know what to do with."
"You forgot weapons."
His hood semi lifted before he had complete control of his emotions.
"Hmm?"
"You forget to mention weapons. Namely the ones your master has already been smuggling through my territory for the peasants he wishes to incite into engaging in another rebellion."
A few more quick eye licks before Kojo answered.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know the caravans that's been travelling down rarely used roads. Like the one that got robbed by bandits last week."
Again, his hood opened slightly.
"How did you know about that?!"
"It's my territory, and I am the one who told the bandits about it in the first place."
His hood flared completely open in rage.
"You think you can say whatever you want just because you've got that centaur protecting you, but guess what? All a..."
"All around us are your cohorts, is that what I don't know?"
Groups of different species came out, wielding all sorts of weapons.
Lastly a short giant - only being twelve feet- stepped out dragging human slaves by a rope.
"We've been out here for hours, and you have yet to convince me to allow your boss anything."
"I already told you, coin."
"You think that's enough to convince me to allow your boss to incite a rebellion, and bring the attention of the empire on me?"
"You don't have a choice, either accept this deal or..."
He snapped his fingers.
The giant took one of the humans, and tore her in half.
Siel turned towards Janith.
"We are leaving, I do not do business with idiots."
Kojo bristled and his men stared at them with killing intent.
"You think we'll let you leave?!
The only reason our boss suggested cooperation was because a piece of his property found its way into your territory.
Recently, however, a little birdy told us she's traveling south to the capital, so this is unnecessary to say the least."
He looked smug as Siel turned to face him.
"Do you know why I said your master was an idiot?"
He held up his hand, silencing Kojo before he could speak.
"I'll assume you don't, and give you the answer.
Back in my home country, which the Saerians renamed Dale when they 'discovered' it, there are a group of humans called Nokians that we avoid conflict with as much as possible because..."
"Because you're weak craftsmen who don't know how to fight."
His henchmen all around them started laughing.
"No, we fight all the time, and are skilled enough to have kept our independence, unlike your kind.
No, we don't fight them because we know it wouldn't be worth the risk."
The men were inching closer, waiting for the command to kill the centaur and obnoxious Dalian.
"The risk? They're humans, one of the weakest species! They're no better than the ground apes people in my country hunt for fun. Heck, they even look similar to them. Hehehe!"
Siel nodded.
"True, and yet here they are."
He motioned with his hands to all around them.
"Where?"
"Saeria.
The name of which comes from a draconian word meaning nest.
Because all of this land used to be ruled by dragons thousands of years ago, and it wasn't the dwarves, giants, fae, any of the reptilian species, or any other of the many 'strong' species that ousted them.
It was the humans.
Then came the invasion from hell, the humans stopped that.
The dwarves and other mountain dwelling species pushed further into the mountains, by humans.
The giants war, they got massacred, by humans.
We all might gripe about humans, but none of us has claimed as much territory as they, the inferior ground apes as you called them.
And you killing that human for no good reason, tells me your boss condones it.
Which tells me you've done this before, and that's means there is probably a bloody trail of corpses leading to your feet.
And humans may not care about a few humans dying, but eventually you'll kill the wrong one, and they'll hunt down every single last one of you and your families and kill you all in the most heinous way they can think of - and they are very talented at thinking of perverse ways to kill."
Kojo shook his head in amusement, and contempt.
Contempt for the weak and pathetic Dalian that stood in front of him.
"You think we're afraid? We're apart of something great!
We'll end human reign for good, and all humans will be slaves... or food."
He looked evilly over to the rest of the bound humans.
Janith scratched his head.
"Should you be telling us this? That sounds conspiratorially, and normally you keep that a - you know - secret."
They all laughed loudly.
"Neither of you are going to be alive to do anything anyway. In fact I can tell you that the Faction Against Retarded Terrans' plans will come to fruition in a matter of months!"
One of the weapon wielding henchmen ran over to him, and whispered to him.
"Or years depending on certain factors."
He corrected himself.
"You do realize that the acronym of your name is FART, right?"
