Two months had hardened Varkaine County like tempered steel. The southern ridge now bristled with Valatium-fueled forges, their smokestacks painting the sky in streaks of cobalt. The Remes family's lightning-bolt banners flew alongside Varkaine's wolf sigil, and Rodrick Tristan's mercenaries patrolled the borders in polished armor. Yet, as Kairus stood in the war room, the map before him bled red.
Verris incursions. Ambushed supply caravans. Villages near the western border reduced to ash.
"They're testing us," growled Kairus's father, Lord Alden Varkaine, his gaunt face lit by the flickering glow of Valatium lanterns. "Their scouts grow bolder every day. Last night, they crossed the Silver River."
Liam leaned against the stone wall, idly spinning a flame between his fingers. "Your border wards are a joke. I could slip through them blindfolded."
"Then fix them," Kairus snapped, stabbing a dagger into the map. The blade quivered in the heart of Verris territory. "We've bought time, not victory. Even with Remes catalysts and Tristan blades, we're outnumbered three to one."
[System Alert: Military Strength Assessment]
Varkaine Forces: 23,000 | Verris Estimate: 75,000+
Lord Alden sighed, the sound weighted by decades of small wars. "The Tristans won't commit more troops. And Christian Remes…"
"won't interfere," Liam finished. "He'll lend spells, not soldiers. Typical."
Kairus straightened. "Then we find someone who craves war."
The room stilled.
"The Vlad family," Lord Alden murmured, his knuckles whitening around his cane. "You'd invite wolves into the fold?"
"Wolves fight harder when you feed them fresh meat." Kairus tossed a Valatium ingot onto the table. It glinted like a shard of midnight sky. "And we have the sharpest teeth in the empire."
At dawn, Kairus found his father in the ancestral crypts, kneeling before the weathered statue of Varkaine's first lord.
"The Vlads are not allies," Lord Alden said without turning. "They're vultures. They'll demand more than weapons."
"They'll demand a future," Kairus replied. "Verris threatens them too. If our county falls, Vlad territory becomes the next battlefield."
His father rose, joints creaking. "And if they betray us? If they take your Valatium and sell us to Verris?"
"Then I'll kill them first." Kairus met his gaze. "But I need you to hold the line. Two weeks. Can you do that?"
Lord Alden's laugh was a dry rasp. "I held this county against your mother's family when they tried to burn it. Two weeks?" He clasped Kairus's shoulder. "Make it 2 months."
The journey north was a gauntlet of frostbitten plains and skeletal forests. Liam spent the first day sulking in the carriage, his breath fogging the glass as he glared at the passing ruins.
"Remind me why I'm here," he muttered.
"Because your grandfather wants me dead," Kairus said, sharpening a Valatium dagger. "And you're his insurance policy."
Liam's scowl deepened. "If you die, I lose access to Eternal Ignition. This is purely transactional."
"Of course." Kairus hid a smirk. "Keep telling yourself that."
By second week, the terrain turned jagged. Mountains clawed at the sky, their peaks shrouded in perpetual storm clouds. Vlad patrols shadowed them—hulking warriors astride armored dire wolves, their eyes glowing faintly through visored helms.
"They're paranoid," Kairus said. "Rightfully so."
[System Alert: Vlad Territory – 5 Miles Ahead]
[Urgent Quest: Secure Vlad Troops 5000/100000]
[Reward: 2000 XP, Skill: Aura Ignition]
The Vlad stronghold loomed at dusk—a fortress carved into the mountainside, its gates reinforced with blacksteel and the bones of giants. As they approached, a horn bellowed, its echo shaking snow from the cliffs.
Liam eyed the murder holes lining the gatehouse. "Feel like we're walking into a trap?"
"It's only a trap if you don't see the snare." Kairus spurred his horse forward. "Stay close. And let me do the talking."