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Basilisk likely thought his words were offering comfort, like a salve on an aching wound. But the more Artorias listened, the deeper his concern grew. The Syndicate had their tentacles slithering into every corner of the world and every pack from the sound of it. Hearing that his aunt—that narrowed the list of culprits down significantly—had been in a relationship with a wolf affiliated with Sephiran for some time was even more troubling. "Have you considered what those outcomes will look like?" he asked the Warlord when Bas mentioned giving his wolf a line in the sand. "Are you prepared for what that would mean if she chooses to be with this wolf in the Syndicate instead?" Artorias did not mean to sound like he was challenging Basilisk's decisions or methods; he wanted to know what Basilisk's plan was. If this Fatalis wolf chose to abandon the Armada in favor of her Syndicate lover, did Bas realize what a tremendous risk to his pack's security this would be?

Artorias pursed his lips into a tight line and looked away for a moment to collect his thoughts. Basilisk was... a conundrum. The new Warlord said he did not trust the Syndicate, yet he trusted them enough to not declare them enemies and to allow his wolves to fraternize and potentially breed with them. He claimed that the Armada would stand with the Hallows in the event of war, yet he continued to entertain diplomacy with a pack that had named them enemies. He would not call Bas hypocritical, but he was not assuaged of his concerns. Basilisk was still a wild card, one he did not know if he trusted or not yet. But in these times, he would be loathe to lose any more alliances. But the Warlord wanted to know where the Armada stood with the Hallows, and he would have his answer.

"If you're asking if I'm considering dissolving our packs' ties, the answer is no," the Lord of Cinder replied, voice adamant and eyes almost aglow with resolution as he looked back up at the giant Fatalis. "Our families have always shared strong bonds and our packs have always been close. I will not undo that. But I would be remiss if I didn't say I was concerned about the lack of conviction from the Armada, and of learning that our family has... intimate ties to wolves that want to harm us." Our family. Artorias loved the Fatalises and was as much a part of them as they were family to him. Artorias drew his lips into a tight line and shook his head with defeat. "It doesn't matter. The alphas of Ardent have made it clear they'd rather stand alone against a threat than unite together. The Empire is dead and all that's left in its wake are ashes and opportunity for scavengers like the Syndicate to prey on."

But Artorias doubted that a message a raven could have carried was why Basilisk had come all this way. There was more to this visit than just a report of potential Fatalis-Syndicate puppies to stain the world with. So once more Artorias returned his attention to his guest. "You didn't come all this way to tell me about your aunt's love life though. So what can I do for you, Basilisk?"

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian" | "Corbin" | "Eira" | "Argent"