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The morning air was warm and sweet as it drifted into the open balcony doors into the dim bed chamber. Milo yawned as sunlight stretched across the bed where he lay, dreamily wondering whether the previous night had been naught but a dream. The forepaw that ran slowly up his chest seemed as good an answer as any. The feline turned his eyes towards the lynx cuddled up next to him. Aiden still slept as the sunlight spread across his delicate face. He must be used to sleeping until late into the morning. Unfortunately, Milo was not one to sleep away time he could spend keeping his arts in proper balance. He kissed the lynx softly on the top of his muzzle before slipping softly out of their bed.

The air outside was thick with humidity making the warmth cling to his fur as he walked towards the edge of the balcony. Milo had reached the bannister before realizing that in his dreamlike state he had forgotten that he had not donned any trousers before coming out to train. Fortunately he was high enough that none would be able to see him, much less know that he was bare. Besides, the air actually felt quite comfortable without clothing to cling to his form. He would appreciate this fact even more once he began the Talo, the ritual of balance that all dual-casting magus must perform. It was intricate work for him, seeing as he was forced to balance two opposing forces where most magus who were born with dual elements dealt with complementary energies. For Milo, it felt as if he was trying to balance two hurricanes against one another, each attempting to blow the other away. Allowing one to overcome another held the potential of burning that source out and severing a piece of his soul in the process. At first it was a difficult concept to understand when the monks explained it to him, yet upon seeing for the first time one who had lost one side of their magic he understood. The young magus was gifted with wood and earth as her elements. During one morning working on her Talo she allowed her mind to wander while allowing earth to press wood to balance. This moment of distraction made it possible for earth to overtake her other half thus burning it out of her forever. Milo could still see the vacant look in her eyes. While not the same as losing all magic, losing half was enough to diminish any hope of ever attaining the emotional control needed to work magic to its fullest extent. Not to mention the physical toll it took on the individual themselves. The withered, black remains of her arm and tail were a testament to the price one paid for lacking focus. Magic was not to be taken lightly.

Milo inhaled deeply and reached within himself feeling the two sources of power like two vast, ever-present springs flowing from some unknown origin. Water cool and cleansing, calm and comfortable as if it had always been one with him. Fire burning and fierce attempting to scorch him from the inside. The feline raised a forepaw and a single ball of liquid fire formed into his palm. This was another oddity the monks said was unique to him. Normally fire took the form of what you would expect, a flame. His fire formed in what seemed to be a more liquid state, almost similar to the molten earth he had seen in the crater near to where the monks made their home. He pressed the fire forward, allowing it to hover just above the bannister. Another forepaw raised as he willed the fire to spread along the length of the marble railing, still hovering high enough so as not to overheat the surface. Next he formed a similar sphere of water, again positioning it over the bannister yet allowing this energy to lay along the top of the railing. He exhaled slowly as he extended tendrils of each energy to connect with one another above the railing. The two energies hissed and sizzled as they touched, forming pillars of steam which did not dissipate and instead remained between the two stretches of magic. It was almost as if a roof of fire was being held over a floor of water by pillars made from the steam. The two energies fought desperately to reach one another, it was all Milo could do to hold them apart. For what seemed like hours he allowed the two to struggle and stress against his own will, yet they never touch save for where he allowed them to. Finally, just as he felt himself begin to sweat from the effort, the elements ceased their struggle. A calm overtook him, consisting of both a comfortable warmth as well as a cool caress as both energies began flowing towards him. They met, yet did not mix as they swirled around his body. A deep inhalation followed by another slow exhalation and the two powers dissipated as if never having existed. Milo smiled as he acknowledged the balance within himself.

"That was beautiful..." He spun in surprise towards the source of the voice. Aiden stood in the archway, the lynx's eyes holding his own with a look of awe. "I have never seen such a display of control before. What was that?"

Milo smiled and padded over to his lover. "It is known as the Talo. It is used to acquire balance of the magic within oneself. That was actually a shortened version. A bit more dangerous, yet surprisingly less flashy than the longer version. Unfortunately the downside is it must be done daily instead of every cycle. The true Talo only needs performing at every new moon."

"Longer version? You have been out here for three hours at least... How long does this true Talo take?"

"A magus begins meditating at dawn the day of the new moon. The magic begins at dusk and lasts until dawn the next morning. I will have to show you some time, if you do not get board before the end."

