[b]Dyssia![/b]

Did you ever realize what a luxury it was to go to war and know exactly who you were fighting?

This will not be a march for the fainthearted. You know nothing of the terrain nor the distance. Your allies may turn on you at any moment. You may be attacked by a people you don't know, as you walk through their home, and what will you do when the wolves howl for battle? The only mercy is that you've already left behind those whose resolve would shatter. The Shogun grants you another; some time to prepare, beneath the gaze of biting shadows.

So perhaps it is a comfort when Dolce joins you, a pack on his back and a pen in his hand. He and Bella had to account for every soul that was leaving, and every soul that would stay. Deck maps with territories color-coded, inventories of supplies and who holds them to account, a mostly-accurate list of all of Iskarot's side projects, he has it all to hand, if not already memorized. Lean on him, brave Knight. Nothing will be forgotten or overlooked on his watch. Let your scales hold back the shadows, and let his heart know some peace.

(Vasilia has gone to Bella and Ember. She has stood apart from them long enough.)

"Excuse me," Dolce offers his notepad to you. "Could you look over these figures? I'm not sure if they're right."

The figures are meaningless. The words in the margins, less so.

[i]The Shogun sounds familiar.[/i]

The Shogun, who boasted of her illiteracy. The Shogun, who leads a pack that respects and craves her in equal measure.

[i]I’ve heard the Crystal Knight, the Royal Architect, the Royal Architect’s proxy, Liquid Bronze, 20022, and others. They sounded identical when they talked about their dreams. And she sounds identical to them.[/i]

He looks to you for confirmation.