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"Obey you?" said Leonid. His smile dampened a little, but not because of a sense of wounded pride. It was more an expression of concern. "I have no qualms granting you title above me, but why? If you will have my men defend Riviera, then that, I have already been resolved to do against the duchess\'s orders should I have lost the duel."

"Because-," said Li. He looked back to where Launcelot and his party were, but he did not look at them his gaze instead settling on Zagan. "I do not intend to stay in Riviera. I will march West and personally fight the demons, and to do so, I should say having an army as esteemed as a legion of blood will give my words that much more power."

"Then I shall look forward to witnessing even more of your grand strength," said Leonid, agreeing to Li\'s terms. "Though I do wonder whether you understand the scope of the responsibilities inherent in the title of general." 

"As for title, I wish for none. The titles \'general\' or \'captain\' seem so unsuited to me," said Li. "You, Leonid, will functionally remain general of your army. After all, you know best how to lead your men. Just remember who your orders come from now."

"It will be far easier listening to the orders of a man of strength laying his life bare on the battlefield with us than a monarch sitting upon guarded throne," said Leonid with a fanged smile.

"Good." Li nodded and then looked to Lanucelot and spoke to him. "And Launcelot, I have not forgotten that you wished to duel Leonid for forces to defend Riviera. I will be more than willing to split this legion such that half will defend Riviera."

"No, Li, you have earned all the right to do what you wish with this army," said Launcelot. "For you were the one to have fought."

"Yes, but this is called a gesture of thanks for helping me with the Dark beasts, and I really am not someone who is going to go back and forth offering goodwill gestures out of courtesy. Take this offer now, Launcelot, or lose it."

Faye elbowed Launcelot at his side, and the noble man nodded. "I cannot thank you enough," he said.

"Oh, I\'m sure you can. Defend Riviera and my people, and you will have done more than enough."

"You are coming with us?" said Jeanne as she stepped closer to Li, Azhar and Sylvie following close behind.

"I am," said Li. "I have good reason to think that the demons will have powers that will be difficult for any of you to deal with without my assistance. And besides, do you know torn up the old man would get if any of you got hurt out there? Or how sad Tia would get?"

"No sad," said Tia as she held Li\'s hand. "Because I go with papa, and then, I protect sister Jeanne. With me and papa protecting, nobody hurt."

"Oh, dear little dragon," said Jeanne as she knelt down and put a hand to Tia\'s shoulder. "I do appreciate the thought, but you cannot come with us. It will be very, very dangerous where we are about to go."

"I like danger," said Tia, cocking her head.

"She\'s right," said Li. "A warzone is no place for you, Tia. Old Thane will be able to keep you safe. Just listen to him and-,"

"No!" said Tia as she let go of Li\'s hand and crossed her arms. "Papa told me, listen Old Thane, promised me he come back, but he doesn\'t. Don\'t want to be away from papa now. I go. That way, never away from papa. Can keep him safe."

"Tia," said Li as he also knelt down to Tia\'s height. "You don\'t have to worry about me. You know I\'ll be fine."

"Papa will be fine, because papa strong. Very strong." Tia nodded, then cast her eyes downward. "But maybe, papa gets surprised. He can\'t come home for long time. Then, I lonely. Sad. Cold. Don\'t want that, so I go. Make sure always with papa, even if dangerous."

"I say bring her with you," said Azhar. "Hells, she\'s stronger than anyone in this this whole damn-, I mean, stronger than anyone in this legion, and ain\'t nothin\' marchin\' north getting\' much stronger than a blood legionnaire."

"A soldier and a child are entirely different things, Az," said Sylvie. "I know Tia thrives in battle, and that it is part of her nature, but hunting and warfare are entirely different."

"Yer talkin\' like you know bout\' warfare. Remember, we\'re adventurers. Ain\'t our whole lives been huntin\'? The hell do we know bout\' war?"

