The pain that Leon felt from his burned arm grew worse and worse as he led his group back through the misty veil.  Anastasios and Eva met him partway to the southern Talon, but by then, he was hardly able to return their greetings—it was all he could do to pretend that everything was fine while he worked out a way to hide his grievous arm injury.

Naturally, the others were concerned, especially his wives, but a single barked order for them to wait until they made it back was enough to keep them quiet.  This wasn’t out of any sense of misplaced bravado, but rather out of a need for public presentation—Leon didn’t want to look weak in front of the rank-and-file, and so was doing his best to hold himself together until he made it back to his portable villa and got out of the public eye.

So, he hid his arm beneath a long-sleeved tunic and conjured a pair of gloves over his hands, barely managing to weave it over his right hand, which was still locked around Iron Pride.  He had to move quickly, though, because despite applying some healing spells, he was still bleeding from cracks in his burned skin.

When his people finally reached the southern Talon, he could hear all of his people in the valley shouting and crying out in triumph at seeing their enemy retreat.  They had taken more losses and much of their infrastructure was in ruins, but the end of this conflict was drawing near, everyone could feel it.

The Jaguar and many of the remaining high officers and elders met Leon’s group over the southern Talon.  Leon held it together as best as he could then, but as stoically as he could, he transferred all command over to his Marshall for the time being before proceeding on to his villa.  He flew back with a chorus of jubilant cheers at his back which he couldn’t participate in, not with how damaged his arm was.

Finally, he touched down in the small courtyard outside of his ruined bedroom.  Elise was already there, her emerald eyes swimming with worry.

“Go,” she ordered the healers beside her, and they immediately rushed to Leon, light magic already pouring from their fingers.

Leon almost collapsed from the pain as his feet touched the ground, but Maia and Valeria were at his side and caught him.  Pain burned through his mind with renewed intensity as Valeria’s hands tightened around his right arm, but he bore with it as the healers reached him.  Clear Day and Eva landed only a moment after he did, and they added their power to the healers’, and the pain in his arm was almost immediately soothed.

He was rushed back into his bedroom and placed down on the nearest chair.  Once there, he pulled his tunic and glove back into his soul realm, revealing the extent of his burns for all to see.  Several people in the room gasped in horror, though none louder than Elise.  She went to Leon’s side and took his uninjured hand, providing comfort with nothing more than her presence.

All the flesh below his elbow had been scorched black, and his muscles in the area had completely seized up, preventing him from releasing Iron Pride or turning his wrist.  Dark lightning burns further crawled up his bicep, reaching his shoulder and even moving a bit down his back and chest.

The light magic of those healing him worked quickly and only increased in speed as his natural healing ability as an eleventh-tier mage, fueled by origin power, kicked in.  The burns began to visibly fade, starting with those higher up and working their way down.  The pain he felt receded, too, and he was soon able to focus on the situation rather than the mind-searing pain in his arm.

“We should be able to save the arm,” Clear Day said as he, Eva, and the healers paused a moment to catch their breath and examine Leon more closely with the bleeding stopped.

“The shock will keep your arm from moving for a day or two,” Eva added.  “But you’ll make a full recovery, Leon.  Thank your power for that.  Were you eighth-tier or weaker, you’d probably lose the arm.”

“He’d lose it even if he were ninth-tier,” Clear Day clarified.  “For now, we should be able to get all of this fixed within the day.  A couple more days of rest, and you’ll be back to fighting form.”

Leon smiled gratefully.  “Thank you, everyone.  I hate to pull you away from what are sure to be celebrations tonight, but I’m grateful for this.”

Elise pinched his arm.  “Your health is more important than celebrations!”

“Have a bit more pride as a King, darling,” Cassandra added as she joined Elise at Leon’s side.  “Fixing you takes priority.”

“If you say so, it must be true,” Leon responded as he leaned back in his seat while the healers quietly consulted with each other over how exactly they were going to go about healing his arm.  From what he could feel from his origin power, though, if they didn’t move quickly, he was going to heal all on his own.

He glanced down at Iron Pride in his hand, clenched by blackened fingers.  He might’ve imagined it, but he thought he felt something akin to smugness coming off the blade, like it was not only reveling in the power it had displayed but was also reveling in the job done.

Before he could explore that sense any further, Elise wrapped her arms around him, though avoided his right arm.  She laid her head against his and breathed deeply with audible relief and frustration.  After a moment, she raised a hand and gently rapped her knuckles against his forehead.

“Is there anything in there, husband?” she softly asked.

“Given how willing he is to throw himself against powerful foes,” Valeria quipped as she pulled up a chair and sat down with them, “I’m not sure there is.”

Elise smirked for a moment before her expression turned serious again.  “Why did you fight that man?” she demanded.  “No one would’ve judged you for retreating.  You shouldn’t have fought him!”

“I was directly challenged,” Leon stated.  “How can I, as a King, ask my people to fight and die for me if I won’t do the same?”

