(During Issue 11: WITCH with Elyon)
"Such innocent celebration" Eric remarks as he peeps out from the wagon.
As Eric, Ray and their men finally arrived at Meridian, they once again are taken on large wagons with covers sent by Jolras to secretly send them on the next rendezvous point where they will meet and join Jolras' Corps. They once again pass through the dense streets of Meridian but instead a busy atmosphere, it was a joyous instead. Outside from their wagons, they could hear joyous shouts and street music outside. "Hail Queen of Meridian!" "Long live Meridian!" "Princess Elyon! Light of Meridian!" They also slip to see from the covers as the people march and dance around in celebration. Flowers and confetti are thrown out everywhere with Meridian banners and flags of a blue and its symbol flies across the streets with banderitas or small series of flags are tied up on the opposite ends of the houses.
"Yet it'll be over when Phobos' men strike and end their happy celebration." Ray replies as he leans back on the cover. "Caleb and Nigel should better get the civilians to safety if the battle ensues in a dense area. Any ideas when they will start their move, Captain Detective?"
"No idea, but I'm guessing minutes before the ceremony begins? I guess." Eric suggests. "As we planned and agreed to, as long as we're ready for them we're sure to succeed anyhow."
"Aye aye…" Ray replies as he hears the continuous hurrahs throughout the journey to the foothills. During the fifteen minutes of the ride, the once cheerful noises outside their wagons, soon slowly dies and fades away as they travel away from where the coronation will take place. The people also became fewer and fewer as well as most of them were at the other side of the city from the west-side to the outskirts of the far-east where the lavish green areas are found, and the tallest hill is found.
"A river?" Eric steps down from the wagon as they arrive at the forestry rendezvous point. On front of him is a belt of large shady trees. Above is the tall Cadavigo hill, while beyond it is a shimmering reflecting light of the deep and wide river. "Was there a river went we raid the dungeon here?"
"Didn't know there was river here when I was up there" Ray says as he too walks out of the wagon and gazes at the river. "Guess, my Farsight failed me."
"The River Royal the widest and longest river here in Meridian, that passes through from the west to the east part of the city." Jolras approaches the two Vanguards and they salute before him. "The location where your raid took place is at the other side of the hill, where the town is. The problem is it's hard to get through the busy streets without being noticed so we decided to take our camp here.
"N-No wonder o-our meeting place is here…"Eric gulps as he once again feels the chills of his former disciplinarian. "And our journey was longer then last time."
"Couldn't we just take the underground and up towards where the seven basement floors are to get to the top of the hill?" Ray asks.
"According to our scouts, when Elyon magically disappear the dungeon, the lower floors were included as well." Jolras explains. "What remains of the hill is what originally is before the dungeon stood up, a lonely flat yet sloped grassy top."
"Jolras, sir!" One of Jolras' men calls up to him. "We found mason builders of the Phobos on top of the hill and they're starting to build structure it seems."
"Mason builders? Not soldiers?" Jolras asks as he looks above to the tall hill.
"Affirmative, only builders and few them actually." The rebel replies.
"Well then I can count on you on this one, Lyndon." Jolras chuckles as he pats Eric's back.
"Sir?" Eric asks in confusion.
"Take your men across that bridge and charge on the top of the hill and take your positions." Jolras instructs, "Just drive and scare off those ordinary Meridianites. We will follow you soon after to cross this bridge too. As planned, you stay on guard while my corps moves north. You can do that can you?"
"We're men now, Sir Kandor!" Ray teasingly elbows him. "What could possibly go wrong?"
"You, in fact." Jolras roasts him as he sternly crosses his arms. "Are all instructions understood?"
"Understood, s-sir…" Eric replies as he secures his uniform's hood.
"Crystal!" Ray replies as well.
"And you should, because your position is dependent on the success of this war." Jolras then salutes them, as they too reciprocate. He exits his way out from them as he returns back to his corps, who waits under the shading trees.
Eric approaches his men who wait outside the wagons. "Pasture Heights! Move out and head to the bridge!" he commands. The Pasture Heights' men instantly obey his order and quickly prepare and gear their weapons up. Soon, Eric and Ray on the front, lead their hundred marching men across the extensive sturdy wooden bridge in four columns above the rushing river. With them are Jolras' wagons pulled by armored rhinos that deliver their weapon arsenal and armories.
"We charge silently!" Eric commands his final instruction to his men as he brings his sword on front from behind his back. As they finally reach the other end of the bridge, they start to silently climb towards the grassy yet countless and scattered area of trees. They disperse themselves and move along to the next nearby trees as they get close to the hilltop.
'Looks like the ceremony's about to start…' Ray observes the echoes of happy yells from the eastern part of Meridian as he materializes his bow and starts to run from on tree to another. '...can't wait for the reception!'
(During Issue 11: Ceremony procession continues)
"Long live Elyon!" "Long live the Light of Meridian!" "Long live the princess!"
Meanwhile at the east side of the city is the joyful celebration as the procession of the guards, lords King Phobos and Princess Elyon walk slowly through the series of roads to Meridian Plaza, where it is a royal custom for queens of Metamoor to be crowned. The people gather at the side of the aisle as they also witness the long streaming line and they cheer on for Elyon as she passes by them. The residents nearby the procession also take part as they toss petals of flowers from above.
