The tent flaps fluttered closed in the wake of the falcon's exit. Tanners turned to meet the questioning stares of the tent's occupants.
"Argrom," Phaedra said flatly. "You just told a bird to take a message to Argrom?"
"Who is Argrom?" Reed asked, glancing between the two. For some reason the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it in connection to the events that had just unfolded.
"He's a myth!" Phaedra sscoffed. "The people of Tani have worshiped him as the guardian of the forest for generations, but he doesn't actually exist."
That was how Reed knew the name. Phaedra had started cursing by him recently, claiming that she was tired of using the Maidens and the Hermit. No wonder Phaedra looked so incredulous, a local deity was about as likely to exist as the Maidens and Hermit themselves.
"Argrom has been working with Huntress Kadir and myself to suppress the Grimm these past months," Tanners explained. "He prefers the company of animals to people and lives in the forest, but that's where his similarities with the myth ends. I'd say the name was a joke if he had a single humorous bone in his body, but regardless he's just a person like you and me. Well, maybe a little more… eccentric, but certainly not a god."
"More eccentric than Pixie here?" Seraphina said with a smirk. "Somehow I doubt that."
Phaedra glowered at the taunt. "You really want to get into this now, Miss Muscles?"
"Guys," Reed intervened, stepping between them. "This isn't the time for this."
"Sorry," Seraphina muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "Couldn't resist."
"I'm still not convinced that Camo did anything wrong," Tamus growled, glowering at Reed. "Your evidence is weak and the timing is a little convenient for my liking."
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Phaedra snapped at the corporal. "Oh wait, you can't. He passed out of radio contact hours ago. Like that's not convenient?"
"He was headed west!" Tamus shot back, jabbing a massive finger at the map still spread on the table. "Spines was killed in the north!"
"Yeah, and it's totally impossible that he changed direction once out of sight of the camp," Phaedra mocked. "It's not like we are in the Grimm-begotten mountains, with ravines and rocky outcroppings around every damn turn!"
"By the Maidens that is enough," Tanners said, rubbing his temples. "I have enough to worry about without you two constantly at each other's throats. Phaedra, go tell the Forgemaster that I'm going to need an impromptu cell built. See what he can put together."
Phaedra shot one last annoyed glance at Tamus before snapping an overly exaggerated salute to the sergeant and striding from the tent.
"Henry, I know the evidence is circumstantial, but it fits a little too well for my liking. If Argrom and Huntress Kadir find him to the north that would be rather damning. Wouldn't you agree?"
Tamus didn't look convinced, but he nodded his assent.
"What if he did it, but they can't track him down?" Seraphina asked. "Huntress Kadir may be able to fly, but there are plenty of places to hide around here. Pixie was right about that much."
Tanners shook his head. "Argrom's information network is… extensive. If there's anybody hiding between here and the Support Tower he will find them."
First one hour passed, then two. The occupants of the tent were restless, but nobody wanted to leave and miss whatever was about to happen. Tamus's insistence that Camo was innocent became increasingly uncertain as dawn light began to filter through the canvas, Camo's scheduled return to camp more than an hour late.
Finally the radio on Reed's belt crackled to life, and everyone stared at it in expectation.
"Uh, Reed?" Chase sounded shaken, his voice quavering. "You're gonna want to see this."
Everyone rushed from the tent, heading for Chase's position at the camp's perimeter. As they emerged from the dense clutter of tents Reed skidded to a halt, staring at the road winding north into the mountains.
Camo was stumbling towards the camp, eyes glazed, torn uniform revealing a myriad of scrapes and bruises. His wrists were firmly bound in front of him, the rope snaking down straight into the jaws of a wolf.
There were two of the massive creatures, one dragging Camo impatiently forward, the other nipping at his heels whenever he slowed.
Tanners released an exasperated sigh. "Honestly, Argrom. I know you don't like crowds, but this is ridiculous."
The wolves stopped a dozen paces from the group of Guards, dropping the leash and settling onto their haunches. They watched patiently as Tamus rushed forward, grabbing Camo by the shoulders and tilting the man's face up to look at him.
"Camo? Camo! What's wrong?! What did these beasts do to you?!"
