Chapter 6: Confrontation at Farrador Castle! The Half-Moon's Glower!
Dracolius Second World War Arc – Showdown
Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem, this is just a Fanfiction.
Featured Music: "Neutiquam Erro" - Fire Emblem X: Radiant Dawn OST. Chapter Briefing.
"For Victory" - Fire Emblem IX: Path of Radiance OST. Scene 1 (First & Second Halves).
"Alice's Reboot Plan" - Resident Evil Movie OST. Scene 2 (First Half).
"Jump Into the Battlefield" - Dynasty Warriors II & III OST. Scene 3 (First Half).
"Intrude Into the Battlefield" - Dynasty Warriors Online OST. Scene 4 (Second Half).
In the battle at Brookhead Mountain, the Allied forces have managed to overpower the poorly stationed Sohanthian men from both foots of the peak. On Astrid's intelligence, once again, they easily overtake their troops, spread far too thin like butter on bread. While attempting to take the surrounded summit however, Team Three's Sevrenna Voladea puts the squad in jeopardy by foolishly charging the last soldier there; a hulking warrior by the name of 'Dorkoth'. Thankfully however, in saving her life, commander Selthris Vikeruce has finally been given an opportunity to flex his muscles and in utilising his old 'Monarch' mode form, has successfully caught the attention of the usually stoic Swordmaster.
Astrid, using her brains and charisma, has managed to turn previously Sohanthian aligned strategist, Talia to their cause, having captured her safely in the battle before the last. With this, they have not only gained reliable intelligence on the Sohanthian forces as they currently are but an accomplished Thunder Mage in her own right.
Meanwhile in Sohantha, general Apheia of the Sohanthian forces and her aide, the Armour Knight Alder, opt to leave commander Llewel in charge of the men on Mount Brookhead. Seemingly in every battle that the Alliance take part in, general Apheia mysteriously phases in and out, as if a ghost. In utilising her own intelligence, it would seem she is planning for something... though for what, is anyone's guess.
In the Allied main camp atop Mount Brookhead, Astrid gets the men and women together once more to discuss the next battle...
Scene 1
"I still can't believe she did that," Leo laughed for the umpteenth time in his ever sociable grin, his arms resting care-freely behind his head. "She's such an ice queen." The Mercenary laughed good-naturedly as he walked alongside his lightly smiling comrade.
"Tell me about it," Selthris chuckled in his small agreeing smile. "If it wasn't for your efforts I would never have-"
"Haha, I dunno about that," the Mercenary interrupted wholeheartedly, grinning as always. He tilted his head in the now curious younger man's direction. "When you put your mind to stuff and I mean really do it... you've done anything," he explained briefly in a softer grin this time, watching the surprised-faced Lord. "If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have won the Burnin' War." The young man added with his growingly confident smirk, briefly unfolding one of his arms to gently poke at his shoulder; a brotherly fist.
"I... guess." Selthris could only laugh very softly in a wan smile, unsure in his agreement.
"Come on," Leo chuckled as he nudged his head upwards to his top left, toward the tent they were walking to. "We'd better not keep 'em waitin'." He claimed before walking on in the flap, leaving him to his brief thoughts. Selthris couldn't help but put on a small smile, this one more genuine as he thought to himself before entering after him.
"If it wasn't for you," he began over in his mind as he passed the grinning Mercenary to enter the tent, ahead of him. "I'd have had no friends at all back then."
"Welcome you two!" Astrid called out as she shot her head up from the table. The rest of the usual group either sat at the table with her or opted to stand stoic in the corner, like Hawke always did.
"Sorry we're late," Leo apologised with a momentary raise of his left hand in further apology, his eyes temporarily shut in conjunction with his sweating smile. "Getting up in the morning ain't quite as easy as it used to be."
"Come on you ain't that old yet little man!" Gorlin grinned boyishly as he advanced forward to grip the Mercenary in a brotherly headlock. The two struggled comically with one another, Gorlin's laugh and Leo's annoyed grunts eliciting watching laughs from the group.
"It's my fault, not his," Selthris copped to the fault with a similar raise of his hand. They stopped struggling briefly to frown at him and he turned his head to face the rest of the group, attempting to smile as his companion did. "I'm very sorry." He managed to chuckle out before re-opening his eyes. Forcing himself not to widen them in shock however he double-took when he caught the frowning and folded armed Sevrenna watching him from a quiet corner in the room. It was only about a second or so but when she caught his eye she almost immediately averted her gaze.
His eyebrow rose in curiosity when he noticed; was she annoyed at him?
Strange, he thought to himself.
"Well done on yesterday's battle," a voice interrupted his thoughts; the young Aselian king's eyebrows lifted when he hovered his head over to face the source. The masked Hawke stood leaning against the tent wall as she usually did, seemingly frowning behind her mask. "You haven't lost your touch after three years."
A side of his frown upturned into a light grin. "I'm still no-where near as strong as I was back then," he couldn't help but grin in his chuckling reply. He nodded regardless in gratitude. "But thank you."
"Yes, we remember," Ariella claimed from the table, her robed hands joined as she raised up her head from it. Norman's folded armed frown followed her, ever the stoic silent one. "The 'Vikeruce Monarch Mode', isn't it?" The old woman grinned lightly as she tilted her head. Selthris' eyebrows lifted up in surprise.
I don't remember telling her that, he thought to himself. He swivelled his head 'round to find the nervously chuckling Leo waving back and Selthris found himself shaking his head back at the chatty Mercenary, a small grin of his own.
"Yeah," he finally answered as he turned his eyes back to smile at the old Alchemist. "That's what I called it... if I remember correctly." The Lord claimed as he folded his own arms and frowned, raising his eyes in presumable thought.
"With the black lightning?"
The group turned their attention to the far right corner of the room; Sevrenna stood up from her own folded armed frown and advanced forward to join them. Though she had a hard-edged expression on her face as always, Selthris attempted to smile back at her, placing his own arms at his sides.
"Yeah; that's the one," he confirmed for her in his nod. "What about it?"
"That definitely had an effect on the battle," the Swordmaster claimed as she opted this time to stare unflinchingly back at him. He raised a curious eyebrow as he listened to her. "I've never seen so much strength."
"I'll take that as a compliment," he shot back, this time in a boyish grin. The room seemed to reply back with multiple chattering chuckles before he continued on. "Why, what are you so curious about?"
"No I mean how is it done?" The young woman explained further, this time bringing her hands out to gesture with. "How did you get a power increase of that much?"
"Oh," the Lord murmured back in response, blinking in light surprise. "Hrm," he began, his turn to murmur this time as he re-folded his arms and lowered his head in hard pondering. "I'm... not sure, really," he tried out as he scrunched his face up in thought. "I mean...?"
