"So you wish to join the Vanguard?" Rurik took a small slab of meat and bread and passed the platter down. Ondaron nodded as he took the plate. "Yes, we've come a long way to help the people of Ascalon. Eleanor here tells me they've adapted quite well, and now soldiers are needed more than anything."

Rurik nodded. A servant walked around the makeshift dining table, pouring water into the cups of the guests. "I must apologize for the quality of the meal; no doubt you were expecting fine roast duck and wine. While this may have been the case not too long ago, those are very rare now, and I see it unfit that I should dine on it even if we did have any." Kotetsu nodded to the prince. "Your highness, we're not very picky about what we eat. No apologies are needed."

The prince nodded. "Well, I thank you for your understanding. In any case, the Vanguard welcomes you. Please dismiss Sir Tydus' harsh behavior." At this Sir Tydus stood. "I am sorry for how I acted, but you must understand. We've had many would-be soldiers join and die the first day in service. I had to restrict who we let in, as Ascalon cannot survive if those unfit for battle go into battle." He sat down back to his meal. Hikari and Tasari whispered among themselves, eyeing Tydus and Rurik. Mei looked at them and chuckled, shaking her head at the two girls. They didn't seem to notice, or pretended not to, as Rurik spoke again. "So why did you throw the fight?"

Kotetsu winced. He thought he didn't make it so obvious. "What do you mean, your highness." "Call me Rurik. I'm asking why you held back, and most of all, left yourself so open on that last swing." Korah broke in. "Excuse me, but he did it because he knew the victory would mean nothing if he won, but would mean the world if you did. As that soldier said before the fight, if the Vanguard won, than the people's morale would raise. It was abysmally low when he won against that giant. Who knows what people would think if you, their greatest defender, lost as well."

Rurik sat back and pondered on that. "Yes. I suppose that does make sense. But I have another question. Where did you learn to fight like that?" "I was meaning to ask him the same thing." Kotetsu winced again. Eleanor stifled a chuckle. He cleared his throat and began.

"I wasn't always a hunter, in fact, I only became that shortly before I met up with Ondaron and his party of hunters. I spent most of my childhood under the care of Mitsuhide, a great martial artist. He was a master of melee fighting, as well as the bow and other weapons." Eleanor nodded. "Mitsuhide was also a close friend of my master, Tetsabou Shakken."

Rurik's eyes opened widely. "Mitsuhide Akechi and Tetsabou Shakken, two of the most renowned combatants in Tyria. That would most definitely explain your exotic and skillful styles, both of you."

They nodded, returning their attention to their meals. A woman came into the room. "Sorry I'm late, got caught up in a play." She sat down next to Rurik and exchanged a kiss. Hikari let out a frustrated sigh, though quickly turning it into a well choreographed yawn. Mitsuhide jumped into her lap, purring. She took some of the meat from her plate and gave it to the young cat. It purred and fell asleep on her lap.

A cry was heard in the distance. "The Charr come! The Charr come!" Rurik shook his head. "Well, that's the life of the Vanguard."

They rushed forward to the entrance to the city, meeting up with the other Vanguard members and the city's patrol. Wallace stood in front of his own party. Kotetsu winced again. This could get ugly. He noticed the hunter, and walked over. Kotetsu felt himself tense up. Wallace's huge hand came forward…and settled into a request for a hand shake. "I never did shake your hand, hunter. We are allies out of the Arena, regardless what happened in there." Kotetsu extended his own hand. "Also, I must thank you for showing me that signet. I picked something else up from one of my own under my command. Let me show you." He placed his index and middle finger out from a fist, the thumb across the hand to his ring finger. His other hand rested at his side, with curled fingers, as if in a combat stance. "This stance is used to give any ailments affecting you to the touched object." He took a quick step forward, and made a jabbing strike with his outstretched hand. Kotetsu took it all in, nodding. "Now it's my turn to show you something." He tapped his calves. "Normally a strike here is a risky move, and usually yields nothing. However if you aim here…." He tapped a very specific part of the calf. "…with either arrow or blade, you'll effectively cripple them to a limp." Wallace nodded. He took off out the gate to face the Charr.

"You there, what's the situation?"

"Prince Rurik, a large invasion force led by Bonfaz Burntfur is headed this way. Our guess is that they are trying to wipe out any resistance left." "Any estimates on how many?" "Our scouts say there are two additional armies along with Bonfaz's force, probably anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000 strong. Outside of the gate right now seems to be a scout party of around 20. Wallace and his group are taking care of that."

Prince Rurik shook his head. "There's nothing we can do, we'll have to evacuate to Fort Ranik for the time being. How long do we have?"

"Our scouts estimate that at their current pace, they'll be here within 3 days."

Sir Tydus took Rurik aside. "My lord, even if we leave the Charr will still come. We would just be delaying the battle to come. It would be wiser if we set up for a siege here." "Siege? A siege with what? We wouldn't last. Supplies are scarce as is, and being cut off from our supply routes would doom us no matter how well we fought."

"But there isn't any other choice." Kotetsu's words came steady, quietly, but forcefully. Rurik turned to him. "Then what would you suggest, hunter? Like I said, supplies are scarce. The Vanguard barely numbers 1,000, and they are spread out from here, to the sanitarium, Serenity Temple, Pikens Square, and Grendich Courthouse." "We need to build some siege weapons."