"Easy, Henry," Tanners said, placing a hand on the corporal's shoulder as he peered into Camo's vacant eyes. "The wolves didn't do this. Let's see… Ah, here we go."
Tanners reached a hand around the back of Camo's neck, lifting it to reveal a small scorpion, its barbed tail tipped with blood. He set it gently on the ground and it scampered into a crevice in the rocks. "That was a Nemurukiba. Their poison isn't lethal, it just induces a state similar to sleep paralysis. His aura must have counter-acted it enough to allow him to walk. I have to admit, that's pretty clever."
"C-Corporal," Camo stuttered, eyes focusing slightly on the large Faunus. "What's going on? I was just scouting when…"
"Camo," Tamus said in a pained voice. "Tell me they're wrong. Tell me you had good reason to be up north. It couldn't have been you who killed Spines, you don't even fight with an ax, you use a rifle. Plus-"
A low growl from one of the wolves cut through Tamus's pleading. It pushed its nose into the small of Camo's back, and Tanners walked around behind the bound Guard. His eyes grew hard as he pulled a pair of hatchets from the man's belt.
Camo's eyes flicked between Tanners and the wolves, the last remnants of disorientation disappearing from his gaze.
"That lunatic with the wolves was with you, Sarg?" His voice had changed entirely. It was icy, dripping with disgust. "Well Grimm, I was hoping he was just some Hermit-crazed mountain man."
"Card Mov," Tanners voice was calm, but the barely suppressed anger was obvious. "You are suspected of conspiracy against your fellow Guards and murder of one of your squad mates. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Camo shrugged, his expression disinterested. "No point denying it now, I can see you've already made up your mind. Spines saw me cut through the perimeter on my way north, and I was forced to silence her before she reported in. That was very sneaky of you, Sarg, keeping someone like that out beyond the camp perimeter."
"Why were you going to the tower?" Tanners asked, seeming to loom over Camo despite them being close in height. "What is waiting for us there?"
"Exactly what you think, Sarg," Camo said, looking Tanners straight in the eye, thoroughly unimpressed. "A whole mess of Grimm. I just had something to clean up."
His lips twitched and his eyes crinkled in a cruel smile. "It takes a lot of pain to draw this many Grimm, most of the technicians have probably bled out by now. It would have been a real thorn in my side if one of them had managed to hold on long enough for you to get to them."
He shrugged carelessly. "Moot point now."
"Reed," Tanners's teeth were clenched in barely suppressed anger. "You and Seraphina take this traitor back to my tent. I'll round up Gerstein and Argentos."
He glared at Camo. "There's more to this than he's letting on. One way or another we are going to get some answers."
Reed and Seraphina took up positions on either side of Camo, gripping his elbows firmly and marching him through the camp. Despite his position Camo walked with straight-backed confidence, glancing with disdain at his escort.
"Held prisoner by a self-loathing Faunus and a boy as green as his hair," he shook his head in mock despair. "How far I have fallen."
"You killed one of your own people," Seraphina responded hotly, "But you consider this the low point?"
"Don't bother, Sera. He's just trying to get a rise out of us."
Reed scrutinized Camo out of the corner of his eye. Granted he hadn't known the man long, but he hadn't seemed a likely candidate for the White Fang spy. He'd come across as sincere, if a little socially awkward. Reed had talked with the man about his past, about how…
He frowned, replaying their interactions in his head. Camo hadn't actually said anything more than a vague statement about his parents living in Menagerie. Reed had made a point of trying to learn as much as possible about each of the Faunus in Tamus's squad, how had he missed that Camo had managed to dodge his inquiries?
"You were the one who outed Tamus," the revelation made him feel queasy. "You were the one who told me that his dad was in the White Fang."
Camo chuckled, sounding satisfied. "Your attempts to investigate us were painfully obvious. I threw out that little tidbit and you snatched it up like a starved dog, running back to your friends with your prize without even realizing that I hadn't answered your questions."
There were other small things, now that Reed thought about it. Chase had mentioned that during the fight with the Heroes of Humanity Camo had seemed completely different. Angry, almost scary. He'd played it off as being in the heat of the moment, but Reed should have recognized the inconsistency in the man's apparently calm and easy-going nature.