"I should have known," Leo laughed out from next to the grinning Gorlin. "If you would milady," the Mercenary began again, this time with a grinning and respectful bow. Selthris, initially surprised by his interruption, rolled his silvery eyes in a light grin of his own. "We all know how Aegir's used, right?"
"Of course!" Astrid threw in with a chime in her voice from the table.
"Yep, we've got two types of energy; physical and spiritual," Leo re-explained briefly as he brought up his fingers to emphasise the numbers he spoke of. "Our Aegir helps increase our physical strength and the spiritual side is what happens when we add elements to our powers."
"Hey, this isn't first grade academy class." Hawke heckled over jokingly from the back, a grin behind her mask. Leo regarded her with a grin of his own before continuing with folded arms as he tilted his head at the Lord.
"I reckon you've pulled from your spiritual side of Aegir to access this new buff of yours," the Mercenary spoke honestly in his confident grin. Selthris' blinking and clearly confused frown revealed his transparent lack of knowledge in the situation. "I remember watching you meditating three years ago to achieve it."
Selthris tilted his own head in quiet agreement with the older youth, blinking only once as he did so. "I mean, I figured I'd have to if I wanted to use that Aegir I got."
"What Aegir?" Sevrenna suddenly asked, her eyes darting between the pair. Selthris and Leo stopped talking, and, almost as if fearing continuing they both exchanged an unsure look with one another. Finally however they turned back to shake their heads at her and smiled.
"You wouldn't believe us even if we told you." Selthris attempted to wave the matter off in a light smile and shake of his head. When he found her glaring back at him silently, almost as if to urge him to continue regardless he began to sweat in concern.
What would I tell her?
That I gained access to the Sorcerer of the Divine Divide's Quintessence?
It would just sound absolutely bonkers, he thought.
"We're veering way off topic in any case," Astrid interrupted the pair with a light grin in her voice. Sevrenna's scowling face snapped back to glare at her and she soon averted her gaze. She gave Selthris one more lingering look before walking back to her corner. Silently thankful for the interruption however, Selthris mouthed the words 'thank you' over to her. The Etherthien bound strategist took note of it in a light nod before continuing in her sociable smile. "Let's go over our strategy for today's battle!"
–
2
Jenice sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning; as always things were busy and she seemed to be none the wiser.
She would have it no other way.
When a Sohanthian soldier walked through her doorway however, the empress shot up her eyes in an annoyed frown. The two women at her side fanning her opted to stop and she gestured silently for them to continue.
"Enter." She called over as she lay horizontally across her lounger. She reached for another grape and frowned down at the sweating, kneeling soldier.
"Y-Your grace... I come bearing... terrible news," he managed to gasp out. Jenice's eyes rolled in response, already tired of the exchange. "But I must tell-"
"Just begin," the empress interrupted softly but firmly, still opting to placate him with a light smile on her face. When he raised up his amber helmeted head to blink at her he nodded before turning to gesture at the doorway. Sure enough, a group of people sauntered in the room, clearly armed men and a single woman. A man grunted and squeaked, clearly panicked as he was forced in the room in chains and leg-cuffs. Jenice raised a curious eyebrow as she watched the situation unfold before her. "What is this?" She questioned. Responding to her words, the woman in the crew, seemingly leading the small group bowed at her in a frown of her own.
"Empress Sohantha," the woman began in a long bow, lowering her left arm with her gesture before re-raising herself to frown back at her. "General Apheia of the tenth brigade." She introduced herself as; a long haired blonde woman, her hair pulled up into a neat ponytail.
"Oh yes...," Jenice murmured unconvincingly, raising another eyebrow at her as she munched on a grape. "What's all this then?"
"Don't believe her!" The man in chains exclaimed in his shaking stance, his eyes clearly marred from constant crying. "It's all lies!" He called out again before the blue haired Armour Knight behind him smacked him across the head. He grunted as he fell to his knees, dropping his face to the ground in response.
"We managed to catch commander Llewel attempting to escape from Mount Brookhead in clear retreat," Apheia explained very briefly, allowing her brown eyes to hover down to regard the fallen strategist with a sense of disgust. "It would appear the Allied forces have taken the mountain... thanks to his poor deployment skills."
"I'd wondered whether that engagement was still going on...," the empress hummed out aloud as she turned her gaze away from the group nonchalantly. "Why haven't you stamped them out yet?" She groaned over at them impatiently. Though Apheia averted her gaze inadvertently a single cough was all she needed to regain her composure; she turned her eye back on her empress and responded.
"It would appear that the Allied forces have been underestimated," the General spoke in her business-like tone, frowning as before. "Consistently." She added with a narrow of her chestnut eyes.
"Hmph," Jenice muttered out as she raised her head up at the group. "Where are they to attack next?"
Apheia quickly exchanged her nodding frown with the similar-expressed Armour Knight watching their prisoner before she quickly re-faced her.
"Farrador Castle, your grace."
"Then you are to bring whatever men you can spare to its defence," she shot back, quick as can be as she reached for yet another grape. Apheia's face remained unchanged as she watched and listened in her firm frown. "General Haffed is overlooking Farrador Castle and could do with the backup."
"Shall I also be-?"
"Yes," the empress interrupted unflinchingly, frowning back at her. "General Haffed shall be issuing your orders; you are to report directly to him. Do I make myself clear?"
Though Apheia's breathing seemed to change to a ragged one she bowed in respect.
"Yes, of course your grace," she responded with another bow before re-raising herself to frown back at her. "Then may I-?"
Jenice merely frowned back at her as she used her remaining free left hand to wave them away.
"What of the prisoner?" The blue-haired Armour Knight called over suddenly from the front. All eyes turned to the whimpering and quiet former commander Llewel, his body shaking with the binding chains he wore.
"Kill him," Jenice merely threw in with an uncaring frown. "Sohantha has no room for failures."
"At your leave, your grace." Apheia replied in a final respectful bow before turning to leave; the blue-haired Armour Knight nodded before grunting as he yanked on the chain to pull the whimpering Llewel away. The soldier that had initially came in with them as well turned to leave after them, leaving Jenice alone with her aides in her throne room. Her eyebrows lifted as she raised a grape to her mouth, as if suddenly sensing something else in the room. She placed it down and narrowed her eyes forward.
"Leave me," she ordered suddenly. The two fan holding women at her sides exchanged a sudden look before swiftly placing their tools down and fast-walking toward the exit after the other group. Finally now seemingly truly alone, Jenice let slip a small grin on her face as her eyes instinctively darted as far behind her as they could without switching her head around. "You may approach now." She spoke over softly in her low smirk. Behind the shadows a similarly smirking figure walked out toward her. It stopped just short of the sofa she lounged upon and though the figure was tall enough to seem imposing, its posture seemed to indicate a more questionable sort of person.
