“Commence.”

The sign given, the black furred Lupus charged it’s enemy. He went for the traditional tactic of circling the target on four legs, causing confusion and isolation before going for a strike. His enemy awaited, although not for long. He wanted to finish it as soon as possible. There were many possible ways to end it without causing excessive pain. It was already bad killing was required, but to be the one to deliver it was even worse. After some considerations, he concluded what should be done.

Grabbing his neck, he threw the Lupus on the ground, off from his momentum. His head collided with great force, breaking a hole in the grassy ground of the forest. A quick hit to the head dulls one's senses and makes what would be next less bothering the perform. The spectators cheered and gasped, depending on who they rooted for. Many couldn’t believe the duel would be over so quickly, yet those who knew Arcail were among the least surprised. The Elder Alpha Lupus had to make a point. He unceremoniously slit his throat deep, decapitating him. A quick death, even if gruesome.

The Lupus howled for their dead leader and recognized their new one. His left eye’s scar was the center of attention whenever someone looked at his face. Arcail howled back, far louder than anyone else. With that, it was done. He was victorious, and only one of his kind had to die. Arcail accepted this singular loss of life, knowing well what a full battle of domination would cost.

"Hail Arcail, Alpha of the Lupus," they said in unison. He received the cheers, yet retrieved in short fashion. Arcail walked away from the resolved fight, his companions opening way. He passed by the trees and bushes guarded closely by his personal bodyguards. Nearby the crowd, a female Alpha Lupus was laid against a tree, her arms crossed. It was in Codubia’s behavior to act like it.

“Congratulations, my love,” Codubia said with a smile.

“Is he home?” Arcail asked openly.

“He is safe, don’t worry about it.”

Arcail sighed, “We shouldn’t leave him out of sight, even at the hands of others…”

“I think you are being a bit too overprotective.” She rested her arms, getting by his side, “I wanted to see your duel.”

“There wasn’t much to see.” He said, looking down, “We fought, I killed him, the end. You’ve seen it all before.”

“I have.” She nodded, “Still not a reason to avoid being here with you.” She chuckled, “If you are so concerned about him, let’s go together for a visit.”

“Let’s.” Arcail gestured a wave to his bodyguards, “You are all dismissed.” They nodded in comprehension, letting the couple walk alone and reaching deeper into the woods, getting to the center of the settlement. It was a grand community of tens of thousands of Lupus Wolfpacks, all united in a grand force. The improvised houses were built out of makeshift materials, giving everything a rustic and practical look, befitting of their migratory tendencies. There were many items of Roman origin and manufactory, either traded for or outright looted from local cities. They assisted the inhabitants of the horde to adapt better to the new environment.

“Look at this place…” said Codubia with a contorted face.

“Is there a problem?” Arcail asked.

“We look increasingly more roman each day that passes…” She gazed at him, “If it continues at this rate…”

"It's rather unavoidable." he said, "We are at the heart of their civilization's leftovers, after all."

"We cannot allow our ways to fade into obscurity." she said, "Our traditions must be kept alive."

"The Lupus must be kept alive." he replied, "Everything else is disposable to achieve that goal. Those Roman items we have collected have helped many of our people, especially the potions. My own life once depended on drinking one once…”

“... Don’t do this to yourself.” Pleaded Codubia, “Don’t let those memories haunt you.”

“… It’s fine.” He replied, “Those days are long since gone.”

“We will make those monsters pay for what they did.” She said with great fury.

“Haven’t we done enough?” asked Arcail, “I won’t let a desire for revenge dictate my actions…. Not anymore.”

“You are too forgiving of them.” Said Codubia, “While the Empire still lives, justice yet remains to be done. Those monsters will pay with their blood.”

“The Romans have been a bigger threat to themselves than to us for a very long time. Also, it’s not helpful to think of them as monsters.” Arcail said, “They thought the same of us, and was the reason they did what they did.”

“Still…” she wavered.

“… Is there something else you want to say?”

“… There have been rumors.” Her red eyes met his, “Concerning rumors….”

They stopped their walk, “You seem very troubled. What have you heard?”

“Nonsense, mostly… Tales and strange reports originating from the south. Do you remember an Alpha Lupus named Iraminus?”

“Clearly.” He affirmed, “Strong, cocky, and hates the Romans just as much as you do.”

