I'm with Io on this one.", concurred Kerry as she crossed her arms. "You say this guy owes you and I'm down for doing anything 'unorthodox', but do you even trust him? In my line of work, people who operate on both sides of the coin, per say, aren't who you would call trustworthy. He could lead us into a trap, for all we know."
@Enkryption, @AzureKnight "...Aw man," Liliana said, pouting as Ian took the oar from her. "I hate ominous four-shadowing." After arriving on Hama Island, Liliana was surprised by how...sparse it was. A lot of sand and fog, and a lot of rock, but barely any plant life at all. And there was some older gentleman swinging away on a training dummy with practiced skills...just how many super strong swordsmen were lying in wait!?
Upon hearing the swordsman's plight, Liliana would haughtily hoist her sword onto her shoulder. "Heh, with one of my spells, I bet we can get her out before they even realize she's missing! Count me in Ian!" the fairy said, already eager to jump into danger as she went to the shore, shrinking down to her teeny form. "I'll go on ahead and sneak in, then you all come with the boat and we'll break out lickety-split! Sound like a plan?"
Eula
The monk was blaming himself...and, it seemed that they were too late for some of the people here. And even then, Eula was being told it was alright to leave. That she could take her coin and go, and just...ignore everyone else's suffering.
There was no part of her programming that let her take even a single step back from this place. Not without doing everything she can. She may not have medical equipment or two arms to work with, but she did have her database. Perhaps, this disease could be analyzed and made into its own antigen.
"I don't know how much help I can be but...please!" Eula said, before getting on her one good hand and her knees, touching her forehead to the ground before the monk. "Let me try and help these people." She'd studied some Zipangu customs before coming, and had discovered an effective method of "groveling for mercy or a favor" was called the "Dogeza", a pose that demonstrated absolute prostration. She could only hope the monk would let her try, in spite of what had happened.
"Oh, no, no, no, no! There is no need to do that!" The monk quickly pulled Eula up to her feet. Or at least, attempted to considering his inferior strength. "Thank you, yokai. Know that your help is very much appreciated. Come, let's see where this disease came from."
The Automaton and the monk then talked to a refugee, asking when the illness arrived. "Ever since the Varjans came and took all our food."
"What are you all eating then?"
"Nothing, healer. We can only drink water from the well."
The monk sighed and thanked the refugee before turning to Eula. "The plight of these refugees is worse than I thought. Not just illness, but starvation as well. I should notify Miss Ayu's network to give this camp a priority in supplies. It'd be best to move them all to the temple but..." The monk looked around and saw the amount of people that needed to be protected if they moved out in the open. "Anyway, we're not here to figure that out. We're here to treat an illness. Let's get to the well."
The stone well was outside the hidden camp and by a fork in the main road. It was out in the open but fortunately, it seemed the duo were alone. The monk pulled a wooden bucket of water from the source and inspected it. "Hmm, I don't see anything wrong. It's mostly clear... What do you think, Miss yokai?"
"Being deprived of food is...terrible," Eula said, sympathizing with the villagers as she walked with the monk. She liked food but didn't need it to survive, so she couldn't imagine going without vital fuel for a long time. When they reached the well, the automaton would inspect the water, looking at it. "Waterborn contagions are often not visible to the naked eye. I will attempt to analyze some of this water. Don't be concerned, diseases shouldn't affect me,"
Eula would take a sip of the bucket and make sure it reached her stomach for analysis, closing her eyes as she worked through its chemical makeup and contaminants.
The groundwater of this well was unremarkable other than being naturally potable. However, it has been contaminated with an artificial poison that wasted away any of the afflicted in a matter of days, inducing painful symptoms before death. The amount poured into the well was not enough to color the water, but enough to induce the disease into anyone who would drink from this once-pure well.
To cure this poison, one simply needs to imbibe the essence of a water lily's roots. Put a water lily's roots in a liquid, preferably water, and heat until boiling. Ingesting the solution will eradicate the disease in half a day.
The poison is infamous for masking its identity by imitating the symptoms of natural diseases. However, the widespread knowledge of this poison make it no longer popular.
Taking her time to analyze the water, Eula's eyes would open. "Without a doubt, its been poisoned. Its designed to be hard to detect in small doses like this. Water lily root essence can cure it. Do you happen to know where we can find some? And, perhaps, where this well's source is?" she asked, figuring the monk might at least know someone who would know.
