SAGE (under edit)

Chapter Thirty - The Offer

'Just hear me out,' Sage added. She gestured to Nox who rolled his eyes and stepped back, as if he had reluctantly agreed not to get involved. 'We don't want trouble – and we wouldn't have had trouble, if Nox hadn't decided to wander,' she said, tossing a glance back at Nox over her shoulder.

'You want to speak with the Renark?' said Raven incredulously. 'Considering your attempt to kill her last year, you have no right to speak with the Renark.'

Sage was silent for a moment, regarding Raven as if she wanted to say something – but couldn't. She shook her head and said, 'I understand that, but Raven what I've come here to talk to the Renark about is bigger than my crime against Lion Crest. The---'

'Enough,' Raven snapped. 'We have our orders to capture or kill you, Sage, and perhaps you have forgotten but Crest Soldiers always follow orders. Rhun,' she added, gesturing to Nox. Raven didn't say anything to Leon, and he wondered if she didn't purely to spare him the decision of attacking Sage.

'Raven,' Sage insisted, reeling back as Raven cut through the air with her dagger. 'Just hang on second!' she added and snapped up her foot, kicking the dagger from Raven's hand.

Raven didn't skip a beat as she dropped and swept her leg toward Sage's feet, but Sage leapt into the air, slamming her feet into Raven's shoulders to vault backwards. She landed in a crouch and then held out her hands, trying to placate Raven.

'Seriously Raven, just--- Nox! I told you, no fighting.'

Since both Nox and Rhun were unarmed, Nox was ducking around each punch and kick that Rhun threw at him. 'Tell the brat that!' Nox replied in frustration.

Raven struck again, but Sage caught Raven's wrist and used her hold to twist Raven's arm behind her back, forcing Raven to turn around so Sage stood behind her. Leon tensed out of instinct, even though logic told him Sage would never harm Raven, somewhere at the back of his mind he considered Sage a danger – and he hated himself for it.

'This is about the war,' Sage said pointedly. 'We're here to offer aid, that's all. If the offer is declined then we leave and you never see us again, I promise.'

You don't have to promise that, Leon thought. He had enough restraint not to voice it though, especially when it was wrong.

'You have no need to concern yourself with the tensions along the border,' Raven countered.

'I'm not just talking about the skirmishes between Lion Crest and Sky Expanse. I'm talking about a full-scale war, one that RedEarth is planning – with Lion Crest in the middle of it.'

Rhun froze, startled by Sage's words, and Nox took the opportunity to land a solid punch to Rhun's jaw. The hit sent Rhun tumbling to the ground, and Nox raised his hands innocently when Sage shot him a glare.

'Why would the Renark accept your offer?' said Raven, turning her head to meet Sage's gaze. 'Lion Crest does not make deals with criminals.'

'Lion Crest hasn't faced an enemy like RedEarth before,' Sage reminded her. 'Trey, I'm assuming you've passed on my request?'

Leon looked up, surprised to see Trey standing on the edge of the roof that loomed over the laneway. Several other Crest Soldiers were with him, their weapons drawn and Trey had his hand to a radio comm cupped around his ear. Considering he wasn't wearing one before, and he technically wasn't on duty, Leon assumed he had borrowed it after hearing Sage's words.

'The Renark has agreed to speak with you but not here, and nor at the Citadel,' Trey answered evenly. 'The Renark will meet you at the front gates. Leon, could you please escort them?'