Hey! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Sorry for that; I was all caught up in the last stretch before the school year ended. Now I should have more time to write, right? Yes, it's true, but, well...am I the only one noticing the Snippets getting gradually longer with each one? Longer Snippets means more time to write them out, so the wait's probably gonna get longer to reflect that. Sorry!

x~X~x

Snippet 4: Expedition

After spending time planning out its next move, the Aurelian Resistance has decided to take the opportunity handed to them by Macedon's mysterious new adversaries. During one particular expedition, we ran into a foreign knight. Little did we know, this unexpected encounter would be the start of a lasting alliance…

xXx

I breathed in the crisp air. Though the sun was shining though a mostly cloudless sky, the day was comfortably cool. A gentle breeze was blowing though the lush prairie grass…such a contrast to how sickeningly pale it looked a year ago. It felt as though the land itself was reflecting the hope that surged through the whole Resistance. I hummed while admiring the scenery. It'd been a while since I got to spend time outside. Resistance members are not allowed to wander around outdoors without good reason, and since my job doesn't give me such an excuse, I normally stay indoors. At the moment though, I was out on one of the expeditions that Wolf told me about a while ago. I've been preparing by practicing horseback riding with Cinnamon, who seems to have gotten used to me. It's only thanks to Wolf and Sedgar's help that I possess adequate skill now.

"What's the plan, Wolf?" I heard Vyland ask at the front of the march. Since Coyote wasn't with us, Wolf was our commander for the time being. I was also curious, so I kept pace a few steps behind, listening to their conversation.

Wolf kept his gaze straight ahead. "Our target is in sight." Huh? I peered into the distance. No matter how much I squinted, I couldn't make out any sort of building. Apparently Vyland couldn't either; he gave Wolf a quizzical look. His confusion was pointedly ignored. "Fort Pilae has already been weakened by past Resistance attacks. Our objective is to wrest control from the Macedonians." He paused for a moment. "I'll need to assess the situation in person before I start formulating a solid plan. I won't assume anything until then."

Vyland nodded, accepting that explanation. I didn't have any qualms against it either. Not like I would know better anyway. I then turned my attention to Cinnamon. She looked more energetic than she did while we were training. I ran my fingers though her mane and she was surprisingly receptive. Maybe being outside is putting her in a good mood.

The march continued uneventfully for a while. Aside from a few enemy patrols that needed to be discreetly disposed of, the path was unobstructed. Wolf eventually gave the order to stop. He spent several minutes looking forward and at the map of a building he was holding in his hands. Fort Pilae was visible in the distance now. The Macedonian patrols have probably noticed us...

"Everyone, listen to me." Wolf called for the whole group's attention when he was finished. All eyes turned immediately to him. "I've discerned that the guards are spread out more sparsely than usual, most likely meaning that their numbers are dwindling as planned. Still, Fort Pilae will be difficult to seize; it was built with the intention of holding high-profile convicts. The entire structure is hostile to infiltration. Yet the Macedonians wouldn't have the numbers necessary to fortify every possible strategic choke point in that building, and that's where our opportunity lies." He paused, searching for anyone who wasn't paying proper attention. "Let's split into two groups. The main force, led by Vyland, will engage the majority of the enemies and distract them while a smaller group headed by me will comb the passages for stragglers. Any objections?"

"Wait, this is a prison, right?" Vyland asked. Wolf nodded. "Then there'll probably be Aurelian knights stuck there. So who's going to go free those guys?"

"My group will. We can easily go down to the dungeons while exploring the fort. Also, I have sufficient skill with lock picks."

"Hm, all right. Is that it, then?"

"Yes, I just need to decide who's coming with me." Wolf took a glance at us, presumably doing a head count. "There are twenty-one of us here. I'll take four. A smaller group will be more mobile."

They started speaking in hushed voices. It all sounded muffled to me. Why were they whispering? I glanced at some people, looking for some sort of hint, but their faces were neutral. Some were even having side conversations. Was this normal then?

Vyland suddenly put his hand up, and all talk ceased. "Rook, Lyle, Quinn, and Alex, go with Wolf. The rest of you, come with me."