"Empress Sohantha," the shadow began, its voice a seeming baritone, seemingly male. "You seem to be doing well."
"Not as well as I'd have liked," Jenice claimed as she reached into her trusty bowl on her right once more. "The Allied forces are still pushing through ours in spite of our higher numbers."
The shadow seemed to grin behind its cloudy features. "So... things are going according to plan then...?"
A similar corner of Jenice's mouth upturned as he spoke. "Yes."
"Excellent," the man behind her grinned in his own reply. "You know how the next one is to turn out... don't you?"
"Yes," she began briefly before narrowing her eyes at the doorway ahead of her. "They will attack Farrador Castle and rout what forces we have there remaining."
"Anything else...?"
"Your son shall be picked off in the midst of their attempt, debilitating the Allied forces' morale," she explained further with a growing smirk of her own. Her eyes hovered to her right this time, as if to grin back at him. "That about the size of it?"
"Yes," he chuckled behind her. "Very good."
She reached for another grape and popped it into her mouth, frowning forward. "Your predictions have been frightening accurate thus far...," she began as she furrowed her delicate brow, as if in thought. "I wonder how you know all of this...?"
The shadowy figure merely remained silent, as if offering her time to ruminate further.
"To think...," she chuckled in her grin and the shadow, this time, began to march forward into the dim light offered in the room. "That you would turn on your only remaining son...," the empress smirked as she stared forward before slowly edging her eyes up to the man in question. Her smirk soon became an open-toothed one and, as the man followed her, he stepped into the light, revealing his well-kept silvery hair. "Sathryon."
"Just as you predicted," Talia murmured out as she frowned forward from her position at the main camp. "There's not many soldiers there to defend... and I don't think they realise..."
"Their main weakness," Edgar spoke up for her. He stood next to her, his arms contrastingly folded as he narrowed his eyes forward. His eyes narrowed forward to the group's left at the floodgates and the suspiciously large crowd of men assigned to it. "Even with as many soldiers..."
"It's exposed," Astrid finished for him in a confident grin, standing up from her knelt position and from examining the moving map below her. "As long as we focus on that, we'll win the day."
"What's the word; we stickin' to our original plan?" Gorlin grinned as he approached the group with his ever reliable Close-Range Specialist squad. He cracked his knuckles alongside his similar-faced comrade Kay; she imitated him in her grin and the two shared their confident expression together.
"Yes," Astrid answered him with her own grin as she 'rounded her blonde head around to face him in an agreeing nod. She swiftly swivelled her eyes around to narrow her eyes at the forces ahead holed up towards the large castle. "If all goes well... this battle will be won by dinner time!"
"Don't get cocky," Hawke frowned from the front, stepping forward. Sabine, Alaric and even Talia all walked on to join her, forming Team One. "If we even let the slightest misstep in, you'll all be eating your last meal here, today."
"Though she speaks it with a sharpened tongue...," Alaric began lowly as he grinned alongside her, ripping out his steel axe from behind him. "She is right all the same!"
"Let's just do this!" Sevrenna exclaimed excitedly and impatiently as she marched forward to join them, unsheathing her steel sword as she did. "The more time we waste the more they can prepare!"
"She's right," her team's captain agreed with her; he stepped forward, frowning firmly at the enemy forces ahead. "The faster we attack them now, the quicker we can deny them any reinforcements." Selthris finished with a hard-eyed narrowed scowl forward.
"I can get behind that," Astrid nodded in her own grin before turning back 'round to face the front. "Then give the order... commander!"
Selthris' scowl grew worse; he glowered firmly as he yanked the Hakai from its sheath on his hip. With a single, final twirl he shot forward at a blinding speed. "All available units ATTACK!"
–
3
Pyrian's eyes widened and he held back a gasp before shooting up his steel lance in defence; a super-fast slash struck swiftly at him in an overhead strike. The swiping swordsman finally materialised above him; a surprisingly large and muscled man wearing the indigo colours of the Allied forces.
Faster than he expected.
"'Ello there mate!" The large man grinned down at him, an almost mocking Sohanthian accent to his lips. The attempt reddened Pyrian's already cold cheeks and he let loose an effort filled growl as he pushed him forward in their weapon struggle, allowing him enough room to counter-attack with a defensive spin. The sword-wielding warrior was forced back in a defensive back-flip recovery; as he landed in a light grunt he spun the one steel sword he carried expertly in his hands, merely grinning back at him. Pyrian's eyes narrowed angrily at him, his face scrunching in suspicion before he opened his mouth to reply.
"You're of the alliance, that much is certain...," the Halberdier began as he frowned forward. "What is your name?!" He demanded over loudly. The large man merely chuckled and spun around in place expertly; as if responding to him, an alarming colour of silver suddenly leapt up from his armour. "What the-?!" Pyrian gasped, taking a step back in concern of a counter. Fortunately however, the silver – clearly blades of steel swords – all dropped back down to meet their wielder; his hulking opponent. Lightly and yet tightly hanging around every possible crevice on his outer body were the steel swords he had tossed up; all seven of them.
Pyrian had never seen anything like it before.
"Sir!"
The irked Halberdier snapped his head around to find an unnamed soldier standing behind him, clearly concerned.
"What is it?!" He exclaimed back in impatient annoyance.
"It's not just him; look!"
And he did.
When he found his battalion under attack by the rest of this man's forces his eyes widened.
How did they suddenly slip past their detection?
And all before their men were to receive a reinforcement buff...
"Name's Gorlin!"
Pyrian snapped his amber helmeted head 'round in shock to find the grinning large man's words lightly muffled beneath one of the many swords he carried; this one in his mouth.
"And your bodies are what's gonna end this battle!" The wild swordsman's words called over threateningly. Pyrian's eyes narrowed and he widened them as he swiped his steel lance horizontally, as if for effect.
"Then come on!"
Needing no further goading; the grinning Gorlin gnawed on his final hilt before suddenly leaping up to descend downward on his new opponent. Pyrian shot his steel lance upward to block the incoming overhead attack; steel against steel clashed noisily and the grunting Halberdier slashed back in reply, forcing Gorlin to back-flip deftly in momentary retreat. Swiftly spinning 'round in place however, Gorlin's grin persevered himself and he spun forward with a series of low aimed slashes.
Pyrian gasped as he used his steel lance once more to block the low attacks before widening his eyes as he was suddenly faced forward; the surprisingly acrobatic Gorlin leapt up on a handstand and used the swords hanging around his legs to swipe at him continually. Opting instead to use his shield, Pyrian grunted continuously as the attacks from his opponent increased steadily; Gorlin spun his body around on the ground with merely a single arm.
Who was this man?!
