Chp.18: Proof

Gerard spent the rest of the evening pondering the possible implications of having a second dragon around. This could be very problematic considering that a single dragon was already very dangerous and very intelligent. However, he had noticed some strange discrepancies in his knowledge of dragons.

The few times Rhaegal or anyone else had mentioned Haku, it had been with a strange respect in their voice. It was clear they admired him. This was somewhat strange for a dragon: even those who lived together in the earliest years of their lives rarely had a subordinate relationship. Generally, they simply cooperated with each other, and often even conflicted with each other due to their selfish and individualistic natures. But on the contrary, Rhaegal seemed to deeply respect his brother instead, as if he were some kind of leader. While he never called him 'boss' or any other title, it was clear from the tone of her voice that he felt deep admiration for Haku.

Gerard couldn't remember ever hearing of two dragons so bonded together. They looked like a real abnormality. Also, there was another detail that didn't fit: an entire year of separation. Even if two dragons lived together, they usually did so only for selfish reasons: by working together they were more likely to survive. If one of them was caught, the other would simply abandon him for his life. Even if there was some affection between them, it was still less than survival instinct. Therefore, under normal circumstances, Rhaegal should have forgotten about his brother after he was captured and went away. Instead the fact that he remained in the vicinity of the kingdom, and even that he had joined forces again with his brother as soon as he was freed, showed that he had never wanted to abandon Haku to his fate. This demonstrated a very strong bond that anyone would have thought impossible between two dragons.

This had raised further doubts in Gerard. If indeed the leader of the party 'One day' had always been a dragon in disguise, then was it possible that that dragon was involved in the attack on the capital? Officially the party 'One day' was away at the time, but it was possible that Rhaegal had still participated in the battle in secret. After all, it seemed strange that Haku and Zamor had planned an escape on the very day of the attack; it was clear that it was all premeditated. If this were true, then not only would Rhaegal and Haku have turned out to be very strange dragons, but they would have also confirmed that they had powerful friends, who had managed to hold back even two legendary levels. If that were the case, then this duo could prove dangerous, very dangerous. And still Gerard had no idea what their intentions were, and that worried him more than anything else.

The intentions of individuals like Zamor were clear: if what Gerard knew about Carrion was true, then clearly the lizardman would be driven by a desire to free his people. That woman, Sisna, who was part of 'The spider', was probably driven by the desire for power and money since the organization had grown with Haku's help. The party 'One day' could have been driven by a sense of justice, or perhaps friendship towards the lizardmen. But Haku and Rhaegal? What did the two dragons gain from taking part in such an enterprise? Apparently nothing. The only solution he could think of was that they had made a promise to Zamor or someone else, and since they were dragons they couldn't break it, but it seemed strange to him that a brilliant mind like Haku's hadn't been able to find a loophole. Obviously, he ruled out the possibility that they were acting selflessly: it was fine to consider all the hypotheses, but those two were dragons anyway! In what world could a dragon act without a personal interest?

When night fell, Rhaegal finally decided it was time to act. Along with the rest of the party 'One day', he led Gerard off the ship and taking advantage of the darkness they ran away from the river. Gerard was surprised to see that the dragon seemed to have vanished: literally, his huge body was nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, new individuals had begun following them; initially he thought of the pursuers, but instead looking closely he realized that they were beastmen and that they were following the indications of the members of 'One day'.

When they were far enough away from any kind of light, the group stopped. Gerard was now able to note that there were at least thirty beastmen. Evidently, he reflected, they were hidden on some other ship. It was at that point that Rhaegal reappeared, as suddenly as he had vanished. "Are you all there?" he asked.

"Yes, sir" the beastmen declared in unison. Gerard was surprised; apparently, Rhaegal really was the boss of these people, or at least the person in charge. It was the first time he had heard of a dragon commanding other people.

"Very well. Listen to me all: you will be the ones who will have the task of freeing our fellow prisoners near this city" Rhaegal said. "I won't lie to you, what you see will disgust you. But I must ask you to hold your nerve and wait. You will have to remain hidden for days, until you receive my signal. Hang tight and remember: in just two weeks, your comrades will be free and those who hurt them will get what they deserve"

The beastmen seemed satisfied with those words. It was understandable: Gerard noticed that many of them were lizardmen, tigermen and lionmen. If what they had previously been told was true, it was clear why these people were so eager to act.

Rhaegal led them across the plains. He didn't need to check where he was going: the map Efren had shown him was printed in his mind in every minute detail. Very soon they came to a large paved road. After walking along it for a while, they noticed some lights in the distance. They sneaked up and hid among some nearby hillocks. "Here we are" Rhaegal said. "The labor camp"

Gerard narrowed his eyes. "Are they still working at this hour?"

