[i][center]For A Worth Unknown. . .[/center][/i]
[hr]
The situation was uncalled for if Naofumi had to say something in response.
A blinding, white light filled the room, followed by a stinging cold that steadily crept up from the floor to the walls. Something in his menu informed him of a temporary status proc that would slow their movements for a few minutes until its effects wore off. He counted himself lucky that he hadn't let Raphtalia, Filo, and Melty be in the room, not with their recovery from the near-death experience of drowning. Storm Song, Valiant, and Pagus stood their ground, the Unicorn guard erecting a semi-circle barrier to shield the torrent of cold as it quickly crept its way up, vast mounds of snow and ice filling the hovel.
''We need to do something, quick!" Storm Song shouted, her throat feeling as if sandpaper was shoved down her throat. The air's temperature began to drop drastically, causing Naofumi's head to tingle, and the possible thought of death sent his emotions off the charts. Valiant's barrier began to crumble under the intense cold, and the Shield Hero could barely see how much longer the cooldown had until it wore off. With frost covering his eyelids and his body's shivering response set into overdrive, Naofumi slowly found himself on the losing end of this metaphorical fight, and on one knee, the small, brief respite was in the form of Pagus giving him cover and yelling something he was unable to decipher.
''Nnggh!'' Naofumi grunted, raising his shield, the slight glow of the gem slowly turning red giving him the understanding that something involuntarily triggered his shield. His body began to heat up, embers of flames beginning to form, despite the cold and frost. An feeling stuck between instinct and fear compelled Naofumi to slowly rise, as the heads-up menu displayed the Cursed Shield's status effects displayed as a minuscule loss of his MP. ''Move!'' Naofumi barely managed to move Pagus out of the way and trudge to the barrier. ''L-Let me through! I have a plan!'' Valiant voiced his concern about the situation; it was bone-chilling cold, and the kid wanted to go out into it. If he didn't know better, Naofumi was essentially himself from another world. The flames grew in intensity, whipping and jumping toward the ice as it began to melt.
''What the buck's happening?'' Storm Song could feel the intense cascade of heat, the melting of ice on her eyes letting her be able to see Naofumi's crouched position over the mound of cold-spewing ice that began to melt. From what Valiant and Pagus were able to tell her, she was unable to get a read on his power, but she would have to see more to conclude the grander scheme of things. Starswirl and his hard-headed nature would be to come back and bite him in the flank, once again.
''Whatever he's doing, it's working!'' Pagus responded, coughing as the air wormed its way into his lungs, pieces of his coat causing him to lean over to one side as the icicles began to pull him down. Naofumi's shield continued to spew its flames, performing a sweep of the room as the cold slowly began to subside. Valiant dropped his barrier but had Storm Song and Pagus keep their distance from Naofumi as he instructed them to not get burned by the flames of his shield.
He still felt a twinge of pain causing Raphtalia to get tangled up due to his incompetence. He vowed to do better, be better, even if it meant braving the fire of Hell itself to be the salvation Raphtalia, Filo, and even Melty needed.
''You all alive still?'' Pagus asked, watching Naofumi rush to the back room once again to check on his team and ensure their well-being. Storm Song and Valliant didn't appear to be shaken up, just some gradual heat, warm tea, and some blankets would do them good from what he could see. A thought in his mind formulated and made him wonder the extent of whatever Yago did mean for the rest of them.
He knew it wasn't good, and he knew that it would be a long night.
[hr]
[i][center]The Next Day, Town Center. . .[/center][/i]
Naofumi and Storm Song marched on, their minds set on them each doing their due diligence in preparing for whatever was sure to come their way after the events of last night. Storm Song walked on with a sense of purpose, as Naofumi marched with the tempered fury of a god, his back and head raised high and eyes laser focused. His outburst last night would pale in comparison to the Hell on Yak-Yakistan he would raise.
Valiant and Pagus took to moving Raphtalia, Filo, and Melty to Pagus's bar for the time being and to stand guard until the two of them came back from their meeting with Prince Rutherford, to inform him of what happened with Yago, and more importantly; for Naofumi to pay Silver Mark a personal visit. ''Remember, we need to be quick, there's no room for error.'' Storm Song said, briefly turning her attention to the area near the center of town that held the massive fireplace for Yaks to come by to warm up a few Yaks were feeding more wood to keep the flame going.
''I know,'' Naofumi said, a grit on his face as a few of the Yaks who passed them by looked more shocked than what the hero thought possible at the sight of the thousand-yard stare he possessed, his fists clutched tightly. Their footwear clinked and thudded under the ground, alerting residents who paid little attention to move as Storm Song's ears perked a bit, a low hum coming from her mouth that Naofumi failed to register. "We just need to get there, and make sure nothing else happens that we aren't prepared for.''
She couldn't disagree with that; last night's event certainly took more out of everypony than she cared to admit, but she would never openly say that in the face of something negative where next to no resources were on their side, and the ones that were would take time to muster, time that from the multiple looks on Princess Celestia's face as she was briefed only silently told her that they would have to handle the problems as they came to the best of hers, Valiant's and Naofumi's way if there would be a shred of hope of a liveable future in Equestria and beyond. ''What do you think that meant? Was it a signal or something to scare us?''
Only speedwalking faster in the direction of the meeting hall where he and his party first arrived, Naofumi's mind only centered on the eventuality of wrapping Silver Mark's neck with a pair of spiked chains and watching him bleed out slowly, to watch the life ebb away from his scared and confused eyes. ''[i]He almost got away with it too,[/i]'' Naofumi thought to himself, giving Storm Song a half-hearted response to her question, the majority of his focus on the one thing that would make him feel better; nothing else at that moment mattered. Not the Waves, not the incompetence of Ren, Motoyasu, Itsuki, or the passiveness of Fitoria.
