Demonic Dragon: Harem System

"She started it," Samira shot back, not even looking at him, her focus still on Rogue.

"I started it? Oh, please, Samira, you just can\'t admit that Strax enjoys my company," Rogue teased, the smile on her face growing as she moved dangerously close to Strax.

"Enjoys? Strax doesn\'t even like his own shadow when he\'s annoyed!" Samira retorted, stepping forward, her battle spear in hand, as if she was ready to settle things then and there.

Strax, already used to Samira\'s provocations and Rogue\'s playful attitude, simply raised his hands, a gesture of surrender.

"Enough. Before one of you actually kills me, Rogue... can we talk about something important?" he said, his voice serious but still carrying the weight of fatigue from the situation.

Rogue blinked her feline eyes innocently, as if she wasn\'t constantly on the verge of instigating a fight. She took a small step back, still wearing that mischievous grin, her tail swaying provocatively.

"Of course, \'darling,\' what would you like to know?" She scratched her chin with one claw, glancing at Samira out of the corner of her eye.

Strax looked at her firmly, deciding to cut straight to the point, ignoring her flirtatious attempts.

"You dissolved the guild... but why? It wasn\'t clear to me what the real reason was. Dissolving a guild isn\'t something you do overnight, and, honestly, Eudoria was doing fine when we left. So, what happened?"

Rogue seemed to lose some of her relaxed posture, a flicker of seriousness crossing her gaze. She sighed, crossing her arms and finally focusing on Strax, momentarily leaving Samira out of her provocations.

"Ah, so that\'s what\'s been bothering you?" she asked, her voice lower. "The city of Eudoria... it\'s simply no longer livable. Kryssia\'s Ice has taken over everything, and when I say the ice is everywhere, I mean something that doesn\'t melt, no matter what we do."

"What do you mean?" Samira interrupted, skeptical. "The ice... doesn\'t melt? There has to be a way to counteract it."

Rogue shook her head slowly, her feline eyes glimmering with a contained sadness.

"Believe me, we tried. All kinds of magic, artifacts, even the heat from the local salamander flames. Nothing worked. Kryssia isn\'t just a simple freezing spell. The power she unleashed over Eudoria... it\'s as if time itself froze along with the ice. The streets, the buildings, the people... everything is trapped in an eternal winter. My guild... was the last thing I tried to keep running there, but, in the end, there was no point in fighting anymore."

The silence that followed Rogue\'s words was heavy. Samira glanced over at Strax, her expression of disbelief slowly being replaced by a growing sense of unease.

\'What the hell... how does it not melt? I melted it several times when we fought.\'

"This is serious..." Strax muttered, processing what she had said. "So, Eudoria... is lost?"

Rogue nodded slowly.

"Lost, frozen in time. The few who escaped, like me, are scattered now, trying to find new places to settle. The guild... it couldn\'t survive in that environment. The Duchy sent soldiers and mages to contain the situation, but they couldn\'t even reach the city\'s core. It\'s like the ice is alive, growing and consuming everything."

Strax ran a hand through his hair, contemplating the implications. Eudoria had been an important city, not just for them but for many others. It was a hub of resources, commerce, and knowledge... not to mention the main base for the Black Market. If it was truly lost, the consequences would ripple across the local power structure and the entire continent.

"And you think this has something to do with Kryssia?" Samira asked, her tone still challenging but less sharp now.

"No doubt," Rogue replied, her gaze serious. "She cast the spell right before fleeing. This wasn\'t a random attack. It was planned. And now..." She sighed, raising her hands in a helpless gesture. "Now the only option is to abandon Eudoria. There\'s no hope left. I dissolved the guild because fighting against this would be like fighting against a force of nature."

"I see..." Strax mused, crossing his arms. "But that still doesn\'t explain why you came to us. Dissolving the guild makes sense, given what happened, but what\'s next? What\'s your plan now?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes, the feline glint returning as she took a step closer to Strax, making him instinctively lean back slightly. She smiled mysteriously.

"I\'m thinking of starting over. A new guild. A new base... in Vorah."

"Vorah?" Samira interrupted, surprised. "The city we\'re in now? Why Vorah? The Duchy has a strong presence here too. If you\'re trying to avoid their reach, this doesn\'t seem like the best place."

"Exactly," Rogue replied, her smirk growing. "The Duchy may have influence here, but Vorah is still an independent city. The strategic position is perfect for a fresh start, and with the political unrest, we can build something big before they even notice. Plus, Vorah still has room for growth. If we play our cards right, we can completely break free from the Duchy\'s control. Build a base strong enough that no one will dare to touch us."

Strax remained silent for a moment, considering Rogue\'s words. It was a bold idea, but it made sense. Vorah was a city full of opportunities, and with the chaos Kryssia had left behind, perhaps now was the perfect time to build something new.

"So, you\'re suggesting we start a new guild here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly, though the spark of enthusiasm was clear in her eyes.

"Exactly. And with the strength you two have, combined with the contacts I still maintain... we\'ve got everything we need to make it happen."

Samira glanced at Strax, clearly weighing the implications of the proposal.

"And what does that mean for us? Do you really think we can escape the Duchy\'s influence?"

"If we\'re smart, yes," Rogue said confidently. "But to do that, we need a solid foundation. We need to recruit the best. And, most importantly, we need to move quickly before anyone realizes what we\'re doing. It\'s a risky bet, but the biggest victories usually are, right?"

Strax finally let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of the decision looming over him. On one hand, there was the safety of following a more predictable path, but on the other, the opportunity to create something truly great.

"You make a good point," he admitted. "But this won\'t be easy. We can\'t just start a guild from scratch and expect everything to fall into place. We\'ll need resources, allies... and trust."

Rogue tilted her head to the side, her feline ears twitching slightly, and her smile returned.

"Trust? I\'ve got more than enough in you, Strax. And I know deep down, you trust me too... at least enough to give me a chance." She winked, her voice soft and teasing, returning to her playful tone.

"Not this again..." Samira muttered, rolling her eyes. "If anyone\'s going to lead this new guild, it\'ll be us. You can help, but no games, Rogue."

"Oh, Samira, you\'re so rigid sometimes," Rogue replied, her voice dripping with mock innocence. "I\'m just trying to contribute. After all, we all have our talents, don\'t we? And mine... is being irresistible."

Samira made a move to draw her spear again, but Strax raised a hand to stop her.

"Enough. If we\'re doing this, it\'s serious. I don\'t have time for games right now. We\'ll need to plan everything carefully if we want this new guild to succeed. Rogue, do you have contacts? And how many of your former guild members can you still reach?"

Rogue stepped back slightly, her expression finally shifting to something more focused.

"I have a few, but most have scattered. I\'ll need time to track them down and convince them. But it\'s not impossible. As for contacts... I\'ve still got a few tricks up my sleeve."

Strax nodded. He looked over at Samira, who crossed her arms, reluctant but seeming to accept that this was the only way forward.

"So, that\'s it," Strax said calmly. "We\'ll start a new guild. A new base. And break free from the Duchy... but everything needs to be done right."

Samira shrugged.

"If that\'s what you want, Strax, I\'m with you. But don\'t think I\'ll let this cat play with fire for too long."

Rogue grinned, satisfied.

"Great. Let\'s get to work. The Duchy won\'t know what hit them."

And with that, the future of a new guild in Vorah began to take shape.