"Poison... Do you think perhaps, the Varjans put it in the well when they arrived? That would explain why they let the villagers escape instead of capturing them." The monk speculated. "Anyway, water lily roots, you say? I know there's a small pond near here where the plants grow. We can gather some there."
The monk then lead Eula to the aforementioned pond. It was a short walk down the road where the white-tipped grasses became as tall as an average person. "As for the well, I'm not too sure where the water comes from. It's probably an underground reservoir like a normal well." The monk answered. "Listen, I heard you say the root essence. That means we'll need to boil the plants. I'll return to the camp to prepare the equipment while you gather some water lilies. I believe a handful will be enough for the whole camp." He finished before splitting from Eula. "Just walk straight into the grass and you'll reach the pond. You can't miss it."
Following a straight line into the grass dancing in the wind, Eula soon arrived at the pond and indeed, it was filled with some healthy water lilies. But another figure emerged from the grass right beside Eula with the former immediately noticing the latter, two wild eyes staring at her without fear.
The wild boar snorted, ready to throw down with the monster. Its paw clawing the ground and about to charge.
With her course set, Eula would head off in search of the water lilies, only to come upon a wild boar with the intent to face her. On instinct alone, Eula would raise her one functioning arm, unleashing a series of demonic energy bolts with the intent to stun the beast. "Move aside," the automaton said, rushing to move past the boar after she stunned it. If she hesitated, more might lose their lives from the poison.
The boar squealed as it was hit by the stunning bolts, stumbling back before fainting into the ground. Eula truly allowed nothing to deter her from obtaining the cure. With the wild animal unconscious, the Automaton was free to take as much of the water plants as she could.
---
Bringing back the plants to the camp, Eula saw the monk in the middle of the camp stirring boiling water in a huge pot with a fire underneath. "Ah, miss yokai! You're back so quickly!" The monk exclaimed, stopping to greet the Automaton. "And I see you've brought the lilies. A simple task, no?" Stopping a wild boar before it could do anything was probably a simple task for someone like Eula. "Here, let's cut off the roots and put them in the pot. Then it is all finished."
It was a simple matter of taking the roots off the lilies and soon, the boiling water had several pieces of water lily root in it. With the work finished, the monk finally sighed a breath of relief. "We may be too late for some, but better late than never, I suppose." He remarked. "Yokai, I can't tell you how thankful I am for your help. I know this became... complicated midway and amends are... probably no longer possible. But you have saved lives here today, remember that."
"Now then, I know you are keen to help but you have done all you can here. No doubt, the taskforce has need of you back in Terauchi Temple." The monk bid farewell to Eula. "Don't worry about me, I can handle things from here."
With the roots now in place and becoming medicine, Eula could rest easy knowing that the village would, for now at least, stave off disaster. "Helping is the least I could do after what happened to you. And...I'm not sure if the poison in the well can be entirely neutralized, but adding the extract in large quantities should prevent the spread of this illness. ...Yes. I must return and report. Thank you for giving me a chance to make things right and...please, stay safe," the automaton said, before departing.
"Oh and, one more thing: There was a very large boar in the woods near where the lilies are. It will likely be stunned for a few more hours, so a hunting party could easily take care of it. ...I think the village could use the protein from it," The automaton advised before departing, brain stuck on thoughts of porkchops and barbeque ribs while her synthetic stomach let out a slight grumble of protest.
The monk was confused as to why Eula would suddenly bring up a stunned boar as she bid farewell. "Uhh, we'll keep that in mind."
---
With the task done, Eula made her way back to Terauchi Temple, traversing a familiar route on the way back. The walk through the countryside was peaceful... until it wasn't.
Just before arriving at the area where the temple was, Eula spotted a large camp that was not there before when she left. Hiding under the tall grasses, she got closer and identified the inhabitants of the camp: Varjans. She saw Brigands and Warriors, Footmen and Firethrowers. They were sharpening weapons, testing spells, putting arrows in quivers. She even spotted an important-looking Warlock clad in blue armor and having an ornate headpiece, giving out orders to who appeared to be officers. These invaders were preparing for an assault.
And that was when Eula realized: They were preparing to attack Terauchi Temple.
...Eula hadn't expected to run into armed forces so close to the temple. Varjans, armed to the teeth and somehow fully prepared for a siege. There was no way they could have done all this in a week, let alone a day but...that didn't matter. She had to do something. There were too many to take on in a direct fight, and even if she had the idea to do a suicidal charge, Terauchi Temple would be defenseless against such a siege if not warned.
