"Que the Roar of Dominion, I guess," I said to myself while getting ready to sneak out of this abandoned house since the Risen suddenly appeared in Ylisstol, roaming this place as if they owned it. I could deal with them, but that would take too much time and I didn't have that. I need to regroup with Stahl and Ricken as fast as possible.
I looked around the house that would help me to distract the mindless, walking corpses but I couldn't find anything. I searched a little harder by going inside the supposed kitchen of this house to spot big logs of wood, ready to be used inside an oven.
"This should do the job," I said, silently thanking the people that lived here.
I picked up one and with quiet footsteps reached the window. Looking through it one more time to see that the Risen haven't left yet, I carefully opened the door and threw the log down the alleyway as far as I could. The loud thunk of wood hitting stone caught their attention, and soon enough, all of them shambled towards the disturbance while I quickly closed the door again. I stayed as silent as I possibly could, yet it felt as if my heartbeat hammered so loud that it would give me away.
I drew deep breaths to calm myself down, focusing on their footsteps, hearing them get closer until they slowly settled down into faint clicks and scratches in the distance. Opening the door one last time, I spotted the Risen heading far into the alley across from me, seizing the chance to get out of here.
I didn't bother closing the door, as it would make more unnecessary sound. One step at a time, I left the Risen behind me, getting further and further away until I was out of their sight and reach, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"Damn. Stealth missions are something I don't think I will ever be good at." I told myself while picking up the pace to reach Ricken and Stahl. I hoped they were still at where we were situated.
Boulder after boulder rained down upon the city as I ran forwards, crashing down on the buildings and leaving behind craters filled with rubble and wood. One such boulder smashed into a house to my right, sending stone, wood, and dust flying towards me. I covered my eyes and raised my snowstorm shield, blocking the debris from hitting me. The dust began to settle, revealing a split crack in the boulder as something strange glowed from inside.
I ran up to the boulder, picking up a dark wooden box filled with marks and runes of origins I couldn't place. It wasn't like the runes inside my spell tome, and once I picked up the box, I noticed that it was extremely light. It then started to shake from my grasp, slipping out of my hand as it dropped to the ground, opening itself up.
A dark mist started to pour from the box at a rapid pace, covering the ground in a small layer of purple smoke. It was then that an arm rose from the ground, trying to grab something to pull the rest of its body to the surface. The realization hit me on what the box really was, and I immediately pierced my spear through it. The mist stopped pouring from it, with the hand disappearing as quickly as it sprouted.
The box itself slowly dissipated in a cloud of black smoke as I breathed a sigh of relief, before making a scowl.
"Goddamn reeking boxes. One thing I hoped didn't exist here."
So, Gangrel used the boulders as a way to get these boxes inside the city to cause panic. Although it was a disgusting and cowardly strategy, I couldn't deny that if they couldn't control the Risen, then this was a brutally efficient way to thin out our numbers before the real force charges in.
Once again, I ran towards my supposed position, having wasted too much time, but luck was on my side. I was able to spot Ricken and Stahl running towards the western gate where the bulk of the enemy forces were.
"Ricken! Stahl!" I yelled at them to get their attention and both immediately turned to me.
"Radko!? Where were you this whole time!?" Ricken shouted as the two of them met me eye to eye "This place is crawling with Risen!".
"Nice to see you, too," I answered "Long story short, needed to escort a civilian quickly to the upper level. As for the second part, the Risen are coming from the boulders the Plegians are firing at us." I lied since I didn't really want to explain the encounter I had with that stranger back in the alleyway while steering the conversation to a much more urgent problem.
"Are you sure?" Stahl asked and I looked back at him with a serious expression.
"I am positive. I checked one of the boulders and they are made from a stone that breaks after they land. There was a wooden box stuffed inside that emitted the same smoke as the Risen do. Put the two together, and it looks like the Plegians somehow can use the Risen as a weapon of war."
Both Ricken and Stahl grimaced at the idea of weaponizing the Risen.
"We need to report that immediately and start cleaning up the boxes then," Stahl answered "I'll go to the command tent while you two start dealing with them! We will meet in the northern district by then!".
Both me and Ricken nodded as he got back on his horse, bolting to the command tent.
Thankfully, it seemed that no boulders have reached the higher level, meaning the Risen were at least somewhat contained. I turned to Ricken, who already looked ready to get this show on the road.
"Well, Ricken, ready to clean this place up like in the border?" I asked him, eager to let go of some of my own pent-up frustration.
"As ready as I will ever be." He replied with a small grin of his own and eyes filled with determination. A sudden boulder landed in front of us, far enough for us not to get hit by the debris but creating a dust cloud that blocked our vision.
I readied my spear and went to the front while Ricken trailed back behind me. Once the dust settled, a group of Risen appeared around the boulder.
"Cover my flank, Ricken," I said in a commanding tone and Ricken hummed his answer. That gave me enough of a confirmation to charge in. I closed the distance between me and the Risen haven't spotted us yet, granting us the element of surprise to off the first Risen I reached.
My spear sang as I sliced through the neck of the monster, and I didn't wait for it to dissipate, continuing my assault while hoping Ricken could keep up. I slashed another Risen, rending through its torso, almost splitting it in half, when I felt the sudden gust of wind passed by me and one Risen in front of me was suddenly without its head.
I grinned lightly at the fact that Ricken was watching my back and continued my assault, the Risen charging in as well, four of them in fact. I killed one by thrusting with my spear, embedding it inside another Risen, yet it didn't disappear. I tried to wiggle my spear out in time before the Risen would attack me but it didn't.
I was surprised that there was no retaliation from the monster and I looked up into its dead red eyes. It tilted its head to the side like it was completely bewildered by what I have done.
This creeped me out in so many ways that I completely forgot about the rest of the Risen, yet, they all completely ignored me, only going for Ricken.
Was I that unimportant to them they didn't even consider killing me!? No, that would make no sense. They should be just mindless zombies...
I forcefully unstuck my spear from the Risen and summoned a couple of icicles to impale another one while Ricken dealt with the other two as they soon met a similar fate as their buddies before.
I grimaced at the heat my chest exuded. Normally, it shouldn't be this early for me to be experiencing such an amount of heat from just two spells. Whatever that stranger did, he didn't do it with good intentions.
"Did you see how the Risen completely ignored me?" I asked Ricken as I tried to think about something else other than my encounter before the siege. I just hoped that Ricken saw the weird behavior of the Risen as well.