"That's a good look on you," Camo licked his lips, eying Reed hungrily. "It must be so hard to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Tamus and them have known me for more than a year, but obviously you are at fault. Only you had the ability to catch me, only you could have put all the pieces together, and you failed."
Reed flushed, biting back the sharp retort that rose to his lips. Camo's mouth spread into a wide, cruel smile.
"Arrogant kids like you are so much fun to play with."
Seraphina's eyes blazed with anger, but at a look from Reed she remained quiet. They reached Tanners's tent, pushing Camo in before them. The man strode across the threshold before stumbling to a halt. His shoulders tensed, his at-ease posture replaced with something that looked oddly like fear as he tried to back out again.
"What are you doing here?"
Seraphina placed a restraining hand on Camo's back, exchanging a worried glance with Reed before they cautiously made their way into the tent. Camo's eyes were fixed on the back corner of the tent, where a man lounged in the only chair.
Narrowed eyes looked out from under a wild mane of jet-black hair. A pair of furred, triangular ears pricked towards them, and a lopsided smile revealed teeth filed to wicked points. The man stood, the action causing his mottled-brown cloak to shift, revealing a longsword belted to his waist.
"The best part of the hunt," the man growled, his voice sending shivers down Reed's spine, "Is when your prey thinks they are safe."
Reed gulped. "I'm guessing that means you're Argrom?"
"Yes," Argrom confirmed, one eyebrow rising as his gaze settled on Reed. "Ah, it's you. The boy who has spent so much time in my forest."
The statement was not quite an accusation, but he still shifted uncomfortably under the intense man's scrutiny. Argrom hummed thoughtfully before returning his attention to Camo. "You were a slippery one, always one step ahead of my pack. Any time they got too close their ears would start to hurt and they would get confused. Good thing my little arachnid friend was able to get the drop on you."
Camo spat on the ground in front of Argrom, regaining a semblance of his condescending presence. "Poison, a coward's weapon."
Argrom grinned, the expression devoid of humor. "Your screech is worse than your bite, little bat."
A booming voice cut through the air, and Reed's heart sank as he recognized its owner.
"This is unacceptable, Sergeant!" Gerstein roared. "We had a traitor in our midst this whole time, and you only deign to tell me now?!"
The overly muscled man stomped into the tent, looking over one shoulder at Tanners, who followed him into the tent accompanied by Captain Argentos and Kiwidinek.
"What's the big deal, Gerstein," Argentos murmured, rubbing sleepily at her eyes. "Tanners caught the guy, right?"
"After the bastard killed someone!" Gerstein shouted, and Reed winced at the unnecessary volume. The man could probably be heard all the way back in Adigiar, and yet he wondered why the sergeant hadn't made him privy to such sensitive information.
"The call wasn't his to make, Captain," Kiwidinek said in a tired voice, entering the tent at the back of the group. "I gave the order."
"Of course you did," Gerstein grumbled, coming to a stop in front of Camo and shoving his face down in front of the traitor's. "Thought you were clever, eh? Making us waste time on this Grimm-begotten expedition. Well the game is up! Your plan has been foiled!"
"Captain," Tanners groaned, hand to his forehead. "We don't know his plan, only that the expedition was part of it."
Gerstein flushed, grabbing Camo by the front of his tattered uniform and lifting him off his feet. "What I meant was we are going to foil his plan! Now what is it? Tell me now, before I beat it out of you!"
Camo spread his hands innocently. "No, no, you had it right the first time. There's nothing else to it, you've thwarted me, my inane friend."
A look of confusion passed across Gerstein's face. "Inane…?"
"Gerstein," Kiwidinek sighed, "Would you please put him down? That will get us nowhere."
The Huntress had dark bags under her eyes and her feet dragged as she approached Camo. Reed had barely seen her the entire march, normally only in passing as she flew over the expedition. Judging by her exhausted appearance she had been working herself to the bone the entire trip.
Gerstein set the Faunus back on his feet, taking several steps back. It was an unconscious movement, despite all the captain's complaints about Kiwidinek he seemed to have no intention of getting in her way.
