Chapter 25: Halls of Moria

Miana suppressed a yawn as she finished crossing over to Rivendell from Gridania where she had decided to venture after yesterday's council. In part to stock up, to rest in a familiar environment for what was likely to be the last time for a fair while, but mostly so she could send a letter to her family and tell of what has gone on as of late.

Time well spent.

Far less pleasant was the solid wall of booming laughter she met on arrival.

Was a little quiet too much to ask for?

"Hah, that's hilarious!" Still Water guffawed, "For how long did that crafty old wizard keep it up?"

The one he spoke to was the stout dwarf from yesterday who apparently was telling him a story. "Until sunrise, when the trolls all went and poof," he raised his arms suddenly for effect, "turned into stone! Was told it was a terrible thing to experience, listening to the big oafs arguing for all night long, but the whole matter does in a manner sound funny enough after the fact now doesn't it?"

He wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing, "There is truth in that, my good fellow."

Miana left the eyesores to it and waddled over to the much quieter Augustus and the bearded representative of of this nation they call Gondor, who leaned on the nearby fence, "Good morning, you guys."

"Good morning." Augustus shrugged, "You're the last to arrive."

"Last?" she raised an inquisitive brow, "I don't see H'aerindu around."

The hyur gave a curt laugh, "Given how you only looked to those two before you came to us, that's of no surprise."

Miana blushed in mild embarrassment and turned around to find H'aerindu standing in the distance where she conversed with the two young elezen she saw among the council yesterday, along with that Elrond fellow and Gandalf. There was also a lancer or dragoon among them, "Um, who's the spear-wielder?"

"I don't know."

The bearded man scratched his bearded chin, "Another volunteer, perhaps?"

"You're kidding me..." Miana averted her eyes and groaned, "Why did it have to be another scruffy man?"

The machinist scoffed, "I don't see how that's a problem."

"Of course you don't..."

"About what?" H'aerindu – having concluded whatever business she had – suddenly joined the conversation, greatly startling her.

"N-nothing at all!" the lalafell stuttered as she bounced in place, and felt a small figurative part of her die inside when the spear-wielder came up behind the monk and lent a less than wanted credence to the bearded man's words, "All is fine and dandy..."

The machinist huffed in amusement when he followed up, "It's as she say."

"Okay..." H'aerindu looked like she tried to piece together what the men laughed about only to shrug it off as she partially turned away, "Anyroad, come together everyone! We need to go now!"

"Huh, aren't you going to introduce your new friend to us?" Still Water asked as he and Gimli ceased in their raucous exchange and came on over.

"I intend to, but we'll do that and the briefing as we go."

"A good choice! I concur!" the dwarf nodded, "There is altogether too little time to just be standing around. For all we know the poor fools may be neck deep in a whole heap of trouble. Sooner we get there the better."

"My thoughts exactly." H'aerindu replied, giving the dwarf a smile Miana deeply wished she had been the recipient of, "That being said, our initial destination is West Lórien where a guide courtesy of Lady Galadriel will lead us to the forest edge closest to Moria's eastern point of entry. Now, without any further ado, we go."

OoOoO

Théodred did not expect to wake up again.

At once, pain erupted from his wounded chest area, but against all astronomical odds he managed to hold on rather than faint again, and he used the opportunity for all he could make of it to take stock of the situation since last darkness took him.

Much to his relief, Éomer was here.

None had noticed yet that he was awake, least of all Éomer who seemed like he had aged a decade as he addressed a crowd of subordinates and runners, and there are apparently no good news in sight if his countenance, sick from worry and frustration, was of any indication. Théodred strained to listen, but could barely hear anything besides the hubbub.

That was no good a sign.

"Éomer..." Théodred forced himself to utter, and flinched involuntarily at the coarseness of his weak voice.

Éomer blinked in astonishment and rushed on over, same with many others. "My lord?" he asked, "My lord, can you hear me?"

"I… I hear you." he stuttered, "How long was I out?"

"More than a day or two, my lord. Hard to tell without outside contact."

"Y-you haven't been s-successful in opening a p-path, then."

"As you may well see." Éomer's regret was almost palpable, "We have tried to withdraw our units from the upper levels to marshal a force for the breakthrough, but we have lost contact with many… and some of the runners dispatched have not returned..." he hesitated, "Word is that there's something massive slaughtering men wherever it wander."

Théodred took this in with dread, "Something massive... Do you suspect it might be what earned this place its name of omen?"

"We know not whether we are dealing with it, my lord. The situation nevertheless is deteriorating."

