Chapter Twenty Eight - Blood in the Streets
Calista leapt from rooftop to rooftop. A Dragon Knight hurled a wind tunnel at her but the Sith Lord leapt high to the side over onto another building, narrowly evading the attack which tore the roof off the building she had just been standing on. She did not have time to properly appreciate the spell's destructive power beyond taking note of how the caster did not even require a direct hit to kill her if she did not keep moving.
Calista then tapped the comm on her gauntlet. "Extwo. Where are you now?"
"X2 = In position."
"Get ready to blast this worthless organic!" she yelled as she changed directions and leapt up to avoid another wind tunnel.
"Blaster = Charged and ready!"
Calista didn't have time to acknowledge. She had to run, fast, but not faster than he could follow. But also not slow enough that she would fall victim to his attacks.
She looked out into the distance and saw X2-C3 waiting for her on a rooftop, eager to snipe the Dragon Knight the moment she had him in the effective lethal range.
It was over in a split second the instant he crossed the invisible line between X2's effective range, and his effective lethal range. With one blaster bolt to the head, Master and Familiar came crashing down into a building.
Calista stopped and looked around for a moment before her eyes fell upon the deceased Knight and Dragon. A simple victory, but also an ominous reminder of what would happen to her should Louise fall in battle. Something she would keep firmly in the front of her mind as the night progressed.
She tapped the comm on her gauntlet again. "Good shot Extwo. Give me a reading on your power and fuel levels."
"Rocket Fuel = 70% of capacity. / / Power level = 28% of capacity. / / Estimated combat operational time = 8 hours."
Calista tightened her fists and winced at the news. "Damn it… The portable fusion reactor is back in the fighter. Stand down from combat mode, retreat to a safe location, and enter standby mode. I'll contact you again if I need your help but your priority is power conservation. I need you to be able to make it back to the academy for a recharge when this is over. Just stay alive old friend!"
"X2 = Will comply. / / X2 = Hopes Calista does the same."
"I'll do my best. I'll see you when this is over."
Tabitha directed her staff up into the air and sent a tunnel of wind up at one of the Dragon Knights while Kirche directed a stream of fire to another.
"So much for them being after Cali."
"Most of them left," observed Tabitha.
"I noticed. But I'm more worried about the three who are still here! We need to find better cover!"
"Agreed."
The two friends ran down the alley way and across a street. The Dragon Knights unrelenting in their pursuit. Kirche turned a corner into a dark alley and then immediately into another before slowing down and stopping in her tracks with Tabitha just behind her as they looked up to see the dragons moving past them.
"They'll keep circling until we show up… We need a plan…" whispered Kirche.
A moment later a window opened up on the ground floor of the building they were hiding beside.
"You could come inside here?" suggested a young girl with a Germanian accent.
"Marlene?!" asked a surprised Kirche. "Is this?"
"Yes. The Inn. Come on. Get inside. Quickly!" she said while offering out her arms to help her into the window. The two then pulled Tabitha inside.
Kirche went over and sat down on the bed with an exhausted sigh as Marlene shut the windows.
"What is happening outside? All I hear is so many loud noises. And then the ground and windows shook. Everyone is so afraid."
Kirche lay back and took a very deep breath, for the first time since it happened, allowing herself a moment to gather her thoughts. "War happened. I didn't want it to happen. But she did it anyway."
"Who? Who did what?"
"Unimportant," remarked Tabitha.
"I disagree. I think it's very important. But not right now. Thank you Marlene. Oh. This is my best friend. Tabitha."
"Good evening My Lady," she said while bowing to Tabitha who in turn inclined her head.
"This is the girl I told you about," she said while pulling Marlene down onto the bed with her, holding her closely. "I was going to come find you as soon as I had a chance, but I suppose I don't have to go very far now."
"No Kirche. You do not. But what are you going to do now?"
Kirche responded by resting her head on Marlene's shoulder. "Lay low until those Dragon Knights give up and go away."
"And then?"
"And then… I don't know. I'll just take it as it comes."
Meanwhile. Calista continued to roam the city. Looking for an opportunity to draw attention upon herself and thus, bring her enemies to her. Though she enjoyed spreading death and terror, killing patrols of lowly soldiers was fast becoming tiresome. She craved a greater challenge.
"What do you hope to achieve young Sith? Wandering aimlessly. Lashing out at those who could never hope to challenge you. Even you realize the pointlessness of it all."
Calista heard the woman's voice in her head but shook it off. Whatever this was, it was not the time. She leapt to the next building and then down into the street below, getting the drop on a Mage Knight and then proceeding to slaughter his escorts despite their attempts to surrender and their pleas for mercy.
Calista pulled her hood up and clipped her Lightsaber staff to her stealth generator belt as she walked away from the carnage she had just created.
"Are you so pitiful that you feel proud of killing these insignificants? How utterly laughable!"
Calista shook her head again to try and stop hearing her former master's disgusting voice as she increased her pace towards the next patrol she spotted. The group of seven became paralyzed in fear. Her debilitating and oppressive aura doing most of the work for her before she even reached them. Once she did, she began dispatching them as quickly and efficiently as she has the last few patrols.
"Master! Please! Stop it! You're not helping anything with what you're doing. We need you here! I need you! Come back to me!"
Calista ignored the voice of her Apprentice and shook her head yet again at voices growing in her mind as she walked up the street. Into hundreds of enemy soldiers marching through the main street. And at the head of the small army coming towards her, the man who started it all.
"How fortuitous! I have men scouring the city, and Dragon Knights searching high and low. Never in my wildest dreams did I think you would simply come to me," said a happy Marius Brinvilliers.
Calista stepped into the street and began pacing from side to side. Her cold aura striking fear into the former Duke's escorts as he waved them to remain behind while he began walking forward to meet his enemy, drawing his wand as he made his leisurely strides towards her.
Calista continued to step from side to side, her head never turning away from him as she made her steps. Seething herself in anger and hatred for this man as she watched him arrogantly walk towards her, either ignorant of the danger she posed to him, or arrogant enough to believe himself her superior.
