Sirens rang out through the usually calm forests of the Eastern Shroud as shouting and the clash of steel could be heard in the farthest reaches of the area. Baelsar's Wall, the giant construct barricading the Black Shroud from the imperial controlled lands in the east began to fall under assault from a large force of Ala Mhigan rebels disguised as members of the Eorzean Alliance, led by the mysterious figure known as The Griffin. At Rildein's request, select members of the Dragon's Scales were on standby at a post within the Shroud in case the conflict were to spread and to aid the Grand Companies if needed, although they were called into action earlier than expected after the sudden uproar. The Warrior of Light infiltrated the Wall and the company found themselves with the new task of defending them from any pursuers following from behind.

"Imperials approaching from the east! Paris, Rose, take care of them!" Gaius shouted as he began bellowing orders to his underlings.

"Bards, position yourselves upon higher ground and cover us. Alex and Robin, you two go with Laris and Anna and hold the southern pathway. Leona, you're with me, we have to make sure no one can gain access to the Wall from this area." He finished as he readied his broadsword for battle.

The group was positioned on the outside of the wall just beyond the entrance to the interior of the section they were covering. Imperial troops began to flank them from all sides as they did the best they could to hold them off. The company was heavily outnumbered, but thankfully what they lacked in quantity they made up with in skill and perseverance. Grabbing a swordsman's arm as it came swinging down to strike Robyn, she pushed it to the side and countered with a swinging kick, sending the man flying back into another soldier. The now dazed imperial who had broken his comrades fall was left staggering as Anna lined up her shot and took him down with a single loud burst of her firearm.

"I wonder how many of these grunts the empire has to send into the meat grinder. Robin, got yer axes ready?" Alex asked.

"Whaddya think, boy?" She smirked.

"Hah should've known. Alright, time to fillet these jokers!" He shouted with a grin as the two sprinted off, slipping around and between a large squadron of imperials as they cut their way through each one.

"Pow! haha!" Laris chuckled to himself as he knocked an enemy cold to the ground before hopping on the spot giddily.

"Laris watch out!" Robyn shouted from a distance as a large animal raced from behind ready to pounce on the unaware Miqo'te before it was swiftly struck down by an incoming arrow.

"I'm amazed that idiot's survived this long." Milla commented, perched high above in a tree some distance away with two others.

"I guess it's because he's always got somebody watching his back." Malik said as he lowered his bow for a moment and looked over to his side at Juria struggling to crawl along the branch to join them, her eyes filled with both fear and determination.

"Wow you made it up a lot higher than I thought you would, seems like someone's becoming a big girl." Milla teased. Juria ignored her negativity and instead went straight to work focusing on the battle below.

"She sure has become a skilled fighter..." Muttered a voice from atop a nearby tree.

"What? Who are you, show yourself!" Malik barked to the side as a young tanned Miqo'te in ragged clothes jumped up in fright from the sudden unexpected outburst and sprinted across through the trees.

"Guess he's gone now. Good job scaring him away." Milla said sarcastically.

"Isn't that... The boy Robyn described who attacked her and Paris a few weeks ago?" Juria asked before Milla answered with a shrug.

"Magitek Armor approaching!" Gaius shouted as piloted bipedal constructs began marching towards them. Paris stepped forward while concentrating aether before expelling it, creating a large barrier around the group. The Magitek Armors shot explosive rounds towards them, exploding on impact with the force-field as energy rippled along the blue spherical barrier.

"I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this, do something! Where is he..." Paris yelled before muttering to herself. Alex and Robin approached the edge of the barrier, getting as close to the enemy as they could without passing through it and began preparing a Mudra which soon caused pillars of ice to shoot up from the ground, ensnaring the mechanical weapons. Taking her queue, Rose began channeling magic before unleashing a devastating explosive spell which heavily damaged the Magitek Armor and sent their charred pilots flying. As the smoke cleared, a new foe appeared, another Magitek Armor but of a different appearance.

"Use caution, I've never witnessed a Magitek weapon of that design before." Gaius warned. The armor came to a halt as it's front slid apart slightly, fully revealing a red "eye" in the center that began charging up before released a large beam of energy at the group. The projectile clashed with the barrier, surging against it as Paris felt her control over the force-field begin to wain. With no strength left to maintain it, the barrier gave way to the beam which resulted in an explosion that sent the team flying backwards.

"Laris, quick! Double Aura Cannon let's go!" Robyn yelled out to the other Miqo'te who stumbled next to her as the Magitek Armor began charging energy. The two began charging up, opening their Chakra and focusing eather into their palms before extending their arms forward in two mighty spiraling blasts as it met with the Magitek Armor's beam. The beams clashed, with neither the monks nor the armor giving up as the center of the energy shifted back and forth with the power fluctuating from each side. The struggle went on for too long and soon after the mass of energy exploded, sending the monks rolling back.

"It's no use, run to cover!" Leona yelled as they began to retreat while the Magitek weapon began charging once more.

"Something else approaches, keep your heads down!" Gaius instructed as an object in the distance caught his eye. As soon as the words left his mouth a figure shot down towards the front of the Magitek Armor. The sounds of metal bending and creaking began to ring through the air as one of the legs of the creation seemed to have been completely severed. The weapon collapsed to the ground, leaving a masked silver-haired warrior with a naginata standing before it before leaping off and instantly disappearing without a trace.

"C-could that have been... Leo?" Juria asked watching from above in the distance, although Malik's attention was drawn elsewhere.

"Milla, follow." He ordered as he began to descend down the tree with the female Elezen reluctantly following behind as they abandoned their post.