Riding on his seemingly high morale, Gorlin suddenly stopped spinning and used the ground to leap up off from. Widening his eyes as he watched, Pyrian struggled to raise his shield upwards to block the incoming attack...
… and he paid for it.
Opting instead to shoot his steel lance up in defence, his right eye was slashed at behind his lance's poor wall, sending him spiralling to the ground after his grinning enemy. His one good eye soon widened in sudden remembrance to his opponent's advantage of position; the Halberdier grunted as he used his own athletics and his shield hand to back-flip in recovery. As he landed, his left eye re-widened again when he caught the fast-pursuing steel swords from high into the air.
With no time left to defend, Pyrian exclaimed an effort-filled yell as he leapt desperately to his right in a rolling evasion; as he rolled horizontally to his right, he skid in recovery, scowling angrily at the landing Gorlin. Gorlin grinned seemingly eternally and, as he landed, he cartwheeled effortlessly in plucking up the swords he had tossed downward in pursuit and in doing so, pursued the retreating form of his enemy once more.
Damn him!
As Gorlin shot toward him; a bullet from a steel ballista, instead of opting to defend this time... Pyrian attempted to evade him entirely. With a bleeding scowl the Halberdier leaned his body very carefully to his right, pulling back all sides of his body as far as he could without actually falling. Time slowed down for the pair; Gorlin's constant grin passed him in a silvery and indigo blur and, as it did, so did the light slashes at his armour and face. Pyrian scrunched his eyes shut as he felt the blades very lightly draw blood from his face and time finally regained its flow.
Now!
Pyrian roared in effort as he spun around and sunk his steel lance into the ground, Aegir charging through it. Gorlin's seemingly endless grin was finally lost to him when he watched the man's Quintessence course through the weapon. The Coremondian officer snapped his head at his destination; a large earthen and rock wall obviously conjured up from the pre-existing ground below it. With no brakes on his body, Gorlin grunted as he smashed against the surprisingly durable wall; though it broke noisily, the Coremondian Nomad Trooper was sent spiralling and rolling through the air.
As Pyrian watched in a momentary shocked glance he couldn't help but take note of the man's admirable resolve; not a single sword dropped from any crevice on his body.
Impressive, he thought.
"But not impressive enough!" The Halberdier laughed boisterously as he dove upward in his own pursuit. Gorlin's eyes watched him in a widened frown and, finally, the spear-wielding Sohanthian shot through the Coremondian with a sudden stab attack. Like an arrow from a bow, he phased through the wide-eyed Gorlin and skid across the ground in recovery and it was his turn to grin this time. He remained locked in his stabbing pose, his steel lance extended forward; blood sat at the tip of his blade and, as he snapped his head back to grin, he re-opened his mouth. "Now die!"
Even as he did so however, his eyes widened in further shock at his find.
The wall with which he had managed to counter-attack with lay in strewn parts all around the area where he attacked with. No sign of Gorlin's body or even the seven swords he so swiftly employed.
"What in the-?" The Halberdier murmured out disbelievingly, his brow furrowing in thought. Suddenly however it seemed to click within his mind; the man gasped as he snapped his head over to his steel lance to inspect the blood on it.
Barely anything at all for the wound he had tried to inflict on him.
A substitution?!
And with his own materials!
Finally noticing his presence, albeit too late, Pyrian shot his wide-eyed scowl skyward to find the widely grinning Gorlin plunging down upon him, all seven swords at the ready. The Sohanthian Halberdier's eyes shot wide open once more but this time in a different kind of shock.
"NO!"
CLANG
His angry and defeated call was lost to the shield with which he shot up to defend himself with; as Gorlin's swords plunged down with him their dominant force managed to split the shield into two. The Coremondian swordsman grinned further in his knowing chuckle as he swept the man's helpless legs when he landed. Unable to do much but gasp in widened eyes and use his now free left hand to make ready to grasp at the ground below him, Pyrian shot his wide-eyed horror-filled gaze forwards and had to hold back from gasping when he did.
Oh no, he thought.
With a final grin, the Coremondian captain laughed as he used his Aegir to shoot forward his wind-infused steel swords like arrows from a bow. Easily piercing the Sohanthian's amber armour with the Quintessence buffs, Pyrian's eyebrow lifted up as he was sent slowly backward through the air.
Six of Gorlin's steel swords shot into his undefended flesh.
Time finally regained its flow once more and Pyrian could only gurgle out a pained cough as he landed roughly, rolling across the rocky ground, his steel lance clanging noisily to the ground with him.
Laying on his side, Pyrian's body shook uncontrollably from the pain in short shakes before, finally he coughed out a large amount of blood to the ground next to him. As if the command for his body; it allowed him to roll to his right, facing the sky above him with scrunched shut eyes. The sound of yet more noisy clanging forced him to re-open his eyes but with little strength left in his body he could only swivel his head 'round to the source.
The final sword with which Gorlin carried after sending the rest of them into his enemy was dropped carelessly to the ground; clearly the noise from earlier. Pyrian couldn't help but grow a small grin on his face as he turned his shut-eyed expression skyward.
"W-Which country are you... from...?" He managed out in pained, short gasps. Blood trickled from both corners of his mouth; a clear sign of his dire condition.
Gorlin stood grinning over him, casting his looming shadow as he did. "Coremond." He merely answered with.
Pyrian's grin could only grow further in response to his words. "I sh-should have k-known...," the Halberdier chuckled in his shut-eyed grin. He re-opened his eyes to smirk up at the morning sky above him, defeated. "The one country I always looked d-down on..."
"How ya like them apples?" Gorlin grinned back down at him, arms folding. "Don't look down on Coremondian swordsmanship!"
Pyrian's own grin soon reverted to a mere tired, pained and fatigued smile; the Halberdier re-shut his eyes with it.
"Do it..."
"Do it?"
"Kill me already...," he managed out before suddenly coughing out; the cough seemed to stimulate his eyes. He re-opened them again but this time slowly and scowled with it. "D-Do it...!" He hissed up at the folded armed Nomad Trooper.
Though Gorlin blinked down at him cluelessly for a second, he swiftly shut his eyes in another grin. "No can do!"
Pyrian's own eyes widened in shock.
As if responding to his former opponent's wordless bewilderment, Gorlin re-opened his mouth to continue on. "Our commander's given orders to save as many of you as possible," the Coremondian claimed, eliciting a brow-furrowed stare from the fallen Halberdier. Gorlin chuckled in his next words. "You lucky son of a bitch!" The Nomad Trooper grinned sociably in his shut-eyed expression.
The wide-eyed Pyrian could only laugh as loudly as he could; a low and pained baritone to go with the similarly low bass of Gorlin's chuckles.
"Yo! Good news on the floodgates! They're now opened!"