“Don’t compare me to him.” She said with a frown, “I will never forgive him for refusing to duel you.”

“He wanted to remain in power but must have guessed he couldn’t beat me in a fight. It was the right decision, from his point of view.”

“Well, he won’t be bothering us anymore…” She said, “Among the rumors I’ve heard, it’s that Iraminus is dead.”

“Dead?” Arcail asked with mild shock, “Not of old age or poisoning, I presume, not someone like him.”

“That’s correct.” She nodded, “Instead, from what I heard, his last moments were in trying to take Rome all for himself.”

“What a fool… He must have gambled the lives of all his men trying to take those mighty walls down.”

“Yeah, but the details are still a bit in the air.”

“How so?”

“The information our scouts have collected from the south are mess… It seems everyone hears a different version of the story, but in all of them Iraminus dies, along with his entire Wolfpack.”

Arcail’s eyes widened, “The entire wolfpack?” he asked, “All of them?”

“… I’m sorry you have to hear it, but it looks to be the case.”

Arcail took a long breath through his nose, “Each day that passes, we are fewer in number…”

"We are correcting that." she said, "You can't be held accountable for the actions of each and every independent Lupus."

"... I must try If I ought to lead them." He glanced at Codubia, "Tell more of those tales, about the lost wolfpack."

“There were survivors, although few. As strange and sudden as it all might seem, no one has heard news from any leftovers of Iraminus’ wolfpack for days now. For all we know, they were almost all killed.”

“Complete annihilation… I find it hard to believe Iraminus would keep sending his man into Minerva’s spear if the battle wasn’t going in his favor. He must have drastically lost control of the situation, and the Romans exploited it to their advantage.”

“Even with his defeat, we could try to seize of their weakened state and finish the job.”

“No, we must leave Rome be.” Arcail insisted, “The Romans are a greater use to the Lupus alive rather than dead. What matters is to keep them from mustering any large armies we cannot overtake.”

“Have we not already lost control of the situation, then?” she asked, “You don’t really think Minerva halted Iraminus’ and his men all by herself, do you?”

“No, and that's indeed what is really concerning.” Arcail nodded, “Unless we can talk with a survivor, we cannot know what happened to them. If the Romans have fielded a new army or mercenary, we must be aware.”

“I took care of that.” She smiled proudly, “In fact, I left Litchios at the medical center, at the same place we can interrogate the survivors collected by the scouts.”

Arcail’s face went slightly pale, “Y-You left him in the hospital!? What if he catches a disease there!? He’s still too young…”

“He’s fine…” Codubia said, rolling her eyes, “You don’t have to be so overprotective. He needs to learn how to take care of himself someday.”

“I suppose…” he blinked heavily, “The priority now is to learn as much as we can from the survivors of Iraminus’ wolfpack. Whatever killed them could very well be a threat to us as well.”

The couple passed through the settlement, being greeted with honors by each one who could recognize them. They arrived at the medical center of the settlement, being granted full permission to walk around as they saw fit. Near the door, sleeping on the ground was a young Lupus. His fur was just as black as Arcail’s and Codubia’s. As they entered, he rushed to them on four legs. Arcail lifted a great smile, picking him up and holding him in his care.

“He looks healthy.” He said happily, “It won’t be long until he learns how to speak.”

“I told you he was fine!” Codubia said, petting little Litchios in the head, “He might be young, but he is still a member of our bloodline. He will overcome any disease that dares get to him…”

“I hope so.” Said Arcail. He put his son back on the floor, and he returned to his corner. Arcail gave an attentive look around, noticing the tens of Lupus laid unconscious on the ground, being treated by female Lupus using Roman potions and medical supplies.

“It doesn’t look good…” said Arcail, “Have they all arrived recently?”

“They came isolated from each other, arriving in disperse groups.” Said Codubia, “It’s a miracle any of them managed to make the trip this far up the peninsula…”

Arcail approached one of the injured. He had a cut through his arm and another on his left leg. Unfortunately, his condition looked to be one of the most promising. Each minute passed one of the nurses would abandon a patient, only to return with a blanket, covering their corpse and closing their eyes.

“Given the nature of their wounds, they must have been a victim of a Roman attack.”

“Indeed, these ones said they were victims of a counter-attack by the Roman garrison.”

