[IRP] Beginnings of Change

[Swift_Assassin]

"Good timing, choir boy," Cass chimed in as Yuri appeared with the weapons. With that, she unlocked the cells to let the other gear up. She contemplated opening some of the other cells to provide enough chaos to buy them time. As she thought about it, Shad retrieved his 'walking stick' from the chest. He was elated that they didn't break the sheath trying to examine it. His signet ring glowed and unlocked the sword from it's sheath. He examined the blade then noticed the monk doing much the same with sword of his own. He noticed the markings that appeared on it. Is that a magic sword, too? Thankfully my Schiavona is discreet with it's magic enchantment.

Yuri's comment on 'other' magic got Shad's attention though. "Just a reckless novice. Don't get your hopes up too much," He informed as he sheathed his sword. He grabbed his bag from the chest and tossed it to the side. When Yuri started to get anxious, he warned that they may be on to him. "You guys go ahead, we'll take up the rear." Shad tossed the sheathed sword aside and grabbed his bag. He quickly took out the Sacaen garb and slipped into it. He then removed his belts and harnesses from his coat and put them on as well. He secured his sword and stowed his tome under the shirt. He ran back out of the cell and noticed Cass unlocked a couple of cells. She ran back over to him. "What are you doing?"

"Distraction. Go on ahead, I'll get the coat." Shad nodded in response before Cass tugged on his arm. She held out a dagger and he took it. "For your off hand, pup. Try it out if you've the chance." He nodded again before running off. She went into the cell and slipped into his coat. She smirked for a second before getting back to covering their escape.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

He managed to catch up with them relatively quickly, the benefit of a lighter attire, only to find themselves stopped by the commander of these men. He unsheathed his sword and drew the dagger Cass gave him. He didn't want to use his magic again tonight. His fire tome was a secret weapon. He looked around and noticed a bolt on the ground nearby. He obviously missed a bit and someone was already taking shots at the group. He looked around and saw spears and crossbows. The spears will cause the group some difficulty, but Shad had a solution for the crossbowman. "I'm taking out the crossbowmen," he said to Eli. "Support the others. I've got this."

He focused on his sword as the other crossbowman took aim at him. Shad noticed in time and focused the wind magic in the sword in the path of the bolt. The wind was strong enough to divert it's path just to Shad's right. Getting cocky, Shad began charging at the man as he reloaded the next bolt. This was yet another in a long list of bad ideas Shad had. He ignored the other crossbowman who managed to lead a shot right in Shad's path. The bolt punctured his side causing him to skip a step and fall forwards.

He tumbled a bit right in front of his intended target who, by then, had reloaded and aimed the bolt right for his face. He managed to pull up his arms in time to block it, but it lodged itself between in his forearms. He just stared wide-eyed at the head of the bolt just peaking out of his left arm. Filled with adrenaline, he got back to his feet and shoulder tackled the crossbowman to the ground. His fire tome fell out of his shirt and he maneuvered himself to grab it. He then fired a rather crude fireball right into the mans face at point-blank range, not once, but twice. He then struggled to free his right arm from the bolt, causing himself far more pain in the process. He almost fainted at the amount of blood that gushed out onto the crossbowman before another bolt found its way into his right shoulder. He turned in the direction the bolt came from and fired another crude fireball in his direction. He then lit the end of the bolt in his left arm on fire and attempted to use it to cauterize the wound before he lost more blood. He then fell over next to the crossbowman he killed completely out of it.

[Toogee]

Their exit to the back turned out to be not so open as a group of soldiers were waiting for them. The leader of said group apparently knew Yuri and declared him a traitor. They would have to fight their way out of this.

As soon as the arrows began flying, the monk pushed Paige into the doorframe to gain some minimal amount of cover. They nearly lost their new recruit, but fortunately, her injury did not appear to be life threatening. Shad said he would take care of the bowmen. To Paige's horror, she didn't realize that would involve turning himself into a pin cushion. Eli may have been OK, but Shad was surely dead from Paige's perspective, if not crippled for life. With one bowman remaining, she couldn't come to his aid without getting skewered herself.

That was when the monk stepped in, brandishing his sword. The runes upon the blade glew bright as a bolt of light magic shot from the blade. The shot hit the crossbow, shattering the wood pieces and rendering it useless. The bowman was left to pick the splinters out of his arms. Paige took this as her chance to step on the battlefield.

