As the sun reached its apex on the horizon, a pair of sentinel guards stood watchful at the majestic Northern Gate of Kerta. Their chainmail glinted with the fading light as they diligently scrutinized the umpteenth carriage hurtling toward the city's heart. The news of Kashi's imminent return had spread like wildfire, summoning souls from every corner of the land.
The air was thick with anticipation, the wind carrying whispers of hope and excitement. Merchants, each one a connoisseur of opportunity, descended upon the gates like a gathering storm. Canopies adorned with gems from distant mines formed a dazzling tableau, offering a glimpse of treasures from realms unknown.
"Haste, haste! I cannot languish here! What if Kashi's return unfolds before I pass through?" a merchant cried, his voice piercing the tumultuous symphony of fervour.
The guards' brows furrowed at the merchant's strident outcry, yet their demeanour remained steadfast. With a blend of precision and grace, they conducted thorough searches, their hands guided by instincts sharpened through years of service. With a nod of confirmation, they granted passage to the impatient merchant. Once, in an age not long past, the guards might have met such impertinence with retribution. Yet, the legacy of the Wolves, renowned protectors of Kerta, had woven compassion into the city's very soul.
As the merchant vanished into the throng beyond the gate, the guards gazed upon the sprawling line stretching to the distant horizon. The grandeur of Kerta's citadel, an architectural marvel melding ancient stone and enchanted spires, could hardly contain the sea of jubilant revellers. They knew many would find slumber beneath the stars, beneath the comforting embrace of the ever-watchful moon.
Lost in contemplation, an abrupt chorus of shrill cries erupted from the distance. The guards' hands instinctively found the hilts of their gleaming spears, the polished blades catching the rising sun's rays. Their eyes, like hawks honing in on prey, scoured the surrounding fields for the genesis of the disturbance. And there, in the midst of the expanse, they spotted figures pointing skyward, voices a crescendo of astonishment.
A majestic creature of such aged beauty, its golden scales scattering the sun's rays and showering the onlookers in what seemed to be light showers, swooped low, its height making a mockery of Kerta's high walls.
The guards swallowed hard as Skyrm came to a stop with a sharp flap of his wings. Like collapsing mountains, his feet shook the earth as he landed and lowered his neck. Before the guards could react, a few familiar figures leapt off the dragon's back.
The first, a black-scaled draconian, appeared by the guard's side and tapped their shoulders with a devilish grin. "Good work," he said before disappearing with his next step.
It must be understood that these guards were anything but weak. Protecting the gate was not a small job for riff-raff. In a world with powers, the guards needed a respectable amount of strength to hold off criminals and bad actors. So, it was understandable that these guards broke out in cold sweat when they realized they never had a chance to react to that draconian's speed.
Fortunately, they recognized the second figure. The daeben, Kashi! They had seen his picture, so at least they would not be getting fired. They moved to greet him, but Kashi swung his hand, causing a 'fissure' to appear. Without another word, he stepped into the 'fissure' and disappeared from everyone's sight.
"Apologies. For obvious reasons, Kashi cannot be seen right now."
The guards baulked at the magnificent direwolf, who towered over them. They barely managed to nod, stepping out of the way to let her pass through the gates. Then, they did the same for Skyrm, who transmogrified to his hume form. The great Divine Dragon nodded at the guards as he passed, his every step seemingly transporting him tens of meters.
A great hushed silence hung over the plains, every visitor stunned to silence by Skyrm's divine deterrence. Even the more restless visitors behaved themselves from thereon out. If a Divine Dragon treated mere guards with respect, who were they to prattle on about some time delays?
'That... That is Kashi of the Twilight Wolves," said one of the guards, his gaze exuding near worship and fanatism. "Perhaps I should reconsider joining the guild."
"Heh. You assume they're in need of us," the other guard scoffed, but his eyes also held admiration while watching Kira disappear into the crowds. "Let's get back to work. Even without joining, we can still do our part to aid their endeavour."
"Yes. You're right." The guards returned to their duties with fervour. Which, it turned out were much easier now that everyone had seen a glimmer of what the Wolves had hidden in Kerta.
*****
Twilight Wolves HQ,
Kerta.
"Hm... It's bigger than I remember," murmured Kashi as he stood at the large, open gates, examining the building, which looked at least twice the size of what he remembered. The building's height had not changed much, but it had certainly expanded outward, adding many more buildings, presumably for more departments. Not for the first time, Kashi realized he did not know much about the daily running of his guild.
But... he did not care.
Kashi chuckled as he walked through the gates. Beyond, several Wolves lined up straight on either side of the main pathway. The guild, dressed to the nines in domineering black outfits, stomped their hands against their chest and greeted in loud, booming voices that shook all of Kerta, "Welcome Back, Guildmaster!"
"Uh... Oh, wow." Kashi barely stopped himself from stumbling over in shock. Fortunately, his draconian muscles were not as expressive as his fleshy counterparts, so he hid his embarrassment from his guildmates. 'Damn it.' If Kashi had his way, he would have long since fled, but Leila, the vice-guildmaster, stood at the end of the procession. He could not care less about his reputation, but Kashi could not bring himself to embarrass Leila and leave her hanging, not after all her effort in raising the guild.
Resigned to his fate, the draconian grinned stiffly and walked down the path.
Fortunately, the Wolves knew their leader enough to keep the festivities to a minimum—at least in his direct presence. Soon, under his guildmates' excited gazes, Kashi reached the end of the line and faced Leila, whose normally cold face bore the faintest hints of a teasing smile.
"You should say something," advised the vice-guildmaster. "They have gathered just for you. At least honour their commitment with a few words."
Kashi's eyes twitched as he whispered in protest, "Suzuki's the one who pranked you, not me."