"Is this the said place, Bahorel?" Nigel asks one of his fifty men he brings with him. Earlier, they were the rebels who once transformed into humans earlier to get to the 'Ye Olden Bookshop'. His men lead the way all the way to the plaza where the coronation will take place.
"This is it Ignitus…" replies one of them, Bahorel a blue skinned braided Meridianite, as they hide behind a blind alleyway that overlooks at the stage on front of them. "Say we're just in time, the procession is already here."
"Where?" Nigel asks as he swings his head above beyond the sea of crowd to see as he hears the cheerful yells of the people. "Flames! I can't see them!"
"U-Uhmm…Do you need to help, sir?" says one of his large stout rebels named Lesgle. "If you want I could carry you on my back…"
"Huh?!" Nigel sternly looks at his rebel. "What did you say Lesgle? Is it because I'm too small?! Is that it?" he angrily looks to him straight in the eye.
"Err—" Lesgle gulps as his men also retreat back from his daunting and tempered short stature. "I-It's nothing s-sir!" he yelps.
"Flames! Why am I the shortest one around…" Nigel swears and mumbles to himself humiliatingly takes a nearby wooden box cart and places on to another. He then steps over it and sees the procession clearly from afar.
"That's Phobos?" Nigel sees a tall man beside Elyon who dresses on a beautiful violet and purple dress. It was a handsome tall man with a red beard that covers his sharp chin, and who also has the same blond long hair with long twin braids on front of him as his sister. Behind them is the human-form Cedric who carries the crown on a presented crown pillow.
"That's Phobos alright…"spits one of Nigel's men. "That scum should've stepped down years ago!"
"Keep your anger to yourself and save it for later." Nigel leaps from the boxes and fixes his long cloaked disguise. "Stay here, and don't move from your positions until its fit to do so. I'm going to look for Caleb and Vathek's men. If a fight starts to begin then just roll with it. We meet all at that stage, understood?"
"Yes Ignitus." The rebel replies as Nigel leaves and goes through the large crowd to the stage beyond him, where Phobos and Elyon land on the stage small yet magnificent round stage covered by red triangular open tent.
Phobos extends his arms to them for a moment of silence as the noisy crowd falters. "People of Meridian!" Phobos announces with his deep and thunderous voice. "Today is a joyful day in our city and for the entire kingdom of Metamoor, a kingdom that has been deprived of its legitimate queen for too long and wrongfully ruled by a brother long deprived of his beloved sister!"
'So honest!' Nigel says as he makes his way through the large crowd and searches for Caleb.
"Elyon…" Phobos takes the crown from Cedric, places the crown above Elyon's head and slowly descends it upon her head. "It is with great pride and joy that I offer you the Crown of Light! I bestow you upon you this symbol of justice and wisdom of honor and loyalty. May your eternal power illuminate the spirit and the path of your loyal subjects! You shall no longer be called the Princess of Meridian!"
As Phobos releases the crown from Elyon's head, "Aaayeehh!" she cries out as continuous sparks and zaps of lightning electrifies her entire body in pain and she then falls off and lies unconsciously lies on the stage before her brother.
"…And no longer among us!" Phobos laughs as he approaches her lifeless body. The shocking audience soon yells angrily at him of the betrayal he has done.
'Flames! Phobos has already made his move!' Nigel grits his teeth. 'He has her powers now! And we're too late to stop it now!'
(During Issue 11: Phobos betrays his people)
"What was that?" Eric asks and stops as he sees down below the foothills where the origin came from as he hears screams of falling men. "Can you see something, Raymondus?!" he asks to Ray who is at the other tree as 'Pasture Heights' rebels and the advanced Jolras vanguard advances ahead from them.
Ray then uses his Farsight below him to see the incident down below the river. "Heck!—someone destroyed the bridge in to two!" he reports as he sees the bridge collapsed to itself and now sinks below the deep river. Luckily no one was hurt as the rebels on the bridge earlier swim to shore.
"Oh no!" Eric approaches Ray's location. "Did our men cross the river?"
"They did…" Ray still gazes down below. "It's Sir Kandor's men who got nearly drowned."
"And Sir Kandor?"
"He's still at the opposite side of the river!" Ray exclaims worriedly. "Only his vanguard crossed the river—"
"Charge! And destroy those rebels!" a loud grunting voice commands from the hilltop. A soldier in blue armor says as he crosses his arms in delight beneath the struggling rebels.
"Atlas! Up ahead!" Ray yells out as they see above, a thousand soldiers as they rain down from the hilltop and charge the incoming advancing rebels. The Pasture Heights then desperately fight back as they terrifyingly fallback and descend down the hill. 'Oh no! I thought the builders were up there!' He fearfully says as he tries to take the soldiers down in a desperate attempt to stop them. "Farsight Third Technique: Arrow Barrage!" he shoots.
"Retreat!" "Fall back!" the Pasture Heights and the advanced Jolras' men cry out as the others were slain in battle, by the quick advance of Phobos' soldiers.
"W-What?!" Eric shocks in horror as he sees the descending and thundering of a thousand soldiers against their small army. To surprise is to also be surprised. He lays still as he watches the horror of his death incoming to him in slow motion. His mind delays for seconds, and ears only hear echoes of screams. He also sees his inexperienced men, to whom he trained with for months, now with fear written on their faces run down frantically down the hill to save their own lives from the surprise attack.
'We're trapped!'
