(Before Issue 7, During Cedric meets rebels)
"Everything?" the rebel soldiers asks as they take the wagons of supplies left behind by the Phobos' soldiers.
"Yap. We can use the enemy's weapon as an addition to our armory. " Eric replies as he places Nigel over his shoulders. "Darn his hot!" he jerks as he then lays Nigel gently on the ground.
Few minutes earlier, the soldiers front lines retreated and left their burning barricade and fall back to Phobos' castle the soldiers cheered and rejoiced for a miraculous victory as they waved their flag in the air but, were interrupted when a large explosion blasted beyond them. Grantaire then checks out the situation as he finds Nigel by the debris.
"Never knew you got the hots for him Atlas!" Ray sarcastically says as he and the other rebels try to take out the fire which starts to engulf the adjacent buildings using buckets of water from a well nearby. "Darn we can't put out his fire! Was it really necessary to burn the barricade in the first place?
"Well sorry if I included the fire in the plan." Eric apologizes as he creates an improvised stretcher from the available materials he finds.
"You go help young Atlas." Grantaire approaches Ray. "I'll handle the fire." He says as he extends his arms upward to the large fire. He chants a spell as a mandala circle appears above the flames.
Ray approaches Nigel's lifeless body and touches his skin. "Ah! You're right his hot!" he jerks off away from him.
"So you have the hots for him too, huh?" Eric chuckles sarcastically as he has finished building an improvised stretcher.
"So what do you think happened to him? Any ideas?" Ray asks.
"Not the slightest and the faintest." Eric replies. "But I bet the explosion earlier was his, even though we never have seen him pull off such a large nuke before." He explains as he and Ray carry Nigel to the wooden and makeshift stretcher.
"It seems he has fought Zagan, the Unstoppable, an ex-Imperial legionate, earlier." Grantaire replies after has put the fire out in a short time and eavesdrop to their conversation.
"Zagan!" Eric and Ray exclaims in unison. Eric then sees Ray who anxiously bows his head with sadness written over his face.
"You know him?" Grantaire asks in surprise.
"We fought him before the last time we were here." Eric explains.
"And you survived?!" Grantaire shockingly asks. "It's a good thing that you boys survive his onslaught. Zagan has been one of the undefeated warriors and one of the best legionates of Metaworld! No one could ever escape his desiring rage."
"But we will!" Ray yells. "We just have to get stronger!" he snickers angrily with determination written on his face.
Eric as he surprisingly notices a huge change of Ray's will from the depressed that he was and now a strong-minded being, snickers to his reply. "Well we better get going back to the 'Old Palace' then to help out our frontlines and resupply with these wagons we have." he says as they hold both ends of the stretcher to carry the Nigel.
As they descend down the pathway as they pull wagons and carry the wounded on their backs, the rebels gaze at an arriving and marching battalion below in brown leather uniforms. As they organize and form themselves into army lines and columns as red and blue striped banners were raised.
"It's the Rebellion Army's reserve and main force!" Grantaire points out. "And they came from the 'Old Palace' as well! That means we won!" he cheers as the rebels rejoice as they wave their flag in the air to signal the reinforcements. A yell of hurrah can be heard from the reserve as they also signal their flags in the air of victory.
"I don't understand…" Ray confusingly asks as he thinks.
"The reserve army en routes themselves to reinforce our frontlines in the escape route." Eric explains. "When they attacked their enemy from the back upon their arrival, they somehow manage to outflank them, when they defeated them they come here to reinforce our backs."
"I somehow understood that, Einstein." Ray replies annoyingly "But they reinforce them than to our aid instead!" Then disappointment is written on his face.
"We're just the rearguard. It would be very likable if the reserve would come to prioritize the frontlines to save the civilians." Eric explains.
"I could say is, if it wasn't your brains, we could have been easily wiped out!" Ray says as the rebel's army reserve and the rearguard then marches back to the 'Old Palace'. Once they reached the settlements, the civilians have already made their escape through the hidden route. The other rebel reserves were the ones left who camped on front of the settlements. The abandoned settlements were used as infirmaries once more and the last time to house the doubled casualties. But the air was filled with rejoice and praise as rebels learned that they had won a major and unbelievable battle against their invaders.
As Eric and Ray, move their way through the high-spirited crowd and into the infirmaries, they place Nigel to rest along with the soldiers and curers.