Astrid grinned in her acknowledging nod. "Thank you Gorlin!" The young strategist thought with briefly shut eyes and in a grin of her own. She broke their connection with a lower of her index finger before swiftly viewing the canvas of her magical map.
"Isn't this around the time you'd send those hair-brained youngsters on their way?" Ariella's voice came from the Medical Squad in the back. She approached her with a light grin and Astrid returned it with one of her own.
"Yeah!" She exclaimed back before swiftly snapping her eyes back down on the moving pieces of the map below her. "But they're already on the frontlines!"
"Things are going rather well...," Norman murmured as he joined the pair of women, arms folded as always. "Aren't you worried?"
"About what?!" Astrid laughed back at him excitedly as she shot her pumped fist down in a gesture. "This'll be the third consecutive battle in a row that we overpower the empire!"
Ariella's own grin was lost to her however as she turned to exchange a similarly unsure look with her listening aide. Astrid's cheer gradually dropped from her face as she darted her eyes between them doubtfully.
"Wh-What? What is it?" She pressed them.
"It is... probably nothing dear," Ariella smiled back down at her unconvincingly. The listening Advisor's blonde eyebrow shot up in confusion as she awaited further answering. "It's..."
"Just a feeling, right?" Norman confirmed for the old Alchemist. Ariella turned to nod in a firm frown of her own, silently agreeing with him. Astrid's eyes narrowed at them thoughtfully before she turned back to view the canvas below her.
She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary...
Her eyes widened however and she had to stop herself from gasping when her vision caught the sight of it.
Not her surely? Not again?
Why was Sevrenna breaking formation?!
"No!" The Advisor frantically exclaimed, eyes widening as she snapped her head back to the rear guard. A Halberdier walked forward in response and bowed in polite respect. "Send the rest of our troops out there to fill that gap!"
The man looked unsure; his brow furrowed down at the young woman. "B-But miss if we do that-"
"No buts!" Astrid interrupted urgently, swiping her arm through the air for effect. "Do it!"
"Yes sir!"
With that, the Halberdier immediately turned on his heel faster than he had approached with, seemingly moving toward the rest of the men in his unit.
"What's going on?" Theffania called from the back as she approached the majority of women. She wore protective gloves and an apron stained lightly with blood, her hands raised upwards.
"Hopefully nothing too serious...," Ariella murmured in response as she faced her before re-turning to look back at the frontlines. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. "But things may not go according to plan."
"Yes they will!" Astrid declared hotly from her knelt position, frowning hard at the surprised trio before slowly turning back to bite her nail worriedly at the map below her. "Yes they will..." She repeated for a second time and muffled through her teething.
–
4
"Voladea!"
Sevrenna's eyes shot wide open and, regardless of her current position, she swivelled immediately around to face the source of the interruption of her attacks. Staring up at a figure, blocked by the sun she could only squint heavily up. Judging by the voice it was a man.
A man she knew all too well.
She effortlessly swerved her head to the side to dodge an incoming soldier's lancing before swiftly kneeing him in the lower stomach region. Her eyes never left the black figure sitting atop castle Farrador and she opted to run forward ahead of the rest of her comrades after dealing with the poor Sohanthian.
"Sevrenna?" Selthris called over his shoulder behind her, his eye half-way turned to look for her.
"She's gone!" Leo exclaimed in growing panic as he watched from his own side on the battlefield.
"Shit!" Selthris hissed out, swivelling his body 'round to face her disappearing direction fully. "Not again...!" He managed out before taking off directly after her.
"Teens, Ed!" Leo called over his own shoulder, a single bead of sweat across his forehead as he did so. The Axe Fighter in question frowned as he turned from finishing off an enemy soldier, eyebrow raising. The Pegasus Knight similarly hovered down to join the pair of young men, curious. "We gotta follow, now!" The Mercenary ordered out urgently, eyes widened. When Edgar and Tina both quickly drew their eyes north to watch their sprinting commander they both nodded simultaneously. The Pegasus Knight hovered down to allow the pair of young men to board Archibald. When they were seated she immediately took off after them.
Sevrenna's hard-eyed scowl never left the sun-blocked shadow resting on the castle above her; she effortlessly batted away any attempt at her life, be they arrows or lance. The adept Swordmaster finally began to come within viewing distance of the far-off figure but before she could even inspect him beyond the view of the cold sun a sudden glare of amber armour made her snap her gaze back down to her front.
A blonde woman in perfect posture stood staring back at her, arms folded. The confident smirk on her face suggested that she was both on a higher rank than the rest of the army she'd been dealing with and that she knew far more than she seemed to.
"You must be the young Voladea," the blonde woman grinned over at Sevrenna, her arms still folded. The rough Swordmaster merely growled back at her, scrunching a side of her face up in quiet fury. Sevrenna noted her face from memory; the Halberdier that accompanied the empress up to that five kingdom summit on Etherthien. "Do we have a treat for you." She finished in a furrowing of her facial expression; her grin narrowing with it. Sevrenna could only dart her eyes across to the two men at her sides; a blue-haired Armour Knight and an older-type man, seemingly the enemy commander of the battle.
"Wha-?!" The Swordmaster muttered out in response, a side of her own face squashing in a suspicious scowl.
As if to answer her very question, the figure from before finally dropped to the ground and with a magnificent resounding crash that made even their own troops wobble ahead of them. Sevrenna grunted as she attempted to keep her feet steady however her comfortable scowl soon lost form when she saw a sight before her she never thought she'd see so soon.
Dressed in a similar amber shaded armour, as different to how she remembered him, it was him regardless; the grinning Half-Moon Murderer stood directly ahead of her.
Her nerves froze when she watched him smirk over at her as sadistically as he had done those long ten years ago.
"Why can't I move?!" She thought to herself in growing panic, her teeth gritting behind her previously bewildered expression.
Without uttering even a single word between them all; the short blonde-haired man suddenly shot forward, unsheathing a longsword of some kind on his hip.
Her arms uncharacteristically shakily jumped to her steel sword to prepare herself but by the time she'd take it out, she'd be too late.
DROOM
Like a lightning bolt itself, it ripped the ground in and between the shocked young woman and the wide-eyed blonde man. When the dust soon receded Sevrenna brought her free arm down to catch sight of the shaking Selthris' long silver ponytail ahead of her.
"I... made...," Selthris' growling voice began from the front as he struggled with the wide-eyed smirking mad-man ahead of him. Finally however he managed to break the hold with a deft swipe of the Hakai. "It!" He exclaimed as he did so; the blonde warrior merely smirked as he was sent back-flipping uncharacteristically gracefully through the air, skidding across the ground with which he defaced earlier with his landing. Selthris gasped continually from the effort he exuded to catch up with his older comrade, a single bead of sweat dropping from his forehead.
"Yo!"
