The Hunter and the Hunted

Lancer awoke to see Alice peering at him along with Tamamo, and Allison. "Wh-what happened?" Lancer managed to get out.

"You hit your head hard on a rock, you almost died!" Allison said with tears in her eyes

"Hah, that wouldn't be the first time!" he replied. Lancer tried to get off the uncomfortable bed, but found that he couldn't move his legs. His eyes went wide.

Alice, noticing this said "ah yes, that… You will be able to walk again, however it may take some time. I'm sorry Lancer, but you'll have to stay in bed"

Lancers bright eyes faltered, but then returned to their usual brightness. "Well, I'll at least be able to formulate some plans while I'm here"

"Ma'am!" a voice yelled from behind

"What is it?" Alice calmly replied

"I have news about the warlord!"

"Do come in" Alice said

Lancer could put a face to the voice, it seemed to be a centaur.

"He wasn't killed, one of our spies reported that he used some sort of magic to make himself younger again!"

"What?" Lancer said as he shot up, "How? When? … He should be dead… DAMNIT!" Lancer screamed furiously.

"We were just winning" Alice said quietly so Lancer wouldn't hear, but he did.

"We were never winning, only losing. Every win we make gets swiped into nothingness before we could ever hope to respond…" Lancer said slowing as he went.

"Please give us a moment" a voice said. They all turned surprised, but not Lancer. She always shows up when he's weakest

It was Alma Elma, "When did you get here?" Tamamo muttered, "And I honestly think Lancer Probably doesn't want to be alone with you, as you always try and get into his pants"

"True, true, yet I have advice. Oh, as if you don't try too Tamamo!" Alma Elma said chuckling

Tamamo looked to the disabled young man, and received a signature nod. His nod seems to tell more tales and give more answers than anything he could say. However to the untrained eye he would be a mystery. Tamamo looked to the others and left followed closely by Alice, and Allison.

As soon as they left Lancer growled "Don't try anything"

"Not like you could do anything sweetie" she said while rubbing her softly across his rough cheek. She plopped down on the bed right beside him, and turned to look into his eyes. Making Lancer squirm

"Do move your legs, I need to get comfortable", she said while grabbing his legs and roughly pushing them over to the other side. "Now to business, you seem in dire need. So let me get this straight, you're scared, and don't go all macho man on me and be like I'm never scared!"

Lancer looked at her annoyed, then said, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't"

"Good good, now what are you afraid of?"

I'm afraid of losing this war, not for myself, but for you all. If I die fighting the Warlord then no doubt you'll no longer have the strength to face him. Maybe if you all join together you could, but you have to defend others, the innocents don't deserve to be slaughtered." Lancer said turning his head away, to stare out the window into the crashing waves of the beautifully lit Ocean. The moon was the only light in the room, but Lancers and Alma Elma's eyes seemed to give off their own light.

"We'll win, we always do." Alma Elma stated

"You can't win a war, as soon as there is a single casualty everyone loses. What people consider winning, is only a façade to hide their sadness." Lancer stated

"Look at me, she said. Lancer turned, "We will live"

Lancer sighed, then flinched as she straddled him. Got to keep the, what did you call it? Façade up." She said while unclasping her armor, while hugging him close, making it so he couldn't breathe. The others came in, then Lancer realized what Alma Elma was doing, she was trying to keep the others knowing only one side of her.

"Get off him" Tamamo said, a slight hint of jealousy in her voice

"Bye" Alma Elma said while leaving, she turned back one last time, smiled, winked, and then giggled.

"Was she any help?" Alice asked, not even slightly fazed by Alma Elmas behavior.

"Yes, I believe she was…" Lancer said quietly

Lancer grunted, and swung his legs over the bed. He used his right arm to push himself up. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and forced himself to stand up. He fell instantly, then Alice and Tamamo rushed and pulled him back to his feet. "Has anyone figured out how heavy you are? How dense are you?"

"Very" Lancer said in a part grimace, part smile.

"You're so heavy!" Tamamo grunted.

Lancer chuckled a bit then coughed violently, "Ughh, damn this hurts" he coughed again, then planted one foot firmly on the ground.

Alice stopped him however, "You need to rest, especially for when Granberia gets here" she says winking.