Aiden grinned and his tail flicked playfully as he spoke, "I think I shall attend the night portion of that demonstration. There are things to be done during the day for me, my king."

Milo chuckled and kissed Aiden softly on the side of the muzzle. His ears twitched as he noticed the color showing through the lynx's gold-colored fur. "A blush? This is a different side of you Aiden. I'm used to the seductively confident side of you, not this cute vulnerable one before me."

The slender feline's eyes narrowed, "Problem? I could always revert back or even show you my colder side. I am taking a leap of faith in allowing you to see a side of me not one other fur has before. You would do well to appreciate this, my king."

Milo wondered if he would survive making another snide remark. Deciding against it he instead padded over and pulled the lynx into a tight embrace. He had hoped to catch Aiden off guard and by the way his lover's body stiffened in surprise he had succeeded. "Coldness only suits you when you are handling the responsibilities of your position. The way you are now, with me, is more perfect than I could have ever asked for. I was drawn in by your wit and what I saw behind those beautiful eyes of yours. I hope that you would no longer have the ability to be cold towards me."

Aiden smiled warmly up at him. His heart seemed to be near bursting at the sight of that smile. "I have the ability to choose not to be cold towards you. Keep me happy and it will stay that way."

Milo grinned at the remark, "I see you are as biting as ever."

"Would you have me any other way, my lord?"

The Siamese paused, contemplating his answer. "Yes. I would have you another way actually." With one swift motion he swept the lynx into his arms and walked back into the dimly lit room, two blue tendrils shutting the balcony doors behind them.

Koios mumbled to himself as he paced just inside the king's sitting room. Milo could not help but glance from the owl back to the sheets of paper held tightly in his forepaw. The owl had luckily come just after he and Aiden had finished with their fourth round in the bedroom. The feline had no idea the lynx would be so amorous, not that it was a bad thing. He shook himself from those thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

"Koios if you would please stop that incessant pacing. I am a feline after all. Easily distracted and such." Honestly it was less the distraction and more that he feared the owl would lose all of his feathers if he continued worrying himself like this. "Now, what can you gather from this intel? Why would there be hunters within our borders? Who would they be after? It is common knowledge that we do not allow the hunting of mages."

"I fear they mean to cause more trouble than just that. I know not the cause of their presence so near to Vallose, but they have been detained and we shall be interrogating them forthwith." The aged avian sighed as he found a seat in front of the king's desk. His age was sadly catching up to him. "This is not the worse of the news, my liege. Barthold has begun running drills near our borders. It seems they wish to display their military might before our own citizens. Empress Hellein has issued a decree that any from Vallose or Rellan lands who wish to serve the Barthold Empire will have their families provided for as long as they serve and for three times the years after."

"Quite the deal... Have we heard of any takers amongst ur ranks?" It frustrated the king to no end that Hellein despised him so. Was she really that attached to the former despot Gunther?

"None so far. You are widely loved for the most part. You have shown the citizens a kindness that none before you have ever offered. The few who are against you do not seem eager to run to Barthold for protection. They seem sure that deserters will be punished to the highest degree."

Milo thought for a moment. That would be the easiest way to keep anyone from deserting. It would be a simple task to order the deaths of any who attempt to join the enemy. "Issue this decree. Anyone who wishes to join the Barthold Empire shall be able to do so without repercussion." Koios looked up sharply, but refrained from speaking upon seeing the look on his king's face. "Furthermore if any of their family desires to stay then they will not be held accountable for the actions of the others."

"Sir you do realize this will push some to defect. Even amongst our military ranks there are some who are toying with the idea."

"If any fur who fights for us is considering joining Empress Hellein, do we really want them fighting for us? Who is to say they will not cause trouble if war does break out? Saboteurs can be much more destructive than enemy soldiers. I would not force anyone to fight unless they wholeheartedly desire to protect Vallose and Rellan both. I refuse to be that kind of ruler."

The owl looked at him pensively for a moment. "Kindness is a rare trait in a ruler, Milo. Unfortunately so is longevity. I would hate to see you fall before you achieve your goals."

"Doubting me Koios? You are usually so positive."

"Not doubt, worry. Though I can understand how confusing the two can be sometimes. Just because I do not doubt your abilities as a ruler, does not mean that I do not worry about what could happen."