"Yeah, I have no clue why but we can ponder about that later, we have other things to worry about," Ricken confirmed while urging me to move towards the boulder.
We reached it with no resistance and destroyed the box inside the boulder, and headed to the next which wasn't that far. Taking it down, we were able to figure out an effective pathway to the nearby boxes that needed to be destroyed, and got rid of three in total.
The Risen behaved exactly as before, only going for Ricken and not me. We used that to our advantage and we were able to get rid of the Risen much more easily.
Something told me that the escape I did back in the house wasn't as impressive as I thought it out to be.
However, it didn't matter how well we were able to fight the Risen off, it exhausted us. We did have vulneraries for a quick energy boost, but we didn't want to waste it on something like exhaustion, no matter how much it would help us.
We found another boulder that was near the northern district, smacked dab right in the middle, filled with more than a dozen Risen with a few soldiers lying dead on the ground. I groaned at the sight, scowling on instinct.
"It feels like we disturbed an ant nest," I said, thinking of the Risen as an insect of all things.
"Yeah, you kill one, and two take its place. How are we going to get near it and destroy it without alerting all of them?" Ricken pondered and I touched my chin for a second, but then a really stupid idea formed in my head I really needed an answer for.
"Hey, Ricken," I said to him in a hushed tone. "The Risen were completely ignorant of me in the last three boxes we destroyed and I know that they disappear along with the box, so let me try something out."
Ricken looked at me funny before his eyes started to bulge out.
"Are you seriously considering—!?"I stopped him with my hand, shutting his mouth closed while I berated him "Not so loud! Do you want the Risen to spot us, or at least you?" I asked him, getting a slight nod. Once I removed my hand from his mouth, a scowl formed on his face.
"We don't know for sure if it wasn't just a coincidence!" He protested with a hushed tone.
"We won't know unless we try," I said while walking towards the site filled with Risen. Although I could hear Ricken's protests, he kept his voice low and I couldn't really understand what he said.
I strode forward towards the boulder where the box was and the first Risen heard my entrance, wobbling towards me. Its piercing red eyes bore into my blue ones and a lump suddenly formed inside my throat as my heart began to beat a mile a minute once the creature got near to inspect me.
I was half tempted to attack it, but the walking corpse didn't make a single indication of being poised to attack. You could say it was curious like a newly born puppy, without all the cuteness of one.
It tilted its head just like the one back in the second boulder and once its curiosity dissipated, it left me to my own devices. I breathed a sigh of relief while also liking the fact I didn't need to smell that horrible stench the Risen exuded.
I closed the distance between me and the boulder and found the reeking box without a single Risen, except for the first one, batting an eye, leaving me to freely destroy the box. Piercing the box with my spear made all of the Risen disappear as well, leaving the northern district void of all of the creatures and only filled with dead soldiers. I looked away from the dead bodies, saddened at the loss of these soldiers. I didn't know any of them, but the probable guilt of this being my fault lingered there, making me clutch my coat out of instinct.
Ricken soon was by my side, awed at the accomplishment of dealing with the Risen without any of us needing to fight.
"Wow, that was awesome! And kind of terrifying at the same time. I was honestly ready to kill that Risen that got near you." Ricken looked at me with eyes that practically sparkled, and I couldn't stop myself from smiling at him. He acted like a kid sometimes, not that I would say that out loud.
"Honestly, I was so scared I thought I would run away just from that Risen looking at me." I admitted a little sheepishly, before realizing where we were "Isn't this the place where we should meet with Stahl?".
"Yeah, I think he should come any minute now," Ricken confirmed, and as if by sheer coincidence, Stahl was galloping on his horse, coming from one of the streets connected to the plaza.
"Well, hopefully, you weren't waiting for too long," Stahl remarked, and we shook our heads to give our answers "That's good since we have to move quickly. The Risen have been amassing near the western gate and tore through our defenses and all of the Shepherds are being called to the front lines.".
"Well, what are we waiting for? We need to get there as soon as possible." I urged them. We left towards the western gate, through the torn streets of Ylisstol from the boulders and Risen. The guilt grew stronger with each building we came across that was destroyed but I forcefully ignored it and power through it, even if it would harm me in the long run.
Now wasn't the time to wallow in guilt, now was the time for actions.
We reached the place where a few of the Shepherds were situated near the gate that led towards the upper level of Ylisstol, allowing us to see what was going on near the gate and I was horrified by the sight.
Risen were pooling from all corners of the streets, currently being blocked by many barricades made from wood and stone, with soldiers trying desperately to hold the Risen off.
The groups we were dealing with in the patrols were nothing in comparison to the sheer amount of Risen I saw in front of me, reaching numbers I would rather ignore. However, there was one Risen that stood out like a sore thumb in the sea of purple bodies.
It was huge, like four times the size of a regular adult, with dark skin and bulging muscle. It was dragging its long arms as a revenant would, but I knew a revenant wasn't anywhere near as threatening as that thing. Many spears, arrows, and swords were pierced through its body, yet it could still move.
The worst part was its heart, or rather its core.
It pulsed while having the same hue as the eyes of Risen, visible veins bulged out of its muscles, also emitting the same red color. Add a leather sack on its head, making it look like it was completely blind and you got a creature that felt like it shouldn't have left the laboratory of a mad scientist.
"What in the seven hells is that!?" Shouted Sully who was one of the few Shepherds currently present with her team alongside Vaike and Sumia.
"I can confirm that it is in fact, a Risen. Hmm, maybe it is one of a different variety…" Trailed off Miriel, who completely missed the urgent tone of Sully's question.
Huh, had been some time since I have seen her after the assassination, which reminded me to ask her if she found out anything about my condition or a cure to it, although now was definitely not the time.
"I can see that, you bookworm! I want to know how you want us to put that thing to the ground!" Sully asked incredulously, hoping that someone would be able to answer that question.
"I don't know how about you, but I don't think we need an answer on how to kill the thing, but how we can even get to the thing. Can't you see the Risen in front of us, Sully?" Asked Gauis, who was also present with his team which included Panne and Donnel.
Wait, Donnel was already fighting!? They just recruited this poor guy and the first thing he needed to do was defend from a siege!? The guilt just kept getting worse for me to bear.
But as much as I wanted to protest and make sure Donnel wouldn't join the frontlines, he seemed to be doing fine. He was scoring the mercenary outfit and had an iron sword by his side and that… copper pot.