Naofumi wanted [color=#be4343]blood.[/color]
Giving him a sideye, Storm Song took the answer she was given as is, the sight of the meeting place she was supposed to go to by herself to brief Prince Rutherford on her arrival and the subsequent pertinent information about Zenith and The Chains that her connections were able to scrounge up. The firebombs from the manifesto, while crazy luck in time and place, only added to her report and gave her a better understanding of the capabilities and reach of Zenith and his followers. ''Yes, let's not forget why exactly we're here, I understand your team nearly died, and I am truly sorry for that, but I need you to have a level head before you go in there. We can't buck this up.'' Storm Song glided in front of Naofumi, stopping his advance abruptly, nearly causing him to fall into her if not for using her hooves to stop him. ''Trust me, I know how it is seeing the ones you love be hurt, and it hurts worse if you know it was because of something you could have done differently.''
Naofumi grunted. ''I don't need your backstory now; that's my party, my family you're talking about. I would do anything for them, and they almost died last night.''
Nodding her head, slowly controlling her breathing to not cause a scene and not have both of them emotional when the element of focus was needed, Storm Song leveled with Naofumi's plight, his. . .anger. It could be seen a literal mile away, from how he walked with tight, and meticulous purpose, down to the almost burning fire in his eyes. It reached out to her, and touched her would for a brief moment; a small portion of it, she witnessed when he assaulted Yago, and she was only all the more sure that he meant every ounce of his words behind defending those girls with everything within him, even and especially if it would kill him. ''But getting angry enough to petrify a Cockatrice won't do any good right now. Those three girls are fine, Valiant and Pagus are taking care of them, but we have a more important job to do what we can to protect this world.''
Protect? How convenient to make that argument. After all, it wasn't her family on the line, it wasn't her life whisked away from one place to another, and another when the first new world only served to break him. He felt. . .different since last night; something about it he didn't understand. Naofumi just could not for the life of him understand. Why? Could it be the doing of the shield again, or was it his failure to keep himself strong again?
Or had this world already begun to break him before anything truly sinister was allowed to happen? Was he too naive; too childlike? Like Filo? His thoughts drifted to when he and Raphtalia got her clothes, and the entire adventure that entailed. Filo's bright, untainted, innocent nature when she wanted to know what he thought of her.
[hr]
''[i]Then are you like my father or something else like that?[/i]'' Filo asked Naofumi with that same, curious glare he could almost describe to a t.
''[i]No, I'm your owner[/i].'' Naofumi responded his mind at the time, was set in stone that she was just another slave, to help further his goals of helping to save the world so he could be sent back. The feeling of ending the constant suffering he was put under by those who would want his head on a pike if not for the power 'bestowed upon him' drew a very thin line in the dirt between cooperation and killing. It angered him to no end, but he slowly found bits and pieces of salvation in Raphtalia, and the warmth and comfort that offset the harsh reality and pushed back the notions of burning the world down to a crisp, and standing on the ashes to feel vindicated, and to cleanse his heart and mind.
Looking back on that instance, and the ones that followed after only went to show him how much he changed; each new experience, monster fight, and new level gained with Filo helped Naofumi grow in a positive direction; to have the overall result of changing for the better if he was going to be the role model for those who chose to follow him not just due to duty, but a greater feeling that could never be replicated or artificially created. He. . .did not want to believe it, and even now, he held little belief of. . .
Love.
''Ok, ok fine,'' Naofumi said, closing his eyes for a moment, breathing slowly, and doing his best to listen. It would have to be done this way if the two of them were going to work together from now on, and as a general rule of thumb. He couldn't always go flying off the hinges. Clutching the hem of his pants with a fist, Storm Song's breath of relief filled his ears. ''Let's keep going, the locals are probably staring at us.''
''Right about that.'' Storm Song said, offering a tender, friendly smile, her dark orange mane blowing in the wind as she landed back on the ground. ''Look. . .now's not the time for thoughts like that, we can't let our judgment get clouded if we want to approach this the right way, we can't let those who depend on us get hurt anymore,'' Storm Song's points hit home for Naofumi, had he been himself after being thrust into Melromarc, things would have gone a different direction. Stopping in front of the meeting center, Storm Song gestured for Naofumi to walk in, first, the tarp pulled back to reveal Prince Rutherford, Rapid Shadow, and Steel Star conversing with a female Yak and her calf that looked to be debating about something with a fierce intensity.
''We have not heard from him since last night! This worries me; Yago always comes back in the morning after work!''
Her statement complicated things for the pair. Naofumi and Storm Song stood off to the side Rapid Shadow excused himself to walk over to the pair, a grunt of relief when the shouting became louder. "Good morning, I trust everything is going ok, please try not to pay too much attention to what's going on behind me. Did you need something?''
Storm Song's eyes widened, a restrained smile on her face. ''We need to talk to Prince Rutherford, it concerns Yago.''
''Ah, and you must be the other individual mentioned earlier; Storm Song, the estranged wife of Starswirl.'' Rapid Shadow's eyes perked up at the sight of her, noting that she looked exactly how she was described to be. Her presence here would help to turn the tide. ''And what did you mean by that? Do you have any idea of what's happened to him?''
Naofumi should have brought Valiant along, he could have used a bit of that uncaring bluntness when the question was posed. With that night at the docks, he did figure eventually someone would come looking for those Yaks, and by extension Yago, but the thought process on what they would do when that bridge stood before them was unclear. A wife and child, Naofumi assumed; meaning that Yago possibly did pose the illusion of walking the straight and narrow, but only to feed those who depended on him, and the activities done under the cover of darkness would be something he hid, tempered only by punctuality to not throw anyone off their course and ask questions they knew that shouldn't be asked.
''We need to talk to Prince Rutherford, he would be better suited to hear this.'' Storm Song said, not completely being the most trusting of his advisors, seeing as one of them nearly poisoned Naofumi's party. The lack of his being here, while not a complete admission of guilt, it also failed to work in his favor.
