Author's note: My apologies to the German readers. It seems I really bit off more than I could chew with some of the dialogue in this chapter. One of my readers has graciously offered his assistance in getting it right so there will be updates to this chapter with corrections. For now I've added new dialogue with translations given to me by TetrisLame.
Once again I'd like to give him a very big thank you for taking the time to help me improve things.
I'd also like to once again extend my deepest gratitude to all my readers. Especially those of you who write me messages or leave me reviews. As always I do actually respond to all of them and I thoroughly enjoy the conversations we have! =)
Chapter Twelve - Battle at the Lake
Louise and Kirche returned to their inn at sunset before the curfew came into effect. They had returned empty handed. All they had was a general idea of how many soldiers there were around the city enforcing these new rules and the rumor that Duke Brinvilliers still hadn't arrived in the city.
The two sat down at a small table with loud huffs, they'd been on their feet the whole day. Louise waved over a waitress and asked for water. Kirche spoke up to dismiss the idea of water and demanded ale. Louise looked at her incredulously and Kirche narrowed her eye to imply that Louise really didn't want to go there.
A few moments later Marlene came up to them and addressed Kirche in their native language.
"Guten Abend Fräulein von Zerbst. Wie geht es Ihnen?" said the waitress with a cheery tone.
"I'm holding up well enough Marlene, but it would be rude to keep our conversation in our own language when my friend here can't speak it." said Kirche politely.
"Oh. Forgive me. That was so rude of me. Good evening to you too my lady."
"Good evening." said Louise with a polite bow of her head as she eyed the young girl before her. They were all about the same age. Marlene had long brown hair and slightly darker skin like Kirche. They were probably both from the same part of Germania since the two had more or less the same accent when they spoke, and much to Louise's dismay, they both had the same overdeveloped chests, it was just that Marlene's was more proportional to her height compared to Kirche who was a head taller.
"Entschuldigen Sie, Fräulein von Zerbst, aber ich fand was Sie suchen." said Marlene discreetly to Kirche.
"Entschuldigung, ich kann Sie verstehen." stated Louise with irritation in her tone. Though her accent and pronunciation were utterly atrocious.
"Really Louise? Why are you only telling me this now?" said Kirche switching back to Gaulish, the common language of Tristain and Gallia.
"Because you just assumed I didn't and went on speaking it." answered Louise with indignation.
"Pardon me my lady. I didn't mean to offend you. I was merely trying to be discreet." said Marlene with deference.
"Moving along. You said you had what I was looking for?" asked Kirche.
"Yes. In my room. I'll bring it to your after I finish my work here and we can discuss it there. For now, is there anything I can bring for you?"
"Food please. Whatever you think is good tonight. We'll eat. A bottle of wine would also be excellent. Just tell the other girl to forget about my ale." said Kirche happily.
"Certainly my lady. Right away." she said with a chipper tone as she briskly walked off to take care of it.
"So… Louise. You speak Germanic. I am deeply impressed." said Kirche in her native language.
"Not very well. But I was tutored a little before I started at the academy." answered Louise the best she could.
"I don't expect you to speak like a Germanian. Just the fact that you speak it at all is impressive." said Kirche who was beaming a happy smile.
"Don't make a fuss over it Kirche. You speak our language. It's only fair I make an effort for you as well." said Louise.
Kirche laughed excitedly and Louise's expression turned sour. "No no Louise. Relax. I'm not laughing at you. I'm just laughing at the situation. You just earned yourself a lot of respect points from me. I really mean it. Yes your accent and pronunciation are horrible but just the fact that you speak it at all, and would speak it with me. It's touching. Thank you."
"Well, you almost sound like a native speaker when you speak my language. So, maybe you can help me practice my Germanic and get better?"
"I'd love to. Honestly." said a very happy Kirche.
Louise was certainly happy to see Kirche in such good spirits. She was starting to lose hope after their futile search. But Marlene coming through for her instantly brightened the redhead's mood. Though Louise honestly didn't expect Kirche would be so ecstatic over the fact that she could speak Germanic. Even though it stressed her brain and gave her a headache to remember all the words and force them out of her mouth it was worth the effort to see Kirche smiling so happily and being the passionate girl she knew her to be.
They were certainly finding odd things to bond over on their little trip. Meditation and now Language. But she was glad, and she allowed herself to relax for the first time since they arrived in the capital. Kirche was a friend now, she felt it. They were bonding together.
"Hrmmm…" Calista muttered before smiling behind her mask.
"What is it Cali?" asked Montmorency who rode beside her.
"I was just sensing Louise. She seems... happy." said Calista stoically.
"Is that not a good thing?" asked Montmorency.
"It is a good thing. Sorry. I'm just thinking about a lot of things right now."
"I know what you mean. This is Lagdorian Lake we're coming up to now. I grew up here. This whole place brings back memories. On the other side of the water there... that house… that was my family home. I used to play all around here as a little girl. Swim in the lake. Just up there, I cast my first spell… My father was so proud of me that day. But the water seems a bit higher up than I remember it being. Must be all the snow we had over the winter. It was particularly harsh." said Montmorency with a wistful smile.
"How long ago was it that your parents died?" asked Calista.
"Three years ago." answered Montmorency without a hint of emotion.
"You've been alone all that time?"
"Not exactly. I stayed with my aunt for a while before I went out on my own. I got my start in La Rochelle, it's a port city not far from the academy. I worked for some people… you know... mixing things. I was good even back then. I'm better now, but even back then, I managed to make enough to pay for my first year at the academy. I got in based on my Apothecary skills and my healing magic so I got a partial grant to help cover the costs and had a little extra to start my business. That's how I funded my second year."
"Amazing. I still don't understand the economics of this world. But I'd guess that school isn't cheap."
"No. It isn't. It's been a lot of hard work. What I made in school wasn't nearly enough. I had to work in Moissac as well during vacations and some weekends. Someday, I want to buy that house back from whomever owns it now. I can't stand the idea of strangers walking all over my childhood memories."
"I know that feeling too well. A few years ago I returned to my mother's homeworld, Eshan. I found our old house and stayed in it for a while. I started fixing it up with my own two hands so I could live in it and have a home to come back to whenever I could. Then some people bought it from the Government and wanted to live in it. 'Over my dead body' I told them."
"So what did you do? You obviously didn't stay there."
"I tried to negotiate with them to let me have it. I petitioned the Government for help since I was the rightful inheritor of my mother's property. But they refused me because I wasn't a citizen, I wasn't fully Echani. So I had no right of inheritance. So I took as much as I could carry... mostly teaching manuals my mother kept for her work as an instructor and a small toy I adored as a child… and then I destroyed the house. If I couldn't live there, nobody would."
"What was the toy? If you don't mind me asking."
"It was a Nexu cub. A... little plush toy. I'm not sure if you have anything similar."
"We do. I still have mine from my childhood. A bear. It's a big animal with lots of fur. Big claws. Omnivorous. Wild ones are dangerous but kids love toy bears."
"A Nexu is a predatory animal with fur over most of its body except the tail. Their mouth is as wide as their head and it looks like they're always smiling with a row of very sharp teeth. It has a long fleshy tail with two tips and four eyes. They walk on four legs and each paw as three large claws with the center claw being very large and very sharp. They're one of the most dangerous of all known predators."
"That sounds… scary."
"My mother always compared me to a Nexu. The way I moved, the way I fought. Since they're my favorite animal I suppose I try to emulate them. They move with grace, dignity... and attack with ferocity. To me, they're the most beautiful things. I love them very much. Interestingly, their cubs are born pure white. So that's probably why I related to that particular toy."
"Because of your hair?"
"Mhmm. White is my favorite color. Contrary to what my clothing might suggest."
"Someday. When I get that house back. I'd like to invite you to come live with me. If you'd like to."
Calista smiled behind her mask very brightly and she was grateful that the mask hid it. She took a very long moment to consider that invitation.
