Sisterly Love

Count Agist awoke the next morning in his bed to the sound of Dion bursting through his bedroom door.

"Milord! Please come immediately! All of Lord Hawthorne's knights are approaching the manor!" Dion shouted.

Count Agist shot up immediately and said, "Assemble the guard near the main gate, line up in formation, but try to maintain a passive stance, if they're just here to intimidate we don't want to start anything!"

Dion bowed slightly and left Count Agist's bedroom letting the Count Agist get dressed and adorned in his armor.

Count Agist walked over to the rack where he kept Last Stand and went to grab it. He paused and blushed for a moment as he remembered what Lillica had done with this ax two nights ago. Now wasn't the time to be shy so he gripped it firmly and hefted it up as usual, but he found the ax to be amazingly light compared to what he remembered. He suddenly remembered that Lillica should still be around and he would have to try and get her to leave later.

"Don't worry Agi, I'm still here." Lillica said sweetly

"Don't call me Agi... you know what... I don't care anymore..." Count Agist finally admitted in defeat.

"But you're much cuter when you're angry or annoyed!" Lillica said softly with a giggle.

"Whatever! What did you do to my ax? It feels different."

"I merely woke him up, he might help you, he might not, that's entirely up to you Agi."

"Him?" Count Agist asked as he examined the ax a little closer. The ax did indeed look a little bigger and different in a way that Count Agist couldn't quite describe.

"Yeah! The name is Simon ass hole!"

Count Agist spun around when he heard a voice in his head that sounded a lot like his but didn't quite feel like his.

"Where are you!" Count Agist said angrily as Lillica watched on in amusement.

"I'm right behind you moron!"

Count Agist backhanded his fist behind him without turning to look first and he ended up smashing his fist into the rack where the ax was, breaking it into two pieces.

"Hey, you got some arm strength on you buddy! To bad you're lacking in the brain strength!"

"Now now Simon... that's enough... stop teasing the boy..." Lillica said with a slight tone of annoyance.

"Lillica? Is that you? How the hell are you still alive? Wait, does that mean Lorraina is also..."

"STOP there, we do not need to bring that up!" Lillica said, slightly angered.

Count Agist had never heard Lillica even get slightly angry before so he felt somewhat refreshed that even she had things that angered her.

"Lillica, is that voice that sounds like my own yet isn't, is that the ax, Last Stand?"

"Hey, you figured it out! Somebody give this guy a gold star"

"Yes, this... scoundrel is Simon, the demon spirit that was bonded to this ax by my father."

"Late father!" Simon suddenly interjected.

"Simon, if you don't relax, I'm going to bind you to an out house..." Lillica said as her eyes flared yellow for a moment.

"...Sorry..." Simon said queitly.

"Simon's tongue and wit is quite sharp, which is probably why this ax is the same way. Since he is now awake, he will passively connect with you and aid you while using the ax."

"So... what will happen if it gets stronger? Will it grant me new abilities?"

"What? This isn't some wuxia novel crap. I can increase my size for a short time without becoming heavier and you will feel like you have eyes on the back of your thick skull since I can see where you cannot."

"So in other words you can help me use my own strength more effectively and be my eyes watching my back."

"Hey, lunkhead picks things up pretty quick!"

Count Agist was about to get mad but he suddenly remembered he had more important things to worry about at the moment!

"Just... stay out of sight... or do whatever it is you do, I need to get to my men!"

Lillica gave an exaggerated bow, revealing her deep cleavage even through her shadowy dress. Count Agist didn't notice and Lillica felt a little down about this.

"He is so straight-laced... I can't wait to change that!" Lillica thought to herself as Count Agist jogged towards the entrance of the manor.

__________

Count Agist ran up to Dion and nodded at Thomas and Nicholas.

Count Agist only had 30 knights total under his command that were loyal. His father, Duke Agist, had commanded hundreds directly under him and the lower nobles were obedient enough that they would send Duke Agist their knights to use. After Duke Agist's death, as a Count he no longer had the political power he used to have. The subsequent nobles withdrew all their knights they had pledged saying that they were pledged to Duke Agist, not Count Agist, and that they would send more once they rearranged their forces.

Count Agist watched as the 96 knights marched neatly up to his manor, thankful they didn't bring their mounts. He saw the banner they were carrying and recognized it as Lord Hawthorne's crest.

"This is unexpected Dion, Lord Hawthorne can not be so brazen as to attack without cause, what changed?"

"I do not know milord, and if you were wondering about Morgan, he is having those pains again."

"It's ok, he's better off staying in bed then."

Count Agist watched as the knights from Lord Hawthorne made it to his estate and formed up in his courtyard, his own knights had their hands on their weapons and were nervously waiting for orders or to see what happens.

Surprisingly, Lord Hawthorne's knights did not seem the least bit aggressive and instead marched directly up to Count Agist, took a knee and bowed slightly to Count Agist.

The knight in front yelled "We pledge our loyalty to our new lord, Count Agist!"

"Long live Count Agist!" came a roar from all of the knights that had came from Lord Hawthorne's estate.

Count Agist was dumbstruck and even thought this might be a trap, but the knight that yelled first handed him a piece of parchment. Count Agist's eyes opened-wide when he saw that Lord Hawthorne had relinquished his knights, his land, and even control of his villages over to Count Agist. The parchment was signed and sealed with Lord Hawthorne's seal so even in court it would be considered legitimate.

"I am... I do not know what to say..." Count Agist was taken aback and momentarily at a loss for words.

Lillica was watching the procession through a window and laughed softly seeing Count Agist unsure of what to say from this unexpected windfall.

Lillica heard a familiar voice in her head that said "Is it safe to come out sis?"

Lillica looked up and down the hallway and whispered "It is safe."

Lorraina materialized next to Lillica, then said happily "Mission Accomplished! I might've overdone it though..."

"What do you mean?" Lillica said while looking at Lorraina and raising her eye brows.

"He was a real piece of shit, so I thought that our dear Count would be better off with all of his stuff!" Lorraina said proudly.

Lillica flicked Lorraina on the forehead and Lorraina whined "Ow! What was that for?!?"

"They're going to find him dead, aren't they? And when they see that Count Agist now owns all of his possessions, who do you think will be the biggest suspect?"

"Um, I'm sorry sis! I didn't think about it that far ahead and I got angry when one of the guards touched me!" Lorraina started to pout.

"You know better... still, this just forces us to move ahead."

"I'm really sorry!"

Lillica cupped Lorraina's cheeks then kissed her forehead where she flicked her "I know, and I am starting to think you intentionally make mistakes so that I flick your forehead because you know I'll regret it and kiss your forehead."

"Guilty as charged!" Lorraina said playfully.

"Well, you still did good and we haven't ate together in a long time. Let's go take care of those loose ends you left at Lord Hawthorne's" Lillica said sweetly.

Lorraina was about to head back towards Lord Hawthorne's when she heard a wood breaking as Lillica had torn a hole in the wall with a single hand with her eyes glowing very bright. "And we MUST make sure that guard that touched my precious Lorraina suffers."

Lorraina felt herself getting aroused from the killing intent Lillica gave off from her desire to protect her.