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The Crusader Saga Chapter IVWarren regained consciousness and found himself in a bright, cheery chamber filled with flowers and an assortment of other pleasant things. From the looks of the place it was some type of patient ward. Confused as to why he was still alive he leaned up and studied his surroundings. The room was vast and lined with abandoned cots, his being the sole one with an occupant. He was surprised to see the snow leopardess and queen, Galadria with the other girls sitting around his small bed sleeping. Shortly upon his awakening Galadria began to stir from her slumber. She looked up groggily from her seat and it looked like she had used her tail like a small pillow, she noticed that he was sitting up. "WARREN YOUR AWAKE!" She shouted loudly jolting the others from their nap. Then the emotional leopardess leaped on to his bed and caught him up in a rib creaking embrace making him groan in pain from his barely healed injuries. The other women had expressions of relief on their collective muzzles, and Cassandra seemed about ready to join her queen."Please Galadria your exasperating his wounds!" An elderly male voice warned from Warrens left. Thankfully she relented and he was able to breathe once more although she didn't remove herself from his bed. Warren looked to his savior and saw an aged ferret in the robes of a mage sporting a long grey beard as he limped to the bed with the help of an oaken staff. "He still needs a day before he completely recovers.""Who might you be?" Warren questioned."The name good sir, is Malcholom I am the queens healer and castle magus.""I take it then that I have you to thank for preventing my imminent demise?" Warren chuckled. The warm furred body pressing against his made him feel less introspective. He found it quite pleasant."Yes, and I must say we almost lost you, it was touch and go for awhile but you were strong and pushed through. I had my doubts I've never seen someone with such grievous wounds survive it took allot of my mana to keep your heart pumping." The magus said mostly to himself."I was so worried!" Galadria decided to speak up as she snuggled up closer to Warren, her furry cheek rubbing against his chest. The little whiskers on her short muzzle poking through the cloth of his shirt and tickling his chest. She surprised him with her affection. He hardly knew this woman and she was getting very familiar with him."She speaks the truth." Jett added from her seat next to Maria her gleaming green eyes full of concern. "We all were.""I am sorry to have caused so much grief." Warren apologized. He was curious, why did they care so much about him? Galadria squeezed him tighter into her furred grip. "don't apologize you saved us!""It's my responsibility to protect, physically and emotionally, so if I caused emotional harm I am sorry." Warren apologized again."Don't you care about your own life? You could have died." Cassandra wondered from her chair by Valerie, her striped tail was flicking back and forth through the hole in the back."My life is only as valuable as the good I achieve and the evil I destroy." He replied seriously. "If it is spent wisely then I can die at peace.""That's a very grim philosophy." Malcholom said from his position at Warren's bedside. The women looked downcast most likely perturbed by his outlook on life."It was how I was taught to think by my mentor, it's the axiom of the knights of the black.""That as it may be," Galadria said clearly upset. "We value your life and it is my wish that you value it as well.""....As you command Galadria." He said reluctantly. She nodded to herself satisfied her cat ears bobbing up and down. "Good, don't you forget.""So what exactly happened? Why were we attacked?" Warren asked.Galadria's existing smile slowly transformed into a frown. "The people that attacked us were assassins from the kingdom of Yirath.""Why would they attack now?"It was the old magus Malcholom that answers gravely. "I can only guess that they intended to kill the queen and her ladies to weaken Aralia and make it more susceptible to invasion."Hearing this the damaged knight slowly removed the furry women from his side and ignoring the protest from her and the others got up out of bed saying. "If this is true we have no time to waste, I must speak with The Lord Commander Brighton." "Please Sir Warren your wounds still need time to mend, you must rest!" Malcholom implored."I can not rest when danger looms over my new home and kingdom." He said continuing his preparations to leave the ward by lacing up his leather boots.Cassandra watched Warren ready himself despite the fact he had not fully recovered and felt the beginnings of a strange attraction to him. And gauging from the looks of the other women they were feeling the same. There was something about his steadfast courage and nobleness that made her feel safe, as if he could singlehandedly protect them and the kingdom. She hadn't known him for long and yet for some reason it didn't bother her. "Well if you insist." The voice of Malcholom jarred her out of her reverie "I suppose I can't stop you." Which he said with a sigh."No you can't." Warren confirmed darkly, blue eyes