King of the Seditious
Jaxson

WaterRose, Meadow Mountain, Grier Country

Savage was standing, still as a statue, in the shadowed foyer of WaterRose when Sebastian came down the steps.

Gaze on the stairs, he wasn’t paying any attention until he glanced up and spotted Savage’s shadowed face and stopped midway down. “Jaxson?”

Sebastian echoed that quiet stance. Like a buck posed in the morning light. Deciding if there was a threat at hand.

The Kill Beads in Savage’s hair clinked as he looked up at him. “Nobody calls me that.”

Most don’t even know it. How’d he replace out?

RedBayne or the Nauvree. He sussed out. Didn’t take much to guess that.

“What would you have me call you?” Sebastian asked kindly.

Savage was momentarily taken aback.

It had been a long time since someone had asked him that.

Since Chavias, to be specific.

“It’s fine.” Savage would never have admitted it, but it was nice to hear his name said without fear.

“What can I help you with?”

“More like what I can help you with.”

Bast’s brows knitted in confusion. “Is this about my taverns?”

What taverns?

“Your taverns?” Savage asked quizzically.

“You want them.”

Yes. All the taverns in Ardae.

“Which ones are we discussing?” Savage was caught off-guard.

“You don’t know?” Bast’s gold brows shot up

Savage glowered. He didn’t like not following a conversation, in the least.

“I own them all.”

Savage shifted slowly. “All in Grier.”

“No, Lad.” Bast said softly as he finished the stairs and rounded the banister. “All of them in Ardae. You weren’t leaving the purchase requests for me, persay. You were leaving them for all the owners.” Bast said as understanding dawned.

Savage’s face darkened. “Indeed.”

Savage rubbed his jaw thoughtfully before his gaze levelled on Bast. “You won’t sell a single one because you hold all the commerce from them and ensure there’s no rival competitions for your ale or goods by owning them all.”

“Sharp boy.” Bast reared back. Seeing annoyance flick over Savage’s face he apologized. “I meant no insult.”

“That’s a lot of commerce.” Savage remarked. Stepping further into the candlelight near the stair dais. “May I ask what you do with it?”

“There’s people I care for.”

He means all the peasants of Ardae. Savage knew instantly. Thinking of the goods he supplied to them during the holiday.

“Must be a lot of people.”

“It is.” Bast rotated to face him. Body language indicating no fear.

He must be quite dangerous of his own accord to have no instinctual fear of me. Interesting…

“Why do you want that commerce?” Bast queried equally as intrusively.

“Do keep the Blue Lark in good standing.” Savage’s chin lifted consideringly before he added more truthfully. “I want to control all commerce in Ardae.”

“Out of greed?” There was no judgement in Sebastian’s voice. Only question.

“No.”

“Then why?”

“I want to destroy Nial Ocnomad and make Ardae more about the people. The real people then about this neverending war amongst immortals. And power plays. And politics.”

“You don’t think there should be any kings?”

Not what I said.

“On the contrary I think kings are necessary as a governing body. But I don’t think kings and queens only interested in their own self-serving desires are beneficial to anyone.”

Bast blinked slowly. “You are not at all what I’d heard.”

“I never am.” He sighed.

“So how, exactly do you plan to overthrow all these corrupt kings and queens. By gathering commerce and swaying the people. Given enough goods I could control all of Ardae from the Blue Lark.”

“That what you want?”

“Not at all. I want to gain that control then put it in the right hands.”

“And who would that be? I’ve an idea but I’m not wholly certain yet.”

***

“Bast, I’ve got the last of it.” The tracker emerged from the hall balancing a worn sack. “Have you got the armory opened?”

When Bast hesitated to answer, Rhyers spotted them in the foyer.

“Ah, Savage Jack! Welcome. Good to see you again.”

“You know him?” Bast asked incredulously.

“He saved my hide outside of Nightway.” Rhyers skipped down the stairs and set the sack aside to greet Savage.

Bast’s head whipped back. “You were the voice we didn’t recognize.”

“I was.”

“You didn’t identify yourself.”

“I didn’t feel it was the most important issue at hand.” He nodded toward Rhyers.

“Why’d you do that?” Bast was suddenly firing off questions.

“Because he owed me one.” Rhyers slapped Bast’s shoulder. “Can you relent some, Old Friend. He’s no enemy.”

“I wasn’t implying he was. I’m curious.”

Curious? About me?

About how I operate. He realized. He’s trying to learn what manner of man I am.

“He saved my woman’s life.” Savage explained. Realizing how hollow the words sounded in comparison to their reality.

I’d be a rampager today, if he had not.

She grounds me.

“What’s brought you here this afternoon?” Rhyers queried.

More questions. Savage thought with faint annoyance. At least this one gets me to my point.

“Yes, what has? You mentioned you could do something for me?” Bast added.

“Indeed. I can tell you where your mate is.”

“Elsabet?” Bast stilled. Waiting with bated breath.

Savage let it prolong.

“Tell me!” Bast declared.

“She’s gone to Radix’s lair.”

“In the Netherlands?” Rhyers asked.

Savage frowned. “In the Black Mountains.”

What lair in the Netherlands.

“His lair is in the mountains?” Rhyers was stunned. “I always lost his tracks in the Netherlands. Because there were too many.”

“Because all his minions come out of those mountains.”

“Even Chavias.” Bast said coldly. Worry furrowing his brow.

Savage nodded vaguely. More intent on watching this man’s body language when speaking of Chavias.

They were close once.

Chavias had spoken often of Sebastian.

And what they did for each other.

“Why is she going to see Radix?” Bast asked. Dread was written over him.

“She wants to be recruited.” He said in a deadpan tone.

“Why would she do that!”

You tell me.

I tried to talk her out of it.

“She said she couldn’t bear the loss of her daughter and that she needed vengeance.” He explained emotionlessly.

“But Radix was to blame!”

“Sounded as though she thought you were.” Savage countered.