''Well, I assure you; anything you need to say to the prince, you can say to his advisors, after all, we are his eyes and ears, after all.'' Naofumi cast a glance at Rapid Shadow, seeing the smile on his stay the same, the earlier bickering dying down once Silver Star ushered the mother and child outside.
''And while I don't doubt that, this is something we need to have him hear and decide on. If you'll move aside, the quicker we can get out of your fur and let you get back to-'' Storm Song was cut off by Prince Rutherford walking over to them, greeting them with a hearty good morning.
''-Pony Storm Song! Good to see you! You find Yak-Yakistan to liking? And Human Nafoumi! Where rest of friends?'' Prince Rutherford boomed.
Nodding, Storm Song walked around Rapid Shadow, feeling his eyes linger on her a bit longer than she would have liked, as Naofumi did the same, his stance squared and vision focused. ''We may have some new information, but we think it would be best if we just talk about it amongst the three of us.''
''Then speak! Silver Star and Rapid Shadow are advisors! If news is bad, we need know!'' Prince Rutherford said, gesturing for the pair to take their seats and tell him what they knew.
''That's a part of the issue; we think we know what might happen to Yak-Yakistan, but there may be some foul play.'' Storm Song said, minding her wording, and keeping her ears open. She didn't like this one bit, the temperature felt different, bit by bit, and that same smile plastered on Rapid Shadow's face was seen in her mind even though she knew he was behind her.
Which was also disheartening.
''Foul play? You mean chickens?'' Prince Rutherford asked, curious about what did birds have to do with this?
''No, Prince; she means that one of our citizens may have been responsible, is that what you meant to say, Storm Song?'' Rapid Shadow's voice irked her to no end, but she would have to maintain her bearing if she wanted this exchange to go any further.
''Look,'' Naofumi stepped forward, already seeing the possible back and forth that would go on unless a firm hand was laid down to get keep them on track; Raphtaila would have no doubt said something by now. ''We have physical evidence to suggest that an attack is coming here, and the only we can't be certain of is when, so we need to do our best to make sure the kingdom is protected. Nothing here will get done with us sitting here and bickering.'' Prince Rutherford nodded at Naofumi's comment, the small burning within him from last night not fully extinguished. He needed to make sure a certain someone understood that. ''Yago, one of your Yaks shared information with Night Order for the creation of firebombs that would be used to burn Yak-Yakistan to the ground.''
''Is this true? Yago? He troublesome Yak from time to time, like us all, but he work with Night Order? Cannot be!'' Prince Rutherford shook his head, his mouth sagging into a low frown as he huffed. It had to be false. Yago? Night Order? No, it couldn't be.
''And,'' Storm Song stood, facing Rapid Shadow with a calm, and collected demeanor. ''We have reason to believe that Silver Mark may also be in league with Night Order, seeing as Naofumi's party nearly drowned last night due to a certain 'gift' of his.''
Rapid Shadow stepped forward, not believing a word of nonsense from her. How dare she claim that one of the Prince's most trusted, most loyal followers would be one to be under investigation? ''And what proof of that do you have? You do know these are essentially baseless claims, even with the physical evidence you suggest, we would still have to see to confirm it wasn't drafted up by the two of you all of a sudden.''
''Why would you think that? We're supposed to be on the same side, you know,'' Storm Song's eyes narrowed, not liking the tone of voice Rapid Shadow held. When Starswirl told her that the Yaks would be the least agreeable of those who governed the chains, she sure didn't expect all of the pushback at the simplest of things. Granted, he held a point, but when it came to the betterment of their country, all of the different secret meetings to report, discuss and brainstorm would have fostered a better relationship than what she was seeing. She had to hold her ground if she wanted anything to get done and that in itself would require all of her skill. ''If you haven't realized, Night Order is the biggest threat to us all. I may not be well-versed in the history of the Yaks, but I am sure that your ancestors have heard of Nightmare Moon's awesome power and how bad things can get if she is allowed to be released.''
''This is why we are taking all possible avenues to ensure that things that may be founded on a whim are carefully investigated before it gets to the ears of those who hold the power to do something; I am sure that Prince Rutherford would not want one of his citizens falsy accused of an act without the proper trials, wouldn't you?'' Rapid Shadow quipped, nodding over to the Yak leader who nodded vigorously. Ugh; more of that Yak simple-mindedness. ''I didn't know that your Princess Celestia had the great and wise Starswirl scrap the bottom of the metaphorical barrel to acquire aid from species that none of us have ever seen,'' Rapid Shadow dragged his words out, paying little attention to the glance Storm Song gave her.
Storm Song flared her nostrils, and a tingling sensation felt on her forehead. Low blows? She never figured bad manners were something Yaks used when challenged on simple things. Why she ought to-
''-That's enough,'' Naofumi stepped forward, laying a hand on hand Storm Song's shoulder, taking the manifesto out of her saddlebags, the aged and thickly covered wax covered binding with cork pages displayed multiple pages out of place made Prince Rutherford tilt his head. ''We know you and Silver Mark supplied Yago's associates with the know-how and materials to construct their firebombs, but the only thing we don't know for certain is if you told them the exact location of the Ice Chain.'' Naofumi tossed the book to Prince Rutherford, the look of surprise on Rapid Shadow's face being the icing on the cake for Storm Song as he gasped and looked back and forth between the pair. "Still care to lie as Yago did?''
The smugness on Rapid Shadow's face slowly drained, being replaced by a generating frown as he began to step back, watching as Prince Rutherford looked over the documents. The situation certainly dived in an undesired direction, but it mattered little. ''I wished you hadn't found that, but also in the same breath, it matters little in the grand scheme.'' Rapid Shadow reached into his fur, bringing out a tear necklace, pulsing with green ethereal waves of magic as Naofumi raised his shield in defense while Storm Song unfurled her wings. ''Apologies, Prince. It looks like we'll have to catch up some other time, say when Yak-Yakistan burns?''
POOF! ZAP! ZAP!
