Friends in Need, Steadfast as a Mountain

"I'm Themistocles! What, do the Divine Blood Aristocrats of Mount of the God of War lose sleep if I don't leave Athens?!"

"Themistocles?"

"Damn it, I'm the general who led you little brats and saved Athens twice!"

The old man looked at the young man tilting his head, his expression confused as though he were genuinely thinking. His pride took a blow, his breathing hitched, and his lion's-mane beard stood on end with rage as he began cursing and complaining.

"Where did those old fools in the council chamber find a greenhorn like you? You didn't even get clear on the target's intelligence before you dared come knocking to probe me?"

"Oh, I remember now. You're that unlucky bastard exiled by the Assembly!"

Samael finally realized the identity of the elder before him—the General Themistocles, who had just led the Athenians to agree to the Battle of Salamis. His expression eased somewhat.

"But that's not right. Didn't everyone say you'd been sent to the Argos region to serve your sentence? Why are you still hiding here?"

However, the ancient serpent's surprised question after a brief pause darkened the old man's mood once more. Unable to hold back the resentment that had built up over recent days, he snorted irritably.

"Where I live is my freedom! What does it have to do with a little thief like you who broke into a private residence?"

"Private residence? I was about to ask why you were in my house!"

The two stared at each other, equally stunned, and the atmosphere froze.

Screech!

Just as Samael realized something seemed to be wrong, the tightly shut doors burst open with a hum. A shrill blast, wrapped in a violet-red Aether Tide, tore through the air.

Samael instinctively flung aside the old general he had been