The entire group turned their heads skyward to find the frowning pair of Edgar and Leo dropping down, similarly gracefully, seemingly delivered by the Pegasus Knight above them. Tina soon followed the grunting pair of young men though instead opted to hover lightly down in a frown of her own with her mount.
"Are you nuts?" Leo hissed over as he recovered from the drop, advancing on the similarly scowling Sevrenna. "You broke formation! Again!" He hissed out lowly; clearly angered by the young woman. When Sevrenna opened her mouth to respond, no doubt in anger herself, Selthris spoke up for her.
"Just... give her a break, Leo," Selthris gasped from the front as he twirled the Hakai 'round his right arm, still recovering from his exertion. The rest of the team turned their eyes over to him, surprised. "It wasn't long ago...," he started again as he narrowed his own eyes at the smirking and silent watching blonde-haired Half-Moon standing before him. "That I was the same as she was."
His words seemingly rung true; Leo's chestnut brown eyes averted away in reluctant agreement. Edgar briefly shut his own, as if in remembrance and Tina nodded quietly to herself. Sevrenna could only exchange her half-angry, half-curious looks with the rest of the team before she was soon pulled from her thoughts.
"Selthris Vikeruce!" The blonde woman called from the front; Selthris' silvery eyes darted over to her in recognition.
"General Apheia... was it...?" He thought to himself in a thoughtful furrow of his brow.
"Winner of Naerith's pathetic 'Burning War'." She continued in her low grin, her arms folded and her stance somewhat tilted to the side. Selthris' eyebrow rose up in curiosity.
Where was she going with this?
"You think you can kill Half-Moon as easily as you did Silvermoon?" She suddenly added, earning a wide-eyed frown from the young Lord.
The listening Leo grunted in scowling recognition; Edgar and Tina watched carefully, as if also knowing. Sevrenna's own eyes darted between the ever smirking Apheia and the standing Selthris. He opted to remain quiet as he stood up straight, leaning his own body to the side; his sword hanging behind him dutifully. His silvery eyes soon darted to the chuckling blonde man bent over in a crouching position next to her.
This was 'Half-Moon'?
His memories of rumours in Sohantha quickly resurfaced when he heard the name.
"Surely you know who this is, don't you?" General Apheia grinned forward in her folded armed stance, drawing a visible listening scowl from Sevrenna.
"This is pointless," the older, brown-haired General moaned from the close-by entrance of Farrador Castle. Apheia and the blue-haired Armour Knight's eyes darted in his direction, low scowls immediately on their faces. "We should attack them now and rout their pathetic forces." He criticised angrily.
"Allow me to do this, general Haffed and you will receive the greatest glowing report anyone has ever received from a fellow officer in Sohantha," Apheia urgently and quickly explained as she turned her haughty scowl down on the brown-haired General. Her words quickly had an effect on the man; he merely muttered a few words to himself before swiftly turning his head away from the group. She smirked in satisfaction before re-turning to face the group. "Good... now...," she began lowly; the listening Team Three stared back in cold silence, a mix of worry and adrenaline coursing through their veins as they awaited her next words. A corner of her smirk grew as she narrowed her eyes forward. "Kill them."
As if triggered by her very words, the blonde-haired Half-Moon Murderer let loose an excited shrill through the air as he leapt forward at his first target. His breath regained and his Aegir restored however, Selthris shot the Hakai diagonally across his body in defence; when the slender man slashed his long katana into his enemy's Selthris gasped as he was sent skidding backwards from the sheer force he commanded.
"Incredible!" The Lord thought to himself in a sudden grit-toothed widen of his eyes.
As if preying on his momentary doubts and fears, Half-Moon shrieked again in growing laughter as he swept his feet with shocking speed. Losing his footing, Selthris grunted as he tried using his left hand to catch himself but it was too late; the Lord was sent pained and sailing across the air. Like a shooting star through the sky he crashed into a horde of enemy soldiers.
Half-Moon turned his head to the sky and erupted his Aegir visibly in an effort-filled and excited whoop of joy. When he caught movement at the corner of his eye he snapped his katana up to his right and turned his grin on the fast descending form of the frowning Edgar.
CRASH
Perhaps utilising his earth elemental Quintessence, the surprisingly fast Axe Fighter's steel axe's impact caused the ground not only to quake but to eat up from the sheer strength they both commanded. As if uncaring from his new opponent's interruption however, Half-Moon laughed again in a child-like tone of voice as he sunk his free left fist into the young man's lower stomach. Widening his eyes in a shocking display of pain, Edgar's grip of his attack and even his weapon began to thin as he was pushed back into the air above him.
"One hand?!" The Axe Fighter could only run through his mind with when he caught the defending mad-man's katana arm with his full-force strike. He didn't have long to ruminate any further for the grinning Half-Moon leapt upwards in a spinning slash attack, sending him similarly sailing through the air. Half-Moon's eyes darted to his left only to find the sky-plummeting Tina poking at him with her steel lance.
He back-flipped in evasion only to grin further in twisted delight as he shot up his katana to block the next incoming sword strike, this time from his previously undefended side. Leo stood on the opposite end, a hard-edged frown drawn across his gritted expression. As Tina gave pursuit however, Half-Moon began to laugh once more as he athletically and even scarily cartwheeled away in defence, easily blocking and parrying their chasing pokes, stabs and slashes.
Finally however, it was time to counter-attack; Half-Moon's laugh cut short when he landed safely to his front and when Leo carelessly attempted to stab at the man, he parried the attack, leaving him open. The brown-haired Mercenary's eyes went wide open in terror, allowing Half-Moon to smash his boot into the poor young man's face. Leo exclaimed a yell of similar pain to his comrades as he was sent careering into more Sohanthian soldiers behind him. When Tina caught up to her enemy however she shot her steel lance down in a scowling stab attack.
Half-Moon grinned as he slammed his sword down upon her steel lance, sending the Pegasus Knight and her very mount stumbling forward after him. With a low, knowing chuckle the blonde serial killer grasped at the wooden center of her weapon and pulled her gasping body off the pegasus, drawing them closer together. The teal-haired young woman's eyes widened and she couldn't help from sweating as she exchanged her horror-filled expression with his. The blonde man's menacing and glowering smirk chilled her to the bone.
Before he could deal the inevitable finishing blow however, a super-fast spiralling flash of steel from behind her made his eye dart in its direction. He chuckled lowly and seemingly knowingly as he merely tossed the grunting Tina to the side, as if she were mere trash. The flash of steel soon clashed with Half-Moon's own and he grinned as it did; the flash wore off the and spinning Sevrenna slashed at him as she passed him by in her pursuit, skidding across the ground. She shot up her scowl to face him as she landed and the blonde murderer merely gave vent to boisterous laughter, even bordering on unstable as he dove at her, katana at the ready.