Naofumi's pupils constricted, the intensely bright flash of light flowing through his body and causing his legs to buckle. The borderline scorching sensation provoke him to immediately rub his eyes, the sound of Prince Rutherford's surprise drowned out by the small crackle and pops of electricity emanating off of Storm Song's body, her hooves deeply pressed into the spot where Rapid Shadow stood. Arcs of blue and orange electricity jumped between her shoulder, knee, and wing guards as her muscles were tensed to their limits. Slowly rising and turning over to her partner, Storm Song winced.
''Sorry, should have made sure you had goggles on; my power can be a bit much if you don't prepare.'' Storm Song's sheepish tone of voice was replaced soon after. ''I knew we had a traitor, I bucking knew it! Prince Rutherford, are you ok?''
''Prince Rutherford fine! Rapid Shadow knows magic? He not share? He. . .traitor!?'' Prince Rutherford asked, his confusion quickly turning into anger as Naofumi's eyes slowly began to readjust, Storm Song's hoof helping him up. ''Night Order responsible?''
''Oh, yea, very much responsible; we need to prepare.'' Storm Song's removed her goggles, craving a cup of mead.
[hr]
The brass signaling bell stood out to Naofumi the more he looked at it, noting the crude, but delicate in its touches in its on its lip and waist, the aged wooden yoke chipped and weathered. He knew his ears would hurt like no tomorrow when it was rung.
A few hours passed after Prince Rutherford ordered the emergency meeting and directed his people to strengthen the outside borders, using quick thinking from Valiant and Pagus to help retrofit as many of their defenses as they could within the given period. The sky began to darken, harsh winds blowing the flag of Yak-Yakistan proudly from up top of Prince Rutherford's hut, most of his older, stronger, and more intelligent Yaks acting as Generals to lead those who controlled the urge to blindly charge into danger and use wits to defeat their threat. Naofumi stood at the top of the platform erected to spy over the wall, Storm Song, and Prince Rutherford standing at the ready, the leader of the Yaks dressed in armored garb, the dull gunmetal gray chainmail and armored hoof plates essentially turning him into a living battering ram. ''The air; feels different now. Storm Song do one last sweep to make sure?'' Storm Song's expertise in the air was invaluable.
Nodding, Naofumi adjusted his armor and looked over his stats, seeing his party layout with Filo, Raphtalia, and Melty. The last time they leveled up was before they were swept away from his battle with Glass, being 76, 75, 74, and Meltly's level being around 45. Monsters were not as common as far as he could tell, so leveling up their skills and such would be a different task in of itself to tackle. ''It's a good thing we have Storm Song doing some recon; I don't doubt it'll be a hassle when crap hits the fan, but we have to need all of the advantages we can get,'' Naofumi summoned his Spyglass Shield once again, looking over the work of a few countermeasures put into place where Valiant had the best guess on angles of approach. The mountains to their rear were the ideal choke points for any flanking maneuver, though admittedly a double-edged sword in the guard's same breath as well.
''True, but Yaks are ready as Yaks can be! After everything Prince Rutherford has been through, can't believe Rapid Shadow and Silver Mark enemy of the alliance. It makes Prince Rutherford. . .sad,'' Prince Rutherford's eyes were shown with a tender somberness, his hair parted to either side to ensure he would better see any attack coming and to be the symbol of power for his people during a period he knew for some, could very well be their last. ''Human Naofumi, Prince Rutherford is not sure of what may come next, of who to trust.'' Naofumi's shield lowered a bit at the mention of trust. ''We like to trust you, trust Starswirl; it seem like we not have many choices.''
''Tell me something I don't know; I can't disagree with you when I say I may not fully trust either Starswirl, Celestia, or even Valiant 100%. But things are too all over the place.'' Naofumi said, his eyes and shield managing to track the trail of Storm Song's flight pattern, the ease, and precision of her navigating through the air and into the cover of the clouds a seamless transition. ''If we make it through in one piece, I'll tell you-''
''-There one way you prove trust to Prince Rutherford. May not be the best way, but in times like this, it speaks for itself more than anything else.'' Prince Rutherford stepped forward, a stoic look on his face as Naofumi felt his gaze upon his back. Even though he was not a wager of war or a true fighter; he knew. ''Help my Yaks win this battle, help us come back to a home we all worked to make. . .bleed for us, and we bleed for you. Blood pact.''
He's heard of those a few times, few and far, but the implications behind them remained the same as a bond that transcended all facades of life. Race, culture, orientation, and the like went out the window in favor of loyalty in the truest sense of the word, to know that a call or message would be answered, with no question. Naofumi contemplated refusing the offer, he had all ground to, and he was somewhat sure Prince Rutherford meant in the sense of battle.
But, something within him compelled him to take an extra second to consider. If this happened, Rutherford, and essentially the Yaks would be in his debt. He knew little about Equestria and its borders, let alone what lay ahead and having true allies to confide in just as he did in Melromarc would be something of great benefit for whatever length of time he was to be here.
His resistance would take care of anything harmful that could arise.
Slowly turning around to face the Yak leader, Naofumi looked to his Spyglass Shield, changing it to the Two-Headed Black Dog Shield, raising his hand to one of the dog's teeth, putting a bit of pressure into his thumb before he drew blood, a blob of the red liquid pooling before dripping on the wood. Prince Rutherford stepped forward, offering one of his hooves covered with a blob of blood. The look of confirmation in his eyes told Naofumi that he meant every word and the lengths that he would go to based on trust.
''With this pact, on behalf of Yak-Yakistan, in company of Prince Rutherford; this builds bond that will never be forgotten. No matter what species, what belief, or what reason; Prince Rutherford, and by extension Yaks of Yak-Yakistan. To help each other, to confide in, and to honor. You bleed for us, we bleed for your own, and we bleed for each other. In this, we are brothers.'' Prince Rutherford pressed his hoof to Naofumi's finger, signifying the beginning of a brotherhood that would transcend all others.