The Sith Lord reached up and pulled down her hood before taking out her Lightsaber staff. Her sickly yellow eyes locked with his, hiding none of the contempt she felt for him. Needless to say, the man was unmoved by her attempts at intimidation.
Calista was not ignorant though. She knew that this man struck fear into the heart of Karin Valliere. A woman who defeated her so easily. She was not underestimating him. But she was relishing the opportunity to fight a battle worthy of her.
"I must confess. The first time I saw you, you wore a mask. The next time I saw you, I did not particularly care to make any notes of you. But now that I see you at your finest… Has anyone ever told you that you are very beautiful?"
Calista's response was to ignite her blades and spin the staff in an elaborate flourish before adopting the opening stance of Form Seven. The Ferocity Form. Her body half twisted, her staff held high and back, her legs bent and ready to charge.
"Not much for words I see. But you were very talkative with that Romalian man though. Don't worry. I'm not offended. I was young once too. I'm sure he makes many young woman talkative," he remarked in a teasing voice as he transmuted his wand into a longsword and threw drew a second wand from behind his back.
Calista spun her staff one more time to reposition it for her attack as she ran towards the man, prepared strike with all her hatred and fury when she saw his wand begin to glow, and a smirk on his face. She ignored it, deducing the man was entirely ignorant of what was about to happen to him. Then she felt something stinging in her face. And then in all the gaps between her armor. She felt the humidity around her become thick, clouding her vision and the pricking sensation grew more and more painful.
She continued to run towards the light. The glow emanating from his wand was bright enough to still track despite the fog forming around her. Then she saw what he was doing, and knew that she was doomed. The fog wasn't just fog. It was a cloud made up of thousands of needle like water constructs shooting through her body. Her eyes were burning as blood began to pool into them. Her nerves began to sever. The pain was becoming unbearable as she was pricked a hundred, and then a thousand times. She only had one chance to break his spell. She split her staff and threw her blades at the glowing light before leaping with everything she had left to escape over the man and onto a rooftop across from her.
As she landed, gracefully despite the immense pain she was in, she elegantly spun on her heel and caught her lightsabers as they returned to her. She had wounded her target, and stopped his spell. But the fog of water gathered around his injury and repaired the damage she had inflicted upon him. To add insult to injury she felt her vision blurr, and her muscles ache. He had poisoned her again! Then, as a final insult to her injury, he gave her a bow, and then walked away from her.
Calista raised her weapons and bent her knees, ready to leap back in for another attempt on his life when she collapsed. Disengaging her Lightsabers as she fell and caught herself on her hands and then lay down on the rooftop. She closed her eyes, activated her stealth generator, and willed herself to be healed.
"Do you understand it now young Sith? You can not fight in these battles thinking like a Sith. Reckless aggression. Anger. Hatred. Unbridled fury. These will only take you so far."
"They will learn to fear me!"
"Ahh. Fear. The greatest tool of the Sith. You are mistaken. They will not fear you because they do not know what you are. Just as you do not fear them because you do not know the extent of their power. You commanded fear because you fed off the terror inspired by those who came before you. But that will not work here. That is why you have failed. And why you will continue to fail."
The Sith Lord's teeth tightly clenched. Though she still did not know the identity of this woman. She could not deny the truth of her words. She was right. Hatred alone was not making her strong enough to do anything of consequence in this war. Something had to change.
"Open yourself up. Let the Force guide you. You have a purpose here. But you will not find it by mindlessly marauding the battlefield. That is not your way. That is not what helped you survive all your battles until now."
"I take what I desire because I can. I can because I have power. I have power because I am Sith…"
"Look where that got you."
"What do you even want from me?"
"I want you to listen carefully..."
A short time later at the Enchanted Fairy Inn. Marlene quickly entered her room and shut the door behind her, holding it shut with her back to it. Her face was pale, and her eyes shaking.
Kirche quickly sat up from her table and went over to her, putting both hands on her shoulders. "What is it? What's happening out there?"
"There are Mage Knights demanding to search the inn."
"Since they didn't see us come out of the alley, they're probably searching all the buildings for us."
Kirche's eyes turned away from Marlene and then to the window which Tabitha was looking through the narrow slits of. She then turned to Kirche and shook her head.
Kirche turned back to Marlene, "We can't sneak back out the window. But we need to get back outside before we cause you trouble. Is there any other way out of here we can use? Or anywhere we can hide they won't find us?"
"Why are you even fighting against these people? This isn't even your war?" she asked curiously.
Kirche started checking the floor boards to see if there was any way under the building. "No. It isn't my war. But I have my reasons, and we don't exactly have time to get into it right now."
Suddenly there was a knock at the door and when Kirche picked up her head to look she saw Marlene opening it and narrowed her eye. "You told them we were here."
Kirche's eye widened at the man with red hair standing in the doorway. "I don't believe it…" she said through tightly clenched teeth.
"He doesn't want to hurt you. Just keep you safe until this terrible war is over," explained Marlene.
"Thank you kindly for your assistance," he said almost dismissively to Marlene as he walked into the room. "Hello little sister. It's been a long time."
Kirche remained silent as she tightened her grip on her wand.
"I see you've fallen far enough that you make friends with prostitutes and fight alongside the enemies of our family. But I'm prepared to forgive all of that. If you come with me now and tell me where to find the woman with the red swords."
"Our family? Don't make me laugh. You're not my brother anymore. I've been disowned, remember? Because I wouldn't marry that pig of a man out there. Our father took out my eye while you watched! Now you have the audacity to offer me forgiveness?! It doesn't work that way. Only one of us is going to live to see tomorrow, and it won't be you! That's how this is going work!"
Otto looked over his shoulders at the Mage Knights behind him. "How exactly do you believe that is going to happen? There are two of you, and seven of us."
"Go get another seven and then we'll have an even fight," said Kirche with a sadistic grin.