"This doesn't have to get ugly, Camo," Kiwidinek said in a placating voice. She grabbed the chair from the corner of the tent and set it next to him, gesturing for him to take a seat. He glowered at her, but settled into the chair.
"Many people are going to die in the assault on the tower, and not just humans. I know you're frustrated with how your people are treated, but is your vengeance worth their lives?"
Camo sneered at the woman, her plea obviously doing little to impress him. "Who's to say any of them will even follow you? What if I told you they are all members of the White Fang, simply waiting for my order to turn their weapons on you?"
Kiwidinek smiled sadly. "More attempts to divide us? You'll have to do better than that. Let's try something else. Tell me about yourself, Camo. Where did you grow up?"
"The moon," he responded, rolling his eyes. "Lovely place, before someone went and broke it."
"How about your parents? What were they like?"
"My father was a Death Stalker and my dear mother was an alien. Made the 'sex talk' really awkward."
Kiwidinek patiently continued her questions, despite Camo's ridiculous and unhelpful responses. Reed didn't understand why she bothered, the line of inquiry obviously wasn't going anywhere. He turned to say something to Seraphina but she wasn't looking at him or Kiwidinek and Camo. Her gaze was fixed on Argrom, who was conversing in a low voice with Tanners at the back of the tent.
"What's wrong?" Reed asked her in a low voice. Her brow furrowed in response.
"I don't know," she murmured, hands clenching at her side. "But something doesn't feel right. My shoulders are tight and I keep unconsciously reaching for my knives, but at the same time I want to turn around and run as far away from that man as I can."
Reed looked up in time to see Kiwidinek's eyes flash in Argrom's direction. He gave her a small nod, barely more than a minuscule dip of his chin. Her tone changed suddenly, becoming hard and uncompromising, and her questions flew from her mouth in rapid succession.
"Why'd you join the White Fang?"
"Because I hate humans," Camo responded, anger seeping into his voice, replacing the scorn. "You'd all be better served rotting in the ground."
"Did you torture the Support Tower technicians?"
"Yeah, and I enjoyed it," he growled, a manic light entering his eyes. "Their screams were more beautiful than any orchestra."
Seraphina's hands held her knives in a white-knuckled grip now, her legs bending in a crouch and her lips pulling back in a snarl. Reed stared in bewilderment between her and Camo, completely at a loss. What was going on, and why were Seraphina and Camo the only ones who seemed affected?
"Was your intent to lure the Guard out of Adigiar?"
"Of course it was, you stupid bitch!"
"Are the other Faunus following your orders?"
"Those cowards don't have the resolve to do what we do!"
With a roar Seraphina charged towards Camo. Reed was moving before he had time to think, jumping forward and grabbing her by the wrist. He kicked her feet out from under her, wrenching her arm behind her back and driving her into the ground.
"Seraphina, what the Grimm are you doing?!" Her eyes were wild and she writhed underneath him, his words falling on deaf ears.
"What is waiting for us at the tower?!" Kiwidinek shouted over the din, ignoring the pair struggling on the ground.
"Your death!" Camo cackled, eyes wide and pupils dilated. "Even our fearless leader Adam Taurus can't handle that woman! Her dress is stained red from the blood of her countless victims, her eye alight with the fire she rains down on her enemies!"
"Alright, that's enough, Argrom," Tanners placed a restraining hand on the man's shoulder. Argrom seemed not to notice, leaning forward with his eyes locked on Camo and a rictus grin twisting his face.
"Metal feet will kick your teeth in! Your mind will be twisted with illusions and arrows will knock you from the sky!"
Gerstein looked sick, and even Argentos seemed fully awake now, staring at Camo in horror.
"We donned the mask of monsters and now they follow our every command! Humankind will fall to the superior might of the Faunus!"
"Argrom!" Kiwidinek snapped, putting a restraining hand on Camo as he tried to stand. "For the Maiden's sake we have what we need!"
The man blinked, his face settling into a neutral expression. He straightened and closed his eyes, breathing deeply.
The effect was immediate. Seraphina suddenly stilled under Reed, panting softly as sweat dripped down her face. Camo's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed limply to the ground.