Sylvie sighed. "That misses the point. We, as adventurers, have faced battle. We know of bloodshed. Tia is of no age to be facing that."

"I dunno\'. Sylv, yer real smart, but honestly, I\'m gonna\' disagree with you on this one, cause\' I know more than you do bout\' this. Tia might look like a little girl that needs protectin\' and concernin\' bout\', but that ain\'t it.

She\'s real tough, real scary. Real strong. If she got into her draconic form, you wouldn\'t be lookin\' at her with the same ol\' eyes. It\'s bound in her blood to want to fight and hunt, and by that, I don\'t mean we up and go and toss her into warzones. I mean that if she ends up in one, she ain\'t gonna\' be the one to be worryin\' bout\'

Younger wyrms than her have gone out to war and come back just fine in the Hinterlands."

"I\'m strong," said Tia, nodding in agreement with puffed up chest, though it was evident that she did not grasp most of what Azhar said. "And I stay with papa, no matter what."

Li reached out and picked Tia up, putting her on his shoulder. "Alright, that\'s enough discussion. Tia, we\'ll think about this when we get home."

Tia put a hand around Li\'s neck, hugging his head, and said, "Okay, papa, but know that I always with you, no matter what."

Li smiled at Tia, and then turned to Triple Threat. "Let\'s move on, shall we? I feel like Riviera is waiting for its greatest defenders."

==============

The way back to Riviera took only the better part of two hours compared to the half day carriage ride it took Li to get here for the first, and even that time was surprising considering it was supposed to be on horseback.

It was only because everyone, all the legionnaires, Bulwark, Triple Threat, and Li, Tia and Zagan could continuously keep up a quick, superhuman pace that they could make the long northward trip to Riviera in such a short time.

During that time, they encountered quite a spectacle between the space that dotted the space between the Chirpwoods and Riviera.

In a moderately sized village, the headsman of the village came to the gates when they saw the massive army of blood legionnaires drawing near.

Leonid, Li, Triple Threat, and Bulwark came up to the front.

"O good knights," said the village headsman, his back a little hunched from advanced age. He stabilized his weight on a staff, and by the runic inscriptions on it, it indicated that he had some knowledge in the arcane arts. "We are greatly heartened to see that the most wonderful duchess, first of her great new name since the age of Beaumont, has sent so many forces to our aid."

"To Riviera\'s aid," corrected Leonid rather coldly, but Li interjected.

"No, not just to Riviera\'s aid. Look, all of you, you are all preparing to travel," said Li as he motioned to the village behind the headsman. The villagers were mostly all preparing to move, their supplies outside and their bags packed with horses nearby saddled and ready to go. "No doubt, you have heard of the incoming demonic threat, and so, you wish to move to safer territory."

"To Riviera, good Easterner," said the headsman with a note of reverence. "Riviera\'s walls have not fallen in a thousand years. We hope they will not fail us now." 

"You know of me?" said Li, a little surprised. 

The old man bowed his head. "Of couse, good Easterner. Your name has not escaped us. The man whom holds control over life and death. Who can bend the will of the forests to his every whim and will. One who holds divine power unparalleled since the mythic age since Helios himself embodied a mortal form a thousand years ago."

"I am flattered, but those rumors miss out on the most important parts of me," said Li. He could tell the old man was fearful, knowing that Li had utterly humbled the priests of Light, priests he was familiar with, and he sought to correct that.

"I am not all sheer power. Power, yes, I do have, but that power, I use to protect, to nurture. I tend to an eternal garden through which all life may find peace and purpose. That includes you, good headsman, and all the villagers whom you are responsible for.

Do not be afraid to seek refuge in Riviera. Not only for its walls, but also for the protection that I and my followers shall dutifully provide."

Hearing this, the village headsman nodded more, and said, "Most certainly, good Easterner."

Of course, Li did not expect a complete change in opinion on the headsman\'s thoughts in the course of one conversation, but with this first impression, hopefully, in time, he and his village would remember and trust the good that his faith could provide.