Two new Favorites and Three new Follows out of nowhere! Thank you oh so much! I was worried I wouldn't get any in July but then—BAM month saved hahaha. New Path's now up to 8th place for Xillia favorites, so another round of thanks for that!
Thank you Rocketfist, Presea, and Varupikusu for your reviews.
Nice to see so many new Xillia fics that New Path got bumped off the top of the latest boards.
Early update day!
Tales of Xillia and the Tales of Series are the copyright of Namco Bandai and whoever else owns the rights. I own nothing except for OCs that have unfortunately appeared.
Chapter 37: Towards the Fated Battle
The morning-night came over Fennmont, and those involved in the day's future battle began to assemble in the seahaven. The captured flying battleship was docked as well as possible in the area, overly large ramps deployed to the ground as soldiers, supplies and arms were transported aboard. The pilots of the ship called in the uncertainties and dangers of the mission, but such was the fate of any battle.
Lines of soldiers, Rashugal and Auj Oule stood ready and waiting for orders. King Gaius stood before them all, his Chimeriad to his left side, and to his right was Lord Cline. To the lord's right was Ilbert the Conductor and the young girl Elize. The assorted other people who'd come to aid these two rulers just milled around in back.
"Once," the king of Auj Oule started. "we turned our swords upon one another and fought for control of Rieze Maxia."
"But today," Cline took over the speech. "We come together not as enemies, but as allies."
"We have located the enemy's base of operations," Gaius took control back. "A ship known as the Zenethra." Alvin revealed the name of the base in the meetings no soldier was privy too.
"Fear not the battle so come, brothers!" Gaius rose his blade to the air. "United, we will not falter!"
"Together!" Cline rose his own rapier as well. "We shall reclaim our world!" The two rulers crossed their weapons to the cheers of the soldiers of Auj Oule and Rashugal. Though no, perhaps it would be better to call them the soldiers of Rieze Maxia now?
"To the ship!" Wingul declared and the gathered forces charged forward, ready for battle.
Milla chuckled at the scene before her. "Such a rehearsed speech you two gave," she amusingly said. "Wouldn't it have been better to give it during transit?"
"It is vital the populace sees cooperation," Wingul dryly explained. "No matter how shortly it lasts."
Cline shook his head at Wingul's continued hostility. "Is war the only thing on your mind?"
"Only during its times."
"Then what of your words of war to come after the peace earned by Elympios' defeat?"
"Hmph," Wingul sneered. "This talk is unsuitable for our circumstances." Wingul indicated the soldiers with a flick of his head. Such talk could divide the soldiers, yes. "We must be off. Gilland has been kept waiting from his judgment long enough." The strategist of Auj Oule was the first among the group to leave for the ship.
"My," Milla said. "I think he's grown increasingly more unpleasant recently."
Agria laughed at the comment. "Anyone would go mad from the endless drivel of you people." She began flailing her arms about. "All this peace and love and working together is bullshit and he knows it, just like I do!"
"And yet you're still here," Milla just slightly smiled at the girl's indignation.
"Only so long as His Highness wills it," Agria spat back with so much bile. "And if he wants you dead as soon as this is over, I'll be ecstatic to follow that order." She grinned like the madgirl she was.
"Really?" Milla crossed her arms at the statement. "Once the Lance of Kresnik is destroyed I plan on returning to Nia Khera. So any attacks against me would by quite hypocritical after all of Gaius' speeches and posturing."
"You insult His Highness again and you'll wish you drowned back in Laforte!" Agria stomped forward, ready to make due on some threat or another.
Gaius wouldn't let it get that far, interceding and stopping her with an arm. "That is enough Agria."
"Y-yes sir," she cowed beneath him quicker than her anger flared.
"Any second we delay with our own misgivings with one another, is another second Gilland draws closer to the completion of his plan, whatever that is," Gaius declared, reminding everyone. "That speech was not just for the troops, but for us as well." He looked at Agria, not with any attempt to shame her, but to teach her.
She seemed to accept it, for the moment at least. Milla hoped this reservation would at least last until Exodus was dealt with, though more likely it was just until she escaped Gaius' sight.
"Accommodations have been set aside for each of you on the ship, get what rest you can," Gaius deliberately looked at Jude, Leia and Elize. The three of them had spent most of Fennmont's true-night in the Talim school. Noble, but if it compromised their ability to accomplish the mission, that sacrifice would be in vain.
"Thanks," the young medical student said. "But is it really alright for us to get our own rooms?" But a look of his own at the girls convinced him to amend his question. "Well, for me to get my own room at least?"
Agria pipped in, already forgetting Gaius' words. "Can't we shove him in storage or something?"
"You're one of the only combat capable healers available," Gaius continued on, ignoring Agria's latest outburst. "You—any of you—may prove essential for the mission at hand."
"Essential huh?" Jude repeated. "Alright. Just make sure to wake me when we get there." He had a little smile—no, a smirk like Alvin's after he spoke. Why?
"Of course."
The Elympios Sailing Ship(E.S.S) Zenethra was a massive luxury liner for exclusive aristocrats and executives from Elympios. Socialites, soldiers, scientists, it was a ship filled with some of Elympios' greatest elites. When it vanished twenty years ago the hearts of Elympios' people went out to those who were lost, and those who lost. But it faded from common memory, as all tragedies did.
But fourteen years ago it returned in full force. Gillandor Yul Svent had managed to contact the Elympios government, he and the passengers had survived. The Zenethra had been transported to the other side of the mysterious schism. Plans were quickly hatched, information shared. The Otherworld Reactor plan. Use the spirits AND people on the other side of the schism as fuel to sustain Elympios. People from all factions and parties railed against it... but eventually the need of Elympios was weighted more than the lives of everyone beneath the schism. It still took years for the plan to come to fruition, but with the Lance of Kresnik and Svent's own secret project involving that Celsius creature, Elympios would survive.
They just needed to deal with the natives coming to stop them first. Something the General was damn well glad to see. He owed them revenge for taking out Staker, and he had a special package ready to ensure not one of the natives got away this time.
The General stood upon the massive deck of the E.S.S. Zenethra before the assembled host of soldiers. The handpicked members of Black Lance stood behind them. Half of them just barely hours out of surgery but still standing strong, standing tall. The Elympion fleet sailed overhead, ready to intercept the lone ship the natives had commandeered. Everyone protecting the ship on deck was back-up, and beyond that were the "barrier bars" which any unsuspecting native would blindly charge into and get sliced and diced. The technicians the General had brought over had repaired the defenses around the secondary ship reactors, which powered the barrier bars protecting the room containing the Lance of Kresnik. If they wanted to get to the Lance, they needed to get specialized keycards from the members of Black Lance to disable the barrier bars.
Or, so they would say if the Zenethra got boarded. The cards were just fakes to lure them out, beat their best by attrition. The Lance of Kresnik would never be in any real danger unless they sank the Zenethra.
This was all Svent's plan, and with the exception of that civil war he'd been keeping things together well enough. So the General had to defer to him. Not only that, but the Exodus leader was the only one who could correctly operate the Lance. They hadn't gotten it to transfer any energy back to Elympios just yet, and Svent just kept giving him the ring around of "soon", but once they fought off the natives there'd be no reason to delay any further. The General would make sure of that.
