"Well, I guess orders are orders, even if they change," Blade laughed as he drew his sword, holding it in an awkward looking and unorthodox grip. He supposed his best odds involved picking off outliers that wouldn't be swinging weapons at him. Still, at the same time, he wasn't interested in killing people who couldn't fight back. 'They're focused on our captain... I'm confident he can handle himself with the princess and the nutjob there...' Of course, there were also orders given as to who to go after. 'Not really too keen on putting myself to the axe that quickly...' He thought, noticing the rather dangerous looking men who he'd been tasked with intercepting.

"Well, good luck, flylady," Blade said to Brynhild. "Don't get killed, yea?" He asked, before blinking. "Actually, before you go..." He smirked.

"Please make haste with your question" Byrnhild said as she started to mount her pegasus. This was a crucial time some time as of now they were under attack so they needed to be quick on their feet and act quickly. Probably her due to her strict mentoring for times like this but Byrnhild did not want to waste time. Still the situation quickly became unfavorable sure it was a trap but couldn't there have been a alternate solution than this? Shaking her head clear of such thought it was not her place to question the higher command in this case the tactician he knew what was best otherwise he wouldn't have gotten his spot right?

@BlazeGamma

A sigh escaped from the Khan's lips. This was worse than she thought. Raze saying that he was better at offense than he was a defense wasn't naming a weakness. Not the way he said it. Neither was the part he muttered about waiting being frustrating. Elesia made a mental note to watch her own back and not rely on him to do so. What was frustrating for her was the fact that he seemed oblivious to the stranger in the bushes. "Were you dropped on your head as a baby?" Elesia asked, not even thinking about what she was saying before the words left her lips. She had been wondering that for a while. It could explain Raze entirely. He just seemed like the type that wasn't all there. Not that Elesia was claiming to be in the slightest.

Their journey continued until night fell, with Elesia keeping a careful eye on the stranger at all times. She didn't know what he was doing, or why he was following them. But Elesia had learned the hard that people who followed others in the shadows, especially Khans and/or women, were never good. The moment they did anything suspicious, Elesia would confront them, but not a moment beforehand. Once night fell, her and Raze found a place to set up camp, and soon they had a fire going. That's when Sneaky McStalker decided to finally show his face, pretending to be a traveler. Elesia stood up from her position on the ground and stepped between the stranger and Raze, hoping the champion got the message to let her deal with it. Her right hand casually rested on the hilt of her blade, a thinly veiled threat.

"Finally decided to show yourself, eh?" She said with narrowed and untrusting eyes. "What business do you have stalking a Khan like that? Talk fast or I introduce you to my weight loss program, it's amazing how much lighter you'll feel when your guts are outside of your body instead of inside." Despite the fact that the thought of freshly cooked game was making her hungry, Elesia's eyes never moved from the stranger's. Never one did she even glance at the deer he had slung over his shoulder. Explanation first, food later.

He shrugs his shoulders and sighs" I'm grateful for the offer of the free trial of the weight loss plan but I'm currently gaining weight milady " he smirks as he sets down the game and kneels in a surrendering stance the bow and quiver on his back" I'm sorry about following you without properly introducing myself. I'm a huntsman I'm not much of a people person I didn't know how to talk to the Khan and her company so I decided to follow along and see if I could help in some way."he looks up at her with determined eyes.

@AirBender

Matthew looked towards Chloetta as if shocked. "You talk of diplomacy yet you set a trap..." He looked around, the odds were bad but he could tell the rest of her forces were holding in reserve. He couldn't ask them to throw themselves on their blades here, no he would have to do something else. So he stepped forwards let a bolt lightning strike in front of Chloetta. "I challenge you! A one on one battle, no one else has to get hurt... My Shepherds are volunteers but I know when I'm outmatch you have us five to one and surrounded." He put his tome into his pocket and drew his blade. "If you defeat me, you may take me prisoners... After all I'm Champion you're after bringing me back for execution would earn you a promotion."

He gave the blade a gentle test swing as he looked at Jerod. "Jerod, get back to the others be ready to run if I lose. No sense in dying here, if you want to die do it when your taking a lot more them with you." He told the older man before turning himself towards Heather. "Heather go with the others and stay close to them, run if you have to just be safe." He sighed and turned back towards Chloetta, he stepped forward sword in hand. "The Light Prodigy versus the Champion, if nothing else we will have a fight people remember, so do you accept my challenge? If I win all I ask is that you take your troops and retreat, we end the fight when one of us cannot continue."