Rurik sighed. "Believe me, I'd love to, but we don't have the materials." "Not those kind. What we need is something like a very thick bow string, and several large pieces of wood." Eleanor jumped in. "A ballista!" Kotetsu nodded. "That will tear right through several Charr at least, they aren't hard to make, and they'd be much more effective than regular arrows." Ondaron nodded. "I'll have the others start putting down traps and ambush pits. Kotetsu, you and your group see about getting those made." Ondaron took the rest of the hunters and walked outside the city. Felicia came forward. "I have an idea that may help. I'll need more dark mages than just me though."

The three days came and went quickly, as the defense of Ascalon city was prepared. Kotetsu strode along the lines of quickly made ballistae. They had all worked the day before when they were tested, and as he inspected them now, more projectiles were added to the ever growing pile of ammunition. Felicia, Hikari, Tasari, and others were in deep concentration inscribing a giant rune circle and maintaining it. Eleanor was drilling her team so harshly that many complained they'd be dead before the Charr came. Mei stood at the gate, her face impassive as she watched for the Charr. Regalia was on the other side, bouncing up and down with the excitement of a child in a field of grass. Archers mixed with Hunters lined the wall of the City, anxiously awaiting the incoming Charr. Ondaron and the others returned to the city, after finishing another trap patrol.

I hope this works. He took off his headband, gathering his hair and tying it into a ponytail. He strapped his sword to his side, slinging his bow and quiver onto his shoulder. He knelt down into a trance, meditating on the coming battle.

"He's lucky this invasion happened. But he won't be able to put off talking to me after it's over."

Eleanor dismissed her soldiers and turned to Korah. "Talk about what? So he wasn't always a hunter, but he is now and he's your husband. So why's it matter?"

Korah sighed. "I suppose I just don't think I can fully trust whatever he says now."

"Don't be ridiculous. He's an honest one, sometimes to a fault, but when he hides something it's because you're better off not knowing, and if you really didn't know anything about his past, how did you know Mitsuhide was his master.?"

"Well, when we met they were traveling together. He introduced us, saying that Kotetsu was his pupil, so naturally I thought he was a teacher or a master, you know."

Eleanor nodded. She bid Korah farewell and went to see about the city's defenses. Looking around, Korah spotted Hikari and Tasari near the Rune Circle, chatting calmly, occasionally checking the circle for any signs of trouble. She walked over to them, sitting next to them as Naomi and Felicia did the same.

"Nervous?" Naomi's voice was soothing and melodic. The two sisters nodded. "We've never done anything like this before." Hikari's expression was more of concern than worry. Felicia nodded at her. "It's always scary the first time. It becomes more natural as you do it more often though, trust me on that." She ruffled their hair, earning a few remarks and grimaces, but the atmosphere became a little more cheery.

As the two left Korah looked over to the sisters. "There's nothing to be nervous about, you know. It may be unusual, but it's as natural as anything else, really." Tasari nodded. "But when I think about all that flesh and such, it just horrifies me. How can anyone possibly do it?" Hikari backed up her. "I know! It's just so…nasty. I don't want to even think about it, but I have to, if I'm going to do this right." Korah eyed them, smiling a little. "You'll understand once you do it. There's nothing nasty about it, it's more of a loving feeling, and it sort of completes you. You just need to find the right person to do it to." They blinked at her. "The right person? What do you mean?" Korah paused, trying to find the right words to convey to the troubled sisters. "What I mean is, even if others don't think it's right, whom you choose to share the experience with is your own decision. Man or woman, whichever you prefer. I'm sure Kotetsu would support you either way, I know I would." They giggled. "Ah, yes. Kotetsu's always there isn't he? Our own honorary big brother. But I really don't understand, Korah. Do women or men make the better undead? I mean, we'll be using the Charr in this plan of Felicia's, but if we were to ever do it to someone, do you think a slow, dimwitted warrior will make a better minion, or one of our own, the superior sex." They giggled at each other. Korah blinked. "You were talking about Undead?" "Yes." "Oh. Oh I see. I'm sure that it doesn't matter. Anyways, I'm going to walk around some more. Take care you two."

She walked over to where Kotetsu was kneeling. It was quite an unusual sight, she'd never seen him so focused. Either that or he was asleep. The pockets of wind that blew by caught both her hair and his, and she felt a strange energy emitting from the hunter, who lay not more than twenty feet from her. Taking a quick peek over her shoulder she saw Eleanor doing the same thing. "Odd" She muttered to herself. Two packets of energy, becoming more and more focused as the minutes passed. She broke off her connection to the Ether Field. The intensity was unlike anything she had felt before. It wasn't necessarily stronger than she could bear, but the vibrations, the tune, the pitch, everything about it wasn't the usual sort of energy she ever experienced before. Her shook out her head, dizzy from the attempts to read the energy, when she heard a strange sound, like something whistling through the wind.

Pffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff –KESCH! Korah let out a sharp cry, an arrow sticking out from her thigh. She heard Hikari and Tasari shouting incantations, and felt vibrations as they tapped into the Ether Fields. She looked up at Kotetsu. He was already standing, again with that look in his eye like that which he had in the Arena. Focused, intense, devoid of his usual light hearted demeanor. He walked up to her and yanked out the arrow. She flinched, letting out a gasp as she felt it rip through her leg. Kotetsu's voice was harsh and commanding. "Get under cover, where Minshana is. Have her fix you up. Stay where you are until it's over." He gave her a quick kiss and sent her off.

A yell echoed through the city. "The Charr are here! Prepare for battle!"