Reed got shakily to his feet, offering Seraphina a hand and hauling her up. He stared open-mouthed at Tanners, who had the look of a man forced to swallow a bitter herbal drought.
"Sorry Seraphina," the sergeant said softly, refusing to meet Reed's gaze. "I should have asked you to leave, but it might have put Camo on his guard."
"What in the name of the Hermit was that?" Seraphina groaned, rubbing her eyes with the heels of her hands. "I was so angry. All I could think of was how much everything he was saying was pissing me off. How much I wanted to sink my knife into him over and over and…"
She trailed off, looking like she might lose her breakfast. Reed put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, glaring openly at Argrom. The man's eyes were hooded, but the look in them was that of a starving man who'd been forced to stop eating. As if he wanted nothing more than to continue where he'd left off.
Kiwidinek took a shaky breath. "It's… complicated. Argrom can commune with animals, but they don't talk in the way we do. He reads their emotions and conveys to them his own."
"It doesn't work on humans," Argrom snarled, "But Faunus are part animal. That part of them responds to my semblance, while the human side rejects it. The effect is… interesting."
Kiwidinek eyed him with a worried expression. "You pushed too hard, Argrom. Channeling that much anger… Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine," he snapped, glaring around the tent. "You have what you need, you say? Good, then it's time I took my leave. This entire place reeks of people."
Stalking forward he pushed roughly past Reed and for the first time he saw the man's face in profile. Where his human ear should have been there was only a scar, jagged and pale with age.
"What is that guy's problem?" Gerstein said gruffly, though he still sounded shaken. "Should we be working with an animal like that?"
"He's a good man," Kiwidinek said, "But he has had a harder life than most. He just needs some time alone to recover." Despite her assurance her tone held its own level of concern.
"Regardless," Tanners said with the distinct sound of someone trying to change the topic, "That may have been unpleasant, but the information we gleaned has to be taken into account. There's someone waiting for us at the tower, possibly a group of them, and it sounds like they aren't just going to let us clear the place of Grimm and get it running again."
"This is getting out of hand," Argentos murmured. "Do we have the resources to fight off that horde of Grimm and whoever that guy was ranting about? I don't like the sound of all that "fire raining from the sky" stuff. It may be time to consider a tactical retreat."
"No," Tanners said firmly. "We have to do this. Adigiar won't survive if we don't reclaim the Support Tower."
Kiwidinek turned to Tanners, her face worried. "Felix, she might be right. Someone in the Vale government has to have noticed that the tower is down. Maybe we should pull back and wait for reinforcements, I can fly there in two days if I push myself and-"
"No," Tanners said through gritted teeth. "I can do this. We can do this. We just need to tweak our strategy."
His tone sounded off to Reed. For the first time he could remember the sergeant looked… young. His mouth was set in a stubborn line and a defiant light glinted in his eyes.
"The boy is right," Gerstein said, the statement sounding like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Retreat is for the weak and cowardly. Just because a couple of people are mixed in with the Grimm doesn't mean anything. We just have to hit faster and harder."
"Private," Tanners said to Reed, waving distractedly at Camo's prone form. "Take him to the cell and set two of your people to watch him. I'll come get you when we've figured out our plan of attack."
Reed and Seraphina carried Camo between them, making for the forge grounds. The open area was the only place in the camp that had enough open space for a new structure, and a cage had been constructed on its southern end.
Abbey and Delphin stood to either side of the cage's door, the former chatting in her normal, incessant way while the latter just stared at the girl blankly. Not exactly the best prison guards, but they were short handed, and Phaedra sat a short distance away, keeping half an eye on the pair as she labored at some last minute repairs.
Setting Camo inside the impromptu prison, Reed admired the handiwork. It may have been hastily constructed, but it was solidly built. The large, sliding doors of the expedition truck had been removed and bound with bands of steel, making up three sides, while the last side and the roof were constructed of wooden poles, spares for if any of the tent frames broke during the march. With a concerted effort Camo might be able to break out of it, but it would take time and in his current state Reed figured that wasn't something they had to worry about.
"I think I'm going to go lay down for a minute," Seraphina said, her shoulders slumped.
