Leaving the mountains was infinitely easier than when they'd entered.
Dratan looked around at the tree's and the fairies upon them, commenting off-handedly, "They've grown weaker, all of them. I remember a time where that old fog head had complete control over all of the rings. His realm simply that large."
He watched as the fairies moved around them healing the withering tree's and fighting off the Death Qi rising from the earth, albeit only able to suppress most of it and destroy very, very little.
After all, Life Qi and Death Qi are essentially opposites, but not quite.
Life Qi is separate from Nature Qi in that, it is it's higher form and can destroy Death Qi, but it is as rare as a Death Qi Fairy.
Lirik Khan was the last one born it would seem.
With the forest poisoned as it is, there won't be another one born, probably.
Agashi frowned slightly.
How the hell am I going to deal with all this Death Qi while also fighting a war that feeds it? I'm basically the fuel, the fire, and the firefighter.
"What do you think we should do?" Agashi asked Shion who was right beside him walking in silence.
She looked at him, her eyes widening slightly, "You're asking me for advice?"
Agashi tilted his head slightly, "Is that strange?"
She quickly nodded with a worried look, "Is it the weakened qi affecting you?"
He felt a pang of guilt in his heart.
Is that how they see me? A pillar that just deals with everything?
Agashi nodded, "Mm. Probably."
I guess I'll just... figure it out then.
"Are you sure....?" She proded slightly.
He smiled, "It's all good. I've got a plan."
Silence fell over the group.
I have no plan at all...
Crunch time.
...okay.
Federation? Looking like a wolf at the Gulf.
Republic? In a crisis switching their factories to build weapons.
Rekarsus? At war with Kendogan and some rural lords banding together to attack us.
Kendogan? At war with Rekarsus. Princess Anastasia passed over us.
Lancard and Tensent? Probably plotting something since the alliance went far too smoothly now that I think about it more.
Duke Sercan? Who knows?!
Ahhhh...
Alright.
Priorities, Agashi, Priorities!
Inside Dra, there are no real weakness' nor traitors or else Nova would have snuffed them out with Tarci's help as an ex-assassin.
What can we do...
What can we... do...
...ah?
/////
"Queen. We've captured a suspicious person, they say they've a message to deliver, and that I can only be given by word of mouth." A cloaked man kneeled within a grand tent, "They are currently detained. No weapons were found on them."
A cold set of eyes fell on the cloaked man for a moment before shifting away as she leaned back in her wooden throne, leaning her head on her knuckles.
"Messages are meant to be heard."
"Understood."
The tent was left empty save for the lady upon her wooden throne, the red carpet ruffled slightly by the man's foot steps reflected in her emotionless gaze.
Time passed and soon many foot steps arrived before her tent.
"Queen. We've retrieved the messenger."
"Enter."
Two cloaked men stood on either side of the person.
"So?" Her ocean-blue eyes gleamed down at the messenger with an unnerving calm.
The messenger pulled back his hood, a smile lighting up his kind-looking face.
"Princess Anesthesia, I am Kivryl, a messenger from my lord Tynas on orders of the Scarlet Demon."
Her eyes narrowed and she let loose a small smile which did nothing but frost over the inside of the tent.
Whilst one handheld her head, she motioned with her other hand for him to continue.
"We seek an alliance. The Scarlet Demon will provide you with the opportunity of land with other's help, a great swathe of land as well."
Kivryl spoke in a voice which told tales of his unshakable calm, his eyes fixed upon Princess Anesthasia's.
She closed her eyes and a small smile picked up the corners of her lips.
"So? Where will he give me? And what does he seek in return?"
Kivryl nodded.
"Pilvor, and we expect assistance to route the Rekarsus army coming here. We will also assist with provisions such as food, wagons and horses."
Princess Anesthesia's eyes opened and like a shockwave passing over their heads their was the sounds of the air shattering which defeaned them.
"So you want to take our lifelines and use us to destroy another enemy. Do you take me for a fool?"
The tent was blown away into the sky leaving only the throne and it's master standing in front of it looking down at Kivryl.
It was justified for her to be so angry.