''I. . .don't really know what to say, I know a thank you is nowhere close,'' Naofumi nodded his head, spying Storm Song circling overhead on her descent back down to the command platform. ''But the best I can do is show you. Whatever we come into, we'll do our best to cover both our backs.''
Prince Rutherford nodded, he didn't have to. Enough had been said, they had to prepare. The young ones and females moved to the rear of the mountains in a holding area. He tried to convince them to leave altogether, but their insistence only made him a tad proud but worried for anything they failed to account to happen.
Storm Song touched back down, her goggles and mane covered with droplets of water. She scratched her scalp with her wing feathers. ''Things are not looking so grand out on the sea. I spy at least 6 Frigate class ships, loaded to the brim with all makes of firebombs, cannons, and the like.''
Naofumi's eyes fell to the wooden floor for a moment, a dull throbbing at the front of his head. ''And Night Order? What are we looking at enemy-wise?''
''Hard to tell for some. But Griffons, Dragons, a few Diamond Dogs, and others I couldn't tell; the majority of them are more
than likely Equestrians since that's the Order formed initially.'' Storm Song's comment made Prince Rutherford's ears perk up. ''And yes, I did spy a few Yaks on board, so we may have to contend with some of your citizens, Prince.''
Shaking his head and giving her a firm, but strong tap on her shoulder, the detached look in his eyes reflected a pained, but ultimate understanding. ''Prince Rutherford understands. . .do not like, but choices Yaks make are choices Yaks make. Only can do our best to end fighting as quickly as possible. To not spill any more blood than what is needed.''
''You speak true, I wanted things to run smoothly, but with the realization of your inner circle full of lies, but if nothing else, Starswirl spoke the truth on the 'issues' that would arise with allying lands.'' Naofumi waited to hear the rest of her report before making the final call. ''My estimate is they'll be within firing distance of the shoreline in about 10 minutes.''
A cold wind blew through, whistling through the massive signaling bell that gently pushed the clapper against its side, the low resonating sound reaching his ears. Funnily enough, it was nowhere near as cold as Naofumi's first day in Yak-Yakistan than it was now. His body ached, though no pain flared. His mind swam with a multitude of thoughts, and he could tell the minds of his party grew restless, worried, and scared.
He would do what was necessary.
''Everyone's clear on their plans? Got everything they need?''
Double-checking her saddlebags, Storm Song only stood by, gathering her wits and energy. Both would be needed to weather the metaphorical storm. ''Ready when you are.''
''Prince Rutherford?'' Naofumi gestured to the Yak, only to see him step back and gesture to the bell, giving a solemn nod. He wanted him to ring it. A motion such as that could be seen as good as any when showing the fruits of a pact. Something of that magnitude. . .could he live with the aftereffects of that choice? Would he be the same person? Would there be any regrets? ''Here we go, then.'' Naofumi walked over to the front of the bell, seeing his dull reflection before he squared his stance, his Legendary Shield being summoned once again. His hands gently clenching the lips of the bell, breath held and eyes closed, Naofumi pulled upwards slowly, the clapper lightly touching the inside, the final calm resonance filling his ears before he pushed forward and down, stepped back, and observed the motion seeming to take place in slow motion.
Ring! Ding! Ring! Ding! Ring Ding! Ring Ding! Ring Ding!
On the final audible ring that Naofumi could hear after the whining sounds in his ears, a chorus of shouts throughout Yak-Yakistan sounded, a distant vibration heard as a flicker of light from the shore as a bright red mass arched through the sky, black trails of smoke following with the second volley. A group of Dragons ascended from their perches, aligning in their formations.
''For Yak-Yakistan! We no give in on this day!'' Prince Rutherford shouted at the top of his lungs, Storm Song fixed her google again, and with a furl of her wings, electricity enveloped her as she made a beeline into the fray.
Naofumi exhaled, all of his focus put into all of his experiences, as the otaku from Japan and the Shield Hero; all of his skills and instincts would be the matter between life and death.
Once again.
''[i]Guys, be safe[/i].'' Naofumi thought to himself, wanting nothing more than their safe return from the possible madness he could only imagine. With the change of plans, he and Valiant had a bit of a debate against the three of them participating in this battle. He could have ordered Raphtalia and Filo to stay behind, for fear of their Slave Crest reacting, which was something he would have less remorse for if it kept them safe versus the daunting responsibility if any of them were to get hurt.
Melty, while still a child, was essentially a proxy through Filo. If she stayed behind, Melty would have no choice but to, though he knew she would only stomp her feet and contest her position as the next in line of Melromarc, even though her voicing of the position in question held less influence than her age.
They each had a partner and would take care of each other. It took a bit of effort to draw himself away from those thoughts and focus his energies on the first ability he would not doubt rely the most on.
''Air Strike Shield!''
[hr]
[i][center]Inner Caves. . .[/center][/i]
They had split up, she knew that much. It was the best plan to have the best chance of winning the fight to come, though the war in question that Raphtalia was sure could never be won in the way those who would need it to. Master Naofumi adamantly made it a point to contest their involvement, and with them not being completely 100% up to par only made the argument go on longer.
Valiant's counter to Master Naofumi's disapproval of the three of them fighting was a hard sight to take in, but ultimately she placed her trust in the Unicorn, his judgment thus far not leading them astray.
Her feelings of being away from him, even not by far; of not being his sword currently. . .worried her. Raphtalia swore a promise from that very day, to go where he would; follow in his footsteps, and hold her place above all others to understand him better than even himself.
Currently, she was failing in every regard.
One last check of her supplies and Filo's, and at any moment Master Naofumi would sound the bell to essentially kick off a battle nobody knew the outcome of; only that it was one they could not afford to lose, no matter what.
''Raphtalia, are you ok? You seem sad,'' Filo poked her cheek to rouse her out of her thoughts, the feeling instantly snapping her back to her current place in the world. ''Master will be ok! And me and you will beat all the bad monsters down!'' Filo's energy rarely failed to surprise Raphtalia.
