Chapter 84: Last Supper.
Adesus's mouth fell open as she stepped into the suite and saw what Lucious had been up to while she and Markus had been sparring.
All over the kitchen worktops were dishes containing foods in a whole rainbow of colours and types, everything from what appeared to be solely meat dishes to what appeared to be vegetarian options.
Suddenly the little Raptorian Saviour popped up from behind the counter hopping up onto a large stool he was apparently using to reach the centre of the countertop, much to Adesus's amusement he appeared to be wearing some kind of apron over his armour along with a rather unusual white floppy hat atop of his head.
"I didn't know what your species eat specifically so I decided to go full Raptorian style on it and make a bit of everything, then we can all share as well as mix and match things, exactly how a true Pride would do things," Lucious chirped happily placing down what smelled like some kind of spicy sausage though whether it was meat or not was up for debate.
Suddenly Markus planted a hand on her shoulder and once again she flinched before glancing at him to find the smaller human grinning at her, "Told you Raptorian boys really know how to put on a spread, come on let's get all this to the table, least we can do is help our chef out," he said giving her shoulder squeeze before heading to the counter to start transferring dishes to the large table.
"I don't think I've ever seen so much food in one place before! It's like a mini Interdependence Day feast!" Feris exclaimed looking over the array of dishes while blatantly trying to stop her mouth from watering as she helped them move them to the table.
"Interdependence day, what's that?" Levi asked as she moved some of the dishes as well.
"It's the celebration that all the Hands of Mycelia throw to celebrate the day our All Mother became self-aware and began her true journey to better all Velons," Feris said happily her face lighting up with what were obviously fond memories of the celebration.
"Sounds lovely, so it's kinda like a birthday celebration then?" Lucious said as he passed dishes to his much larger helpers.
"In a way yeah, Hands like myself will set out large tables all around Velona and fill them with foods from the other regions so everyone can have a little taste of all the places of their home in one place, all day long Velons of all shapes and sizes will come to sit at the table and get to eat delicious foods from all the regions of Velona while the Hands will serve them, its also meant to symbolise that while the Hands serve Mycelia we also serve all Velons no matter who they are or where they come from because at her core Mycilea serves all Velons, there are all sorts of other celebrations as well, like games, competitions and racing as at out heart Velons are very competitive," Feris said proudly.
"That sounds wonderful, oh what a beautiful celebration of life, I'd love to see that and it kind of reminds me of Freedom Day here," Luscious chirped moving the last of the plates to the table before removing his hat and apron and taking his seat at the table.
"What's Freedom Day?" Adesus asked taking her seat next to Markus.
"It's a Clan Mason celebration, it started when our Grand Patriarch and Matriarch escaped their imprisonment on the reserve planet and came here to start the Clan, we call it Freedom Day because it symbolises the day that they truly cast off their shakles and chains to become truly free from all bonds other than the ones they swore to one another and indeed to the Clan, during that day the Grand Matriarch will go and hunt one of the biggest and nastiest predators on this planet and trust me when I say we have quite a few, once she kills it she will bring it back to the captital where the Grand Patriarch prepares and cooks the kill to serve to the Clan, though in recenent years due to the growth of the Clan it takes more of a team to do the cooking, though our Grand Matriarch still insists on doing all the hunting herself, its a day the whole Clan celebrates both our freedom and our unity, we have all sorts of activeties going on through the day as well, games, contests and challanges," Markus explained.
"Sound beautiful," Adesus said.
"Yeah it is though the best part is when the Grand Patriarch and all Seekers dress up the night before and go out to distribute presents to all the cubs of the Clan, little toys meant to symbolise that every member of the Clan is equally valued from the biggest to the smallest, weakest to the strongest all are equal and cherished here," Markus continued.
"I remember my first Freedom Day I was so excited I couldn't sleep and I wound up watching all the Seekers hopping from rooftop to rooftop with these massive sacks, delivering presents to every house, it was a wonderful sight to behold," Lucious said as he began to serve the food which very quickly turned into a kind of swap meet with dishes changing hands rapidly as everyone took a little of everything offered before passing them on.
"It pleases me so much to see that Clan Mason is so much like our people in their nature it's heartwarming it truly is, though I'm referring to true Velons obviously not those cowards of Clan Ruara and their ilk who would drag our good name into the mud," Adesus said feeling her guts clench at the very mention of the name of that vile clan.