"I see..."

Éomer shook his head somberly, clearly at a loss, "At this juncture only a miracle will save us, and chances are we will not be so fortunate..."

OoOoO

After a full day of travel the fields of grass had at last given away for rocky grounds.

Not much further now.

"How big is this entrance we're looking for?" H'aerindu queried aloud and let out a brief whoop as her chocobo leaped across a small crevice – a feat the pony Gimli rode on could not quite so easily replicate.

Gimli called out a fair bit louder as he fell a couple of seconds behind them, "Large but far from being huge, I was told. For obvious reasons few dwarves have ventured here since the Battle of Azanulbizar."

"Orcs?"

"Worse..."

The dark tone Gimli imparted into that single word piqued her interest to say the least and she was about to query about specifics when they crested a hill and came upon a sea of horses extensively dressed in harnesses of leather and patchwork armor that was somehow more impressive than the multitude of huorns seen previously.

"Twelve..." Miana spoke up, baffled, "How many horses are we looking at here?"

"Just the number one would expect from a realm all but built upon horseback." Boromir said, clearly amused by the reactions, "For every fighting man there's a horse ready to bear him into battle, and more besides."

"Yet they are out here..."

Gimli shrugged and argued, "The dark places below ground are no place for horses. Now to see if there are any men above ground."

"Which shouldn't be too hard," Boromir rejoined as they continued onward and waded through the massed herd, "for the Rohirrim cannot afford leaving their horses untended to. Just leave the talking to me and we should make steady headway."

"Makes sense." H'aerindu accepted the suggestion, "Your two countries are allies as I recall..."

He nodded a little more stiffly than was reasonable, and his hesitation was explained, "That, but also because as most people the Rohirrim take a dim view of women partaking in war. It would not be strange if they... misinterpret your intentions."

"I see..." she scratched the back of her head and sighed, more exasperated than annoyed, while Miana produced a sound of disgust, "By all means, then."

Through silence they traveled on, and encountered only one obstacle in the form of a tight clump of horses that crowded on either side of a slim river on the way. Much less an obstacle was the growing number of men they came across who tried to care for more mounts than they seemed to have the manpower for, and were, judging by their slumped shoulders, evidently in low spirits.

It did not speak well for the situation here.

No one tried to stop their advance, not before they arrived at large mishmash of a camp that was also severely understaffed where at last a couple of mounted guards in heavy armor came to bar their way.

"Halt!" one of them brusquely shouted, "What is your business here?!"

"I am Boromir of Gondor!" Boromir took to his self-imposed task with vigor, imparting all the authority that he did not do during their introductions almost a day earlier, "And we have come bearing a message for your Prince!"

The guard took pause, "You are welcome here, friend, but unless you have a legion of warriors at your back I am afraid you will find the Prince... difficult to reach."

"What has happened?!" Gimli barked, "Speak!"

"Our comrades have been pinned down in the city below since days past when orcs came in great numbers. Our hands are likewise tied due to a blockade they have set up..."

The guard trailed off and left Boromir to consider his words while he gave the miqo'te a searching glance to which she supplied a solemn nod. "I understand." he addressed, firm as bedrock, "There is no greater force here at my beck and call. I suspect, however, that those of us here will more than suffice."

"Pardon my lack of reticence…" the other guard directed at her and Miana a doubtful look and said, then stopped himself when Boromir gave them what was like to be his sternest glare. "For the sake of our Lord, I pray that you are right." he amended in a hurried cough, "Come. We'll lead you to our Commander, and pray that he is not in the foulest of his moods."

OoOoO

Grimbold abhorred his situation, so far removed from his liege and superior in so desperate a time, cursing as what few archers he had at his disposal scrambled away from the stairs under the hail of too many arrows launched in reprisal. One score of archers with only a few feet of ground to work with could do very little of dislodging a force of hundreds.

If not for the damned chasm, the eored could have marshaled their true strength at arms and shown these orcs what for.

One of his archers yelled in pain as an orc arrow lodged itself into his knee and sent him sprawling at the worst time possible. He fell dead to several arrows before the others could drag him out of the way and to safety. "Curse the fiends!" Grimbold snapped, his face reddened by anger, "Soon as another volley falls, strike anew! We must pave the path for our lord!"

A curt rain of arrows fell on the stone, upon which those of his archers close enough leaped out to let loose.

For what little good that did as they were forced to withdraw once again, unable to ascertain whether the arrows even found their mark.

"Sir!"

