Lord Lucius Gale jabbed the map with a meaty finger. "West or south Wastes detour? Slaps on half a moon easy—journey bloat city."
Darian and Fisk swapped loaded stares. Zip more spit. Guild ego-lock direct drag? Direct it is.
Pride-blinder, dumb-rush call. Their jam.
"Guild muscle bump?" Darian float.
Lucius head-shake. "Beast-bite no-southwest solo now. Guild stretch-skeleton, hopeful-shield kingdom-wide. Why our shire VIP? We their heart-bleed?"
Fisk crease-deep. "Kid-lives lotto."
"Bullseye," Lucius drop-mask. "Few hopeful hides? Blip-squash. Guild Queen-clash wrong-foot? No brute-bash. Stale-mate lock. Bet they're bait-wait Queen-ramp, excuse-unleash."
Duo click-sync.
"Kids pawn-play both squads," Darian sad-head-wag. "Your move, m'lord? Can't spectator."
"Options zip," Lucius clap-back. "Shire hopefuls heavy-bag? My neck-chop. Guild finger no-open. Solo-boost escort grind.
Carriages tank-up ordered, army-fifty Legend Archers convoy-tag."
"Guild hundred grey-pack too," Darian note. "That beef? Risk chewable."
"'Less beast-master crash," Fisk grim-counter.
"Master risk Guild beef for crumb?" Darian probe.
"Essence chat," Fisk snap. "Which boss ever stocked?"
Fang-clans? Litter-blast breeders. Essence thirst? Bottomless. Darian mute. Fisk Beast-brew pro—know-edge.
Lucius sigh-back-clasp. "Pray Guild Queen-knot pre-roll."
Tick: servant hustle. "M'lord, academy coach fleet hot."
Lucius vibe-flip sun, duo-warm tag-along yank.
Residence-out: parade-punch. Plate-goons, prime-steeds, vanguard-sweep street-clear, gawk-shop shove. High-roller roam.
Joyful Arrival Inn second-deck duo window-rush, street-snoop.
Dude tank-nose thick-tangle beard. Gal plain-rig, grace-slim natural-glow.
Black Cloud Roar, White Orchid—southwest infamy tag: Black-White Fiends, beast-cult bad-news pair.
Procession roll-watch, under-whoosh, street-fade.
Clam-buzz norm-back, White Orchid pane-click. "Lucius parade-pump where?"
"Academy," Black Cloud table-plop. "Hopeful peep."
White Orchid sync-seat. "Route lock?"
Head-drag. "Contact blank. Secret-sauce tight. But gut: Wastes straight-shot speed."
"Gut?" Snap-anx. "Joke? Mega-escort? Pre-ambush lock. Route-blind? How?"
"Lucius-Guild cagey," soothe-pat. "Short-notice no-dig. But read solid. Lucius fifty Legend Archers yank—three Mage-grade..."
"Fifty Legends?" White Orchid gasp-cut. "Sync-fire? Army-stop! Lucius drop that?"
Legend tag? No freebie. Knight-cult min-draw bow-pull. Base? Three-arrow tri-target, breath-three volleys, hundred-pace bullseye.
Fifty unison? Five-hundo death-rain blink. Army-halt no-hype. Mage-grade? Terrify: three-hundo kill-shot—target-dot blind-spot.
Crown leash-tight, army-nurture coin-vamp.
"Contact call spot-on why," Black Cloud roll. "Beef like that? Wastes straight flex."
White Orchid chair-slump, doom-mug. "Fifty... Close-zero. Kid-shot gone?"
"Worry nix, wife," comfort-try. "Mega-pack crawl-slow. Cap-haul moons. Time-play. Shire hopeful miss? Other shire snag."
Eyes-flash rage. "Guild drag-forever? Queen vial-yank any tick! Now-strike, pre-Guild fix!"
Voice-climb. Finger-lip hush. "Ears-wall!"
Tone-drop, tear-wells. "Buy too-steep. Force no-go. Why hitch dead-weight? My pain? Bear. Kid-future deny..."
Mute-jaw clench. Bitter-blast long-haul, fist-table slam-rise.
"Right-call. Wastes cross. Got... buds there. Come, wife. Self-scout."
Wenhall Academy, Lord Gov roll-in? Low-key splash. Gate-no fanfare, grim-guard solo.
Academy? Military-Guild co-boss lock.
Lucius nix academy-suit line-up greet-plan. Danger-days? Form-frip no-risk.
Dismount, Lucius-Darian-Fisk mini-tail in-yard. Inside? Hopeful herd Dawn-Dusk gate-wait.
Front-pack natural: county-top-six, Prime Jameson Morrow lead.
Excite-nerve mash, robe-tug impress-hunt. Fail-flood? Shire gig hinge on this mug's grace.
Elias crowd-melt back. Gov-spotlight? Pass. Gig? Off-script solo.
Side-glance: Willem micro-grin pep.
Squire-ban, steel-temp yank.
Crowd-stir. Elias toe-pop sync, Lucius flank-Druid-Slayer roll-spot.
Quick-peep, settle-blend: anon-sea hopeful.
Academy-runners hustle-greet Gov, respect-lead speech-pad.