Kojo stared at Janith like he insulted his entire familial line.
"No it isn..."
He thought about for a second.
"We aren't stuck on the name yet!"
"I thought we've been using it since the beginning?"
One of the henchmen said.
Kojo rounded on him.
"I'll talk to the leadership about it, so shut it! Now, where was I?"
"I think you were about to give the order to kill us, but..."
Siel answered.
"But what?! You think you can bargain your way out? Or worse yet, that one centaur bodyguard can protect you? From all of this!"
He spread his arms wide, showcasing the full might that stood in opposition of Siel.
"Firstly, no.
Secondly, he isn't my bodyguard, I just wanted someone to talk to on my way up here.
And finally, you showed your display of power, so I think it only fair to show you one in return."
"You stupid..."
Siel waved his hand, and all but the humans and Kojo dropped dead.
"What?!!!"
Siel started towards him.
Kojo fell onto his butt, and started crawling backwards in fear.
His hood fully extended.
"Wait! If you kill me, the people backing me will make you regret it!"
Siel hated stereotypes, but even he had to admit sometimes they're right on the money.
Najajes are cowards, the lot of them.
They would betray their own brother if it meant they'd live one second longer.
"Did you really think I'd not kill you if you said that? You just tried to have me killed. Has that ever worked in the history of the world?"
"Wait, don't kill me! I got money, I can pay you!"
"So, I've got enough shields to flood the capital. I don't need your money."
"I... I... I can snitch! Spare my life and all of my knowledge is yours!"
"I'm good."
"Don't you want to know about my boss? About an entire fucking secret society?!"
"Not really."
"They're planning on killing millions, and enslaving all the rest! Including your people!"
He reached Kojo, and hoisted him up into the air by his neck.
"They aren't the first secret society to try to take over the world, and they won't be the last.
What will happen is that your society will kill some wannabe hero's significant other, she or he will come to avenge them, get killed, and the empire who has been ignoring y'all actions will take notice, and kill all of you.
If I let you go right now, they'd kill you themselves for your failure."
Kojo smiled.
"So, you're going to let me live?"
"No."
"Before you kill me then..."
"Yes?"
"Die, bitch!"
He swung his claws at Siel's eyes.
His arm stopped halfway and bent back on itself.
"Aaaaaaaaaaah!"
Siel let him go, and before his body hit the ground, his chest imploded on itself.
"That's a shame."
He said while touching his ring.
"What is sir?"
"I thought he'd ask how I achieved the total decimation of his men, or at least ask what magic I used.
Where has the curiosity of this generation gone?
Oh, well, all of you."
Siel turned to speak with the human slaves.
A female slave, who was so emaciated one could see every bone in her body, rose and spoke up.
"You mean us? Ugh... sire!"
She had realized she had stood up out of reflex, and immediately dropped to her knees to do a full bow.
Her visible back showed countless scars from a whip.
"Yes, I am talking to you.
All of you work for me now, unless you'd prefer to join your late masters?"
He pointed to the corpses.
"NO!"
They all spoke in unison.
"Good, is any of you able to do arithmetic?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
They all gave him blank stares.
"Do you do well at counting?"
The slave that had first spoken up raised her hand.
...
...
...
"Yes?"
Siel asked her, realizing he'd need to acknowledge her before she spoke.
"I was taught a little about my numbers and runes, before I got sold."
"Great!"
He turned to Janith.
"This wasn't a wasted trip at all, we got a replacement for Sal.
Once we get back, give her the necklace."
Janith nodded.
"Come along."
None of them budged.
"Um... sire?"
"Yes?"
She pointed at the dead henchmen.
"What about them?"
Siel knew humans have weird ceremonies concerning the dead.
Some burn their dead, others throw them into the sea.
The people over here instead like to bury them... like plants.
"Oh, do you wish to bury them?"
She kept her vision trained at Siel's feet.
"No, sire. They can rot right where they are.
No, we'd like permission to strip them of anything valuable."
"Sure, go ahead."
Within thirty minutes all of the dead were as naked as the day they came into the word.
And Siel was headed back home.