Punishment!
Asd hobbled forwards with an annoyed look on his face, they were moving at a slower pace than normal, but that was to be expected. They were carting the dead along with them and that was slowing them, and then when you add the fact that the Zaragites have been trying to take advantage of their numbers, launching random attacks by bursting out of the walls at different intervals. It was a miracle that no one was injured much less dead. And for that to be a miracle Asd had to work twice as hard to make sure everyone was safe and not just the waste of space human that kept yelling at him to drop the waste of space slaves and get him to safety.
It was taking a lot of his willpower to not just rip his throat out, and while everyone had escaped unscathed, Asd had a few new bruises added to his frame, increasing the scars on his body. now normally injuries should heal quickly, maybe not as fast as vampires, but fast enough and not leave any blemish behind. But the cut from the Zaragites to his face had left a scar on his left eye, going from the top of his eyebrow down to the bottom of his eyelid, along with a few other scars on his body. the on his neck and shoulders also told him that when you fight with other Weres there would also be 'badges of honor' left behind, and at the moment that was what he was prepared to call the scars that now littered his body.
And then a pinprick of light broke to the gloom, and with every step they took it got larger and larger until they got to the entrance. Asd couldn't help but release a sigh of relief, moving through those tunnels had been really tense for him if he had to be honest. And then the constantly yapping human did not make things any easier, especially when he started throwing spells around when Asd had freed his gag and bindings the second time, and now that they were out of the mines, he would probably turn on them with full access to his magic. But Asd couldn't worry about that now, he was feeling mentally exhausted from his entire ordeal, and the new weight on his shoulder as he could feel a constant stream of power trickling into his body, power that he was gaining from his new pack, just as much as he could also feel something flowing from him into them.
Responsibility; this wasn't something he wanted, and Asd knew he didn't think it through when he had decided to challenge Lucian, he had absolutely no idea what it meant to challenge an Alpha until it was his life on the line for his blunder. There was no escaping it or backing out of it, it was too late, and this wasn't something he could give up. The position of alpha can only be passed from father to son, and even then a fight was still required, though death would be off the table. For anyone else they had to fight and someone had to die, and Asd wasn't too keen on that, so this means he would be Alpha for as long as he was alive.
Asd gave a small nod to the were-tiger elder as he held Roland by the scruff of his collar and dragged him along. Asd was loathe to show weakness in front of the other Weres and humans, especially with that elf mage that seemed to hate his guts. He moved towards the docks of the black mountain and noticed a contingent of soldiers dressed in the dark blue and white of the empire's navy. And right with them was the dean of the academy, Professor Hogrin and Professor Chelsea, and an official looking man that was a head taller than Asd and so filled out, Asd wondered if he was an Ursine…. A Were-bear.
The other Weres followed close behind Asd, their hearts probably in their mouth as they held their breaths waiting for the betrayal from the empire that they were all expecting. It was too farfetched to have hope, yet they had all stupidly latched on to the promise that was made, and now that they finally have what they wanted, it's expected that undoubtedly the unforgiven hand of the empire would come crashing on their backs even harder than it was before, after all members of the navy were here. Asd dragged Roland until he was in front of the Dean of the academy, then he narrowed his eyes at the old man before pushing Roland forwards and saying.
"I've completed my task and brought the waste of space duke back to you. I believe we made some demands to the empire in return for his safe return. So would you guys be meeting the demands, or would the empire not keep to its word."
The dean's eyebrow was twitching furiously, it left Asd feeling really confused because it seemed as if the Dean was shaking with rage. But then again even if he was so angry, why wasn't he doing anything, the Dean was powerful enough to rain down fire and brimstone on everybody here, and even with the suppression of the Black mountain he should still be able to kick the collective asses of every Were here.
"What stupid deal! As a duke of the empire I order you to kill them! kill them all!" Roland screamed out loud, making Asd's heart skip a beat as unbidden he prepared for a fight. He didn't even know when he slipped into a stance and his claws and fangs slid out of his fingers and mouth respectively. His hair was now a shade of white so pure it was as if one was looking at purity itself. And his eyes, those eyes were all so red that even Dean had to step back a bit.
"You've become an Alpha, now that's an unexpected development." Asd turned his head to Chelsea, watching as her face was filled with mirth and amusement. The dean shook his head and sighed as he looked at the massive man in uniform who then stepped forward with a rolled up parchment in his hand. He unfurled it and then cleared his throat before leveling his gaze on everyone present, then turned to Roland first.
"On the charges of working against the interest of the empire and harming that which is considered property of the empire, the human, as so known as Duke Roland Rinderloom of the Duchy of Lagrange. Is from here on out till the end of his days stripped of his title of nobility. From this point onwards by decree of the emperor he and his descendants shall live the life of the common man, without hope of gaining military or nobility rank for at least 7 generations. All of his properties, lands and holdings would and has been confiscated by the office of the great emperor of Albion. He is to serve 10 years as a prisoner tending to the royal farms, and all of this punishment is and will be carried out immediately by law of the emperor, glory to his name."
Asd was dumbfounded, but none more so than Roland who had his eyes opened wide in shock with his jaws hanging hallway down. He began to babble incoherently as two soldiers moved from behind the man who had just made the announcement and grabbed him, leading him backwards to a ship that Asd was just now noticing was anchored on the Reilin river. It was a totally unexpected turn of events, and everyone were looking on shocked as Roland was dragged away, Asd had to admit that he was feeling quite smug about Roland being dragged away, but at the same time a feeling of coldness came over as he realized something.
If Roland, the poster child of the empire was being punished and so severely over this incident, then what in the name of the great kings of old would the empire do to them, to the Weres, most especially him who had given out demands. Asd's chocolate brown skin took on a pale hue as all of a sudden he looked extremely sick and scared, with only one though crossing through his mind.
"We're dead!"