-Chapter 3-
"Hold on, I'll help!" Yells Rush.
Death had targeted Wyngale's buddies. It made no hesitation knocking out Wyngale with a blood-red beam of light, rendering the rest of the group aimless. Rush and David's groups deadlocked the beast next, but were met with silences and stuns. Rush couldn't use any healing invocations. Thankfully, Nora's group got of some hefty damage on Death. Allan sliced up the beast with his Furfur. He made sure to hit bone. Eyes glinting, he shreds the beast's skin diagonally.
Loki lunges at it and swings his mace heftily at its right side, Jorgen drove his staff at it― and Zolean casted a spell, and a wave of dark wind hits the beast. It takes a bit of damage, and seems slightly disheartened from his objective. Unfortunately, Nora's group didn't have any status healers, so Rush and David's group would just have to wait it out.
"What do we do? Our team leader's out cold!" Glenys frets.
"Not to worry. I have a plan." Gabriel states.
"Oh?"
"Oh really tough guy? Let's see what ya got!" Roars Gaou, anxious to tear that eyeball to pieces.
"Follow my lead. If we aren't silenced next turn, use Refresh fair maiden."
"I don't see where this is going, but okay."
"Gaou, keeping doing what you do best, and Sibal, remedies if you can." Gabriel commands.
"Hmph. I like your way of thinking."
"Hmm..." Sibal ponders.
Gaou took the advice to heart, slashing at Death with a crisscross of sword strikes. He hits for substantial damage. Glenys used refresh on Rush's group, curing them from being both silenced and paralyzed. Sibal was incapable of action, however Gabriel managed to back Wyngale with a vivification herb.
"Ah, so that's why."
Rush then cast the healing invocation Refresh on David's group, Violet gathered energy from her Cudgel and surrounded Wyngale's group with a flourish of green shards. The group gets bathed in a restorative wave of energy. Paris and Jager both used a similar attack— planting their staffs downwards in a striking motion then rapidly lifting it upwards to drag through and damage flesh. The eyeball made a slight grunting noise from the pain. Then, Nora flanked Death. Allan dealt quite the blow with his special Furfur armament― using the weapon art Retribution. Jorgen simply smashes at it. Loki puts aside his bloodlust for a moment and tossed a Restorative Herb at Rush's group, its particles scattering through the team and healing them. Zolean summoned an acidic blast to ripple the earth and hit the creature, and Nora did a smart move and got Death silenced with her tactically altered Konbo.
"Yeah! Everybody's getting hyped!" Rush feels all the energy from the battle trickle into him.
His talisman starts to glow. It was well overdue to conclude this battle. Violet started off with striking at the beast twice, weakening Death even further. Jager used Thunderclap, an incredibly powerful move that requires the handler to be extremely flexible. He spins around, weapon in hand, and using the momentum from the spin, bangs his weapon down on the beast. Paris casted Maledict, binding the beast in a chain of purple archaic runes. Rush landed the crushing blow; his whole body illuminated in a viridian light, talisman glowing, and movement so quick it created afterimages of himself.
They watched as Death fell and rolled towards the ground, disintegrating on the spot.
Another successful battle. The group made it out of Sienbur without too much trouble afterward, and took refuge in Undelwalt. It was pretty late when they arrived but the team decided to celebrate at the Blessed Chime before resting. Tables were set up just like how their unions were.
"Gotta admit, that was really something mitra." Gaou gloats.
"Next time, you take the Surefire, and let's see how you deal with it! Gwahahahaha!" Wyngale feverishly laughs.
"You do know that has a chance of missing, right?" Sibal questions.
"Shut your trap Qsiti! Or shall I silence it for you? Heheheh. Hihihi~"
"Bring it! I'll be damned if I lost to a mere kitty-kat!"
"Quit yer yappin! Save it for the enemy you twits! Now, am I going to be able to make a toast or do I need to rough ya two up outside?" Gaou clasps his hands together a few times.