Milo smiled at the old bird. Koios could be so confusing sometimes. "I think that you will see less defection than you think my friend. It is well known that Hellein is much less forgiving with those under her rule. That old bat would just as soon kill a deserter as let them go."

"Calling her a bat would be too complimentary. I have known many bats in my day and none have been as inept as her. Calling her a rat would be much more fitting."

"So I assume all panthers are like her?"

"Like her? No. They do not usually have a tendency towards acting without thought. Her kind of impetuousness is a rare characteristic held for only the most tenuously held thrones. "

This caught Milo's attention, "Tenuous? What do you mean?"

Koios cleared his throat before explaining. It seemed the good empress had been raised to the throne following a string of deaths in the royal family which has made most of her subjects suspicious. Her rule has been questioned by the oldest and most experienced of royal advisors, all of which have turned up missing. According to Koios, Gunther had been a large contributor to her claim. Obviously the late king had a hand in the mysterious deaths of her family. One would think she would be less trusting of someone who would so quickly dispose of her entire family.

"So... her supporters are few in number?"

"Few yes, but also very powerful. Unsurprisingly those closest to her also hold the highest positions of authority."

"What if you went and spoke with her? Tugged on her emotions a bit? Could you stop this idiotic war before it begins?" Koios was a mage as well, though not many knew this fact. Luckily, Milo had been taught how to spot a mage. Koios was a different sort than he, however. Where he manipulated the elements, the avian held sway over a more spiritual type of magic. He had the ability to manipulate the emotions of others. He could make people feel whatever he desired, even if it did not fit the situation. It was a dangerous magic for any who were targets. Just another example of how vast the range of magic was in this world.

"If that is what you wish for me to do, my lord. Though you know I do not approve of using my abilities in that manner." Of course not. Koios was properly trained after all. One who had that kind of power must also possess a certain level of morality. "Though in this situation I suppose I would be more than willing seeing as it would save countless numbers of lives."

"Let me think on it a bit more... Sending you into such a dangerous situation is not something I do lightly, my friend. Is there anything else you can think of that would allow us to avoid this war? What about a display of our own strength? A scare tactic?"

Koios pondered for a moment. Milo knew he was not a fan of such tactics. Yet if they could at least sow the seed of uncertainty within the Barthold ranks then potentially they could avoid massive casualties that would result from Barthold's inevitable invasion attempt. Milo knew his people within the city would be safe. Vayne would see to that. What he was more worried about was those who chose to live outside of the safety of Vallose's walls. There were dozens of small towns scattered across the land with little protection to be had. Those would surely face death and their king was adamant that their deaths could not be allowed.

"I suppose that could work if it was possible to scare a madwoman. I assume you already have an idea seeing as you suggested such a thing?" The aged owl cocked an eyebrow, making his face look almost condescending. Milo wondered if that was a purposeful gesture.

"Yes... I think now would be a good time to try out the Magicannons..." He hated that name, still he had to admit they were fearsome despite having such a ridiculous title. One of the young alchemists in his newly established research division came up with the weapon after looking over the schematics of his own Firestorms. Of course the portable versions went up much faster since they did not have to be secured to an all but ancient wall.

"You mean those ridiculous weapons that Meryn invented? Can they even be fired? Last I heard they seemed to have the tendency to crush anyone behind them due to the recoil."

"Oh that has been seen to. A bit of my own ingenuity and some good steel helped to fix that. Now they seem to work quite well, though unlike my Firestorms the magic tends to have a limited range before dissipating. It seems a continuous stream of magic is much easier to maintain when using crystals. Though at the same time the Magicannons seem to last a bit longer."

"Bloody stupid name if you ask me. If nothing else the enemy will be distracted by their own jests. I suppose it is worth a shot, my lord." Koios stood with a grunt. "If I may be excused I will see to the preparations. We will need to ready supplies and prepare the weapons for transport."

"Koios, use your own discretion when issuing the orders... I put you in command of this display."

The avian bowed his head and turned, his exit accompanied by the entrance of a young tigress bearing a tray of meats and chilled water. "Ah lunch time already? Thank you Anila." The young felid bowed and exited wordlessly. I really must try and get that one to stop being so tight lipped. The king felt a peculiar itch every time the girl left so silently. The silence was much too subservient coming from one of noble blood. He poured a cup from the pitcher and sat down taking a long drink of the cool liquid. Was that fruit he tasted?