"Unless circumstances change. Like for example, you end up married by that time. Consider it accepted." said Calista while offering out her gloved hand to Montmorency which was accepted by the young mage and the two shook on it.
Guiche was walking not far behind and watched the two on their horses as they conversed. Montmorency looked so happy. Happier than he'd ever been able to make her feel.
"I know that look on your face son. I've seen it in the mirror enough times when I was courting your mother. That's envy." said the General as he looked down to his shorter son.
"I have no right to feel this way father. I've been a fool and pushed her away. She did a lot for me and I haven't even tried to repay it yet."
"You're still young my boy. There's time for these things. Be patient, but be persistent. Let her know you're still here and that you want to work at it. Or else you will lose her."
"You and her father were close weren't you? What was he like?"
"Pah! We weren't just close Guiche. That man was my brother. I loved that man. We got in and out of so much trouble together that I couldn't even begin to tell you about it. And honestly, between us... Your mother would make me sleep in the stables if I told you even a watered down fraction of those stories." said the General with a boisterous laugh.
In the distance one of the scouts was coming in on horseback as fast as the beast could move. Once he was near the general be brought his mount to a stop and jumped off to walk beside the General pulling the Horse behind him.
"General. Enemy forces are massing ahead of us on the other side of the estate. They've cut off our path to Avignon. My estimate is ten thousand troops. Composed of one regiment of Mage Knights, two regiments of cavalry, and seven regiments of archers and heavy infantry." the scout reported calmly and professionally.
"Thank you soldier. Please return to your post and advise us of their formations, pass the word to the other scouts to begin searching for a path around them." ordered the General.
"Very good sir." he said with a salute before jumping back on his horse to carry out his orders.
"Lieutenant, pass the word down to form ranks once we clear the lake. We'll take up position by the house to protect our right flank. We'll have the treeline to our right and only a narrow pass ahead for them to attack us from. If I'm right they won't try to engage us while we have the terrain, they'll seek to draw us out past the forest for the engagement."
"As you say General." answered the Lieutenant as he stepped out of the marching ranks to carry out his instructions.
"Beg your pardon father. But, why wouldn't they come at us here?"
"Tactics. Because they know who we are, and they know the majority of my Mage Knights are earth mages. That narrow pass would be suicide for them. Their magi would never be able to counter our spells before the damage was done. Not to mention with the lake behind us, your girlfriend, the Princess and the other water mages are nearly invincible. If we're going to have a battle, it will be on our terms, not theirs. Only ever fight where you have the advantage. The question now is, since they know we'll hold up here where we have the tactical advantage, how will they respond? That's what we're going to wait for our scouts to tell us."
"What do you think they will do?"
"I'd rather not speculate just now. We need to wait for them to make a move before we can start guessing what their plans could be. For the moment, we're in a tactically sound position and that is what's most important. There's one other thing which concerns me though, and that's why I'm even more content to sit here and wait."
"What's that father?" asked Guiche?
"Only ten thousand to our six. Brinvilliers alone has a force of fifteen thousand. I'm wondering where the rest are. I want my scouts to search the area thoroughly before we make any moves."
"You suspect a trap General?" asked Calista who by now had slowed down enough that she was walking her horse beside the General and Guiche with Montmorency beside her.
"Indeed I do my Lady. I believe it is prudent to take precautions against all possible contingencies nobody ever died from an abundance of caution."
"There's a case to be made for being unpredictable and doing what they least expect. But I confess I'm not familiar with how you wage war here. I don't know the capabilities of these Mage Knights or the defenses you have against them. So I'm afraid I'm somewhat limited in my capacity to advise except to say that my instincts tell me you are correct in assuming they have a trap laid out for us."
"Indeed my Lady." said the General before he raised his voice to be heard by the men and women directly behind him in the ranks. "Mage Knights will break formation and proceed ahead to the estate! You know what to do! All others will halt and wait!"
"Yes General!" the Mage Knights yelled as they broke from their marching formation and started running ahead, each had a student in tow.
"What are they doing?" asked Calista as she observed the activity.
"They're going on ahead to check for magical traps. If they find any they'll start working to dispel them." answered Guiche.
"Correct son. Very good. Brinvilliers is known for these sorts of underhanded tactics. He's never been one to conduct himself as a Gentleman in war."
"It's also very uncouth of him to choose to start a battle so close to the home a proud noble family. This must be very hard for you Montmorency… the possibility of your home being turned into a battlefield." said Guiche with a soft and cautious tone.
"Life is hard. It doesn't care if we're happy or sad about anything. It just does whatever it wants. All we can do is suck it up and do whatever we have to." said Montmorency as she turned her horse and moved to put a little distance between her and Guiche.
Guiche realized he'd hit a nerve, it was made even more clear when his own father smacked him upside the head and gave him a menacing glare.
"A gentlemen... never... prys into things which do not concern him. Learn that lesson well Guiche. I won't always be around to remind you. Now stay by my side and mind my example. One day all of this could be your's and I'll be damned before I let you screw it up like you just did with her."
"My Duke. Five of our scouts haven't reported back yet. Mage Knights report that our magical traps are being dispelled." reported a young officer with a salute.
"As expected. Gramont's troops are quite competent. His scouts especially. I've no doubt that before long everyone we've sent out will be dead except for a lucky few." answered the Duke from atop his Horse as he gazed out at the treeline before him. Even though he couldn't see them in the dense vegetation, he knew Gramont's men were in there watching.
"So.. it's come an impasse. They won't come out to meet us here, and we won't go in there to face them." observed the Duke before turning to one of his officers. "Have the troops form ranks and prepare for battle. They have no way to advance from here and his scouts will tell him that soon."
"My Lord. Won't they just follow the lake to the river and avoid us?" asked one of the officers.
"No. They won't. The rest of our forces have seen to that. This is their only way forward. I'd give it three hours before they become fully aware of their situation. Then we'll ride out to parlay."
"As you say my Lord."
General Gramont turned to Montmorency and gave her a polite bow. "My Lady. May I ask your permission for us to enter your home and use it as our command center?"
Montmorency blinked at him. "It isn't my home anymore General. I don't even know who owns it now."
"Whomever owns it now does not concern me my Lady. I owe my life to your family many times over. As far as I'm concerned this is House Montmorency. I will not enter it without your permission as its rightful heiress."
Montmorency looked down at the ground before giving a slow nod. "You have my permission general." she said with a low and anguished voice. Guiche saw the pained expression on her and wanted to go and comfort her but his father's words still rang in his head and he was too unsure of himself to even try. But he still made an effort. He started walking up to her but she shook her head and walked over to the house ignoring him.
Guiche's three friends, Reynald, Gimli and Malicorne gave him sympathetic looks before they rejoined the Mage Knights as the order was given to check the house for magical traps. The students observing carefully as they worked for it was a duty they too would someday have to perform. Those students who were able helped with the search until the all clear was given.
The house itself was not large and grandiose as one would expect a noble family to live in. It was downright humble by the standards Calista expected of the immense wealth of the local nobility. It looked just big enough for a family of three to live comfortably with whatever guests they would have over at any given time and whatever few servants they would need to maintain the home and property. Calista had to wonder how a family who didn't seem to squander money frivolously could end up so far in debt that they would lose everything. Then she considered everything leading up to this moment and realized that since there was no such thing as coincidence... There had to be foul play at work which lead her friend to her current situation.
Once inside the Mage Knights continued to check the house for abnormalities while the Musketeers took up guard positions around the entrance and perimeter before the Princess entered. The General and his staff started removing the white sheets covering the furniture in the dining hall so they could set up their maps and begin to assess their situation with the reports that would soon be coming in from the scouts.
"Everyone is to treat this house with the utmost respect! Anyone caught fooling around will be most severely disciplined! Do your work and then get out!" yelled the General. He knew he didn't need to remind his men, they always conducted themselves properly for as long as he's served with them. The order was given more for the sake of the young girl who was looking around her childhood home with pain evident upon her face.
