The three stood silently, Hilde away from Tenlo and Kilik in silent fury, until two young messenger boys arrived with Tenlo and Kilik's belongings. With his broadsword at his hip and pack with him again, Tenlo felt a great ease wash over him. Free and on equal grounds with the still seething Hilde, he smiled at her. "So, what did Siegfried mean by plans?" he asked curtly.

Hilde turned on her heels away from Tenlo who smiled at her back. "Something a commoner like you should not concern yourself with. Leave and be done with this conflict, warriors of soul and honor will fight this battle. Your friend is more than welcome." She began to leave before stopping and thinking better of herself. "However, Siegfried has belief in you, so I must tell you. Herr Siegfried wishes to raise an army to combat Nightmare and his followers. He needs those influenced by Soul Calibur to stand and combat those Nightmare will bring that are influenced by Soul Edge. Though I don't believe this invitation should be extended to you, this is a threat to all people and nations, and volunteers are sparse as is. If nothing else, you will make a suitable arrow buffer. Seeing as you obtained your shard more through luck rather than destiny or divine calling, it is your choice. If you choose to join, and I sincerely will you do not, meet here at sundown. If you choose to leave, be quick about it and tell the captain of the guard."

Without another word or glance, Hilde quickly left the room with only enough patience to make her exit seem graceful and dignified. Kilik looked over at Tenlo and smiled slightly. "It appears we ruffled her slightly. I hope your country is not on uneven terms with this Kingdom. Though I fear you may soon be if she has her way when this fight is over." He walked out of the chamber with Tenlo, the smile beginning to fade as they walked into the drab gray day. "What will you do Tenlo? It is my duty to confine both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur but I cannot ask you to burden yourself and stay as much as I would wish you do."

Tenlo smiled and clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I will stay and fight my friend. This war threatens my home, those I love and care for. It even threatens my old homes, ones still littered with family and friends. I cannot leave them like this and carry my head in a way that would leave my father proud." He walked with Kilik and noticed they found themselves in an empty market just off a town square with people crowding and a man faintly visible over the crowd. "I wonder what is happening there," Tenlo said and moved towards the commotion. The crowd appeared large but was rather sparse out an allowed Tenlo and Kilik an easy position to see a hastily made stage in the center four feet tall. Though a man stood on the stage, Tenlo's attention fell to a pale girl with blonde hair and bluish green eyes. He stood looking at the woman a few years younger than him with wordless sensation.

The girl gradually turned to him and met his eyes, feeling them on her. In them, Tenlo saw what once held carefree easiness burdened with the pain of loss. She wore a teal shirt that stretched over her modest chest under a simple steel breastplate, light adorned with silver notches holding aquamarines. Tucked into her belt at her waist was a sheathed short sword not much larger than Sophitia's. Black pants covered long slender legs and tucked into leather boots over her socks. She glanced at Tenlo and turned her thin frame, stretching the sleek muscles to look behind her. On her back Tenlo saw a buckler shield shaped like an upside down tear with a rounded stud sticking out of the center of the tear's bulb. A silver ring with aquamarine and onyx circled the stud with an engraving of a hawk in its center. She turned back and said in a light gentle vice, "Is something wrong sir?"

Tenlo blinked but tried to remain composed as he looked down at the woman who was shorter than Queen Lilian by an inch or two, allowing Tenlo to tower over her. Kilik cleared his throat audibly and nudged Tenlo from behind, snapping him from his state with a cough. He smiled easily after her in an attempt to look smooth and shook his head. "I don't believe so no. I'm Tenlo Soleran, of Nehel, so I'm foreign to this kingdom." He thought for a moment before continuing. "Actually, yes you may be able to help me. I was curious if you could tell my traveling companion and I what is going on here."

The girl smiled back at him and gave a bow. "I am an outsider as well, so I don't know much. But from what I gathered this is special rally to raise soldiers in support against an opposing general. Some great nightmare I believe they're calling him." Her face fell and she looked a group gathering behind the stage. "They say it is evil, that should this being not be defeated, the world would fall into chaos. I believe in this fight, and I wish to take part, but these citizens..." she trailed off in a mumble nearly breaking Tenlo at her hopelessness.