Seriously, I would at least get a helmet or something if I were him. I wouldn't want a stray arrow killing me out of nowhere. Hmm, maybe I should be wearing one, but none of the Shepherds were.
Might as well go with the flow.
"Do I look blind to you? I'll bump up the lap number for you if ask similarly dumb questions." Sully threatened, to which the sugar thief backed off and nervously smiled at her.
In the meantime, the Shepherds came to complete the whole squad and it felt nice to finally be all together again. It almost felt like a reunion since the last time we fought together was back in the assassination attempt and even there we were separated into groups.
Well, hopefully, the next reunion won't be filled with purple zombies and the literal definition of a Frankenstein.
Chrom then came with his squad, containing Lissa, Frederick, and Robin. The four of them looked at the force we had to deal with visible grimaces and Chrom turned to Robin, hoping she would have at least some sort of plan.
"Do you have a way we can deal with this army in front of us, Robin?" Chrom asked Robin, whose grimace only deepened, but that didn't mean she didn't have a strategy.
"I do, but I don't think any of you will like it," Robin said ominously, but Chrom urged her to tell them anyway.
"That doesn't matter now, we need a way to break through to make sure the western gate stays intact."
Robin sighed, not wanting to unveil her strategy from the looks of things, but began doing so anyway.
"The Risen seemed to be acting much more intelligently with that thing being alive," Robin said while pointing at the horrifying creature with the pulsing core "If we can kill it then not only it will be easier to deal with the Risen, but the soldiers will get some time to regroup, and I don't want Phila to deploy her pegasus knights yet, since the Plegians still haven't sent in their wyverns.".
"Ok, but how do you want us to get close to that thing without being stabbed to death with rusty weapons?" Asked Sully again the obvious questions and Robin turned to her.
"You would get stabbed to death by them, but not me," Robin said seriously. Although the Shepherds were silent, some were eyeing Robin like she grew a second head from her sudden statement.
"I didn't fight Risen all that much, but during the time we were destroying the boxes that summoned these corpses here, I realized that the Risen never went for me. Even if I was in the front lines, there were situations where the Risen could easily attack me, yet they didn't. So, I am putting that theory to the test by going deal with that monster while you will defend Ylisstol with the soldiers from the Risen until I send a signal for you to charge in." Robin finished and the first one to protest was Chrom, of course.
"Are you out of your mind, Robin!? Even if you could go past the Risen without being attacked by them, going up against that thing alone would be suicide!" Chrom said while pointing in the general direction of that monster.
"Do you have a better idea then, Chrom!?" Robin hissed which made Chrom scowl and was trying to think of a better solution other than letting Robin walk into almost certain doom.
"We could thin out the numbers of the Risen before going up against it," Chrom suggested, hoping Robin would change her mind but she shut him down immediately.
"We don't have enough time for that! Not all boxes have been destroyed, making thinning out their numbers meaningless!" Robin argued while turning back to face the Shepherds "Does anybody have a better plan!?".
The silence was her answer. There were a few people who wanted to protest but got shut down by Robin's glare until it was me who pushed through some of the Shepherds to get to the front.
"Radko, are you here to tell me that I will die or something? Because I don't have time for your stupid knowledge." Robin spat as her gaze met mine, completely out of her character. The stress of handling this siege was getting to her, but there was a limit on how much of her shit I could take.
I strode forward to her, looking at her with an unreadable expression, until I slapped her across her face with a loud clap, completely surprising all of the people present.
The face Robin had was one of shock, not expecting the sudden slap while putting her hand on her cheek. She looked at me with wide eyes, bewildered by my sudden action.
"And here I was starting to think you were more level-headed than me, but I guess I was wrong. I might as well start calling myself your retainer with how much I have to put up with you." I remarked while taking her by her coat, not forcefully enough to make it look like I wanted to harm her, but adequately enough to make a point "Don't even think about sacrificing yourself, got it?".
"Then what do you propose, 'foreseer'?" The amount of sarcasm that oozed from that title made me feel almost disgusted at Robin, but I pushed that thought aside. I have also noticed the stares I was getting from the Shepherds, probably of Robin's sudden title drop.
"I am going with you if that is what you are asking," I answered to the surprise of Robin and the rest of the company while ignoring their gaze.
"Great, might as well start planning for your funeral then." She remarked bitterly while narrowing her eyes.
"If you have time to plan for my funeral then you have enough brainpower to know that going alone down there is suicide. That is why I am going with you since the Risen ignore me too." I explained with a leveled tone and Robin's eyes widened once more.
"I already tested it by going into the northern district filled with Risen and not a single one raised their weapon against me, allowing me to destroy a box without oppression. Ricken can confirm that." I said while looking at Ricken, who nodded a little reluctantly, but still did what I wanted him to do. I looked back at Chrom with knitted brows while letting go of Robin.
"I will go down there with her, to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless. Will that suffice?" I asked him, although I then bitterly added "Robin is right though. If we don't handle that thing soon, getting rid of the Risen will be impossible.".
Chrom's face scrunched up, but then reluctantly nodded while turning to the rest of the Shepherds.
"We will defend this perimeter until Radko and Robin deal with that thing. Once they do, we will bring all of our might to these Risen." Chrom commanded and the rest of his soldiers nodded, some more reluctantly than others. Chrom then turned to me, a stern look adorned his face "Don't you dare die out there, you hear me?".
"I am not planning to, nor will I let Robin do so either." I resolutely stated and Chrom's expression eased slightly. He turned to the Shepherds one more time and shouted "Everyone! We got our orders, let's defend this city from this menace and show the Plegians the true might of Ylisse!".
The Shepherds roared their response and headed towards the perimeter to help the soldiers in their defense. I turned to Robin who without indication, punched me in the face. I yelped in pain, covering my nose and face.
"What the hell was that for!?" I shouted at Robin through my arm, making my exclamation sound more muffled than intended.
"You know what that was for, but I am not denying the fact that I needed that." Robin admitted while rubbing her fist "Come on, we have a job to do.".
"Yeah, we do." I agreed while still trying to ease the pain from Robin's punch as we both followed the Shepherds to the perimeter. Getting closer to the sea of Risen just made me even more anxious, even if they somehow ignored me.