"You've mentioned them before who are they exactly?" Markus asked through a mouthful of what appeared to be some kind of grain that he'd mixed with one of the sweet-smelling sauces on offer.
Adesus sighed heavily and nodded, she'd known that this topic was going to come up eventually but it was still tricky to explain to outsiders, in a way, it kinda felt like she was betraying her people by explaining the inner workings of Velon's life.
"All Velons belong to a series of clans, regardless of family or species they are all held under the umbrella of one clan or another and all have a seat at the table when decisions are made, the largest and most powerful is Clan Lunara, they have led Velona for centuries and it is my own clan as well," Adesus said.
"Mine too," Feris said gesturing to Adesus with her fork as she ate.
"Now the whole ideology of Clan Lunara is to preserve the Velon way of life, to protect our traditions and to preserve what it means to be Velon, while also embracing new ideas and technology that drive us forwards and help us to grow as a people, it's also an attitude we hold towards non Velons, meaning that while we don't exactly seek out others we will not turn them away either, it's kinda a mutual respect thing in that we respect you and your traditions as long as you respect us and ours," Adesus said.
"Sounds honourable," Victus said chewing a large mouthful of some kind of vegetable that had been cooked in what smelled like butter of some kind.
"Thank you and yes it is but this is the opposite of what Clan Ruara belive in, they have always been the voice of decent among our people and this has more than once led to infighting among the smaller clans though until now Clan Lunara has always manged to reign them in and to restore peace, infact it was one of these very wars that led to the formation of the Guardians of Life but that was centuraries ago, in more recent times Clan Ruara have become much more vocal and aggitated again, this has led to quite a few of their number having been exiled from our beloved home because of the threat they posed to our people and belive me this is not a desision we took lightly, it pains the heart of every Velon that we have had to cast out one of our brothers or sisters but it's either that or take their life from them and this act is heinous so we chose to remove them because then at least they still live on," Adesus said feeling the sadness she felt in her heart echoing through her voice.
The group sat quietly and ate while they listened to her talk and she appreciated it, it was obvious to her that they had a vested interest in gaining any knowledge they could about her people, though to be fair if they were going to be fighting a war on their behalf it was a smart move to pay attention.
"Clan Ruara believe that Velons don't need any other species, that purity and power of our blood mark us as different and superior to other races, they believe that we should only follow one of two paths, one is to either cut ourselves off from the rest of the galaxy and to build up our forces, to reject anything and everyone non-Velon and to keep ourselves pure while building up enough strength to repel any and all who would dare approach our space, the other is for us to lead a conquest across the stars and to bring all under our sway, because if we control them then they won't be a threat to our way of life," she explained and instantly she saw the various Clan Mason members glancing at one another before all of them settled their attention on Markus who they had silently voted to be their spokesperson for what they were all thinking.
"Yeah they are going with option B," Markus said without any shred of hesitation and Adesus raised an eyebrow at him.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked.
"Two reasons, one you said Adem was using alien mercenaries to attack and take control of the planet's major infrastructure, this means he's already embraced the thought of bringing races he sees as lesser than himself under his control which is further backed up by the fact they were snatching Beledon from their homeworld before they blew it up in order to prevent us from discovering what they were doing while also evading us, then there's the second major point," he said popping a large chunk of what looked to be steak into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.
"Oh and what's that then?" Adesus asked curiously.
"Adem is under the control of the Dark Seed and that is not going to want him to sit on his ass and hide in his own world," he said.
"You've mentioned this Dark Seed before what is it exactly?" Adesus asked curiously glancing at Feris who wore a concerned look on her features.
"No one knows truly what it is, its a dark entity of some kind whether its a powerful dark god or goddess or maybe even a collection of them all working together is debated, it was unleashed by a Dark god called Loki a good few years ago long before my time or any at this table really, but our Grand Patriarch knows about it, he was the one who defeated Loki and tore him from a besiged Dream Warrior called h'chek who was ruling over a clan of Yautja Bad Bloods, but not before the mad god managed to unleash the purest kind of evil this universe has ever known into our reality, its part of Clan Mason's core mission to hunt down this evil and destroy it, but unfortunetly it's not as easy as that as it seems to have fractured itself, or so our Grand Patriarch belives, into seeds, this is allowing it to spread its influence far and wide all while making tracking its movements incredibly diffecult," Markus explained and Adesus felt her whole heart go cold as ice in her chest.