“Weren’t you doing just that?” Elise shot back in frustration.  “You were fighting!  You were destroying their arks!  You didn’t have to fight that man, and it almost killed you!  I… I was worried that…”  She trailed off, her green eyes practically glowing as she fiercely glared at him.

Leon sighed.  “It wasn’t that stupid, I almost won.”

Elise lightly slapped his chest, not even close to enough to cause any real pain, but certainly enough to redden his skin and make a loud sound that momentarily drew attention from the healers and former Emperors in the room.  “You were nearly killed, husband,” she riposted.  “You had to be carried back to me!”

“If I may,” Anastasios cut in, “your grievance is warranted, Queen Elise; it would’ve been the most practical thing to do for Leon to retreat instead of accepting that challenge.  But as dear Queen Cassandra just pointed out, there’s a pride that comes with being a monarch that can’t be set aside.”

“Manly pride leads to far more death than is necessary,” Elise bitterly stated.

“The truth of that statement aside, the pride of a monarch goes beyond the pride of a man,” Anastasios explained.  “The pride of the entire Kingdom lies upon its King’s shoulders.  What Leon does is a political statement.  If he retreated from a direct challenge, it would’ve shown weakness in a time of war, and that’s always a risky thing.”

“So you’re saying that nearly being killed by someone a tier above him is the preferable option?”

“I’m saying there’re practical reasons for him to accept challenges, too, and that a monarch shouldn’t necessarily be judged by the results of the duel.”

“Then how should he be judged?” Elise angrily inquired.  “By the number of tears shed by his family?  Or by the number of wars that his death might kick off on Aeterna?”

Anastasios smiled in concession.  “I won’t argue with you on that front.  As I said, it would’ve been the more practical option to not have accepted that challenge.  But all I’m saying is that perhaps we all ought to understand why such duels are oftentimes necessary, if only as a show for the troops.”

Elise sighed deeply and rested her head on Leon’s shoulder.  “Fine,” she said.  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Anastasios smiled again, bowed his head slightly, and stepped back.

Elise remained there for a few seconds before pinching Leon’s chest.  “I’m still angry with you,” she said without much heat in her voice.

Leon chuckled and wrapped his left arm around her.  “I know,” he whispered lovingly before planting a kiss on her forehead.  “I know.”

A moment of relative quiet followed before the healers returned to work on Leon’s arm, their strategy worked out.

“We’ll get you sorted quickly, dear boy,” Eva said before she and Clear Day took the lead in healing him.

“Thanks,” Leon repeated as he settled in to have his arm fixed.

As he sat there, light magic pouring from friends and family to heal him, the Thunderbird spoke up from his soul realm.  [No true descendant of mine would’ve run off, tail tucked between his legs.  Facing that Despot was the right choice, boy, don’t let your mate tell you otherwise.]

[She makes some good points,] Leon stated.

[Indeed, and I agree with some of them.  The mistake you made was not in facing him, but in being so thoroughly thrashed.]

[He’s a twelfth-tier mage,] Leon protested.

[And you have a Universe Fragment and my power!  You should’ve clicked your tongue in displeasure and killed him on the spot!]

[You’re exaggerating.]

[Maybe.  But after seeing you use the Iron Needle as you did… I can’t help but wonder where that was during the duel.  Did you hold back?]

Despite the accusation, Leon could tell it wasn’t that serious.  She was working around to something, so he decided to simply jump to what he thought was her point.

[I… ‘spoke’ with the Iron Needle while I was out.  It manifested in my dream as an image of my father.  It asked me questions about my strategy.  Why I decided to remain in this valley and fight instead of running away.  It… sounded intelligent.]

[Interesting…] the Thunderbird whispered.  [Universe Fragments… shouldn’t be able to communicate like that.  Or maybe… maybe that was just your unconscious mind trying to make sense out of some understanding that the Iron Needle gave you?]

[I have no idea,] Leon said.  [I almost wish Clear had been with me; he can access dreams, maybe he could’ve shed some light on the subject.]

[Be careful about asking him.  Better to keep certain secrets close.]

[Is communicating with the Iron Needle that big of a secret?]

[This is unprecedented, boy!  Don’t tell anyone else until you can figure out more for yourself!]

[I’d likely be able to learn more if I ask people about it.]

[You’ll only expose yourself to needless risk!  Keep silent!]

Leon kept his mouth shut but frowned slightly.  [Then I suppose you and I are going to have to work this out.  What in the hells happened with it?]

[Can you speak with it now?]

Some slight feeling had returned to Leon’s fingers as the healing magic spread throughout his arm.  He might’ve imagined it, but he thought he could feel the thunder wood hilt pressed against his scorched skin.

[No,] he stated.  [I can… kind of ask it for power?  And it responds, but there’s no clear exchange of words.]

[That…]  The Thunderbird didn’t finish her statement, which Leon took as a silent prompt for him to continue.

