Disclaimer: Guess what I still don't own this game… or Slipknot. What do ya know. A hundred lawyers nailed to the wall, a hundred lawyers nailed… dum dum dum.
The forces that were now arrayed against us were certainly more powerful than the ones that our clan had just rolled over. There were three bangaas, a human, and a moogle. One bangaa, who I took to be the leader, had black scales. Now that's unusual.
The enemy soldiers moved towards us, and lined up in turn-formation as I now called it. The bangaas all had Maximillions. That'll make them pretty hard to knock down. The moogle simply had on a vest, and was oiling a gun that I did not know existed in Ivalice: a shotgun. A lot has changed in the last ten years. The two bangaas that I took to be subordinate both had tridents, and the leader had a poleax. The human had an Excalibur two and a Nagrarok, coupled with a Maximillion.
My new clan responded to the Hound's pause at once, probably fearing another verbal scourging from me for fighting Ivalice style. We charged forward, blades (and other crap) drawn and ready. A mêlée ensued when we had closed. My perception of time immediately slowed, and the world was tinted with red. The gunner fired his shotgun, and the buckshot ricocheted off my armor. I was so deep in the rage, that I could see every pellet, and hear the snarl of the weapon after the shot hit me. I spun, and the moogle worked the pump on the shotgun, and sent another blast my way. That's all that it had time for before my blades whirled in, slicing off arms and then sending a head flying away.
Meanwhile, Basil sent a Firaga thundering toward the paladin, who dove out of the way, and charged. Alcest was easily overpowering one of the subordinate bangaas, but finding the heavy armor that his enemy wore almost impossible to penetrate. Selecuos was raining his entire stock of spells on the leader, who managed to dodge them all.
One of the regular bangaas had been standing on the sidelines for the entire fight, and suddenly decided to charge Alcest from behind. I intercepted him about a second later, bent on turning every enemy present into a pile of steaming gore.
The lizard spun and stabbed with the trident. The red haze clouding my brain slowed my perception of time, and it looked as if the spear was moving lazily through the air. I used my left blade to blast the spear point away from my body, and plunged the other one into the lizard's stomach and yanked upward, severing it's diaphragm.
"Ow…" choked the bangaa before sinking to the ground.
I was surprised that my new weapons had cut through the Maximillion so easily, but didn't have time to dwell on it. The paladin came at me with measured strides, and began spinning attack routines at me. Completely by the book.
"Idiot." I spat. The paladin looked at me quizzically, and I used one of the spells stored in the fabric of my blades: a Thundaga. The paladin still had a surprised look on his face when he was incinerated.
Alcest had finally finished the other subordinate bangaa with a series of ultima attacks. He turned around in time to take an arrow to the face. Luckily for him, it bounced off the nose guard on his helm.
I looked around for the source. The sniper from the last battle had used conceal and we had forgotten about her. I absentmindedly fired a Blizzaga over my shoulder, and heard a scream. One of the ice shards had pinned her to the ground by the leg.
The only opponent left was the bangaa leader. Selecuos had still failed to hit him with any spell, and had started to run out of mana. My clan backed off, content to let me deal with the issue. They proceeded to tie up the wounded viera, and heal her.
Meanwhile, I advanced on the leader, content that the haze would not allow me to feel pain or fatigue until after the fight. The leader was hardly sweating, even after the workout Selecuos had given him. I leaped forward, and the bangaa stuck out his spear. I smashed into the point, but it was turned by my armor. The bangaa's armor was thick as well, but the blades in my hands had been sharpened by magic, and enhanced with death spells. He never stood a chance.
The haze lifted, and I fought a wave of dizziness. There was a pile of steaming offal on the ground at my feet. " The whole world is my enemy, and I'm a walking target." I couldn't help but thinking. Some of the pellets from the moogle's shotgun had found tiny gaps in the right shoulder joint of my armor, burrowing into my skin.
" That hurts like fuck." I commented to my clan as I trudged onward towards the gates of Jagd Dorsa.
" Here." Said Selecuos, and the wounds healed.
" Thanks," I said. " And why is that still wasting my air." I commented, pointing to the viera.
" Entertainment." Was the only answer.
" Ya know, they don't taste bad roasted." I said, smiling at a half- forgotten memory.
" Ahhh… yes, that's one of the reasons you're so highly wanted." Commented Basil.
" But I only had one." I said, faking a whine.
" Cannibalism is still a capital offense," He said " Along with murder."
"Go fuck yourself."
" Whatever, anyway we have to get into the palace without being seen and finish the clan."
1 hour later
" Can you cross a border without being seen?" asked Basil to one of the men we had met in a pub, uproariously drunk, and now completely broke thanks to Emet.
" Thas' what we do 'cuz!" came back from the three drunks sitting there.
"Good," I said " we need a way into the palace, and you seem to know how to get in."
" Yeah man, we gardeners at the palace. We get to use the lawnmowers."
" Basil, I'm out. You deal with these idiots."
" Hey man if you're bored you can always check out the 'entertainment' we acquired at the fight." He said lecherously, grinning.
" Good idea." I'll be back later I said, grinning back.
Unfortunately, there is a rating- induced gap in my memory right now.
A/N : I can smell the citrus orchards, but sadly, no lemons for you, because they aren't allowed. Maybe I should for AFF. Anyway, news of void is welcome, and I can't tell you why.
Ave Satanas