"What now?!" Grimbold turned in abject irritation to see one of the camp guard who are supposed to patrol the exterior, and who had the audacity to address him at so precarious a juncture, only to see the passage beyond him fill up with a most unexpected company.

The subordinate had the grace to look uncomfortable, "Visitors, sir, who have come for our liege… and who claim to be well-suited to lifting the siege."

Grimbold had to fight the urge to scoff. "Have they, now?" he pushed the camp guard aside and approached the strangers, glowering at the most respectable-looking knight among them, "Quite a claim coming from newcomers to a debacle they know nothing of, like heroes emerging from a tale. Tell me, do we stand in a legend or in a place where so little precious light can reach?"

"It does sound unbelievable." the strange brunette who stood beside the knight suddenly interjected, smiling as she paced a little closer, "Still, we did not come all this way just to sit back and wait for this whole tragedy unfold."

"And who are you all supposed to be?!" Grimbold demanded, his curiosity over the cat-like eyes and the bushy tail trailing behind her overpowered by a fit of anger.

She tilted her head and said, imparting an absolute confidence he did not have to every syllable, "We are your solution to this debacle. Consequently I would appreciate it if you step aside and cooperate rather than bar our way."

Grimbold sneered, "How precisely do you aim to go about this, lass?!" he emphasized the last word, "To begin with a woman should not even be here!"

The buxom she-cat ignored his condescension and called out over her shoulder, "Gimli."

"I'm here." the dwarf among them emerged, "What do ye need?"

"What does your maps tell of the place beyond this point?"

At once he whipped out a number of maps and unfolded one, "Ahead of here's a large chamber within which a portion of Khazad-Dûm's defenses are placed. A chasm almost a hundred and fifty feet across and so deep it might as well be considered fathomless, and the only way across it is a lonely and narrow bridge. As for the blockade itself, without even asking I am certain it's positioned on the far side. Does that sound about right, horse master?"

"Indeed." Grimbold begrudgingly confirmed.

H'aerindu folded her arms, "How many orcs are there?"

"We estimate there to be around six hundred, give or take a score..."

She gave him an appreciative nod, her eyes almost glittering, "Aauron?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think you can jump far enough to blindside them?"

"Easily." the fellow in spiky armor drawled in professional disinterest, "In terms of jumping distance I would not lose to the Azure Dragoon."

The she-cat appeared to accept the utterly absurd claim. "I'll hold you to that and provide distraction so you can make the jump. As for the rest of you, including you horse masters, come out soon as we've stirred the pot and do your thing!"

Her call somehow elicited a chorus, and he was horrified to find that more than her own ragtag group of misfits responded to her as a disconcerting number of men were caught up in her rhythm and momentum. Grimbold wanted to retort about the insanity of this so-called plan and question some of its finer details, but the unwavering confidence instilled into it somehow told him that this might really work even as his mind fought irascibly to disagree.

She looked on him next, smirking, "Think you can do that?"

"Er, we will do our part..." he winced at the feeble tone he put out.

"Then we are good to go. Oh, and Still Water. Do not leave Miana's side, you got that?"

To her words the huge oaf let out a groan.

"I'll take that as a yes. Aauron, with me."

OoOoO

"You handled that well, my lady."

"Not at all, Aauron." H'aerindu shook her head in all honesty as they came within a step from the corner that would lead them into the chamber beyond, whispering while her eyes rested sadly on the many arrows and several strewn bodies, "All I did was direct the conversation through brute force."

Aauron shrugged, "Regardless, much time was saved in so doing."

"Yeah... By the way, do you need a head start?"

"Indeed. Will you be able to distract all of them for the length of time required?"

She mustered a curt smile, "That's the easy part, I'd say."

Aauron took up his spear, "I'll leave it to you, then."

"Okay." H'aerindu paused to glance at the others who had taken up position and waited for their turn to come in bated or nervous anticipation. "Here I go..." she announced and plunged into the dark after the next volley zipped passed to see a chamber of colossal scale that stretched far into the distance, though it did not change what she had to do as the great mass of orcs on the chasm's far side clamored at the sight of her going into the open, many of whom nocked arrows in utter glee, their eyes following her as she made a beeline for the bridge below.

To find that Gimli had undersold just how narrow it was.

She was quite shocked to say the least by just how precarious it looked, though she managed to quickly redirect her attention and leaped aside as arrows rained down around her along with the orcs' countless jeering cries and sadistic laughter, mocking her foolhardy decision to challenge them so openly.

All while doing so they failed to suspect a thing.