Calista pulled back her hood and removed her mask as she stood behind her friend. She didn't want to interfere with her now, nor would she allow anyone else to, especially not the General's son who was looking at Montmorency with concern, one glare for Calista warned him off from even thinking of going up to her right now.
Calista had been in Montmorency's shoes before. She knew exactly what she was feeling at this moment. It would be a cold day in hell before she would allow anyone to take this moment from her.
Once the Mage Knights and students concluded their search for magical traps and found nothing they quickly vacated the premises. The Mage Knights walked out in a dignified manner which the students did their best to emulate because not one of them dared to meet Montmorency's eyes right now, nobody needed to be told that was a bad idea and that she was in pain from just being here now.
Once she gathered her nerve Montmorency began walking around the house and started looking around. She opened a door at the end of a short hall and went inside. Everything was exactly as she remembered it. Calista followed her in after a long moment and looked around curiously.
"In this room. I learned everything I know. This was my fathers study, library, and laboratory. The first thing I ever mixed was a small healing potion. I wanted to make it myself because my mother had cut her finger while chopping vegetables in the kitchen. My father always encouraged me in here. Always took me through whatever he was working on, always gave me books to read and learn from…" she said wistfully as she turned to walk out and headed for the stairs to go up.
She knew exactly where she wanted to go next, her old room. The door was already open and the room had been checked for traps. She walked in and something overcame her, the urge was irresistible as she ripped the dust covers off her bed and jumped to lay down on it.
Calista stood at the door for a moment and watched her before she closed the door and walked away to give her space and privacy. Montmorency didn't say anything, but she was silently grateful for Calista following her and keeping that small distance between them. She felt deeply respected by it. Her friend was letting her have her moment without imposing herself but still wanted to be there incase she needed her. Guiche would never do that... he'd stick his nose in it like he did with everything else and be dramatic like he did earlier and that was one of the things which pissed her off most about him.
As tears streamed down her friends face Calista shook her head and walked back down the stairs. She didn't need the Force to sense the girl wanted to be alone right now to have her moment of weakness. Calista knew only too well what it meant to have to be strong because your only choices were to be strong or perish. It was the common bond between them. It was a common thread she also shared with Matilda and Agnes. Though she had no idea what her story was Agnes exhibited all the characteristics. But for some reason, she felt closer to Montmorency than she did to the others and she wasn't sure what it was exactly…
She just saw so much of herself in that girl. When they first met she reminded her of that slave boy she loved and that was why she wanted to help her out. But after she got to know her Calista found so many things in common with her. No they didn't exactly share similar experiences or even similar backgrounds. Montmorency had one thing Calista respected more than anything else; strength of character. The unbreakable will to define her own existence rather than let the world dictate the terms on which she was to live her life. It was something Calista strived for everyday of her own life.
As she entered the dining room Calista found the General placing pins on the map to represent the enemy forces based on the reports from a scout beside him pointing various things out on the map.
"The enemy forces have taken up battle formations all around the exit of the forest. The vegetation is too dense to pass through so that leaves only the narrow clearing. It's just wide enough for half a regiment to form a phalanx and their mage knights are already laying out traps across the field." reported the scout.
"They know we won't come out to them, and we know they won't come in to us." said the General as he carefully considered the map.
"I'm also pleased to report that we've eliminated twenty seven enemy scouts in the forrest."
"Very good. But what draws my curiosity is why they're digging in when they know we can still turn south and cross the bridge over the river here. I want to wait for our scouts to return from there. I have a suspicion they might find the enemy troops we haven't accounted for. If that is the case, then they're holding the bridge and they'll probably destroy it if we try to take it."
"Can't Earth Mages just raise a new bridge? Or is that beyond their power?" asked Calista.
"Sure we can. But if the enemy mages on the other side simply dispel the bridge as we raise it, it'll be pointless. As long as they're on that side, and we're on this side, we have no where to go. Brinvilliers will just attack us from behind." stated Matilda.
"Very astute my lady. That's exactly the situation. Our only choice is to hold up here and wait for Duke Valliere's army." stated the General.
"If they wanted to force an engagement before we could get reinforcements. How would they do it General?" asked Calista.
"I don't honestly see how they could. Unless they want to come in here and fight us where we have the advantage, this is a stalemate. Surely he must see that?" said the General while holding his chin in thought.
"Perhaps he doesn't know that we've sent word ahead of us to House Valliere?" added the Princess.
"Assuming he does, his only course is to force the engagement. Assuming he doesn't. He could be trying to starve us out. We have provisions for one week which we could ration out to two. He has the supply lines, we don't." said the General sounding unconvinced. "No. He knows we can't wait that long..."
"What are you thinking General?" asked Henrietta.
"I'm looking at all the possibilities. If he brings his troops from the river to meet us here and attacks us from two fronts, we still have the devastating advantage of Water Mages and the Lake. We could win, and he knows that. So why would he trap us here? It doesn't make sense."
"Extwo. Run a scan for us. Report any anomalous readings in the area." ordered Calista.
Extwo raised a small scanner from the top of its head and started beeping in acknowledgement.
"What's it doing?" asked the General.
"He's checking the area for anomalies. That means anything out of the ordinary for a given area. Once he scans he can interpret what should what should not be here based on probabilities and statistical analysis. It's complicated..." explained Calista.
"Scan = Complete / Anomalies found = Two / Water Density = Abnormal / Ambient Humidity = Abnormally Low / Analysis = Inconclusive."
The Princess looked at the pad she was given. "Extwo what does the water density being low mean?"
"Density = Mass divided by Volume / Water Density = Increasing / Cause = Unknown / Analysis = Inconclusive"
"That went right over my head. Lord Zarkot, does that mean anything to you?" asked the Princess.
"It means the water of the lake is behaving as if there's a lot more water coming into it but there's no detectable source for additional water. So it shouldn't be possible. An explanation for how something can come from nothing, that I leave to you as the water mage. But I think I just detected my own anomaly and I'm not sure why I didn't detect it earlier..." said Calista as she walked over to the Princess.
"What do you mean?" asked Henrietta.
"May I see that pad your Highness?" asked Calista while holding out her hand. The Princess then placed the pad in her hand and looked at her curiously.
Calista glanced at the pad for a moment and then handed it back to Henrietta.
"What was that about?" asked the Princess.
Calista rubbed her brow and then stopped using the Force to make herself understood by everyone. "Where did you learn to speak Galactic Basic and read Aurebesh?"
"Ahhh, you realized." answered the Princess in Basic. Curious eyebrows went up across the room at their sudden change of language.
"I should have realized it the moment I saw you reading that pad last night. But I was distracted."
"My Father's Familiar taught me. He thought it would be wise to teach us to speak in a language no one else but us could understand."
"He was Thyrsian. Wasn't he? That's where you learned that tactic you used at the Academy."
"He was. And yes."
"You're just full of surprises your Highness." said Calista while giving her a polite a bow of her head.
"Right now, he's cooking his own brain to try and figure out why we would put him in this position. Now what I can't decide is if I should let him sweat it a bit longer or make my next move…"
"I'm still not sure what your plan is here but I think now is the right time to open the dialogue your excellency. They know they can't move forward, and turning back isn't an option for them." stated the white knight.
"Yes. I think you're right. Now is the time. Bring out the white flag, and let's go meet them." said the Duke with a vague tone while rubbing the gem of his ring.
"In all warfare, there's only one reason you would halt your enemies and force them to dig in somewhere they feel safe and secure…" stated Calista.
"He has a trap set for us that we haven't seen yet. Something is giving him this confidence. But what could it be?" asked the General as he continued playing out scenarios in his mind.
"Cali, don't your 'senses' tell you anything useful about all this?" asked Matilda.
"I've sensed a trap from the moment we arrived here. I've also felt a powerful presence in the area, an unquenchable rage. But something else is obscuring my vision." said Calista as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to focus. "The future is something that's always in motion. Always changing. There are too many variables and too much-… wait."