"DEVOUR!"
A single word finally escaped his deranged and, as he clashed again with the hate-faced Sevrenna, she leant back in a second skid; defending against his rough but effective diagonal slash attack. The pair struggled for what felt like hours before, finally, the wide-grinning Half-Moon managed to push through her defence. Sevrenna gasped as her steel sword was sent spinning out of her control, spiralling across the ground roughly. She snapped her eyes over to it, a bead of sweat following after it on her forehead. Her eyes briefly darted back to face the laughing Half-Moon looming over her; a fatal danger indeed. She swerved her head to her abrupt right, just barely avoiding the unstable warrior's wild diagonal swipe. Her teeth grit roughly as she spun her body around in conjunction with her swerving, attempting to turn herself back the way her weapon flew.
Her only salvation.
She turned her quick spin into a deft side-flip, landing on her sword's hilt; utilising her athleticism and a very small dose of Aegir she managed to send her steel sword twirling rapidly upwards. Similarly spiralling around in place in a show of her quick-footing she grabbed the blade urgently by its hilt; comfortable and safe. In a narrow of her eyes she twisted her body around one last time and even pointed the blade forward at the last known position of her enemy.
Unfortunately for her, however, her long-hated enemy proved to be far too fast.
Even for her.
The wide-smirk expressed serial killer merely leapt toward her; no subtlety and strategy to his form, just speed and strength. Sevrenna's eyes widened, her scowl swiftly falling to make way for the first defeated, open-mouthed frown in years.
"No..." She could only think to herself in widened eyes, seemingly unable to do much of anything in return to his perfect, sailing form.
DROOM
Shocking her a second time, the silver thunder bolt clearly belonging to the similarly lightning fast Selthris reappeared just ahead of her. Her eyes widened for a second time in the space of a few seconds and she even gasped. However all feeling of immediate relief washed over when she caught the sight of the man's katana protruding from the Lord's back. Freshly squeezed crimson life-juice remained on the end of its blade and Selthris sagged forward in a wide-eyed gasp of his own.
"NO!"
Sevrenna could barely hear Leo's muffled call from the already deafening din of the Sohanthian soldiers. Her attention had finally been caught by something other than her goal all these years. She watched the gasping Selthris lean further into the stab that had caught him unaware, her eyes widened and a strange sense of horror jolted up her spine.
"I've seen worse than this... why can't I stomach this?!" The hardy Swordmaster could only wonder to herself as she watched in frozen terror, wincing as she did so.
Finally ripping the watching and entranced small group of people, Half-Moon chuckled lowly as he mercilessly yanked the blade out of his newly-formed wound. Selthris coughed out a painful-sounding gurgle of blood as he dropped the Hakai to the ground with a noisy clang. The young Lord soon dropped with it, clutching at his stomach roughly as he fell to the ground. The watching Sohanthian crowd had begun to stop fighting entirely, opting to turn and cheer; their morale rocketing from witnessing their enemy commander's defeat.
"CONSUME!" Half-Moon roared in a repeating wide, open-mouthed grin as he sent his fast-forward charging palm down toward his now helpless enemy. Sevrenna's eyes widened in growing concern when she saw the rippling and fiery Quintessence building around his body. She knew all too well what he was planning; with that revelation feeling finally and suddenly shot through her nerves. The Swordmaster wasted no further time in attempting to stop him; she leapt at him in a new-found scowl. Though she was not confident she could stop him after her earlier sortie with him, she opted to try anyway; she exchanged her hate-filled and desperate face with the mad-smirking face of the Sohanthian butcher.
Before her doubts could be fully realised, a loudly whistling arrow behind him made the pair's eyes dart toward it; Half-Moon growled in a seeming mix of dissatisfaction and impatience before swiftly bounding in evasion to his side. Sevrenna merely swerved her body to the side when she landed, watching the huge fire infused arrow whiz past her at super-speed, clearly intended for the missing serial killer.
"Now then...," a voice called forward, cutting through the air's silence. A surprisingly large number of the Allied forces sauntered through the defeated members of the Sohanthians behind them, including members from Team One and Two. The ever masked Sniper leading them seemed to glare past the disguise she wore in tandem with the bow she lowered from her grip. "What's taking so long?" Hawke called over calmly and quietly, her eyes glaring forward at the similarly scowling Half-Moon.
–
5
Half-Moon growled something unintelligibly over at the intruders as if he were a feral animal being cornered by its pursuers. Hawke's eyes narrowed thinly at the man, immediately recognising the demolished battlefield around him.
He's definitely a threat, she thought to herself.
"Yo, granny," Gorlin whispered from her side, edging his body closer to hers so they could speak in private. Though she did not move her eyes from him she lightly moved her masked head to her left in waiting for him to continue. "We should probably help those two...," the normally loud Nomad Trooper advised quietly under his breath, nodding his own head forward. The Sniper allowed her eyes briefly dart in the large man's pointing direction, soon noticing what he was referring to. "Just sayin'." The man chuckled good-naturedly this time as he pulled his head back in his grin, re-facing his enemy ahead of himself.
Selthris lay in a defeated, bloody heap in the scowling Sevrenna's arms, seemingly unconscious.
"Fair point." The Sniper murmured out knowingly.
"No! Boss!" Kay's call came from Gorlin's back; the dismounted Cavalier leapt forward, presumably to assist the fallen Lord. A single look from Hawke was enough to assist Gorlin in grabbing the back of her clothing. She gasped and growled as she attempted to pull herself forward off of his grip. The Nomad Trooper's own grin was also dropped in favour of a hard frown of his own however and he shook his head down at her. "Why?!" She exclaimed angrily as she 'rounded a new-found glower to face him with.
"You know why Kay," Hawke replied for her fellow captain, eyes narrowed eternally at the eerily staring and growling Half-Moon. "You break formation, you bring us down with you." She explained very briefly, as if reiterating the basics. Kay grunted as she as she set back down; the boisterous blonde stared forward in her own frustrated glare.
"I know it is difficult to stay your hand, Kay," Ulric spoke up as he approached via his horse. He dismounted soon after however before pacing forward to join the fast growing group. "But we have no choice," the Paladin agreed with in a low tone of voice as he also narrowed his eyes at their low-stance positioned enemy. "This one... could quite possibly take our entire unit alone."
"Y-Yes," Talia nodded in quiet agreement behind the veteran officer. He turned his eye around to face the small blonde strategist; the formerly Sohanthian Thunder Mage walked on to join them once more. "If memory and intelligence both serve... then this is..."
"The Half-Moon Murderer!"
The group turned their eyes skyward to find the gasping Garrus floating down to join them on his dragon.
"Half-Moon what?" Kay shot back as she swerved 'round to raise a curious eyebrow at the Dragon Rider. They were interrupted again however but this time by a closer comrade.