"Your Grand Patriarch defeated a God!!?" she exclaimed and Markus gave her a rather fetching smile that lit up his whole oddly pleasing face.
"We don't call him the God Slayer for nothing," he said.
"He truly is a remarkable male I've seen the vids of him in action during the battle of Raptoria and watching him fight is like watching poetry in motion, he moves like nothing you've ever seen and the power he has under his command is truly breathtaking, normal Dream Warriors and Seekers are incredible to watch the fight but him, he's something else entirely, it's said the very Gods themselves answer his call personally, even the Great Tree himself," Lucious chirped in obvious awe of the man.
"That's indeed why his sword is wrapped in vines and branches, the Great Tree bound its power into it so add its power to his so now when he strikes it carries the power of both the Eternal Huntress and the Great Tree as well as others, as a Tamer I can feel it surrounding the blade it's like nothing I've ever felt, like the raw power of nature folded into a blade with the pure honour of the hunt reinforcing it, only our Grand Patriarch is strong enough to wield it and trust me many have tried, it's kinda one of the Freedom Day challenges I spoke of, the Grand Patriarch will strike it into a random rock and challenge any who wish to try to remove it to do so, none have ever even managed to make it move a single millimetre, it answers to him and him alone," Markus said with a chuckle.
"I hope he will bring that power and fury to the freeing of my people," Adesus said looking down at her nearly finished plate of food which to be fair had all tasted truly wonderful, the generosity of these people was humbling.
Suddenly she felt a strong hand on her shoulder and this time she didn't flinch as she knew it was Markus and when she looked up there was a warm but determined look on his face and burning in his bright oddly coloured eyes.
"You can count on it Adesus I have no doubt in my heart that you'll see how Clan Mason fights first-hand very soon and not just us but our allies as well and when the dust settles Velona will be free again like it rightly deserves to be," he said.
"I hope so Markus truly I do," she said.
After the meal everyone pitched in to help with the washing up though Markus very nearly had to tie Lucious to his seat to prevent the little Raptorian from trying to help and by the way he kept using his size to sneak under people to start drying Adesus could already see the determination of even the smallest members of this wonderful Clan.
After the hearty meal everyone retired to bed and despite the exquisite comfort of the quarters that she had been given Adesus found herself restless, tossing and turning in her large soft bed until she once again got up and decided to get herself a drink.
As she exited the room she instantly felt something that set her quills on edge, another was present in the main room and so she moved silently from the doorway into the near pitch black room looking for the presence she felt and it didn't take her long to spy it, or rather him.
Markus was sat cross-legged in the centre of the floor next to a small little burner which seemed to be creating a sweet-smelling smoke that swirled around him in little rings, though what caught her eyes the most was the fact that not only was he floating a foot off the ground but he was dressed in nought but his underwear.
Adesus couldn't help herself, her eyes were simply drawn to his rippling and well-defined masculine muscles that covered his body, from his taught and large thighs to his broad and solid-looking chest, all of him was wrapped in this delightfully smooth and clear-looking tanned white skin that looked like he's spent some time out in Sand Home.
"Can't sleep either huh?" he said suddenly making her nearly jump out of her quills enough to make them all rattle and vibrate, how the hell had he heard her she'd been as silent as a wandering field quench.
Markus opened his eyes and slowly lowered himself back to the ground to look up at her and it was only at that moment that Adesus realised that he wasn't the only one dressed in nought but his underwear as she saw his eyes run from the top of her head to her tail tip and back up where he fixed her with a warm smile.
She felt a blush warm her skin beneath her quills though why eluded her, as a proud Guardian of Life she should be proud of her body after all she had worked damn hard to sculpt it into a weapon to protect her people.
"Please sit with me maybe I can help relax your mind a little, then you can get some sleep," he said gesturing to a pillow opposite him as if he'd somehow known that she would come.
But before she could form a rebuttal her body had acted of its own accord and had seated itself opposite him next to the little smoking vase which was little more than a ceramic orb filled with little holes that smoke rose in wisps from.
"Clearing the mind through mediation is a cornerstone of being a Seeker, perhaps some of our techniques could be of use in removing the worries that plague you," he said offering her his hands which before she could say anything her body once again acted all of its own accord and taking his offered hands.