Tenlo reached out gently and placed two fingers on her chin, heedless of her flinch. Coaxing her to look at his eyes, Tenlo gave another small smile he often used to reassure Queen Lilian. "Don't fret. A Soleran stands ready to fight for the world always." The crowd around them grew more packed and citizens could start to hear him, whispering around them. He took his fingers off her chin and stood with confidence, his green eyes appearing to glow. "The world will not fall so easily Madame, um..." He struggled realizing he did not know her name.

The girl giggled softly and blushed. "Silic," she pronounced to him as Sill and Leak, the name seeming to roll off her tongue gracefully. "Adelyn Silic, if you please Sir Soleran. I... I should not take the title of Madame."

Tenlo readied to respond when he heard boots clapping heavily on the wood of the platform. An older man with blanched skin in luxurious clothing paraded forward with a parchment rolled up in his hand. He stood in the center of the stage and called out in the same loud oppressing voice Tenlo knew only Nobles seemed to carry. "People of Wolfkrone, listen and hear! War is fast approaching our lands. It needs your aide to survive this monumentous event!: The man scanned the crowd's blank and in different faces with an underlying disgust. Kilik, Tenlo, and Adelyn all knew the look, but Tenlo more so this would soon turn disastrous. "Her majesty, Princess Hildegard von Krone, and all the royal and noble families call upon your services. Accept the tax increase, and fulfill your citizen duty to volunteer to the Kingdom's Army!" The man had no sooner finished the word tax when an outcry rang and his words were lost to all but the few in the front row. Citizens called out in anger about tax increase and how their lives were sacrificed while nobles sat on high with immunity. People started to turn and leave, while others continued to shout. A few began to grow violent, pulling out upturned cobble and throwing them towards the man. Tenlo admired as he dodged the first one with an agility he thought beyond the man before he yelped as the second chunk his leg with a dull thud. Guards immediately circled the man with shields raised and swords and spears drawn, keeping the crowd at an uneasy distance. Stone clanged against metal as they shuffled backwards to protect the man and retreat to safety.

Tenlo watched as more guards backed away, while some began to push at the crowd and keep them back. He quickly glanced at Kilik, then to Adelyn. The broken helpless expression of lost hope drove him over with anger, the sight all too familiar to him. "Why bother?" she seemed to ask as her eyes fell to the ground and shoulders sunk. The mood was precarious as the people turned against the war spelling an end to its efforts. He looked up to the stage again and saw it empty, moving before Kilik or Adelyn could stop him. He passed a guard who spun to grab Tenlo but was too late as he vaulted onto the stage with arms raised up against the cobble barrage. "MEN AND WOMEN OF WOLFKRONE, HEAR ME I BEG!" Tenlo shouted at the top of his lungs. The crowd slowly stopped as the guards turned as well, curious at the tall man in armour unlike theirs who addressed them in the common language. "That man is wrong to demand you to pay for his war, and wrong to demand you to sacrifice yourselves while he and his are safe! But he is correct on one matter, and that is the most important. War is coming! More than that, it will need the help of you to survive!

"I may not be a native of this land, but the Kingdom I hail from has recently been through war. Our enemy was under aide and influence of the being now waging war against you. It was only through the support of its citizens my land prevailed." He stopped to breath and noticed the crowd's attention was on him, though they held stones at ready to express their displeasure. The uneasy glares were soothed by the more important hopeful eyes Adelyn gazed at him with. It brought new found confidence to Tenlo and allowed him to continue. "I come from the land of Nehel, a small nation many weeks south of here. We faced the larger enemy of the Arab Nation yet we rose to fight and repel them. It was during that war I was able to keep morale among soldiers soaring with stories of the valor and victory of the Wolfkrone people. Stories heard when I was young about legendary warriors, male and female, that would die before giving an inch. Tales of units that would defeat enemies at odds One Hundred to One with a fighting spirit like that of the wolf they were so named after. These stories inspired me to be my most, to hope I could one day even dare to be seen in the same light as they. It has been my dream to stand beside you in reverence and repel evil where it stands! Is this dream dead? Will no one stand as well and live to their forefathers' legacy!" The crowd appeared to pacify, some even nodding and murmuring agreement with him. Finally Kilik shouted from the group, as Adelyn joined him shortly after with a single powerful no. "NO they are not! They are in the crowd, in amongst, for you are the legacy of those great warriors. You are the ones they spilled their blood for, you are the ones they gifted this land and future, so that you may in turn gift it to generations on end! Now I ask, will you fight!"

A resounding Yes answered him.