[When it was speaking to me, it told me that only once before did someone ask for its help instead of demanding it.  I got the feeling that it was saying that that was the only time someone had ever treated it as more of a partner than a tool.  Does that sound at all familiar to you?]

Within his soul realm, he could see the Thunderbird in human form staring at his sleeping body on the throne, but her eyes were unfocused, as if what she was looking at was actually another time and place.

[I…] she began before finally averting her gaze.  She turned away from him and sat down on the steps leading up to his throne.  [It… does sound familiar.]

She didn’t elaborate, and Leon didn’t want to pry.  If his Ancestor asked the Iron Needle for help, then it sounded like whatever situation she’d found herself in had been beyond dire, and he understood her reluctance to speak about such topics.

However, she spoke again without his prompting, to the delight of his curious side.

[I told you of my duel with Khosrow, didn’t I?]

[You did,] Leon confirmed.

[He… he’d nearly killed me.  He did kill me.  He’d mortally wounded me and my closest friends.  I… did not fare as well as I may have led you to believe; Khosrow almost handily won that fight.]

[You told me that you won and lost that fight.]

[He’d… taken the head of the Heavenly Wolf.  Cait Sith had been split in half.  Bennu, firstborn of the Phoenix, was torn asunder by the power of a Universe Fragment, stopping him from coming back as he should’ve, as the only one of the Phoenix’s children to be born in her image.  And I… I lay on the ground, my talons twisted and broken, my beak shattered, and my wings severed.  I remember Khosrow standing over me, telling me that ‘the power granted to me by the Iron Needle was fleeting, and useless before him’.  I don’t remember exactly what happened, but I reached out for the Needle, hate and desperation all I felt.  If I failed, then my Clan would’ve been destroyed.

[The Iron Needle responded to me.  I hit the Great Lord with power beyond what I could summon in that final moment, and mortally wounded him, in turn, when his defenses were down.  Khosrow’s lickspittles tried and failed to save him, while I succumbed to the injuries he’d left me with.]

[This power the Iron Needle granted you… was it black lightning?]

[No.  Or… maybe?  I can’t remember that clearly, boy, I was on my last wings at the time.]

Leon nodded in understanding.  [Have you ever heard of black lightning before?]

[Before you started wielding the Iron Needle?  No.  But I’m not surprised the Iron Needle has such strange and deadly powers, its control over the element of lightning is unmatched in the universe.  You should take time to study the Needle.  Put off all other training in favor of this; the Iron Needle taught me how to use my lightning, perhaps it’ll teach you something, too?]

Leon smiled, thinking about how powerful he might be if he had black lightning at his command.  Such strength would easily see him restore his Clan to its position and put his ass in the Storm King’s throne.

But… after a moment, he couldn’t help but hesitate.

[Was the Needle… only able to teach you one kind of lightning?] he asked his ancestor.

[It taught me what I needed to know,] the Thunderbird stated.  [I knew more about lightning than what has been passed down in blood, my boy.  I did not cease to increase or refine my understanding of lightning after my children were born and my power passed on.  But the revelations I had, the truths I learned, and the power I gained was not passed down in that way since I stopped having children after ensuring the survival of my Clan.]

[So… I could learn more than just black lightning?] Leon asked.

[You can learn only what the Iron Needle will show you,] the Thunderbird clarified.  [What that will be, I cannot say.  This is why I’m telling you to put all other training off and study the Iron Needle exclusively from now on.]

Leon grinned and nodded.  [That sounds like a good idea to me.]

[Of course it’s a good idea; it’s my idea.]

Leon chuckled, slightly disturbing Elise.

“Something funny?” she asked.

“No,” he replied.  “But something good.  I’ll tell you later.”

“You’d better.  Now shut up and focus on healing!  That’s an order!”

“You’re giving me orders now?” Leon asked playfully.

“I always have,” Elise replied with a mischievous grin.  “All wives have the authority to give their husbands orders.  Didn’t you know that?”

“It’s true,” Cassandra agreed with a nod of her head.  “Only a foolish man goes against his wife.  And only a man who wishes for death defies his wives.”

Valeria and Maia also nodded, showing solidarity with their sisters-in-law, and Leon could only concede the point.  Even he was wise enough to know that picking a fight at this point was the worst possible action he could take.  Besides, it wasn’t like they were being particularly serious.

So, he just followed Elise’s ‘order’ and sat back in his seat as the healers saw to his injured arm, though his thoughts soon turned to Iron Pride, and the Iron Needle in its hilt.  He couldn’t help but salivate at the thought of what power the Needle might share with him, and where that power would take him.

But before he did anything with it, he had to let his injuries heal, and he had to finish this war that Terris had started.  The remainder of his forces were still there on the southern coast, and Leon would have to do something about them to kick them out of his territory; he had an inkling that the Iron Needle might be able to help with that…

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