Tabitha raised her wand and used a powerful wind vortex to blow Otto back out of the room before she used her staff to smash the window open and jumped out. Kirche gave one last look at Marlene and then ran and leapt out the window.
"Get after them!" yelled Otto to his Knights.
Brinvilliers walked up the steps leading onto the top of the wall at the front gate where he looked out into the darkness, his enemies gathering for the offensive. His eyes narrowed on the giant golem being enchanted by the enemy Mage Knights.
"What are your orders?" asked one of the officers.
The former Duke put a hand to his chin and looked around one more time, taking stock of his enemies and considering his own resources.
"Have the canons removed from the wall and brought to the second line of defense closer to the other powder magazines. We shall use them to halt the advance of their infantry in the streets."
"What about that Golem?"
"What about it? Once it breaks down that gate it will be useless inside these walls. She will either have to destroy it or let it go berserk. In the latter case it's more of a danger to them than to us. Once they cross into the city, we have to have to choose the moments to fight very carefully because our numerical advantage could be turned into a disadvantage in the narrow streets..."
He then turned his gaze on the city. "To reach the second line of defense, they will have to cross one of the bridges over the river. Destroy the North Bridge now, and leave competent Mage Knights to keep them from erecting a new one. Then set canons on the south bridge to slow their advance. I also want a reliable Earth Mages ready to destroy the bridge should they cross it. Move the rest of the canons behind the inner wall, and I will give you further instructions once that is done."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"And triple the guard on the last defense towers! I don't want there to be any room for screw ups now!" he demanded as he turned to walk back down the stairs off the wall.
Kirche and Tabitha ran as quickly as they could out of the alley right into a patrol of ten soldiers. Tabitha immediately stepped out in front of her friend and cast an air blade into their ranks, cutting four men down. Kirche began transmuting her wand, turning it into a swirling ball of fire between her hands which she then reached into and pulled apart to form her flaming shield and hand ax.
Kirche began cleaving her way through the soldiers, spreading her flames from her shield and ax as she cut man after man while Tabitha stood back and continued casting spells at anyone who attempted to get at Kirche through her blind spot. The pair then began running while the few survivors burned to death in their wake.
"Run away! Run away!" screamed two soldiers as they came down the street towards Kirche and Tabitha.
The two friends looked puzzled at each other for a moment before five more soldiers turned the corner and started running towards them in horror. The a moment later Calista turned the corner and started slowly walking towards her two companions.
"I thought I told you two to retreat into the tunnels?"
"We had some complications…" remarked Kirche as she turned her head to see the soldiers continue running down the street. "What's with them?"
"They had some complications as well," remarked the Sith.
Kirche narrowed her eye on Calista after turning her head to her again. "You look just like I feel… Your weapons don't make people bleed… Is that your blood?!" she questioned incredulously in regard to the smaller woman's blood soaked face and hair. She couldn't tell because of the blackness of her clothing in the dark night, but she guessed her robes were probably stained with blood as well.
"I ran into Brinvilliers… I was, ill prepared."
"You got your ass handed to you?"
Calista nodded, "Yes. But I foresee we still have much work ahead of us," she said while pointing out something behind Kirche.
"Kirche! I'm going to drag you back to our father in chains!"
Calista raised an eyebrow as she moved to stand beside Kirche with a firm grip on her saber staff. "I'll deal with this. You two keep moving. The path behind us is clear."
Kirche shook her head, "No. You two go. This is my fight. It's all I have left here now."
Tabitha tugged Kirche's sleeve and shook her head when her taller friend looked down at her, "Our fight."
"Thank you Tabitha. But he's mine. You can have the rest."
Calista nodded, "I shall stand by you as well."
"I'm still not forgiving you for what you did Calista!"
"This is not the time. We shall settle what is between us later. For now. Focus on your battle. Let your passions guide you. And strike without mercy for I sense that you shall receive none from them."
"I already knew that…" she said through clenched teeth. "Remember. Otto is mine. Nobody touches him but me!"
Kirche spun her ax in her hand while moving her shield out in front of her, with a bend of her knees she charged at her elder brother with Calista running beside her, one end of her staff ignited and one hand held out in front of her.
Otto transmuted his wand into a flaming greatsword and ran out to meet his sister, bringing his sword crashing down onto her shield. Kirche then made the mistake of trying to block instead of deflect and instantly suffered for it when the pain instantly shot through her arm and she had to back away and then properly deflect his next blow.
Meanwhile Calista disarmed one mage of his wand by way of a quick Force Pull before decapitating him. The next mage to come for her had his wind magic flowing through his sword wand and managed to parry her Lightsaber strike. Another mage tried to come up behind the Sith and strike at her but with a broad sweeping motion and the ignition of her second blade she severed his arm while deflecting the attacks of the mage she was fighting.
Tabitha brought an air hammer down on one of the men only to find he endured the hit. He pointed his wand back at the small girl and the ground beneath her shook. Knowing now that he was an Earth mage the smaller girl brought her staff down into the ground and chanted her counterspell, preventing his spell from taking effect and then countering by lifting and then pointing her staff at the Earth mage.
"Ice Wind" she said softly and then the air around the mage became cold, sucking all the heat away from him. Forming Ice crystals on an around him before she spoke again. "Wind blast," which created a powerful gust of wind that sent the frozen Earth Mage, and all the ice crystals she created into the man next to him before he could get off a spell to counter her's.
Three of the seven mages were now left to be dispatched and Calista had her hands full with the one Wind Mage who knew what he was doing. The two others split their attention, though, one of them up up his hands in surrender when he saw Tabitha direct her staff at him. She nodded to the man and allowed him to carry his comrade and his severed hand away from the battle.
The last mage who was still looking for a fight turned his attention on Tabitha and ran towards her with a transmuted sword in his hand. Tabitha didn't have Kirche's height and strength, she didn't have Calista's agility. She did not allow herself to be dragged into a melee.