After getting acquainted with the general who ran the perimeter, Chrom lent his strength to the soldiers with the Shepherds and explained what tactic they were going to deploy. Although the general was extremely reluctant to the idea of letting me and Robin cross the defense, he eventually relented, letting us traverse to the other side.
"Ok, I didn't think about the stench these things exuded. I thought the scariest part would be walking among them, but the hardest part is enduring this smell!" I exclaimed with my arm closing my nose shut to make sure that I didn't inhale the stench, even if it didn't help me in the slightest.
"For once, I agree with you because this smell is unbearable." Robin agreed while also being in the same position as me.
We were walking through the army of Risen without a single one batting an eye, even if we bumped into one or two. Our situation was so stupid I had to resist the urge to laugh it out, but that will come after we deal with the monster with the red core.
"Do you have any idea why these things are not attacking us?" Robin suddenly asked, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"I might know why you are not being attacked, but I have no clue why they are not attacking me." I answered before I added, "Let's keep the questions after we deal with that thing, alright?".
"Very well, I'll just have to hope it doesn't have anything related to my potential past," Robin remarked to which I turned away from her gaze, looking up to see the giant. I have been keeping Robin's past a secret but she was becoming much more adamant to learn what I knew as of late.
I sighed and wordlessly followed Robin to the monster that was visible through the crowded streets filled with Risen. It towered over everything, us included, and a growing lump in my throat formed. Once we got near it, we stopped our stride and tried to work out a plan.
"So, do you know anything about this monster?" Robin asked while looking at the massive revenant.
"No, my knowledge only extends to the timeline where we would leave for Breakneck Pass. You could say that the foreknowledge I had is completely useless now, but even then I haven't heard nor seen such a monster." I said while also looking at the said monster who got ever so closer with slow steps, each creating a loud thump that slightly echoed.
"Great, so we are going to fight something we know nothing about." Robin remarked while mumbling a few intangible words before uttering her strategy, she was very good at planning things on the fly "Let's start by just bringing its intention to us, see what can and cannot do, and then we will destroy its core. It looks like it is its visible weak spot.".
That made me think for a second before I broadened the potential plan Robin made.
"We could use its attacks to get rid of other Risen," I started and Robin looked at me a little funny before I elaborated "I remember that I fought a pair of Risen once and I was able to make one kill the other. They have a singular goal, but they don't care about each other at all, meaning we can use this giant's attacks to get rid of a few Risen in the process.".
"Killing two birds with one stone. You can be shrewd when you want to be, you know that?" Robin remarked out of nowhere, prompting me to lightly chuckle.
"I have been told that a few times, but I usually play ignorant since it makes it all the more entertaining seeing people be arrogant only for me to bring them down a peg," I said.
"And you are a sadist on top of that. You just can't be consistent for once, can you?" Robin asked incredulously with a smile, only for me to smile back at her.
"What do you mean? Inconsistent is my middle name after all." I quipped and it brought a light chuckle from Robin.
"Then that just means you have a last name too. Come on, we can talk about this stuff later before we forgot to do what we came here for." Robin urged with a more serious expression and I did so too.
"Yeah," And we both closed the distance to the giant revenant, who was menacingly walking towards the barricade. Seeing it up close made it even more terrifying, but it was my idea to come with Robin in the first place. Might as well make myself useful.
"I'll bring its attention to me while you observe its patterns and attacks. We shall figure out something afterward." I said while bringing my tome to get an ice dagger at the ready, but before I did so, Robin stopped me.
"Please don't overdo it with your magic, we still haven't found a cure yet after all," Robin said worriedly and I nodded, acknowledging Robin's concerns.
I got one ice dagger ready, only for me to create a spear instead, a carbon copy to the one I had made from Hielobjerg. I grinned, finally seeing my art in magic had improved, only for me to be reminded of my aching chest, but I ignored it for now. I won't be doing much ice magic today anyway.
I launched the spear at the giant, striking it in its head. The spear lodged itself inside the sack and it turned to face me, bearing its invisible eyes at me while completely ignorant of the spear sprouting from its head.
"Hi there. How about you get your stinking arse out of here and leave this city?" I asked the giant and the response I got was a piercing roar which was more of a shriek from a harpy instead, forcing me to cover my ears. It then looked at me again and the eyes that stared at me before lit up through its sack.
"Shit…" I trailed off as it swung its arm while I tried to dodge out of the way, creating a path through the Risen by knocking them on the ground. Slamming the giant's arm on the ground crushed everything underneath its long appendages, creating a small dust cloud from the impact. Once the dust dissipated, I only saw a pulp of purple flesh underneath it that soon disappeared into nothingness.
I was starting to regret signing up for this.
I didn't get enough time to reciprocate as another one of its appendages was sweeping the ground, forcing me to jump over the arm, landing on a damaged road filled with broken limbs and bodies of the Risen it left behind.
Well, at least it was making more space by killing the Risen around us.
It was then I realized I could confuse the giant by going under it. Rushing through the dust cloud it created, I found my hiding spot close to its feet.
The giant looked around to spot me, bewildered by my sudden disappearance only for it to roar again and started flailing its arms around without grace nor a pattern. It didn't matter if it hit Risen or buildings, nothing was able to withstand its power as rubble, wood, or Risen were thrown about.
"Radko!" I heard a shout from Robin "Make it stop, otherwise, we won't have a city to defend!".
I acknowledged her command and used my spear to slash both of its tendons to make sure it wouldn't go anywhere, but its flesh was extremely tough, as I didn't make a single dent. The giant took notice of my attempt to keep it from moving and it raised its foot, ready to stomp me.
I got out of the way quickly, but the force of the impact launched me slightly and made me bring my hands to block the debris from hurting me. By being light on my feet, I found my footing and was suddenly by Robin's side again. It seemed she was done with her assessment if that Levin sword in her hand was any indication.
"Well, I thought it would behave a little differently from a revenant, but it is just that, an oversized blob," Robin said while sneering at the giant, the Levin sword crackling with lightning all the while.
"Does that mean you have a way of dealing with it? Because I almost got crushed by that thing multiple times!" I shouted at her, not liking that I was dancing with death for the past few moments.
"Three times if you kept count, but yes, I found a way. We'll just have to get rid of its legs and then it will be smooth sailing from there. If we remove the arms, then that is a bonus." Robin said as if she wasn't asking for us to accomplish an impossible task.
"You want us to get rid of all of its appendages?" I asked incredulously.
"Not get rid of, just disable them. They do need muscle to move after all." Robin answered and I had to stifle a mirth chuckle.