Her rapier unsheathed, she stood next to Shad to defend him before the lancers began poking more holes in him.

"Stand back!" she shouted at the foes. Though her rapier had some reach, the lances clearly excelled in that department. She was at a disadvantage against two of them.

[Zanryu]

Ellie found her footing and prepared another arrow as Shad found himself on the receiving end of multiple bolts. Then, in what seemed like seconds, he let the crossbowmen feel his wrath with the monk's aid. Page joined the fray soon after and brandished a rapier, attempting to keep the lancers at bay. A valiant move, but not ideal; one rapier won't beat two spears - she had little choice.

"Stand back!

Ellie knocked her arrow and drew hard, aiming to cripple one of the lancers before he could notice her attention pointed to him. As she let the arrow fly, it found its mark, burrowing itself into the side of one man's knee just shy of the plate greaves. Ellie drew yet again another arrow and aimed it towards the second lancer.

The lancer's eyes met Ellie's in that moment, and he darted towards Paige in an effort to avoid the incoming shot. Afraid to miss her shot, Ellie aimed low and fired in an attempt to at least trip him up in his attack - an effort that yielded little result. As the arrow splintered against the Earth, the man stepped wide of the projectile and pulled back his spear, preparing to plunge it through the red headed fencer.

[Toogee]

In the lancer's effort to avoid the arrow, he left himself open to Paige. Paige sidestepped the blow and stabbed him beneath his right shoulder. The thin blade weaved underneath an armor plate, disabling the soldier at least temporarily. She kicked him aside and made a run for the stable. The wounded soldier attempted to go after her, but the monk let loose another bolt from his light brand, taking him off his footing. 

That was when the enemy caster made his move.

During the battle, the caster snuck along the walls, hoping to catch the escapees off guard. His gamble paid off: the caster took Friar Thomas by surprise and stabbed him with a dagger. The weapon was left in the monk's chest as the caster proceeded to cast lighting magic at Eli. The monk could only watch as he slumped against the wall.

[Swift_Assassin]

"Stand back!"

A faint sound reached Shad's ears. It sounded like Paige. He tried turning over, but caught on something. A shock of pain burst out of his right shoulder as the bolt moved around. He then turned the other way and climbed onto the crossbowman under him. He began hearing a ringing in his ears as he moved around. He managed to withdraw his legs to try to support his weight as he took in the surrounding area. His eyes began playing tricks on him. They were in a marketplace all of a sudden. He looked around some more and recognized it as being the Ostian shopping district. He looked at his side and saw an axe head sticking out of his side. Huh. That's what caused the scar. He looked behind him and saw a young girl with red hair crying. He smiled and handed her his signet ring. "Don't cry. Nothing bad will happen to you if you wear that ring. Go on now." Shad said to the girl, completely out of it mentally.

Anyone who was watching would have seen Alice attempting to help Shad, having been watching since contacting Yuri. As he turned away from her, she slipped the ring back into his shirt. She just retreated a bit, holding back tears. What Shad had said to her in that moment, she had heard once before. It almost upset her to hear that again, but she retreated. If he was indeed the one to say that to her the first time, he didn't need her help.

Shad got back up and staggered over to his sword. He picked it up off the ground and staggered back a few more feet. He slapped himself with his left hand and the battlefield had switched from the market back to their escape. It was then he saw monk get stabbed by someone. He then charged at the guy, barely able to run in a straight line. He gathered enough focus to fire off a gust from the wind enchantment, disrupting the guy's casting. Feeling his grip was weak, he positioned his sword as if he was a lancer and dove right into the mans stomach, schiavona piercing him as Shad dragged them both to the ground.

It was at this moment that Cass had rejoined the group to find Shad bleeding from several wounds collapsed on a soldier. She turned her head to the monk not too far from her and ran over to check on him instead. Near death situations were almost routine with the Hyperions, so she opted to focus on the more fragile monk. "What is their name?" She asked coldly. She shook the monk a bit to keep him with her. "We need their name. A name."