"Wind blast," she said with a wave of her staff that caused a gust of wind to sweep him off his feet.
"Fire ball!" the enemy mage yelled back at her with a wave of his sword.
"Windshear," said Tabitha which created a heavy cross wind in the flaming projectile's path, throwing it off course.
"Scorch!"
Tabitha had to quickly rip off her cloak to keep her whole body from catching fire.
"Ignite!" he yelled to make the flames burn hotter as she discarded the cape which burst into a fire so intense she could feel the heat melting her hair even after getting away from the cloak.
She then spun her staff in a way not unlike how Calista would to reposition it for her attack sequences, only with her, it was so she could efficiently bring her staff to point at her enemy. "Airblade," she said forcing her opponent to leap out of the way, now keeping Kirche to his back so that if he had to dodge another one, she would injure or kill her own comrade, with a smirk, he pointed his sword at her.
"Air hammer," she said which had the Mage Knight panic and quickly run forward to charge at Tabitha before the spell utterly pulverized him. He made it just in time, the spell smashed the pavement behind him and would have turned him into soup.
The next instant the Mage Knight cast a stream of fire upon Tabitha, and in turn, she retaliated with a wind tunnel directed against his spell. The question of who could keep it up the longest became irrelevant when the depth of Tabitha's power became clear. The Wind tunnel very quickly overpowered his fire spell and then tore into the man, ripping him to shreds.
"I told you to get another seven if you wanted an even fight!" yelled Kirche after Calista sliced the last Mage Knight into several pieces.
"We're not going to be able to do anything more to this golem General."
"How are you holding up My Lady?" asked Fernand to Matilda.
The green haired bespectacled woman was shaking, her teeth clenched, and her hair slick with sweat pouring down her face. "I can hold it."
"We only have one shot at this. Are you sure?"
"I can hold it!" she growled out while holding tightly to her glowing wand.
"Then go. We'll be right behind you. Pass the word! All forces stay behind the golem and begin the attack! Signal the Manticore Knights that they may go when ready!"
Matilda stepped into the waiting hand of her golem and was lifted up onto its shoulder from where she would direct the much more powerful golem. It wasn't any taller, but it gained some armor and a much sturdier form. Where before, the golem was made mostly of softer earth and rock, the golem was now more solid rock, and protected by armor panels.
Once she was confident she had a strong enough command over its will to simply go berserk she directed it wrath towards the city gate. Commanding it to attack and tear down the obstruction.
Karin pointed her sword wand and unleashed a powerful wind tunnel upon an enemy Dragon Knight forcing him to evade lest he be shredded by the spell. Her next target directed his own sword wand back at her in a vain attempt to negate her attack. Thus his existence came to a painful and bloody end, serving as more than confirmation of why the first Knight's decision to dodge rather than counter was the wiser move.
Manticores were pack hunters, and dragons were solitary hunters. Forcing them to co-operate in battle went contrary to the very nature of the beasts. This was why the Manticore Knights had the advantage. They flew their five person sweeps, their tactics incorporated the natural instincts of their mounts and did not try to go contrary to them. Three flew distraction, two pounced for the kills. Looking to penetrate the dragon's armored scales with their stinging tails.
There was one other things many of these men forgot. Something Karin had trained them to remember. Dragons do not look up. They didn't have to. They were the apex predators after all. They had no natural enemies. The rider had to compensate for this shortcoming. Mage and Familiar had to be as one. The Familiar had to be made to work with the Mage, but the Mage also had to be made to work with the Familiar. Dragon Knights, naturally seemed to adopt more of their Familiar's instincts rather than impose their own.
Distract them. Bring them lower in altitude, and attack from above. A simple tactic. It worked almost every time. On all but the most experienced of the Dragon Knights. Killing a Dragon though, was no simple feat. Killing their riders was the quickest way to go about it. That is where the Manticores would strike. Their stinging tails ideal for the precision attacks. No amount of crafted armor would protect them. The natural armor of a Dragon was designed by nature to protect them from such attacks. But this was not the case with Humans.
Karin was about to aim her sword wand when she realized she'd been played. First she had a battle on her hands. Karin was used to that. Battle was all she knew how to do well. But now, she had a serious problem on her hands. How to both fight the Dragon Knights, and deal with the three anti air towers which were still operational. Tactics were not her strong point. She had consistently proven this.
"Damn it you little arrogant bitch! You let them pull us straight into a trap!"
As she strained herself to figure out a solution she was caught in a crossfire between two enemies and had to stop thinking and start reacting to protect herself. It wouldn't do to die like this. Then she had to start evading the anti air towers which began indiscriminately firing upon her and her Knights.
Suddenly something came over her. A complete clarity she had recently experienced before but had no idea to what to attribute it. Suddenly it was like she knew exactly what to do. With two swings of her sword she launched two wind blades at the enemies who were attacking her, wounding one and forcing the other to break off his attack. Karin made her way to her Lieutenant to give her orders.
"Sweeps, Six, Ten and Twelve will disengage and focus on eliminating those towers. The rest of us will provide them cover and continue to engage the Dragon Knights. Meanwhile. Sweep Eighteen shall increase altitude as high as they can go above this battle and be prepared to alert us the moment those warships begin to move!"
"I'll pass the word!"
Otto came at Kirche with a hefty swing of his flaming greatsword which Kirche barely deflected with her shield. He knew she couldn't see to her right without turning her whole head. Her reaction time was slower because of this. Calista and Tabitha were forced to watch as he threatened to overpower her defense, constantly attacking from her blind spot, not allowing her a chance to retaliate.
Calista certainly understood why she relied on a shield. It was her way of compensating for her weakness. Kirche needed an edge in this fight or it would be over for her.
Tabitha lifted her staff and stepped forward when Calista put a hand on her shoulder, her head snapped to the Sith with an almost angry look in her eyes. The Sith Lord shook her head, "You won't be helping her. You'll just make her angry with you. Give it a moment."
