Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 03 Pt. 02

In the meantime, the chromatics are doing what they can to divide society and, in some cases, enslaving or devouring them. These are issues to take up with the ambassador. King Goldeagle, at the direction of our Gods, will be releasing 2 of the warships upon their return to me.

The one bearing my family name and the one named after my mother. The first 12 warships were purchased with funds from my father including the Embassy compound. My mercenary unit will be searching for slavers. Freeing the slaves and destroying the slavers."

He looked at Travious, "Why would you do this on this side of the world?"

Travious looked at him, "Warlord Sun. If elves were holding your people as slaves you would look to take no action? Slavers have been trafficking in my people and those of our allies. They are also being given to Chromatic Dragons for breeding and consumption. Do you support slavery?"

He looked at Travious, "There are some in the province who own slaves. It is not as common here as in others."

Travious looked at him, "Recent changes I take it with your alliance with your neighbor."

He glared at Travious, "You did not address me by my title."

Travious looked at him, "You never addressed me by mine. You also avoided the question."

He looked at Travious, "I do not like the bargain made all those years ago and I am on the verge of rescinding it."

Travious pulled out his communication crystal and spoke in Elven, "Our host country out here appears to allow the slave trade to exist and are threatening to revoke our agreement. In fact, I just saw an elf-blooded woman who is a server here with scars from manacles. You know my code."

King Goldeagle sighed, "Why was I not informed about this?"

Ambassador New Moon looked at the crystal. "I was not sure this issue existed until now. This is the first I have seen of this girl."

Travious looked at the crystal. "The ambassador has neglected to tell you a lot of things."

Travious pulled up the other crystal, "Melia, Tell my lieutenants to ride with both units to the Palace and if denied entry to blow away the door and anyone who stands in their way. Your Majesty, you might want to get some mages here to evacuate the school and embassy."

The King groaned out, "Ambassador you are to teleport home immediately to take a contingent of battle mages to the embassy. Some to protect and others to evacuate."

The ambassador disappeared. Travious looked at Warlord Sun and spoke in the regional dialect, "My King sends his regards. He is deploying contingents of battle mages at the embassy as we speak. Issued orders for all of our ships not to enter into your waters. At least until the embassy is evacuated. I have one final question for you. Have you ever stared down a dragon? You heard my achievements for killing one solo."

He switched to another dialect unaware that Travious knew it and yelled, "Guards, prepare to fire!"

He stored one ring and pulled another. In the dialect he just used. "Wrong move!"

He slid the ring on and turned into an ancient red dragon staring him down and cracking the ceiling and some walls. "You will release all of the slaves you have or I will show you what dragons can do!"

Warlord Sun sat there and pissed himself. "Call off your guards now!"

He looked at the little man, "Bring the one who would take over for him if I crushed him here and now! My unit will be arriving momentarily you would be advised not to block their path, entrance, or even raise a finger. As they are all casters with orders to kill any resistance they encounter!"

The warlord nodded and issued the command. Travious looked at him, "Who told you to stand in my way?!"

He looked at Travious, "Kan Tri. Told me I could have all the women I wanted if I blocked your progress. After your ambassador informed us of your reason for coming, I contacted him."

Travious shouted, "DO NOT LIE TO ME. My ambassador did not tell you of my reason for being here. That was a lie. I am the revealer of truth!"

The Warlord did not answer the charge but continued. "He sent me 30 women to use as I see fit. He wanted me to drive the elves out but the treaty with your people prevented that without you doing something like this to break it."

Travious looked at him, "I have done nothing yet except work to reveal the truth. Human or elven Warlord, whose truth is it?"

He looked at Travious as he inched forward in a dragon form. The Warlord gulped, "It is the same truth."

He pulled the ring and flipped his bow around. He looked at the warlord and waited. His team arrived. "Bree, Take the rings from my side pouch and give one to every caster and have them spread out and stand by."

She did so until she was out of them. Bree looked at Travious, "What is going on?"

Travious looked at Warlord Sun, "He made a deal with the Warlord I came to destroy. Got slaves in exchange!"

Bree stepped back, "Oh shit!"