[Zanryu]

Ellie watched the carnage ensue as the group dispatched the few men remaining. In the chaos, however, the monk found himself on the receiving end of an ornate dagger to the abdomen. In the next moment, the caster turned his gaze to Ellie and prepared to hurl a bolt of light in her direction. In a snap reaction she prepared to pierce the bolt mid flight, but a gust of bladed wind soaring through the air made her stop dead; Shad, in the midst of his bleeding haze impaled the mage, pinning him as he collapsed.

"Damn!"

In a panic, Ellie rushed to Shad's side, cradling his head and patting him lightly on the cheek. She hid her worry from her face, but it carried through her every action; she did her best to keep playing the boyish charm, but she felt safe with Shad already - he was completely honest with her without any cause for trust. "You gotta stay awake, you saved me and I haven't returned the favor yet!"

The chaos was settling, and all that could be heard aside from the young lady questioning the monk was the battle raging on between Yuri and his former commander - but Ellie couldn't turn her attention from her new-found, exsanguinating friend.

[WyvernSlayer]

The skirmish erupted as one of the prisoners behind Yuri unleashed the first shot.  In seconds, the Keepers were scattered, and Yuri was helpless to react as Faulkner charged at him and tackled him to the ground.  He fell to the ground hard, struggling against the Inquisitor’s spear, which was pressed lengthwise across his neck.
 
“Yuri, my friend…!  You have rescinded your faith, cast your noble virtues to the wind…” Faulkner taunted as he strangled Yuri.  “And to think the signs were there the whole time!”
 
“grrrggh… gurgle” Yuri struggled to push the spear away.  His strength was fading quickly; it wouldn’t be long before it gave entirely.
 
“No one else noticed, but I did!” Faulkner crowed.  “You can’t use Elimine’s magic anymore!  She has forsaken you, just as you have forsaken your saint and Emperor!”
 
Yuri strained to give one final shove against the pole on his throat.  The pressure lessened for an instant, but Faulkner leaned over top of him and drove the spear back down with a grunt.  Yuri’s hands fell away from the contest.  Consciousness wasn’t far behind.
 
As his vision blurred, Yuri was able to catch a glimpse of the battle around them.  These people he had saved… the people he didn’t know, but had thrown his life away for, were still on their feet.  Fighting.  Resisting.  Never giving up.
 
Never give… up…  Yuri’s vision went black.
 
But only for an instant.  No! he thought.  I can’t die here!  I won’t!  These people still need my help!  Yuri forced himself back to Earth, back into the pain that was now dangerously close to crushing his larynx.
 
Blessed Saint Elimine, grant me the strength to fight and outlast, grant me forgiveness for sins of the past…
 
As Yuri mentally recited the creed from his prayer book, suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Yuri noticed his hands had begun to shimmer.  His vision cleared, and while the pressure on his throat was overwhelming, he found enough strength to reach up and grab the spear with one hand.
 
Faulkner noticed this, and Yuri could see his expression snap into one of shock just before Yuri’s other hand sent a shockwave of divine magic directly into his midsection.
 
Shwinnggg!  A ringing tone echoed around them as the light spell flashed a blinding aura around the two Keepers.  Faulkner was blasted off of Yuri’s chest, leaving the spear in Yuri’s clenched hand.  He gasped and choked as he struggled to breathe again, then quickly righted himself.  His head was still incredibly dizzy, and he had to steady himself on the spear to keep the head rush from toppling him again.
 
Faulkner rolled onto his knees and heaved.  “How?!”
 
“Yaaaaaahhhh!” Yuri’s hands glowed again, and the energy traveled up into the tip of the spear, guided by instinct.  A narrow beam of golden light shot out from the spade head, searing straight through the Inquisitor’s head.  There was no entry or exit wound, but Yuri could see the life escape Faulkner as his eyes rolled back and he flopped over onto his back, his face still paralyzed with incredulity.
 
As the light beam vanished, Yuri dropped the spear.  He looked down, at his trembling hands.  There was no light anymore.  Where… where did that come from?  Yuri slowly picked his head up and looked into the night sky.  He whispered his thanks to Elimine, picked the spear up from the ground, and returned to the group.

[Toogee]

Meanwhile, Paige was inside the stable, looking over their escape options. Four horses were standing at the ready in their pens, their saddles adjacent to them. Though rather plain, the steeds appeared to be Imperial, judging from the seals emblazoned on the seats of the saddles. Nonetheless, they were good enough for the team's escape, especially if they doubled up. The only issue was that Paige had never ridden (by herself) before. She wasn't entirely sure which way the saddle went on the horse. As she tried to figure out, she noticed that the sounds of battle had died down. The librarian felt a strange mix of relief and dread. Either her companions were standing tall and victorious, or their corpses were in a burning pile. She had to know, so she stepped out of the stables.

