Chapter 17: Ethics of Captivity

Chapter 17: Ethics of Captivity

They bid goodbye to the people of Farfield, and especially Qinven. The wide Knuld wasnt particularly thankful for their assistance, and demanded that Stella close the crevasse in her fields before they left.

Stella grumbled about it, but she flipped open a spellbook and started working on the wide pit in the ground. She complained vociferously about never wanting to work on permanent earth constructions. She didnt want to build houses. She wanted to blow them up.

While they waited for Stella to work her magic, Nathan gestured Khachi aside. They left Sarah and Aarl in charge of Harthi. Their prisoner was still jumpy and upset, but she was remarkably functional after being captured and coming within a hairs breath of being executed. She followed Khachi with her eyes, shying away from Sarah.

After they got out of earshot, Nathan turned to face his friend, trying to figure out how to explain his conflict. Nathan had been preparing himself to kill another person for months now. Hed fanned the embers of his Rage, telling himself that mind-mages did not get to live. And now there was one here, and Khachi was protecting her.

Nathan had struggled with his anger in the moments after Khachi had found a way for them to spare Harthis life. But his newly developed [Battle Meditation] made anger management easier than ever. So instead of shouting at his friend, Nathan made a simple statement, starting with an easier issue. Its a risk leaving her alive, much less traveling with her.

Khachi gazed calmly back, eyes placid over his muzzle. It is. It is not a great risk. Harthi has abandoned Giantsrest for the snake pit it is, and looks to a future in Gemore. She can make a life there, if only we give her a chance.

Does she have a future in Gemore? I cannot imagine people accepting her. Some Adventurer will cut off her head within a week.

Giantsrest mages have joined Gemore before, by desertion and capture. And she is an enchanter. I can only give her a chance. It will be her nemesis to slay.

Nathan tensed. If Id struck her slightly differently, then she would be dead. Her friend Ruthal did die in the fight. Should we have captured her too?

Khachi turned and looked over at the site of their battle, where Stella was laboring on the crevasse. At the moment I am a follower of Deiman, God of Righteous Battle. In time, I will carve out my own piece of the Divine to shape how I will. To achieve that, I must first learn the lessons of the Divine, body and mind. In battle one must vanquish their foe. So long as the fight is righteous, that follows the path of Deiman. After the battle is done, it is no longer righteous to kill a surrendered enemy. This is not just a teaching of my god, but my own belief.

He turned back to Nathan. We can turn her from the path of a Giantsrest mage. Her life has been spent cloistered in the Academy. We can choose to give her the chance to choose. To live a better life. Is her life, her potential, worth so little?

Nathan closed his eyes. He agreed with Khachi. Each person was a story. They existed as they did because of all the myriad experiences of life, and what theyd chosen to do with that. Every person was more unique than the most intricate gemstone, and deserved to be treated with respect and dignity.

But the mind-mages of Giantsrest trod all over that principle. They crushed people underneath them, dismissed the fact that their slaves had hopes and desires of their own and used them like objects. So Nathan had decided that those mages had sacrificed the right to be treated with dignity, like people. It was how he reconciled himself with his plans.

When Nathan opened his eyes, he had one last question. He asked it in a soft voice. But what about everybody she hurt? The slaves who were crushed beneath her? What of their justice?

Khachi smiled gently, the expression looking oddly natural on his elongated canine face. What is greater justice? That she should die for her past crimes, assumed as they are, or live and contribute to freeing slaves of Giantsrest?

Nathan nodded his acceptance, somewhat resigned. He didnt fully agree with Khachi, but hed trust him on this. And from what hed heard, he guessed that sparing Harthi and helping her change into someone better was part of an Insight for his friend, and not a small one. They turned to walk back to the other Heirs.

And I know one thing now - I wont hesitate to kill like I did with Taeol back in his mage-tower. Its been a worry.

It took almost an hour for Stella to work out a spell that would let her undo the damage to the fields that the Enslavement mages had done in a hundredth of the time. She didnt do much more than jam the pit closed, leaving an expanse of turned earth and ruined crops. But it was crossable now, and could be re-plowed and re-sown.

Qinven grumbled about the state of her fields, but the Heirs left Farfield with packages of rolls filled with sweet syrup.

They mostly walked in silence, their normal banter interrupted by the presence of their new guest. Nathan wanted to ask about Sarah and Aarls level 81 development options, but that was a bad idea right now with the extra ears present.

Theyd removed the ankle bindings and tied Harthis hands in front of her, so she wasnt hobbling along anymore. Nathan was a bit disconcerted by the reminder of the people of Pilriden he'd helped rescue from the slave raid so long ago.

Eventually, Harthi broke the silence, speaking to Stella, How did youcreate the wonder of that lightning? Archmage Exea gave a demonstration of lightning magic once, but yours curved! It was other than any Ive ever heard of or read about. She shook her head in wonder. Worthy of a Giants praise.

Stella was smiling, basking in the compliment.

Harthi continued, And the light! Some part of it went through the [Mage armor]. It was She seemed to be searching for words. As if it was closer to true light than any light magic Ive seen. Your magic is rooted in the world in a way the mages of Giantsrest cannot imagine.

Nathan felt proud of himself. Those Insights had come from him. Hed been able to communicate the truths of electricity and light to Stella, and shed been able to use them in her magic.

