I'm gonna make you wish that you’d stayed gone

Every word the Lord of Cinder spoke, he saw that unbridled rage simmering beneath the surface of his enemy. It was an easily provoked anger, one that would be vicious, but sloppy if it came to blows. Artorias had no doubts that with enough prodding he could use that anger against the foolhardy young wolf if violence became inevitable. Beside the barely contained Sephiran, the ebony brute also lost his debonair attitude, that smarmy smile drooping into a scowl as warnings were issued. The fae just looked awkwardly put off by the entire situation. The response from the other side came swiftly and expectedly as Sephiran stepped forward and boldly declared the Syndicate would be an enemy of the Ashen Empire. The idiot had no idea what he was doing. He had no concept of what a public declaration of opposition like that meant, but it was exactly what Artorias had been hoping for. Well, he had actually hoped for them to submit, disband, and leave, but even he knew that was a far-flung hope with how insufferably stubborn these Saxes were. And with witnesses to attest to the borderline declaration of war, Sephiran had just made himself quite a lot of enemies in Ardent.

Artorias remained unfazed by Sephiran's venom-filled threats of retaliating tenfold against any who harmed his pack. It was a noble declaration, but the Lord couldn't help but wonder how many of those in his pack would back up his willingness to fight to the death if they knew just how many enemies their fearless leader had made them today. It was easy to follow a madman when he was leading you into riches and rewards—but when he promised only bloodshed and death, how many would turn tail or offer him up? The black wolf asserted his support of Sephiran's threats, then surprised Artorias by remarking how they weren't so different. Artorias turned a steely leer over to him, gazes locking once more. "We are nothing alike," he retorted sharply. "My family and my pack were not born from the destruction of another. You celebrate it like a holiday. You are immoral and degenerate creatures if your actions here are an example of who you are. And the second any of you become an active threat to us, the bloodline you seek to propagate will be ended immediately." Not if they stepped out of line—when, because Artorias knew it would only be a matter of time with the Saxes. He'd dealt with wolves like them before. They were insatiable villains, and the only language they responded to was violence.

Then the fae spoke up for the first time since the meeting began, surprisingly sweet and chipper for all the tension going on, though Artorias suspected it was a facade. At least she was kind enough to give her name—Kaino Saxe. She took credit for the usurpation of Norad and even seemed proud of it, insulting Beauregard and his family. "Just because no blood was spilled doesn't mean your intent wasn't there. You held a boy hostage from his family, ransomed him for everything they had. I doubt you would have just let him go if they hadn't surrendered, so you're lying when you say you didn't intend for any injury. You could have left them alone. Your 'alpha' could have challenged Beauregard for his pack the proper way and followed natural law, but none of you did that. You showed a blatant lack of respect, of morals, and if you can't see how your actions were wrong, then you're beyond reasoning with." Artorias could see through her deceit. Her remark about them not going by unscathed if the Empire came for the Saxes earned her a well-deserved scoff and a shake of his head from the Lord. "It wouldn't be much of a fight for us. How many of you are willing to die for an angry child with a superiority complex's pride and temper? How many are you willing to throw away to stay where you're not wanted?" If the answer was more than zero, then she was certifiably insane, narcissistic, or cruel.

It was clear that there was nothing more to be said or done in this meeting. Artorias had done what he had come here to do and he had succeeded. His warnings had been issued; the Syndicate and the Saxe family would not get anymore. Next would be swift, decisive, and brutal retribution. And he'd gotten Sephiran to align himself directly against him and the rest of the Empire. There was work to be done, but in due time, the Syndicate would be facing down the might of all of Ardent. Smoldering amber eyes fixing onto Sephiran once more, Artorias concluded their meeting. "This is the last time any of you will be warned. There will be no more mercy. If you truly value the lives of your family, then leave before your actions lead to their ends, because it's only a matter of time before Sephiran leads you into ruin." Artorias held Sephiran's gaze, refusing to respond to any of the petulant child's barking. How easy it would be to charge the line right now and run him through... But war would not come by his paw. If the packs were to go to war, the Hallows would not deal the first strike.

Artorias turned his gaze away from Sephiran back to the black brute, holding his amethyst and emerald eyes with his own amber optics. He, at least, had been somewhat reasonable. Perhaps he would speak some sense into Sephiran—though that was a long shot. Everyone in that pack seemed to bend and bow to this insufferable cunt's whims and wishes. He dismissed the group with a single word, and Kaino bid them farewell by hoping they didn't see each other again soon. "Oh, I'm sure we will soon enough. Your leader can't resist getting into trouble," remarked the azure brute, giving her a sideways glance. But for now, that was where things would have to be left—until next time. Turning back to Mercury and Ezra, Artorias gave both of his lieutenants a curt nod back toward the Hallows. Artorias cast one last leer at the Saxes before turning to lead his group back to the Hallows. He needed to convene a meeting and tell the world who the Syndicate really was.

- exit unless stopped -

"Artorias Carpathius"