"Never did I think that I was going to have to climb a literal giant just to sever its muscle tendons." I pondered out loud and Robin hummed her answer. She opened her tome and after a few moments, purple flames enveloped her.
"Its flesh is tougher than it looks, but I guess you are going to burn through it anyway with your flames," I remarked.
"Just watch my back alright?" Robin asked and I gave her thumbs up. She nodded charged towards the giant and I followed suit.
The revenant spotted us and began another overhead swing of its arms as we both dodged out of the way and immediately aimed for its legs. I kept it distracted while Robin, with a shout, cut through the first leg tendon with relative ease, forcing the giant on its knee.
And here I thought the jagged blade of the Levin sword would be bad at cutting.
The giant's sudden shift in balance immediately alerted it of Robin and even shouting at it didn't work to get its attention. It tilted its head like an owl and looked down at what Robin was doing while inhumanly twisted its hand and slammed it against the ground, forcing Robin to back off.
Damn it, it knew that I couldn't do anything against its flesh.
Maybe I need to be more forceful about it.
I didn't have a single clue as to what I was doing, but I started to climb on top of the leg where Robin cut the tendon since its knee was on the ground. I used the weapons that it was impaled with as stepping stones to get on top of its shoulder.
"Radko!? What are you do-!" Robin was cut off with another slam of the giant's hand. It took all of my strength to hold on from the force of the attack, but I was able to prevail. I climbed even higher and perched myself on its shoulder and the giant stirred, finally realizing I have been climbing on him this entire time.
It spun its head to face me and two giant red headlights starred right back at me through its leather sack.
"Wrong move, buddy," I said to the giant while piercing one of its eyes with my spear through the sack, earning a roar from it. It brought its hand to cover its face and I immediately went off of its shoulder, not wanting to be crushed. Once I climbed down, Robin used the opportunity to cut the second left leg tendon, grounding the giant.
We regrouped and I looked at Robin, ready to hear what was the next part of her plan.
"So, it can't move now. What's next?" I asked her and Robin was ready to berate me from the looks of it, probably because of my stunt, but she sighed instead.
"We have to destroy the core because chopping its head off won't be efficient enough," Robin said while her flames grew in power, making me back off slightly from the heat.
"You are going to blow it up, aren't you?" I half stated and I only got a nod from her. She then gathered her purple flames into a single point and I was starting to have flashbacks from the fight we had back in Ferox.
"Stand back." She commanded and I took a few steps away because I knew how destructive this spell could be, especially if Robin got even more powerful after our fight.
She sent out her spell at the core and exploded in purple fire, engulfing the giant in flames and creating a smokescreen once they died out. We waited in silence, hoping to only see a corpse of the giant, but I got that stupid feeling telling me things weren't over yet.
Then I spotted a shadow inside the smoke and I have never been this mad at myself for being right. A sudden hand revealed itself from the smoke, ready to grab Robin who tried to scurry away but didn't have enough time to dodge.
I pushed Robin out of the way as she looked at me with her face filled with horror while I was hoping that I would soon follow after her. But luck wasn't on my side and the hand grabbed me while giving a sudden whiplash from the giant suddenly bringing its arm to check what it caught.
I struggled as much as I could to free myself from his grip, yet it was extremely tight, not giving me much wiggle room. A whimper escaped from my lips from the pain as the giant's grip tightened as if it registered my attempt at a daring escape.
It looked at me with its singular eye and somehow I could feel the hateful energy of this revenant exuded. It was looking forward to beating me to a pulp.
"Radko!" Robin shouted while firing a blast of electricity through her Levin sword, hitting the giant's arm, hoping it would drop me. Its grip only slightly loosened but that gave me enough leeway to grab my tome and summoned another spear, launching it against its other eye.
Only to realize the mistake I made.
It brought its other arm to block the spear I launched and got ready to throw me like a ball at high speed. While experiencing another whiplash I could hear the faint sound of Robin, yelling in the background and shouting my name, but the giant soon let me go, launching me against one of the buildings' roofs.
It all happened so fast I couldn't really process what the revenant had done to me.
The loud bang I landed with was defining and my body didn't hurt, yet I couldn't move a single muscle. I was in my self-made small crater of wood and stone while looking up to the sky, dumbstruck by what happened to me.
My brain then started to register everything and the pain started to flood my senses and it was agonizing, but I could let out only but a whimper. I knew my entire body was completely crushed, not a single bone was left intact after that impact.
I felt a slight rustle from my arm, the one that held my tome and I was surprised I held on to the spear as well. It wiggled its way from my grip and it floated to block my view of the sky. It opened itself to a blank page yet again, revealing leylines, ready to be traced, although it struck me as odd as the leylines were slightly more purple than normal.
I stared at it for a few moments before another whimper escaped from my lips that was meant to be a snort.
"They really come at the worst of times…" I tried to say yet my lungs couldn't accomplish it. I lifted my arm through the pain and steadying it was hard. Not only that, but I could still feel the thundering crashes of the giant, banging its hands against the ground, ruining my concentration, or what was left of it.
I slowly traced the spell, although I could feel my mind drifting away so I stopped and brought a vulnerary to my lips and it eased the pain slightly, as well as giving me a much-needed energy boost. During the tracing process, I recognized the base rune I was tracing was for fire magic, not ice magic. Somehow, it gave me the feeling I was signing a contract with the devil which brought a smirk out of me.
The leylines were traced and my hand grew limp after finishing my craft. Tracing a spell in the middle of combat helped me once to escape death, so, why wouldn't it help me this time, too?
I began to create a link with the tome, letting it suck my mana, only for me to feel the heat in my chest and my face scrunched up from the ache. I mustered the last of my strength to touch the markings...
But nothing happened.
Why… Why did nothing happen?
Heh, I guess my luck had finally run out. The spell only gave me a sudden itch on my chest, giving me the urge to scratch it but nothing else. The letdown I had from this spell almost made me tear up, enforcing the fact that everything that carried me here was only luck.
Suddenly, I felt my heartbeat getting faster, circling my blood as fast as it could. It beat so fast, it could leap out of my chest while small wisps of fire appeared around me. It gave a strong urge to touch one, and when I had one on my palm, it slowly fell, where my beating heart was.
And it was the key to the metaphorical lock in my heart that opened it.