Reed nodded sympathetically. "Go get some rest, I will stay here and keep an eye on things."
He nodded to Abbey and Delphin then made his way over to Phaedra. He took a seat from next to the forge and moved it several paces away, outside the bubble of heat. Phaedra grunted in acknowledgment of his presence, lifting her work from the forge to a nearby anvil.
"Is it too much to ask that these Grimm-begotten idiots do some basic maintenance?" she grumbled, hammering at the bent shape of a spear-head. "Honestly, how did they even bend it this much? Did they try to pry open a Maiden's legs and ram it up her-"
The low curses and swearing flowed from her mouth in a steady stream as she bent the spear-head back into shape before dunking it into a bucket of water. She tossed it onto a pile of fixed blades, then slumped into a seat next to Reed.
"Well, whatever they did, they can resharpen it themselves. It doesn't take a genius to drag a whetstone across a triangle of metal." She mopped her brow with a corner of her apron, leaving streaks of wet ash across her face, before finally looking around. "Where's Miss Muscles?"
Reed sighed. "A lot happened during the interrogation."
He filled her in, her eyebrow climbing steadily higher until it seemed in danger of disappearing into her hairline.
"Wow, Argrom sounds like a real animal. How… appropriate."
"That's an understatement." Reed's brow furrowed in thought. "That's not what's bothering me, though. Tanners seemed… off. Like it was important that he was the one responsible for the expedition's success."
"What did Tamus and Ivory have to say about all this? He's know the sergeant longer than the rest of us."
"They weren't there," Reed replied, frowning at the realization. "Tanners must not have wanted him to be part of it."
"Is he worried they're traitors too?" Phaedra asked, sounding skeptical.
"No," Reed said with a sigh. "If anything he probably thought it would have been too hard on him. Or he was punishing him for not realizing Camo was a spy."
"It's not Tamus's fault that he's an idiot," Phaedra replied with a smirk.
"I think that Tamus just has a hard time suspecting those he's close to," Reed said, shaking his head. "His heart's in the right place."
"Yeah, but his brain isn't."
"Phaedra, come on."
"What? You know I'm right."
A flicker of movement drew Reed's attention back to the cage, but it was just Camo shifting positions. He eyed the man for a moment, but he appeared to still be unconscious.
"What are we gonna do with that piece of Grimm waste?" Phaedra asked, following Reed's gaze.
"I don't know," said Reed, feeling very tired. "We're going to need every Guard we have if we want to have a chance of retaking the tower, we were never equipped to handle a prisoner."
"You're telling me," Phaedra said with a snort. "Took me two hours to throw that thing together, and did the Forgemaster help? Nooo, he was snoring away in his tent. Prick."
"I'm telling you, that sergeant is too high and mighty for someone of his position! Telling me what to do, as if I'm just some corporal to be ordered around!"
Reed glanced in the direction of the booming voice, catching a glimpse of Captains Gerstein and Argentos walking between some nearby tents. Argentos, for her part, seemed to be sleep-walking, eyes closed as she followed several paces behind the man.
"I guess the strategy meeting is over," Reed said, hauling himself to his feet with a groan. "Guess I should go check in and see what our plan is."
"You do that," Phaedra said, sliding low in her seat and closing her eyes. "I'm gonna take a nap. Between my forge work and you getting your skull knocked in by the corporal I barely got any rest last night. Unlike some people."
"I don't think being knocked unconscious counts as rest."
Phaedra opened one eye slightly, smirking at him, but otherwise let the comment go unchallenged. Reed turned and walked across the forge grounds in the direction of the cage. Abbey appeared to have talked herself out for once. She stood quietly next to Delphin, leaning casually on her gun-spear.
"Good work you two, keep it up," Reed said, reaching out to pat Delphin on the shoulder as he passed.
The scene burst into a cloud of triangular shards, revealing Abbey laid out on the ground and a strange woman standing in Delphin's place.
Reed stared in shock at the place where Delphin had been a moment before. In his place stood a short girl with pink and brown hair, split down the middle, and what looked like a leotard under a white jacket and jet black pants. Her appearance was so odd, so unexpected, that Reed froze.
