After an entire day of deliberation, the dragons had called a vote.

89 for the war. That was good, since it was no majority.

Then there were 27 abstentions.

The math was relentless, leaving 84 voices for peace.

Six votes. This war was being started by six people who had no strong opinion either way, failing to make up their minds. How fitting it all was, a boring dystopia.

September 22nd was going to be the day - the day that Xadia would declare war and invade the Pentarchy in an attempt to contain the human scourge.

Tomorrow.

As the bringer of bad news left his office, the Ex-Legate grabbed his belongings. There was no place for him here, now. He retrieved his three remaining eagle arrows and bow, changed from his uniform into plain clothes and re-armed. The next hundred years were going to be miserable, and all because the senate was about as independent from the other assemblies as his arm was from the rest of his body.

He stepped onto the courtyard and could already see preparations being made. The delegates were departing for a safer Veltis-Tiram. No doubt they would use their travels to campaign, taking far longer than was really needed. He stared daggers in their direction, but was at the end of his arguments. It had all been for nothing.

"Sicarius Assassin Rayla!", he yelled, picturing the young woman's serious face. The eagle arrow flew off his bow - and failed to launch, promptly digging into the ground like any regular heavy arrow would have. The impact turned a few heads who all looked rather depressed by it. The guards mostly knew this from letters being sent to the front. It was more bad news.

Helmond's brows furrowed so tightly, they were touching. It was giving him a headache, but the moment demanded it. He picked up the unexpended arrow and laid it back on his sinew.

"Now please.", he exhaled nervously, "Prince Callum of Katolis!", the eagle arrow shot off the sinew and started drooping. Helmond's expression gained tension with every millisecond.

The arrow mercifully started jetting eastward. His insides twisted with worry, he watched it speed off until it escaped visibility.

Now it was time for him to get underway. Looking about, he could not find Kandras.

"Where is my steed?", he angrily accosted one of the guards. The man waved him off. "No rank, no ride."

Helmond scoffed. Of course. Decisions were easy, it was the consequences that one should worry about.

As he exited the Bastion, he almost walked into a horse. Looking up, he regarded General Amaya.

'Well, Helmond, this doesn't look good. Thank you. We tried.'

'Trying is worth nothing if it leads to the same result as not trying.'

'I disagree. Maybe history will remember our effort here. A place for a new argument to start once the dust has settled. On that note, I'd like you to come with us. I doubt you're still welcome here and we could really use someone like you.'

Helmond smirked sarcastically and voiced, "General, I am not surprised to see you make the offer - but challenging my leaders and defecting are still two entirely different levels of disrespect to my people."

The general frowned. 'I see you're no longer affording me the grace of your abilities?'

"Our relationship is no longer useful to either of us. Why pretend otherwise?"

She shook her head, 'Usefulness wasn't the entire point, Helmond. Yes, I had my motives, but I like you. I think you are a good person. I'd like to think we could be friends.'

Helmond's mien sagged. 'I apologise. I am angry. Sad. Frustrated past description. I took your invitation as manipulative. I too would like to call you `friend`'

Amaya's mien brightened a little. 'Dire times, Helmond. I can't blame you for lashing out. I hope to never see you on the battlefield. Good luck.'

'You as well. May your blades strik…', he stopped, suddenly all to aware of what he was wishing her good luck for, 'May… your shields be stronger than our spears.', he finished sadly.

She nodded and turned her steed. The human delegation departed while all around him, Elves were setting up barricades.

This truly felt like the end of the world, with the Breach in the distance exhaling a sickly red fog, the darkening sky above adding a gut wrenching purple. Foreshadowing on a geographic scale, indeed.

Sudden realization shocked him out of his numbness.

"General!", he called, running after them.

The delegation stopped.

'I have more bad news to add to your collection, I'm afraid. It seems I can not send a message to Rayla. I was able to dispatch to Callum.'

Amaya's face changed to dismay and she got off her horse. 'What could this mean, Helmond?'

'She has likely been killed.'

'That's what I was guessing. Any other options?'

'She could be warded against magic or be in an unreachable location, like underwater or in a deep cave. Either of these options is grasping at water, however, since Callum, I presume, would be in close proximity to her, suffering the same effects.'

Amaya nodded sadly, 'I really wanted to meet the young soldier, especially after her feisty letter.'

Helmond nodded gravely.

'I believe you would have been fast friends. They are both quite endearing.'

The Ex-Legate turned away for a moment, feeling his eyes burn. Torlan. Rayla. The waste of young lives had started, already. Biting his lower lip, he called himself to order.

Then, he faced the General again.

'Addressing the affairs of the living, I also wanted to suggest another course of action.'

'Yes?'

'We should go to the Breach together and speak to the elven commanders. See if we can't make them stand down against orders.'

Amaya regarded him, critically.

'What gives you the idea that this might work?'

'Very few at the front really want to die, Amaya. Unlike the senate, they see your troops, they hear the scrap of armor on the stones and see the reflection of lava on thousands of polished spear heads. An entirely more grounded perspective.'

'I see your point. Worth trying, if nothing else, it beats idly watching our nations destroy each other.'

'Do you have a horse I can borrow?'

'We have a spare. I will warn you, they are not used to elves.'

'I will make due.'

Amaya smiled at him, 'You have gotten much better at this', she pointed at his hands.

'So I have. We've spent much time practicing together, friend.'