"...He started it." Wyngale crosses his arms.
"Bah! Anyhoo, it was quick thinking on his part. Hope you're on my team for the next time we're on the road." Sibal compliments.
"Please! Don't shower me with all this praise, it was really nothing."
"Heh. Look at him being all modest, Drink up mitra! This round's on me!"
"A moment, please, I am not a heavy drinker-"
Gaou put his shoulder over him, the weight nearly causing Gabriel to stumble. They held their beer mugs into the air, Sibal standing up on his chair to line his glass with everyone else's, and made a toast. The tables were filled with raucous laughter, endless discussion and all around merriment. However, one Mitra wasn't feeling the festive air the pub had. They were sitting quietly at the table. A couple of hours passed, people were departing, and the tavern was closing up. Glenys was getting ready to leave. Gabriel took notice, trying to find a way out of this drinking situation. Thankfully, Gaou and Wyngale were drunk, shoulder to shoulder, and shouting nonsense while all those in the pub got to hear Wyngale's dreadful singing voice and Sibal was fast asleep at the table.
"Hm..." Violet held her head with her hands, silently contemplating, watching as Gabriel ran off into the night.
"Oy! Mon chéri, where are you off to?" Gabriel paces after her.
"To sleep. If I can get any." Glenys sighs.
"Is something the matter? You haven't been looking well since we came into the pub."
Glenys sighs again. "I know. I should be happy for you. But I'm just not in a good mood."
"Happy for me? Non, it was a group effort. Is there anything you'd like to talk about?" Gabriel kindly asks.
"Not really. I really haven't been feeling all that well ever since coming here. It reminds me too much of my home."
"What about your home?"
"How it used to be. The beautiful skies, the grandiose edifices. It wasn't overly wealthy, mind you, or booming in success from commerce, or the magic capital of the world... but we were grateful to live there all the same." She explains.
"What...what happened to it?"
"It burned. To the ground. Nothing remained."
"Oh...uh...wow. I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be, there's nothing you could do about it."
"Maybe not, but perhaps there is something I could do for you?"
"And what would that be?"
"I dunno." Gabriel pulls her close so that they're inches apart. "You tell me?"
Glenys slaps him across his left cheek, storming off in the opposite direction. Gabriel rubs his skin, dazed and even more intrigued with her.
"...Ohhh she's fierce. Just like Ophelia."
An hour later, Gabriel was getting ready to sleep. He has taken off his armor and put on a simple Tee shirt and Sienna Brown shorts that had a little symbol of Athlum on the right side. A soft knock came from the door and prevented him from going to bed. He opened the door to find the lovely Violet Gilles-Barre Nielson in front of him. She was wearing a Parma violet tank top, with silver sweat pants. She had a purple face mask occupying the very top of her head and her hair was tied in a short pinned up ponytail. Gabriel took a moment to finally speak.
"Oh hello there Miss Violet. To what do I owe the pleasure of being able to speak with such a fine lady?"
"Gabriel, can we talk? It's...serious." Violet glumly looks at him.
"Hm? Is Baron Nielson not meeting your expectations?"
"No, it's not like that. It's about you. You and Glenys."
"..." Gabriel's expression quickly changes from interested to slightly annoyed.
"I know it's none of my business, but have you thought about being serious with her? I've seen how you look at her and-"
"And?"
"I just...don't want you to suffer being alone anymore. You have been for the past twenty years."
"...You-You did a background check on me?"
"It wasn't my doing. Gabriel. I'm royalty, remember? My guards did it for my protection, to make sure no harm would come my way. I insisted they only inform me on anything about your past that I absolutely needed to know but..."
"So, what's your point?"
"My point is, maybe you can finally start to settle down? You wouldn't have to struggle to survive."
"That wouldn't be possible Miss Violet."
"But why?"
"The only kind of relationship I can think of being with her is in a one-night stand.
Violet blushes. Gabriel lets out a small chuckle, and gently closes his door.