"...When do we march?" Peter said coldly with a brush of his Qi feeling in the room.
"Please, if you truly need assistance in a war with those bastards, we would be plenty." Lucio cut in hot-bloodedly.
Shion's gaze sharpened and she spoke before Agashi had time to process what had happened, "What do you want for your countries in exchange?"
"To start, I would be grateful if you don't refer to us as one, it's foul," Pitir said evenly, "but, as to your question, Tensent would like permission from the fifteenth prince to have the Scarlet Demon, Agashi Durlivan, come to Tensent's aid should Pilvor arrive at it's door."
"What a surprise!" Lucio said, "For once we are in agreement, Lancard too would like the Scarlet Demon's assistance in the coming war against Pilvor."
'Pilvor? That nation that won the four way war deep in the gulf almost half a year ago?' Agashi's mind flickered to a piece of information he'd gotten a long time ago.
"It's gotten that out of hand?" Leyalt said surprisingly, "Last I checked, they'd conquered four small kingdoms around them but had exhausted their military in the war, they shouldn't be able to go out to war with any real threat for the next ten years at least!"
"We thought so too, but..." Lucio looked over to Pitir bitterly.
"...They are being backed by the Federation and because of that, all of the Gulf kingdoms are now being pressured by them using Pilvor as a killing blade, but many kingdoms refuse to believe it and instead believe we are lying to get them to leave their alliances with the Federation." Pitir said in anguish, "They are being played for fools!"
'And what do you think I can do about it if nations can't do anything?' Agashi sighed internally, 'I've had my hands full here to the extent that I've never even left Dra!'
"I will lend my aid when the time comes, send a message to Surnova immediately," Agashi said confidently but the two diplomats looked at one another with weird smiles.
"We... already spoke with Surnova late last night while you were enjoying your honeymoon, he said he would agree if you did." Pitir put a hand over his heart with a big smile, "Lancard is happy to enter into a new, budding alliance!"
"Tensent too is delighted to have the summer prince and the scarlet demon as allies in the coming conflict!" Lucio said happily, "We look forward to future plans, I will relay this happy news back to my nation and urge them to send whatever reinforcements we can...-"
"...-Please, don't worry about that," Agashi waved his hands before putting them on each of their shoulders, "All you need to do is remain as you have been."
'So long as neither of you attacks us, we should be able to hold the south,' Agashi thought coldly, 'that said, with this alliance, we can't let our guard down, the troops at the Kisharr border will have to stay.'
"Now, Keneth, take Baroli and go out to scout defensible positions along the wastes," Agashi said as he reached the door, "We will need to get every advantage that we can."
Shion followed him out.
The shadows shifted.
"What are you really thinking about?" Shion asked quietly.
"The situation with the coming war?" He replied with a sidelong glance.
"Please, don't insult me," Shion smiled cutely, "Shishi... won't you tell me?"
Agashi smiled warmly, "How did the information of the emperor's death reach the whole of the empire, and even into Rekarsus and Kendogan so quickly?"
There was a brief moment of silence as his words sank in.
Shion's bright smile darkened in less than a blink, "Are you saying that those nobles were here to scout the land?"
Agashi nodded, "I don't know how, or who is working with them but it can't be a coincidence that they invited themselves here so close to the emperor's assassination. Though it would have to be a very important figure in Carrien. Someone right at the top with access to very high-level communication crystals that can send messages across the continent, something even dukes can't easily have."
"A grand duke?" Shion muttered, "But that's..."
Agashi nodded, 'The Third Prince. Fourth Prince. Fifth Prince. The only Grand Dukes in the empire, the only royalty with enough connections and backing to do so.'
"I'm sure that Nova is already aware, he'll be securing the naval routes into Dra while Ire will be securing the north. Now, with Tensent and Lancard offering their services this may not be a war with us in the middle. But rather it will be a war where everyone involved is backed into a corner."
"If we fall, than Tensent and Lancard are the only ones left to try and fight off the combined might of the Federation as well as Pilvor, their hidden blade and buffer," Hardvar appeared from the shadows with a worried look, "The Federation are vicious and likely will know of Tensent and Lancards betrayal, it won't be long now."
"Looks like if we want to secure this southern border and keep Dra safe we're going to have to first settle the problem within the Gulf Kingdoms and sure up our alliance with Lancard and Tensent." Agashi said lightly.
"So..." Hardvar trailed off worriedly.
"Yeah," Shion sighed, "it's like that."
A week later in a carriage nearing Tensent city, the capital of Tensent.
Pitir and Lucio are sitting beside each other with extremely hostile glares shooting at each other at every opportunity.
They'd been civil for the first few days, but, predictably after spending a certain amount of time with your bitter enemy, they turned to open hostility.
"An alliance with Tensent, Baron Drashi, once again, we do not need such a thing, our current none aggression pact is more than enough!" Lucio said as he threw a chilling glare at Pitir.
Pitir scoffed and countered, "You don't need an alliance with us? We don't need an alliance with you, or did you forget who won Tarkan's Valley in the last war?"
"Tarkan's Valley? You mean that scuffle that you're country saw fit to send in their highest tier masters just to combat some of our weakest men?" Lucio sneered.