“Iraminus… You madman…” Arcail facepalmed, “I knew you were ambitious, but to try such a bold move…”

“However, as I said, some stories contradict each other…” She walked away from the Lupus on the ground, “Come over here, and see what I mean…”

She opened the curtains to an isolated section of the building. A single Lupus laid on a makeshift bed left alone to rest. He had strange markings over his body, his fur burned and disfigured on his chest. Red markings and scars all over, it was nothing like a typical wound inflicted by conventional weapons.

“… What happened to this one?”

“He must have gone through something terrible…” Codubia lowered her head, “When the nurses took me to him, he could barely speak right, stuttering and stopping short mid-sentence. When I managed to calm him down, he told me he was there when it happened, when Iraminus was killed.”

“Really? What did he say? Was he killed by Minerva?”

“No, he didn’t mention her. Instead, all he would talk about was of a storm. About lightning, and many screams.” She put a hand on her chin, “I don’t know if he has gone crazy or was using metaphors, or…”

“… A storm?” asked Arcail, his face pale, “Are you sure about that?”

“… Yes, I’m sure he said that.” She gave Arcail a concerned look, “Can you draw any meaning from it?”

She was replied with a cold silence, her husband looking onto the Lupus. It was highly unusual for storms to take place in the season. The skies over their area showed no signs of any clouds gathering. “… I must be sure. We can’t leave any room for errors.” He gently shook the Lupus shoulders, careful not to hit the damaged areas, “Wake up, we must talk.”

“Ugh…” The survivor opened his eyes in a struggle.

“Can you hear me?” asked Arcail.

The Lupus moved his head to the right, facing Arcail directly, “Are you…”

“I’m the Alpha of these wolf packs.” He said, “I need to know exactly what happened to Iraminus and his men.”

“Oh… Oh no…” cried the Lupus, blinking heavily, “The storm…”

Arcail trembled at the confirmation of Codubia’s words, yet he persisted, “Were you taking part of Iraminus’ siege of Rome?”

“… Yes, I was there…” he moved his arm, trying to reach for Arcail, “The storm killed them… It killed them all. Thunders and lightning, rain pouring down… “

“Who killed Iraminus?” he asked nervously, “Quickly, did you see who it was?”

“It was a Roman… “

“… And?”

“… He used terrible magic on us… When it was over, I was one of the only who…”

“Describe him.” Arcail said, holding onto the Lupus’ shoulders, “What did he look like!?”

“Purple…” he coffed, “… A dark purple armor set…. Soaked in blood….”

Arcail let him go, dropping him back into the bed. He stared into the wall for a long moment before Codubia approached and asked, “What’s wrong?”

His face was one of pure dread. His eyes wide, eyebrows high. He was sweating and occasionally shaking parts of his body, “…. Iraminus, what have you done…”

It was a long, tense atmosphere, “… Don’t keep me in the dark like that!’ shouted Codubia, “Tell me, who is this man in purple armor?”

Arcail glanced at her. Her soft anger melted into an eerie discomfort to match the Alpha Lupus’ own, “… A great evil has awoken… An Ancient, and horrifying entity has returned to this world.”

“An Ancient, great evil…” her head tilted, “Who are you…”

“Gaius, the World Conqueror is back.”

“… What?” asked Codubia, lost in confusion and disbelief, “Gaius? You told me he was killed back when you were a kid…”

“... No, he wasn’t killed.” Replied Arcail, “When I received news of his death, I never believed it was true. It was impossible to be. I couldn't ever imagine someone would best him. Now, I know that I was right, and he still lives…”

“A-Are you serious about this!?” she asked, “Don’t you think we need some more solid proof before making such wild conclusions?”

“I was there when it happened.” He said, “I saw the World Conqueror’s wrath with my own eyes. I know…”

“You told me that story before…” she placed her hand on his shoulder, “Are you sure it’s the same man?”

“His description by this Lupus was perfect, but that isn’t what convinced me most.” He placed his hand over his scar, “I saw him conjure the storm spell that destroyed my home and killed my family. It’s the same one that befell Iraminus and his men, I’m sure of it. Never had that vicious magical combination been performed since his departure. It can only be him.”

Codubia, now as visibly freaked as Arcail asked "Then what shall we do? What’s our strategy against him?”

