"Hey."
The air in the room grew tense. The council mbers all stared at Atticus with heavy eyes, yet he didn't seem to notice their attention.
He smiled at the Saint's response.
"How have you been?"
"Honestly? I've seen better days." The Saint sighed, then shot him a sharp glare. "Soone doesn't seem to be fulfilling their duties."
"…what duties?"
"The man is supposed to protect and lift the woman's burdens, yes?" She said with a flick of her silky hair. "There's a very heavy burden on right now."
Atticus blinked. She wasn't joking. Anorah leaned back, staring at him with a look that basically scread, well? Fix it.
"Ahem."
A cough echoed from one of the council mbers.
'Thank you…'
Atticus sighed inwardly. Heaven knew he had absolutely no idea what she wanted from him.
'Why does she do this in public…?'
Ignoring Anorah's frown, he glanced around the room.
'New faces.'
The council mbers were n and won whose sheer power made the air around them tremble. Yet their expressions were filled with disbelief as they stared at the interaction between their Saint and the newcor.
Still, Atticus was more focused on the unfamiliar faces. Aside from the council mbers who had betrayed the resistance in the past, Atticus noticed several other gods he hadn't seen before.
The interruption ca from one of them.
"Pardon the interruption, Saint."
The man had a slender physique and pale features. His mustache curled thickly above a sharp mouth, and his fingers idly brushed the thinly knitted beard beneath his chin.
He threw Atticus a cold, dismissive look before turning fully to the Saint.
"…but I believe we have more important matters to attend to."
"Ugh, I suppose you're right, Hulan."
The Saint sighed, then casually waved toward Mathias, seated beside her.
"Huh?" Mathias blinked, startled by the gesture, but the Saint only frowned.
"Shuu. Give up your seat for him."
His eyes narrowed, but one detached look from her silenced him.
"…alright."
With gritted teeth, he stood and backed away. Atticus felt the weight of the council mbers' heavy glare burning into him as he approached the chair, but he ignored it.
As he sat, he nodded at Magnus and Kiara who took seats farther from the table. The Saint looked at Hulan.
"Well, get on with it."
Hulan frowned, but another god Atticus didn't recognize uttered up.
"Despite what… others may think, this eting concerns the survival of the resistance as a whole."
Atticus turned toward the source. It was a bald god with hard, battle worn eyes. He looked like soone who'd lived through too many wars and ca out angrier each ti. He stared straight at the Saint, treating Atticus like he wasn't even in the room.
"We cannot allow a stray god to attend a eting of such importance."
"Atticus is more important to the resistance than you sorry lot combined," the Saint replied coldly. "If it wasn't for him, the resistance wouldn't even exist. He's an ally."
"But—"
"And I'm saying this in case everyone has abruptly forgotten their place."
Her aura dropped down on everyone, freezing their words.
"I own the resistance. You answer to . If I want to bring in strays, animals or even a rock to this eting, I will. It is never your place to question my decisions."
Her cold gaze swept over the council mbers one by one, and they each averted their eyes.
"Good. Now that that's settled, let's continue the eting."
She turned back to Atticus and flashed him a coy smile, like she hadn't just threatened the whole room.
'Well… I can't lie, that was hot.'
Atticus loved to see domination. Any form of it. And it appeared she knew that well.
'At least the incident last ti taught her a lesson.'
He observed the council mbers. They all sat straighter, a tense silence filling the room. Her threat had done its job.
Hulan cleared his throat.
"Now that that's settled, on to the matter at hand. The Redflas are getting stronger by the minute. If we want any chance of defeating them, we need to strike now, Saint, while the iron is still hot."
"But they outnumber and outgun us by a ridiculous margin," Mathias shot back imdiately. "Attacking them is a mistake. One wrong move and we're surrounded!"
"I agree with Hulan," the veteran rumbled. "We can't keep running forever. That is not the resistance way."
"For our survival, we must," Mathias pressed, his voice rising. "Going head on with them is suicide, Saint. You can't allow this."
"You're nothing but a spineless coward!"
"It's not cowardice! It's called not dying!"
"The resistance was created to free common gods from the tyranny of the factions! What ssage are we sending if we cower? We need to strike!"
"The resistance was created to protect the common gods, not drag them into slaughter! We wait!"
Atticus glanced at Anorah. She looked exhausted, her expression screaming 'you see what I'm dealing with?'
Atticus chuckled quietly and mouthed back, 'just tell them what to do. Dominate them. VERY sexy.'
Anorah's face went red instantly. She cleared her throat and turned away with a sharp little hmph.
Atticus was about to laugh when a cough interrupted the bickering. Hulan now held the attention of the room.
"If I may, Saint… I believe I have a solution to our problem."
As the Saint nodded, Hulan calmly looked around.
"Our issue is the overwhelming might of the Redflas. But information reaching now states that our… ally here sohow defeated Emberion and Prya, and claid all the territories in the region."
The council mbers stared at Atticus with widened eyes. Had he really achieved so much? Their expressions shifted as they regarded him with newfound awe.
"I must say," Hulan continued, "these territories would be invaluable to the resistance. They give us a full view of the region and allow us to maneuver our forces instantly in case of any Redfla attack.
The council mbers nodded, murmuring in agreent. Even Mathias looked thoughtful.
"But…"
Eyes turned to Hulan, who was staring directly at Atticus.
"I believe we must act with caution. You've all heard of the shocking bounty issued by the Willguard?"
They were each confused until on one exclaid,
"That's who you are! Atticus Ravenstein!"
The others, especially the new faces, squinted at Atticus before widening in shock.
"Yes." Hulan said, "That Atticus Ravenstein. Which ans—"
"Our location is being tracked!"
Eyes contracted, and the room erupted.
"He should be sent away! He'll doom us all!"
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