All eyes were suddenly on Calista. "They're coming. Brinvilliers and whomever is clouding my vision." said Callista while everyone's hands nervously drifted to their swords.
At that moment a scout burst into the room and made his report loudly. "General Gramont! Duke Brinvilliers and two others have ridden out into the pass and are holding in the middle under a white flag. One of his party is a man in white and wears the emblem of the Romalian Knights!"
"Then I shall have to ride out and meet him then." said the Princess as she stood up.
"NO!" was the resounding answer she got from everyone in the room. X2-C3 gave a loud whine in protest as well.
"Your Highness, you must stay here. If they capture you, it's all over." stated the General.
"I agree with the General your Highness. You must not go out there." added Calista to which Agnes gave a very firm nod.
"How would it look if I don't go out there to parlay on behalf of my own army?" asked the Princess.
"Nobody gives a damn how it'll look. If you get captured then all this is meaningless! You're staying right here!" said Agnes sternly.
"But I can't just ignore my responsibility!"
"Your Highness, heads of state have greater responsibilities than talking with traitors. Appoint an emissary to speak for you." said Matilda in a steely tone which drew nods of agreement from the room.
"Very well. Matilda. I nominate you to speak for me. Calista, and General Gramont will accompany you."
"What? Why me?" asked a stunned Matilda.
"First. It was your idea. Second. You're the most capable." stated the Princess.
"That'll teach me to open my big mouth…" said Matilda with a groan. "So what do you want me to tell him?" she asked after locking eyes with the Princess.
"I'm sure you have a very amused smirk on your face under that mask Calista…" said Matilda as the three walked their horses over to where the Duke and his escorts awaited them.
"Can you blame me? You have to admit that little Princess has a durasteel rod for a spine." said Calista with a very amused tone through her modulated voice.
"So you actually agree with this plan of her's?" asked Matilda.
"Oh yes. Very much so. I can't wait to see the look on this Duke's face when he hears her message." said Calista with a chuckle.
"Pardon me ladies. But perhaps now is the time to wear your game faces?" said General Gramont who then looked at Calista and made a quick addendum "...so to speak."
"You only live once General. Moments like these are the ones that make it all worth it." said Calista.
"You two are going to be the death of me…" he answered.
Once they were at a short distance from one another Matilda rode forward slightly and bowed her head respectfully.
"I was expecting the Princess to come out and meet me. Is her Highness too good to speak on behalf of her army?" stated the Duke with indignation.
"Indeed she isn't your excellency. She's simply surrounded by advisors who know better than to allow her to place herself in harms way before your august personage." stated Matilda with a hint of sarcasm.
"So who are you then?" asked the Duke.
"I am Matilda de Saxe-Gotha. I have been appointed by her Royal Highness the Princess of Tristain to speak on her behalf."
"I've heard of you Matilda the Adamant. Now twice a traitor. So what does your Princess have to say?"
"Since you've been so respectful your excellency. I shall respond in kind." said Matilda with a cheery smile.
"Her Highness decrees that you are to surrender your sword to me and disband your army. Following that your lands and assets will be seized and used as reparations for any damage your illegal uprising may have caused to this nation. The same goes for anyone who supported your rebellion."
"I suppose after that I'll be put to death?" scoffed Brinvilliers.
"Her Highness the most merciful has also decreed that instead of the prescribed punishment for treason... death by drawing and quartering... you and your allies will be exiled to a country of your choosing. This offer only stands if you give me your sword now. If you refuse this offer, she will hunt you down no matter where you hide and personally tear your heart out of your chest for threatening the life of her mother the Queen. And before you deny it, we have a signed confession from Lord Osmond and his Officers detailing your plans to usurp the throne."
"And where is Lord Osmond? I'm sure we'd all like to hear the details of these accusations from him." stated the Duke.
"I am afraid the old man did not survive the Princess' grief over the proposed execution of her mother." stated a very smug Calista.
"And I suppose you were the one to carry out the execution?" stated the white knight beside the Duke to the woman in black.
"Indeed. The old man made a very big mistake by upsetting her. The Duke ordered him to seize the Academy and take the students hostage to force their families to side with him. The foreign students were to be ransomed for additional funds to pay his armies. Prior to that we discovered the Headmaster was working with an ally of the Duke's, one Count Mott, to traffic slaves around the country and into others as another means of funding this rebellion. One victim of this which lead us to uncovering the operation was a friend of ours. Princess Henrietta can be quite short tempered when the lives of those she's sworn to protect are threatened. It is really quite inspiring." explained an almost gleeful Calista.
"There is no proof of any of this. Now hear my terms!" stated the Duke with growing anger.
"The Princess is to surrender to me now and come to the Capital to face a court of the people where she will answer for her crimes. Including the murder of Lord Osmond and the soldiers I sent to ensure he was returned to his rightful post as the Headmaster of Tristain's prestigious Academy of Magic, of which I am an alumni. I refused to allow his life's work be taken from him because of the whims of a spoiled Princess. The same goes for this nation. Because she stubbornly refuses to acknowledge the new Government of Albion our nation is threatened by Germania and Gallia. I refuse to allow our nation to be swallowed up, and its people subjugated to outsiders."
"Are you quite finished your excellency?" asked Matilda calmly.
"I haven't even begun!" he yelled.
"Then if I may… this situation is clearly more complex than I've been lead to believe. I think the next step in avoiding violence will be to gather the concerned parties and lay out a framework for proper nego-" started the white knight before he was cut off by Calista.
"Negotiations… pfft… you're such a Jedi." stated Calista with indignation. "Negotiations are something you can only have between two willing parties. The Duke has no intention of negotiating. I can see through him as if he were made of glass! Even with you clouding my vision!"
"And I can see through you as well Sith. I see you protecting something there. Something you don't want me to see. What are you hiding I wonder?"
"That's none of your concern! Keep your mind on there here and now where it belongs! Surely even a Jedi isn't thick headed enough to believe this man has any good intentions for my allies here!"
"And I find it hard to believe that the allies of a Sith could have any good intentions at all!"
"Are you being intentionally obtuse?!" demanded Calista with indignant fury. It was also worth noting that it was the first time Matilda ever saw Calista speak with her hands.
"Very mature you two… could we get back to the important matters?" demanded Matilda.
"Quite right. Now the Duke is offering to begin negotiations to find a diplomatic solution to this conflict. Is your Princess willing to join him at the negotiating table?" asked the white knight.
"If you're asking her to negotiate her own surrender to this pig of a man, I'm afraid that is impossible. The Princess intends to retake her nation and restore the rule of law. If I return without his surrender, or at the very least, his willingness to negotiate terms of his surrender, I'm afraid violence will be the only possible outcome. Her Highness is quite… adamant… about protecting her family and her people. I'm afraid there's just no room for compromise on this." said Matilda with a tone of professionalism.
"Love for one's family or nation is something a Jedi could never understand. They don't have families, or any attachments at all." added Calista.
"And what would a Sith know? They kill their families because they make them weak." said the white knight.
"Only a Jedi could argue from a false assumption and believe what he's saying. He's already made up his mind about us. This is pointless." said Calista with a resigned tone.
"And only a Sith would condone a course of action that leads to conflict."
"Peace is a lie. Be assured that only over my dead body will you be able to harm my friends!"
"Then I'll be looking for you on the battlefield."
"Aggression is the path to the Dark Side…" said Calista with a dry tone.
As the two groups split the Jedi signed to himself. "I cannot help but wonder how much truth was in their accusations."
"It's called politics. Anything can be spun to tell any tale you want if you present it in an appealing enough manner. Surely you know this."
"In my experience truth often lies scattered in the words of many. Thus we must be deaf to passion and open to evidence."
Matilda started a sigh which turned into a loud groan. "Calista… pardon my language but you really fucked us over there!"
"Don't blame me. That wasn't my fault and you know it."
"Yes it was! You just had to get into it with that White Knight…"
"She's right my Lady. You were very immature. Something I'd expect of children not a woman of war like yourself." added the General.