"That hurt!" Ray starches his arms into the air and twists his back. "Never knew Nigel was this heavy to carry! It would be easier if the stretcher was made of textile, than of wood!"
"Do we have choice? He might even burn the stretcher as he did with Grantaire's cape." Eric replies as he too stretches to his side. "Well it's a good thing too he didn't slide over when we descend that hill."
"And he's still warm." Ray replies as he checks Nigel's forehead. "I bet anyone could die in this kind of heat! Yet he seems like he's just sleeping! Will you just look on how he snores?!"
"How warm is he?"
"Not too warm as of a while ago." Ray replies. "He's beginning to cool down a bit. When we get back home we'll just have to roll him up on the snow!" Ray jokes.
"Is that so?" Eric laughs.
Eric and Ray then sit on the floor as they rest their backs on the wall. "I wish we could remove our uniforms, or at least our hoodies." Ray says. "We need to take a breather after this long and stressful day!"
"And you know we can't." Eric fixes his hood as he places his hands behind his head. "Not only it's in our code, but we should protect our identity at all costs. I was surprised when you revealed your true name to Elyon earlier."
"But the Guardians don't have anything to disguise themselves with right? Doesn't that put them in danger?" Ray asks.
"I don't know. What I only know is they transform to taller and mature women in their Guardian forms." Eric replies. "But even their enemies knew them, I bet they can kick their butts off. If they were here, they could even easily obliterate Phobos' army in one full sweep."
"And that's just what they did." a familiar voice approaches them.
Eric and Ray turns to see Caleb as he approaches them. Eric and Ray then crouch to stand up to greet their arrival. "At ease, no need to greet." Caleb says as he gestures them to sit down. "Is he alright?" he points to Nigel.
"Don't worry he will be, sir." Ray explains.
"I see." He then sits down on the floor, leans on the wall to sit beside them. "If he needs to be well-treated on Earth, you can approach Galgheita for help."
"Thank you, lieutenant." Eric replies.
"Congratulations to your victory, sir." Ray says. "And what you said that the Guardians were here? You have double the reinforcements then."
"Yes, but unexpectedly." Caleb explains. "Together with the reserves, they appeared suddenly out of nowhere, reinforced our vanguard and fought and defeated the soldiers in one full sweep. After the battle and a cease fire we quickly evacuated the civilians out of here and move them out to Grendal, outside Meridian."
"There was a cease fire?" Eric asks. "They surrendered?"
"Apparently, not." Caleb replies. "Cedric, with some of his loyal legionates, came to take Elyon back to the palace and you were right though, when I talked to Elyon she seems rather confused of who she is. I hope what she had today would get her to senses and empathy towards her people."
"Doesn't that mean there is a peace pact between the rebels and Phobos' men then?" Eric asks. "Since both agreed to make Elyon as Queen of Meridian right?"
"True, but the rebellion still lives on until the magic is once again returned to Meridian." Caleb explains. "So if Elyon chooses her brother over us, then this rebellion stays alive."
"I see." Eric replies.
"Haven't I apologized for the late reinforcements that came to your aid?" Caleb asks as he changes the topic.
"We have our hands full at the rear." Ray sighs. "But don't worry about it sir, it was a miracle that saved us from battle."
"Indeed, so full that you actually driven Frost's Corps' main force back." Caleb explains.
"The main force?" Eric says surprisingly. "And I thought the main force was with you?"
"We thought so too, that's why we concentrate most of our forces there." Caleb explains. "But we only received only an attack of only a hundred soldiers. Do you know how much damage you did? not to General Frost's Corps, but to the entire Meridian army?" Caleb says as he shoves out from his pocket a small folded paper.
Eric and Ray look at each other in confusion. "All we can say is we did what we could sir." Ray replies.
Caleb opens the paper and reads. "First, you destroyed Frost's Corps with a hundred of the most well-trained and skilled soldiers of the army left wounded and injured, in which many of them, are high-ranking officers to the Meridian army itself. Second, you also damaged the only archer troop that the army has, with only a few capable archers left. And third, you savaged a third of all their weapons when you brought the abandoned wagons here."
Ray whistles in amusement. "Well done Captain Atlas! It seems like we took a true heavy blow on them!"