To offer supplies is one thing, but to try and rope them into a war or battle and also take care of supplies, it becomes a situation where it's not so much an alliance as it is a reliance.
After all, at that point she could no longer say no to their demands since otherwise they could just abandon them in the midst of a battle with no food and no back support.
The Silver-Fire Cross Guardian's stood fiercely around Kivryl who had not moved an inch from his kneeling position.
The corners of his lips twitched.
"Then, I may have a better offer."
There was a terrifying silence.
Kivryl looked up with a deadpan expression on his kind face.
"You wish to conquer the continent, correct? Or unite it. Sir Scarlet Demon told me of your ambition. We only wish to co-exist and be left alone. He has promised that if you assist with the destruction of the Rekarsus army and the defeat of Pilvor that he will act as the point of the spear for both wars and allow you and your army to take the flanks," Kivryl spoke in a deathly calm voice, "He has also sworn that he will do you one favor, barring the killing of those he loves or the betrayal of his beliefs."
At this, there was a pin drop silence.
The frost which had spread slowly fell away into a snowy space, white moving around as far as the eye could see.
Princess Anesthesia's steps were followed by prints of ice which spiderwebbed everywhere, her gaze calm as a blizzard's heart.
She touched Kivryl's face and yet he did not move an inch.
His eyes did not waver.
"Ah," Princess Anesthesia traced Kivryl's face, "Good, but not enough."
"Then, I will be-"
"We may accept these terms, however, I wish to see the Scarlet Demon in person and hear his oath with my own ears," The gentle snowy atmosphere vanished all at once like a disguise, "I do believe he would follow through with his oaths. But I do not believe you are above lying behind his back to get this alliance through. You reek of snake."
"Yes, Princess Anesthesia."
"Queen."
"Queen Anesthesia."
"Good, now out of my sight. Your stench is ruining my appetite."
"Understood."
Kivryl left without a single look back, whilst Queen Anesthesia's soldiers picked up the tent and set it back in place.
Fires awakened and soon the smell of food engulfed the camp.
---------------
In a meeting place within Durlivan, the top figures of the area gathered.
"You can't go meet her again!"
Alias stood beside Agashi's seat, vehemently opposing the idea of meeting with Queen Anethesia.
"She was capable of creating a snowy domain, which means she is at least at the level of a Half-Step Master, she could just take you away and no one could stop her."
Kivryl said honestly from beside Tynas and the wasteland chiefs.
"Going to meet the one who was broadcast within the city as a monster who tried to take away their lord... It's not a good move publicly, and the people may resist working with her and her army."
Hardvar who was leaning against a wall, his body half covered in what seemed like living shadows spoke calmly.
The meeting room was rowdy and no one was really sitting down except for Agashi who sat at the head of the table with Shion.
As the meeting room reached a feverish pitch of discussion and shouting Agashi's mouth moved.
"Silence."
Immediately, the room was still thrown from a hurricane into pin-drop silence.
"Baroli, Anept. What is the situation with the guild and knight corps?"
Anept stepped forward from where him, Kenneth and the other knights under Agashi were, his voice was smooth as he spoke in the silence.
"Due to the Magical Season being in a high state, we have been exterminating those sludge beasts in droves, going from villages to villages as well as doing various jobs for those villagers like exterminating small infestations of Nightlins which have been growing in number more this year."
"So?"
"The village chiefs have given us their approval, and most people can recognize us at a glance."
He took out several scrolls from within his armor and splayed them out on the counter revealing the messy signatures of the village chiefs of those few places still left in the mountains from long ago.
"You may increase your crew to a maximum of one hundred members, however, they must each have the minimum requirement of being a Neophyte. Baroli, what about you?"
At the quick turn of events, no one had time to celebrate or talk at all as their eyes turned from Anept who was turning red in the face from excitement to Baroli who had in the meantime been preparing several documents.
"Lord. After spending some time with Sir Trigo, I've come to a conclusion. Creating a guild solely in the name of the lord is better than putting it up as a front for the people. Your name carries tremendous weight in Durlivan and even the kingdoms around us. It would be better to establish the guild as a place directly under the management of the lord to immediately create the trust factor and allow it to grow far faster."