The truth was closer to the middle.

The team was victorious, but not without losses. Shad had seemed to move, but remained unconscious. Paige saw the others gathered around another fallen...was it the monk?! She rushed over to Cassandra's side, fearing the worst.

Thomas took a minute to cough up the blood oozing in his mouth. He was going in and out of consciousness, struggling to form a cohesive thought, other than "This really hurts!" Yet, he had to break his vow, to guide them. If his sin saved his country, then damn his fate.

"The boy...never revealed...he doesn't know!"

The monk went into another coughing fit, slipping in a puddle of his blood. Paige attempted to help him up by offering his sword to lean on. The runes on the blade glowed in her hands, something that surprised her. Thomas didn't take his sword, nodding for the librarian to keep it as his last gift. He gasped as he struggled to say more.

"The library. The truth is in Ostia's library."

He spoke quickly, trying to get it all out before succumbing to the afterlife. That was all he could reveal. His breath escaped along with the last of his life.

Paige closed her eyes in sorrow. Their only lead to saving Lycia was gone.

[Swift_Assassin]

"Tch. Of course," the silver haired spy commented as she stood back up. Ostia's libary was their next destination. "Pup, is the Ostian library in their castle?" She asked, turning to her lord. "Oh, right."

Shad was drifting in and out of consciousness. He last remembered laying face down on a mans chest. Was he bleeding? Right...I stabbed that guy and we fell. Now he was staring face up at someone. He couldn't exactly make out the face, but he recognized the hair color. "What are you doing here, Alice? Weren't you back in the town?" He asked Eli. The question alerted Cassandra. Mainly because Alice was the name of the spy that was following them. He felt a sudden sharp pain in his left arm as the bolt present there was forcibly removed by the spy. That snapped him back to reality. "Agh. Huh? Oh, that was you Eli." Cass immediately noticed a problem his arms. Both weren't straight anymore. The bones must be broken. She applied a vulnerary to his wounds and tied support braces to his arms. "Huh...Cass. What are these for?"

"Eli, can you see if Shad's tome is back there somewhere? He's not going to be using his swords for a while now." Shad's eyes widened at that comment. He turned his head to look at Cass as she elaborated. "Did you think blocking a crossbow bolt from close range with your arms wasn't going to break anything? You need to focus on magic for a while, at least till we find a healer not associated with the church to treat you properly." She lifted Shad up a bit as she slipped behind him. She pulled out the bolt in his back then pulled his shirt down to dress that wound. Shad went noticeably limp at that. Pass out again, huh? She took out the bolt in his side and removed his bloodied up shirt entirely to treat the last wound, carefully navigating the sleeves off his braced forearms. She applied the last of the vulnerary on his side before hefting him up onto one of the nearby horses.

"Don't worry much about him. It's not his first near-death situation and it won't be his last. His recklessness is something he inherited." Cass commented as she began gathering Shad's equipment. "I'll ride with him to make sure he doesn't drop of the horse."

[Toogee]

Paige was still shell shocked at the sight of the monk's body as well as Shad's bloody form. This was the first time they lost an ally. Though he revealed the location of proof of an heir to Lycia, there was no way they could walk up to Ostia without serious consequences. The only other assistance Thomas would offer was the light brand in Paige's hand.

Paige wasn't sure how Shad was still alive much less awake; the fact that he was proved how lucky they were. Cass treated him rather casually, as if this was a daily routine. Despite Cass's reassurances, Paige was doubtful of Shad's miraculous recovery.

"Horses are in stable. They seem gentle enough," Paige said to the others. "Those who can ride, get ready."

Paige broke off from the others, following Cass as she helped Shad onto the mount.

"With all due respect, his arms are broken and we don't have a mend staff," Paige argued with Cass. "We'll surely be hiding from the empire; searching for an allied healer will take days if not longer. And with the risk of infection...how can you be so confident?"

It was clear that Paige was giving in to the sadness, now that their journey had surely reached a dead end.