Travious looked at him, "Where are they at? I want them all out here now! He rang a small bell and the girl Travious saw before came out. She looked at him wide-eyed. He asked her in elven, "You speak your elven tongue?"

She looked at him, and in common, "I do not know what you said..."

Travious nodded and spoke in common, "I want all other slaves in this place out here now. ALL of them. Everyone that is missing I am taking an appendage." He fired an arrow off to the left of his head into his throne and he watched it melt.

Warlord Sun looked at the girl, "GET THEM ALL! Even the one in the dungeon!!!

He looked at Travious, "We can make a deal, I will give them all to you!"

She ran off and the little man came back with another man. Tavious asked, "Who are you to him?"

He looked at Travious, "His younger brother. I observed you as a dragon and waited."

Travious sighed, "How did he become a ruler?"

He looked at Travious, "About 5 years ago my older brother died and he became ruler."

Travious smiled, "When did the peace treaty with Kan Tri go into effect?"

He looked at his brother, "What treaty?"

Travious smiled, "Little man, get him the treaty. I informed the ass on the throne that I am here to wipe slavery off the map. Kan Tri is at the top of my list as is anyone dealing with slavery. Did you know he has slaves in this house?"

He looked at Travious, "My father would be spinning in his grave right now if that were the case!"

He looked at the warlord, "Your father must be spinning then. TELL HIM THE TRUTH! While you are at it tell him how you came to be on that throne, Warlord Sun"

He looked to speak, and Travious reminded him, "Revealer of truth!"

Warlord Sun looked, "I worked out a deal with Kan Tri to kill my brother. He wanted me to make it hard for the elves to stay in this area. He wanted them away from here."

Travious looked at him, "Why?"

He looked at Travious, "He likes elven women. Even gave me one as part of the deal. One he was married to. She snuck her son off before he could send him away. He told me he had plans for the boy."

Travious looked at him. "Sent away for what?"

He looked at Travious, "I believe he said he had a client who enjoyed little boys."

Travious looked at him, "Finish it!"

Warlord Sun looked at Travious, "To eat."

The girl showed back up with the 2 more elf-blooded, 1 elf, and the rest of them were humans.

Travious asked in Elven, "Name?"

She looked at him, "Trilarna Golden Sun."

He looked at her and continued the conversation. "The Knights are no longer the same group. But your son's message got into my hands a couple of days ago. I deciphered it in seconds. A gift from the Gods. I am Knight Paladin Silvertree. Much has changed in the Elven Kingdom. You are the last Golden Sun. You and your son who is training at our Academy here. I just finished ordering it evacuated not knowing where this is going. There is a gold orb in my side pocket please pull it out and activate it."

She activated the orb, "Your Majesty, you might want to delay the evacuation for a few minutes. I have the Warlord at the end of my bow. He had 31 slaves including Trilarna Golden Sun who is holding the orb. That included 3 elf-blooded women."

The King chuckled, "One of your goals is down now you just have to deal with the slavers."

Travious nodded, "Especially Kan Tri."

Travious looked at Trillirna, "Sending children to be eaten?"

She looked at Travious, "Only humans and elven males. He sends them to some dragon or group of dragons. He sends them a lot of female elves to use as sex slaves as well."

He sighed, "Chromatic dragons. We are going to cut off their food supply. At least one of them."

The little man showed up with the treaty. The younger brother looked at it, "Signed the month before my brother died!"

Travious looked at him, "What would happen to him now?"

He looked at Travious, "He would be taken out and beheaded."

Travious shook his head. He shot out his right kneecap and he watched it melt away and then did his left. Warlord Sun grabbed the edge of his chair and wailed.

Travious shot him in the groin and he wailed out at a higher pitch. Travious walked up and Channeled healing into him. He pulled back.

He shot off each of his hands and put his bow away. "My Grandfather did this once to a man who hired an assassin." He drew his blade. "Just so he could know who was killing him, why, and he could see it coming. Moon Fire."

He cut straight through the bridge of his nose until the top of his head fell into the hole in his lap. Travious looked at the little man, "What was your involvement in this?!"

He looked at Travious, "I just kept records!!"

Travious looked at him, "Does Kan Tri have docking rights in this city? If so give us the dock and pier assignments."