"We use meditation back on Velona as well you know?" Adesus said feeling a little nervous for some reason she couldn't quite put her finger on and Markus gave a soft and very warm smile that sent a little flurry of tingles throughout her making her quills rattle slightly as she fought to keep them still.
"I don't doubt it, most enlightened species have some form of it but I highly doubt you have experienced any form of meditation quite like this, now while I might not be a Soul Knight and therefore not quite as accomplished with the workings of the soul as my brothers and sisters I still know my way around the workings of the aura and the soul and your arua shows me you are very conflicted," he said causing Adesus to flick one of her long pointy ears and to rattle her quills curiously.
"Aura? Soul?" she asked curiously she was trying to keep an open mind here especially given what she had seen this mysterious human do already but this seemed a little far-fetched to her.
Markus nodded his head his highly intense gaze never leaving hers making her feel rather self-conscious under the power of it.
"Every being has an aura it is a reflection of one's soul, our Soul Knights spend their entire lives studying it and learning how to not only read it but to manipulate it, hell I've seen some of them like our Grand Patriarch capable of knocking out entire groups of warriors simply by overloading their auras, it's quite the sight to behold let me tell you, but as for us Tamers while we can see and read them our powers are somewhat different in their nature but that doesn't mean we cannot see the signs as easily as our brothers and sisters, here allow me to show you what I mean, with your permission?" he said softly.
Adesus's curiosity got the better of her caution and before the little voice in the back of her mind could scream loud enough to stop her she nodded her head permitting him.
Markus gave her a warm smile again then he closed his eyes for a moment and when they opened again one of his eyes had changed colour and orientation, now it looked like a near-perfect Velon eye complete with a vertical slit pupil.
"Now see me as I see you," he said in a very strange echoing voice that seemed almost ethereal in that it seemed to come from all around her all at once but that's when she saw it and her mind felt like it was going to shake itself apart in her skull.
Markus was surrounded by a billowing white flame with the most beautiful streaks and swirls of emerald green as well as gold flowing through it, it was like watching oils flowing over one another without ever truly mixing and it surrounded him completely.
"This is my aura, it shows those with the sight who I truly am, it cannot lie and it cannot deceive as it is the true nature of our soul laid bare for the universe to see and those of us with the gift who have had our souls touched by the divine as well," he explained in that ethereal voice again.
Adesus simply could not tear her eyes away from him it was like staring at something from mythology.
"You're beautiful...er I umm mean it's beautiful yes that's right it's beautiful!!" Adesus stammered as she realised she slip too late given the words had already left her lips but Markus gave no other reaction to her embarrassment other than a soul-warming smile.
"Look down," he said and Adesus did so and what she saw caused her mouth to fall open.
She too was surrounded by the flames though hers were different to his, while it too was billowing white the colours mixing into it were in shades of blue and purple.
"What do the colours mean?' she asked.
"White is the nature of you, it marks you as a good and pure person, one who can be trusted and will gladly help any who needs it, blue is the colour of sadness and pain it means that you are suffering or in grief or both, purple is the colour of indecisiveness meaning that you are struggling with a decision and it is weighing upon you," Markus explained.
This was truly remarkable to her, the colours of the aura billowing around her perfectly expressed the feelings she had been trying so hard to keep buried within herself, she felt like the mask she kept in place to keep others from reading her true self had simply been yanked away from her leaving her naked and exposed.
But as she looked back up she saw no judgement in Markus's eyes only warmth and understanding.
"We all have demons we struggle with even the very best of us, no being is truly perfect and we all carry and wear our flaws like scars, but what makes us good people is that we learn from them, we use them to teach us how to move forwards, the sadness you feel is unsurprising, Feris is feeling it too and I'd be surprised considering what just happened to your people plus upon discovering what one of your own did I'd be very surprised and most distrustful if it wasn't there, as for the decision you are struggling with I cannot advise if I do not know more and I will not press you as by the colour waves surroudning it I sense its a very deep and personal one, so I will say only the words our Grand Patriarch and Patriarch Ryan constantly use upon us as Seekers, trust your heart and your feelings, they will not lead you astray as they only ever wish for what is best for you, so heed their advice as quiet as it may be whispered into your soul and your path will become clear," Markus said.
