Lilith had read many books on leadership. Most talked about the overuse of ‘cruelties’, remaining in touch with one’s subordinates and other topics for once you established an organisation. This was because establishing one was simple. The only book she had read on the subject had given her the simple advice of spread your ideal, person or object the organisation is centred around as far as you can. Thus she did precisely so.

The slums were not her only visit for the night. She closely examined those passing by and when she found the correct type of person she gave them the speech and a piece of paper on which to write down their goals. Something concrete to achieve.

It reminded her somewhat of her days starting out with her ‘consultations’ with the difference being that she was not looking for problems to solve but a solution to a problem. She was also significantly more experienced now. So instead of approaching others at random she chose specifically those who would be amenable to her proposal.

When she used her shadow magic instead of eyes it was exceptionally difficult to analyse everyone in a given room. Now it felt incredibly easy to do so over an entire street. Her primitive brain found joy in the improvement and she did not mind indulging it this time. It was not inefficient.

As she spotted yet another mark among the throng she thought of the next area she would have to visit. The walls. It would simply be impolite not to pay a visit to the current organisation for attempting to handle the threats of the monsters when she was attempting to replace them. Though now that she thought of it her proposal was rather risky.

The man she had identified among the throngs was fairly tall and thus when she approached him her neck craned slightly to look into his eyes. They were a welcoming abyss. His eyes seemed to draw you into a sense of security and affirmation but they seemed almost blank.

His face too was rather welcoming. A smile that would charm any housewife and an angular jaw with pleasant features, if slightly sharp. His jaw was set and his gate steady. His hand hovered near his waist as though he expected something to be there that was not. Most important however was the fact that he had the balance of a fighter. “Oh miss I’m off-” He started but she did not let him finish.

Giving the man in front of her the same spiel as previous allowed her to think about why Douglas accepted such a proposal. She was not clear on the political ramifications. The military however was a point of expertise for her and their reaction would be obvious.

Someone was essentially doing their job for them and their boss had approved the motion. Perhaps Douglas had been hesitating because of this. It did not seem to quite click in her mind like many other puzzles solve and she trusted her intuition. She had actually planned for his refusal on this particular issue. Proceeding without Douglas’ backing would have been unfortunate but not unexpected yet he had not only tacitly accepted this but openly backed the project.

“I’m sorry miss, what did you say your name was?” He asked coldly and Lilith simply gave her name as she considered the reason Douglas had given her authority. Something felt off to her. She just could not decipher what about this negotiation was giving her a bad feeling.

“Well miss Lilith I believe we need to have a discussion about the danger of monsters. You do not seem to appreciate the work we knights provide so I would like to give you a demonstration.” The man declared and Lilith remembered that she indeed did say that she would be making a demonstration for the knights at the wall. Monsters were not dangerous though simply opportune resources for harvest- wait.

“Excuse me?” She asked, suddenly snapped back to the conversation as she replayed the conversation in her head and frowned at the man. He was a knight. That was not too unusual as many fighters were knights and it was not as if she would wipe out the previous administration entirely.

“Come to the wall in several hours and I shall show you the valour of the knights. This is not a playground for young girls.” The man said and immediately walked off. She could catch up with him if she so chose but she could recognise the signs of a conversation ending. The man would not listen if she caught up to him now.

She had planned to make a demonstration of her own at the walls several hours from now and it appeared she had another dissenter to crush so thoroughly she would never be questioned again. A fanged smile rose to her face.

Until she realised she was out in public and quickly schooled her expression. She found the new her increasingly difficult to comprehend. Thus she resolved herself that the next time she spent alone or with a large amount of idle time would be spent understanding her new instincts and desires. They needed to be her tools as the human ones were. Constant suppression was not efficient or pleasant and while she had all of time this was not something she could put off. At least the experience would be new.

Several more hours of picking out candidates were not the most efficient way to spend one’s time or at least it did not feel as such. Even if she knew it had to be done. It was taxing enough to keep her mind focussed on the task but accomplished only a singular goal. Thankfully it was soon time for the meeting at the wall.

The moon in the sky shone it’s light down upon the world nearly entirely blocking that dastardly ball of flames’ reach. Lilith enjoyed it as she walked. She found the idea of doing so in her free time to be inefficient and she felt… inactive while doing so. There were many more moons to come, another opportunity later. Mindless tasks like walking however allowed her to indulge without feeling as though there were more efficient activities to be doing. She was still moving forwards even if leisurely.

Unfortunately while walking was mindless it was also often short lest she would be running to save time instead. So she turned her attention to the sight in front of her. The wall was just as large as the view outside the city but from the inside it made her appreciate the fact that it was made from a form of stone.