''Right, we need to stay focused if we want to make Master Naofumi proud.'' Raphtalia surveyed the area around her and Filo's area of operations. After being informed by Storm Song and Prince Rutherford about the particulars of the Ice Chain and its location, they were given the responsibility to safeguard it as the absolute last resort if all else failed. ''I just hope Master Naofumi and Valiant know what they're doing.''
''Master is strong! And Valiant is smart and strong too, they'll be fine!'' Filo tilted her head to one side, gingerly skipping around the spacious and complex cave system, littered with safeguards, natural and constructed deterrents, and two fighters as last-line defenders. The path to enter initially took less time to navigate to the uninformed eye and appeared as a simple walk before corkscrewing right into the line of preset spear traps, covertly hidden slick spots, and uneven ground. ''I hope Mel will be ok with him by herself.''
Rahphtalia nodded, hoping the same for her fellow friend and party member. She reassessed the path they took in her mind once again. The only thing she did not know was how well said traps would hold up in the event she and Filo were left to perform their job.
As she peered down, she admitted the Yaks and whoever helped them to build these safeguards knew what they were doing. Posted on the other side of three identical passageways, two of which were enchanted with illusion magic, the path ahead of them led further down to the depression where the Ice Chain stood in its splendor. Columns of silver, gold, and steel support beams embused with defensive magic were arranged in parallel lines on either side of the large linked chain, erected vertically to the ceiling. No imperfections were seen on the chain that Raphtalia figured was about the width of an average person, with wisps of blue and accumulating frost on the base link that remained rooted in the ground.
Filo hummed questioningly. ''How long do we have to stay down here?''
Raphtalia sighed in response, leaning her body against the wall. Her ears twitched incessantly, and the range of her hearing managed to extend with the aid of Wind Magic, picking up the faintest sounds of movement from the Yaks who posted to their positions, the shifts of their weapons as they stood side by side, ready to defend their land. Their fear was nearly palpable, every range of emotion she could understand being displayed the longer she honed in on separate individuals. ''As long as we need to, hopefully, nothing goes wrong and we can all go home when all of this is over with.''
Her answer failed to assure Filo. ''But how can we do that? We got sucked through that portal thingy when Master fought the fan lady, and I don't think he likes where we came from.'' Filo's perceptive nature rarely was proven wrong and made for a good judge of reason when people attempted to hide their feelings. ''Master seems a lot happier here, and we don't have to deal with Sword Guy, Bow Guy, or Spear Guy.''
True, but another issue that would come up, no doubt would be how Master Naofumi's personality would change since being separated from Melromarc as far as she could tell, and not directly under the effects of the Curse Shield's effects. It proved to be very beneficial when situations called for an extra oomph of power, but she hoped the repeated use wouldn't yield negative effects on the man to whom she and Filo owed everything.
Ring! Ding! Ring! Ding! Ring Ding! Ring Ding! Ring! Ding!
Shooting up from her position, the last notes of the bell's sound reached her ears, and Raphtalia's mindset took a different turn once she distantly heard the call of an Air Strike Shield shortly, the almost ear-shattering explosion being part of the barrage of firebombs. The cave shook, displacing loose rocks and icicles, causing Filo to shove Raphtalia out of the way just in the nick of time as the frozen projectile embedded itself in the ground, the ones soon following after displaced by a surge of magic. ''Zweite Tornado!''
Diving into a roll and huffing, Raphtalia cast her view upwards, ensuring that no other aerial surprises would come the pair's way. ''Thanks, Filo. We're going to need to be careful, and hope that Master Naofumi and Valiant can finish their missions.''
[hr]
The battle had not been going well, at all. In one instance, all of the planning done at the last moment failed to seem worth it when the first barrage arrived. The thicket of black smoke filled the air, and the concentration too thick to breathe would surely leave some with health issues down the road for those that managed to survive past the day. The Yaks coordinated their efforts bravely, settling on playing on their bulk and brute force to spearhead land-based elements comprised of Griffons and Dragons.
The sight of darkened red, and the smell of rusted iron filled his nostrils, nearly causing him to keel over and throw up, but he remained strong; he had to. Low vibrations thrummed in his ears, His light, standard-issue armor rattled on his body with each blow he deflected and met in turn with a swing of his war hammer, relishing in the calming wave of warm, but consistent energy within after each bout. The path ahead leading to the docks, while bare of any enemies, made him reconsider an obvious ambush from the last-second view of the movement of a figure toward a fallen hut.
Valiant smirked to himself, summoning a wide enough barrier around the would-be ambushers. ''Amateurs.''
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Shrieks of pain and terror were heard from inside the barrier, and those within slowly began to experience the lethal effects of the gas within that Valiant teleported in, the thick, yellow mist easily inhaled into their lungs and causing their bodies to instantly convulse and slowly release blood from any one of their orifices, one unfortunate Griffon's feathers forcibly removed to get to his skin, the pus-filled blisters bursting, spreading the affliction to the others within the barrier. Their pleas to be released were ignored, as allowing the gas to escape was dangerous, and though cruel as it was to the guard; Night Order did attack first, Valiant knew that Night Order knew the consequences of their attack, and if for some reason, they did not. . .
They would on this day.
Whether due to his perspective on accomplishing the mission, and keeping hold of one's emotions in times of stress, or the fact most of his career thus far failed to rile him up enough to warrant a second thought about his role. Naofumi and Storm Song had the hardest job, which also required their skillsets together to make enough of an impact to justify the two of them going off on their own, while Raphtalia and Filo stood by the Ice Chain, being the last line of defense should the enemy break contact with the Yaks, discover the location of said Chain if Rapid Shadow and Silver Mark did not already divulge the information.
This left him and Melty to provide ground support where needed while Pagus took the fight to Night Order, fighting for his country and prince.