Agashi sighed and caught their attention, "What do the armies look like in Tensent and Lancard right now? Five thousand? Ten thousand each? I don't expect you to reply but know this, if you have less than twenty thousand troops, than forget Pilvor and the Federation, I and my army alone could steam roll you're countries."
The carriage went deathly silent.
The two looked uncomfortable but it's true. In the time that Agashi has taken over rule of Durlivan and the southern baronies he's established a powerful defensive line with equally powerful soldiers, each of them soldiers by career and not by draft.
That meaning that they are highly trained and completely focused on battle. They can't be compared to the soldiers of Tensent and Lancard who are mostly conscripted due to the necessity caused by the last war.
Pitir and Lucio's uncomfortable gazes also held a bit of malice as they glanced at Agashi who seemed completely unfazed, or perhaps simply didn't notice it.
Shion held back a sigh and spoke kindly, "What my husband is trying to say is that Tensent and Lancard, you're two countries are veterans of many wars and that is respectable but, the mark of the greatest warriors, is it not knowing when to retreat?"
Lucio and Pitir exchanged looks. Both of them are old men and they both understood that they were being childish with their arguments. But the grudge between Lancard and Tensent runs as deep as the foundation of their kingdoms.
Myths say that in the beginning, Tensent and Lancard were brothers who split the land after their mother died.
They loved one another dearly but one day there was a war and depending on who you hear it from, it's said that one side pulled away at the last moment and backstabbed the other.
Of course, this was several hundred years ago and Agashi who heard it immediately thought of a certain hundred-year-old spirit.
"Those two? The both of them were fighting over a queen in the duchies that they'd fallen in love with, and, from what I saw, she likely manipulated them both into backstabbing one another because after the war not only did she not help them, but instead forced them into servitude under her hand." The wolf said with disgust.
House Yikiji, the strongest house in the Federation. Owner of the Yikiji Thousand Flower Valley where powerful experts from both the Gulf Kingdoms and the Federation are sent to train until they are adults.
Of course, not all young heirs and scions go there, but most do and those who do will all become successful thus raising Yikiji's name as high as the clouds.
When he first heard the story Agashi felt uncomfortable and wanted to tell the two of the truth, but, felt that it would be best to hold that card, since though the grudge goes way back, it's not like those grudges are what fuel this war now.
A few days later the road split. Lucio continued on to Tensent City whilst Pitir advanced to Lancard city.
As for Shion and Agashi, they took camp in the woodlands between the two kingdoms, using Yu's help they had no problems finding a suitable place to set up shop.
An abandoned village turned into a fairy sanctuary became their place to stay with Yu's recommendation and promise to the other fairies that they were good people.
Agashi's eyes went wide as they finally arrived at the Fairy Bark Valley.
"The natural energies...-"
"...-They're so abundant! I've never felt such an abundant energy before!" Agashi almost yelled in shock at how thick the natural energies were.
"This is a cemetery and home of the fairies for many miles, as such, over the last few hundred years it has become a sanctuary." An elder fairy said gently, "I am Mahira, this generation's guardian."
Agashi flinched as he looked over and saw the old fairy sitting on Shion's shoulder similar to how Yu usually sits on his.
"Welcome to the Thousand Wing Gulf."
----
It's beautiful here. So beautiful that if not for Shion, I don't know how I could bear it!
The tree's sparkle with the reflection of golden energy that's so thick it's changed the very feeling of the air.
Fairies dance and laugh and look around curiously at every turn. Those here are happy and yet despite all of this grace, all of this... peace.
Yet I can't help but find myself thinking back to my home.
Not this one, nor Durlivan, but my home.
The world I came from. The people i left behind.
Even now it's difficult to see those things for what they were, but standing here with Shion at my side, so far from it, I feel myself getting pulled back to it.
I've had many homes. And everytime I leave one, I never return.
I grab Shion's hand into my own. She looks up at me curiously tilting her head just slightly so as to look into my eyes.
"You're hands are so small..." I say in a voice so low it'd be a surprise if she could hear me.
"Your hands are just big." She laughs it off and looks back to the chief but not before giving me a meaningful look.
She's been like this for as long as I've known her.
I don't think there's ever been a time where her eyes haven't caught my own, where her gaze hasn't looked into mine.
She always pays close attention, even before, she read my mind in coming here.
It's frightening sometimes, but also comforting.
Standing in the fairy village now, I see Shion talking to the chief, but my mind isn't here.
I look far to the east. If I got on a mountain, could I see it from here? That land that I hold dear?
I wonder.
"...-shi, Shishi? What's on you're mind?" Shion's voice called me back from the void.
At some point, we'd arrived in the only room in the village big enough to house humans.
My gaze focused and a small shock ran through my body.
A soft smile appeared on my face, "Really... it's nothing this important."
I held her cheek in my hand and pulled my face away, but she persisted in staring into my soul at point-blank.
"Tell me about it then." Shion said worriedly.
'You never worry about small things, don't lie to me, Shishi...' Shion thought with a hint of anxiety.
"Sorry, I already forgot, why don't we sleep?" Shion looked back at me skeptically, "The envoys won't arrive for a week or more."
"...you will tell me eventually, so I guess I'll let it go...." Shion smiled gently as she sat on the bed her voice dropping to near inaudible if not for my qi assisting my hearing, "...for now."
I held back a bitter smile. I really can't win, can I?
...but what is this feeling?