"Then go! Fight not for this sniveling coward of a man!" Tenlo rallied and motioned to the rich man whimpering over his leg. "Fight not for you Princess who leads for her own name and claim of royalty! Fight not for me, for I am but a foreigner with like goals as you! Fight alongside me, fight on the battlefield, fight in the cities, never give up, never surrender!" The crowd began to cheer as Tenlo continued with gusto. "Fight for you mothers, fight for your fathers, fight for your brothers, your sisters your sons and daughters! Fight for the generations before and honor their names, as you fight for the generations after you born and unborn! Fight for their freedom to the life you hold now! Fight with me, and together we will not give in, we will not crumble, we will not concede. Fight and we will witness our enemies shake before the battle howl of the Wolfkrone army and know their end is night! Show the world the Wolfkrone spirit still runs rabid within its people and fight, Fight, FIGHT!"

Tenlo smiled as the crowd cheered with the new found confidence crashing over them like a wave. He stepped off the stage to the congratulations of the crowd and made his way towards Kilik and Adelyn. She smiled at him as he approached, the enlightening effect on her face Tenlo did not fail to notice, before speaking with both hands clasped over her heart under her breastplate. "That was an amazing speech Sir Soleran. You rallied these people so well, I feel they feel they are invincible. Your friend and I heard many rumblings of enlisting if it meant they could stand beside you."

"Well, after seeing your downtrodden face and hearing that fool blather, I had to do something. And this smile on your face is all the reward I could ask, Madame Silic."

Adelyn blushed furiously as she immediately looked downward to hide her embarrassment. "Please sir, I've said before, my past does warrant me the title of Madame."

Tenlo heard the sigh of sadness in her voice and smiled at her. "Very well, but seeing as we are familiar with each other, I request you call me Tenlo. Not even the knights of my father's court call me Sir Soleran."

Kilik clapped his shoulder and smiled at him. "Easy now friend, your head must still fit in your helm at the end of the day. Is it true though? The stories you told of these people?"

Tenlo shook his head and whispered softly to the two. "No, but a small lie at times is better than the truth."

Kilik nodded sagely and walked them away. "Well, that will be our small secret. For now though, we must continue if we are to make our meeting." He grinned slightly and continued, "After all, the princess Hilde so values your company and favors you highly. We must not disappoint her with our tardiness."

"Perish the thought!" Tenlo feigned mock disgust as the two laughed, leaving Adelyn with a sheepish smile. Tenlo smiled at her and nodded. "Join us, I'm sure you will be of great service. If her majesty does not agree, then I will speak with her and see if her mind cannot be changed." He began to walk as Kilik and Adelyn fell in behind him towards the castle itself. They were stopped ten feet away by two guards hurrying towards them and crossing spears with a menacing glare. Tenlo met them with a steady look as well. "Stand aside please," he said in the common language, pantomiming his actions. "Her majesty Hildegard von Krone has asked I, Tenlo, And he, Kilik company this meeting with Herr Siegfried." He turned and motioned to Adelyn as she jumped slightly being pointed out. "She, Adelyn, will be joining us as my personal guest. I ask you allow us to pass into the castle." He watched the two guards only catch their names though they stiffened at the mention of Hilde and Siegfried. His hand strayed closer to his sword as he edged towards Kilik when Adelyn whispered in his ear softly. Tenlo nodded and smiled, saying in their language (though tripping over the words himself) hesitantly. "Please, sirs."

The two guards glanced at each other in surprise before looking back at the three. He watched them murmur to each other in their language, unaware Adelyn could understand them and seemed to take what they were saying well. At last both uncrossed their swords and stepped a few feet back and closer to the castle doors before tapping them with the butts of their sticks. The two large wooden doors swung open as the guards stood in rigid attention. More guards lined in the inside, as well as a single maid who seemed to wait for them. Kilik looked at both guards carefully as he walked in first to make sure it was not a trap and the guards would not bar their way or abduct them. Once he had broken their plane of spears he sighed noticeably and walked with a bit more ease. Adelyn walked through after him but kept her head down as both guards watched her pass. Finally Tenlo walked through, trying to keep a confident stance as he passed. One of the guards glanced down at him with what Tenlo thought was a faint trace of a smile. "You take your life into your own hands by challenging Lady Hildegard's will," he mumbled softly in the common language. Before Tenlo could turn to the man who stood staring straight ahead, crossing spears with his companion. Tenlo smiled in spite of himself and continued to walk with Kilik and Adelyn.