There were far less cracks on the inside of course though if the captain was to be believed they were fixed by a group of construction workers when they first entered. There were no houses this close to the wall.

Instead the place was surrounded by larger buildings that were similar to depictions of a town hall Lilith had read in her books. The difference however was their clearly defined purpose. Each had a sign on their front that contained images of what they deal in such as: a large snarling wolf, a group of knights surrounding a man in a white robe with gold embroidery and a sword on an anvil with a hammer coming down.

Her previous visit would have lead her to believe the latter were nigh non-existent here but apparently not. There was at least two in the town and she could see the beginnings of more. They had not uncovered a new mine recently either so she wondered where the materials they used came from.

The answer soon becomes apparent when Lilith looks at the people walking towards the gate around her. Their clothes are varied but have a certain animalistic aspect in common. One man wears brown fur in a jacket, over his pants and in his boots with each strand standing tall and proud, unnaturally still in the coastal wind.

Another is wearing what looks akin to a layer of scales over his skin that are made from condensed dirt. They crumble slightly with each step causing small pieces to fall on the ground. Despite that the set is by majority still intact even if the bottom of some scales have small pieces missing.

It is not just armour either. A polished white fang protruding from the edge of a spear, bottles on their waists filled with a clear liquid, A claw with a hilt ready to tear beasts apart hanging on a waist belt. There was even a whip made of what appeared to be a tongue covered in a viscous liquid. The individuals wearing such items were of course scarce and wealthy.

That or they were among the people she had come here to see. In front of her stood the gate she had entered the city through and of course close to that were the steps up the wall to join humanity’s defenders.

They too were made of stone and it was a good thing they were when she saw the punishment they were put through. Knights stomped up and down with determined faces and quick steps. Boots clattering against the stone was clear in Lilith’s ears despite the hustle and bustle of the nearby people. Some were messengers, others changing shifts but all were focussed.

She had to give credit where it was due, this was a well-organised team for the task and members therein. Many of the knights were young. They did not stand in the same disciplined way the captain and the man she had met earlier did.

Instead their footing was unsure, their gazes full of ambition but not yet burning with the determination expected in a man who fights monsters. Their armour was free of dents, scratches or dirt. The hands gripping the hilt were not stained with blood but had the soft, innocent skin all recruits waste and all veterans cherish.

Their movements however were orderly and precise. A messenger never bumped into the replacement shift and there was always at least an inch between the two when they passed on the stairs. Even casual conversation was minimal.

When she approached the gate itself however there were those who wanted to exit and had been lining up in front. Since it was currently late into the night she expected few others. This was immediately shown not to be the case as hundreds, perhaps more, were lined up outside the gate in front of her in varying outfits with similarly varying tools.

Others were merely watching the gate with anticipation and she recognised some of her recruits in both lines. Some had come to watch, others to participate. There were however people she did not recognise even upon seeing their faces that were here for reasons other than her own demonstration.

Some carried axes and were covered in hide armour that they appeared to have stitched together themselves if the tacky look of their armour was any indication. Others wore no armour at all. They merely had a belt on their waist with several knives that were made from a material Lilith did not recognise as any form of metal.

Those without armour gripped the belts on their waists so hard their knuckles turned white. Their faces were various shades of pale. Some eyes darted, others looked resigned and a few looked at her own group or the knights with envy.

Those with armour and axes on the other hand all appeared to have a similar body to the knights. Their faces were set with determination. The hide armour expanded slightly under their musculature straining as they took test swings with their axes while others ran from one end of the gate to the other while they waited for it to open.

Lilith’s arrival near the gate caused a variety of reactions. The men with axes simply continued their preparation and ignored her as if she were not there. She got perhaps a glance or nod of respect. Their swings did not even err nor did the heavy sound of boots on the ground stop as they ran.

Those without armour were significantly more mindful of her reputation. A bubble of several metres between her and them was established as a safe point and as soon as they noticed a violation of this boundary they would scuttle away like skittish spiders. The majority moved away from the gate upon her arrival. They instead hovered around an area of tattered bags with patched holes and picked up one for themselves while they simply stood there watching her with fear.

She soon made it to the front of the line where she turned back towards the crowd completely ignoring the guards behind her who exchanged a glance. “For those of you who are not aware I have scheduled a demonstration for tonight.” Lilith explained and the guards started walking towards her.

“My name is Lilith Von Allistar and I would like a volunteer from each of the groups present here. Whether I contacted you previously or not is irrelevant. If you would like to be remembered as the first of the guardians for Marinez then you may come forward for your group. Your job will be simple. Tonight we are teaching the monsters why we were always on the top of the food chain.” She smiled and no one saw the fangs hiding beneath.