[Swift_Assassin]

Cass turned to the librarian, unsure about her knowledge of healing salves. "This is a vulnerary. It's a healing agent. It's great at closing up open wounds. The rush from the fight has numbed the pain for now, but we'll need to acquire some willow bark to alleviate the pain in the mean time. I've already applied splints to keep the bones in place, but unfortunately we don't have time for the pup to be sidelined. His magic should suffice in the meantime." She informed, explaining what she did. "As for what makes me so confident...well, you see that scar in his side, right? Don't know what caused it, but I'm guessing it should have been lethal. But he hung in there until a healer saved him."

She picked up Shad's sword and put it on her waist, with another sword he had left behind in the chest. She noticed his ring was on the ground as well and picked it up. She looked at it for a couple of seconds and put it on her finger. It looked like it fell out of his shirt. "As for infection, I'll keep an eye out on his wounds. As long as they don't start swelling, or worse, and he doesn't develop a fever, he should be in the clear. Willow bark can also be useful for that as well, provided we find it."

She looked back at Paige and noticed she didn't seem in the best of moods. "Let's retreat to a favorable location. We need to lick our wounds and regroup. We don't have to get to Ostia right now. Even if we had a name, we couldn't do anything with it just yet. Perhaps we should make contact with Bern or the Etrurian resistance. Or we can gather the funds to hire an Ilian mercenary company. Either way, without an army at our back, we couldn't even challenge the emperor in the first place."

She looked around and realized something they needed. "We need to establish a safe haven in Lycia, a place to call our home. If we can find an abandoned fortress or gain the favor of one of the marches, it'll be easier to make a move. But, then again, having that flexibility can be a good thing too."

[WyvernSlayer]

Yuri was mostly silent as the group congregated. There was a blank look on his face – he was still trying to comprehend what had just happened. I am a wanted man now, he thought. Worse yet, I’ve been branded a traitor and a heretic to the Church…

But why, he wondered, was he able to harness the good magic as a heretic standing against the values of the church? Yuri had always been told from a very young age that only the good were able to wield such power. Perhaps they were wrong? Or had he been lied to? Yuri’s head spun with questions.

Cassandra’s voice broke him out of his daze. “Let’s retreat to a favorable position,” she said. “We need to lick our wounds and regroup.”

“You must go to the east,” Yuri said rather softly.

“Without an army at our back, we couldn’t even challenge the emperor in the first place.”

Yuri’s eyes widened. “What?!” he blurted. He felt all eyes converge on him.

Yuri stepped in front of Cassandra. “Challenge him? Are you mad?!” He turned to face the rest of the group. “To raise a hand against the Emperor of Lycia is to beg for death!” Yuri peered into the resolute stares of each of the members. The only one who seemed surprised was Eli. He only assumed that he was not made aware of this daft cadre’s intentions.

“The Emperor is… he is unlike any man I have ever seen before.” Yuri sighed and slumped his shoulders a bit. “I only saw him once… at the Elimine Church in Thria. I was just an acolyte then…” The interest of the group subconsciously pressed Yuri to continue.

“I saw him meet with the Archbishop during mass some two or three years ago. Everything about him – his armor, his eyes, his walk… it was like witnessing a god among those who walk this earth. I dared not meet his gaze, for I feared that he could pluck my very soul from my body… I know this does nothing to dissuade you, but you must listen to me when I say that hoping to stand against him is a terrible mistake!” As Yuri’s voice rose, the horses whinnied anxiously. Yuri glanced back at them, then spoke again.

“You need to keep away from Ostia and Thria. Please, my friends… don’t let me have renounced my saint for nothing. Go to the east. Flee, into Bern. There, you will be safe.” Yuri walked past Paige, towards one of the horses. As he stepped past the lifeless body of his former captain, Yuri stopped.

Faulkner’s face lay frozen in time, awry with shock. Yuri muttered a prayer under his breath as he slid his hand down over Faulkner’s eyes. He reached for the spear that lay nearby and scooped it up.

“I ride for Tania, then across the border,” he said over his shoulder. “You would do well to follow if you hope to escape the Emperor’s wrath, my friends.” He approached one of the horses, flipped its backwards-facing saddle into the proper position, then mounted it.

As he looked eastward, Yuri could pick up the faint sounds of voices behind him. The other Keepers has surely heard the commotion from the fight.