And so, Eula made the choice to evade the camp as best she could, utilizing the brush and cover to sneak past if possible. She had to warn everyone...and, if all else failed, take out as many of them as she could if she was spotted.
"Get everyone ready in an hour. The longer we delay, the more likely we get discovered and lose the surprise."
As the officers left, Amenhotep looked to the direction of Terauchi Temple and recalled his orders. Lord Serek'uar broke the news to everyone in the invasion fleet that monsters were inside Shizuyama and were helping the locals resist the Varjans. While some of his fellow Master Warlocks were delusional enough to think that no one would come to this island's defense, Amenhotep always felt that the monsters would not sit idly by as they invaded Shizuyama. Even if the island was wholly against them. Now, they even had the Island Lord's son on their side.
Fortunately, this small band of monsters did not seem to include anything... crazy. No unstoppable Baphomets, no irresistible Lilims, no relentless Wurms, nothing like that. Still, his fellow Scarce legionnaires were hesitant to fight monsters since they expected none coming here, so it fell to Amenhotep to nip this problem in the bud. Prevent it from blossoming into a very problematic garden. To that end, he quickly gathered a small army to deal with this.
Scouts pinpointed that this Terauchi Temple was where the monsters, as well as a lot of local villagers, were residing. Even now, Amenhotep could sense the demonic energies of the monsters coming from the temple. It worried him that it was so strong at this distance. Was the information wrong? Was a Baphomet there, after all?
Or maybe it was not strong, it was just close...
---
The encampment was larger than what Eula saw earlier, encompassing all the way to a small forest nearby. Which was fortunate since there was plenty of shrubbery the Varjans did not bother to clear away, allowing Eula to dart from bush to tree to bush in the middle of the camp with the Varjans none the wiser.
She soon passed through what seemed to be the supply depot of this encampment. There was a pen for several horses on one side while on the other side, a tent housed barrels that oozed with black liquid: oil. Near the tent were a couple of catapults too. This Varjan warband was bringing all they could to destroy Terauchi Temple.
Eula was about to arrive at her next bush when it was suddenly incinerated in fire. The flames came from the Scarce Legion Master Warlock who, in his blue and gold armor, emerged from the burning shrub to confront the Automaton. Despite appearing fully human, the Master Warlock knew that she was a monster. "Found you, little monster..." The warlock hissed, his hands burned with fire. "I'm afraid you're not returning to your friends at the temple."
The Varjans have been alerted to her presence, so it was time to fight... Or was it? A pen of horses OR some flammable barrels could serve a useful distraction.
"Magical Energy Identified. Warning: Danger. Unit is not equipped with Anit-Spell Plating." A mental warning fired off as the bush came alight. The Warlock had Eula made, cornering her in an instant in a way that got the attention of several Varjan soldiers. But, she was well aware that fighting them all was suicide. Especially since she couldn't harm humans in an overtly lethal way. But...she had options. One of them was to simply not stop running in the slightest.
"Incorrect," the automaton said before staring down the warlock as she continued running right at him.
Where a normal monster may have had an aversion to fire, Eula could repair the damage rather quickly. She wouldn't simply charge around the blue and gold warlock...so she'd go over him. With her one good arm she would fire off a bolt of concentrated magical energy to her back left, hitting one of the horses square in the chest and causing the beast to panic. She'd made the blow barely stunning, but a random bolt of magic from nowhere caused the beast to panic in just such a way that she might be able to use it as a distraction.
Next came the warlock, who seemed pre-disposed to fire magic. Eula was confident that she could evade his spells, and maybe even injure him enough to alleviate some of the burden on the Shizuyamans.
Amenhotep stood his ground when Eula continued to run up to him. He was about to unleash a torrent of flame upon this insolent monster when the Automaton suddenly shot a bolt to a horse inside the nearby pen. The bolt did not seem to do any sort of damage, but it did panic the horse. Which then lead to the panicking of the other horses, which lead to them attempting to run away from the perceived danger. The pen fence was hastily-built so it was no barrier to the stampeding horses.
The Master Warlock was briefly distracted by the unfolding disaster, and realized too late that more powerful bolts were shot at him by the monster. His enchanted armor protected him and he only stumbled back from the shots, but he was flinched enough to let Eula leap over him and continue on her way towards Terauchi Temple. Amenhotep threw fireballs at the fleeing Automaton, hitting trees, tents and panicking horses, but never the target.
"Sound the horns! We're attacking now! YES, RIGHT NOW!" Were the last words Eula heard from the Master Warlock.