Lancer smirked slightly and said "I wouldn't let her do anything to me anyways. I'm in no condition to do any sexual acts"

"I'm sure I could change that Tamamo said blushing

"Hah no" Lancer said laughing, then he went into a coughing fit once again

"Worth a shot" Tamamo muttered. Alright you are in need of rest, you are more useful alive…and better looking"

"Some would beg to differ" Lancer said chuckling while laying his head down on the comfortable, stiff, silken bed.

"Hmm, speaking of him we will take our leave and try to gather more intel before we formulate a plan"

"Alright, wake me up when you find something"

"No you need as much sleep as you can get, I'll be sure no one disturbs you" Alice said turning swiftly.

"You think I will sleep?" Lancer said chuckling slightly

"You will have to…eventually" Alice said looking back over her shoulder, she was frowning, but gave no voice as to why.

Alice left, but Tamamo turned one last time smiled then followed Alice out of the room, closing the heavily engraved iron door behind her.

Lancer leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling wondering how he had ever gotten here, he had ignored his subconscious and was now wrapped in a war in which he couldn't leave. This event had changed him beyond anyone could have predicted, now he was different he cared little before about the going-ons, which he was now entwined with.

He closed his eyes and looked into his mind where his inner demons lay, his mind told him to leave. Why care about a war that wasn't his own? Was it his lover, Granberia? No deep down he knew she cared little for him as long as he was up for bedding her when she needed it. No it was his morals, every time he realizes something breaks them and changes him a little, swallowing him back into the pitch black darkness of death. It completely and utterly consumes him, pulling back to a place where neither does he belong, but where he needn't be in.

Then he realized the answer, it was his morals who guided him into rightness, he needed to stay, he needed to fight for what was right. Lancer slowly pushed himself up, his arms were week and he felt like he would collapse at any moment, he pulled himself up, and looked at the door. He knew he was too weak to pull it open so he stared and stared and stared. Then he noticed something, the window was open, leading into the blackness of night. He jerked using all of his force to throw himself to his feet. Then he slowed to a crawl, and went towards the window. He looked out and to he left. High up he saw a light, "where Chrome, Selena and his Doppelganger slept, along with, albeit rarely, the four kids. He heard a giggle and looked to his right. It was Alma Elma, she was sitting on the sill of the other room directly over, staring at him with a bright expression on her face.

"Nice of you to drop by, still weak?" She said suddenly turning serious

"A little" Lancer said making sure to act still strong enough to resist, if anything went sour.

"She looked him up and down for a long hard second before settling at his eyes, a striking bright purple. Almost neon. "We need to prepare you, if he's young again you have no chance…come with me"

"I can barely move…" Lancer muttered

"Then why didn't you say so?!" she said smiling, she flew over picked him up and tried to glide to the ground, but it ended more as a crash landing. He landed on top of her, and she squealed while gasping for breath. He rolled off and looked at the canopy of dark green trees. He sighed and breathed deeply before trying to get up. He tried to sit up, but collapsed.

"Hmm, you're in worse a state than I thought" the succubus muttered. She walked over and grabbed Lancer but the arms and tried to help him up. He used his leg to lever himself up and onto his feet. He looked up at the stars, the glimmered brightly making him feel peaceful, but he had to train. He walked over to a tree and leaned against it. He coughed loudly ducked and threw up in a bush. He coughed loudly and spat, he looked at his arm, which he had coughed into. There was blood all over it, he felt even weaker and collapsed onto the side of tree. Alma Alma watched him with a worried expression, then she teleported away leaving Lancer alone. Lancer gripped his chest and felt all of his wounds catching up to him, several of he wounds on his chest had opened, scar tissue torn. He coughed and threw up blood again, before crawling over to a spring a few meters away, he drank some water, looked back at the castle and realized why Alma Elma had taken him outside. It was time for him to leave, he wouldn't get any stronger staying at the castle. Before he could make up his mind Alma Elma came back with all of his equipment. She looked at him one more time, said "Good luck" and left once more. Lancer looked at where she just was, she hadn't helped him up. He reached grabbed his stuff and looked up at the sky. He looked off through the ridge in the mountains and saw soldiers unloading off of warships. He heard shouting behind him, so he held tightly to his equipment and rolled into the spring, there was a current underneath the water and he was swept away.

Hey! Sorry for the delayed chapter, I was rather busy, but I'm still working on the story!