But now? Now before the assembled soldiers of Elmpyios and Exodus, it was time for a good old rallying speech. Svent had locked himself up with the Lance as a final bit of insurance, but if things got that bad even that Celsius thing wouldn't save him.
"Listen up!" the General started his speech. "We all know why we're here, why we signed up, not just for the military but for this mission in particular. The fate of Elympios has always rested on the army's shoulders but this time it's just a bit more direct." The General began to pace in between the two groups. "We've all lost someone. Friends, family, loved ones. To instability at home, battles years ago and even this fight going on." He paused, recalling Stacker. Dead, just like that. So many years of service ended at the edge of some barbarian's sword. "Some of you will not make it back home, I know it, you know it, everyone knows it. But your spirit and your actions here today will live on as Elympios lives on." The General looked back over the crowd. Fear, hope, determination. Those and all the other emotions were hidden beneath the combat helmets of every soldier. "You are soldiers in the Elympion Army, the greatest fighting force known to man or woman. We will not stop, we will not surrender. We will prevail. We will survive. Elympios will survive!" The General threw his fist into the air over the cheers of his soldiers. Emboldened by the accolades the Exodus men and those who never served under the General's command before joined in. "You have your orders!" The General gave one final command before turning, and walking.
Clark stopped him. "Nice speech sir," she complimented him.
"Ehh, not one of my best," he admitted. Stacker's death took an edge off his enthusiasm for the things. "Something on your mind Master Sergeant?"
Like everyone but him, she had her helmet on. But he knew damn well that pause before speaking meant she blinked. "This plan sir, I don't like it," she informed him.
He'd worked with Clark well enough to have a bit of informal familiarity. Always listen to the enlisted Stacker used to say. "Neither do I but Svent's the only one who can fire that damn thing so he has command," for now. "I've got my surprise up and ready on the Dauntless if things go sideways."
"Will it even work?" she asked. It was a smart question.
"I gave it some trial runs, seemed fine enough. Not that anyone's an expert on the useless things but I should be able to do some damage if it comes to it." If it comes to it meant if everyone in Black Lance failed. "Listen up, if things get tough BAIL OUT. We have enough back-ups that none of you should be playing hero here." Clark gave a flick of her head to the rank-and-file dispersing to their assignments. "Yeah well, I don't know their mothers Clark and I only have so much of my budget reserved for gravestone roses. Get your ass out of danger if it gets too hot." He glanced at the silent members of the team as well. "All of you."
"Yes, sir!" Clark snapped to a salute. "But, there's one other concern."
"Speak your mind Sergeant,"
"If they just decide to crash the commandeered battleship into the Zenethra our whole trap... well..." she trailed off without giving the obvious end.
But it was a damn valid concern. "I don't think they're that suicidal but if they succeed... well, the fleet will more than respond in kind." Revenge shouldn't factor into a plan ever but if the Lance of Kresnik went down there would be nothing left.
"Understood sir."
Leia was helping Jude over to the rooms they'd been assigned shortly after take-off. Even with the time they'd spent on the ferries, the particularities of sky travel were a bit rougher at first and a few stumbles occurred before they, and the ship, stabilized. "Man, that was pretty rough," Leia commented on the launching turbulence. "Wonder if we can even get a nap in like this?"
Despite her question, Jude seemed to be staring off into space.
"Hey, Jude!" she wove her hand in front of his face.
That got his attention and he snapped back. "Huh what? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking about the patients we left behind."
He never stopped, didn't he? Well, neither would she! "Well, think about them in your dreams. We gotta get in all the sleep we can!"
Her enthusiasm earned her a laugh from his lips. "Heh, thanks Leia. You always know how to cheer me up."
"Just repaying the favor!" she clapped her hands. "Thanks for the candy by the way, it was delicious!"
"Thank Cline," Jude redirected to the future-probably-king. "He was the one who gave me the idea in the first place."
Guess he knew a lady's heart better than Jude. Shouldn't come as a surprise really! But she did like the earlier illusion... "Right, I'll make sure to do that when we're done."
The two eventually found their rooms after that, said their "see you laters" and "good sleeps" and went off to take their naps before the fated battle came.
Cline Sharil stood in command of the cramped bridge of their repurposed battleship. He would remain on-board and oversee communications between the various assault parties and make sure their new ship was secure against enemy reprisals. A mix of Rashugal and Auj Oule soldiers crewed the ship's controls without his input. He was almost superfluous, he realized. Save that he was one of the prime symbols of cooperation between the two nations.
The other symbol came walking through the doors just soon after the Rashugal lord mused about that.
King Gaius was an impressive man just by reputation alone and meeting him last night had only confirmed the truth of the matter.
But there was also a question burning itself into Cline's mind regarding the northern King's actions. Perhaps the very same reason said King had come alone. "Come for a discussion?" Cline asked.
"In private," Gaius didn't miss a beat and just as suddenly left.
Quite the demanding fellow, wasn't he? Cline mused and followed him out into the hall. It was about as private as they were going to get at the moment, so Cline took the initiative and spoke first. "I must admit, I never expected meeting you quite like this." Perhaps the only thing more remarkable was Nadia being a part of his freedom.
"Nor I," Giaus admitted as well. "Cline Sharil," the king stared into him quite intently. "Do you intend to sit upon the throne of Rashugal?"
"Do you?" he threw the question right back.
It produced a dangerous silence between the two men.
Cline was the first to break it. "I will take up the throne if the Six Houses and the people support me, no more."
"I intend the same," Gaius mirrored the earlier part of the conversation. "If you prove as unable as Nachtigal for the seat of leadership, you will not sit in it for long."
Threats, when they should be cooperating? "Why even give the courtesy?" he asked.
"If a man as famed as Ilbert the Conductor was willing to turn his blade against the man he once called friend for another's sake, I found myself curious just what mettle he had," the King's words were simple, but powerful.
"You see this as a test then?"
"For both of us."
Another period of long silence.
This one broken by the King of Auj Oule. "Become worthy of the throne, of the trust placed in you. Or Wingul shall have his war once again." Gaius turned and headed away from the bridge, his warning the last words he would utter.
It was certainly more that Gaius had offered Nachtigal. But lacing an alliance with threats was most vile. Cline had attempted military action against Nachtigal himself, so even as distasteful as it was he could see Gaius' point. But Cline was abundantly sure he would never become as dangerous as the mad king.
In the end, it was the people's will that mattered most. If they supported Gaius... he could not stop them without taking steps on Nachtigal's road.
How unfortunate.
There was a small observation tower at the bow of the commandeered Elympion ship the Rieze Maxians were traveling in. Up there, Milla stood trying to work her own... feelings regarding certain matters.
But Ivar and Muzét's presence made it difficult to concentrate, even if they were the two most affected by it. Her handmaid's insistence on sticking with her over watching Alvin—the very reason she'd brought him along in the first place had long since driven from his mind.
At the very least Presa had her eyes on him most of the time. Not that she trusted Gaius' henchwoman either, but her vendetta against the man seemed to supersede other concerns.
They were making good pace, so Milla needed to reveal the truth... now. "Ivar," she began, her handmaid's face lighting up in excitement after finally being addressed. "There's something I need to tell you."
"What is it, Lady Milla?" he was so eager to please, to listen, even if he so quickly discarded orders for his own delusions. Did she have the right to shatter his belief like this? Make his years of servitude a lie? If she didn't... would lie become truth? And what of Muzét nearby?