"That's why I'm here to say my gratitude, Atlas." Caleb stands up and bows before them. "Not only what you have done to win a miraculous fight, but also to the piece of advice that you helped me be enlightened with and also as to receive and train my rebel troops."
"As I said lieutenant, we are glad to help you." Eric smiles slightly.
Caleb then smiles back humbly. "I'll send Grantaire to you on when or where our rebel fighters will come. But for the meantime, you better get on the move. We may even have to leave later and abandon this settlement before Phobos' men regroup and counter-attack us again for the next following hours."
"Aye aye we will." Ray replies. "We're just resting for a bit, sir."
Caleb smiles and turns around to make his leave. "Alright have a good day!"
As Caleb walks away farther from them, Ray then breaks the silence. "So what 'did' you do when I was resting? Did you meet lieutenant without me?"
Eric then stays silent as then looks at Nigel and heaves a sigh. "And when Nigel wakes up, we too are obliged to tell him everything as well, huh."
"If he wakes up, that is."
(Before Issue 8)
"Where—Where am I?"
As Nigel blinks to clear the blur out, he sees Ray at his side and feels a warm pillow and blanket over his cold body. He finds himself in a well-conditioned and large bedroom.
"You're finally awake." Ray says as he reads places his book down on the bedside table. "You're back on Earth, in Galgheita's guest bedroom home. You should thank Grantaire, he saved you from the said debris. Heck! What happened to you back then? You almost got us worried!" he says as he pours out water to a glass.
"I actually can't remember." Nigel says as he rubs his forehead as he tries to remember. He sits up on his bed and sees a lot of bandages around him. "Is it really hot in here?" he asks as he removes his sheets out.
"Thanks!" Ray grins as he gives a glass of water to Nigel.
"Not you!" Nigel annoyingly replies as he drinks from the glass. "I mean why is the air here is so hot?"
"That figures, when we lifted you from Grantaire's back you were crazy hot." Ray replies. "So hot, that you even turn Grantaire's cape to ashes, literally. Good thing, your uniform is still intact with damages of course. And I still believe that warm skin of yours still remains up until to this day."
"—up until to today?" Nigel gulps. "How long was I asleep?"
"Nearly three months now." Ray replies worriedly.
Nigel almost faints and as he nearly drops his glass. "What?!" he exclaims. "I've been in a coma all of this time! What happened to the rebellion? What happened to my school life then? My friends? Taranee?" he frantically asks Ray.
"Well—" Ray bends away from him as he places his hand at the back of his head.
"You still asleep Nigel?" With the door opened, Eric asks as he walks in to the room. "Or are just gullible?"
"W—What?" Nigel confusingly asks.
"It's been a day since you were in a 'coma'" Eric explains. "Look out your window, it's still snowing. If it were three months then it would be spring by now."
Nigel then angrily glares to Ray as he whistles innocently. "Flames! Ray!" Nigel throws his water to Ray.
"Hey! I was just joking!" Ray laughs as he jerks off as he tries to avoid the water. "But we're actually glad that you wake up now than the next three months!"
"Oh! Is the patient awake?" says as a feminine galhot goes in the room with a tray of herbal leaves.
"Yes, he is." Eric replies as she comes in Nigel's bed side. "Nigel, this is Arminta, she was the galhot that Ray and I saved back then. Arminta, Nigel our colleague." He introduces.
"I've never seen her here—Flames! That burns!" Nigel cuts as Arminta removes the bandages and places the herbal medicine on his skin.
"When the 'Old Palace' was abandoned and occupied by the Phobos' men, where I recently live, I decided to stay here with Galgheita, a dear friend of mine, here on Earth as a maid of hers." Arminta explains.
"So we did lost the battle then?" Nigel asks with disappointment. "So the reinforcements didn't arrive to our aid?"
"It's—umm… complicated you see." Ray rubs his head. "We somehow won the battle, but somehow we didn't because the soldiers took the 'Old Palace'? The reinforcements did came but didn't came exactly as we wanted—?"
"Huh?—Ah! Flames!" Nigel asks with confusion as Arminta places another places another herbal leaf on his skin.
Eric groans and places his hand on his face. "Ray, I just told you what Nigel and I did when you rested, I think it's your turn to tell him from the very top."
"Even the conversations with Caleb?"
"Yap. Include that too."