Travious looked at the other man. "Your brother was in violation of the treaty with the elven people, might I suggest a few revisions? Starting with no slavery anywhere in your province, which is in the original. Especially elven slaves?"

He looked at his brother's body, "Is that a threat?"

Travious shook his head, "Casters if you were given a ring put it on and everyone should give each other room."

They put the rings on and they changed into dragons in the outer courtyard.

"Remove the rings." They took them off and Travious looked at him, "That is a demonstration of a part of the force I could bring down upon your people. That is not a threat. It is a promise that if slavery happens here it will be dealt with.

If you participate in it then that means you and your brother will have something in common. I would like your brother's body to be sent to the border you share. With that invalid peace treaty. It was signed before he was a ruler. I am not asking you to commit troops.

I am asking for docking rights for my two ships a renewed peace treaty that my Father helped to put in place over 100 years ago. When he and my mother went and recovered the Eternal Forge. The very forge that kept your province protected during the Dragon War which has yet to conclude. It will return in 75-85 years.

The question is do you want to be on the right side of history again for your people? If you are up for a view of what life would be like under chromatic dragon rule, we can show you that. I am Knight Paladin Silvertree by the way.

I would like a wagon for these ladies to be taken to the Elven embassy. The elven and elf-blooded women we will take back with us. I will let you think this over and come back tomorrow and ask how you wish to proceed.

You are within your rights to deny my request for port access, to ask our elven embassy to close. The land you would have to buy back from us. The costs are spelled out in the terms of the treaty. At this point, it would be almost 50 times what my father paid for it in gold pieces.

My parents are buried at that embassy in case you didn't know that. Proud of the work they did for our people and the people of the world. I am waiting on those dock assignments because I find any slave ships, I will deal with them myself."

This new Sun looked at Travious, "Like my father, a man of principles and honor. We will work with your ambassador and get you your docking rights for your mercenary company."

Travious shook his head, "The mercenary company is mine to deal with. I am under orders from my God's not my King on this matter."

He nodded, "Then I will have that drawn up for you tomorrow. Your request for my brother's body is premature. Once the elven peace treaty has been completed again then we will see to its delivery. At the moment you are a rogue element who is taking matters into your own hands at the docks. I will inform our guards not to interfere if you do not kill them and torch the entire harbor."

Travious nodded, "Provided we are not enemies I can agree to that. If we were, I cannot negotiate with the enemy in any way and that includes slavers."

Travious waved the little man forward, "Get ink and parchment. Lots of parchment."

He ran off and came back, "Gia would you sit down and read him the elven Paladin Code. This will give the new Warlord something to go by so he understands how I could do what I did to his brother and still be a paladin."

The man chuckled, "That did cross my mind."

Gia read it to him and the little man then transcribed it. The Warlord looked at Travious, "That is a massive code for a Paladin."

Travious nodded, "I know. The diplomacy with your brother was at the end of a bow and sword. There was a set of glasses given to your grandfather or great-grandfather. I am not sure which generation you are from him.

You should find them as he was not wearing them. It will let you know if you have any dragons in disguise in your midst. I can see them without the glasses and our arcane casters have the spell to see them. Another reason to drive us and magic away from your people."

Travious looked at the little man, "The dock numbers and berths for the ships." He wrote it down and Travious asked, "You just gave me a dock number!"

He nodded, "The whole dock, 24 ships worth all in port.

Travious nodded. "A letter from the new warlord Sun to let them know that they should not interfere would go a long way to avoid any confusion, unnecessary deaths, or unforeseen damage."

The new Warlord Sun nodded to Travious, "Give it to him. Also, inform our military ships to block the harbor for the rest of today."

Travious nodded, "Thank you."

He nodded. Travious mounted up and pulled Golden Sun up behind him as Shi'Drakon arrived. "Best speed my friend back to the Academy."

Gia took the hand of the elf-blooded and Bree and Silverleaf helped the other 2 into the saddle. They got the other 27 human slaves and they were put into a wagon. They arrived at the Academy. "Your Majesty."

King Goldeagle responded via the crystal. "How is diplomacy going?"