Trigo nodded and cut in.
"It would also be cheaper to advertise the guild in the lord's name as no one would question your name on anything, especially not after the spectacle you pulled off in the forest with that Princess, another reason why you shouldn't go meet her is reputation."
Agashi's gaze remained tight on the center of the table, his fingers laced together in thought.
Time trickled by for several minutes in complete silence, everyone felt a little anxious.
Finally, Shion tapped his side and he slightly moved, opening his mouth.
"In my name, establish the guild, however, keep it small. Hardvar, do intensive background checks on everyone who wants to join and make it public that we are in fact, doing these background checks. Let everyone know we are serious."
Shion looked at him strangely before speaking.
"Your going to meet her anyway, right?"
"Of course."
"Why?"
"Well."
Everyone looked at him with extreme focus as he continued in a slow, measured tone as he leaned back in the chair rubbing his temple with his fingers.
"The alternatives are, we face the Rekarsus attack head on in Kitar along the last surviving bridge which is near a string of hills and mountains which are likely filled with Tarukan's who will attack us constantly till they arrive, we can try and ask Lancard and Tensent for help, but it's certain that Lancard will not allow Tensent troops through it's lands so they will take longer to arrive or will simply not come at all, same with Lancard who may just not come. And we can't ride out to meet them head on because they are several times our number and no amount of training will make it possible to defeat an enemy of that number."
"What about using the terrain? Numbers wouldn't mean anything if we defend across the river!"
Warren chipped in, but Agashi just shook his head.
"It's not a narrow pass, it's a river of less than a hundred feet wide, and they will have at least a quarter of their forces as archers. Not to mention they could split off a few hundred men to create bridges in others places whilst protecting them with archers and we couldn't do much. Not to mention if they choose to turn it into a war of attrition, they could wait till the river's calm in the coming months and simply cross from multiples place, encircling and ultimately destroying us. So we need to destroy them now while they still haven't put us into that dire strategical situation."
Hm?
Agashi glanced around the room, his eyes landing on the window where a letter rested quietly.
Shion easily grabbed the letter and cut it open before passing it to him.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Everyone, leave for a moment."
Everyone exchanged looks and exited the room save for Shion who had been stopped by Agashi.
Pulling her down she landed on his lap, and with a single move he'd wrapped his arms around her whilst laying the letter out on the table in front of them.
She blushed slightly but quickly turned solemn as her gaze landed on the letter.
"Duke Sercan has begun launching probing attacks along the northern border, Baroness Lunsar is doing well in stopping them but it hasn't been long enough since the capture of Dra and the people in the north of restless along with the small rural lords, Shishi, this..."
Agashi nodded.
"Yeah. It looks like Duke Sercan is using the uproar from down here in the south to his advantage.
The timing is too perfect though. Right after I'm injured and Durlivan is in chaos he chooses to attack, not to mention that Rekarsus is... ah."
Shion looked at him as the same realization dawned on her.
Duke Sercan had no reason to postpone his attack onto Dra, as a matter of fact, it would have been more to his advantage to attack sooner when the months were still cold in order to catch Baroness Lunsar off guard and really throw the entire northern border into chaos.
But instead he waited, even when his army could have easily rolled over the border before they had even begun reinforcing it.
Yet, now, as the Scarlet Demon is wounded and his condition unknown, and with the Kendogan princess' army just outside as well as Rekarsus army unknown, he makes his move.
Shion slowly spoke as a sigh escaped her lips and she leaned back into the comfortable backrest called Agashi.
"Two possibilities."
He leaned his chin onto her shoulder.
"Either Duke Sercan is conspiring with the Rekarsus rural nobility, intending to split Dra, or, there is a rat within Durlivan who is capable of sending fast messages, likely a communication crystal. And it would be someone of decently high position since the timing is too perfect."
Agashi sighed, replying slowly.
"There is another, coincidence."
Shion looked at him from the corner of her eye and he groaned out a few words sadly.
"I know, I know... I know all too well that's probably just... wishful thinking."
The Scarlet Demon and the White Wolf leaned on each other silently within the meeting room, both feeling inexplicable emotions as their thoughts turned to the future.