Morning came far too quickly for either of their likings.
Sunlight bathed the inner-sanctum of their room forcing them both awake.
Scarlet Qi intertwined between the two rustling in bed.
Agashi slowly stood up holding a hand just above his head to block the sunlight.
"Cute." Shion said looking at the gesture as she directly got out of bed to put on her clothing.
"Savage." Agashi looked back at Shion with a raised brow and a small smile.
Agashi tightly bound his saber to his waist with Shion's help.
After a night of not so much rest, being jostled around, he had regained some strength but not enough to properly wield the saber without the help of his qi which was busy putting his body back in working order.
Looking over at the counter, he found his only two accessories.
Dratan's Soul Heart Gem, and the Wolf Tooth which Shion had given him on the eve of his first campaign.
Putting them on, Agashi's demeanor turned dark and stoic.
The crimson mantel drapped over his shoulder he fixed his white shirts cuffs and slicked his hear back into a pony tail.
Shion wore a proper noble ladies dress, though, she had a corset and fighting clothing underneath as well as her rapier concealed up one of her long draping sleeves.
The moment they exited the bedroom, servants who had been working outside bowed wordlessly before leaving to execute their duties.
"Dratan?" Agashi lightly called out to which the gem sparkled.
Dratan fell out like a drunken wolf and hiccuped, "What? You! You stupid ingrate bastard! Almost dying and getting me taken by some Kendogan wench! You even let her call me just some, 'demon wolf alpha'! I am The Scarlet Demon Wolf Alpha! I am Dratan Algambus the Scourge who scorched the wastes!"
"Sorry." Agashi lightly bowed his head throwing Dratan into silence.
There was a long sigh and a growl, "Don't bow your head. Do better. And go take care of your damn friends, they've been going crazy because of the people who are ready to stab the next bastard to stand in front of them! Even the refugees are up in arms!"
"They are in a volatile state. The guards are hardly keeping themselves in check, let alone the people. So, what will you do, boss?" From a shadow came a rough voice, "We going to war?"
"No." Agashi replied lightly as he rubbed his temples, "Spread word that I am awake and fine. I assume that alone won't be enough though, so let them know I will make my address in the evening at the square."
"Got'cha." Hardvar vanished as silently as he had appeared.
In the hallway Agashi quietly readied himself.
The ordeal was not yet over.
Kendogan's Demonic Princess may have lied and was preparing to strike, lulling Durlivan into a false state of security, this thought persisted in his mind, as well as the Rekarsus army which was yet to be spotted despite the abundance of time afforded to them.
Such was the state of affairs.
Swords hung over Durlivan yet.
Agashi's gaze deepened into a frown.
"If your tired, you can tell me." Shion interlaced her fingers with his.
He smiled softly and replied, "It's fine."
"Mhm. So, Warren." Shion looked down the hallway where a young form was standing in a neat suit, Princess Alumira and Serli stood on either side of him walking towards Agashi and Shion.
Achaaaa.... Wasn't I supposed to be Warren's guardian?
"Warren. How have you been?" Agashi ruffled Warren's hair watching the boy closely as he too seemingly studied Agashi.
"I've been doing well," He replied evenly with a maturity he did not have before, "I've learnt a great many things thanks to you."
"Ah, well... sorry." Agashi scratched the back of his head with a smile.
"Circumstances, it happens." Warren looked at Princess Alumira and Serli who were shooting Agashi glances and continued, "Kitar is faring well. Using your name I've managed to gain complete control over the city though the outskirts are still in somewhat disarray. I came to ask for more funds in order to destroy what resistance is left in one go."
"Rebels?" Agashi's eyes narrowed as he felt a headache coming on.
"Not so serious, just some disgruntled failures of society causing issues to arise unnecessarily." Warren sighed softly as his deep brown hair fell over his stoic face, "It's irritating, extremely."
"Acha, well, don't be so down!" Agashi smiled grandly and clapped his back with a large palm which shook his figure like a leaf, "A lord must always show his best side! How can other's follow one who leaves a shadow too small to stand in? Straighten up!"
Agashi's words reverberated around in the silence for a slightly awkward amount of time until Warren's piercing gaze cooled over and he nodded silently.
Agashi felt a pain in his heart like a shard of glass looking at Warren's demeanor and remembering his previous self when they first met.
Ahh.... I've really not done this boy justice at all. I need to spare some time to focus on him as well, but where?
As this question was raised, Agashi swiftly fell into his own mind which frosted over his gaze into an unreadably deep sea.