"I am advising you as Leila, your vice, not Ayumi, Suzuki's friend."
Kashi opened his mouth but then helplessly shut it after a few seconds. He never thought he would be on the receiving end of Suzuki's trademark rebuttal. Once again resigned to fate, he turned around to face the hundreds of Wolves present at the large compound.
"Use this."
Kashi accepted a microphone from Leila. The device was much lighter than he remembered, suggesting the R&D team had obtained some improvements since his last visit. The draconian shook his head to clear his scattering thoughts and focused on the expectant crowd. "So, guys, that was one hell of a battle, huh?"
Many Twilight Wolves hesitated in the face of Kashi's opening sentence. No one knew what they expected, but Kashi's mundane casualness shocked even their wildest imaginations.
Boldened by their silence, Kashi continued, "I'll keep this short 'cause I don't wanna bore you guys. Our success at Oni Hill was down, not to any individual prowess, but the collective strength, unity and bonds forged amongst ourselves and our allies. Without Rosen's armies, Merriheim's architecture and Serisis' mages, we would never have had a chance to sniff victory. So, in keeping with that mentality, this I promise you: the Wolves will continue to strengthen. Every member of our pack will receive the utmost care to be the best they can be in any field they choose. Furthermore, we will soon begin major operations to not only strengthen our positions in Rosendun but also expand hither. Be you Resident or Summoned, I swear to you: the decision to join the Wolves will turn out to be the best decision you have ever made. I can't tell you the specifics yet, but after our meeting, you will receive directions on our guild's next actions." Chuckling, Kashi finished, "I want you all to remember, we might not be Maggots anymore, but our will remains the same. We fear no one. We fight as one. And whoever tries to get in our way..."
"FOOD!"
A thunderous roar crackled like a thunderclap in a storm. The Wolves stomped their hands against their chests, eyes gleaming with unabashed pride.
Lips spread in a wide, devious grin, Kashi proclaimed, "That's right! So, get out there and have some fun. I'll come through the various departments at least once before I leave. Hope to see you there."
With those words, Kashi decisively turned around and headed up the stairs to rapturous applause.
At the foot of the stairs, the vice-guildmaster, Leila Lightwood, looked at the dispersing Wolves. A small smile tugged at the edge of her lips as she nodded and followed Kashi up the stairs.
Kashi, meanwhile, nearly collapsed once the entrance doors shut. He cast an angry glare at Leila, but the wisben's ice-cold expression gave nothing of her thoughts away.
Just then, Suzuki and Kira walked out of a dimension tear that opened a few meters from Kashi.
"Traitors," spat Kashi in mock anger as he patted his chest to regain his confidence. The draconian noticed Skyrm's absence but did not search for the Divine Dragon. Even in his weakened state, Skyrm should be able to easily monitor everything in the building from hundreds of meters away. Instead, he turned to Leila. "I'm guessing everyone's waiting for me, yeah?"
"Yes. At the main conference hall," confirmed Leila. "Also, you have a guest waiting, but that'll be best after the meeting."
"A guest?" Kashi's brow rose with intrigue. As the guildmaster, it made sense for him to have hundreds of guests on a waiting list at any time. However, Leila often handled most of these matters. Anyone she bothered to bring before Kashi must be of paramount importance. Unfortunately, her silence was not forthcoming, so Kashi decided to wait until the meeting was done.
Suzuki, meanwhile, nodded at the vice guildmaster. "Leila."
"Suzuki." Leila's ice-cold poker face broke briefly as a radiant smile played across her face. "I should thank Kashi. Looks like I won our bet. I finally get the wish of playing a game alongside you."
Kashi chuckled while Suzuki's face visibly crumpled. Knowing Suzuki, he was probably pissed off he lost the bet more than anything.
Leila smiled and then looked at the large Direwolf. "Ga Kira. I did not get a chance to express our gratitude for your timely aid in the war. We would not have beaten Razznik without your 'network.'"
"Gratitude is unnecessary," replied Kira with a playful smirk. "I was just doing my duty as a member of the guild. Anyone with the relevant powers would have done the same."
"I suppose you are right. Well then, we should be off. We have kept our guests waiting long enough." Leila paused and looked at Kira. "Ah, Hogosha wishes to speak with you after the conference. He and Stryke are working on methods to unlock his bloodline. Your insights would be invaluable."
"Mm. I would be glad to help."
With those words, Leila led the group through the hallways until they reached a grand set of double doors.
Kashi's expression turned ugly as he beheld the murals on the vast doors. They depicted him and Kira with demonic wings facing off against a host of Adjudicators. The angels' light seemed to overwhelm Kashi's darkness, but he and Kira held strong in the face of adversity.
The draconian was doubly pissed. First, this was way too opulent! People would start thinking he had an ego the size of the sun. Secondly, and most importantly though—
"Why did I not think of this?" Suzuki murmured, eyes glowing as he admired the artistry at work. He could not help but feel envious. "Dimension Artist huh... I guess I need to start putting some work into the artist part."
Leila looked at Kashi. "Many guild members take you as a source of inspiration. Even now, we are finding many secret art professions. None as powerful as your Dimension Artist yet, but it's only a matter of time with so many believing in your path." With those words, she placed her palms on two indentures and pushed.
Click! A set of mechanisms activated, resulting in the doors splitting in the middle and sliding into the walls.
Even though Suzuki had seen countless sliding doors in reality, Kashi could not help but be impressed. The door showed clear signs of dwarven craftsmanship. It was a living testament to the guild's drive to assimilate and accept all the different races unto itself.
With a smile, Kashi walked through the doors after Leila, entering a massive hall with many familiar faces.