Wolf's group huddled together. The rest of us gathered around Vyland, fine tuning the battle plan. Since noncombatants don't have to worry about details, the only things I ended up getting from the discussion were that I need to stay away from the front lines and someone would be guarding me. I felt terrible about diverting manpower solely to protect me, but I understood and was grateful for it. Apparently "shoot the medic first" is a common strategy…

I found myself hanging alone while everyone was making their final preparations. While I was in the middle of double-checking my supplies, however, someone jumped me from behind. I shrieked, dropping everything I was holding in panic. Although I tried to break free, the grip was too tight, especially for a weakling like me. Everyone's heads turned to the commotion I was causing. I was getting more and more flustered with each second, and the embarrassment only stopped after Wolf harshly scolded both me and the other party, which happened to be Lon.

"Hah…Hah…" I panted, desperately trying to calm down. I could feel the heat in more than just my cheeks, and it was preventing me from stringing together any coherent thoughts. Meanwhile, Lon was sitting down on the grass, watching me struggle to regain composure while twirling one of her long braids in her fingers with a grin.

"Calm down, Violette. It's not that big of a deal." I stared at Lon. "…What?" Oh, I can't believe her. How can she be so carefree right after getting a verbal lashing from Coyote's right hand?

"Lon, didn't you hear Wolf?"

"Of course I did."

"He said we jeopardized our position –"

"They probably saw us already. A bunch of armed people is hard to miss."

"And he seemed so annoyed –"

"Oh please! That grump gets annoyed so easily, it's like, an everyday occurrence. So yeah, don't sweat it." She lazily waved her hand in the air to empathize her point.

…I have this sneaking suspicion that he's just like that for her.

"Lon! Come here!" Lon dashed over to Vyland, leaving me with a few minutes of blissful quiet. She soon came running back, however, with a goofy face.

"Hey, guess what?"

"Um…what?"

"I'm your personal guard!" She proclaimed proudly, pounding her chest with her fist.

"Oh…Okay." I had no idea what to say. Is this really all right? I mean, I shouldn't doubt her skill, but…she's Lon and...she's not riding a horse. There was no time to wonder, though, as the call to arms went off. I rushed to Cinnamon, scrambling to mount her and catch up with the rest of the group.

xXx

I was exhausted, and I wasn't even fighting! I knew that it would be hectic on the battlefield, but this is ridiculous. I'm weaving in between enemy blades and friendly fire in a mad dash to reach wounded allies and chanting healing spells as fast as I can, all while trying not to get skewered by Macedonians. Casting magic rapidly while constantly watching my surroundings is a lot more draining than I thought it'd be, and just like Vyland had predicted, my noncombatant status is making me a primary target. If it wasn't for Cinnamon, I would have been killed several times over already. It's a miracle that I hadn't fallen off the saddle yet either.

Lon was valiantly protecting me the whole time. She was stunningly fast, dodging enemy attacks and striking her foes down with deadly efficiency. Her speed, though, was due to not wearing any armor. So when her opponents managed to actually hit her, there was nothing to soften the blows, and her injuries ended up being much more severe than anyone else's. Somehow, I felt thankful for being able to be there and tend to Lon's wounds – and everyone else's, of course – in the heat of battle. I was together with them, fighting with them! It was far more gratifying than simply looking them over back at base and well worth the risk of becoming just another casualty.

The battle finally ended when the enemy commander fell. I was too charged off of my adrenaline to notice until after I patched everyone up. When I got a breather at last, I took in my surroundings. The bloodied grass was littered with corpses donning Macedonian armor. I couldn't look for long; it was too red, too disgusting. I glanced around at some of my allies. Their faces were stoic, and their eyes were dull, lifeless. Everything at that moment was just revolting. A bloodbath of broken bodies and scarred souls…Is this how war truly is? Thinking about it made me feel sick. My only consolation was that no Resistance members were killed today; I wouldn't have been able to handle seeing a familiar face with his life bled out.

Something touched me. In my surprise, I fell off Cinnamon and crashed onto the ground. I stood up and tried dusting myself off like usual, but I shuddered at the sensation of wet blood and ended up dirtying more of my robes instead. Someone then grabbed me by the shoulders. I stopped fidgeting only when I saw Lon in front of me. "Hey, are you okay? You look pale."

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

She scowled. "You certainly don't look fine. In fact, you seem like you're about to barf." Her face softened. "Come on, what's the matter? You can tell me. I'm your friend."

