Along with the ultimate taboo attack, the [Last Tear of the Dragon] failing to reach its complete arc and explode in a satisfying but horrendous manner and instead served as extra fuel for Aiden, so did the last bits of hope of struggle vanish from the minds of the four elite guards.
With their mouths agape in shock, they stared at the simply impossible sight, looking at the hooded stranger unable to process what they have just witnessed. Even if there was a seed of resistance and hope that they could get out of this predicament without acquiescing to the other side, that faint light was snuffed out as soon as their assigned leader, the priest's sacrificial attack failed to even connect.
After enjoying a bit of harmless skinship in the form of her two girls' embrace, Aiden finally turned his attention to the four guards standing quietly at the side. He couldn't help but look at them with an amusing smirk plastered on his face as he took his time to slowly scrutinize them from top to bottom.
'How interesting… Just some days ago these fierce fighters were like glorified reapers on the battlefield, fighting against those weak and feeble refugees ready to cull all life and end us. Yet, now they are here squirming, afraid for the very same life they wouldn't have hesitated to gather…' He mused inwardly as he scanned their bodies.
'[Aiden, remember to not grow arrogant. Not every one of them wanted to march and attack these poor souls. They are soldiers, warriors with a code they need to adhere to. A hierarchical system to follow. They may be just the same as those groups that you have so far enlisted.]' Enya reminded, her gentle, motherly tone resounding in Aiden's mind.
'I know, I know… but still, I can't help but find the sudden reversal quite entertaining. Still, I do not plan to harm them, even without the system clearly showing me their submission I know they are no longer hostiles. I know what to do, I am aware of the 'mission'.' Aiden responded in his mind, before shifting his focus back on the four [Draconic Skink] elite warriors.
Four highly trained, experienced fighters were undoubtedly a welcome addition to Aiden's forces. However, the main reason he was growing more and more excited as he kept looking at them wasn't their undoubtedly fit bodies, or their battlefield masteries.
No.
What really made Aiden excited about his future plans was the fact that together with the already captured leader, they were basically the vice leaders of this local contingent of Temple Guards. With their assistance, Aiden could increase his reach and rapidly grow stronger. Mayhaps after a couple of days of re-organization even gather enough manpower to contend and take over the nearby districts and slowly gain a solid foothold. With some tricks, schemes, and clever planning, he could even keep his true identity and his arrival a secret long enough until it would be too late.
From what Aiden had so far understood, these groups were pretty much left to their own, rarely were an eye cast on them. The higher-ups inside the city walls didn't want to have anything to do with these so-called 'filth'. To them, those that were stationed outside in the Dredges, were the outcasts, exiles, and the abandoned. Even if they were enlisted guards they were heavily looked down upon.
…
As the fight reached its rather unexpected conclusion, and the Young Master of the Resistance have had a good gander on the four bulky Draconic Skink elites, they have swiftly gone on their knees and pledged fealty to their new master.
They did so not out of the purity of their hearts but through their desire to survive this ordeal and have a tomorrow to wake up to. Whilst they were not that deeply religious and fanatical about their so-called 'God', this Ancient One, they weren't that much against it either.
They were highly trained, and honed warriors, best when given a target, a direction, and a suitable form of armament and then just let go to wreak havoc and cause carnage. These politics and whatnot were not what they were that concerned with.
Though they frowned inwardly when they were forced to face unarmed citizens, their training didn't allow them to falter either.
This, whilst made them great tools, would also make them not that worthy of investment either. Re-training them would cause an arduous amount of effort and wouldn't necessarily have any lasting effect either.
Nevertheless with them swearing up, Aiden gained four fearsome elite warriors to rely on. If nothing else, their experience and knowledge could be utilized through training the others.
With the four guards accepted into the fold, Aiden made sure to pat each of their heads, so that he could inject a wisp of his own Primal energy, a hint of [Soul Power] into their cores. With that, whilst it wouldn't be enough for them to initiate a forced evolution like with the other cases, they would feel the incredibly potent power coursing inside them, making them feel much better in an instant.
After that, they were given their first instructions: They were to go and gather the rest of the Temple Guards stationed in this local barrack and gather them in the field just outside the officer's building. He would then go and recruit the rest of the local forces through the help of the system and make them enlisted under his forces in the 'Domain' tab.
As such, by the time the night passed and reached into the morning of the next day, whilst keeping everything under the radar, Aiden have firmly gained his footing and covertly taken control of one of the outer districts of Ugburg.
One of the four great sectors was now firmly under his fingers, with all its forces, -be in Temple Guards or the local resistance hub- now listening to his command only.
As for the surviving Guardian, Vyndridolth? Whilst she wasn't recruited as a servant yet, as the time for her ritual to be completed would probably need not just a couple minutes to hours but most likely days to even weeks to complete, and besides, from the rewards of the Tipping the Scales main quest, Aiden had a feeling that he would gain her loyalty by then.
Thus, there was no point in forcing the matter for now. She would still help and assist him even without any official ceremony.
Once everything was done and settled, Aiden opened a [Gateway] once more back to the secret base of the Dark Shadows. He could then finally take a look at the many notifications that rang in his mind throughout the night, and besides… He was already missing the little girl he had left behind!
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