Alumira and Serli looked up, keenly noticing as the light of awareness flickered becoming smaller as he retreated into the board room called his mind.
"'A lord must always cast a shadow large enough for other's to stand within.' Not quite exactly what he said since master doesn't exactly have a great way with words. But, I've understood it." Warren said evenly, "Lady Drashi. How is everything?"
"'Lady Drashi'? You've really grown into a cold little kid, haven't you?! Where is the little boy who was so joyful? Ahhh... is it because of these beautiful little sisters? Are you trying to show your cool side?" Shion smiled as she teased him.
Having once had many brothers, she was an expert at proding the exact correct places.
Warren's pupils shook and Shion laughed whilst holding a hand over her mouth.
Alumira looked at him curiously, "You want to become mine?"
"Wha-"
"Absolutely not. He wants to be mine, clearly." Serli crossed her arms and tilted her head up slightly.
Warren looked at the two who had sparks flying between them and quickly felt his rights as a human being stripped away under their competitive gazes.
He looked over at Shion whilst still barely holding onto an aloof attitude and stoic expression.
Her eyes were deep, and every inch of that visible depth was filled with laughter.
"Do you two both like him that much? What is a young boy to do having the love of two princess, though?" Shion teased the two girls as they bickered with their eyes.
Hearing her words however, they both broke eye contact and gave Warren cold glances which quickly sobered him up as he solidified his expression and turned around quickly retreating back into his own mind as Agashi had.
'Master is an expert at this, I need to learn more.' Warren silently thought as he glanced up at Agashi who had seemingly heard nor noticed anything which was said, wholly absorbed in his own thoughts.
The manors servants lined either side of the path leading out of the manor, the butlers on one side and maids on the other.
Their gazes were hard but as they saw Agashi and Shion come out side by side, they quickly softened and their hearts tightened all at once.
"The Scarlet Demon Wolves Successor and the lady of the border, the White Wolf," Trigo stood at the end adjusting his custom made glasses, "Or so the wasteland tribes have come to call you, my lady and lord."
"White Wolf?" Agashi tuned in, "Why have they given her this nickname?"
"Because," Trigo began calmly, "They see her as your other side. Two parts of a single whole. You as a Scarlet Demon Wolf, leading in a bloody and warlike way, her, the White Wolf who leads with cunning gentility and farsighted grace."
"Bloody and warlike? Am I really so badly seen?" Agashi asked.
Trigo adjusted himself to walk along side them as he spoke, "It's the legend of the Scarlet Demon. It goes back more than a century in this place. The White Wolf of Dra which brought down the Scarlet Demon Wolf which sought to bring down it's wrath. One represents the bloody and warlike nature of the wolf, whilst the other is meant to represent the cunning, gentle, farsightedness and grace of the wolf. The wolf representing Dra."
"So why do the wasteland people use it?" Agashi wondered aloud.
After all, it wasn't the people of Dra who started saying it, but rather the Wasteland tribes who chose to give that nickname.
Before Trigo could reply however, the Soul Heart around Agashi's neck shone violently and a malevolent howl was heard, "That bastard snake! Lizard! Iguana! Sea dweller little winged serpent bastard! How dare he talk about my young life! White Wolf, pah! That girl was a fling I tell you, a fling! And making it seem like a legend, that dirty bastard I will peel off all of his scales and turn it into a fine pair of boots!"
"Peel of my scales? I will pull out each of your damned hairs one by one and turn you into a carpet for my magnificent feet! And a fling? You were head over heals for that winter wolf! I saw it clearly! You even went and scorched an entire kingdom back then over the rejection! Don't lie!" From the distance came a freezing shout and a long spirit appeared charging over from the distance as Tynas rushed to keep up.
Almost as soon as Dratan and the Wyrm saw one another, they began to bicker and fight neither giving the other any ground.
If not for the fact that ordinary people could not see them, nor hear them, the entire city would have thought a war was breaking out!
Also if not for the fact that there was an uncomfortable amount of muttering and whispering going on from the alleyways everywhere as people shifted and moved, slowly gathering and following Agashi silently from behind towards the city center.
Their intense auras filled the street making one think a blood bath was not far behind.
Alumira and Serli stuck closely to Shion who was pulling the stress off fine as she was more than used to it having been to battlefields and enduring as a royal of Dra for far longer before it's invasion.
Alumira and Serli whilst nervous were also dealing it with a certain modicrum of grace.
Warren however... was sweating bullets.
Born to a mercenary father and having only really roamed the field of battle, he didn't get starred at so intensely by anyone unless they wanted to kill him or kill someone else at his side.