My body suddenly was getting multiple shots of adrenaline, giving me enough strength to ignore the protests my body made. I used my newly acquired power to hoist myself up while the fire started to envelop me, blocking me from seeing my surroundings.
I was surprised by the fire prohibiting me from moving until I fell on one knee with a grunt and started to feel different, like my body was getting accustomed to this new power.
My vision was getting sharper, my senses heightened and I sensed my strength growing unnaturally fast. The pain in my chest disappeared completely and my cracked bones were no longer an obstacle for me.
I felt… free, yet chained at the same time.
The fire cocoon dissipated, allowing me to leave my crater to inspect what happened during my small nap. I saw Robin was still battling with the giant, yet she couldn't find an opening, even though the giant couldn't move, it somehow was able to repel any attack Robin could dish out.
It didn't account for me, however.
I gazed at my spear and clutched it tightly, the flames enveloping the weapon as well. I never learned how to throw a spear, but there was always a first time for everything. I readied myself for a throw and inspected where I should aim, but the target was fairly obvious.
The core.
"Robin!" I shouted, my lungs gained their ability to speak again. She looked at the top of the building I was situated in.
"Radko?" I couldn't differentiate whether she was relieved or worried from her tone, but she heard me nonetheless.
"Get your spell ready! I will give you the opening you need!" I yelled and didn't wait for her acknowledgment as I let my flames build up in strength, only for them to condense around my spear. The fire didn't burn, instead, it was the reason I could move in the first place.
I locked in on my target and with a left step forward, I threw the spear with all of my might, surpassing the power I had in Ferox. It sailed through the air like an eagle and landed squarely into the core of the revenant.
It roared in pain as the flames pierce through the flesh of the giant, the squelching sound of burned muscle and a crack of glass echoed in the streets as the spear stuck to its core, yet it was still alive.
I scowled from the fact that my attack didn't kill it, but I saw Robin readying her spell. The giant had different plans, however. It brought its hand to crush Robin, but I didn't let it as I pulled my tome and summoned… three spears!?
I had to do a double-take on how many spears I summoned yet I didn't feel tired nor my chest heated up. I put my hand on my coat, in the general area of my heart, and felt nothing, no pain, no exhaustion. The sudden freedom I had felt extremely foreign and out of place for some reason.
What happened to me?
I shook my head to bring myself out of these thoughts, now wasn't the time to ask such questions. I launched the ice spears at the hand of the giant, now somehow able to pierce through its flesh and pinning it to the ground. The giant turned its head at me with that single eye again, spotting the reason why it couldn't move its arm.
"Forgot about me?" I asked, my voice sounding smug. The stare down didn't last long as I saw Robin being with her spell ready, but this time she was channeling thunder magic.
I started to smell the ozone in the air from Robin alone and she held up a hand to fire her spell. A yellow rune filled with markings appeared in front of her arm and a long narrow bolt of thunder shot out of the rune, like a javelin of light. It pierced the core, landing squarely next to my spear.
Well, at least she had the decency not to fry my weapon.
The giant didn't recoil, only its eye flickered in and out until it started to sink into the ground. Soon, the only thing visible was its head and the myriad of weapons it had stuck on it as that too sank, disappearing into a cloud of smoke, leaving my spear among the rusty weapons and arrows.
My flames dissipated without taking my second wind with it and I was about to walk over to pick up my spear when a sudden thought invaded my mind that just made me want to laugh at myself.
How will I get down?
"I really can't plan things, can I?" I snorted. Might as well accept the fact that this will haunt me forever.
I searched through the roof of this house if there was a way for me to get down, without jumping down but I was only met with rubble or broken wood, blocking my way. I turned back to spot Robin preparing a signal for the Shepherds to charge the Risen while I looked at the drop before me.
Ok, it was just a ten-meter drop, that was survivable, right? These heights were normal when jumping inside a pool so this couldn't be that much different. It would be extremely anticlimactic, from killing that giant to dying from a small fall like this.
I guess I was going to do a literal leap of faith. I jumped with a small amount of hesitation, the feeling of wind rushing to my ears blocked all sounds around me until I landed on the ground with an adequate thump.
Hey, that was even kind of fun, if my legs didn't feel like jelly after the impact.
Robin launched the 'flare', being a small fireball that exploded in the air like a firework, signaling the Shepherds to charge in. I found my spear among the rusty weapons and then strode to Robin who was facing the direction where the Shepherds were.
I heard a small roar in the distance and I was sure it was them, ready to clean this place up.
"They were growing restless," I remarked after their roar echoed in Ylisstol. That prompted Robin to turn around, a smile adorned her face, but once her eyes spotted me, it morphed into one of shock and worry.
"Radko? Are… you alright?" She asked, her voice filled with concern. She outstretched her hand slightly as if trying to grasp something, throwing me off guard. I would understand it because I was thrown into a roof of all things, but she wasn't concerned in that sense.
"I am surprisingly fine. What's with the stare?" I asked back, her gaze making me more uncomfortable by the second. She eventually relented with a shake of her head and letting her hand fall, redirecting her gaze towards the Risen while reading her Levin sword.
"No, it's nothing. Come on, we gotta get to the western gate." Robin urged while she charged for the ignorant Risen and started to kill them one by one and I soon followed suit, although Robin's reaction still bothered me a little.
Soon after we began killing the Risen, the shouts and roars of the Shepherds and other soldiers were coming ever closer and I could see a slightly visible layer of purple smoke coming from their side, indicating they were killing off the Risen efficiently.
I skewered another purple zombie while spotting Chrom leading the charge with his fellow Shepherds behind which brought a smirk from me. Honestly, if I had a camera, I would immediately take a picture of how awesome they looked.
They were heroes in the making if they weren't ones already.
I turned around to face the western gate, hoping the enemy still hadn't found a way to open it. That didn't stop me from charging ahead towards it, because somehow I knew that if that gate opened, we would lose immediately.
I soon joined with the charging Shepherds alongside Robin and I somehow sensed a few odd glances sent my way, but that feeling soon passed. As we charged through the Risen to get to the gate, we spotted a sudden shadow on top of the walls of Ylisstol and somehow I was able to hear slow clapping from above as if the sound was carried through wind magic to increase its volume.
"Well, wasn't that quite the spectacle. Honestly, here I thought you would make this a boring game of cat and mouse, but you rats showed you got some bite." Why did that voice feel familiar? I looked up to see who it was, but the sun was positioned behind the figure and was hard to see until I saw a glint of yellow and red. However, once I spotted a certain hag next to the shadow, I realized who it was.