Arcail frowned, thinking deeply on many possibilities, “Of all times and place, why now?” he asked, “Why return now?”

“You might be overreacting a little. Say, even if the one who killed Iraminus is truly Gaius, is he really that much of a threat? You have become a legend among the Lupus yourself, have you not?”

“Only in strength.” He said, “And that accounts to nothing when you face someone who can call lightning bolts to befall on your head. I bet Iraminus learned that the hard way…”

“I’m not very well versed in the Roman Legends nor that Sol Invictus cult of theirs. What exactly is this man capable of?”

“According to the legends the Romans told themselves, Gaius was invincible, incorruptible and Undeceiving. A master of all five magical schools, possessing unrivaled raw power. He had no weaknesses, and was by far the greatest being to have ever existed… “ he sighed, “…I don’t know if those sayings are all true or exaggeration, but I remember very well the aura of power he emanated. If we are to fight him, we must seek allies. And be sure of it, conflict is inevitable. The world Conqueror will not stand for our presence in the Imperial Peninsula.”

“What kind of allies?” she asked, “Iraminus ruled the only Lupus wolfpack that was not already under our control, and now he’s gone.” She bit her lips, “What allies can we count on?”

“We…” Arcail closed his eyes, “… We might need to bow to the Dragons, and hope for their assistance in return.”

“The Dragons!?” shouted Codubia, “You can’t be serious! You know what they do to the races they enslave…”

“Look at my situation, Codubia!” he shouted, “This is no mere Roman Spell Caster we are dealing with. Even if we were to win against Gaius, most of us will be killed in the process. It will be the end of our race!”

“I rather die a free Lupus then submit myself to the dragons.” She said, “A day of freedom counts for a thousand lifetimes in chains.”

Arcail could not retort to it. He had made his argument, but now even he began to question it. The Dragons had long since been hunting them down, and a sense of animosity brewed between them. If they were to request vassalage, it was likely they would see themselves in a position of power and demand a substantially greater tribute from them than normal. He was caught at a crossroads. Dragons to the north, and Romans to the south. He had to choose who he wanted as an enemy.

“… Then, we have no choice.” Arcail left the patient’s room.

“Wait, what are you going to do?” Codubia asked, grasping onto his arm.

“I will contact Discordia and Venus to work an alliance between us.”

“Those two…” Her eyes squinted, “Are they really our only option?”

“They are…” he said reluctantly, “They have severed their relations with the empire since the last Emperor’s death. From what I have gathered, they as still hostile towards Minerva.”

“Still, those two are…”

“I have read the reports.” Arcail nodded, “Even still, our combined forces are the only way we can possibly hope to defy Gaius without massive casualties on our side.”

“… I understand.” She let go of Arcail’s arm, “But, do not go there yourself. Use diplomats instead.”

“They won’t take our proposal seriously if I don’t go personally.”

“If that must be… Then let me go in your place.” She looked deep into his eyes, “We cannot lose you… I cannot lose you.”

“I will not allow you to go to those cursed islands Discordia rules. The risk is far too great.”

“I will go to Venus then, she seems the most reasonable out of the two. You can send diplomats to the islands.”

Arcail reflected on the proposal. It was true that if he left the wolfpacks alone there was a big chance they would devolve back into their previous divisions and animosities. He had just recently incorporated new members, and they needed to integrate. It was vital the Lupus stayed together in such dangerous times, therefore he had to stay. Codubia would serve as a high enough rank representative for Venus to take them seriously while sending normal diplomats to Discordia was a low risk but high reward scenario. It was the best outcome, and he hated to agree with it.

“… Very well, we will have your way.”

“Thank you.” Codubia hugged Arcail licking him on the cheek, “I’ll be back safely.”

“… These next few days will decide the future of our people.” he crossed his hands, "The last time that was so, I was too weak to do anything about it..."

"You are not weak anymore." she said, "You are our leader, and together, united we will ensure our own future."

"... I hope we can."

Barking and running, Litchios was cheerfully receiving them back in their presence. His son ran towards him as they reappeared into the hospital’s entrance area. He lifted him into his arms once again, but this time wouldn’t let go. There were few pleasures to Arcail as spending time with his only son.

“Litchios…” he said with great care. It was a frightening sense of deja vu. He hugged his son, placing his head on his shoulder.

“... This time, I will not fail you.”