"Oi, spaz, Maxwell and annoying floating lady, get down here!" the obnoxious voice of Agria called up to them, a perfectly timed interruption.
"How can that rude little girl call anyone a spaz!" Ivar shook in unrestrained anger at the insult, even if it was apt. Curious there was no insult for Milla herself though. "Give me the order and I'll teach that foul-mouthed brat a lesson Lady Milla!"
Ivar once again forgot exactly what they were here for didn't he? And Milla felt strangely glad for it. "No, it's... alright," she attempted to restrain her handmaid's grievance. "Let's find out what she wants first."
Ivar grumbled, but he accepted her decisions with a nod. "Very well, Lady Milla." He turned around and quickly descended the ladder back down to the deck. Shortly after the starts of another argument drifted up towards her ears.
"He's quite the excitable human isn't he?" Muzét giggled at Ivar's antics.
"Sometimes I worry his recklessness will override the advantages he brings," Milla openly admitted to Great Spirit. Ivar walked a fine line with his behavior for the moment... but would he compromise the mission? Surely now wasn't the time to be thinking of such things.
"Hey!" Agria's voice shot back up. "Unless you're not answering to Maxwell anymore get down here!" Ivar was wearing her razor-thin patience away already.
Muzét floated over and looked down at the two, a smile creeping unto her lips at whatever she saw. "You've surrounded yourself with quite the odd gaggle of humans."
"Not by choice, I assure you," Milla was quick to point out. Some of them were acceptable, like Rowen and Leia. But Agria and Alvin were certainly less desirable. Still, she couldn't let Ivar and Agria go on like this any longer, they'd probably drag more people into it and they certainly couldn't afford any fights breaking out now.
Milla followed after her handmaid, and Muzét followed her to the deck. The pointless argument between the two servants grew louder and yet somehow more intelligible the closer Milla got. Some of the Rieze Maxian soldiers were looking on, and the only other person of importance was Presa, who just looked on with wry amusement. Guess she wasn't keeping her eyes on Alvin all the time then.
As much as letting them continue their bickering had the small advantage of keeping them both indisposed, the risks outweighed the advantages, so Milla interrupted with a question. "What is it you needed to tell us?"
"—and that's why you're never gonna get any good lovin'!" Agria finished her latest shout at Ivar before facing Milla to answer. "We're almost at the target coordinates, everyone's getting ready. Even your little spaz-slave here."
"Why you scrawny twerp!" Ivar shouted back at her. "Why I outta—"
—Milla cut him off with a swing of her arm. Whatever he wanted to do could wait. "You're the only two on deck." Milla gave another glance around, and still only Presa and normal soldiers stood around. "Where are the others?"
"Coming soon, keep your short little skirt on," Agria grumbled.
"Your skirt's not exactly long either," Milla said back for whatever reason.
The pointlessness of the conversation was interrupted by the arrival of everyone else, save Cline. So Milla felt the need to ask, "Where's Cline?"
Rowen, naturally, answered. "Lord Cline will remain on the ship and direct its defense from the bridge."
Cline's inclusion always struck her as odd, she never saw the young man display any martial skills. But, she recalled her own time without any power or strength to act on her convictions, yet she still pressed on. It retrospect, it seemed foolish, but it was also the only reason she was here in the first place. Perhaps Cline walked a similar path now?
"Great," Agria grumbled as was due course for her. "Cline gets to stay all nice and safe while we do all the work. And we're working with him why?"
Wingul was the one who responded to her. "If this ship is overrun we'll have no escape. Enough soldiers must remain behind to safeguard the vessel while our best disable the Lance of Kresnik."
Disable? "Do you still believe you can control the Lance!?" Milla shouted at them.
"We shall see," Gaius gave a short and simple reply.
"Human arrogance truly knows no bounds," she shook her head in disgust. All around them was the horrors of spyrix and yet they insisted on rushing headlong to their destruction.
"This bickering," Wingul interrupted, "can wait." He gave a slight nod of his head towards the horizon.
Agria craned her neck towards the indicated point, using her hands to block out the glare of sunlight. She laughed and pointed and giggled in glee. "Well, looky there!"
Everyone followed her point... to another Elympion ship flying straight towards them! "Enemy ship approaching!" Cline's voice echoed over some sort of relay system their ship had. "Everyone brace for impact!" The gun positions on their ship turned and fired—and the enemy fired back, both shots going wide as the Reize Maxia ship turned and nearly sent everyone on board crashing around.
But when the enemy ship slammed straight into theirs everyone did fall. On her knees, Milla glance over to the enemy ship, and the boarding party floating over on the same devices they'd used before. "There's our welcoming committee," she grimaced before standing back up, sword in hand.
The Rieze Maxian soldiers stood and charged, ready to break the enemy before they established a strong point, but the Elympion cannoneers shot, blasted through the ranks and stopped the charge dead in its tracks.
The screams of the injured, the thunder of the cannons and the channeling of spirits rang out before metal clashed with metal and the battle started. The enemies melee joined in, as Alvin fired shot after shot from his gun to clear out the enemies. Leia rampaged a path through, knocking Elympions around and letting others finish them off. And Gaius slashed, cutting a path through the enemies numbers by himself. "Silence all of them!" Gaius roared an order as he charged further in, wracking a horrible path of vengeance.
Milla's first contribution to the battle was a dash through the air followed by by a spike of rocks with the grave arte. Ivar followed in after her, zipping through with a flurry of slashes before knocking him back towards Milla with a grave arte of his own. She quickly gathered the mana for a flare bomb and the explosion finished him off.
There were just dozens more to take his place.
Alvin's aerial barrage from his gun sent a handful of dark orbs into another soldier, as Jude finished by knocking him to the ground and delivering a knockout punch. Leia's darting strikes and great swings with her staff set up Wingul to follow through with his own quick and powerful artes. Agria and Presa's spirit artes carved through, and Rowen and Elize cleared the deck with two giant beams of spirit energy in dark and light.
The Rieze Maxian soldiers had recovered and engaged in melee with the enemy reinforcements. Gaius didn't rest, continuing to cut down any who got in his way as the Chimeriad backed him up and what had effectively become Milla's group began clearing aside enemies as well. All save Muzét, who was simply back to her usual non-intervention. She'd get a stern lecture once they were out of this battle.
The strength of those closest to Milla proved superior over the Elympios drop-troopers, but those troopers were man-for-man better than the Rieze Maxians. Spirit artes couldn't compare to the rampant power of spyrixes and as successful as everyone was being, the Elmpios troopers did not stop raining from the sky. They had soldiers from dozens of ships, Rieze Maxia only filled one.
Jude knocked another claw-trooper down. "They just keep on coming!" he grimaced and turned his attention to the next wave of enemy reinforcements. Those still free joined him in another wave of counters.
Wingul slashed apart his foe, screamed something in his unfamiliar tongue and joined in Jude's newest defense. His blade moved like wind across the battlefield, tossing Elympios soldiers about and disrupting their formation.
One of the claw's tried to slam his weapon into Milla's head, but she brought her blade and blocked, locking the two of them together. They couldn't win a war of attrition like this! "Gaius! Cline!" She yelled out for the two commanders. They'd have to see their disadvantageous position.