It was the Mad King Gangrel.
No...
"Gangrel!? How did he get up there!?" Shouted Chrom who stopped his charge alongside the rest of the Shepherds and soldiers.
"But as much as I would like to see you squirm, I am after the witch-queen and the Fire Emblem instead. I need to sate my peoples' thirst for revenge after all." His voice boomed through the air as if to mock our attempt to defend the city.
No.
With a snap of a finger echoing in the wind, it felt as if a second sun was rising from the wall on the other side, only for a giant wave of fireballs to cascade over Gangrel, ready to bombard the city.
No!
Smoke started to rise from buildings around us as the general temperature of the place rose unnaturally high. The red hue of the evening sky reflected the color of the flames as if the whole world was on fire. Some of the fireballs landed on the battalion of soldiers we were leading towards the gate as screams of agony filled the air, piercing the sound of crackling, burning wood while the madman was still cackling on top of the walls of Ylisstol.
All of the sounds were however overpowered by the feeling of loss once the first wave of fireballs hit. They predicted our every move and baited us to come to the defense of the gate, only to be burned alive by the siege spells.
"Retreat!" Yelled one of the soldiers behind me, as they continued to scurry away into the safety of the second level. What did he mean by retreat!? We needed to make sure they didn't take over the gate! If we let them in then this battle was as good as over!
I ignored the soldiers running away, pushing them away to reach the gate, only to be stopped by Frederick, gripping my arm tightly and securing me from running any further.
"Let me go, Frederick! We have to defend the gate at all costs!" I yelled at him through the sound of exploding fireballs and soldiers' cries for the retreat while trying to wiggle away from Frederick's grip, only for him to tighten his hold.
"We got orders from Chrom to retreat and I would suggest you seize your struggle. You have already done enough fighting today, Radko. It would be foolish of you to continue if you do not wish for a meaningless death." Frederick advised with a leveled tone and it made me stop my attempt while looking up to spot the madman still cackling in glee, enjoying the monument before him, making me click my tongue.
I yanked my arm away while nodding to Frederick and soon followed him with the retreating soldiers and Shepherds into the safety of the second level. Since the way was no longer blocked by Risen, the journey up didn't take long while the night was starting to set in, the surrounding area was filled with torches to light up the way around Ylisstol's higher level.
The streets were filled with people from the lower level while some were inside impromptu tents, situated everywhere around the plaza and alleyways. All of them were restless, not wanting to go to sleep because of enemy soldiers banging at our doorsteps.
I grimaced at the sight, the knot in my chest getting tighter by the second from the guilt, making me leave the area immediately without informing any of the Shepherds.
I walked towards one of the many places where there was a view on the lower level and I spotted another sea of soldiers in the distance, pouring from the west gate, walking among the burning houses and structures.
All of that preparation, even with my foreknowledge to help to turn the tide, all of it amounted to nothing.
Fucking nothing.
Their force outnumbered us almost five to one and I knew the numbers won't get any better. It would only be a matter of time before the second level fell too, meaning we would be at the mercy of a goddamn clown, while the Feroxi were still too far away to help us.
I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder and somehow I knew it was Robin through my coat.
"Radko," Robin called me out, hoping to bring me out of my trance. I looked at her with an unreadable expression, since many emotions were running through me that I never experienced, loss and hopelessness being among them.
"We were supposed to prevent this…" I said in a somber tone while looking down at the sight again, as the wind carried the smell of smoke and burned wood our way.
"I know… and I am sorry we couldn't do more. I should have predicted they would be waiting for us on the other side." She answered quietly while berating herself for a blunder she had absolutely zero control over. I didn't know why but I was starting to laugh dryly from the situation, earning a bewildered look from her, because of the realization of what I did.
I had let them all to almost certain death.
"No, it should be me who'd have to apologize. I gave you false hope of accomplishing something that was probably impossible. You must be disgusted with me right now." I said through my smirk that was extremely forced and Robin saw through it relatively easily.
"Why would I think that? You did the most work with that giant back there while being able to shrug off being thrown like a pebble and you tell me I should be disgusted with you?" Robin asked incredulously "If there is one thing that disgusts me, it is your lack of self-worth.".
"Hello Pot, my name is Kettle. You're black." I blurted out without thought. I didn't know the reason why I said that, I just did, probably as a way to cope with the loss in our hands right now. Robin looked at me with wide eyes, looking slightly above my own for some reason, only for her to chuckle.
"You know, somehow it sounds oddly fitting and more literal than it should be. Anyway, you seemed relatively fine after being a literal cannonball. Have you been to the medical tent yet?" She asked and I shook my head wordlessly, making her sigh "Then just go. I will wait for you until the next war council starts. We need to plan our next move after all.".
"Can you tell me why it sounds like I have to be there?" I asked, disinterested in joining a war council of all things. I sometimes might like strategizing, but councils just didn't seem to click with me, especially now.
"Didn't you say that you are practically my retainer? Might as well start acting the part too." She said with a slight grin, making me grin in return. Did she really have to play that card? God, that woman will be the death of me someday.
"I did, didn't I?" I confirmed "Fine, I will go with you for your sake. I'll visit Lissa or Maribelle to get my wounds treated, then, I'll come shortly after.".
I left Robin to her charges while aiming for the medical tent, being filled with wounded soldiers, either laceration from the Risen, or burned by the rainfall of flames. Clerics rushed from person to person, checking them one by one and hoping their injuries were healable. It looked like the place was in chaos, but somehow it felt organized too.
I spotted Maribelle, treating a soldier with her staff held up while flashes of green light enveloped the patient, who shortly after fell asleep from exhaustion. Maribelle wiped herself from the accumulated sweat on her after she was done and then turned to me, an expectant look on her face.
"Well, you certainly took your time getting here. I thought you would come much sooner after hearing what happened to you." Maribelle said in a berating tone, making me sheepishly rub the back of my head.
"Sorry I took so long getting here." I apologized and Maribelle sighed while wordlessly leading me towards one of the empty beds where I took most of my clothes off and got checked by her. She worked efficiently since I wasn't the only patient in the tent and once she finished, Maribelle pulled out her staff and a soft green glow enveloped me, yet I didn't feel any significant changes to my body.