"Oh come on. You both saw him! You both heard him! And you both know as well as I do that the Duke has no intention of coming to terms with us. He wants this battle. I just-"
"You just gave him the excuse he was looking for. I'd wager that White Knight was the reason he hasn't sprung whatever trap he's set for us yet. But now you've given them exactly what they wanted."
"Oh please. Spare me. Wasn't that exactly what we came out here for? We knew from the start the Duke wasn't going to surrender."
"Yes, but we could have bought some time to discern his intentions." explained the General.
"He wasn't going to give us anything and you know it General. Let's just focus on finding his trap and evading it."
Matilda stopped her horse and held out her hand to everyone to make them stop and then pointed forward. "I think I've just figured out what his trap was. And why he wanted the princess to come out and meet him so badly."
"Yes… my apologies Lady Calista. It seems I may have misread what just happened."
"Instead of apologizing to me. Let's go help them do something about it!"
"Like what?" asked Matilda.
"I don't know… build a boat?" asked Calista
"Very funny. Come on!" yelled the general as she made his horse gallop towards the lake which was even now bursting its banks and threatening to flood the area.
"Are you sure about this my Lord? We might be meddling in things we have no business meddling in." asked an Officer.
"Fortune favors the bold. All troops will advance and commence the attack." ordered the Duke.
"Aye my Lord." he saluted before going to pass the order.
"Matilda! They're coming to attack us now in full force. I have to go out there and meet the Jedi in battle. I can not allow him to use his power against the rest of you." stated Calista with firm resolve.
"You watch yourself Cali! Death is no excuse for not keeping your promise to me!" said Matilda.
Calista took something out of a pocket in her robe and tossed it to Matilda. "Give that to the Princess. It'll transfer ownership of Extwo to her. Tell her to take good care of him if I don't make it. And thank you Matilda de Saxe-Gotha… I've never known what it was like to have a sister before I met you."
"No Cali! Don't say things like that be-" Matilda sighed and shook her head, Calista had vanished from ontop of her horse. "Come on General. Gather your troops. We have to fight now."
"Certainly!" he answered as the two galloped back down to the lake.
As the Dukes forces marched forward out of the narrow pass the white knight who was at the vanguard quickened his pace and broke ranks.
"What are you doing? Get back in formation!" demanded one of the officers.
"You do what you have to do. This is my fight here." he said as he walked out and untied his cloak to allow it to fall behind him as he moved. He then pulled his Lightsaber from his belt and ignited the blade. The sound combined with the fact that this man was wielding a sword made of blue light shocked the troops as they glanced at him. Nobody was sure what he was waiting for until they saw Calista deactivate her stealth generator and appear a few meters ahead of the man where she drew an even larger Lightsaber hilt from her belt and ignited one end of the weapon to produce a blade of red light while assuming the opening stance of Form Seven. The white knight in turn assumed his preferred opening stance of Form Three.
Behind the White Knight was Duke Brinvillier's army forming ranks with the heavy infantry in front and archers behind with the Mage Knights. Behind the short woman in black were the Princess' forces forming ranks with the musketeers up front with their rifles at the ready, Heavy infantry behind, and then the mage knights in the third rank. Matilda came out in front with the General and began conjuring her seven adamantium knights and then transmuted her wand into a main gauche to wield with her rapier.
"This is your last chance Sith. Please surrender."
Calista's only answer was to bend her knees and leap out towards the Jedi to initiate combat. Matilda watched as Calista attacked with fury and passion they way she did when they fought the second time. But this was different because Calista was taking this seriously. She wasn't looking to test herself here. She was fighting with everything she had for something more than herself.
The other; the one Calista called a Jedi, was using one of the Forms Calista showed her, the Third Form, what she described as absolute defense but there were elements of bladework from two other Forms. Some were of the First that Calista was teaching Louise. But others were of a Form she hadn't seen yet when the Jedi reversed his grip on the Lightsaber to counter her attacks. This was a contest between an unstoppable force and an immovable object. Pure offense versus pure defense.
Calista knocked his saber away and then brought her blade arm back and her offhand out to use the Force to push him back. Once he'd righted himself she unleashed Lightning upon him but he brought his offhand out and the sparks were absorbed into his hand before returning to their source where Calista opened her palm out to the returning energy and deflected it into the air while the Jedi leapt back at her and the two began exchanging blows back and forth once again.
The speed of the fight was mind boggling to everyone watching. Even wind mages couldn't enhance themselves to this level without tearing their own flesh off.
"So this was the trap he laid out for us but how?" asked the Princess as she tried to use her magic on the water of the lake to drive it back and away from where her soldiers were forming up for battle but it was futile. There was a power emanating from the lake that was blocking her attempts to manipulate it. The water just kept rising and in minutes the troops would have to begin their advance to try and push out to higher ground.
Two Mage Knights tried to aid the Princess in her efforts but they shook their heads as well concurring that it was completely futile.
"Then we have no choice but to fight our way out. Before we end up swimming here." said the Princess as she looked over to General Gramont where he sat upon his horse and observed the enemy formations.
"Mage Knights will concentrate on counterspells! Keep your eyes open for their attacks! Musketeers take aim and fire on my command. Once the first volley is off draw swords and wait for my command!" shouted the General.
He took a moment to go over his battle plan one more time before he gave the order without further hesitation.
"FIRE!"
The Musketeers fired their shots into the first row of infantry. Forty eight shots and forty eight kills. It was a good start he thought to himself as the Musketeers stood up and drew their long swords.
"CHARGE!" ordered General Gramont at the top of his lungs.
Earth Mages supplemented the infantry with their golems before focusing on providing counter spells to protect the infantry from the relentless attacks of wind and fire mages. They would return spells every chance they had. Each side's mages tried to catch the other side when they weren't looking or too busy to counter but both sides were experienced and almost nothing got through either group. Archers fired volleys into the Royalist forces by the Wind Mages in the ranks easily blew them away. The lead archer shook his head at one of the Duke's officers who in turn sighed. Archery in war was simply pointless when Wind Mages were on the field. They didn't have the funds to replace the bows with rifles yet. Only the royal family could afford firearms.
"CHARGE!" yelled the Duke to his men and then all sound in the world was drowned out by the collective war cries of both sides as they rushed into the fray.
"Someday even magic will give way to technology. For now keep the archers in reserve and look for an opportunity to use them." ordered the Duke.
The space was tight and the water levels were rising. The Duke held up his hand with a glowing ring upon it and the water levels began to rise at an even more drastic pace forcing the mage knights in the back to start moving forward and stopped their counterspells long enough for a few wind mages to get off lucky wind tunnels into the royalist infantry. Dozens were sliced by the sharp winds before the magic could be dispelled.
The battles lines had one interesting feature as they took form. Nobody on either had the the courage to go with in twenty meters of the Black Warrior and the White Knight as they dueled.
Back in the Capital City of Lutèce; Louise, Kirche, and Marlene were all in their room. Kirche was laying on her bed and enjoying the feeling of being without pain for the first time in a long while with her new friend sitting by her bed and telling a random story in Germanic that Louise was trying to follow but struggled with a lot of the idioms, slang and cultural references that she couldn't comprehend.
Suddenly Louise felt something overcome her, there was a tremendous pressure in her chest and it was difficult to breath, she fell off the chair to the floor where she landed on her hands and knees and started choking on tears as they streamed down her face.
"Louise?" asked Kirche with a seemingly unconcerned tone.
"Fräulein Valliere!" exclaimed Marlene as she rushed to help Louise up and sat her down on the bed.
Kirche was too high to react but she wasn't completely apathetic, she turned her head to Louise and looked at the small girl with a sympathetic eye. "Another one of those disturbances?" asked Kirche.
"A big one… there's a battle going on. I can feel all their fear, I can feel their deaths... Calista is fighting for her life. The others all too… and Calista… she's fighting a man who's just like her. I can feel him through her, they're fighting each other through the Force. I can feel him looking for me as well but I can also feel Calista fighting to protect me from him. Oh God… Kirche if she dies… I'm going to die too!"