Eula put everything she had into her running, abandoning form entirely as she rocketed forward, even using blasts from her arm to propel herself even a few feet farther, before she skidded to a halt before the gate of the temple, going so fast that she actually crashed into the middle of town, scraping along the dirt before coming to a stop. It didn't matter who would hear, so long as everyone knew. Civilians had to be evacuated. Warriors had to ready their weapons. And...everyone had to know.
"The Varjans are about to attack! Ready your defenses! Evaluate civilians! Alert your leaders! We don't have much time!" The Automaton shouted, firing a large energy bolt in the air to draw all eyes on her.
Having not been paying too much attention at first, Yuki’s ears perked up at the sound of another person named Shizuka. A devilish little smile crossed her face as she heard that he was doing business with the Varjans. As her eyes drifted over towards Io, slowly and quietly inching her way over towards Io. Reaching her as she saddled up beside her and whispered teasingly to her “Oh? Another Shizuka, that means you still have hope Io, and even better this one sounds like a bad boy” Being quite pleased with herself in the process.
Turning her attention back to the conversation at hand now that she had gotten a bit of it out of her system. “Unorthodox huh? Just how unorthodox are we talking about here? I mean we can get pretty unorthodox around here ourselves so I could see us having some wiggle room to work with…I don’t mind giving it a go, we will just have to proceed with extra caution and prepare ourselves for anything” Adding her thoughts into the current discussion after hearing both Io and Kerry speak their own thoughts and concerns on the situation. Wondering what else the others in the group thought about it as well.
"Let's help the man, then. We can't have those mongrels wreaking havoc wherever they please. Shizuka said, as he boarded the vessel with the orders and had Ian rowed them to the island. Upon arrival, he immediately noticed that the island was little more than a meek piece of land with not but a few jagged rocks and some unimpressive trees. Didn't take them long to spot the man unskillfully swinging a sword at a few practice dummies. The man yelped in fear as he noticed the party coming up to him, the yokai in particular.
"Be at peace, it is as the man says, the yokai are not your enemy. Shizuka said, confirming Ian's words. He listened with the others as the man told them his tale, apparently his daughter had been captured by the Varjans and taken to their anchored ships. They sat on the sea a little way from the shore; The man pointed toward the ship that had its sails down.
Shizuka turned to Lili as she volunteered a plan to the party: with her small size she would sneak onto the ship and attempt to scout ahead, letting the others know when to come about and take the enemy by surprise. Admittedly, it sounded like a good plan. "Fortunate that a fog pervades this area. He said to himself. "Lili-chan, you can go ahead with your plan. But! The moment things start to look grim, you head back to us asap. One more thing, that this with you." Shizuka began to gather a bit of the fog around them, then blew some of it around Liliana. She would find it stuck to her, and followed her wherever she went. "This fog is special, it'll make you appear like a phantom to the crewmen and make you harder to hit. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but just in case..." One could never be too careful in these situations.
"Off you go, we'll head to the ships as soon as you give the signal."
Yurine would find that her herbs worked quite well. Himani was now resting with a peaceful expression on her face. Atsuha felt that it was fine to trust the gravekeeper, having promised to aid them despite her feelings toward their kind. This put her mind more at ease as she and her lover joined the others for the meeting.
Aya informed them that apparently Lady Kyouko has amassed an entire fleet of troops in order to assist in combating the Varjans. However, due to the immense size of the fleet, they would need a bay in order to dock their troops at. In particular, the one they needed to aim for was Komatsu Bay. Problem was, it was heavily fortified, and attempted to attack it head-on was tantamount to suicide. "Indeed, no way in hell I'm participating in any operation like that without some type of insurance." She flatly stated.
She perked up a bit at Ayu mentioned they have a confidant working on their behalf, who apparently shared the same name as their captain. However, it appeared that he was a double agent who also assisted the Varjans on the side.
"Ayu, dearie, how long before this fellow of yours sells us outright and leaves to hang as pickings for those scoundrels?" Atsuha said. "Your friend, Shizuka, seems like the type to do anything for a few measly coin, not at all like our beloved commander. In our current position, the Varjan army can certainly offer a hell of alot more than we can."
She folded her arms, rather disappointed in the current state of events. While Hinami was doing better, it seemed that more problems arose in spite of it.
"He must owe you quite the favor if you're so certain that he'll aid us despite everything..."
"The Varjans are about to attack! Ready your defenses! Evaluate civilians! Alert your leaders! We don't have much time!"