Tabitha raised an eyebrow at her tone, and not a moment later she felt something inside of herself she couldn't explain. Then she turned to see Kirche going from the defensive to the offensive. Her reaction speed was quicker, her confidence was at it peak.
She smashed him away with her flaming shield when she saw one of his attacks was sloppily executed and lashed out at him with her ax, forcing him to back off from her again, and again. When he looked into her eye it was blazing with hatred and murder as she came at him. When he tried to put more distance between them he quickly regretted it.
"Fire ball!" she yelled while using her ax to throw the spell at him. He ran to the side to evade it and she repeated the attack over and over. But he felt something was wrong. Her attacks were sloppy, he was evading them too easily, and she had an arsenal of other spells which would be sure to hit him.
"Flame!" she called out and directed a stream of fire at him.
He held out his flaming sword to the incoming stream of fire, "Absorb!" he called out in response, letting her flames gather on his sword, strengthening it with her magic.
"Sloppy Kirche! Very sloppy! What are you trying to achieve?"
Kirche's eye looked around, her lips curled into a smirk. Otto's eyes wandered from side to side, wondering what she was looking at when he realized what she'd done. She used her fire balls to set the dead bodies around them on fire. His eyes widened in realization as he started running towards her, his sword held high, it began to glow with magical power, extinguishing the flames he drew into it as he charged.
"Ignite!" she screamed at the top of her lungs while raising her shield and ax to meet him.
The flames around him instantly grew brighter and exploded with an intense heat, setting his cloak aflame. Had he not extinguished the fires of his sword he would be dead now. But his weapon now lacked the protection it needed when it met her flaming shield. The heat conducted from it and into the pommel, singing his hands.
"Flame guard!" he yelled and became enshrouded in fire.
Kirche's response was to push him back and then call out, "Tabitha!"
Calista made no effort to get in the other girls way as she stepped forward and directed her staff.
"Dispell," she said before channeling a magical beam into the man which very quickly put out the flames enshrouding him.
Kirche wasted no time and ran into him, bashing his face with her shield, burning his flesh and clothing with the strike and knocking him down onto the ground where she moved to stand over him with her ax held high and ready.
"Do it Kirche! Give in to your anger! Strike him down with all of your hate!" yelled Calista.
Tabitha walked over to Kirche and put a hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't,"
"Why not?" asked the curious redhead while transmuting her weapons back into her wand and then pointing it down at him. "He deserves it!"
Tabitha shook her head, "You shouldn't," she said before pointing her staff down at the man's face.
Kirche blinked while Tabitha spoke her next words, "Airblade."
"Why?!" the redhead demanded in her anger.
"Because you would have to live with it after," was all Tabitha said while looking into Kirche's angry eye.
"But now you do?!"
Tabitha shook her head, "Not my brother. But he hurt my only friend."
Kirche wrapped her arms around Tabitha and held her close to her chest. "You're all I have in the world Tabitha. All I need in the world. I love you so much. Thank you!"
Calista blinked at the two but decided to give them their moment while her head turned up to the sky. She closed her eyes and used her Force senses to perceive the battle taking place high above them between the Manticore and Dragon Knights. The three active towers were firing into any Manticores that strayed into their firing range.
"So what do we do now?" wondered Kirche.
Calista tore her gaze from the sky and opened her eyes at the two who were waiting for her answer.
"I will make my way to the front gate and join the battle once they break through. I think the two of you should call Sylphid and join the battle up there," she said while pointing at the sky. "This war will mostly be decided by who wins that battle."
Tabitha tilted her head slightly at the Echani woman, "Don't you want to come too?"
Calista sighed mournfully, "More than anything. But that isn't my place right now. I need to find Louise. My place is with her."
"We'll take you to her then," said Kirche before Tabitha let out the loudest whistle Calista has heard from her so far.
The giant golem slammed fist after fist into the gate before it came crashing down. With a barely controlled rage the magical construct charged into the city stomping on any fleeing infantry in its path up the main street as the Royalist army came flooding into the city behind it, the first in rushing up the street to engage the enemy while others broke off to the sides to climb up the wall and eliminate any defenders who remained.
General Gramont grabbed his son by the shoulder and yelled his orders over the white noise of weapons fire, swords clashing and battle cries. "Guiche! Assemble your mage Knights! You're with Her Majesty!"
Guiche saluted his father and hurried off to gather his men.
Gramont then turned to the young Queen beside him, "Your Majesty. Take your Musketeers and my son's Mage Knights to secure the north bridge while I lead my forces to the south. Our first objective is to secure our foothold inside this city!"
"Yes General!"
Gramont then turned to one of his lieutenants, "Pass the word to Lady Eleonore, have her begin setting up the supply corps here once we've driven the enemy forces out!"
"Yes General!"
Suddenly and without warning the giant golem smashed a building into rubble.
Louise widened her eyes at what she saw happen. "What the hell?!"
"Damn it all! Matilda lost control! Why now of all times?! Mage Knights!"
"No! General! You need them to do their jobs! Derflinger and I can handle this!" yelled Louise. "Besides. I owe Matilda!"
"Louise no!" the Queen protested but it was already too late, Louise started running towards the golem while drawing her sword, jumping from the street level up onto a rooftop to Henrietta's amazement.
"Your Majesty. Her sword eats magic. She is the best equipped for this, we should focus on the battles we can fight!" yelled Guiche over the sounds of battle and the giant golem's rampage echoing around them.
Henrietta clenched her teeth and fists before relaxing and then drawing out her scepter. "You're right. Agnes! Let's get to work!"
"Yes Your Majesty! Musketeers! Lead the charge! Up the left street to the North Bridge! Don't waste your shots if you don't have to! Two person firing teams as we advance, just like we practiced. Move out!"
Louise ran off the roof and jumped to the next, and then onto the golem's arm as it lifted up to smash the building she had just previously been standing on. The golem's arm started moving much faster than she had anticipated and was nearly thrown off as the arms lifted up and then joined its fists to bring them back down again. Louise held on as tightly as she could before the arm reached its shoulder height and then she quickly jumped onto the shoulder before the arms came crashing down again.
