We all instinctually took a cursory glance at one another, a brief, spontaneous action done to gleam what we could in the heat of the moment of each other's overflowing thoughts, and though momentary and fleeting, we all saw the concern reflected in the others eyes.
Not for Tianlan of course, or his empire perse; since it was quite the opposite, as the desolation of a mighty nation such as his would've ordinarily been news to celebrate, but not now.
Not when we had just hitched our wagon to his, so that we could better battle the coming storm from the Luminous Empire during this most titular time of the Banquet of Concordia, when the whole world's eyes are not far from our every accomplished action, and the western wolves are at the door.
For the old saying is undeniably true, a weak ally is far more frightening than a powerful foe.