''Zweite Aqua-COUGH! Shot!'' Melty chanted, the water spell launching in a torrent, pushing a trio of Dragons back. Her voice grew harsh and scratchy from the constant chanting of her spells and inhalation of the firebomb smoke that painted the sky in black trails of smoke. Her MP began to get low, and the constant movement in her coat nearly made her overheat. Jumping over fallen defenses, jumping behind Valiant erecting shields and barriers, and running as fast as her legs would let her keep up with the Unicorn guard as they moved positions to not get bogged down in one spot. But, she had to be strong; do her part, and help those injured if she came across them. Everyone's job was important, and she shuddered, thinking of the possible consequences of inaction or lack of results. ''Are you okay?''
Nodding, Valiant trotted over to Melty, checking their surroundings, and erecting a small barrier between the two of them, letting her sit down on the ground for a moment and collect her thoughts. ''Don't get too comfortable, we have to keep moving. We can't be too sure about how determined the bastards are if all they sent were 6 ships.''
Melty coughed once again, thumping a hand against her chest when mucus began to build up, expelling it as she spits off to the side, giving the guard a scrunched frown and narrowed eyes. He could see it, especially when it came to an actual kid. The way her body moved under stress, the shortness of breath, all the way down to her quiver and whimpers in her voice. ''You're at your limit kid, we might have to pull you-''
''-N-No! I can COUGH! still, fight! Naofumi said he needed all of us if we wanted to win this!'' Melty slapped away Valiat's hoof offering to help her get up, the action seen more as an insult than that of one a good gesture. ''W-Why else am I-COUGH! here?'' Valiant's thoughts on her fierce attitude lit a fire within him for more than one reason.
''[i]She's just a child, but she seems. . .accustomed to this, and that's. . .not good.[/i]'' Valiant grimaced internally, wondering how many more like her were back from her world; Filo being the next thought to compare the gross injustice of a child having to fight in a battle, even for any 'noble' reason. A flood of thought from his youth and basic guard training flashed before his eyes.
[hr]
''[i]Why do we do the things that we do?[/i]'' Princess Celestia spoke to the newest graduating class of the Royal Guard, the past 18 and a half weeks all amounting to their big day where all of their efforts paid off, the blood, sweat, and tears making or breaking the ponies, who wanted to truly be there. The spacious training field where the class of 30 recruits performed their day to training exercises, fitting punishments, and all other facets of training was filled to the brim with the faces of friends and family. Princess Celestia glided into the center, her regal white coat, and strictly ceremonial Sun-plated armor she donned to link herself to her Guards deepened the bond and became more of the centerpiece of their graduation ceremony than the future Guards. ''[i]To ensure that those who do not have to fight will not; to set the example, and to use our best judgment to maintain the peace those before you have worked to create.[/i]''
A younger Private Valiant stood front and center, as the leader of his platoon, the sound of his name called for the representation of the future Royal Guards behind him, and the oath they each took as said guards. To use their talents for good and not for safety, personal privilege, pleasure, or outright monetary value. None of it meant anything if they failed to meet and uphold the standards placed on them, and for the training to continuously build upon the desired, baseline skills while others were weeded out. ''[i]Our world today will be different from that of the future, and whatever change that may entail. But-[/i]'' Princess Celestia paused, letting her words sink in for the moment, the guards soon to be under her command looking on with fresh anticipation. ''[i]If you all remain true to yourself, to your land, and to the ideals that inspired you to take this path in the first place, then I see no reason for the remainder of our days to be blessed and fruitful.[/i]''
[hr]
As quickly as the memory came, it was gone and back into the recesses of his mind. His opinion may have been skewed by the time and lessons he put upon himself, but he knew he knew the values of coming into a volatile situation, but armed with faith and responsibility.
But also rationale and logic.
Distant firebombs soared overhead, a pack of Griffon and Dragon cultists weaving in and out of the destroyed, flaming homes, tossing their cloaks or capes in an attempt to distract the Yaks who charged ahead bravely, some who met a well-placed claw or stream of fur singing flames at the wrong time. Valiant maneuvered through the death and debris, coming out into a clearing where a few dismembered Dragons, some bludgeoned to death as their skills caved in akin to a smushed grape.
A snarling was heard nearby as Valiant made sure Melty was secured on his back after they stopped, her disagreement falling on deaf ears. He turned around, his eyes looking upon a Diamond Dog, lanky in stature, but immensely powerful the longer they lived, survived, and killed. Parts of the ground were uprooted, the massive reflective claws attached to the ashen black Diamond Dog failing to take Valiant's head off harmlessly bounced off his barrier following him on his pursuit away, the swift and exaggerated acrobatics of leaping from hut to hut a curious sight until he stopped in his tracks, the look of defiance and hammer raised in defense. A flash of excitement was shown as its triangular-shaped snout unfurled to reveal gem-laden teeth, misshapen and covered in drool. A continuous roar sounded again, a wave of pressure being formed around Valiant's bubble.
''Damn it! So not fair!'' Valiant grunted and turned away slightly as Melty managed to crawl off of his back, ignoring the ringing and pounding in her head she put a sizeable chunk of energy into her spell, banking all of her power thus far would continue to be useful. She would be strong, for Filo, for herself.
And her mother.
''As the source of your power, I beseech COUGH! thee. Decipher the laws of nature COUGH! and form a great weapon born of the ground. Earth Hammer!'' the Diamond Dog snarled in confusion, the ground beneath rumbling and throwing him to the ground, a hammer made of the ground coming up in an instance, the force stopped, but only just by the paw that held it back, the twitching of its ears causing it to grasp the other that formed quickly behind, both appendages stretched to their maximum, the look of defiance turning into glee once the magic faded, leaving the newly made creations in the creature's paws, a high-pitched cackle filling the air. He slowly began to advance, cherishing the look of panic in Melty's eyes. Valiant swung his hammer, the Diamond Dog easily knocking it out of its path and next to a downed Dragon on its side.
ZOOM! FWOOSH! THUMP!