She found Matilda there, still holding her glowing wand, trying with all her might to regain control of her construct.
"Matilda!" she cried out.
"Louise… Get out of here now! Are you crazy?!"
"Why ask a question you already know the answer to? What will happen if you just let go of your control of this thing now?"
"It will do even more damage…" she said through clenched teeth.
"I can use Derflinger to destroy it. I need to find somewhere to stab him! But before even that, we need to get you off this thing!"
"Find a weak spot, if there even is one. I have to keep trying to control it. Ot it will be worse."
"But what about you?! I can't just-"
"I'll be fine… Just go!"
Louise looked down the back of the golem as it heaved its arms to smash in yet another building. "Go where…" she wondered to herself as she tried to think of a solution.
Calista looked down from Sylphid at Louise at the rampaging golem, smashing and trampling building along its path.
"That doesn't look good…" remarked Kirche.
"No it does not. Thank you for the ride ladies, if you will kindly excuse me now," she said before letting herself fall off the side of the dragon.
"Calista?!"
The Sith used the Force to push back against the ground and slow her fall before landing somewhat roughly on the ground and then turned her full attention back to the golem. She then ran towards the back of the construct and leapt high into the air where she grabbed onto the shoulder and pulled herself up.
"Master?!" Louise cried out while reaching down to help her up.
"I see you wasted no time in making yourself useful, very good," remarked Calista as she climbed up onto the golem.
"I need to use Derflinger to stop this golem. But I don't know how yet. I need to find a weak spot to stab him into. Any suggestions?"
Calista looked over at Matilda and then stepped over to her. "Use the Force. Trust your feelings."
"Use the Force… Trust my feelings… Why didn't I think of that?" she muttered sarcastically before kneeling down to take a hold of a rock as them golem threw its weight around.
"We do not have time for indecision Louise. Do something!"
"Do something… Yeah…" she said before closing her eyes.
A moment later Calista came over and knelt down beside Louise, a hand on her shoulder. "Clear your mind. Let everything else fade away. Be aware of nothing but the golem. The Force will guide you. If you let it."
"Lower back!" she said with her eyes open wide.
The golem changed directions, everything under them shook violently.
"Louise Jump!" the Sith commanded before pushing her apprentice off the golem.
Calista then ran for Matilda, grabbed her against her protests, and leapt off the golem before its hand came crashing down on its shoulder.
"Great Cali! Just great! Now I've lost all control of it!" yelled Matilda.
"Louise and I will take care of it. Get yourself somewhere safe," she answered before turning around and taking off running towards Louise whom she sensed was already after the rampaging construct.
Louise jumped up onto a rooftop and then leapt towards the Golem's lower back where she tried to impale Derflinger, but she couldn't even scratch the hardened rock and had to use the Force to slow her fall back to the ground and then start running around the golem as it began trying to crush her under foot.
"This ain't gonna work Louise! Ya need a plan!" yelled the sword.
"I'm open to suggestions if you have any!"
Calista meanwhile ran along another roof and then down to Louise. "I'll use my Lightsaber to melt the rock. Then you throw Derflinger into it!"
"Throw him?! How am I supposed to hit the exact spot like that?! Oh wait… Let me guess! Use the Force?!"
Calista smirked, "You learn quickly. Be ready!"
The Sith Lord and Apprentice ran in opposite directions as the golem's foot came crashing down on them. Calista leapt from the street to a rooftop and then turned and leapt towards the golem with her Lightsaber at the ready. But just as she was about to impale it, the golem turned away from her and she ended up hitting nothing but one of the armored sections. She put out her hand and took a hold of a rocky protrusion, put her feet up against it and then jumped back off so she could reposition to try again.
Matilda saw what was happening and had to think quickly, with her wand she tried to reassert control of the golem. Though she knew there was no way she could, she was however, able to grab the giant's attention and enrage it into coming after her instead of Louise and Calista.
"Whatever you two are going to do, do it fast!" she yelled while backpedaling away from it, turning on her heels and then running as fast as she could when it started coming for her proper.
Calista leapt from the street level up to the golem's back and successfully impaled it with her Lightsaber. The rock quickly began to turn molten as the plasma of her blade went to work. She looked back behind her and saw Louise getting ready with Derflinger held out to her side. After a few more seconds Calista pulled out her Lightsaber and jumped away from the golem.
"It's on us now Derf!"
"Throw me Louise!"
"Use the Force…" she muttered to herself before closing her eyes and levitating Derflinger above her hand with a point of her finger she launched him towards the golem like a javelin.
After a few moments the golem was still rampaging. Louise was perplexed as the golem chased after Matilda. "It isn't working! Why isn't it working?!"
"How should I know?! We need to stop it from moving! Come on help me!" yelled Calista as she put away her Lightsaber and directed both her hands to the Golem.
"What are you going to do?"
"You mean what are we going to do. We are going to lift it up and stop it from killing her!"
"Something that big would take over hundred mages to levitate!"
"We are not Mages. Stop thinking like one. Size does not matter! Focus your anger and lift it!"
Matilda stopped when she felt the rumbling of the ground cease. Though she could still hear the golem moving around. She turned around and blinked at what she saw, then she couldn't help her jaw dropping when she saw Calista and Louise behind it as it was lifted up high enough to give her a line of sight to them. Then she looked up at the golem and saw the spells enhancing it begin to weaken and fall apart.
Henrietta turned her head back away from the fighting going on ahead of her when she heard a loud, almost roaring sound. She witnessed the golem fall apart and collapse into rubble.
The young Queen pumped a fist into the air in celebration, "She did it!"
"I see it Your Majesty. But we still have work to do," said Guiche while pointing his new wand out to a group of musket wielding enemy soldiers across the river, he used his magic to levitate one of them and them threw him into the river before he could fire his rifle. Meanwhile his Mage Knights did the same with several others, throwing them into the water where their powder would become wet and useless. Henrietta then directed her scepter down into the water and created a strong current to wash them away down stream.