Gaius finished off his foe with a massive slash and glared back at the ship bridge. "Cline!" he added to Milla's cry. "Maintain course and ram into the Zenethra!"
The continuing shots exchanged from the two ships began hitting closer, blowing out part of the bridge window on the Rieze Maxia ship. But the Elympios ship, smoking from several shots into its how hull began disengaging. "Hold on!" Cline shouted back down, whatever relay method he used before absent.
Their ship took a sudden dive forward and everyone caught off guard again went flailing about. Milla herself managed to wiggle out of her lock and sent her opponent overboard. Most of the others recovered well enough on their own as well, Gaius himself didn't even budge.
Their sudden dip righted itself with a spasm as the ship tilted back horizontally with another upheaval and more people falling to the deck. The ocean water shot high into the sky, spraying anyone still close to the rails, but no one was washed overboard. Those few Elympions still standing were quickly finished off by the Rieze Maxians. The water on the deck slowly fell off as the ship rose, hovering over the sea and cruising towards... what had to be the Zenethra. It was a giant ship, almost three times the size of the flying battleship they rode. And casting their shadows over the two ships were dozens of Elympion battleships overhead.
The ships collided, rocking both yet again and surging waves. But now it was their turn to attack! Jude, of all people, was the first one leading the attack with a leap over. Milla followed—just in time to save him from being cornered by Exodus soldiers. A quick wind blade slash slew the one targeting Jude, while the arrival of the others dealt with the rest of the Exodus defenders.
Was such a handful the only defense they mustered? The guns on their ship fired again and Milla followed the path... to the falling rain of men once again. Soldiers began pouring out of the ships above in droves, drowning them all in shadow. Shots were fired back from the descending Elympions, hitting the stray Rieze Maxian attempting to cross over. The ship canons exploded and thinned the ranks, but they'd still be overrun at this rate! The troopers landed on the Zenethra and charged at them!
"Enough!" Muzét shouted and with a wave of her hand evaporated the soldiers. "Naughty children must learn to play nice!" The great spirit called sister rose into the air, clearing away the trooper rain by herself. The soldiers stopped falling, the ships attempted to scatter and a few attempted shots on her, but each one missed. Muzét rose her hand, the same blue-black spheres of mana that destroyed the ships back in Fezebel returned and did their grim work again. Ship after ship was engulfed, crushed, destroyed and exploded. The wreckage of the ships fell into the sea, spouting waves of water higher than the Zenethra itself and forcing the two ships apart.
"That was incredible!" Ivar roared with approval at Muzét's display of power.
Muzét floating back down, a mirthful smile on her face. She tipped her head a bit, and thanked Ivar. "I seem to have regained my powers thanks to your tethering."
It really should have come as no surprise that a being made to watch over the schism contained such strength. Still, it just further confirmed Milla's own manifestations. But for now... "I never imagined you would posses such power."
"Of course!" Leia cheered at the sight. "She's your big sis."
Elize and Teepo smiled at her as well. "I"m glad you're on our side," the girl said.
"I am happy to lend my power to your cause," Muzét took their gratitude with another of her light smiles.
Milla had something important to ask outside of this flattery. "What are you planning to do?" It seemed obvious, but best to get it in the open.
"The mission would fail if the ship were to fall, right?" Muzét asked her.
Of course. "I see," Milla nodded. "It sounds like we'll have to keep relying on your assistance." Just like with the Four.
"Thank you Muzét," Jude did a little half-bow to thank her some more. "Take care."
"Be safe," the great spirit replied before turning her head back to Milla. "Milla, never forget that you are Maxwell."
As Muzét flew off she kept silent... the discussion could wait for another time.
Rowen spoke first once Muzét had left them. "We must act quickly, while the enemy reinforcements are being blocked." He offered his tactical advice. "Lord Cline will keep our ship secure during our assault."
They needed to strike as fast as possible, destroy the Lance and deal with Gilland. "We should split into two groups." If Gaius and his Chimeriad could be sent elsewhere, they might be able to deal with the Lance of Kresnik without their interference. Their own predilections for working apart would come in handy here.
"Ahem," Gilland's voice pitched over them, the same metallic 'fuzz' with how the ship relay worked. "It's about time you people showed. I've been patient enough for twenty years and gotten a bit... anxious to finish this."
"Show yourself coward!" Gaius yelled back, as he, and everyone looked for the source of the voice. But all their searching revealed was the rusted and worn metal of the ship, and a few crates. Perhaps inside the boxes?
But Gilland spoke first before they could search. "Oh, a word, don't attempt to speak back, this speaker only works one-way," his voice dripped with a childish smugness. "Though I'm sure I could guess you said something along the lines of 'get out here you coward'?" Mocking laughter echoed in from Gilland's speaker. No one liked his taunts, least of all Gaius whose face contorted into anger. "Really you're all too simple, it's what's allowed me to get this far."
"We're done here," Gaius attempted to rally back to the assault. "Ignore his childish taunting, we take the ship and deal with him in person."
Was her plan already ruined by Gilland's attempts yet again?
"Now, before you all go gallivanting off thinking you could accomplish a thing," Gilland's slick voice came back. "I'll let you in on our defensive plans, just so you could see how well and truly screwed you are."
The notion of planning perked the heads of the two tacticians, and they called for Gaius to wait.
"That got your attention did it?" Gilland gave an eerily accurate guess to their stance... but perhaps like in Laforte there was some sort of long-range vision device? "Inside one of those crates you'll find a simple map detailing the location of each member of that silly Black Lance unit."
"What's his game?" Wingul scowled at the information being handed to them. Or were they just lies, as he fed Nachtigal?
"Those rather sorry bunch should just be... removed, for all our sakes." Gilland laid out for all of them. "So be good little pawns one last time before I handle you myself."
Wingul violently shook his head at the taunting. "If he thinks he can manipulate us so openly he's more arrogant than I thought."
"Oh, and you will need to deal with Black Lance," Gilland seemed ready to cover himself now. "They happen to be carrying the keys to my little fort up here. Well, you can throw one of your own into the barrier bars and see how that goes, but I'd rather not stain the carpet with whatever will be left of you lowlifes."
"Dammit!" Alvin swore and slammed his fist against the rail. "If the barrier bars are up there's no way we're getting to him!"
Rowen asked the question on the Rieze Maxian's minds. "What are these, 'barrier bars?'" and he accompanied it with a thoughtful caress of his beard.
"Half what they sound like," Alvin grimaced as he relayed the news. "They're essentially a wall of light that'll cut up anyone attempting to pass through them into a million different chunks of you."
"Then we either destroy them, the source or any wall in our way," Wingul got right to the brute force of the matter. "There is no reason to willingly lower ourselves to Gilland's schemes."
"I'm with him," Agria threw her pointless addition in. "Blow a straight path through the ship and give his smug face a lesson in exploding." She whipped out a vicious smile in glee at the thought.
Alvin whipped out his gun and unloaded a few bullets into the ship... without a scratch. "As much as I'd love to endorse that thought, the Zenethra's still a tough old girl even if she's showing signs of age here and there."
Did he just refer to the ship as a female? Milla vaguely remembered something similar in a book she read once. Long Voyages on Lonely Seas? No, that was irrelevant. "If we can't just power our way through, our options are dealing with Black Lance..." she paused to let Wingul deny that.
