[center][h2]Anne Mayer[/h2][h3]??? — Town Outskirts[/h3][/center]
Back at the church, Anne had immediately pegged Joker as a fellow Knight. He had the same style of dress as her: the long, showy coat that in her world had been emblematic of humanity's front-line defenders. It was only now, looking closer, that she realized just how young he was, a teenage boy without so much as a blade to fight with. Older than Alvin, but still not a veteran warrior—just another child plucked from his home and thrust into the middle of a petty conflict on some unknown backwater planet.

Her teeth clenched. When she found out who was behind all this, they'd be getting a good solid wallop for everyone's sake.

"You can call me Anne, but let's put the pleasantries aside. We're on a battlefield." The gentleness in her voice melted away, and she was all business again, an officer in command. "The cave will offer us the best cover, so we'll head that way for now. I'll go in front—"

Her voice cut off at the sounds of movement in the trees. More allies, or potential enemies? She had no way to tell for sure, but it was probably best to assume the worst. Moreover, there were enough of them that her group would surely be found if they tried to hide in their immediate area.

"...We move for the cave, [i]quietly[/i]," she amended, now at a whisper. "If they see us, you two make a break for it while I give you cover. Joker, I need you to carry Millie if you can; I'll be better in a fight if I have my hands free." Perhaps he could play the role of the protector, but he didn't seem any more confident in his strength than she was, and her combat experience likely gave her better odds. If it came to it, it'd be better for the young to flee and live—and besides, she could tell from his movements and posture alone that this boy was a natural talent at sneaking.

Assuming he didn't outright refuse, she carefully passed Millie over to Joker before beckoning and leading the way off towards the cave. Her goal was to try and stealthily avoid the distant silhouettes if possible, but there seemed to be a lot of them, and it was possible they already had the area surrounded. She let out a quiet breath and focused on her aching body, on the vast and fearsome energy that lay dormant in her bones and muscles and worn-out veins and arteries. It flowed inward and pooled in her stomach, resonating and building upon itself, waiting patiently for the dreaded moment when she had no choice but to unleash it once again.

[@EchoWolff][@PKMNB0Y]