"No your not Louise. Calm down. I won't let that bastard touch you if it comes to that."
"You don't understand. Because of the Familiar contact… Cali and I have… something she called a Force Bond. She's protecting me from the effects but whatever happens to one of us will happen to the other. If she dies… then I'll die too. I have to go to her! I have to help her fight or I'm dead too!"
Kirche groaned slightly from where she was laying. "You're not going to die. Just calm down."
Kirche got up from the bed and went over to the table where her elixir was and picked up the bottle. Then she went and sat down beside Louise and opened the bottle.
"I'm scared… I'm going to die..." whimpered Louise.
"Take a small sip of this. Believe me it'll calm you down." said Kirche while offering Louise the bottle.
At first, Louise was shocked at how apathetic Kirche seemed to be. Then she thought about her offer... if she was going to die now what harm could possibly come from it? Kirche was right, there was nothing she could do. If she left now she'd never make it in time. She took the bottle in her hand and looked at Kirche. "How much should I drink?"
"Just a teaspoon's worth is all it should take." she said calmly with a serene smile.
Louise gently accepted the bottle and took a very small amount of it into her mouth and swallowed it. It was unlike anything she'd ever tasted before, with a vague hint of almond behind other things she couldn't identify.
Kirche took the bottle back and gave it to Marlene with a gesture that implied she was free to take some if she wanted.
"No, I shouldn't I might be called to work later. I don't want some of the men getting upset that I'm unavailable." she tried to protest but Kirche just made the gesture again.
"I'll pay for your time so your ladyman boss doesn't ask questions. Just take some and enjoy yourself a little." said Kirche as Marlene took the bottle and shrugged before sipping from it. She then replaced the cork and stuffed it into Kirche's bag where it would be safe while the three of them were high.
Kirche lay herself down and pulled Louise down with her to rest her head against her bosoms. "Now Louise, just relax, and wait for it. Believe me, soon you'll be laying on a cloud without a care in the world."
"Thank you Kirche. If I die today… just, thank you for being my friend, and I'm so sorry for everything."
"Stop talking like that Louise. You're going to be fine. Just relax and enjoy being alive."
"You're right. I think this is starting to work now…" said Louise as she felt the elixir's effects relax her.
"Good. So this thing between you and Cali. Everything one of you feels the other will too?" asked Kirche.
"That's what she told me. To prove it she slapped herself and I felt the sting as if she'd slapped me." answered Louise with a blissful tone.
"If that really works. You two should have tried having sex. I bet that would have been legendary. Feeling each other's sensations… I want to experience that. Such a waste that you didn't." said Kirche with a bright smile as she imagined it.
"Even this stuff can't get your mind out of the gutter Kirche?" asked Louise.
"When you live every moment of your life in the kind of pain which on good days is just unbearable… Pleasure becomes more and more difficult to experience. You take what you can get while you can get it." answered Kirche with a cheery and sultry tone.
"I guess that makes sense." said Louise who nodded as she thought about it.
"It makes perfect sense. Life is for living. No matter what your circumstances. You have to enjoy it or stop wasting your time and just die." added Marlene who curled herself up with Louise and Kirche.
"That's also true…" said Louise.
Across the room Derflinger popped out of his scabbard. "Hey Louise. Remember how I told ya it was natural to fuck up? This is what I was talkin' 'bout."
"Oh be quiet and don't ruin her first high!" groaned Kirche.
Montmorency ran out of the house with a knife in her hand and waded into the water with a look of grim resolve on her face.
"Montmorency?! What are you doing?!" asked Henrietta as she ran through the water towards the blonde girl.
"Katie isn't the only one who knows an Elemental!" she said as she cut her palm open and let the blood drip into the water.
"What are you doing? And what are you talking about?"
"The water spirit has been angered. My father had a contract with her which I never understood but because he's my father she should recognize me. By bleeding into the lake she'll sense and summon me to her. Just keep fighting and I'll take care of this water problem! Trust me!"
After she finished speaking Montmorency was suddenly enveloped in water and rapidly pulled into the lake to Henrietta's horror. But she shook it off, Montmorency seemed to know what she was doing and there were more important things to focus on. Since her power was useless with the lake she turned her attention to aiding in the dispelling of enemy magic.
X2-C3 remained close to the Princess and had its primary blaster extended from its head. Any enemy soldier that came in range of its weapon was blasted very promptly. The Princess looked at the Droid and realized her bodyguard was a vital asset that wasn't being utilized in this battle.
"Extwo. I need you to join the battle and help our soldiers!"
X2 beeped and chirped in protest. "X2 = Unable to comply. / X2 = Must protect Princess. / Princess = Only Priority / Other Priorities = Rescinded."
The Princess had to pull her pad out of her cloak to understand what he was saying, then she sighed. "Alright Extwo. Just… shoot any enemies you can from here then."
"X2 = Blasting worthless organics / Body Count = 42"
"Matilda! Aren't you a mage? Shouldn't you be, you know, back there with the Mage Knights?!" asked Agnes as she decapitated an enemy soldier.
"What's the matter? Afraid I'm going to see how you really fight so you can't exaggerate your stories?" said Matilda while dueling against an enemy soldier who seemed quite proficient with his longsword before she caught his blade in her main gauche and then impaled him through the neck with her rapier.
"You think Cali needs help?" asked Agnes as she ran behind Matilda and impaled her long sword through the armpit of a soldier who threatened to stab Matilda in the back while she was busy with her next opponent.
"Nice dodge! And while it would be nice to fight with her, we'd just get in her way. The only reason she can focus so hard on that battle is because she knows we're here to cover for her. So stay focused on what we're doing!" said Matilda while she defeated her enemy. She then directed her golems to fill gaps in their lines before she turned around to stab another enemy in the slit of his helmet's visor before he could slash at Agnes' back.
Agnes had a very brief moment to look around, and the scene was not good. They were losing ground and soldiers fast. Her Musketeers were fighting valiantly but their numbers were starting to dwindle and General Gramont's troops were not doing so well either. They had nowhere to fall back to with the water levels rising rapidly. The house was already starting to go under water, the path they'd taken to get here was flooded, and if they didn't push through soon, the hill they were fighting on would be submerged as well.
"Agnes!" yelled Matilda as she intercepted a pike aimed at her face with her main gauche and pushed it aside before running her rapier through the soldier's neck with expert precision. "Snap out of it and fight for your damn life!"
"We're losing! We need to do something!" yelled Agnes.
"I have an idea! But I need you to cover me, can you do that?" asked Matilda just before she engaged another soldier.
Agnes jumped into her fight and quickly decapitated the soldier. "Damn right I can." she said before she drew her pistol and discharged it into the next soldier who though to try his luck on Matilda.
Matilda had no choice but to trust Agnes, she'd seen her fight enough that she knew she had the potential to be on her and Cali's level so she took her chances and knelt down where she stabbed her main gauche into the ground and began working her spell…
"Jeran... iwaz... thurisaz... haglaz... isaz... hear my call... Gather from me my power and rise up in my name. Take form and destroy my enemies!"
Suddenly the Earth started to shake under their feet and a wave of energy kicked up the dirt in a straight line through the enemy ranks and from where it stopped emerged her mightiest golem. Eighteen meters tall and strong as a castle wall. The golem came forth and started sweeping soldiers aside like insects by the hundreds. The enemy archery regiment took the brunt of the attack and were decimated. The few survivors fled for their lives.
"You made that?!" yelled a Agnes with a very pleased expression on her face.
"It won't last long though. All their Mage Knights will focus on it and take it down before long. So use the time and fight!"
General Gramont knew what this would give them and he wasted no time giving the order.
"Mage Knights! Do your worst!" he yelled.