"No." Wingul did as she predicted.
"Or destroy the source of the barrier bars as a whole," she looked at the ship itself. "Is there some sort of power generation device on board?" It would be a good way to separate from Gaius' team.
Alvin nodded. "There's a main generator and two sub-generators. We'll probably have to knock them all out but..." Alvin grimaced before he delivered some bad news. "They're all protected by barrier bars too."
"You're certain?" Milla asked.
Alvin sighed. "Yeah. We should check anyway; double-up if they're active or not, can't trust anything a snake like Gilland says."
"Or you," Presa added on with a little smirk.
"Yep," and Alvin smirked right back at her.
"I refuse to play a part in Gilland's schemes any longer," Gaius stood ready to defy the path laid out for them.
But Alvin looked away over at those crates nearby... and a sudden ping of recognition played on his fast before the man walked over and pried off a crate lid. A bitter laugh proceeded his words. "Of course," the laugh slowly turned sarcastic as the mercenary slapped his own face. "Oy, Wingul, Rowen give the map a look see here."
The two tacticians exchanged glances before walking over and looking over Alvin's reveal. Wingul spoke first. "What does this mean?"
"It looks like Gilland placed all those Black Lance guys right where we'd need to go anyway. The main generator, the sub-generators, security rooms and the... central cargo hold?" The last one turned into a question.
"There's no guarantee these aren't outright lies or attempts to mislead us," Wingul pointed out the flaws.
"I agree with Wingul," Rowen added his stance on the matter. "Gilland has shown the veracity of his words to be false many times over now."
"Yeah," Alvin nodded, agreeing with the two. "But what do you think drives Gilland?"
"Greed," Milla stated first and foremost. "Power, the vices all humans fall prey to."
Alvin wryly smiled at her. "Exactly. Gilland doesn't want to share credit with being the 'savior of Elympios' if he can help it. The Lance of Kresnik hasn't fired once since Fezebel Marsh."
That was true. She'd have felt the spirits die if the Lance was activated. The difficulties with her senses after the Marsh firing had seceded, in fact the spirit death caused by the flying ships was so constant it was numbing.
"So," Wingul said, "you believe Gilland genuinely wants us to exterminate his allies?"
"Gilland doesn't have allies," Alvin sourly shot back. "Just people he can use or not. And Black Lance has run its use out."
"How are you so sure of this mindset?"
Alvin gave a stark laugh at Wingul's question. "Well, I'm sure you understand really. ow many plans are up in your noggin' about eliminating the rest of us once our use has run out?" Wingul kept stoic at the mention, but Milla wouldn't put it past the man. "Gilland's the same way. He iced Nachtigal when he was no longer useful, and obliterated the army despite them being perfect spirit-fuel. He'll get rid of anyone in his way by any means necessary."
"All I'm hearing, is that we should ignore them for the moment and concentrate on Gilland," Wingul kept to his conclusion irregardless of Alvin's stance.
And Milla found herself agreeing with him. "We've already defeated most of the members of this, Black Lance in combat before. They aren't the threat Gilland, that Celsius spirit and the Lance of Kresnik are." All these lances were somewhat annoying. A boon Nachtigal was removed, it was ridiculous enough thinking about in that fight. "They can be dealt with later."
Alvin tried to protest. "But—"
"—you sound like a dog of Gilland's still." Wingul brutally cut off Alvin's protest before it really began. "IF you wish to charge off thinking this is somehow the superior option go ahead, my plan's won't be disrupted if you do. But don't drag us down with you."
The Elympion harshly pushed his head aside. "Yeah, fine I'll go beat'em all up on my own then join you for Gilland. If you can even reach him." That was remarkably childish.
"Do what you will when you're done pouting," Wingul turned his back to the man and returned to his place at Gaius' side. "The soldiers know their duty, let's press on."
"Wait!" Jude, of all people, shouted for them to stop.
"What's the matter Jude?" Leia was quickest to ask.
"Those Black Lance guys might not be a threat to you, but what about the soldiers?" he glanced over at the troops. "Errr, no offense, you all have to be stronger than me but..." he trailed off to let imagination take over.
Gaius was, surprisingly, the one to reply. "This is war, boy. It is unfortunate if lives are lost but a soldier knows death is a possibility."
"Even if it can be avoided?"
"Dealing with Gilland immediately will save more lives. Lives which do not accept 'death' as a reality of their jobs." Gaius, like Wingul(or perhaps Wingul was like Gaius) stuck to the path he laid. "Soldiers of Rieze Maxia!" Gaius shouted to the gathered soldiers. "The day you enlisted in the army, you knew in your hearts one day you may not come home, that the battlefield may be your final resting place." Gaius held his fist in front of him, gripping it tightly. "But you also know your lives may save another. This is the duty asked of you, and me, and all of us present. For the sake of those back home. Your lives will not be some senseless sacrifice for power or greed but for the life of another." Gaius held his fist aloft to the cheers of the men.
He certainly got them all cheerful didn't he? So a suspenseful sacrifice was what got a human's motivations running. Interesting.
But Alvin and Jude were less receptive and the latter had something to say. "Even so... I think I'll help Alvin with his idea."
"What really?" the mercenary reacted in the shock all of them felt. "Well thanks kid—big strong man!" Alvin quickly amended his final words before throwing his arm around Jude's shoulder. "I knew I had a good feeling about you the first time we met."
"I-if Jude's going then I am too!" predictably Leia joined in on the newly forming party.
"Thanks Leia," Jude gave her a smile.
"And then we were three!" Alvin gave a little smirk of his own. "Anyone wanna round us out to four?" he glanced over at Presa first, and the woman in blue tilted her away in disgust. "I'm hurt, really." but his voice sounded anything but. His look glazed over to Agria next. "What about you Agria? Feel like paying Jude back for saving you a couple dozen times?" Jude shot him an absolutely horrified look at the suggestion.
"As worthwhile as it would be to see not-a-doc's scowl for the whole duration, the only thanks here should be from you because I'm not roasting you stud," Agria gave her clear reply.
"Stop trying to poach my people for your own ends." Gaius brought himself forward to finish off Alvin's plans.
"Alright, geez," Alvin backed off and even released his grip on Jude. "So, just the three of us huh?" He rubbed his chin as he thought about something. "Yeah, it'll work out for us." he glanced over at her. "Milla, you think you can get along with just the four of you?"
That'd be her, Ivar, Rowen and Elize. Elize's healing artes were superior, so yes, they would do well. "Yes, I believe so."
"So it's settled," Wingul cut back into the conversation. "Go and frivolously waste your time Alvin. We'll do the real work."
"Wait!" Elize shouted. "I get a say in this too!"
"Are you kidding me?" Wingul's face approached something resembling disgust.
Teepo's features twisted over to his somewhat humorist glare. "Don't you talk to Elly like that you broody jerk!"
"Broody?"
"Elly gets a say in where she's going too you know!" The doll looked ready to pounce on anyone who said otherwise.
"That's right!" the girl herself clenched her little fists. "And I'm going with Leia and Jude!"
Well, that was a curious direction. True, Jude had retrieved whatever was taken from Teepo. But the girl mentioned Leia, and to Milla's knowledge they hadn't done anything significant together. So perhaps it was when she wasn't looking? Before Xian Du or during the time in Talim.