The discussion about Komatsu Bay was suddenly interrupted when Eula barged into the temple, shouting about a Varjan attack. The refugees and monks dropped everything they were doing to listen could scarcely believe what she was saying... but then, the upper floors of a pagoda exploded! A flaming boulder was launched upon it, and it was followed with a couple more shots that landed on the temple grounds and the shelters.
The villagers panicked as fire quickly spread, but a leader was there to keep order. "Ayu! Lead the peasants into any cover you can find. Inside the temples, in cellars, anywhere so long as its hidden well." Takeshi ordered and the head spy nodded and ran off to fulfill it. "Warriors of Shizuyama! Taskforce of Lady Kyouko! The Varjans come in countless numbers! But so long as we stand, we will never give in!"
"I am with you, Takeshi..." Kikyo unsheathed her sword.
"Let us send them to their ancestors!" Takamori drew his dual blades.
"No mercy for the Varjans!" Sorae yelled.
"Never back down!" Nobutada raised his club to his shoulders.
"One strike, one kill!" Kageho let hang her sickles.
"Remember the fallen, but fight for the living!" Yurine exclaimed.
"These Varjans will fall before us!" Kazenosuke smiled, his sword already drawn.
There were also other warriors present, the remnants of Kikyo's forces and survivors who managed to find their way into the temple and did not mind the yokai. The combined troops of Terauchi Temple was a meager force, but one will see if quality trumps quantity in this fight.
The brutal horns of the Varjans sounded... from opposing sides of the temple. "They're attacking from two sides!" Takeshi pointed out. "We have to split up! We can't let a single Varjan get to the refugees! Lord Takamori, take Sorae, Nobutada and Kageho to the other side. Kikyo, Yurine, Kazenosuke, take this side. I'll join in a moment."
The renowned warriors all followed Takeshi's orders without question, leaving only the young lord with the taskforce. "It is unfortunate that Sir Shizuka and some of the others cannot join us. But the Varjans do not wait for anyone, we must do this ourselves." Takeshi said to them. "You're a smart bunch, go where you think you are needed the most." were his last words to the yokai before taking off.
“Bah!” Skarsneek said as he missed his chance to learn more about the mission, contrasted to the already grinning Gringor as the latter rolled his shoulders at the prospect of a fight drawing.
“I’ll hold this side, go wherever you want, orc.” He annoyedly said, and got ready, already thinking of what they need and places they can use to defend the temple.
“Then I’ll stay here.”
That earned a glare from Skarsneek before a moment of thought before shrugging his shoulders.
“Don’t embarrass yourself then.” He waved his hand, thinking more on the strategic side.
The one heading out to the other side already has an archer, a frontliner and assassin. No need for him or Gringor to assist the other since this side lacked the head on fighter, distasteful as it is, he suppose he’ll have to work with the high orc on this matter.
“Atsuha, Hinami, take care of whichever side you want,” Skarsneek said, the two of them will handle this area.
Gringor picked this area simply because it was more fun, he had wanted to see how Nobutada fight again but that would mean sharing the fight.
He want it all.
Even if it means fighting next to the goblin and he can just opt to ignore the annoyance for now.
“Alright, saddle up! Choose your post, fight together, watch each other backs and don’t die!” Skarsneek barked out to the task force before looking at the area for any civilians.“Pile anything you can find and block the side road except for the main one! Then evacuate to the temple!”
Skarsneek turned to Ayu and Takeshi before speaking in a much quieter tone. “If things looks to be lost, you two take the civilians and your colleagues to run. We’ll serve as rear guard.”
With a point of his stick, he tapped Gringor's thighs. The latter growled in annoyance at that.
"A plan to get us killed, perhaps," Alice says, as she looked to the misty sea and the ships anchored within. "There's two ships, making a fifty/fifty chance that you'll find the right one, firstly, and secondly, your combat potential is garbage - that's the truth of the matter," she says, "Even if you can sneak up on jailor, what then? How are you going to free this woman? How are you getting her off the ship? How are you getting her to the beach? How are you getting her to safety? So on, so forth..."
"I am very Human-passing," Alice returned to the track, as she continued, "I'm anything, but, of course. But, the Varjans don't know that. All they'll see is a roughed up, captured Shizuyaman woman for trade," Alice smirked, "Blissfully unaware of the paralytic spores I'll be exhaling under the cover of the fog. Providing they vote, of course. They could have a means to suss me out, perhaps resistance, or even refuse the trade that, I, too, have a fifty/fifty chance of correctness on. Regardless, it's much safer than sending my poor Lili-chan out there..."