Somehow his words made her feel like someone had lifted a massive weight off her shoulders, here was a being who while he might not fully understand the nature of her problem still sought to help her through it and to make her not only feel better but to guide her forwards and it warmed her from the inside.
"T-Thank you Markus that truky does help," she said softly and he nodded.
"You're most welcome, now if you like I can help you a little further, this isn't exactly something you will be able to do on your own as you'd need a Seeeker to take you through it but I'd be more than willing to help you find the peace your mind craves, would you like that?" he asked.
"Yes," she said without hesitation and he nodded before closing his eyes again.
"Alright close your eyes and listen to my words this is going to be a little strange at first but please trust me no harm shall come to you, simply let go when I tell you and you will see something never before seen by your eyes," he said.
Adesus did as she was told and closed her eyes trying to regulate her breathing as she did.
"Alright good now listen to your breathing, imagine every breath you take is filled with life and every breath you expel is filled with worry and doubt, let it all flow out of you, let the embrace of nature all around you envelop you in its warm embrace, let it enshroud you and protect you," Markus's voice said though now it actually felt like it was speaking directly into her mind itself.
She tried to do as she was told taking deep lungfuls of life-giving air and when she breathed out she tried to imagine that all her doubts and worries were flowing with it, as she did so she began to feel something odd, at first it kinda felt like the tickling sensation of having that ten-legged spider on her again, though this was like there was a whole army of them crawling all over her flesh and quills.
"Do not fear it let it flow through you, do not fight it," Markus said softly as if sensing her mind starting to rebel against the odd sensations.
So once again she did as she was told and relaxed her mind allowing the tickling to spread until it totally enveloped her like she was being snuggled by hundreds of those fluffy spiders until finally, she felt it pass right through her skin and into her body.
That's when she saw it, it was like she was seeing with her eyes closed, but it was also like she was looking at the world through an odd kind of filter, all around her were beautiful golden strands and they interconnected everything.
She could follow them from herself out to locate things she had never seen hiding in the shadows of the room, like a little rodent-like creature that was sitting in the tree outside of the window chewing happily on some of the nuts left in hanging dishes put there by the tamers, then from the little rodent she followed another strand that led her to a bird of some kind sitting higher in the tree fast asleep and dreaming, she could even feel its pleasant dreams of having chicks and being happy.
"This is nature, my new friend, this is what it truly looks like and as you can see it connects all things, not a single living being is left out of nature's mighty web, from the smallest little sapling fighting its way into the world through to the mightiest predator stalking its home in search of a meal, all things are woven into the tapestry of nature," Markus said into her mind.
"It's incredible! This is beyond beautiful! Do you see like this all the time?" she asked into the ether of their shared mindscape.
"When I choose to yes, this is what it means to be a Tamer, see here watch what happens when I gently strum this thread of the little squirrel," Markus said.
Adesus refocused her mind onto the little rodent in the tree and as she watched she saw what looked like ghostly transparent fingers strumming the thread that connected it to Markus.
The little creature sat up in its hind quarters and looked around itself before heading down the tree and across the garden to where it found a rather large Yautja male sitting at peace under one of the trees, he appeared to be meditating.
The little squirrel wasted no time climbing right up the male's shoulder and jumping into his tightly woven hair before making itself comfortable, the male simply let his mandibles ease into a smile before another voice joined theirs.
"I feel your hand at play Markus be careful brother and be glad I am not my Matriarch or I might not take the intrusion of this little innocent squirrel so lightly," the voice which she somehow recognised as Patriarch Mason said.
Markus chuckled, "Forgive the intrusion Patriarch I merely wished to demonstrate to our new friend how the power of a Tamer can make even the timidest of creatures become fearless enough to not only approach one of the mightiest but to interact with them without fear," he replied and the figure nodded his head making the little squirrel swing in his dreadlocks.
"I understand my student, now I bid you good night, try not to stay up too late as isense tomorrow will be a big day for all of us," Ryan said.
"Yes Patriarch sleeps well," Markus said and with that, he brought the pair of them out of the trance and back into their room.
Adesus blinked a few times as she felt the connections that had been flowing through her recede into the shadows of her mind.
"T-That was indescribable! It truly felt like I was everywhere all at once!" she exclaimed and Markus nodded.
