A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing-Chapter 621 - - Resolve [1/2]

Erik raised an eyebrow in surprise as his hammer arced through the air towards his opponent's chest. The blow was heavy, but he was still holding back a little, so Nobuntu blocked his attack with relative ease by using her blood aegis again.

"You'll have to forgive me for being sceptical," he told her with some disbelief. "What could be so bad that you'd not only subordinate yourself to a man you've never met before, but also entrust the future of your family and tribe to him? I hear shapeshifters are a tolerated minority in Azania."

"For now…" Nobuntu growled bitterly. She once again made a scarlet whip appear in her hand and lashed it at Erik in an easily deflected pattern. "One of the other two elders, Sipho Dlamini, is actively working to disparage shapeshifters more. What few vampires still live within our borders are already no more than slaves, and Sipho wants the same for my people."

Anger and determination flashed in her eyes as her attack gathered more power. "I won't allow that!" she snarled furiously. "That bloated sack of lust just wants to add shapeshifters to his harem of enslaved vampires!"

Erik—and Elora, who was watching from his dimension—looked into Nobuntu's eyes, and judged her feelings to be genuine. Yet, whether they'd actually work with her had yet to be determined.

"Azania has another third ranker, right?" Erik asked curiously as he sent Nobuntu stumbling backwards with a thundersnow blast. "Can't they help?"

"Hmpf," she snorted in an annoyed tone as she stabilized herself. "Thandeka is spineless, and she's a human, just like Sipho. All she wants is to maintain the peace. She won't make a real stand on any issue, and I have no doubt she'll side with her own kind if push finally comes to shove."

"I see," Erik frowned sombrely as they took a short break from fighting. "So, you stand alone against the tides of oppression, and you can't even fully trust your son. You've been forced to fight an uphill battle to keep shapeshifters from losing their rights for how many years now? It must have been difficult."

A flash of something went through Nobuntu's eyes, and she staggered a little. She'd not expected his sudden words of support. "

I—" She gulped at first yet quickly shook her head and sighed. "You're right… It's been four years since Azania stabilised into its current situation, and it's been a non-stop struggle…" Her gaze hardened. "But I won't allow my people to fall to slavery!"

As if suddenly coming to her senses, Nobuntu's vulnerability melted like snow in the sun, and she looked at him with a deep, all-encompassing resolve.

"Understand that I didn't come to you easily, Silver Emperor," she said calmly. "But the fact little Naeku seems truly in love pleads in your favour. I need help, and I'll accept any conditions you have to get it, so long as my people get a secure place in Azania by the end."

Slowly, a smirk spread on Erik's lips. "That's good. You're going to need that determination very soon."

He nodded slowly as he slowly twirled his hammer around. "I'm interested in your proposal, Nobuntu. My Empire will allow its factions a lot of freedom in governing their lands, but I won't budge on equal treatment for all three races. Bringing Azania under my banner should accomplish your goal."

He glanced at their spectators as he slowly stalked around Nobuntu. "But the first step will be for you to prove your trustworthiness. Are you willing to follow my orders?"

"Yes," Nobuntu answered sincerely, without any hesitation.

"Good," Erik grinned as he looked back at her. "For starters, you should attack me with all you have. We've been a little too passive for the last few minutes."

Nobuntu nodded. Roaring, she extended the claws on her gauntlets and charged wildly. Their clash quickly returned to its previous intensity, but Erik wasn't content yet. "More, Nobuntu!" he growled with a wide grin. "Give me all you have! Consider this your first order!"

His opponent frowned with some confusion but saw no issue with the order itself. She just hoped her new Emperor still had all his marble…

Regardless, she decided to see what he was planning and roared again as she charged her blood reaper ability more than she had before. Crimson energies swirled around her werepanther body and started coalescing around her in increasingly dense quantities.

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Erik grinned as he pretended to stop her. Moments later, his opponent unleashed her attack, and a dense cloud of bloody crescent exploded from her body. Instantly, to the shock of their viewers, Erik was engulfed in crimson.

"Erik!" Naeku cried out from the sidelines with wide eyes. She took a step forward but was held back by her father, who looked at the engagement with an intense gaze. "He's fine," he promised her.

And, so he was. A mere second later, a seemingly enraged Erik burst forth from the cloud like a butterfly from its cocoon. His face was bloody from a dozen different cuts and twisted in rage. "Bitch! You still haven't learned your lesson?!" he roared furiously, much to Nobuntu's surprise.

Yet, her surprise only increased when she suddenly felt an immense amount of power coming from her opponent. This was a kind of power she'd never felt before, but instinctively knew to be inferior to her own.

"What the—"

But Erik was on top of her before long before she could finish that sentence. Although he didn't actually use Elorium, its mere aura was enough to stun his opponent for a mere moment—a moment Erik used to grab her throat and lift her up.

Although his expression remained like that of an enraged beast, his words were calm. "Here's the real test, Nobuntu. I need to know I can trust you, and we need a way to communicate without anyone listening. So, don't resist, or our deal is off…"

At first, the werepanther matriarch simply struggled a little in his grip with no idea what was happening, but then his hand started glowing. Runes appeared on her throat, hidden under his hand. At the same time, she felt a presence boring its way into her mind and shackles winding their way towards her soul.

She didn't know how he was doing this, but she felt both their potential to control her and her own ability to resist…

At first, her eyes widened, and she parted her lips to protest, but seeing his gaze and remembering his words, she hesitated. For a moment, time seemed to stand still for her. She knew this was the moment where she'd determine not only her own future but that of her tribe and possibly the entirety of Azania.

She glanced at her son and Naeku in the distance. Once again, she confirmed the genuine love, care, and worry in Naeku's eyes… just before letting the chains shackle her soul.