flashing dangerously. He turned to the women and they all felt shivers crawl up their spines from his gaze. "Can you take me to him?" He asked Galadria."Y-yes of course follow me." She stuttered as she moved towards the exit he put himself next to her and followed. They made their goodbyes to the magus before they left. The other girls hung back out of hearing range and began to talk."So...what do you think of him?" Lunaria asked Cassandra slyly."W-w-hat ever do you mean?" She asked blushing heavily."Oh come on I saw you in there, you almost jumped on his bed with the queen." Lunaria winked conspiratorially nudging her with a furred elbow. "I don't know what your talking about!" Cassandra exclaimed, indignation staining her muzzle."Lunaria speaks the truth we all saw it." Valerie cut in, long floppy ears swaying in time with her pace."You all had that look." Jett retorted regally from her place behind Maria."You did too!" Pointed out Lunaria triumphantly."So you admit you have feeling for him?" Jett said smugly.Lunaria looked mortified, her ears splayed backwards "I do not!"The other girls laughed at her expression. "Yet," Cassandra replied logically "you included yourself in your observation.""N-no I-I didn't!" She spluttered.The girls laughed harder drawing odd looks from the pair talking ahead of them."You did!" Cassandra whispered."So!" Lunaria whispered loudly almost making her quiet tone useless "what if I did?" "Then it's true we all have feelings for him." Jett said. "What does that mean for us?" Valerie asked worriedly with her telltale ear flop."I don't know." Cassandra replied, making all of them go quiet as they all pondered their new dilemma.Warren looked back again at the suspicious looking group of females behind him before Galadria suddenly snuggled up to him making him put an arm around her shoulders. "I really was worried." She said quietly, she looked close to tears. "After I saw you get hit by those bolts I-I t-though you were going to die." Now she had a small tear slowly meandering down her fuzzy cheek. Her beautiful blue-violet eyes glistening with the rest of her unshed tears as they looked up into his.Her face awoke some sort of emotion in his chest that he had never before felt. It caused him to bring one of his calloused hands and gently wipe away her tear. "Do not fret lady Galadria, I am well now."She wormed deeper into his chest and he let her dry her tears on his shirt comfortingly rubbing her furred back. He was brooding internally as he desperately tried to understand this strong attachment she developed for him. They walked in silence until she recovered enough to talk. "Are you okay now Galadria?""Yes Warren thank you." She sniffled still clinging on to his broad chest. "I feel much better.""That is indeed good to hear milady as it appears we have arrived." He announced as they found themselves in a hall way where at the far end was a door guarded by two heavily armored wolfmen wielding bardiches. As they walked towards the guards Galadria untangled herself from Warren but kept her arm intertwined with his.When Warren got closer they kneeled submissively and growled gruffly "milord"Confused he asked "me?"The brown furred one on the left looked up without making eye contact. "Yes milord, orders came through to treat you with the same loyalty and respect as the alpha.""From who?" Galadria asked puzzled as she had not."From Lord Commander Brighton my queen." The grey furred one on the left answered."He is expecting you." The brown one added as the grey one opened the huge double doors with ease.As they were about to walk in the other women arrived. Looks like we're here." Jett said flicking her lithe black tail around. After saying that she entered behind Galadria and Warren followed by Cassandra, Maria, Lunaria, and finally Valerie who with a nervous twitch of her long ears hurried in after them.Inside, the large circular room they were in was decorated in suits of armor and weapons and had an additional twelve wolf guards spread out evenly still as stone clutching their bardiches, it looked as of they were statues of great warriors of old watching over the occupants with unceasing vigilance. Standing in the center of the room leaning over a massive circular table with three advisors was Brighton himself. He upon hearing the doors close looked up "ahh welcome, I'm glad to see that you weren't killed by those assassins.""They were amateurs at best." Warren grunted."In any case I want to personally thank you for keeping the women safe.""It's my duty sir." Warren humbly replied. "Which you preformed admirably and honorably putting any small doubts I still harbored to rest. Now that the niceties are done let's get down to business." He said while gesturing to the men around him. "These men are my army commanders. Talion, Thaddeus, and Merrek." Warren studied these commanders. Talion was the first reptile he had ever seen since coming here. He reminded him of the strange velkyat dragons that he saw in his youth. The dark grey lizard man was tall and was wearing a suit of silver plate. Talion was holding a helm in his right clawed hand. The other was sitting on the hilt of a broadsword on his waist. The dragon (Warren decided to