Alice turned her head to the swordsman, "Do you have any old dresses of your daughter's? A potato sack might do better, though. Also, I need you to punch me, Shizuka. Really sell the capture slave look. If you need incentive -- " Alice grabbed Carroll by the throat from behind, and tightened her grip. Normally, the bond between Cursed Sword and Host was unchangeable, and set in stone by the weapon; however, Carroll was no normal Cursed Sword, and shifted her form to suit the combat style of her Host. For decades, she'd maintained the axe she was born as, thanks to her previous Alice, so she'd forgotten the pain.
It was like breaking a bone and resetting it with tweezers.
It was like burning your skin to muscle and cleaning it with sandpaper.
It was like slashing your skin and stitching it with a dull needle.
Before all, Carroll was locked in a silent scream; a weapon made a woman, yet her true nature was exposed, as Alice peeled back her fingertips, so she could touch the Cursed Sword.
Crimson, angular fissures opened on her skin, as the soft cream turned dull steel, and her eyes rolled into the back of her head from the pain of being consciously reforged. Her body locked in a rhythmic series of convulsions, as it fought to maintain itself; rippling between faux flesh and bone and demonic metal and wood.
Suddenly, there was one sound, as Alice dug her perfect fingernails into Carroll's throat:
A dying woman's choked scream of pain.
In the very instant that Alice dug her nails into Carroll’s throat, Alice would feel the sting of a lightning-soaked foot dig into her cheek, her face contorting from the force. She would suddenly find herself flung across their standing, stumbling and skidding on the ground. Her trek ended as she was slammed back-first into a boulder several yards away, leaving a sizable crater from the impact. Upheaved earth and skid marks could be seen trailing her path, torn bits of her dirt-covered dress also lined the ground. Her cheek having a burn mark on it from where the ronin kicked her.
Shizuka, himself, paid no mind to the flung plant woman and instead focused his attention on Carroll. Holding her in his arms, he was attempting to pass more of his chi into her in the hopes of healing the pain she was going through. While his face was full of worry and concern for Carroll, for a brief moment there was a look of ire that he wore.
”Satisfied, Alice?” He said coldly.
Alice hissed, as she pulled herself forward; her cheek wasn't burned, but crumbling away.
Rubbing the hole, she smirked.
It was too easy to manipulate Humans, the ignorant, emotional creatures.
Still, it was too early to act in full, so she let the wound close; a thick, dark bruise spreading across her cheek, as she dusted herself off.
"An admirable performance," Alice says, as she returned, "I'd almost believe you felt something for that Cursed Sword of mine..."
"Why don't you keep her, thinking about it?"
"Nnnhh..." Carroll groaned.
Alice looked to the distant shore, and then fog-hidden ships. "Liliana, what's your spell list again?"
"Um…depends," Liliana said. "But I can turn invisible if I have Whimsy just catch a bunch of support magic!" she said, still on the backfoot from Alice telling her that every detail of her plan was bad. "But-but I know I can take down a lousy Varjan jailer no problem! And, and then I can just make her invisible too and slip out…"
"Mayhaps, you can... However, as my First Bladeflower, there's more important things you could see to..." Alice says, squatting as extended a pointer finger. "That little fog cloud offers more than mere cover," Alice pressed her extended finger to her lips, and then blew a soft breath; exhaling smoke from between her lips. "A nice, little delivery system..."
Alice looked back, "Are you done playing nursemaid, Shizuka? I'm curious, if you can expand upon this fog spell of yours from a safe distance. I've an idea that might work better than my previous idea."
”It can.” Shizuka responded. ”I believe I understand what you’re aiming for, if I’m indeed correct.”
He then looked at Carroll for a moment, who still appeared to be in some pain. He couldn’t be sure if giving her his chi helped relieve whatever Alice had done to her. She seemed to be doing a little better, at least.
”My fog should work for your plans, Alice.”
"Perceptive, aren't you," Alice smiled.
Carroll's breathing had evened out, and calmed to a peaceful state; her body was healing from the Chi applied. Though, she wasn't regaining consciousness at the moment.
Flying over to Carroll, Liliana would worriedly hover before her. "...Lady Alice…why did you hurt Carroll?”"
"A Cursed Sword doesn't get hurt," Alice smiled, "Now, let's focus. We have more important things to consider," she says, "A rusty, old sword is of little import to the mission at hand."