The Mage Knights didn't even need to be told, they knew and started opening up with their biggest spells into the enemy ranks. The students with them followed their examples. Reynald and Gimli touched their wands together and combined their power into a particularly devastating firestorm which claimed the lives of almost twenty soldiers rushing to fill a gap forming in their lines. Guiche was raising golems to send into the fray before focusing on softening the Earth under a group of five soldiers who were quickly swallowed up by the ground.
The General was pleased with his son when he had a short moment to observe his spell work. He was setting particularly devious magical traps every chance he got and was largely successful.
Wind tunnels ran through dozens of men, fire engulfed dozens more, the Earth came out in spikes to impale others. But that went both ways. Some of the enemy Mage Knights focused their spells on the golem setting it on fire and hurling wind at it while Earth Mages tried to break the magic holding it together and indeed they managed to slow and weaken it but it was still crushing their men with impunity. Other enemy mages took the opportunity to weave their spells into the Royalist forces and the situation was turning more chaotic by the moment but the tide had turned in Gramont's favor for the moment.
The General turned to one of his Lieutenants. "Order the left flank to advance towards the treeline." then he looked over at the mages, "Earth Mages, I want all your golems reinforcing our center right! Use the break in their formations that big golem is giving us to gain more ground!" He turned to his final Lieutenant, "I want the right flank to advance into the center! We have to use this moment while our moral is at its highest to even the fight!"
Duke Brinvilliers observed his troops and groaned with irritation. If this was a fair fight he had no doubt that he could very well lose. But this wasn't a fair fight, he had the trump card in his finger. But was growing increasingly impatient with the pace at which his trap was deploying and now his men were being pushed back and it was being rendered pointless. He had a theory on how he could accelerate his plan. By bringing it close to where he'd stolen the ring from the Water Spirit was angered, now he had to really piss it off.
He looked at a group of enemy soldiers who lay dead just behind the battle line. If he'd done his research right, it should work on the dead just as it did on the living. Water spirits were by their nature protective, and this nature carried over to Water Mages and gave them a similar disposition, Princess Henrietta was by far the best example of this he could think of. When angered they could easily lash out like the waves of the ocean during a powerful storm. If he angered this water spirit enough, he was sure the effect would be magnitudes more potent. He focused the power of the ring on one group, and then another, and then even on some of his own fallen before he started to feel the effects draining his magical reserves and stopped. The ring was certainly power hungry.
Gramont observed with horror as the dead soldiers got up and started fighting against everyone on both sides. The walking dead had an insatiable bloodlust. "Mage Knights! Focus your power there! Destroy those abominations!"
The General went for his sword wand and drew it out, he'd have to get involved himself now. "You fool… I should have known you had something to do with it. I should have known when the water started rising. After everything we went through back then... "
"Over my dead body you will! All reserves! All Mage Knights! Everyone! Attack!" ordered the General as he jumped off his horse and started running towards the walking dead. Along the way he channeled his magic to enhance his strength, with a flourish of his sword he conjured six steel golems to his side to attack with him.
His troops knew very well that when the General got involved in the fight things were getting bad. So they did the only thing they could do, they charged with him. The Mage Knights pushed the students back as they advanced and told them to stay behind. There weren't ready for what was about to happen, and they in turn knew they'd only get in the way of what was about to happen. So the students simply focused on any dispelled that needed to be cast.
What happened was bloodshed like the students had never seen before. Most of them by now knew how to conjure or transmute weapons, but those seasoned mage knights were on a whole other level as they jumped into the fray. They looked over at Calista fighting the White Knight and decided the mage knights weren't quite at that level, but they were close.
When she sensed the battle turning desperate Calista switched her attack sequence to Form Six and chained a Force Push into her attack. Even though he expected it she was faster than he was, though he absorbed the brunt of the attack he was still pushed back a short distance.
The Sith then turned her fury to the enemy soldiers behind her and started cutting them down one after the other. She managed to take out ten before she felt the Force's grip on her, she tried to deflect it but he was so much stronger than she was and he pulled her out and back towards him where he attempted to impale her on his Lightsaber. Calista's answer was to activate the reverse side of her staff and the Jedi knew if he stayed here he was she'd kill him as well. So he jumped to the side to evade her.
The two combatants started walking towards each other flousing their sabers. One prepared to defend, the other looking for the opening to attack.
"I can read you Jedi. I see it in your posture. Why am I the only thing you're certain of in this battle?"
"I can't make peace between these people as long as you're encouraging violence."
"Peace is a lie. There is only passion. The Princess has passion. She doesn't need me to encourage her. Far from it Jedi. I need her. She's given me something here that I've never had before in my life and I will not permit anyone to take that from me."
"What could that be I wonder?"
Calista bent her knees and charged the Jedi. She struck out against him with a Form Seven attack sequences that drove him back into the lines of Brinvilliers' rebel forces. His saber orbits intercepted and deflected every one of her strikes no matter how viciously she attacked. Calista wasn't strong at all, but she was fast and agile. Her attack sequences were so relentless he had no opportunity to strike back at her lest he open himself up to a potentially fatal strike.
It has been said that the Lightsaber staff was favored by Sith because it could give more slaughter per swing. Jedi favored because it gave more defensive coverage. But in the hands of this woman whom he could tell was more proficient with it than any Jedi Weapon Master he'd ever seen, she was not only able to keep him on the defensive, but she was also able to kill other enemies with her attacks.
The movements gave her away to him, she was like a rabid predator in the way she struck, her movements were fast, with feline grace. Her moves were economical, never more than she needed for a given sequence. It wasn't textbook precision by any stretch of the imagination. Her attack sequences were improvised staccato rhythms she was composing especially for him and whatever collateral damage she could cause around them. There was only one race of people who put so much emphasis on body language and movement to give an individual this level of proficiency and instinctive improvisation. This wasn't someone who was trained by them, she was one of them.
Calista knew he was reading her now. His curiosity was getting the better of him and it made his defense sloppy. She narrowed her focus and went in for the kill with a vicious Juyo staccato burst attack. That was when he did something unexpected and used the Force to pull a sword from a dead soldier and sent it straight at her head to cut her off before she could land a crippling blow. She disengaged and flipped herself backwards. The sword passed just far enough from her face that it only knocked the mask off her head and took it away. Her hood fell off her head as landed on her feet and one hand with all of her feline grace.
"You're like a wild animal with the way you fight." he said to her as he assumed his Form Three stance and waited for her to rush him again. As she ran up to him and started dancing around him with her staff trying to breach his defense as he continued...
"I thought you might be an Echani. But you're certainly a unique one. I've never seen an Echani trying to copy an animal in the way she moves and fights. I'm guessing your a mixed breed who's trying to be what she isn't."
That was a mistake. He realized it when she pulled back and took a very deep breath. Then she let out a mighty Force Scream which plowed through his Force wall as if it didn't even exist. The sound was very much like that a Nexu would make as it pounced on prey. It caused many soldiers to die on both sides because the predatory sound made them freeze in utter terror.
The Jedi Knight lay on his back a dozen meters away shook his head as he stood back up. "So she's a little Nexu… cute. Well... Lesson learned. Never insult a lady's heritage." he said to himself as he re-ignited his Lightsaber and held it up over his head to block her as she brought her blades down upon him. The Jedi was now having a harder time deflecting as she had split her saberstaff into two hilts and was apparently quite proficient in Jar'kai dual blade fencing. He also noted that one or both of the hilts were dual phased as well since she'd reduced the length of her off hand weapon to have it function as a shoto blade.
Calista came at him with one relentless attack sequence after another, the power in her Familiar Runes filled her mind with knowledge and tactics which were keeping this Jedi firmly on the defensive. By now she'd gotten a full read on his body language and martial arts. Shii-cho was the foundation as it was with all Forms, but he was highly adept with Soresu and Shien. That spoke volumes about his combat experience.
"Outside of your Jedi training, this is the first time you've ever faced a Sith in combat. More than that… this is the first time you've ever had a real Lightsaber to Lightsaber duel, isn't it Jedi?"