"They usually stop around midnight" the dragon answered. "At this distance we're too far away for a human to see clearly. Lisah?"

"I know" the woman replied, quickly chanting an incantation; suddenly, Gerard's eyesight became several times more powerful. It took the man a few moments to get used to his new eyes, but not too long; it wasn't the first time someone had used magic to allow him to see better. Finally he was able to see clearly what was happening in the labor camp.

He didn't like what he saw at all. He was already aware of the abuses perpetrated by the soldiers, since Sisna had informed him, but seeing them live was still different. As a spy he was used to witnessing the worst abuses, but still that didn't mean he was no longer devoid of empathy. Even if he managed to maintain clarity of mind, he could not help but feel a certain pity for the horribly debilitated and malnourished prisoners and a great disgust for their tormentors who forced them to work even with the aid of whips and sticks.

In the Jurao Kingdom similar conditions were reserved only for slaves. No, technically slaves weren't treated that way either, since their owners knew very well that too harsh working conditions would kill them in a short time, and this would not have been good for their finances. But in any case, those who were inmates at the labor camp weren't slaves, they were ordinary people who were forced to work unjustly. And it was quite clear that their captors didn't care much if they suffered or were in danger of dying from overwork, beatings, or malnutrition.

One of the beastmen who were with them, a lionmen, suddenly snapped furious as if he wanted to run towards the labor camp and tear the soldiers to pieces, but Rhaegal grabbed him by the tail and stopped him: "Stop! I know it's difficult, but it's not the right time yet! If we attack now, even if we manage to win, we will soon be surrounded by soldiers in the city! We won't save anyone, in fact, we will cause their death!"

The lionmen looked furious, but it was clear from his expression that he understood the dragon was right. Though growling and gripping his weapon so tightly that it nearly broke, he forced himself to calm down and do as he was told.

Gerard ignored that scene and, instead, pulled a small magical object from his pocket. It was shaped like a spyglass, but it pulsed with magical energy. Gerard pointed it at the labor camp and then turned it around. The spyglass made a few pounding sounds and the man could feel the item's mana diminishing. When he had finished, he opened the spyglass revealing some papers inside, in which the image of the labor camp and all the crimes that were committed there had been immortalized. That spyglass was in fact an imprintimaginator, a special magical tool capable of imprinting images on paper.

"I'd say we have both a reliable witness and some evidence" Rhaegal murmured upon seeing this. "We have no more reason to stay here. Follow me!"

Rhaegal led the group further away from the labor camp, to a point where the road was likely to arrive before long. Once there he showed them a rather hidden cave and by moving some bushes he hid it even better. He then explained to the beastmen that this would be their hideout until the day of the attack, and detailed his plan to them. Having done this the beastmen retreated inside the cave, promising to wait for his signal before acting. Rhaegal looked satisfied; after that, he and the party 'One day' turned back, leading Gerard back down the river to get back to the boat. Once there, the dragon disappeared again and let Gerard get back into the boat on his own. Only once on board did he find it, already hidden in the hold.

"So?" Rhaegal asked when they were safe again. "Was that proof enough for you?"

Gerard nodded. "It is enough for me and it will be so for the king. When he sees these images he will surely be indignant. He will not appreciate that Carrion disobeyed him and above all treated his subjects in this way" he replied, before asking: "Why did you leave your men behind? What do you plan to do?"

Gerard was still a spy in the king's service; even though he was allied with Rhaegal at the time, that didn't mean he would allow him to jeopardize national security. If Haku and his brother's purpose was to cause a riot, then it was his duty to stop them. Even if Carrion was the one in the wrong, wreaking havoc on the realm was certainly not a good solution, neither for the political situation nor for the people themselves, who would end up being caught up in the chaos and many of them could be killed.

Rhaegal didn't seem intimidated by the question. "Those men will release the people held in this labor camp. When the time comes, of course"

Gerard narrowed his eyes. "I understand that the situation is not the best right now, but I have to ask you to reconsider your position. Have patience. When I bring this news to the king, he will surely..."

"Even if the king restores this land to prosperity, these captives will never again accept to be part of his kingdom" a voice suddenly said. "Not after what has happened. Not to mention the enormous reputational damage your king would suffer. There is a problem here... and we have the solution"

Gerard turned and saw that a person had appeared in the hold door. He was a tall, muscular and sometimes very handsome man. Rhaegal looked taken aback, but he didn't look too surprised. "Hi, brother"

"Brother? What...?" Gerard murmured, but he didn't have time to say more; in fact, the man came forward and stared at him with a big grin on his face.

"I think it's appropriate to introduce myself" he said extending his hand. "I am Haku, the dragon who devised this plan and arranged for you to be here today. And you, my dear Gerard, will bring to the dear King Marcus a message from me"