"I'm serious. I've never seen her naked. I only heard this story because she asked for my help while trying to figure out a way to control the different muscles in her body. "She knew Rezars can change the angle of their scales and hoped my technique would work for her as well, and it did. Or so she says." He rushed to add. "And why is this the first time I hear about this?" Friya tapped her foot in fury. "Because it was a humiliating experience for Tista, and she asked me to keep it a secret." Nalrond replied with a snort. "Unlike someone I know, I can keep my mouth shut." "What do you mean?" Now it was Friya's turn to feel pressured. "I wasn't going to throw it in your face, but since you are asking for it, I will. Someone told Quylla about Mister Longclaw and she told Morok, who in turn told me." "I can't believe she's such a gossip!" Friya gasped in horror. "It was supposed to be secret." "Our secret." Nalrond pointed out. "And you betrayed it first by telling it to your sister, Kamila, Selia, and the gods know who else." "It was a confidence!" She knew how ridiculous her words sounded the moment they escaped her lips. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." "As I said, I believe you." Nalrond stood up and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her passionately. "Does this count as an answer?" "It does." Friya felt the tenderness of his touch and the tension in his lower body. "Okay. Now that's settled, let's move on to the second point of our agenda. Saving the Agni bloodline from extinction. Can I count on your help?" He asked with a stern tone and a serious expression that made her giggle like a little girl. "Yes. Anything for you." *** Verendi Continent, at the same time. Akhton the Bastet looked at his beloved country and despaired. Over the centuries, the Susha Republic had bloomed and withered since it had been founded almost eight hundred years ago, like a plant facing the passing of seasons. It had gone through peace, war, revolutions, and attempted coups, but it had always endured. Until now. Akhton looked at the capital city of Susha, Syndri, as the fires of magic set it ablaze and the cruel blades of the invading army painted it red with the blood of its citizens. The Bastet knew that most of the Verendi continent was in the same situation, but he drew no pleasure or consolation from it. Akhton had been born 524 years ago in Syndri, back when the Republic was experiencing a golden age that everyone hoped would last forever. The Bastet had left the city when he was barely twenty and Syndri at the apex of its splendor. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮 Even though the capital had lost most of its beauty in the next three hundred years, Syndri had always held a special place in Akhton's heart. He could still see the bazaar where his mother, Ileza, bought him sweets and taught him the ways of humans. He could still hear the laughter of the kids playing in the streets and the excited talks about the better future their parents believed was waiting for them. They had been wrong. Fate had different plans for the Susha Republic. Plans that involved strife, droughts, and hardships, but Susha had endured. Its people had endured, and Akhton had hoped they would keep enduring until the day all their dreams would come true. Now those dreams lay shattered in front of Akhton's eyes. The Rubari Empire had conquered Syndri, burned its flags, and enslaved its citizens. Soon the former Susha Republic would be split into smaller fortified regions that would make reunifying its territories much harder. Even if a hero were to arise from the oppressed masses, Susha would stay dead and its dreams remain unfulfilled. Even if that hero were a Divine Beast. "Don't even think about it." Said a voice descending from the sky to his side. "You would be just throwing your life away." "I know, and I didn't ask for your advice, whoever you are." Akhton glanced at the newcomers in disdain with Life Vision, just to widen his eyes in surprise. The man on the crystal horse and the Griffon accompanying him were nothing much. Just two Divine Beast runts who still had a deep violet core. The crystal horse, however, exuded the power of a mage tower. Akhton instinctively gauged his strength against the strangers', pondering if he could seize the tower for himself with a swift, ruthless surprise attack. 'Not a chance.' He took a series of slow breaths to calm the inner turmoil caused by the burning of his childhood home. 'I have no spells at the ready while these two keep an arsenal each. They expect me to attack them, and if I do, I'd be the one to fall into a trap. 'They are weaker than me, but they have prepared themselves for this encounter and have a mage tower on their side. They probably know me and what I can do, whereas I know nothing about them. The only silver lining is that if they wanted to kill me, they wouldn't have announced their presence, let alone waste time talking.' "We are…" Orpal was about to say friends, but the word sounded fake and cheesy even to his ears. "Potential allies. I won't lie and try to convince you I have your interests at heart. I don't. "Yet you have something I want, and you have something I want. All I offer is a fair trade. Are you willing to listen to my proposal, or is this a bad time?" "It's as good as any other." Akhton grunted. "The entire Verendi continent is bleeding and burning, and I doubt it will stop anytime soon." "And you know who's responsible for this?" Orpal asked, keeping his tone neutral. "Everyone with half a brain does." Akhton snorted. "It's all because those gods-damned Eldritches slaughtered the Awakened Council and turned Verendi into their plaything. "The Rubari Empire would have never broken through Susha's defences so easily if not for the Empire's new shadow monarchs. The Eldritches offered their services to Prime Minister Joqi, and when he refused, they used Susha to show its neighbouring countries the price of defiance." After helping Lith and Solus to recover the Mouth of Menadion, Xenagrosh had been true to her word. She had led a full-scale conquest of the territories and magical resources left unchecked after the death of most of the Council Elders. Once new Elders had been appointed and the Awakened Council of Verendi had found its footing again, they had started fighting the Eldritches of the Organization and securing the still-unoccupied mana geysers. Whenever the Organization assigned a territory to a mere Abomination or delayed fortifying its positions, prioritizing the extraction of resources, the Awakened Council struck back swiftly and mercilessly. Most sorties ended in success, allowing the Awakened of Verendi to reclaim many crystal and metal mines during the early stages of the conflict. The battle between the two factions was balanced not only because the Organization's forces were spread thin throughout Garlen and Verendi, but also because they had to be on guard against the intervention of the Guardians.