Agashi's cry turned the crowd raw with emotion as many cheered between tears!
It had been hard.
Marked who were thrown into a world unknown to them, many of which had lost everything whilst under Laminas' curse.
Refugee's who had traveled, leaving everything behind in search of a better life elsewhere only to find war at every turn.
Those tormented souls who could not leave Durlivan because of the previous ruler's control, and so were abused daily because of it, turning into emotionless dolls.
Their emotions put into a cry, they cheered.
They would fight.
Never again would someone be marked and forced into slavery.
Never again would war take away everything they have.
Never again would their freedom be stolen.
Never again would they stand by and allow time to pass them by.
They would fight like the hungry wolves they were, chasing their dreams and aspirations till death do them part or by fate may they pass.
A fire was lit underneath the people, and in that moment be they marked, refugee or the original inhabitants it didn't matter.
They stood ready and united.
The Scarlet Wolf above Agashi raised it's head and howled raising strong gusts of wind which spread through the city passing through every corner like a magical call, the whispers of his declaration reaching every nook and cranny of the city.
Behind Agashi atop the platform, Shion took a half-step forward.
"The Scarlet Demon! The Champion of Veru! The Lord of Durlivan! The Southern General!" Above Shion there appeared a similar projection to Agashi's which promptly melded with his turning into the symbol of their Drashi House.
"By these names, I reaffirm my oath! Till death, I will safeguard Durlivan and all her people!" Agashi took her hint and shouted over the crowd throwing them into another wave of cheers!
"Praise be the Champion!" Seramia raised her staff and a cooling sensation rose in their souls!
"Praise be the Lord!" Nefamiti raised his sword and the soldiers began to stomp, their souls alight!
....
Later that day, a festival had begun as the excitement of the evening spilled into the night.
Alongside the excitement, there were those who were anxious as well, but they were drowned out by the wave of enthusiasm practically bursting from the streets.
"'He's not good with words'... Your the one who is not very good with words." Princess Serli laughed as she and Alumira teased Warren within the main hall of the manor.
"It was a joke! I swear it was a joke!" Warren protested.
"Clown." Princess Alumira shot him a sideways look before smiling covertly, "Make us laugh, Clown."
"Ahhh!" Warren felt his walls crumbling under the incessant barrage.
Thus, he learned an important lesson.
Reserve judgment in your mind until certain of your point, without a shadow of a doubt.
The two Princess' circled like sharks with their words calling him by his new nickname, Clown.
Whilst they teased him ruthlessly, Agashi prepared to leave.
Shion wore a freezing glare as she watched Agashi labouredly fixing his mantle and clothing by himself.
"...You are trying to kill us both, I swear." Shion threw her hands up frustratedly and moved to help him, swatting his weak hands away, "If you knew you were already so weak, what do you think would happen by showing off? What if you had collapsed? If I didn't hold you up?"
Agashi turned rosy around the ears as he remembered how Shion had sneakily stepped forward to support him, her hand channeling scarlet qi into him from his back whilst she distracted the crowd with her words.
If not for that, with the amount of qi he used, he'd have likely collapsed.
"Luckily no one else noticed, but you can't keep doing this to yourself. You will die." Shion tightened his cape and looked up at him seriously.
Agashi smiled and scratched his cheek, "It wasn't that bad, right? It all worked out and besides Durlivan-"
"Durlivan be damned! What about you? Why are you..." Shion waved her hand and held her forehead.
Agashi's eyes were wide with shock.
"As the lord-" Agashi began.
"Nevermind."
"Ah, but-"
"I said forget it." Shion draped herself easily with a matching cape bearing the symbol of the house of Drashi.
Agashi's lips held tight.
Did I do something wrong?
"Uhm, darling-"
"What?!" Shion snaped on him only to see him pointing to his saber which he couldn't exactly fix to his side.
Her eyes burned with rage.
"You can't even raise your saber, and you want to go and visit Lirik high in the mountains? Do you know? The center of the Fairy Ring Mountain is above the clouds. If you can't even raise it, then you can't go." Shion said firmly.
She felt she had been far too lenient until now letting him take unnecessary burdens, things that did not need to be done right away.
Agashi smiled softly and his tone fell to a gentle place.
"You know Yu is missing. Lirik interfering that day and saving my life can only mean that Yu is with him, and since she hasn't returned, something must have happened which hasn't let her return, I can't summon her either, something is interfering. I owe Lirik a proper thanks, and as Yu's guardian, I must find her."
He wrapped his hand around his saber which easily weighed more than ten steel sabers its own size.
Taking off the special bandages soaked in qi which ran up his arm, he wrapped them around his hand and forcefully raised the saber dragging it behind him.
"Even if I have to look like a fool from here to there. I will still go."
The only reason his face did not turn red, nor his body lean and tip and fall nor his arms fall off at the weight of the saber, was because his body after repeated strengthening could naturally lift the saber with ease, however, without enough blood nor qi to nourish his muscles, he could not work them at full capacity.
The strength was still there, simply dormant.
Shion scowled.
"You're lucky I love you so much." Stepping forward she took the saber from his hand and easily affixed it to his back where it shouldn't throw off his balance too much.
"You're as beautiful as the day I met you." Agashi gave her cheek a peck and she glanced his way.
"Drenched in blood?" She walked past him putting her hand on the doorknob.
"Drenched in blood, surrounded by corpses, lying kindly at my side, it's all the same to me." Agashi smiled and took a few heavy steps forward with a big smile when Shion's eyes turned to crescents and she opened the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three children fell into the room like a tide and a single twitching hand was left at the bottom accompanied by a voice.
"Master... you-, you have such a good way with words..." Warren struggled to breathe under the weight of the two embarrassed princesses' who had been watching intently through the keyhole of the door.
"Not much love to study in the palace, is there, girls?" Shion stood them both up and Agashi grit his teeth helping Warren up.
Warren hurried up.
"Sorry, I know your not, uhm, in great condition."
Agashi shook his head calmly.
"I'm fine." He passed by them looking ahead, "You should all come with us to the Fairy Ring Mountain. It will be a good experience."
//////
Durlivan's mountain range could be said to be small, but also vast.
The mountains themselves were small, not quite reaching past the clouds but not quite the size of hills as they have sheer cliffs and sharp, sudden drop-offs which could kill anyone.
The vibrant forest stretched sparsely over the mountains.
These woods are filled with fairies which one could often find tending to the trees and lands every so often, unafraid of people.
The treaty which banned fairy hunting is one thing that made them comfortable, but, the other more important thing is that within the vibrant forest where natural energies are at their strongest, especially during the Magic Season, any normal intruder could be easily handled by the fairies themselves.
Though not usually in direct combat, they could be led astray by the fairies and thrown out of the forest on their own two legs.
Among the tree's a long trail spread out upon which a small group tread casually.