Matthew pulled his hood up and held his wind tome in one hand, while his sword hand moved slowly as if he was trying to figure out something. In truth he was preparing for her to say no, to have to try and dodge three archers at short range and then escape. He thought they had less units than had in actuality, with these numbers and his little band it would take a miracle. He was positive that by the time the last one of them fell they would have barely enough people left to move the bodies, but he knew that throwing the entire group was pointless. At least if she accepted only he would face the consequences of his actions here, he could live with that choice.

((BREATHE DAMN YOU))

Heather froze and turned to Matthew, taking a few steps closer to him, despite him telling her to run. "You can't be serious! Without you the entire army falls! At least let someone champion you. Perhaps the Pegasus Knight? Her magic won't hurt her much. Heck, I'll do it, neither of us could hurt each other." she smiled at the somewhat amusing image, but it faded fast.

Jerod snarled at the warriors he had yet to cut down, the word of the champion Lad the only thing that snapped him out of his charging rage. His armor was smoking from the blast of lightning he had taken, breathing heavily until the healer had done her work again. Leave it to her to keep him up and running through the fight. Probably would have some choice words for him later, too, but he grinned out of the snarl, facing off still against the right flank, if the Champion went and did something stupid, he had no obligation to not promptly mount a rescue operation. After all, this Light lass would likely be tired out after a duel, nothing says he couldn't just cut her down then and there. No such thing as a fair fight, after all. The healer lass that had been healing them proposed a champion for the champion, and he barked out his own response. "Ah die on m' own terms, Lad, an' if ye' 're damn set on t'is damn fool course o' action, ah'll knock 'er down t' size. Ah owe 'er fer 'er shockin' rude bushwackin' attempt..."

@Fenfeir@AirBender

Somehow, Raze doubted that the question he received in response meant anything positive. Here he was, pouring out his greatest known weakness to her and she insults him. That was no way to treat a man who would soon rise above her! Besides, wasn't the "weakness" she gave him similar? Not that he would bring that point up, it might be a death sentence. Though to be honest, he was not always the best at analyzing himself in a negative light so the Khan might have had a point. However, she was the only person thus far who had given him reason to doubt anything about himself, so who could blame him? Aside from that one occasion, he was perfect.

A day of walking ensued, until night had begun to fall and the two decided to set up their camp. Raze collected the nearest flammable bits and with little delay, they had a fire up. Such a thing was child's play to Raze (though it should be to just about anyone, really). Unfortunately, they only had a small amount of time to enjoy said fire before someone interrupted their very precious alone time. How dare they, things were going so smoothly!

If I worshipped anybody aside from myself, I would thank them for the possibility of interaction they have bestowed upon me!

It turned out that people who did not put up with his shit were a bit more difficult to speak with, or at least that is the conclusion he came to during the mostly wordless trip they had had so far, save the very beginning earlier in the day. Raze stood up, but so did the Khan. She made it clear she was going to address the issue, and she did so in a very hostile manner. But judging by her words, this person had been following them.

Raze knew he should have noticed this, and mentally kicked himself for being too relaxed. If only he could think of a way to train his senses for something like this.

The stranger played the part of an innocent hunter, even surrendering his weapon to the ground. He was obviously very suspcious, so Raze attempted to see if there were bandits or the sort attempting to surround them. Of course, in the darkness of the night, this was not the easiest thing to do, but he did not spot anybody closing in on them. He was... probably, maybe alone.

A hand on his blade in case things escalated, Raze awaited his Khan's response to the man, as that was her call and not his own.

"So you start a fight and when you find yourself outmatched you try to bring the fight in your own odds? Are you a fool? Is it just an act or are you just that dim?" Chloetta had to ask. Really. For a tactician he made several blunders. Really though. . . This is what the Church was afraid of this? This was the Chosen Champion? Perhaps Bern was right about this specific case in taking him in for execution. . . Still, with a little bit of thinking. . . She could use this fool to her advantage. These mercenaries of hers were loyal to the money. . . Something she didn't have. If she didn't have them, she didn't have a military force. Perhaps she could use this fool. . . And his forces. . . to fight Bern. Weaken both sides, then, well, figure the rest out later.