"If Miss Elize seeks to switch her grouping, then I feel I must accompany her," and Rowen lumped himself in with the Black Lance hunters now.
Which made it simply Ivar and her left. "Well, Ivar and I can't do this on our own. Looks like we're going after Black Lance after all." Things had effectively divided how she'd wanted all along, just with a different goal to start.
"You people are absurd," Wingul expressed his dissatisfaction at the new arrangements. "Deal with Black Lance as you will, we'll deal with Gilland then."
That however, was what Milla didn't want. If Gaius took control of the Lance of Kresnik first, then he could use it before she dealt with it.
An explosion echoed overheard, drawing the attention of a Milla and a few others. The Elympion ships had spread out and traded fire with Muzét flying about. The rate at which she was destroying the enemy ships had slowed and if she ran out of mana again... Perhaps she could use that... "Muzét's buying us all the time she can manage," Milla spoke out. It wasn't the perfect plan but... "But if we don't make haste we'll be up against the troops all those ships are carrying once again."
"Obviously," Wingul scowled. "Your point?"
Now was the time. "Time is not on our side. Taking out the members of Black Lance may be the faster route than taking a risk trying to break through the ship towards Gilland."
"It seems I must remind you there's no assurances they'll even have the keys to reach the man? Or even be in those locations in the first place." Wingul took a half-step forward and glared at her. "And as I said, do what you want. But stop trying to convince us otherwise."
"The map showed six locations, there's eleven of us. We can hit every location at once," she looked over at Gaius, who stood against the five of them in Fezebel. "If Gaius can deal with one on his own, then we can see if there's any truth to Gillan's scheme in person. And if there isn't, we can concentrate on breaking our way to him all at once." After everyone had just reunited around Alvin and Jude, here she was advising them to split apart again.
Wingul shook his head, the locks of his black hair shaking in anger. "Ridiculous, beyond just the matters I've brought up each location could contain every member of the Black Lance, none at all or be situated for an ambush."
"There's no guarantee the whole ship isn't rigged like that."
"No, there isn't," Wingul agreed with her, oddly enough. "But that is!" Wingul's face flashed in surprise and he stopped speaking.
"Something the matter?" she asked.
"His Highness can deal with the whole of Black Lance on his own if it comes to it." Wingul changed the subject of the conversation instead. "This is the last time we'll discuss this." He turned around, offering a flutter of his black cape as the final word of his message.
"Wait," Gaius called for a stop, to the annoyed stares of the Chimeriad. "We will eliminate Black Lance first before concentrating on Gilland."
Not really something she planned, but she'd accept the reasoning.
Agria shouted. "You can't be serious Your Highness!"
Presa was likewise defiant, even if she was subdued. "Don't tell me their words swayed you?"
It was somewhat pitiful how they so hopelessly relied on him. Almost like Ivar.
And speaking of her handmaid... "Haha, Lady Milla could convince grass to be blue if she wanted!" he railed about some absurd thing or another.
But that aside she had to ask. "So, what did change your mind?"
"Change? You assume much." Gaius didn't really give an answer. "My mind has not changed in the slightest."
That... wasn't really true but if he accepted this might be the faster method, all the better. Keeping him from the Lance until absolutely necessary was her goal here, not the speed at which they reached it.
"Wingul, Rowen," Gaius included both tacticians. "What are your assessments and recommendations?"
"If you insist on this madness," Wingul blankly said but it was still clear he was annoyed. "We plan around the healers available to us. Your Highness of course can deal with one of the threats on your own." Wingul strode back over to the map 'gifted' by Gilland.
"My recommendation is this one," Rowen pointed at the stamp for Black Lance in the largest room of those occupied. "Of the locations I deem it the most suspicious."
"Why?" Wingul's tone indicated he already knew, so asking must be for the sake of everyone else.
Rowen took the indication with a nod before explaining. "The location of the other five are spread out, even. One member has already been eliminated in Kanbalar, leaving only the five we've met. So why is there a sixth mark on this map?" Rowen clasped his hands behind as back as he explained. "I believe it is their commanding officer. If Alvin's assessment is accurate, then this officer may not even be aware he's in danger and that room's purpose is to be a retreat point for the members of the defense. If so, only Gaius wields the strength to stand before them all. As you've said." It was almost... sly, how Rowen's last words dripped off.
Wingul kept silent, but with a nod of his head it seemed he made it clear he agreed. "Ilbert, you and I will go after this location." He pointed to one of the furthest spots.
"No, I said I will remain by Miss Elize's side."
"Do not be daft Ilbert, you do not have the fortitude to partner with that girl during this time."
"Then who would you suggest?" Rowen slightly narrowed his eyes, a rare sign of anger from the old human.
Wingul glanced to his side, to Presa. "Presa." The woman herself crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at the recommendation.
But Agria interrupted before the other female Chimeriad could protest. "I swear if you stick me with the Not-A-Doc again I'm going to claw his throat out." And she looked ready to make due on that threat with her slowly tracing a circle with her hand.
"If you get stuck with Al, feel free to reroute all that hate though," Presa gave a little smile between the girl and man.
"I think I can arrange that," Agria bore her teeth like a sloven child.
"Agria," Wingul returned to the conversation. With the rest of the Auj Oule paired off and Jude out, that rendered possible partners for the girl low. "Go with Leia, here."
"What!?" Leia shouted.
"Don't ignore me!" Elize shouted too. "I don't want to go with that... with that..." the girl stopped, but the puppet went on. "That mean old witch!"
"Hey yeah, I can go with Elize instead," Leia tried to pass things easier for the two of them.
"No," Wingul simply stated. "We don't have the luxury to afford concentrating healers with so many unknown variables in play. One group must already go without." Wingul looked at her.
She nodded. "Ivar and I then." And that meant Jude and Alvin as the last.
"Alright!" Ivar shook with excitement at being allowed his way once again. "I'll show you all that we don't need any stinking healers."
"Gee thanks," Jude dryly commented. "So where are we going?"
Wingul pointed out the destinations of everyone now, and things became clear enough. With a few rearragements of supplies everyone was ready to set off.
But Presa had one last thing to mention. "Al."
"What?"
"Try not to die."
Al... Try not to die.
He had to keep himself from laughing at those words. It was the sickest joke, after everything he'd put her through she still gave him a kind thought. Even if it was just because she wanted to send him to the great beyond herself... that concern...
Heh, well, he'd had enough with throwing out care and concern for a lifetime. He could hope, couldn't he?
Well, they just had to get through a special forces group, great spirit and someone who'd manipulated him for years. No big deal at all!
That he did laugh at, drawing a confused look from his traveling buddy. "Just thought up a funny joke, that's all," he gave a not-quite wrong answer. "So, what swayed you to my gloriously stupid plan?" Even if he suggested the, it was only because he didn't want anything getting in the way of gutting Gilland himself. They managed to escape multiple times already, he wasn't about to let them rescue Gilland and make it all useless again.
"You made some good points," Jude gave a very generic answer.
"Heyyyy you're too smart to think I'd buy something as simple as that?" The BIG STRONG MAN averted his eyes. Bingo, right on the mark. "So c'mon, why'd you really support me?"