"What makes you so sure of that?"
"Your technique is good. But your style. You've trained yourself for Blaster Deflection not single combat! And you're experienced. You've fought in the war. But I believe you've only ever faced Infantry, not Sith."
"Are we fighting or sharing our life stories?" he asked.
"Both. You're telling me everything about yourself through your movements and your combat style."
The two locked sabers and Calista was being pushed back by his superior strength. He was a full head and shoulders taller than her and very well muscled. Calista had the edge in agility and from her sparring sessions with Matilda she knew how to answer this, she used the Force to push back and give her the illusion of matching strength to hold her ground. The Jedi then revealed a new trick to her, he momentarily deactivated his lightsaber and reignited it once it passed through her saber and the two had to bend over backwards to evade each other's blades.
Every subsequent saber lock was the same. He would perform the same trick again and again.
"Trakata…" said Calista lowly and with indignation. She hated this very much because no matter how hard she tried it was just beyond her capabilities to execute with such surgical precision. Her only answer was to recompile her staff and make this tactic work against him. Only with her staff techniques could she block and attack him in such a way that she could turn his strength into a weakness. If he wanted to pass through her blade now he'd end up being bisected in the attempt.
"You're quite an enigma Sith. You fight with passion, but not with hate of fury... I can feel the emotions just below the surface trying to get out. But you repress them... control them. You use them like fuel without allowing your judgement to be clouded... Your mastery of the Seventh Form goes far above and beyond the norm."
Calista's next attack sequence was flawless, he felt it, he saw it. His defense had to be equally flawless or she would eventually get through. But he knew his bladework wouldn't hold out against this onslaught. He had to draw on the Force to supplement his defenses and speed up his vision and mental clarity.
The Sith in turn was able to draw upon the Force to match his speed and reflexes and for those observing the battle it was as if the two were fading in and out of existence. They could only be seen clearly when their blades became locked and they each struggled to outmaneuver the other before it became another blinding and confusing blur of red and blue lights. Indeed only the trails of Red and Blue lights could be tracked with any clarity and even those lights seemed to lag behind where their eyes perceived the wielders to be at a given moment.
The Jedi had to wonder where this Sith was getting her determination from. Why she would choose the weaker side to fight for when the other side could have given her more power and opportunity.
Calista knew the answer to that question, and her thoughts betrayed her when she began to tire and felt her mental defenses weaken. The Jedi started to see flashes of things coming off of her through the Force. Friends... One so close she was like a sister. Another so dear to Calista that her heart ached at the idea of her even being here now. The Jedi could feel her respect for this girl overcoming her fear to be here and fight. But there was more, something she was fighting tooth and nail to protect from him…
When the battle slowed and their sabers locked he spoke again. "Apprentice. So… you've taken on an Apprentice. That's what you've been hiding. That's why you revealed yourself. You didn't want me to find her. No… more than that… her life depends on you..."
Calista lashed out with all her repressed anger and fury to fuel her dwindling reserves. Her body was tiring, her mind was exhausted but she had no choice but to fight and win. If she died then Louise would too.
"Force bond… That's why you're protecting her." said the Jedi. Calista's mind was too exhausted from keeping up all these defenses and fighting at the same time. Once again she learned the hard way that attachments were a weakness. But this time was different…
"I'm not… a weak and pathetic Acolyte anymore… nobody will ever… ever take anything from me anymore! I am strong enough to protect the people I care about now!" declared Calista as she switched tactics and executed a another Form Six maneuver with her staff and then brought her off hand out to shock the Jedi sending him backwards again into a group of soldiers.
She began a second barrage of Lightning which promptly electrocuted a dozen men but the Jedi held out his hand to absorb the energy and protect everyone behind him. She could sense his deep connection to the Force. He was like a bottomless pit that could easily contain this power she was throwing at him and she couldn't keep it up for much longer. Her Lightning just didn't have the potency to negate his skill with Tutaminis. Even though she herself was considered gifted in that ability, this Jedi was on a whole other level.
When her will eventually gave out and the Lightning barrage ceased he redirected the power back at her. She brought her Lightsaber out to attract it like a Lightning rod and once it was dissipated the Jedi leapt at her and rapidly closed the distance, she disengaged one end of her staff to leverage her parry but the Jedi held out his hand and plowed through her now meager defense and ripped her staff from her hand and into his own. Before Calista knew what had happened she was unconscious. The Jedi actually had the audacity to bonk her on the head with her own lightsaber once he disengaged it.
He then picked her up over his shoulder and walked away with her behind Brinvilliers' lines. Anyone who saw it happen didn't have the stones to even think of trying to do anything about it. The Jedi knew it, he sensed it clearly. So he didn't encounter any resistance as he made his way back. His work here was done, the rest of this battle wasn't for him to interfere with.
Montmorency was thrown out of the lake and landed roughly near Princess Henrietta who widened her eyes in shock. "Are you alright?"
"Ow… now I know why Cali hates gravity so much. Get ready Princess, I'll need your help!" said Montmorency as she got her wand ready and faced the lake.
"What's happening?"
"You'll know it when you see it. Just focus on making a bubble." answered the blonde mage.
Suddenly the lake water rapidly receded and formed a massive wave. As if all the water in the lake was gathering to come crashing down on them all at once. The Princess widened her eyes in horror but Montmorency had a look of determined resolve. X2-C3 started to scream in terror but the Princess understood what Montmorency wanted her to do, she held out her scepter and Montmorency touched the end of it with own wand. The two closed their eyes and started to focus and chant a spell together.
Dunk Brinvilliers smiled brightly. "Seems that Water Spirit just needed encouragement. All forces RETREAT!"
With that he turned his mount around and started to gallop away with his officers following close in a panic. The soldiers on both sides saw what was happening and stopped fighting to run to higher ground.
General Gramont looked at the incoming wave and spotted the Princess and Montmorency working on their spell. He had an inkling of what they were doing and decided to hedge his bets on his Princess rather than his instincts and called out to his troops.
"All forces! Gather on the Princess now!"
The order was heard and repeated by others at the top of their lungs as they turned around and started running towards the Princess.
Henrietta and Montmorency gave everything they had to the spell. They forced the water over and away from their own troops and towards their enemies. Unfortunately many thousands didn't make it into the safe area in time and were crushed as the wave washed over their protective bubble and into the forest knocking trees over and enveloping thousands more of the enemy troops. No matter how hard the two girls tried to expand their protective area the spell just seemed to be subject to diminishing returns. The harder they tried to expand it the weaker it became and so they were forced to make a choice. They had to create the largest sustainable bubble the could to save as many lives as possible.
Henrietta was breaking into a sweat as she struggled to maintain their combined spell. "Amazing… what… you… and I… seem able… to do together." she said while fighting exhaustion.
"Yeah… we make the impossible easy… and miracles… just a little bit difficult."
The two girls couldn't help but laugh dryly at the humor of their situation as two of the surviving water mages came in and added their sword wands to the spell where they took much of the burden off the two young girls.
Duke Brinvilliers surveyed the scene with a pleased expression on his face. The whole battlefield was submerged under water and only a few dead bodies were floating about.
"Casualty reports are still being compiled your excellency, but I have no doubt they will be very high. I knew nothing good would come from messing with that Water Spirit." said one of his officers.
"Come now. The Princess and all her allies are drowned. Victory is our's. We still have plenty of soldiers. These casualties are acceptable. Send word to our forces by the river and tell them to wait for Duke Valliere's forces to leave Avignon before they take the city. Meanwhile we'll take the academy and then proceed to the capital with our hostages as planned."
"Yes your excellency. Shall I summon reinforcements from La Rochelle?"
"No need. With Gramont's forces gone we only have to deal with Valliere. If he marches on the Capital we have more than enough troops there to put him down."
"What about the Romalian? Won't he object to us taking hostages?"
"Now that he's dealt with that Familiar for us he's no longer useful. If he doesn't leave on his own. Kill him."