Harthi turned toward Nathan. The things you must know - Insights to be tapped. My imagination overflows with the wonders that could be made.

You have no idea. I wonder what kind of bioengineering would be possible with magic. Maybe somebody with specialized enchantment knowledge

His chain of thoughts was interrupted by a caustic comment from Sarah. Bet dragon bones to stalker teeth that shes using a social manipulation skill.

The statement threw cold water over Nathans excitement. He centered his mind, looking out into the forest and objectively considering his reaction to Harthis comment. He had been considering teaching her Insights from Earth. He probably would have reflected on it later, and not followed through. But given hed been fine with executing her this morning, the difference was stark.

Then he looked back at their captive. Harthi was flinching as if expecting a blow. Everybody was glaring at her to one extent or another, and it looked like Stella was considering lighting her on fire.

I need to figure out a better way to insulate myself from social manipulation skills.

Nathan was furious, and certain that Sarah was correct. He wasnt asking a question, he was demanding something he already knew. What is the skill called?

Harthi shook her head and opened her mouth, then saw Nathans expression and stance. She swallowed and spoke in a small voice, [Appealing Flattery]. She rushed to defend herself. Everybody in Giantsrest has one! I needed it in the academy. You can get yourself out of a mistake by telling a professor how clever he is for noticing what you did wrong. Im not really a duelist, so I made nice with everybody

She trailed off, seeing Aarl stowing a sword in his bag of holding. His expression was grim, but he looked around at the other Heirs with a shrug. Flattery wont free her from this. Harthi, Id recommend abandoning that skill. You wont get away using it again on us, and Gemore does not react well to such things.

Harthi looked around for any other opinions, but the rest of the Heirs were silent, nodding along with Aarls comment.

After a moment, Khachi asked a question, trying to change the mood. Harthi. Tell us of Giantsrest. We know it as an enemy. Tell of it as a home.

Fair enough. Know thy enemy.

Is he always like that?

Nathan could hear the smirk in Sarahs response. Yeah. But he means it. Youd best take it to heart. Hear me, but Nathan follows through on his convictions. Dramatic as they are.

The mood thawed over the next hour or so as they ate a late lunch and talked of other things, like Aarl complaining that Nathan had messed up the enchantment on his favorite greatsword. Nathan offering to break it the rest of the way didnt help.

The Heirs wanted to get back to Gemore as soon as possible and so they hadnt stopped to eat, instead handing around the sweet rolls that Qinven had given them. Harthi eyed hers suspiciously before shrugging and choking it down.

They continued, pushing onwards into the night. Stella was checking in with the Adventurers guild every hour, both to report more details on what theyd learned and to reassure them that the Heirs hadnt been attacked again.

Harthi complained about the pace until Khachi hefted her like a sack of potatoes. The uncomfortable carry convinced the mage it was worth it to keep walking. It was dark by the time they reached the shore opposite the village of Riverbank. They debated having Stella try to signal for a boat, but decided against it because they didnt want to spend the night in the village with Harthi.

They set up an extra-paranoid series of traps and a watch schedule to match, with at least two of the Heirs awake at all times. The primary concern was Taeol coming back - but he would hopefully find it difficult to find them. Hed set a trap for them at Farfield instead of coming to find the Heirs at Bridgeguard, after all. That made Nathan tend to believe Harthis claim that Taeol didnt have easy access to any scrying magic.

Oh shit, Davrar has scrying and teleportation? Thats a scary combination. Scry-and-die is a valid strat. I wonder if Im immune to scrying. Probably. But the Heirs arent. Not yet. Need to make sure nobody gets a scrying focus off them. Assuming thats how scrying works! It seems like a rare branch of magic, at the very least.

The night passed without any notable events - except Harthis complaining about eating trail food and sleeping in the open. The Heirs didnt have a lot of sympathy and she fell asleep quickly, exhausted by the long walk.

The next morning they got the ride back to Riverbank. It was from the same old man, who eyed Harthi and her purple robe with suspicion, but didnt comment on it.

Nathan was tense as they passed through town. If Harthi was going to try casting a spell to cause chaos and make a break for it, now was the time. But she seemed relaxed, accepting. It didnt stop Nathan from walking a few paces behind her, watching her every move.

She noticed, and shot paranoid looks back at him. He just gave her a blank look until they were out of town, and headed back towards the transit road.

Once more they ate meals on the move, aiming to make it to Gemore quickly. It was clear that Harthi hadnt ever done long-distance travel by foot, and she started limping from sore legs and blisters until Khachi healed her so they could close the gap.

And just like that, they passed along the transit roads and entered Gemore.

Harthi looked up at the city built up the mountain, brows furrowed in confusion. Its so small.

Status of Nathan Lark:

Permanent Talent 1: Magic Absorption 8

Permanent Talent 2: Perfected Body 1

Talent 3: High-tier Slow Fall 5

Class: Spellbreaker Juggernaut level 72

Stamina: 721/820

Juggernaut's Wrath

Antimagic Momentum

Raging Thrill

Juggernaut's Inertia

Unarmored Resilience

Utility skills:

Battle Meditation 1

High-tier Earnestness 6

Mid-tier Sprinting 7

High-tier Spellsense 5

Mid-tier Notice 10

Mid-tier Identify 8

Mid-tier Dodging Footwork 6

High-tier Enhanced Memory 5

Mid-tier Lecturing 5

Mid-tier Tumbling 3