Liliana couldn’t have looked more scared of Alice’s words. …Carroll was…like Whimsy to her, wasn’t she? A weapon and a friend? So…why was she treating her like trash. "...That’s not true,”" Liliana said, closing her eyes and holding her sword. "Whimsy, pretty please!" she said, before the sword rapidly flashed buff spells on Carroll, each ending before finally hitting Greater Healing.
"...I don’t like it," Liliana said, putting her sword back on her back. "...I don’t like the idea of a Queen that can throw away a friend."
Alice tilted her head. "How curious a statement," she says.
For a moment, Alice looked a bit pensive, as if, thinking on the sad words of a fairy, before clapping her hands, "Anyways! Let's get underway with saving a poor girl, eh?"
Liliana frowned, but would nod slightly. "Mm," she said, resolving to at least save the man’s daughter. "I’ll bring the fog in and then find where her cell is."
Shizuka could tell that Alice was purposefully antagonizing him with her taunts and harsh words toward her weapon, and understood the reasoning thanks to Carroll’s explanation. Shizuka, of all people, should be more mindful to keep his emotions in check. Liliana also felt sympathy for the injured blade, casting her healing magic on the still unconscious Carroll.
”Thank you, Lili-chan.” He said in a softer tone. ”Again, be careful on your way. Alice, I trust you’ll perform your end of the plan without issue.”
"If ever there were any doubt," Alice says, "Better question, can you keep the fog trail flowing without losing contact?"
”The fog will only go away unless it’s dispelled by me or someone else. Otherwise, I can keep it up as long as I have mana to spare.” replied the swordsman. ”I suppose your confidence counts for something.”
"Do you need mana, then," Alice asks, "I can make you a quick pick-me-up," she says, "You, as well, Lilianna."
"I’ll be okay," Liliana said, patting Whimsy’s pommel.
”Your offer is appreciated, but you needn’t worry about me. Just watch out for yourself out there.” He replied to Alice.
"I’m hardly going anywhere," Alice says, sitting down, cross-legged, as she started to breathe meditatively. "Alright. I’m focused. Shizuka, wrap the fog around me, so I can breathe into it," she says, "Liliana, be careful not to take unnecessary risks. If you start to feel numb, fall back."
"It’s going to take all my focus to create the amount of spores needs to overpower and render two ships of that size unconscious, so... if you want to kill me, prime time, once I’m under," Alice beamed, before returning to her measured breathing.
Shizuka would feel her Demon Energy well up; waiting on him...
”Let’s focusing on helping the poor girl, Alice.” He retorted. With a clean motion of breath, Alice would find herself being surrounded by a stream of thick fog. It perfectly wrapped itself around a small space around her, making breathing it in quite a simple task. ”Good to see you took your training seriously as well.” He saw no reason not to compliment her on her breathing technique and chi control.
”There, while it is not normal fog, that should do you just fine.”
"Fly, my little Bladeflower," Alice says, "A tailwind favours you..."
Liliana would blitz off as fast as her wings could carry her, rolling the fog in on wings of whimsy.
"Shit....and here we were, talkin' about finally going on the offensive. Wishful thinking for another time, I guess.", Kerry commented as the temple grounds became besieged by the encroaching Varjan force. "I'll join Takeshi's group. You guys make sure not to die out there, ya hear?"
As the hornet went to join her group, she passed Eula.... and briefly made eye contact with the automaton.
No words were said between the two. No need when their eyes said plenty.
The message was clear:
We'll settle this later.
A moment later, Kerry continued onward, bracing herself for the coming battle.
"My lord! Something's happening in the Dark Surge!"
"Indeed. I can sense magic in the fog that was not there before. We are under a very subtle attack... Bring the prisoner girl out! Her life will be sufficient fuel to dispel this!"
Witnessing everything that unfolded, the villager man could not help but remark quietly to Ian. "Are the yokai going to be... alright?"
"Oh, totally! They've got this in the bag!" Ian confidently replied. "Ohhh, you mean as a team helping Shizuyama. Uhh, well, they don't really have to jive together to work but if it gets real bad, Lady Kyouko's probably gonna send them all to Belize."
The already-present fog masked Liliana's approach with the spore-filled one. Invisible, the warrior Fairy arrived at the Varjan ship with no one aboard the wiser. Not even the Varjan Brigands patrolling the deck noticed anything wrong.