After that she turned her attention towards one of the line of riflemen ahead of the mage knights but they were protecting them. The only thing the young Queen and the Mage Knights could do was prevent reinforcements from joining their enemies, or occasionally get lucky with a distracted enemy mage. But the same was true of their enemies.
"Mr. Gramont. Can you and your men raise a bridge for us?"
Guiche looked out across the river, assessing the situation they were in. The Musketeers were exchanging fire with archers and riflemen across the river, each side being protected by their mage knights from incoming fire and enemy spells as the situation called for. It was a complete stalemate.
"Not like this Your Majesty. We have to dispose of their Mages somehow."
"I don't see how we can do that. Anything I try to send at them is being dispelled. There's just too many of them and not enough of us!"
"Look Your Majesty!" yelled Guiche while pointing out the doorway leading into the next section of the city. It was being covered with stone by enemy mages on the other side. "This crossing might be a lost cause Your Majesty. What are your orders?"
Henrietta looked around for alternatives. "Brinvilliers doesn't leave anything to chance does he? There has to be another way across. We should retreat for now. Hope your father has better luck while we explore our options."
"Yes Your Majesty, everyone retreat!" yelled Guiche.
"Fall back! Quickly!" yelled Henrietta to confirm her orders.
Louise picked up Derflinger from the rubble of what was once the giant golem. "I can't believe we did that. It shouldn't have been possible!"
Calista put away her Lightsaber with an amused look on her face. "That kind of thinking will only ever hold you back from achieving your potential. There is nothing which cannot be done with the Force. The only limitations are those which you impose upon yourself, do not forget it."
Louise nodded, "I'll take it to heart Master. Are you alright Derf?"
The sword made a burping sound, "Yeah. Peachy."
Louise then looked back to Calista, "Master? Your eyes. They changed again?"
Calista nodded, "Yes. It was inevitable. But is this what you should be focused on at the moment?"
Louise shook her head, "No Master, what should we do?"
The Sith crossed her arms and closed her eyes, "You tell me Louise. Focus your mind, feel the Force, tell me what you think we should be doing next."
Louise closed her eyes and tightened her grip on Derflinger.
Matilda took a few deep breaths as she approached them.
"Matilda? Are you well enough to fight?" asked the Echani.
The bespectacled woman nodded while she transmuted her wand and looked at Calista with a smirk on her face, the Sith, in turn, grinned back at her.
Louise lifted her sword and pointed it up the north street. "The Queen needs our help. That way."
The three took off at a light jog up the street, the carnage was evident everywhere they went, blood pooled in the streets, allies and enemies lay dead together. Louise tried not to look, but she couldn't help the morbid fascination. Thankfully, something to keep her full attention presented itself when she caught sight of the Queen, Musketeers, and the Mage Knights coming back down the street.
"What happened?!" asked Louise loudly as she ran up to meet the Queen.
"We can't get across. Brinvilliers has concentrated Mage Knights there and destroyed the bridge," was the young monarch's response.
"We're going to join forces with my Father now," added Guiche.
Calista shook her head, "The General ordered a two-pronged attack for a reason. Orders are given with the expectation that they will be carried out."
"Well, it can't be done. So we have to improvise!" yelled Agnes at the young Sith Lord.
"Yes, and improvise we shall. How many enemies wait across the river?"
Agnes scoffed, "A few dozen Mage Knights. Hundreds of Infantry."
Calista chuckled, "Is that all?"
"They don't need number on their side Lord Zarkot. They have the advantage because of the narrow street, and those Mage Knights can focus their powers against us very easily," explained Henrietta.
"Hmm… So all we have to do is get rid of the Mage Knights? Or at least, give them something else to focus on while you get your troops across?" asked the Sith Lord.
"It isn't that simple you simpleton!" yelled Agnes.
"It is that simple. I will jump across and attack them head on. While I do that, all of you may use your power to do whatever it is you would do to get yourselves and your soldiers across the river."
Louise widened her eyes, "Master, even you can't stand up to that many-"
"I can if you lend me Derflinger."
"And who says I'm willin' to volunteer for this?" asked the sword from Louise's hand.
Henrietta blinked while Agnes scoffed, "This is absurd. But it's your funeral."
"I can do this with you, master. Let me come!"
"There's no time to debate this in a committee! I have to strike hard while that Jedi sleemo is still using his Battle Meditation to maximize our gains. Derflinger. I need your power for this. Louise is not ready for a fight like this yet."
"Sleemo? Battle meditation?" asked a confused Henrietta.
Louise lifted up her sword to her eye level, "Derf? Are you willing to go with Calista?"
The sword was silent for a long moment, "Yeah. I'm willing. Only on one condition, though!"
"You are hardly in a position to be dictating terms," said Calista with an amused smirk.
"Bite me!" yelled Derflinger, "My condition is that someone looks after Louise while I'm with that psycho snowflake!"
The blonde boy stepped up and nodded to the sword, "I will watch out for her."
"Guiche?" asked a confused Louise.
"Calista is right. My father gave his orders for a reason. We don't have to understand those reasons, but we do have to accomplish the task he gave us. If Calista can give us the edge we need, then we should use it."
"Do not think I cannot see through you Guiche. You are simply hoping to see me die here."
"With all due disrespect My Lady. I do not only wish to see you die. I also wish to see you win. With your victory or death, I gain a victory," he answered her back with venom in his voice.
Calista nodded to the boy, "Very good. There is hope for you yet."
"Are you both finished yet?" Louise asked with a harsh voice and then offered Derflinger over to Calista by the hilt once they were both silent, "Bring him back to me, Master. And please, if you can, don't use him to kill anyone."
Calista reached out her hand and grasped him by the hilt, the runes in her hand began tingling as a wave of new information flooded through her very being. "He is in good hands. I know how important he is to you my Apprentice, and I will honor your request to the best of my ability."