Travious sighed, "First let me say I am sorry it came to that but I was set off by an elf-blooded female with shackle marks on her wrists. The fact that your ambassador did not tell you about how bad it was getting here. He had to have armed guards to go from the embassy to the Palace.

The new Warlord will work a new revised peace treaty with the elven Kingdom as they were in violation of that treaty by having elven and elf-blooded slaves. We pulled 31 slaves from the city and I am seeing to a reunion of a mother to her son.

This evening, your morning, I will look at taking her to the Palace and then to Quatarsia to acclimate away from the chaos. At the moment I am on my way back to the harbor when done here. I plan to destroy up to 24 ships. No interference from the new warlord, in fact, he is blockading the harbor."

The King chuckled. Travious finished his statement, "I gave him a copy of my Paladin code so he does not run into my wrath the way his brother did. Legs shot off at the knees, both hands shot off, Groin gone and then sliced through the middle of his head like my grandfather did. I sent a fucking statement, Your Majesty."

He heard a chuckle, "Have fun destroying the ships I am going to bed."

The Crystal went dark Travious went over and looked at the lady. "The Magistrate and the elf-blooded Golden Sun." They nodded and a few minutes later and he was downstairs and in his mother's arms.

He looked at them, "Gia take them to our home here and get them rooms and clean clothes. Cut any scars out she has and heal her up if she is up to get rid of them?"

Trilirna nodded, "Please."

The boy looked at him, "Thank you for finding her."

Travious nodded, "Let your friends know that I kept my word. Gather your things. You might be gone a while."

He asked her in elven, "Did you know any of the council or only dealt with Jarron?"

She looked at him, "I knew a Silver on the council. I heard once she was the Queen."

He nodded, "She is still around. Jarron retired unless the King pulls him out to straighten out this new world order of regional generals that appears to be broken at the moment."

She nodded. "I knew a diplomat, Silvertree."

He nodded, "My great, great grandfather."

She smiled, "He was a good man. Thank you for what you are doing."

Travious looked at her, "My job. But you are welcome."

She smiled as he turned with most of his men and they rode off for the docks. They found only 2 slave ships. They killed any on the ships who tried to fight. The enemy humans quickly realized they were outclassed because of elven magical skills.

Travious ordered the cargo pulled from the others. He sunk them all besides the dock except one which he put the surviving crew on board. Minus the slaver crews. He made them watch as the slaves were released.

The slavers shackled into place and then Travious sunk both of those ships using his bow as he did the other ships. He looked at the Captain of the one vessel. "Tell your 'Warlord' I will sink any ship bearing your flag and sink it with all of the slavers aboard. They will let you out of the harbor come morning and I have no treaty as I am a mercenary force operating outside of government rules and controls. As such I show no mercy to slavers!"

He nodded rapidly.

He cut his mooring lines at the ship's side and then sliced through his sails and the upper section of his mast. That would force them to rig up something smaller. He looked at the former slaves and repeated in all three regional dialects. "This cargo is yours. You are free to start a new life. Never be involved in slavery!"

He looked at the local guards who he had handed the letter to before starting his reign of destruction, "Do not interfere and let them do what they want with the cargo!"

He had read the letter and simply nodded rapidly. Travious had 4 mages fly over as dragons to bring the battle to a close quickly while causing a lot of death.

Travious looked at him, "I will turn any slavers into ash or drown them! I will kill any enemy of my God on sight! Do not make me an enemy! Your Warlord Sun found this out the hard way. The new one is under duress to comply at the moment, as I butchered the other for defiling elven women held as slaves."

---

Captain Gin called his crystal to one of the land-based generals. Kan Tri did not answer communication crystals except for certain people. The General answers, "Captain, What is the issue?"

He screamed, "We had 24 ships in Sun province in Dock. We now have one with 712 onboard and the ship is heavily damaged and set adrift in the harbor. The harbor is blockaded until morning.

All cargo has been taken. All slaves freed. All money was taken. All slaver crews were executed, Over 1,800 men who tried to fight initially are dead as their bodies are ash, from a force of 40 mostly casters. Some turned into dragons and burned several ships and hundreds of men on each pass until we surrendered. Elven casters. They said to pass a message back to Kan Tri."