“Quickly!” he snapped. “Do not waste the lives I have helped save tonight. Hrah!” Yuri snapped the reins, and was off into the night.

[Toogee]

Paige was about to reply back to Cass, but Yuri broke in. What he revealed was far more intriguing. They were given a first hand account of what the emperor was like, how his soldiers viewed him (well, one of them), and perhaps why fighting him with an army (something Paige had no intention of doing) was pointless. Before she could calm him, Yuri took off into the night. He could be a valuable ally...if they could catch up with him. Yuri's quick departure pretty much marked Paige's next course of action: follow him east.

"I'm going after him," Paige told the others. "Shad can catch up with us in Tania once he recovers."

The librarian looked to one of the horses, hoping to hurry up in time to catch Yuri.

"Now, how does this saddle go..."

The sounds of approaching soldiers had Paige quickly putting the saddle on. She struggled a bit to mount, but Paige managed to get on. She looked over to Eli.

"Eli, if you still want to help us, I'd appreciate the company- WOAH!"

Before she could finish, Paige's horse dashed off. She struggled to get in the right direction, the horse heading for a fence. Pleas of "No no no" could be heard in the night as the horse charged for the fence and leaped over it. Had Paige not grabbed onto the saddle, she would have been left behind. Separated from her allies, Paige would have to hope that they would catch up to her before the soldiers did.

[Swift_Assassin]

Cass just stood there and listened to the choir boy's concerned words. She only chuckled to herself with how desperate he sounded and how terrifying he claimed the emperor was. The fear in his eyes did not come across well to the spy. Without a visage to go along with this once nameless specter, he was nothing but smoke and mirrors to her. One that feared magic enough to start a cult to squash it out. She could only mutter to herself, "You haven't seen his great-grandfather in action," referring to Shad's great-grandfather Ludwig Hyperion. If there was a man who fit Yuri's description of Emperor Coran, Ludwig would be that man. Coran's only saving graces in a potential exchange of blows between them would be Coran's youth and Ludwig's presumed death. He disappeared to the Western Isles sixteen years ago to find a worthy death.

Paige immediately declared she was going after Yuri, saying how Shad could join them later. As if. She thought, We're going together. She looked around and noticed Paige struggle with the saddle quickly before unceremoniously rushing off. It was almost comical, if her life wasn't in danger. She looked back towards Eli, but saw someone further away. Alice. "You can go ahead first. We shouldn't be more than a day's ride behind at most." She jumped back onto the horse and secured all of Shad's belongings either on his person or on herself and rode off.

----------------------------------------------------

She came back around and reentered Santaruz, where Alice led them to a secluded spot. Alice walked over to the pair on the horse and looked at Shad. Her eyes widened from the scar she saw. Cass jumped down off the horse and pointed a sword at Alice. "I didn't ask who you worked for last we met, but I think you owe me that now," She questioned. Alice seemed off. It looked like she had been crying and seemed like she was about to again. "What does that scar mean to you?"

"I'm an Ostian spy, as you might have figured. Specifically, I serve my brother, an Ostian general," She answered as calmly as she could. Her following words were caught in her throat as Cass brought the sword closer. [color=#B85038]"He said something to me. 'Don't cry. Nothing bad will happen to you if you wear that ring. Go on now.'" Alice repeated. Cassandra's eyes widened a bit. That was something Shad said to her as a kid. "I...I think he saved me. Ten years ago. Someone tried attacking me in Ostia and an older boy saved me, taking an axe to the side. It terrified me to no end. He gave me his ring and said that to me. I took it without thinking and ran like he said. I thought the boy died, because I never saw him again. But this scar...those words...that ring." She said looking at Cassandra's hand. She glanced at it and looked back at her. "Since I took that ring from him back in that town near Pharae, I've swiped that ring from him several times. I didn't know why I was so enthralled by it, but now I remember why. It reminded me of the ring that boy gave me that day."

Cassandra sheathed the sword and raised the ringed hand to her face. "I've heard him say that before too. Shad thought it would be a cool thing to say if he died saving someone. Funny for a seven-year old to be thinking that way, but that's how his family is. The pup's lived in Ostia for eight years, finding refuge in the city when he was eight. If anyone's stupid enough to toss himself in the way of an axe..." She paused looking back at the unconscious Shad on the horse. "It would be the guy who ran headlong into crossbow fire." She looked back to Alice. "So. Loyalty to the Empire or loyalty to the boy who saved your life?" She questioned.