Place a single dot on a blank page and the attention of onlookers would be drawn to it. This here distraction of hers was based on much the same principle, and it provided Aauron with all the elbow space he needed. "Anytime now..." she tilted her head to avoid an arrow intended for it, and was rewarded by the terse sound of rapid footsteps that led to the launching of a shadowed form across the chasm – fast as the wind.

The dragoon's boast proved to not be so lacking in substance as he like a man-sized projectile cleared the distance and proceeded to fly past the orc troops – most of whom had yet to even notice him until his subsequent landing where the harsh encounter of metal and stone produced a shrill shriek that reverberated across this grand and mostly empty chamber. Many of the orcs whirled about, startled, but Aauron had already wheeled about and launched himself at their rear.

Several of the creatures could be heard screaming as they were run through by rapid thrusts, and she concluded with a smile that he was well worth bringing along.

H'aerindu watched as many more orcs turned their backs, utterly convinced now that she was not a threat and that the real danger came from a surprise attack on their rear to the point that many of the pike-wielding orcs standing at the bridge withdrew. "Good thing they can be so easily fooled." she said to herself and after avoiding another flurry of clumsily made arrows broke into a run. At first she worried that the bridge's narrowness would be too great a deterrent to any real speed, but she adjusted to it well enough provided that she clear it shortly. However, soon as she was almost across, difficulties arose as the opposing force abruptly split down the middle to reveal a full bulwark of heavily armored orcs armed with long spears.

It would seem the orcs were not so easily fooled after all.

Moreover the creatures appeared to have expected her, with preparations to match.

"Run the she-cat through!" one of the armored orcs demanded, "As the Hand commands!"

H'aerindu wondered as to who it spoke of, but this thought took a backseat to the need of thinking her way out of this predicament. The footing here on this narrow bridge was far too precarious for her liking, and the chasm below weighed more heavily on her mind by the second, so it left her with only one viable choice. H'aerindu took up her sphairai and reinforcing her body with aether to the utmost she could manage in a hurry. When the spears and another flight of arrows arrived she could not dodge and instead made every effort with open palms to furiously redirect and bat the bladed weapons away.

It seemed hilarious to the orcs and they laughed uproariously at her apparent belief that her flesh would be enough to protect her. However, all the laughter came to an end when four of the spears and an arrow managed to land in rapid succession on her right arm and abdomen, only to be stopped, unable to do more than give her a few surprisingly shallow cuts.

Followed by cries of shock when two of the former splintered.

"Nice try, you guys!" H'aerindu hissed, just barely able to keep from showing how much pain she was in, as she took a step back in a clean motion and struck aside the surviving spears with a wave of the bloodied arm to clear a path to the armored orcs who now backpedaled, their expressions a rictus of rising horror, "But not good enough!"

OoOoO

Gimli liked to think himself as the who most looked forward to this battle, being the only dwarf here who would be the first to fight in the halls of Khazad-Dûm since its abandonment. Sadly his eagerness was second only to the looming roegadyn who was already tortured by his given task, eager to instead bash through enemy lines.

Especially now as the action was about to start in earnest.

"Don't be so down, Still Water!" Augustus patted Still Water's massive shoulder, earning only a grunt in return, "Protecting the healer's an important job too."

"Eorl and his beard, I cannot believe it! They are really giving it to them!" Grimbold was ashen gray from just the one look he gave the situation below, and raised his bow, "Eorlingas, we must not fall behind!"

The horse master had managed to muster what additional men he could, footmen who declared their keen intent, heartened by the turn of fortune, and with Grimbold in the lead hastened out. Gimli nevertheless managed to get to the fore and gave the battlefield a searching look as he surfaced from the passage to find the two who now fought in the orcs' midst, reaping a bloodied toll. Hundreds of orcs and they seemed all but untouchable, marred only by a scarce few wounds that closed as Miana got into position and intervened with her near-miraculous magic. The dwarf had at first his doubts about its veracity, but no longer as he crossed the bridge and subsequently the mounds of crushed and beaten corpses to strike into the orcs who had used their superior numbers to surround H'aerindu. "Baruk Khazâd!" he sounded the age old war cry of his people so it boomed over the din of battle as he crashed into the enemy and in one heavy swing sank the twin-bladed axe Balin gifted to him into the filth-covered flesh of his first foe from behind, eliciting a bellowing shriek that was short-lived as he crushed its neck, "Khazâd ai-mênu!"

The surprise was near total, and the orcs were made to scatter as the rest joined in the ensuing carnage in a storm of whirling blades and blasts of gunpowder.