The Sith Lord ran up to the remains of the bridge, alone, though the rest of the army was coming behind her, the Mage Knights on the other side of the bridge were still stunned by her audaciousness. When she reached the end of the ruined bridge she leapt high into the air, Derflinger held out to her side in her left hand, and her Lightsaber staff in her right. When she ignited the red blades, everyone knew right away who she was and panic began to set in as weapons and wands were drawn.
Louise watched from across the river as Calista spun her staff, creating a constant weave of red light moving through weapons and soldiers. Her body and arms always perfectly positioned to cut man or spell with either weapon.
True to her word, she didn't use Derflinger to spill a single drop of blood, only her Lightsaber did any of the killing. Every now and then, Calista would use the Force to levitate a dropped weapon and use it to kill someone, or she would leap up and then drop down onto the ground and cause everyone gathering around her to be pushed away by some invisible force. Thought not so invisible to Louise, she understood what really happened, even if no one else did.
It was the first time Calista allowed the power in her Familiar Runes to flow freely through her body. Instincts she knew she never had before took over and directed her in how to effectively combine her weapons to their greatest effect. In her mind's eye, she could almost perfectly envision the Blademaster of the Sith Academy looking upon her now with nothing short of pure envy.
Calista Zarkot always had a raw talent for the martial arts. She knew, and they knew, that her Echani heritage played a large part in that. For her people, battle was the purest form of expression. With everyone she needed to express herself to watching, Calista made sure to hold nothing back. She was not mindlessly lashing out with anger and fury. She had a purpose in this fight. She was fighting for more than herself. She fought to show her apprentice what she could become. She fought to show the Queen what kind of ally she had. She fought to show her friend how far she would go for her. And she couldn't deny, she also wanted to show off for Agnes.
"They won't be more distracted than they are now!" yelled Matilda as she pointed her sword towards the river. "Earth Mages! Let's do this!"
Henrietta couldn't help but gawk at the display of carnage going on across the river. "In the name of God… I'm glad she's on our side."
Agnes aimed her pistol and fired off a shot at an enemy mage knight, dropping him to the ground with what was doubtlessly a mortal injury. "Yeah? We'll see how long that lasts."
"Why do you hate her so much Agnes?" asked Louise.
"This isn't the time Louise! Musketeers! Suppressive fire! Don't let them interfere with our mages!"
Meanwhile, in another part of the city Brinvilliers observed the situation at the south bridge where he had concentrated the bulk of his defenses. "Gramont will soon break through. Is everything prepared for when he does?"
"Yes, your excellency. We only await your orders."
"Very good, have your men hold their ground. Meanwhile prepare to-"
He was cut off by a messenger running up to him, "Excellency! The Manticore Knights have defeated the last of the Anti-air towers!"
"That was faster than expected. I presume they suffered casualties?"
"Yes Your Excellency. The reports say ten died in the fighting."
"Only ten? I'd expected many more to die…" the former Duke rubbed his forehead. "Why does my mind feel so foggy? My battle with that girl in black wasn't so straining… Bah! No matter. Just focus on your assigned tasks. We'll turn this battle back in our favor very soon."
He looked up into the sky, but could not see much of the fighting taking place there due to the darkness. "The dawn will come, and with it, a new age. All we have to do is hold out. I'll be joining the battle at the south gate. Inform my guard. Have the reserves begin gathering at the palace."
"Yes, Your Excellency. But the Captain of the Excalibur signaled again, he's awaiting orders. What shall we signal back?"
"Tell him to move in and land his marines behind the enemy lines, they know what to do. If the enemy airship comes into his sights he is to engage them."
"Yes Your Excellency."
"The North bridge is being crossed by the enemy!" yelled another messenger as he came running up to the former Duke.
"What?!"
"Forces under Queen Henrietta's direct command! They've raised a new bridge at the north gate! They need reinforcements!"
"How did this happen?!"
"It was the girl with the red blades! She leapt over the river itself and started cutting everyone down! She's a monster! Matilda de Saxe-Gotha is with her as well!"
"Damn it all! Twice now she's escaped certain death at my hands. There won't be a third! Change of plans, I want everyone to listen to me very carefully now and act with all haste!"
"I'm sure Brinvilliers didn't see this coming!" cheered Matilda after she cut the throat of the last enemy she had to fight.
"Yes… But the question is how will he respond to it?" wondered Calista.
"Doesn't matter. We have to keep up the momentum and move deeper into the city."
Henrietta began yelling loudly to be heard by everyone. "Matilda is right. Agnes, have the infantry spread out and start clearing a path towards the south gate. Use Mage Knights and infantry to hold this position, send a messenger back the way we came to report our success to General Gramont."
"And what about us Your Majesty?" asked Calista while handing Derflinger back to Louise.
Louise accepted him back gratefully and then looked to Henrietta as well.
The young violet haired monarch looked around as her troops began to disperse into the city. "We should make our way to lend our support to General Gramont. We'll drive a wedge between his position, and any enemy reinforcements."
"A sound strategy Your Majesty. That is why it will fail."
"What do you mean Lord Zarkot?"
"I agree he could not have anticipated us breaking through here. He expected the real battle to be to the south. He would have been right had it not been for me. Now he will turn his attention on us."
"Hmm. You're absolutely right about that Lord Zarkot. So, in that case. I think what we need to do is give him even more reason to come after us. That will give the General an opportunity to break through on his own. What we need to do to win is disrupt their chain of command. We need to attack him directly."
"How do you propose we find him?" asked Agnes with a snide tone of voice.
"Simple. He will be where he can see the battle and direct his forces. Somewhere with escape routes should he need to retreat." Henrietta looked around and considered the possibilities. "The community center. It's a tall building in the market district east of here. It won't be very accessible though. The streets leading into it are narrow."
"That's perfect. We do not even need to confront him directly. We simply need to incite him to flee. That will be enough to disrupt his chain of command to his forces in this area."
"It's a good plan. I say we do exactly that."