The air between them was tense for a moment. "I have a camp set up nearby. We should let him rest the night before we move on." Alice responded without a second thought. Cass nodded as the trio rode off. After some rest, to Tania they ride.

[Zanryu]

As the sounds of combat were stifled against the scramble of the group and their wounded, Ellie found a smirk as Shad opened his eyes; ever so slightly at first, but they were open.

"What are you doing here, Alice? Weren't you back in the town?"

Ellie was perplexed, but said nothing - shushing her friend, she heard his companion approach from nearby, analyzing the extent of his wounds. However great they were, it seemed it was neither the first nor the last time he'd wind up in this state - a testament to his fortitude and stupidity in equal measure, Ellie joked in the back of her mind.

"Agh. Huh? Oh, that was you Eli."

Smiling lightly with a faint nod, Ellie scurried back away a smidgen, resting Shad's head on the cool ground to relax his neck.

"Eli, can you see if Shad's tome is back there somewhere? He's not going to be using his swords for a while now."

"You got it, miss!" Ellie piped up, turning to find the tome as Cass scolded the wounded noble; not a bad idea by any means, but futile - something the group would likely discover should their paths align in the future. Shad had a knack for heroics, it seemed.

Ellie found the magic book cast aside, laying open near a toppled corpse drenched in blood - she stared a moment without a thought in her head; she didn't feel sorry, but she didn't feel happy. She found herself swallowing a piece of her humanity as she turned, taking in the scene around them - she hadn't thought about it all until now, taking lives. But they were the enemy, so she pressed on. She dusted off the old tome and tucked it under her arm, bringing it back to Cass and laying it gently at her side.

The group discussed further while they tended to Shad and the fallen monk, who in his final moments, broke his vows of silence. Then their newest companion, the turncoat named Yuri, spoke quietly, then shouted abruptly - his voice dripping with what sounded to be equal parts anger and fear.

"You must go to the east,"

"Without an army at our back, we couldn't even challenge the emperor in the first place."

“What?! Challenge him? Are you mad?!”

Ellie stared in confusion - she wasn't quite sure what was going to happen; she rest a hand on the end of one of her daggers, in hopes that the soldier was merely issuing caution, not threats. She listened as she studied his body language, every movement.

“The Emperor is… he is unlike any man I have ever seen before. I only saw him once… at the Elimine Church in Thria. I was just an acolyte then… I saw him meet with the Archbishop during mass some two or three years ago. Everything about him – his armor, his eyes, his walk… it was like witnessing a god among those who walk this earth. I dared not meet his gaze, for I feared that he could pluck my very soul from my body… I know this does nothing to dissuade you, but you must listen to me when I say that hoping to stand against him is a terrible mistake!”

Ellie eased up, the description of the emperor sent chills down her spine. She turned to each of her companions to find them in very much the same state of shock, pondering the move that would follow. As Yuri continued to speak, she felt a confidence fill the air, whatever it was - these friends of hers, however scared they may have been, were prepared to face this man, one way or the other, and Ellie knew it. She wasn't going to let them walk into sure danger alone; her mind was made up once more, she was going to fight with them - to the bitter end.

With a final warning, Yuri mounted his horse and rode off into the night, and Paige wasted little time in her pursuit. She turned to Ellie before she left.

"Eli, if you still want to help us, I'd appreciate the company- WOAH!"

The horse took off at a blistering pace, nearly throwing Paige from the saddle. Turning to look at Shad and Cass, Ellie met Cass's gaze.

"You can go ahead first. We shouldn't be more than a day's ride behind at most."

Ellie nodded and approached the two, kneeling next to the bleeding noble. She smirked as she squeezed his shoulder lightly; she'd see him again soon, something told her - Cass's confidence seemed to be contagious. "I'll be looking for you come dusk tomorrow, then. Ride carefully!"

Ellie rushed off towards the stables, preparing her horse and mounting up with haste. She dug her heels into its sides, a little more sharply than she'd intended, and they were off on Yuri's trail. She hunkered down low and rode hard into the night, hoping to catch up to the ruby-haired speck in the distance. Taking down an emperor... not exactly what I'd expected when I came out here...