“Is it my turn yet?” Clay said.

His voice made Jonas’s hair stand up straight. His blabbering sounded different, like a predator about to pounce on its prey. And Jonas felt like he was the target.

Looking around, he noticed he wasn’t the only one to react that way. Everyone, except Ash, almost gulped in anticipation.

Ash kicked him again to make sure he was awake. Seeing his eyes not drooping down anymore, she shook her head. “We aren’t sure. Up to your master, isn’t it?”

Clay turned to stare at him. He had never looked into the mage’s eyes like this before. Their cold silver made him shiver and physically feel cold. This wasn't the same person any more.

“W-what do you mean by your turn?” Jonas looked at the others, hoping they would give him a hint. But none of them looked him in the eyes.

“Simple really, Master,” Clay said.

Jonas felt it echo in his mind. He felt sweat running down his back, flashes of the incident that caused all this came to his mind.

“I can blast them to the Nether World. Not a single person would wake away alive. Their ashes would be the only thing that remains of this city full of the treasonous. They would be a story to be retold, a fable in your journal, a folktale of what happens to those who stand in your way. None shall ever question your right to rule ever again.”

Jonas couldn’t breath, his eyes couldn’t look away from the bottomless pit that was Clay’s stare. His teeth chattered and body shook.

He needed to inhale or suffocation to death would be part of his tale.

Clay blinked and the pressure disappeared. It was gone like it had never been there. Only a figment of his overactive imagination and nothing more.

But even if it was gone, its effects still lingered. His teeth chattered as he tried to reign them in, but at least now he could breath. And more importantly look away. Yet, once he did, he found he wasn't alone in his suffering. Each of his guards did their best to hide it, but the signs were obvious for all to see.

Medulis had tears running down her cheeks as she grit her teeth into a not-smile.

Huemara was red-faced as his own smile literally covered his eyes.

Gregor was simply shaking like he was. All the armor clanked and scraped against each other.

What type of monster could actually do this? These men and women were the best he had ever seen, the strongest to do battle in front of him. But they were nothing more than little children to Clay.

“No,” Jonas breathed out, fighting through the molasses that his body was in. “I will not sacrifice the innocent for a city I will take control of regardless. The nobles will bleed for their choices, but what crime have the common people committed to be...executed.”

Clay huffed. “Your choice, Master.” He got up, picking his chair off the ground with him. He put it down and fell asleep without pause, snoring like nothing had happened at all.

Jonas let out a ragged breath. He knew the man had to be strong to be considered the most powerful between his guards, but he did not know by how much. How can the gap be so great? Would he ever reach those levels of power?

Did he want to be that powerful? He wasn’t so sure.

Ash sat back down on her seat with a big smile. Looking like a proud mother. She nodded to him then pushed the map of the colony to him. Unlike what he saw before, it had a pathway drawn from their location in front of Petrous harbor to another far the west.

PennyHarbor.

“Is that the only other option. Doesn’t leaving lessen my authority to rule? They would consider me the laughing stock of high society to back down and travel,” he looked down to the map again. “What? Four months out to another harbor?”

“Well we do have another option, but it might not be suitable for this time,” Ash said in response.

“Please explain.”

“Sure. You see, the endless number of islands have an endless number of warring tribes and clans. Whether they are tiny kingdoms of us, humans, or a hundred different races. They seem to build cities and go fight without pause or considering what situation they are in. It's a perfect situation for us to take advantage of. Act like another runaway or exiled noble then slowly take over the islands one by one.”

“No. We can’t for a hundred reasons. That not mentioning I would lose my claim to rule over the colony by absentee. Maybe at a later date we can start an initiative if he get the royal approval. We don’t know what treaty could have been signed a hundred years ago. I will not be called an oath breaker because we did not know.”

“Then, PennyHarbor it is. Though I have a solution for your...problem with face and what not,” Ash teased. She looked back at the sleeping mage. “Magus Clay.”

Clay opened a single eye, not deeming her worth more than that.

“If it would not be a burden, we hope you may show the rabble on the harbor what you are capable of.”

Clay raised an eyebrow. “I ordered you to kick the chair from under me when I am needed, not to attempt to command me? I suggest you learn your place.”

“Err...To safeguard the image of your Master. As you have noticed, he is adamant to obliterate the city, but showing them what could have happened if he wasn’t as merciful as he is would go a long way to curb any future snide remarks against him.” Ash said respectfully, even going as far as to bow.

Clay frowned. He looked at Jonas then sighed. “Alright. What am I destroying?”

Ash smiled like a predator.