"That's what it is to be a Tamer Adesus, we feel nature's hand moving through all things and we see how she weaves and builds the worlds around us, but we are granted the gift to be able to strum those threads and to bend her creation to our will when needed," he said.
"You are truly blessed Markus but what of these Soul Knights you spoke of what can they do?" she asked and he simply smiled at her.
"That would be a question best answered by one of them, to truly understand them you have to see it, but let's just say while we work with all things seen they work with all things unseen," he said mysteriously.
With that, he lowered himself back to the ground and it was at that point Adesus realised that the pair of them had been floating in the air and she'd never even noticed, with that he stood up and helped her to her feet before with a wave of his hand he extinguished the incense burner.
"Well I think that's enough for one night we'd better do as Patriarch Ryan says and get some sleep, sounds like things might be moving tomorrow so I'll bid you good night sleep well Adesus," Markus said and with that, he turned and headed for his bedroom though Adesus simply couldn't help herself, she watched every step he took and her eyes positively drank in every fluidic movement he made.
Despite their obvious differences, he was just so deliciously masculine and wonderfully male, the broadness of his chest and shoulders, the powerful and yet flexible nature of his arms and legs, the grace of every step he took filled with purpose.
If someone had told Adesus only six months ago that it was easily possible to look at someone so very different to yourself with such covetous eyes she'd have laughed at them despite coming from a world where interracial relationships were the norm, though maybe because in her eyes despite their differences they were all Velon at the end of the day, while he was so exotically alien while being so deliciously familiar that it wound her senses up in knots.
"Good night Markus sleep well," she said quietly and he gave her a warm smile before vanishing into his room leaving her alone with her thoughts all of which were swirling around the afterimage of him as if by using some lasting after-effect of those Tamer powers he'd allowed her to feel she could just summon him back to her.
Adesus shook her head clean and got to her feet, she picked up the drink she'd meant to get and headed back to her own bed, thankfully this time sleep found her but so did the dreams that she did not expect and let's just say they were rather, intense.
In the morning when after a very welcome shower Adesus made her way into the living area, she found everyone including Feris already gathered and eating breakfast, it appeared that Lucious had beaten them all to the kitchen once again and had been hard at work by the spread that was already waiting on the table.
"Ahh good morning, sit yourself down and dig in, I didn't quite know what your kind would like to start your day so I made a little of every traditional Clan breakfast, you have toasted breads and morning muffins over there, dried fruit and oats there, porridge here though it'll need hot milk, morning meats and cheeses here and my personal favourite soft boiled eggs with toasted Hunters," Lucious chirped happily directing her eyes to each offering on display.
"Toasted Hunters?" Adesus asked curiously as she sat down.
Markus chuckled and nodded before lifting up one of the small strips of what looked to be some kind of toasted bread.
"It's because of the golden colour that the bread goes when you lightly toast it, one of the cubs in the Clan started calling them toasted Hunters and before long the name stuck, now everyone uses it," he explained.
"Doesn't that seem a little disrespectful?" she asked and Victus puffed out his chest and shook his braid-covered head.
"Not at all it is a compliment, a mother will tell her cubs to eat all of their Hunters so they can grow big and strong like the Hunters of the Grand Matriarch," he explained and Adesus couldn't help but smile at that.
Suddenly Markus's wrist comp began to bleep and he opened it up to read the message that was displayed on the screen, "One moment got a call to make," he said and he activated his personal comms unit and began talking to someone o the other end.
After a couple of minutes of conversation, he returned to the table and sat himself down again though his expression looked a little more serious now which set Adesus's quills rattling.
"Alright guys listen up it looks like the Clan is mobilising, after breakfast, we are to meet Seeker Silver-Diamondscale at the launch pad, it looks like it's happening, Clan Mason is going to war," he said.
"About fucking time, now we can finally get vengeance for my homeworld from this vile murderer while at the same time freeing the Velon people from this intolerable enslavement they face," Victus said balling his fist and shaking it at the sky.
"Indeed so eat heartily guys because I get the feeling that once we leave here we won't be back for a while," Markus said.
Adesus looked at Feris and she saw the mixture of emotions passing through her friend's eyes and through the subtle body language that would be lost on their new alien friends, she was both worried and excited and with good reason, they were finally going home and this time there would be no more running away, this time they were going to stand and fight.