call him such) was looking back at Warren with slitted red eyes and gave a respectful nod.Thaddeus was a normal sized black wolf with red tribal markings tattoed into his fur. He was outfitted with thick leather armor reinforced with steel. The wolf sported a massive longbow on his back and a quiver of arrows. On each hip was a sheath for a long dagger. The wolf also nodded with respect, his eyes were blue and seemed to be filled with mischievous intentions.The last commander was undoubtedly Merrek, a tiger. He stood at shoulder height to Warren making him the largest beast man he had ever seen. This made Warren think for a moment as he hadn't thought of this before. (what did they call themselves?) Shaking his stray thoughts out of his head like a wet dog he looked to the tigers gear. The tiger was wearing a suit of chainmail with a cloak and had a weapon that peaked Warren's interest. The tiger had a strange type of sword that was bladed on both sides with a handle at the center. The tiger looked indifferently at Warren with his dark brown eyes. "Tis a pleasure to meet you all." Warren said before giving a short bow.Talion just bowed, perhaps he was not one for talking mused Warren."The pleasures all mine." The wolf said with a roguish gleam in his eyes."Likewise." The tiger said softly."With introductions finished lets get to business." Brighton motioned to the large intricate map on the oak table. As he said this the women all moved over to a assortment of chairs to the side of the room. "As you are no doubt aware Sir Warren the nearby kingdom of Yirath is most assuredly planning an attack. My advisors and I have been discussing possible invasion corridors and trying to theorize when they will strike. Having heard of your exploits from a certain little fuzzy devil." He muttered looking to the side of the room where Warren was surprised to see Mathias sitting there twiddling his paws innocently. "I wish to hear what you think." He concluded before turning to look at him with his one large brown eye.Warren studied the map closely. Aralia was all flatlands and rivers with very few hill. What caught his eyes was the solitary large mountain range labeled The Titans Fang near the border of Yirath. He though back to his last command position. "Lord Commander Brighton if I may be so bold," he began. "I believe I know where they plan to come from."Curious Brighton asked "really, from where?"Warren then gestured back to the map at the mountain. "Before I was ban- I mean sent here." He stumbled causing the others to look at him interestedly. "I was in charge of a detachment of crusaders stationed at the mountain pass into Tyriel called The Gates of Thermopylae." This garnered the attention of all present. "My liege, king Leonid believed that no attempt would be made to cross into our realm and so in his belief only stationed a token garrison force." Warrens tone took a dark bitter turn. "His belief was wrong.""What happened?" Thaddeus asked from his place beside Brighton."The Etherels must have noticed the pitiful garrison and marshaled their demonic hoards and attacked." He replied, they noticed he wasn't really talking to them anymore, it was almost as if he was talking to himself. "The knight commander there was a pompous nobleman's son. He was ill prepared for the terrors of a demonic incursion, and so with great cowardice abandoned his post taking his men with him." Warren spat angrily. "What did you do?" The tiger Merrek questioned."What any loyal kings man would, I along with my ten fellow crusaders stayed to fight. For three long days filled with suffering we held the line. Our only saving grace was the masterly built fortress blocking the pass. It was designed to thwart any sized army with only a small defending force. I watched," he said quietly "as my brothers and fellow crusaders fell one by one protecting a kingdom that had betrayed them in their hour of need." The others listened to his tragic tale with an array of feelings. "On the final day," Warren continued. "My closest friend and last comrade Matthew fell to the corrosive blade of a hell knight. As I made my stand in the courtyard of the now demolished keep the horns of the kings army blared through the smoke filled sky, reinforcements had arrived. The army purged the keep of invaders and pushed the demons out of the pass and back into the fields of torment, too late to save my brothers." He said with a far off look. They could see his sapphire eyes, they looked haggard. "Anyways," he said rapidly blinking his eyes. "The point I'm making is that if the enemy were coming from anywhere it would be from here." he pointed to the mountain range once more Warren still had a sad expression on his face, but they could see him struggling to look as if he was okay."Thank you for your advice." Brighton said softly. "I will take it into consideration and distribute my forces appropriately.""That's good sir, if you would excuse me." Warren said "I would like to rest awhile." "Of course take your time. When you are ready you can speak with me again.""Thank you sir." Warren said before moving to the exit. He knocked on the doors and they opened. When they were wide enough he slipped through and left the chamber.