He didn't answer immediately, letting the two of them take a good long walk down the eerily empty hall of the Zenethra. But when the medical student did speak it was to an odd point. "To thank you, I guess?"
"Thank me?" Alvin expressed in complete bewilderment. "For what?"
"For not shooting Nadia."
What? "Your head on right? You forget I wanted to, y'know, shoot her?"
"But you didn't."
"Because you stopped me."
"Hardly," he shook his head. "I wasn't in any condition to stop you. You could have even done it when I let down my guard, but you didn't."
"That's... not exactly the best reason kid." Jude quickly glared at him. "I think I'm just gonna call you Jude since big strong man takes too long."
Jude shrugged, guess it wasn't worth continuing. "Leia said you stopped with Mink in Fezebel as well."
That was true... but he had to clear something else up first. "You do know you should call them Agria and Presa right?" Jude stammered and avoided and answer, eliciting a sigh from Alvin. "You'd probably have a way easier time with the two of'em if you do."
"Yeah, but I've sort of been calling Nadia—errr Agria, Nadia for over a month now so it's kind of hard to switch. Even if she yells at me each time." That wasn't a confusing sentence at all.
"How'd you learn her name anyway? She isn't exactly open about it."
Jude cocked his head at Alvin's question. "I said she was a friend of a friend in Orda Palace didn't I?"
"Wait you were serious?" Alvin stopped at the announcement. He had Jude's conviction figured as some sort of weird masochistic crush coupled with a dose of moral high ground. Agria having an actual friend was something he never really considered.
"I'm serious about saving lives." Jude stopped and waited for him to catch back up. Once he did, the kid kept on. "She—my friend, Prinn, brought Nadia to me back when Milla first attacked Laforte a month ago."
He was already back to calling her Nadia. But, he was the one who treated those burns? Kid was better than he gave him credit for. He saw how bad Efreet scorched the girl. Then that suicidal activation of the Lance. Couldn't have been easy. Not counting how unpleasant she'd be when she woke up. "So, any regrets?" Alvin sure had plenty by that age.
Jude kept silent, contemplating his answer. He preceded response with a slow blink and measured breath. "No." Trying to act all mature was he? "From saving Nadia so many times, to believing in Milla to fighting Nactigal, or the war, or putting my trust in you. I don't regret it."
Trusting him huh? Naive punk. Look where it gotten them all. Still... it was nice... him and Presa. "Just hope that blind optimism or yours doesn't bite you in the ass one day."
Rowen strode alongside Wingul as the two tacticians moved according to the plan. Enemy resistance was non-existent. Even if Gilland's goal was the removal of these Black Lance as threats to his own control, having soldiers just a curiosity distraction would have aided in positive outcome for him.
So, why were the halls empty of anything save the sound of their footsteps on the metal path and battle elsewhere?
So it seemed it was time to ask. "Wingul," Rowen initiated a conversation. "What is the true reason you suggested we partner together?"
"What do you mean Ilbert?" Wingul acted as if he didn't ave a clue.
"Do not patronize me," his temper flared somewhat. "If Miss Elize was your concern you would have volunteered yourself as her guardian. Like Jiao." Rowen ruthlessly stabbed with the fallen Chimeriad's name. "Your concern was about myself and as such I believe it is in regards to Rashugal and Auj Oule's cooperation."
"Perhaps your wits have not dulled as much as I thought Ilbert," Wingul crossed his arms at the insulting compliment. "This is the only time I can reach you without the interuptions of children and the ignorant."
His words... did he mean? Rowen shuddered at the thought.
"Once Elympios is dealt with, do not expect the peace between our nations to last. Only Gaius holds the ability to rule all of Rieze Maxia."
Rowen slowly shook his head, his ponytail beating against his back. "You still insist on traveling this road of needless war?"
"It is for the good of Rieze Maxia." Wingul glanced back, only half his face visible and even then barely as his black hair covered it. "Cline Sharil cowers impotently on the ship. Even if he were to retain his position, what of his successor? His sister? Another useless coward of the Six Ruling Houses?"
"And what of Gaius'?" Rowen shot back. "Will you carry on his dream or is there a woman who already has his gaze?"
Wingul gave a rare irritated grunt at the traded accusations. "Anyone with capability can succeed Gaius. That is a cornerstone of his ideals." Wingul stopped, and flipped around, staring straight into Rowen's eyes. "You are old Ilbert and what little ability does remain in you will be extinguished. Without your aid Rashugal does not have the military ability to resist Gaius."
Perhaps Lord Cline's desire to learn was in prediction of these events? If so even Rowen had underestimated his Lord. "I am flattered you still consider my meager abilities enough to safeguard Rashugal for years." And Rowen stepped past the stationary young man, taking the lead.
"Waiting for you to keel over is just the safer route." Wingul fell in behind him.
Presa and the girl headed alongside the empty hall to the target point. She didn't like anything about the situation: abandoning His Highness, traveling with the girl, letting Al get his way, the complete lack of resistance. She must have done something to anger Wingul to get stuck with the brat. Which was probably abandoning the girl with Jiao in Lakutum in the first place. Now she couldn't even get him back for it the old fool.
Was that why she...?
No. Get thoughts like that out of her head. She had to focus on finding the target and eliminating it. Thankfully the girl and her doll had kept silent.
That ended.
"Um, Presa?" she timidly asked for attention.
She ignored her.
"Hey old lady!" the doll rudely screamed. "Don't go ignoring Elly like that!"
Old huh? "Fine, what is you want kid? Make it quick."
"It's, about Jiao..." Of course it was. "He... why did he save me after everything he did?"
Presa couldn't stop herself from sighing at the question. "You had a riveting talk with him at Lakutum, you should've figured it out by yourself."
"We only talked about me!" the girl's voice cracked at the situation. "Even when we stayed at Kanbalar he avoided me. Why... if he killed my parents why did he do any of that!" she screamed, she wanted answers.
And Presa couldn't give them. Wouldn't give even if she knew. Jiao's secrets died with him and she wasn't here to placate a little girl's cries. "If you want to find the answers get through this. Someone knows." She lied. Wingul and His Highness might have some insights, but anyone who knew Jiao's secrets was gone.
Whether the girl was silent after because she believed, or because she couldn't trust was irrelevant. They just needed to do their jobs.
"Lady Milla!" Ivar pushed her grievances with her handmaid further to the forefront of her mind with each word. "Do you think Muzét would accompany us back to Nia Khera?"
Certainly not the question she was expecting... but one she had considered. There were many peculiarities to work through, and the seat of her power was best where to try. "I'll insist on it myself," she answered. "Do you think you can serve the both of us Ivar?"
"I certainly could!" he beamed with pride. "But of course I serve you first and foremost and only Lady Milla."
His persistence was reassuring in its ways. And she'd need that sort of dependable reliance soon. His heart was in the right place, even if it did lead him astray so often.
Why was she stuck with this rude vulgar girl? Leia wondered as she absently tuned out the continued angry rants of the girl in red. Jude, Elize, Alvin, heck even that Ivar fellow would have been better. So why her! Jude had the patience of a saint to put up with her for so long! Much less try and defend her life.
"—and that's how I'll feed him his own intestines." Agria ranted off something Leia barely listened to. "Hey pimple did you hear me?"
"No." She didn't bother to pretend otherwise.