He couldn't possibly know what she was thinking. Still, she needed him to think she was serious about killing him . . . Still, he presented her with quite the opportunity. "Very well. I shall fight this duel with you. Just know that if you lose, your entire party will be hunted down and slaughtered." Of course, that would now be the worst possible outcome. For now she needed to achieve her new personal goal. The "Light Prodigy" drew out her spellbook and cast a bolt of lightning at the ground directly in front of Matthew as she prodded her horse slightly forward. "Come at me when you're ready, foolish Ylissean."

Two horsemen were galloping across the Ylissean-Plegian border back towards Ylissean territory. When the Church of Naga and their allies declared their ‘crusade’, everyone knew that these religious zealots would sooner or later target the Plegians because of their ‘heretic’ beliefs. Since Plegia had suffered much civil unrest since the defeat of Grima by the Shepherds, the Ylisseans preemptively sent some forces to bolster the Pro-Ylissean government that was now ruling Plegia. When the Crusaders’ attack finally came, the leadership in Plegia realized that they would need more reinforcements if they wished to prevent Plegia from being wiped off the map. Therefore, they sent two brothers, Aloysius and Marius, the Viridian and Crimson knights.

As they crossed the border, the brothers saw a convey of Ylisseans become under attack by what they assume were either the forces of the Church or their allies. By their count, they guessed that there were at least 20, if not more, hostiles surrounding the train of wagons. Furthermore, someone had become separated from the rest of the convey, placing that individual at great risk.

“We’re going to need to make a quick stop.” Marius alerted his brother as he veered his horse, Bucephalus, towards the convey.

“But what about the message?” Aloysius asked Marius.

“If we don’t do anything, our reinforcements might have some trouble traveling past here.”

Therefore, the two cavaliers charged forwards towards the left flank of the convey, where several axe-wielding soldiers were approaching a single myrmidon. Marius first garnered one of the axmen’s attention by tossing a javelin in his direction. While the projectile missed its mark, Marius’ brother drew his iron sword and struck down the warrior.

“Look alive, swordsman!” Marius shouted to the myrmidon, “There’s still three more of these guys here and many more around the corner!”

Seeing as their was no answer Byrnhild rushed forward dashing forward on her pegasus her lance held aloft as she dived headfirst into the enemies. Taking advantage of her speed and her flying mount she dived in and out of their reach generally doing what many would probably consider hit and run tactics. This was a real battle and as such she had no time to worry about honor right now things was hectic and like most would say no plan survives first contact with the enemy. This made things a bit easier but it also made things a tad bit more difficult as well. Her method of attacking kept minimum damage to her sure but at the same time she was not able to deal as much damage to her enemies as a result.

Matthew nodded sheathing his blade. "No I simply misjudged the situation, you have far more men than I was expecting. So now the plan changes." He answered stepping up to wear the bolt of lightning had hit and casting Elwind in return, he didn't aim for Chloetta but instead for the horse she rode. If he toppled the beast with her on it and pinned her game, set, and match. After releasing the spell he dart left then forward in to the wreckage of the cart pulling his sword as he moved closer so he could strike at her with his blade.

Chloetta's soldiers returned to engaging there opponents, deciding they would not wait on there commander to decide the battle. The other Cavaliers charged leaping over the broken carts charging forward, hoping for their lances to find purchase. Her forces still had them almost three to one as additional lance wielding soldiers, nine of them advanced from the right. Slowly, keep there line intact as to fend off all there opponents.

It was a pitched a rampant fight, while Chloetta's force busied themselves with Champions yet few had seen what was closing from the skies. Wyverns of the Church were coming, reinforcements perhaps sent by Bern with a message, it didn't matter for suddenly from there left a new group of Wyverns approached. Plegian riders gave brutal yells as they swooped on to the Churches Wyverns the beasts plummeting down from the sky around them.

Chloetta's reinforcements turned to face there opponents, quite shocked at what they found. As Genna ordered the archers to turn and fire on the enemy one rider, shot towards them in a lethal dive. It Selenia Captain of the Wyvern riders, no doubt having followed the Wyverns and been led right to Chloetta more importantly her mark. As her Wyvern turned, dodging the arrows the archers sent up jumped from the beast as it pulled up. Her armored form crashed, sickeningly into one archer as tossed her ax into the one across from Genna. She kicked Genna down preparing to finish her, yet the archer tossed away her bow covered herself cowering. The Knight laughed as her Wyvern landed, all could see a sick decoration on its saddle Bern's head, his face still painted with the shock.

The Wyvern Lord snarled climbing back on her dragon and ascending back up to join her Knights in combat. She would be back for the rest later, with her Knights.