"M-Murderer...," Leo managed in as he limped into the scene, his left arm gripping his limping right. The bloody-faced Mercenary nodded his head in the growling and animalistic Sohanthian's direction. "He's an infamous Sohanthian serial killer." The youth finished from stammering out his words, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the growling man. A woman's chuckle brought the gasping group's attention back to the front; general Apheia grinned back at them, still staring at them with her arms ever folded.
"That's correct!" The Halberdier shot over in her superior grin before continuing. "At least one of you in Aselia knows of his sordid reputation I see..." She chuckled as she narrowed her eyes at the battle-weary and grit-toothed young man.
"Even I have not heard of this... Half-Moon," Alaric spoke up as he approached the group with a hard-eyed frown set on the enemy. "When...?"
"Years ago," Leo gasped out in answer from his earlier fatigue. "He targeted a family in Aselia Castle Town ten odd years ago, some think at random." The Mercenary explained as briefly as he could however, when he was finished with his small speech, the members of the Allied forces turned their eyes to the unusually silent but usually scowling Sevrenna, as if adding up the dots.
"He was rumoured to be stronger even than Naerith's 'Silvermoon' and Aselia's 'Oceiros'," Talia added from the back in further explanation for her comrade, drawing on her Sohanthian knowledge. "He's very powerful; something in his bloodline that allows him to draw from other people's Aegir," she continued on as she shook her head in narrow-eyed thought, watching the slow-smirking Half-Moon. "Don't let him touch you, whatever any of you do."
"Easy for you to say," Gorlin chuckled contrastingly as he tilted his head lightly in his forward stare, cracking a knuckle as he did so. "You're not resortin' to close-range techniques like punches." The Nomad Trooper half-joked in his grin as he stared on forward; his seemingly misplaced cheer managed to invigorate the tense listening crowd and some even grinned along with him.
"If we're gonna do this...," Sabine spoke from Hawke's right, frowning firmly forward. She darted her eyes next to her. "We gotta do it right." He advised at her side.
"Do it right is right," Gerard elongated the end of his sentence from next to Gorlin with a leant-eyed stare. "I reckon we'll only get one chance at a rescue like this." The Armour Knight explained briefly as his eyes lightly hovered between the trapped Sevrenna and Selthris and the mad-faced Half-Moon.
"How are Team Three looking right now?" Hawke asked, this time directing her question to the blinking Leo standing next to Sabine. He could only chuckle back at her mirthlessly as he responded.
"Tina's been K.O.'d, Ed's missing and, oh yeah," the Mercenary shot back in a lightly annoyed frown as he turned to point his one good arm accusingly at dire scene before them. "Our captain might be dead!" He exclaimed out in a mix of frustration and anger as he thrust his finger at the fallen form of his old comrade.
Hawke stared back at him for a good long couple of seconds before nodding, opting to turn to face the front once more.
"She's okay though," he added in a low mutter, watching the scowling Sevrenna. "Of course."
Opting to give the youth an honourable and temporary lay-off for his closeness to his companions, Hawke opened her mouth to continue.
"I will fight him alone." The Sniper calmly declared in a frown behind her mask. The group's shocked silence betrayed the gasp dying to escape from their lips.
"Are you insane?" Leo hushed over as he returned his left arm to his limping right, bruised and bloody-faced and all. "He took out Sel; he'll take you out too!"
"I was once taught by one of the greatest warriors this world has ever seen," the Sniper proudly claimed as she turned briefly to face the shocked, blinking Mercenary. "If I can't even match this man... then I'll lose respect for my own skills, let alone how he'd feel."
"Wh-What should we do?" Garrus whispered down from his quietly flapping dragon, eyes on the front. "I kind of want to go search for Tina and Edgar..."
Hawke nodded in quiet agreement. "When I create an opening, take Team Three's new captain Leo with you and go rescue their former," she instructed formally but quickly. When he raised his eyebrow once more down at her she continued, almost as if knowing of his unspoken questions. "You have full permission to go search for Tina and Edgar." The Sniper spoke, drawing a listening and enthused grinning nod from the Dragon Rider.
"What about us?" Gorlin whispered over as he cracked his knuckles once more; an old habit. He stared over hungrily at the silent smirking Apheia and the thick-armoured General Haffed next to her.
"Focus as much might as you can on the other three," she ordered briefly as she turned her stare back on the tongue-faced Half-Moon. "I'd rather be alone when I fight this... thing."
"Got it!" Gorlin nodded in his assenting grin, slamming his fist into his left palm for effect.
"Finally!" Kay shot out in an enthused grin along with her captain, imitating his palm-punch with one of her own. "We get to flex our muscles again!" The passionate Cavalier grinned forward, drawing a listening laugh from the battle-hardened Nomad Trooper next to her.
"With Etherthien's 'Killer Instinct' leading the fray, none can lose!" Alaric called loudly from the front as he grinned alongside the growing atmosphere of the battle. He spun the axe he carried 'round his arm as he stared forward. "Even attempting to kill our commander will not shake our faith!" Etherthien's king proudly declared; his words, seemingly heard by the Allied forces behind the Sohanthian's, let loose a similarly prideful war cry. Their shout was heard all the way from the frontlines, visibly dropping the seemingly eternal smirk on the now frowning Apheia's face.
"Can't believe you're makin' me clean up after that idiot's mistakes...," the usually quiet Bernhard muttered from Gorlin's side as he cricked his neck, as if to prepare himself for an engagement with the enemy. "You guys are gonna owe me for this one..."
"Come now Bern!" Ulric called over uncharacteristically loudly and fondly, a comfortable grin on his face as he twirled the trusty silver lance he always carried. "That 'idiot' you refer to is the son of greatest soldier in the world!" The dismounted Paladin claimed with a grin, speaking comfortably with his old-time companion of the plains. "He has quite a name to live up to!"
Even in spite of his earlier growing panic and frustration, the listening Leo couldn't help but smile at the sight of his closer allies rallying their morale and forces for the greater good. The young Mercenary turned his battered face to grin over at the scrunched-eye shut face of his closest companion and nodded.
"Three years ago... you thought I was your only friend," he thought to himself in a growing, chuckling grin. "But now everyone's here to save you and this time out of their own hearts," he claimed to himself as he chuckled knowingly. "You're a better person 'n y'think Sel." The young man finished confidently in his mind as he turned his grin into a warm smile.
"So... you like to 'devour' and to 'consume'... do you?" Hawke spoke over calmly and quietly as she narrowed her eyes in a strong frown, glaring past the mask she wore. The open-mouthed smirking Half-Moon merely chuckled suggestively back at her, still in his low-stance position. His tongue hung out and licked his lips, as if to savour the meal to come. "Grub's up varmint."