This just caused the rude little brat to laugh. "Oh-ho-ho, just means it'll be a surprise when I take out my frustrations on your little not-a-doc!" She cuped her free hand like she was ready to crush something in it. "Well, you gonna ask what my problem is?" she jeered.
Well if she wanted it that badly... "Fine, what is your problem?" Leia crossed her arms in a huff.
"Oh good, I get to explain how much I hate you all and wish you'd stop being anywhere near me."
That was kind of creepily obsessive... It was sad and pitiful really. "Why do you have such a rotten attitude?
"Because I don't want your obnoxious help! Get that through your thick, thick skulls!" Agria lashed out. "Dealing with not-a-doc day in and day out has made my life a living hell and you sticking up for him's just as bad."
"Jude's a great guy—the best! No one else would put up with your wretched personality for so long."
"Huh?" Agria craned her neck, her contortion of rage switching over to confusion. "Oh I see, I see!" she began to smile... that unnerving smile that preludes her usual delusions. "You got the hots for old not-a-doc don't you?"
"What?" Huh, how could this abrasive little... no! "W-what do you mean?"
Agria stomped her foot. "Don't try and play dumb pimple. Well, you are dumb so you don't really need to play per say, but anyway," she slowly inched forward. "I can smell it on you pimple, behind all that sunshine and rainbows is a princess waiting for a knight." She licked her lips. "Well listen up princess pimple, your knight in shining armor's denser than a rock. He somehow doesn't get that I don't want to see him ever and keeps following me like some creepy stalker, so even if you present yourself to him on a silver platter he'll never get it and you'll die alone and unloved and filled with self-loathing for thinking you could ever be happy with a fool like him."
"You are... a horrible person..." Leia kept herself from yelling, but her body shook at the revolting things she said. She wanted to run, escape from all the anger being spat out by the other girl... but she couldn't! This was the enemy base! She... she had to take a stand! "So... so what! Jude's a great guy! S-so what if I like him? Anyone can like him! E-even you!" She tried to turn it around...
...but it was just inviting an even more adverse reaction. Agria gagged at the thought, doubling over and coughing. "Oh puke," she eventually choked out. "Like not-a-doc? My tastes aren't as remotely awful as yours!"
"Oh yeah, I'm sure!"
"Oh will you shut up!" a new voice interuppted them, and its owner dropped down in front of them. It was the Black Lance woman with those tonfas. "Listening to you two quarrel over men was funny at first but now it's just sad. So I'm gonna take you both out for the good of us all."
"Start with the pimple," Agria added in one last threat before dragging out her stupid-looking weapon and beginning to sway her body.
"Clark dammit do not engage!" General Morrison screamed over the radio... but all he heard back before a disheartening click was the Master Sergeant telling someone to shut up. That was just, that was just peachy. She jumped the gun and now everyone had to pay for it. He clicked the radio over to a wide broadcast frequency and shouted orders. "All stations, this is General Morrison, weapons free and engage. Over." A hundred rogers and okays floated back through the radio.
Ah the joys of a well-executed operation. Once these scum were dealt with he could kick back and relax with a fine cigar. Against regulations sure, but hell, command had it privileges. It's why he took officer's training in the first place. He pulled out the sweet reward and plugged it on his lips in anticipation, it wouldn't take long now. Getting all armed and armored up was looking like a ridiculous idea, not the least because he was the CO and old as hell. The cargo room was well off any sort of path the Rieze Maxians would take, so it was being used as the first rally point. He was just here to coordinate things if it got rough.
Still... it was an excuse to bust out his old rifle. A combination of the old slug-throwers with an under-slung spyrix canon, they'd been phased out solely for the current formation relaying on those huge two-handers. With the flying battleships the army was always mechanized, so hefting the giant things were less of an issue, but ehhhh, he was old and didn't quite have the vitality of youth anymore or all the cybernetics like Stacker did.
He sat on one of the crates listening in on the operation commencing. Screams of battle, victory defeat, everything that made battle filtered on through to his ears.
But the most important sound was the door to the cargo room sliding open. That only meant one thing... He glanced back, there was a tall man with a taller sword and some whicked looking armor standing there. "Thanks for letting me know Svent just sold us out." Probably meant the keycards were real too but... screw it if Svent wanted to fight'em in person who was he to stop'em? He pulled the cigar from his lips and put it back in a pocket. "General Gregory Morrison." He hobbled off the crate, the rifle still slung around his back.
"Gaius, king of Auj Oule," the native man readied his sword like a barbarian. Which they really were if they still had silly things like kings.
"Never thought I'd get to kill a king heh," the General laughed and in one swift motion ducked to his knees, drew his weapon and sent a quick burst at his enemy! Barbarian armor couldn't stop bullets... but their swords apparently could as a few flashes and swings and the man stood completely unfazed. "Well, shit."
The soldier with the shield rumbled out in front of Alvin and Jude, and the medical student quickly threw the link up between the two of them. The shield was bigger, the lance longer and even beneath the armor either man could tell their enemy was pissed. "Alright assholes time to die!" he shouted and charged in.
With practiced deftness Rowen sent a trio of knives swiftly through the air—only for them to clatter uselessly against another trio. His target however, dropped from her perch, down to the ground with the two tactitians. Another three knives flew from her hands, but this time Wingl intercepted them, not even bothering with his booster or any sort of link.
"Only one?" he acted condescendingly to their target. "I despise to think Alvin might be correct."
The enemy readied more knives, silence was her answer.
A thunderous blast soared down from above and only a quick dodge back prevented Presa and the girl from being
"Dammit!" the soldier yelled as he floated down from above. "Why's I have to figh two women? And one of'em's that punk kid." He leveled his canon, the shot slowly warming up. "Man, ain't no way I can be the big hero here after this kind of pushover.
"Hey!" Teepo yelled back. "A big rude jerk like you doesn't get to be mean to a good kid like Elly."
Presa felt like adding something in. "I agree with the puppet." She smirked and readied herself for channeling. "You aren't exactly heroic with that ambush attacking children or... you know, trying to kill everyone on Rieze Maxia." She quickly channeled and sent two discs of water spiraling forward with the Aqua Edge arte.
"Ivar get down!" Milla pushed her handmaid to the side as a shot of lightning barreled down the hall.
"Dammit, how did I miss?" the enemy channeler walked into view. "How did you know...?"
"I felt the spirits moving... but not dying, that meant it could only be you." Milla drew her sword, ready to finish the hypocrite once and for all.
The channeler grunted and readied his own staff. "I already said I'm not about to give up on my country for some bumpkins like you."
"Bumpkins!" Ivar eeagerly returned to combat himself. "There's no greater fount of dignity than Lady Milla, how dare you insult her like that!"
AN: I'm not actually sure was ESS stands for actually, so I just went with that. I'm rather annoyed with myself for how short Milla's sections have become. More annoyed with Leia x Agria's ~boy talk~ though. Yeesh what was I thinking? Bleh, even worse how contrived going after Black Lance ended up being. They could have just as easily been along some other less idiotic way. Bah, this one may need some heavier rewrites in the future.
Can you guess which two sections were entirely added in during the editing process?
Anyway, this was the Chapter I stopped writing way back in March during my PS3-broke funk. I started writing it March 9th and ended it on May 5th. yeah, almost two whole months, yikes! And it's only just now the sheer word debt earned from that period has been written off.