In other words, no one had ever focused on him so intensely with such an unknown meaning and it freaked him out though he managed to keep a semi-stoic expression albeit riddled with sweat.
He glanced up at Agashi and grit his teeth.
'Master is perfectly calm like a steady mountain... I need to do better!'
Soon enough, they had arrived at the plaza where Nefamiti, Marcus, Huantu and Netman were waiting.
"Lord, it's good to see your back in good health," Nefamiti spoke to which the three commanders echoed his sentiment.
"You too, Nefamiti, lads." Agashi acknowledged it with a smile and nod, at the moment he was climbing a stand in the plaza and could not stick around to chat for long.
The atmosphere in the plaza was explosive after all.
People filled the area around the main water fountain like sardins, the buildings around the plaza were packed all the way down the street as people looked to Agashi with anxious pause.
They were not so fool hardy to begin shouting before him and calling for blood, despite everything, they were still a people who had suffered and whilst angered they did not succumb to it completely.
In the end, they placed their faith in him and waited silently, their eyes boring holes into him with nigh perfect focus.
Agashi wondered if the sky began to fall, would they notice at all?
Taking his saber, sheath and all he held it in the palm of one hand and held his other hand behind that one.
In the next moment, a split second, a loud noise crashed through the entire plaza and for more streets and alleys past that resounding through that half of the city.
The great anxiety in the crowd reached new heights as they awaited their future.
Peace or War?
They didn't know.
"Princess Anesthesia of Kendogan is gone," Agashi stood stoically atop the platform, an aloof and cold air rolling off him in waves over the crowd cooling them like a glacier.
As his words passed over the noisy breeze a whisper rose between the people as they confirmed between each other what his words had meant and then, after speaking for a little while they returned their attention to Agashi who was calmly looking over the crowd.
"Rekarsus may yet come," Agashi's face darkened and his tone turned severe causing the crowd to stir.
He let it hang in the air for a moment before continuing in a solemn tone.
"Rumors have flown far in the time when my wings were crippled," Agashi's Scarlet Qi slowly began to rise as the temperature all around the plaza rose, "However."
Behind him, a large projection of qi began to form causing the crowd to gasp from both the awe and respect.
Warmth fell over the crowd in waves from the image of the Scarlet Wolf overlooking everyone.
Like a warm breeze brushing past them on a peaceful spring morning, many thought of the night of the harvest and their hearts were calmed.
"Wolves have no need of wings," Agashi's voice was firm and the warmth which filled the peoples hearts jumped, "If a dragon wishes to attack, they must come to the Wolf. If Rekarsus' dogs wishes to attack, they will have to walk into the den. If Kendogan and all of her states wish to bring their heavy paw to bear, they will need to prepare for a skinning. We will not fall."
"We will not fall." The crowd echoed his words, many of the refugee's having mixed feelings, but also having that strange warmth which felt like a full meal and home in their hearts.
The Dragon, Carrien.
The Cerberus, Rekarsus.
The Lion, Kendogan.
"We will not lose." Agashi raised his voice and tapped his saber against the platform, shaking their hearts as the wave known as his voice raised through the crowd like a flame in dry woods.
"We won't lose, we won't..." They mumbled to themselves as the warmth of a full meal and the feeling of home in their hearts began to flicker, "...we won't give in again...!"
"So if we will not fall, and we will not lose, what will we do?" Agashi's voice reached near a shouting level yet it did not feel such.
The crowd had reached a fever pitch.
What will we do?
"...We will fight like the hungry wolves we are. We will fight for the freedom we desire. We will fight for the right to enjoy life which we are denied. We fight for the peace in which to raise our children, unafraid of war. We fight! We fight for what we believe! We fight for each other! We fight for the future and to honor the blood of the past! Be it Dra as a land down to each of your homes, we will not lose a single damned thing! Never again! So we fight like damned hungry wolves and we will die with the pride of our ancestors!"
The crowd was silent.
Then...
...the crowd exploded into cheers!
Anything and everything was thrown into the sky as they cheered!
From the refugee's who were feeling neglected and unsafe who were reassured and shown strength.
To the marked who were as though thrown back into an unknown world where everything had changed only to be shown the way.
They would fight like hungry wolves.
And die with the honor of their ancestors on their backs.
"We will live! Not survive! We will prosper, not get by! We will stand above the storm! And we will win, never lose!" Agashi drew his saber high into the sky with a resounding metallic cry, "We are the people of Dra, we are the hungry wolves who prowl the land and we will never surrender! Never again will we become prey!"