A whine of surprise was heard as the Diamond Dog stopped his charge, his breathing increasing a bit before looking down to see the apple-sized hole in its scraggly midsection, free of anything organs or bones in that particular spot. There was just an open space viewing that showed the equally sized circular metal bolt driven into the ground. Falling to the ground, Valiant turned his head and smiled at his backup, the trio of Yaks waving to him from behind the mounted bolt crossbow, as the other 10 behind them took to checking the perimeter. While initially skeptical of the Yak's ability to aim, he was glad the last-minute design and attentiveness paid off.
''Worked a little too well,'' Valiant said to himself, turning to Melty as she was given water and some food to snack on as even the Yaks who just happened to pass by could also see that she was nearing her limit and that she should take it easy. ''You all can take to securing this perimeter; the ground we give these guys, the worse off it'll be Naofumi and Storm Song's plan doesn't cut it.''
''And COUGH! what should we do? Do you think Pagus is doing fine?'' Melty finished swallowing a bit of apple and some water. Mmmm. A bit underripe. Valiant'sm flat look at her made her feel a bit uncomfortable. Did she do something wrong in not letting him attack?
''Melty, you shouldn't be here, I'm telling you. I don't really know what Naofumi was thinking, and maybe he had good intentions, but this is starting to get out of hoof; I don't-''
''-What? Don't want COUGH! me to fight just because I'm a child?'' Melty put a hand over her chest, offended. ''I'll have you know I am a princess; next in line to the throne of Melromarc, one of the greatest nations to exist!''
''Uh-huh, and that's wherever Melromarc is. It isn't here; this is Yak-Yakistan, and you're an entirely different species, but I think the value of morals and ethics still apply to some degree on child fighting in literal wars,'' Valiant's point made her face go red and almost caused her feet to stomp. Why did nobody understand? Even Filo somewhat did, but she was her friend; that was different. Naofumi never held any real faith in her, still treated her like a child, and coddled and made fun of her. She's proved time and time again from the beginning that she has what it takes and that the deeper picture was communicated and understood to her.
''What about Filo? Would you have this talk with her too?''
''If she stayed still or awake long enough to listen, but I trust Naofumi would go across that bridge at some point, or if not; then I'll have to. But I am starting-'' Valiant gently poked a hoof to Melty's forehead, her hand rubbing the dirt off the spot he touched. ''If you think I talk out of my flank for fun, then you don't know me. But this one thing about me I will have you know.'' Melty watched as Valiant took out of his inner armor an amulet attached to a chain. The ember was polished beautifully, the silver ring in it managing to shine more brightly than any treasure that Melty had ever laid eyes upon. ''I've already lost one child to senseless violence, and I do not intend on making it two if I have something to do her say about it.''
Her mind swam with uncertainty, and confusion at his words before it all clicked in her mind. Melty raised her hands to her mouth, seeing the life nearly drain out of his eyes the longer he stared at the amulet. The lowering of his ears lower than she had seen thus far made him look like a sad rabbit. The sounds of explosions, shouting, cannon fire, and homes being destroyed mattered none in that one moment.
''Y-You COUGH! had a child. . .Valiant, I am so sorry, I-'' Valiant tucked the chain back into his amour, speaking with a pained voice, his words wavering at the time and his eyes set to the ground.
''-Didn't know. Kinda the point, I wanted to do this in a different way, when I could trust you all more than I already did, but you need to actually understand this before something happens.'' Melty hung her head a tad, noticing that Valiant had yet to get his hammer. Seeing as the immediate area was under patrol and Valiant shook himself out of his trance to go and talk to the Yak in charge of the group, Melty figured the least she could do is let him focus on the mission at hand without being too much of a bother. ''How's the fighting going so far? How bad is the. . .'' Melty stopped listening the further away she got from him, looking over at his weapon near the Dragon who no longer moved, the shaft of the hammer laying on the Dragon as the head was buried in the ground.
Grasping the handle with both hands, she was surprised to feel that the hammer held a certain warmness to it. With all the time he had used it since the battle started, Melty expected the ice-cold steel to make pulling the weapon from under its own weight a greater task than she thought, but the feeling inside she gathered from it made her smile a bit, aside from the conversation prior. ''This COUGH! should be easy, I just need to pull and MMMPH!'' the hammer began to shift towards her, and the scrapping of her shoes against the icy ground gave her little grip. Bit by bit, up it came from beneath the ground.
The sudden movement of the Dragon in front of her caused her to drop the handle and fall to the ground, the crazed yellowing of its eyes causing all of Melty's senses to dull, the barely audible call of her name by Valiant as she scooted backward. It all happened so fast, she could see from her peripheral the forming of a barrier, the sight of another firebomb launched overhead, and the mix of fantastic colors from the Dragon's maw before a stream of intense, orange heat before she raised in her arms in defense.
''AHHHHHH!'' Melty's powerful blood-curling scream as she fell to the ground, holding her hands in her face before going quiet was the singular thing Valiant was sure would provide him with a kind of trauma he would not be able to handle. Jumping over his barrier, he willed his hammer back into his magical hold, nearly becoming a blur with the weapon's swings thrusts and arching smashes. Forcing the coward away from the barrier and out into the firing range of the next cross bolt failed to make him happy, failed to do anything but anger him. Seeing the metal projectile enter from its side and exit into the side of a home, Valiant delivered a jaw-shattering buck once it fell to all fours, the guttural, primal, and tear-filled swing of his hammer to the Dragon's face was a sight to see for the Yaks who were confused at the events spiraling out of control until they witnessed the Unicorn continuing his assault for a few moments more, leaving the head of his weapon buried deep in the Dragon's brain matter.
Dropping his barrier and rushing to Melty's side, Valiant cursed himself, almost daring not to touch her for fear of making it worse, when he managed to pry away the vice grip of her hands from her face, the guard desperately wanted it to be him instead of her that got hurt.
Things would never be the same from that moment on.