The girl gave him a sly smile before snatching his wrist from where it hung in the air. She moved with the speed of a striking snake, legs wrapping around his arm and white boots slamming into a joint-lock against the sides of his neck. It was an advanced grappling technique that Reed had no chance of breaking. In an instant he found himself soaring through the air to land hard on his back next to Abbey's prone form. Halmvoulge clattered from his hand and the air in his lungs blasted out through clenched teeth.
Smirking, the girl stared down at him, bringing a parasol to rest across her shoulders. Her right eye was the same dark brown that Delphin's had been, but her left was a shocking pink to match her hair.
Reed instinctively slammed his semblance on, the action saving his life as the girl pointed her parasol at him and a long, thin blade slid out the tip towards his throat. He jerked his head to the side, the blade sinking into the ground a hair's-breadth from his neck. He batted the weapon aside with the back of his hand, lashing out with his legs to trip her as he spun to his feet.
She rolled through the air with the grace of a gymnast, one foot settling lightly on the ground as she spun in a pirouette and slammed her other boot into his chest. He grabbed her ankle, trying to pull the girl off balance, but the parasol swung around and he was forced to let go and knock the weapon aside, palm striking just below the blade and sending it arcing high over his head.
Reed cursed, backpedaling as the girl pushed forward relentlessly. Halmvoulge was lying a dozen paces away where it had fallen when she'd thrown him, and it was all he could do to keep the parasol from skewering him.
If he'd had time to think about it he might have laughed at the thought of someone fighting with such a ridiculous weapon. As it was, it was a very real threat. It did have one weakness, though. The blade only made up the very tip of the weapon.
As she stabbed forward Reed slipped to the side, feeling the blade part the fabric of his uniform. He grabbed the parasol, pulling it further and slamming a fist into the girl's gut.
Well, he tried to. The girl jumped over the blow, one hand braced on his arm. The hand clenched like a vice on his wrist and she pulled it up as she reversed her grip on the weapon. The hooked handle of the parasol slid down his front, latching around one ankle, and suddenly he was flying through the air, spinning head over heels.
He passed through the front of the cage, wooden poles snapping under his back, and slammed against the metal wall. He kicked himself mentally. The joint-lock she'd put him in at the beginning of the fight should have told him she was a grappler, the blade on the end of her parasol was just to give her a mid-range option.
He pushed himself to his feet, mouth set in a grimace. The girl sauntered towards him, hips swaying in a way that Reed decided was more dangerous than seductive. He had to get out of the cage, there was no way he could take her in such a confined space.
The girl glanced to the side, and for the first time he saw a flicker of annoyance pass across her face. She spun the parasol out in front of her and it popped open, just in time to deflect a large rock soaring through the air.
"Who in Hermit-blessed Remnant is this chick?" Phaedra shouted from somewhere out of sight as rocks continued to slam into the parasol.
Reed didn't bother responding, having no answer to the question anyway. He had to get to Halmvoulge, but the strange girl stood just outside the cell, blocking the entrance. He had to get her to move, there was no other way out. Unless…
"Phaedra!" He shouted. "Boarbatusk toss, front right corner!"
"Good thinking!" She shouted back. The girl stared at him in confusion, eyes widening slightly as a pillar of rock emerged from under the corner of the cage and lifted it high off the ground.
Reed was already moving, rolling under the rising cage wall, putting the pillar between him and the girl. His hands found the shaft of Halmvoulge as he got to his feet and he swung, flicking both the green and red switch and sending a jet of flame in a semi-circle around him.
The girl was already charging him but she pulled up short, opening her umbrella to shield herself from the arc of fire. Reed pushed the red switch in the opposite direction, shooting a volley of fireballs that was soon accompanied by Phaedra's continued assault of flying rocks.
The parasol dropped low and the girl glowered over its edge at him. He had a moment of satisfaction. The best way to deal with a grappler was always to stay out of their range.
"Reed, what's going on?!"
He glanced over to see Tamus and Ivory charging into the forge grounds, weapons in hand. The moment he glanced away the girl moved, running into the cage and hauling Camo over one shoulder.
Before he could reorient on her she winked at him. They both disappeared.