OoOoO

It has only been a short while, but the battle did not look like it'd last for much longer.

Much to Still Water's irritation.

Miana rather liked both those things as she channeled her spells, using her place among these trigger-happy archers for the splendid vantage point it was. The distance from her charges left much to be desired, truth be told, as she needed to be closer to use the more precise magic in her arsenal, but some light healing spells here and there can work wonders in such chaotic conditions.

Full of exuberance, she prepared to deliver her third heal, this time onto a footman who just took an ugly gash across his chest when all of a sudden someone out there blew a giant horn which clamor brought most of the worse than four hundred surviving orcs to a halt.

"Oh no..." Still Water slumped his giant shoulders in dismay, "No, no, no!"

Most of the orcs were fast to clear the area and ignored the dragoon who stood in their path even as he persisted in carving a path through them, leaving only a platoon-sized group who raced at the partially blood-drenched miqo'te in a suicidal charge.

Only to be cut down as they were swamped and hacked down by the exultant footmen.

The sole one to get through, crazed and wild-eyed, promptly had a hole drilled through its skull by Augustus.

"Come on, let's get down there." Miana told the sulking giant, finishing the spell she was about to cast before.

"Fine..." he muttered, and was blissfully quiet till they reached the other side where a small celebration was thrown by the footmen who in all honesty had not expected to survive this. "What a complete bummer that was, seriously!" Still Water groaned aloud, throwing his arms wide in exasperation, "You guys had all the fun!"

"Nothing we can do about it except go on." H'aerindu rested her bloodied palms on her hips, "If their leader has as good a head on its shoulders as I think it does, chances are those orcs will return to set up the blockade again while we're gone."

Gimli hummed, pretending to think, "Or we can go after them now."

"Absolutely not." Miana argued aloud, "If it's so twelve-damned smart, I'd rather not tussle with them again before we have to." and sighed, "I mean, honestly, you took a lot of hits back there due to its mechanization, H'aerindu."

The busty brunette paused to examine her right arm, while the wounds had been healed it was still covered in her blood, "Actually, I'm more concerned about… no, never mind. You're right, Miana. Horse master—"

"Grimbold." the horse master in charge growled, his eyes distant.

"Grimbold." she corrected, "You okay there?"

"Yes… I just can't believe we're actually standing here."

"Well, don't celebrate just yet. Where can we find your Prince?"

Grimbold pointed lamely into the distance, "Take that door, it will lead you to the floor above us. You may find him there."

"Good to know." H'aerindu accepted glibly, "Let's roll out guys… oh, and Aauron?"

The dragoon barely turned, his half-concealed face inscrutable, "Yes?"

"Good job back there."

"… You're welcome."

With little fanfare they briskly left the chamber for Grimbold to handle and followed a long series of dark corridors where they soon started to hear a dull roar of battle that grew to be explicit as they came to a staircase narrow as the bridge from before, and equally lacking in handrails. Miana complained about this flaw in dwarven architecture to Gimli who had his gaze set forward till they arrived at a chamber far larger than the last one where a great host of Rohirrim fought an orc army of greater number from wall to wall and betwixt great pillars of stone. There was no semblance of recognizable strategy as she could perceive as most of these orcs had apparently climbed in from cracks in the ceiling, with more coming in by the moment.

It was a complete mess.

Miana hesitated, "W-where are we supposed to find the Prince here?!"

"I can only assume that he would not directly play a part in this battle!" the dwarf supplied in haste, their eyes gravitated the way he pointed his axe to a walled section far ahead where the fighting was especially severe, "And there is no better a place to take cover than that over yonder!"

"Only one way to find out!" Boromir ran on ahead, "Hurry now, follow me!"

With renewed energy they weaved on through the crowded battlefield toward the horse masters' assumed command post. Miana panted and wheezed as she tried to keep up with the taller people around her, preoccupied by the importance of staying in their midst as enemies could be found snarling in every direction, including to their rear as another gaggle of orcs came around to block it – or maybe they merely paused. It was impossible to know for sure as Miana had to keep her attention fixed forward.

Until a blast of sound almost scared her out of her wits.

The man of Gondor had pulled from his belt a large horn and through it produced a distinct booming sound that caused every horse master here to look up as if in faint recognition. "Make way! Make way!" he yelled after having blown the horn several times, "Missive for the Prince of Rohan! Make way!"

