Nephenee had to admit – rebellion had its upsides. Not that it was a good thing, per say, but in the strangest way, it gave her the opportunity to meet Heather. She who was a rogue of defined skill and litheness, moving her beautiful body – those amazing hips – in such a way that Nephenee found herself awestruck by its pure gracefulness; who had captured her attention the moment she laid eyes upon her. From afar, she could only tell she was just a beautiful face under a blue cape – but no, such is not the case – for to behold Heather in her true glory, one would have to see her in action.
Nephenee, still under Heather's mystifying spell, could not see the young warrior raising an ax from behind her. In the blink of an eye, the blond wonder had her dagger at the man's throat, and despite the violent nature of it, Nephenee couldn't deny the truth – it was just so damn sexy.
"Everything alright, hun?" she spoke, and Nephenee whirled on the spot, suddenly remembering that they were in the midst of a fight to defend Alpea, "You've been spacing out! One moment you're sticking traitor pie through your lance, and now you're staring off into space!"
"Sorry..." the latter quickly apologized, "I reckon it must be the dang size o this army here!"
"Oh, I don't blame you..." Heather returned grimly, planting herself on the wall above and overlooking the battlefield, "It seems we're heavily outnumbered. Ever since they tore down that gate – oh, Goddess – I don't think we've had even a moment to rest! Damn that traitorous Ludveck!"
Crystal blue eyes scanned the grave conditions. In the upper keep, she spotted Haar, Calill and Leanne picking off what few soldiers they could below them, while ultimately guarding a slope in the wall that was so jagged a soldier could easily scale it. A good thing Haar was there, lazily throwing javelins at whoever even tried. Calill, who stood near the edge of the wall, was being assisted by Leanne, who drifted near her every so often to strengthen her spirits.
Looking up, she saw Elincia, mounted on her pegasus, using some sort of staff to mend wounded soldiers from afar. Below her, in front of Nephenee, a swarm of Ludveck's men had cluttered around the narrow path – their only obstacle being the three laguz who so daringly fended them off, guarding the stairwell leading to the upper keep. Nephenee's friend, Brom, was bravely holding the entire left side of a marble column, while Nephenee herself was now chucking javelins over the tiring Mordecai. Lethe must have run out of energy, and the moment she transformed, Nealuchi flew into her place most dutifully for her to rest.
Even so, the situation seemed utterly dire – and although Heather hated to admit it – the odds of them winning seemed too thin. More and more soldiers were arriving every hour or so, only adding to the clutter that had formed before the upper keep.
Even though Geoffrey had finally arrived, as Marcia previously foretold, there was no way for him to join them in the upper section of Alpea, for Ludveck's soldiers were so great in number that the massive clutter growing below them was only half his visible army. The other half, at the very bottom of the keep, proved far more than poor Geoffrey and his men (and women) could handle. If only Geoffrey could get to Ludveck and make the bastard's head into a kabob on his lance!
Nephenee cried out as a man wielding a crossbow took her by surprise. The projectile lodged into her shoulder, sending her backwards into the wall just by the mere force of the impact. Heather, who saw what had happened, came rushing to the scene, carelessly throwing one of her knives at the offender, who received it in the neck and became silent. Heather quickly gathered her up, leaving her great lance and shield behind, and towing her up the stairs beyond the clutter.
"Nephenee!" Heather called, giving her a shake. Queen Elincia quickly realized the attack, she was by their side in moments. Nephenee's eyes blinked open, and the first thing she saw was also her last as her eyes quickly shut again, blood rising rapidly to her cheeks.
"Oh, thank Ashera!" Heather cried, as Elincia tended to the wound. She pulled out the arrow with a small apology, then quickly mended it with her staff. All that was left as evidence was the bloodstain just under her shoulder guard. And then, duty called, sounding like a horrible, wounded yell from another soldier. Elincia apologized and quickly set off the aid the soldier in need of mending. Nephenee opened her eyes again - again seeing the object of her distraction. Heather.
"You alright, hun?" Heather asked, hugging her. Nephenee was silent, shocked stiff by such a gesture.
"I... yeah... ah..." Nephenee mumbled, unable to form the words she was looking for.
"I'm telling you, Nephenee! You need to focus on the field of battle!"
"I – I know that! I just..." Nephenee was vaguely aware that her face was nearing rivalry with a beat by now – those really, really red ones the Brom can raise. Heather noticed this right away.
"Hey, are you really okay? You can't get a fever now!"
"N-no! Heather, I don't have a fever!"
"Then what is it?"
Nephenee could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't even admit it to herself – how could she say anything to Heather?! She wanted to just scream. Scream and kick like a child who doesn't know what else to do. And that's just what she felt like – a child! Heather, who was such a woman – who was so elegant, and attractive, and smart, and quick, and utterly, undeniably perfect – made her feel like a mere child in her presence!
"It's you!"
"Me?"
"I can't stop lookin' atcha, Heather! I only done know you for a day or two, but already I've got air up in mah helmet when I looks at ya – and then that's all I can think about!" Nephenee, as quickly as the words came out, shut her mouth and let two shaking, clammy hands fly up and cover the perpetrator. But the damage was done. Oh, woe! Heather knew! Heather – of all people she could have said anything to – and it was Heather who she spilled to first, and Heather who would be the first to reject her.
Before she could complete her self-murdering thoughts, Heather did something that Nephenee had least expected. The blond rogue straddled her hips, leaning over and planting her puckered, soft, rosy lips onto hers - those lips which had just given away her ever so taboo thought.
"So what is it, then? Is it me or something else?" Heather asked, with a sexy, purring voice that Nephenee just melted into.
"What do ya mean?"
"Well... do you like me or my body?"
"B-both...!"
"Ah," Heather said, bending down and gracing her with another of her playful, teasing smooches, "That's nice to hear."
Suddenly, the pressure on her hips disappeared, and Nephenee was looking up at the sky, seeing Heather standing over her. That playful expression never left her face as she stared down at the breathless Nephenee.
"You're forgetting, hun, there's a battle raging on!" Heather said, winking. Nephenee gasped, stupidly realizing herself that Heather had just magically made her forget all about it! She mentally scolded herself for being such a leather head. She watched, awestruck, as Heather bounded out of sight, rejoining the action. That Heather – so perfect in every way – letting Nephenee simply bask in her gorgeous glory. Before now, it might have distracted her. But now that Heather knew, it felt as if a weight had been lifted off her heart.
With a deep sigh of relief, she bounded up and rushed back into the fight.