"Well, uhm…the battlefield was…I mean, is…horrible. I never realized how…how sickening war is at the front lines. How do all of you live like this…?"

There was a long, awkward silence before Lon responded. "Violette, we're soldiers. This is what we do. Besides, everyone knows that we're fighting for the future of the whole continent, including you. If we don't fight, then who will?" She paused. "We're all doing our best in combat. You're the one that patches us all up after, aren't you? You're like a little ray of sunshine in our gloomy days. If you're down, then others will notice and be sad too. So you've got to cheer up, okay?"

I wasn't sure if I actually did have an impact on the Resistance's morale. If I did, I hadn't really noticed. However, I decided not to dwell on it at that moment and just accept Lon's kind words. "Thank you, Lon." I gave Lon a hug.

"No problem! If you ever need to talk, you can come to me. We're friends, after all." She returned the gesture, and then we headed towards the rest of the Resistance.

Everything was clear outside, so once Wolf's party regrouped with us, we all prepared to go inside. However, everyone stopped and stiffened at the sound of galloping steadily getting louder. All of us turned around, poising for battle. Instead of the Macedonian reinforcements we were expecting, though, two cavaliers stood before us…and they weren't bearing Macedon's crest. Their faces certainly weren't Aurelian either. If they didn't hail from either Macedon or Aurelis, then…could they be…?

The one in green bade his horse forward, holding his free hand in the air. "Peace. We do not wish to fight…You are the Aurelian Resistance, right?"

"We are." Wolf stepped forward in response. "Who are you, and what business do you have with us?"

"I'm Abel, and my friend over there is Cain." He gestured to the knight in red. Cain offered a short, quick nod. "We heard the sounds of battle while patrolling from our camp and came to see what the commotion was about."

"Your camp?"

"Yes. We're part of a larger group."

"…That crest. It's Altea's, isn't it?"

"It is. Cain and I are knights of Altea. We joined our liege, Prince Marth, in exile for the last two years. The remaining Altean Knights and various others are now campaigning under him to defeat the Shadow Dragon."

Abel stopped and glanced at everyone behind Wolf. It's safe to say that we were all shocked. Altea was on the opposite side of the continent and stuck under Dolhr's oppression, not to mention how we all heard how the Altean Knights under King Cornelius were routed by Gra's betrayal. Prince Marth was another confusing piece to the puzzle. Dolhr was still searching everywhere for him. Their desperation was clear by how high the bounty on his head was: over ten million gold. How did anyone, much less the most wanted man on the continent, get all the way to Aurelis?

"So you're the group that reached Aurelis though the Ghoul's Teeth?" Vyland spoke up.

"We did pass the Ghoul's Teeth, yes. We also routed the Soothsires."

"Right, so let's get down to business." Cain's horse trotted so that it was next to Abel's. "Prince Marth has come to Aurelis seeking an alliance with the Resistance and your leader, Prince Hardin."

Wolf took control of the conversation. "Coyote, the one you speak of, is not here. However, it is possible for him and Prince Marth to communicate with each other. They can arrange to meet face-to-face, and once they talk in person, they can sort out an alliance."

"True. Before we leave today, though, let's sort out the details to clear any confusion."

Vyland joined Wolf, Cain, and Abel in their discussion. The rest of the Resistance couldn't hear any of it because of how softly they were talking. The conversation didn't actually last very long, and Abel and Cain soon left the way they came. Immediately after, Wolf turned around and ordered everyone to wrap up our business inside the fort. As we all went to fulfill our respective duties, I couldn't help but feel that I'd see a lot more of the Alteans in the future…

x~X~x

Were you guys expecting another Resistance Snippet? For better or worse, as of the next Snippet, the plot's finally going to follow Shadow Dragon's. I just needed this for plot reasons. Speaking of things contrived purely out of plot, I just put Lon there out of necessity. We won't see much of her, unfortunately.

In other news, I drew Violette, if anyone wants to see some concept art. Here, I'll give the link, even though it's not very good (remove the bolded percent signs):
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Last but not least, I think I'll put my responses to reviews here...or somewhere...instead of PMs, starting with the next installment. So thanks for reading and I'd love to hear some feedback, as always! See you next time!