"Wait w-where are you going?!" Juria panicked before calming herself down and drawing her bow once more while keeping an eye out for imperial soldiers. The Magitek Armour was down but not out as was made apparent by the whirring sounds of its struggling movements as hatches opened from above. Immediately afterwards a barrage of rockets shot out from behind the weapon soaring towards the group. The sound of the rockets flying forward was almost cut off by the sound of objects slicing through the air as a barrage of red arrows rained down upon the missiles and Magitek Armor. The rockets exploded one by one, causing a chain reaction that led all the way to the Magitek weapon as it began to combust. The group barely had any time to recollect themselves before a chocobo came rushing out of the forests and straight by them towards the mechanical wreckage in the distance. The unknown figure riding it proceeded to dismount it quickly and began rummaging through the wreckage.

"Halt, who are you? Reveal yourself!" Gaius shouted cautiously as the group approached him.

"I know who he is." Malik said, the two Elezens rejoining the team as the stranger stood up and turned back. He was a tall, tanned Hyur with bright yellow eyes and silver hair with a scar running down his face across one of his eyes.

"Miles Scarlet. He was one of us before he broke the code of our order and was removed from our ranks." Malik explained.

"Well if it isn't the fresh meat and sweet, sweet Milla. Unfortunately the music club wasn't working out for me, the free life of a rogue is much more satisfying." Miles replied.

"You mean bandit." Malik replied bluntly.

"That's such a nasty title, I just prefer pleasure over business that's all. Although I remember working with you being a little bit of both." He smirked as he turned to Milla.

"What is your business here and why did you help us? You're obviously not with the Empire, but given Malik's explanation I highly doubt you're here to aid us." Gaius interrogated.

"If you wanna keep chatting me up you're gonna have to buy me dinner first, handsome. Anyway I got what I came for so I think I'll be bowing out now." Miles grinned.

"Hey, not so fast!" Leona warned, ready to leap over to stop the man before a large crash followed by a loud screeching sound interrupted her. Suddenly several large mechanical creatures dropped down from above the wall and crash landed down behind the group.

"Yikes! Are those mechanical diremites?" Laris yelped.

"Everyone ready yourselves, we don't know what these are capable of!" Gaius instructed as the group ignored the intruder and turned their attention towards their new foes.

"I guess that's my cue. Sorry to have my fun and leave you hanging but I have to pull out early for now. Until next time." Miles chuckled, placing an object into a sack hanging from his chocobo's barding and mounting it before it swiftly ran off out of sight. The Armored Weapons proved to be formidable foes, the company's attacks did little to damage the armor plating. On top of that, their missiles and deploy-able Magitek bits proved difficult to avoid.

"I... Think we've almost taken care of this one!" Leona shouted at Gaius as she leaped up into the air and came crashing down on top of one of the weapons with her lance penetrating the metal exterior as it flailed about.

"Proceed with caution, there are still more to deal with." Gaius said turning towards the dragoon.

"Gaius, watch out!" Paris yelled in a panic as one of the weapons leaped up to land on the Au Ra aiming to crush him with it's massive front limbs. Gaius turned towards the creature but had no time to react other than to try and raise his sword up for a block as he closed his eyes and scrunched up his face preparing for the impact. A moment passed and he opened them again to find a figure in front of him, grunting heavily as it's two hands held onto each of the weapon's front legs, stopping it from impaling the Au Ra.

"Asugi?!" Gaius let out in disbelief as he watched his brother struggle to defend him.

"S-sorry Gaius, But I... Couldn't just... Urgh, leave!" Asugi grunted as he managed to force the Armored Weapon backwards. It staggered for a moment before a small slim figure rolled through the air and landed on top of it, thrusting two sharp blades into the metal carapace before dashing off the back as it let out a burst of flames in its defeat.

"You fool, that was completely reckless. Although... you did save my life, and for that you have my thanks." Gaius said looking away as he adjusted his glasses. Asugi smiled at his words before turning to Sarya who had joined the pair.

"There's still more left for us to slaughter, are you ready to see what your fists can do?" Sarya asked with a devilish grin.

"I'll help in any way I can." Asugi answered.

"Airship, overhead!" Paris shouted.

"It's not imperial, what's it doing here?" Rose asked as the vessel flew above them to the top of the wall.

"Everyone listen up! I've received word that our task is over and we are to evacuate immediately. Report back to the outpost at once! That means you two as well." Gaius instructed before turning to Asugi and his companion. The group disengaged from the battle and fled from the wall to the safety of the forests beyond before catching a glimpse of a bright flash that left a large spherical object floating above the wall in its wake.

"Did you find what you needed?" Asked a masked man who was sitting beside a campfire along with a young Miqo'te as Miles approached them. It had been a short while since the incident at Baelsar's Wall and the moon now rose high in the sky.

"Of course, this Magitek core ought to fetch a high price with some friends of mine." Miles answered raising an object out of the sack he was holding.

"It seems smaller than I would have imagined." The masked man replied.

"it's not the size that counts it's how you use it, and I sure can't wait. I managed to save some of your friends from a terrible fate as well while I was at it. Don't worry, count that as a freeby." Miles grinned.

"Thanks." The man nodded.

"Speaking of friends, who's this? Catch a little Coeurl for us to eat? I call the rear, that's the most succulent part." He jested tauntingly. The Miqo'te didn't say anything, rather just looked down towards the fire uncomfortably.

"His name's N'athys, apparently he has history with a close friend of mine. I found him lurking about watching her fight and brought him here before things got too heated. It seems he has nowhere to stay so I was going to take him back to my home to tend to it while I'm away." The masked man explained.

"I don't understand why you don't just go back already." Miles replied.

"I will... Soon. When I feel strong enough. Until then I'll keep taking whatever challenging tasks you can give me." He answered before staring back towards the calming flames through his mask.

"Fair enough, can't complain about free help." Miles grinned.