"Interesting, it seemed there has been some amount of exaggeration to what happened to you because there were no broken bones, just a small crack here and there with a few bruises." She said with a hum, bewildering me slightly. Didn't I go through a freaking roof? I won't look a gift horse in the mouth but I felt that there should be something broken at the very least.
Bewildered by my lack of a physical injury, I put on my clothes again before addressing Maribelle with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"Are you sure there is nothing wrong with me?"
"Do you question my ability in healing, Radko?" Maribelle said in a threatening tone and a frown to boot, indicating her parasol was nearby if I answered incorrectly, making me nervously back away.
"No, of course I don't. I am sorry for bothering you, I have to be with Robin soon at the war council anyway." I replied and Maribelle's glare eased but before she turned to work on a different patient, she said "Do something about that face of yours, you look unpresentable.".
I instinctively touched my chin after she said that and even through my glove I could feel the bush that was my facial hair. I sighed while thanking Maribelle for reminding me to shave and left the medical tent while aiming for the barracks of the Shepherds.
Somehow, it felt like it was a lifetime ago since the last time I was there.
I spotted a few Shepherds in the main hall doing mundane tasks or getting themselves ready for at least a few hours of sleep before we get called to arms again. I passed by Virion who was casually sipping his tea and turned to him.
"Virion? Do you have spare shaving equipment?" I asked him. Virion was slightly caught off guard but his expression didn't change much as he still had his teacup against his lips.
"Of course I do, you can use mine inside the bathing room." He answered with some flourish as always and I thanked him with a small smile, leaving the philanderer to his tea.
Heading to my room to get my clothes didn't take long and I was soon engulfed in the waters of the bathroom, cleansing me of all the smells and sweat I have accumulated over the courses of this goddamn siege.
I brought a hand against the wooden walls of the bathroom, letting the cool water pour down at me while contemplating over the actions that led me here, somehow void of injuries from today's fight, yet the feeling of hopelessness and guilt surged through me like poison. I bawled up my fists and punched the wall with a thud, but soon my hand fell after easing it slightly.
"You reap what you sow…" I parroted my thoughts before the siege began and picked up some soap with a brush as I thoroughly cleaned myself before spotting Virion's shaving set with a blade. Thankfully, I taught myself how to use a blade as well, meaning I wouldn't accidentally cut my cheeks open. With the help of a small pocket mirror, also being Virion's possession, I got rid of the accumulated bush on my chin.
Cleaning myself from the rest of the shaving cream revealed my smooth skin as I inspected through the pocket mirror for any facial hair I could have missed only for me to spot a loose strand of my soaked silver hair.
"How lucky of me for it to be my highlights." I hummed while tugging the strand over my ear, but once I touched my hair, it somehow felt… different. It was arider than I remember, like it was malnourished for some reason even though my hair should be soaked with water and I didn't neglect my hygiene, even if it was a little hard to maintain here. I tilted the mirror so I would see my hair, only for me to drop it out of sheer shock.
The glass shattered into tiny shards while I frantically touched my hair again to see if I wasn't hallucinating and they were still rough. I couldn't believe what that small mirror showed me, so I looked for a larger one in the bathroom, but once I found it, I was greeted to myself with two distinctive changes.
No matter how much work I could have done it wouldn't result in me being this well-toned, not that I had bulging muscles, but they were certainly visible, making me feel tighter than usual.
The second change however made me do a double-take, but it didn't matter how much I tried to blow on the mirror to make it clearer or how many times I closed my eyes and reopened them, it was still there.
My hair lost all of its colors, with only silver being present.
How!? I didn't dye my hair! What was this, some kind of prank from Lissa!? Then I remembered how Robin would always slightly look above my eyes when we spoke together after the battle with that revenant, meaning the reason for this change was…
I immediately started to dry myself from excess water and bolted to my room where my tome was, being on a small desk with another mirror. I opened it to reveal the page where that spell was and was greeted by its runes that I traced in the fight while reading through them as fast as possible until I found out the translation of this spell.
Ignis.
I had to read through the runes multiple times before it started to settle in that I somehow got a hold of this spell even though I had no reason to. I stared at the tome for so long that I lost the sense of time completely until I set my eyes on the mirror in front of me.
A male face with silver hair and pale blue eyes was now my reflection and I leaned on the table and took a deep breath. My mind was a giant vortex of unfiltered thoughts I never believed I would have to ask or think through.
And I never thought I would have to do this again.
"I know this is extremely sudden," I suddenly started talking to a mirror "But could you take over for some time?".
Nothing was my response as silence filled my room until it almost felt like my thoughts echoed in this place.
You come for my help now of all times? Of course, I will lend a hand, but you know this isn't the correct choice, right?
"Yes," I agreed, "But I need some time to think about a lot of things. This place is bad for my mental health and you can at least let me be alone in my thoughts without someone interfering."
The second me seemed to take their time to answer before I felt a metaphorical nod from them.
Very well then, but keep in mind that those feelings won't wash away with time and you will have to confront them eventually. Are you fine with me overtaking for a while then?
I nodded in return as accepting their terms and felt a sudden shift in my thoughts, although it wasn't something major. The feeling slowly dissipated and I was left looking at myself in the mirror again.
I shook my head while taking my tome and dressing for the upcoming war council. Leaving the barracks behind, I spotted Robin outside, waiting patiently for me. I silently nodded to her that I was ready to go and she nodded in return, also done with her preparations.
"Alright then, let's go," Robin said while she moved out towards the castle and I soon followed suit.
"Yes, let us be on our way."
AN: And that's chapter 12 done! This one I am quite proud of because I had so much fun writing the battle between the duo and the giant. By the way, the inspiration I got for the design is one from the Awakening DLC, although I am not sure which one it comes from.
Anyway, thanks to Bunni/Sushion from the Fanfiction Treehouse for helping me on how to be a better writer, and as always, if you want to join the server, here is the discord link: gg/9XG3U7a
As for Radko, well, in short, he has MPD or it's called DID now. Shocker, I know. This is his way of escaping from reality and leaving behind a version of himself that is similar enough to Radko, but different enough that it could be a different character altogether. He has his condition under control, meaning he can switch between his two distinct personalities. It was touched on chapter 4, although I do need to revise it since my writing style has changed quite a lot over the 12 chapters I have posted so far.
We shall of course explore him more in the upcoming chapters and expect to not have Radko's point of view anytime soon.
I hope you liked today's chapter and I hope to see you, people, on another Sunday.
God's speed.