It took only a few seconds for the wall of soldiers in front of them to react and open a small gap so they could squeeze in through and meet with a superior who knew better than to dawdle by asking questions and escorted them into the walled section. What met them inside was a veritable charnel house where almost every spare inch was given over to victims of a situation spinning ever further out of control, and a few men of assumed high rank who by all indications had been arguing among themselves. Foremost among them was a man who donned a very ornate helmet, his eyes wide and staring disbelievingly.

"Nary a moment past I wondered if insanity had taken me when the Horn of Gondor was sounded." the man spoke in utter incredulity, "Friend, you can scarcely believe our relief. Has aid somehow come for us?"

"In a manner of speaking." Boromir said as he placed a hand on the horse master's shoulders, as though to confirm that yes, this is real, "But first things first, we must meet with the Prince."

OoOoO

Théodred felt cold and numb.

It would not be long now before he would sally away to the halls of his forefathers, yet still he held on for a desperate hope that he would not depart in shame and regret, and looked on through narrowed eyes as a newly arrived company spoke with the grim-faced Éomer. Few words reached his nearly deaf ears, but the reactions that followed conveyed all the details he needed to know.

The leading man was horrified to discover Théodred's wretched state.

"Does he yet live?!" he tersely questioned.

"For now..." Éomer intoned his dismay. "Albeit not for much longer. Our menders can do no more for him."

"Then it is fortunate that I'm here!"

Did he just suffer a fever dream or was that a girl's voice?

Théodred had not noticed the females who stood not far behind the man of Gondor, and was surprised when a tiny one pushed herself out of the man's company and closed in on the table on which he rested. So shocked was Éomer by her appearance that he did not act to stop her.

Nor did he slow down the other female who flashed Éomer a quick smile.

Only then did he recover, "Stop right the—" and was about to intercept when the man of Gondor placed a reassuring gauntlet on his shoulder. "You cannot mean that a child like that can..."

He nodded, "She just might."

Théodred would have had a choice few words to say if he had the strength as it became more and more apparent that neither of them are of the Race of Man at all as two pairs of clearly alien eyes examined him. "Quite an old wound he's got there." the brunette observed, arms folded under her large bosom, "Think you can handle it?"

"It'll take a lot of aether to treat this!" the child-like girl muttered, squinting at the sucking wound, "Which means I won't be able to handle everyone here."

"Do what you can," she said, and opened her mouth to continue when the clamor outside was eclipsed by war cries that made abundantly clear that yet more enemy reinforcements have come. A chill ran down Théodred's spine when he realized that the noise included not only the screams of several raging trolls, but heavy footfalls of something huge, and a great tally of explosive impacts that rocked the place so bits of masonry and rivulets of dust fell from the walls and ceiling.

Many men collapsed to the floor and walls, wailing in horror as more destruction followed.

"The demon has come!" one of the wounded cried in the same terror Théodred felt, "Woe betide us, the demon has come to destroy us!"

"On your feet, eored! We are not yet lost!" Éomer put up a brave front and tried to reign in his troops, but it was apparent that even he struggled to keep his wits about.

Théodred was also scared and contemplated on whether to bite down on his tongue and bleed out lest the demon come and feed on his spirit as old stories so often are prone to claim. The only reason why he had yet to do this was the relative calm of the aliens among the newly arrived who at most seemed resigned to a further escalation.

"Oi!" someone unrecognizable shouted through the din, "Is that out there what I think it is?!"

"And what precisely is it you're talking about?!" the child-like girl asked, more annoyed than perplexed, "Speak clearly!"

The one to answer was the brunette, her expression simultaneously solemn and distant like she was recalling a rather fresh memory in detail:

"They have an Oppressor."

Author notes: Yet another difficult chapter. Had to rewrite parts of it several times, and because I was determined to end the chapter on this particular note it took a long time to get the chapter done. That being said, I wondered for a long while how to employ the use of Fists of Earth and finally went the whole hog with it in this chapter. At first I did intend to have her make a switch for a more tanky job like paladin but it did not feel quite right for some reason.

But speaking of jobs, I should probably go over each of the characters on that, those with proficiency at more than one job that is.

H'aerindu Dhelh, as one can expect, is very proficient at most jobs, though her preferred one by a vast margin is Monk. I plan to have her put to use at least two other jobs later on.

Miana Mia is a White Mage and Astrologian, being very inclined toward the use of support magic, and I certainly did not decide on this because I forgot about what job I had her use during her first appearance. :P

Augustus Powell is a Machinist with some proficiency at one other job.

And finally, on an unrelated note, and not a day too soon: Merry Christmas everyone!