"You may be done with war, but it's not done with you."

A thin lipped smile seemed to come over his face as he heard Hakai, as if flooded with previous emotions. Perhaps the presence of the battle-worn soul of who he shared a commonality with eased his troubles, enough to offer a smile. There was a serene beauty about Hakai, that he wasn't a man consumed by war anymore but one who managed to claw out a small home in Vastime. That in some strange way the nomadic Hakai might've found a little piece of peace within the lands Hayden helped grow. In doing this, a kinship had formed which required no words of affirmation only the most subtle of expressions.

But he wasted no time to step inside allowing Hakai to get comfortable, his gaze drifting to the wonderful orange haze outside. "I hope she's doing ok, beautiful woman that she is. Letting her fly the coup to learn a bit about the world?" He'd question as if to ease the tension, knowing for a fact that someone like her would need to go into the world. In order to prepare for both the long life ahead of her, and so that Hakai could see her grow. For as much as he wished to protect her, they both knew what the world was actually like. But in this dark and cold world, there was much good to experience and she would never experience it in totality with the looming presence of Hakai.

Yet, for a moment Hayden eyes seemed to focus outside. He could not meet Hakai's gaze yet, for if he did it would give away his intentions. There where few times in Hayden's life where he could not conceal that raw pool of emotion he felt and this happened to be one. Perhaps it was because he knew he was about to ask the impossible of a man. So he settled on the hazy appearance of outside, jaw tight as emerald eyes closed. A hard breath was taken resolving himself, before turning to look at Hakai.

The vibrant emerald eyes of Hayden seemed to meet with the stoney maroon eyes of Hakai. In that moment, he would know. He would know this visit was not one Hayden wanted, nor was it something he wanted to say. In this talk between men who had seen so much, they neither where ready for the next exchange they would have. But it was needed, and like the men of war they where, they would perform their duties.

"I must admit, Hakai, I am not here because I want to be. I am here because I have to, because I made a promise to you many days ago." His own baritone voice seemed soft, a tiredness to it. There was no vigor or excitement. The simple fact remained that the very conversation they where about to have violated so many principles, that to perhaps drag this man back into a war he had earned the right to forget. It was fucking absurd. Yet. Here he was.

"In three days, the world will change forever. In three days, a war will happen which shall shake everything we have fought for and it will either make or break the future of Vastime." Despite the tiredness of his voice, there was a steel to it. This was not arbitrary, this was not a war because of pettiness. This was a war for the very survival of everything they had come to hold dear. "And as I told you many days ago, there will come a point where neutrality simply isn't a choice. Where war will come to these shores, where death will extend his hand. And I would think myself a lesser man if I did not warn you, if I did not.. if I did not ask you to reconsider your neutrality."

Thus, he spoke the impossible. Thus he asked the impossible.

"You have seen the future I've worked towards. Now I come to ask the impossible. Because, I have no choice in the matter."

His voice seemed a whisper, but it was spoke loudly. It was spoken with the utmost conviction of a man torn between his friend, and his principles.