Liliana saw that the two ships they needed to search were connected to each other via a single wide plank. It did not look permanent so perhaps it was only there temporarily to help the two vessels transport supplies to each other. Regardless of the reason, this should aid in the search for villager's daughter. However, the spore fog was not big enough to encompass both vessels. The Fairy will need to fly over to affect the other ship, which she noticed was much larger than the first.
It was only a matter of time before the first Brigand in the initial ship felt drowsy. Soon, multiple Varjans in the deck were falling down unconscious and within moments, they were all out cold. The spore fog then seeped into the inner parts of the vessel to do its work there. Liliana could head down inside to make sure, but the other ship had already taken notice.
"My lord! Something's happening in the Dark Surge!" Liliana heard someone shouting from the other ship.
"...Bring the prisoner girl out! Her life will be sufficient fuel to dispel this!"
Meanwhile, Ian had taken Shizuka, Alice and Carroll, along with some rope, in the rowboat and rowed them to the first ship. "First ship should be down and out by now. Let's hope our little Fairy friend hasn't ran into any sort of trouble." He remarked, somewhat cheekily.
The boat was never spotted, or rather, there was no one to spot it as it arrived right next to the first Varjan ship. The taskforce could feel the spore fog hovering above them, but they were still too far to be affected adversely by it. Ian then began cutting and tying the rope together as he spoke up.
"Good luck with the rescue, y'all. I'll stay here and keep this boat afloat from anything... bad. You know, just in case." Ian said. "Uhh, you guys have a way to climb up, right? Or do you need, like, a grappling hook or something?"
In the face of planning one attack, another ensued. The Varjan attack came right upon the heels of Eula's warning. Io needed more time, but it seemed like she was not going to receive it. The barrage of Varjan artillery threw the entire village into chaos, the sounds of confusion amidst the war horns in the distance.
Before Io joined the Task Force to meet the Varjans, she quickly worked out some calculations in her head, taking a look at the temple. It would be a hasty estimation, but protecting the temple from attacks from afar seemed as important as from Varjans on the ground. She dashed inside the temple with unnatural speed, her grimoire flying open as she put together a spell in her mind.
Using the same enchanted ink that she used to craft her scrolls, she quickly scrawled an incantation of deflection upon the foundation of the temple. Subtly and slowly, a dome of slightly visible energy formed around the temple. It would divert projectiles that may otherwise land on the temple. Io would have wanted to protect more, but it was all she could manage at the moment. She needed to use her reserves of magic efficiently, given the fight she was about to join.
"The temple should be protected from their artillery now. Take refuge there if you cannot fight." Io gave out the order as she barged past anyone inside the temple. "I will fight with the others."
Io rushed to join a group, forming up with Kazenosuke, Gringor, Skarsneek, Kikyo, and Yurine. She reached out, the enchanted scrolls wrapped around her moving as if they were alive and obeying her commands. She quickly passed by the defenders, giving them enchanted scrolls to aid their fighting power.
"Strength enhancement." She curtly said to Gringor as she gave him the scroll.
"For your speed." She gave the dexterity-enhancing scroll to Kazenosuke.
"It improves your endurance." She handed the toughness scroll to Skarsneek.
As she passed by the others, her robe became more loose as she distributed her scrolls which (apparently) held the time-worn garment closer to her body. Gently glowing tattoos over areas of her skin showed that she, too, had her own enhancements ready and activated. "I have warded the temple from projectiles. We must defend it from the ground." She gave her fellow defenders a quick nod as she fell into position in the back line.
Io did not have time to call her zombies to her side, unfortunately. Though they were not skilled warriors, any extra hands would help. 'Perhaps I should try to enhance them to help in a fight.' As another war horn sounded, Io had to add to her own line of thought, 'After winning this battle, of course.'
"I'm plenty fast already, but thanks." Kazenosuke was amused at the Lich.
It was not long before the first Varjan Brigand was at the gateless entrance of Terauchi Temple. He hurled a throwing axe at the defenders, hitting a samurai warrior square in the face and drawing first blood and first kill.
The low walls of the temple proved to be of little impediment to the attacking Varjans who climbed over it. Some of the more capable ones cleared the wall with a single leap. All the while, artillery fire continued to bounce off the protective dome that Io put over the whole temple. "Slay every Varjan who steps foot inside the temple!" Takeshi was the first to counter-charge the invaders, with Kikyo and the others following.
The small Shizuyaman line soon met the numerically-superior Varjan force. Takeshi and his peers, however, were a cut above the other Shizuyaman warriors. Kikyo was swift, fast enough to both evade a Varjan's attack and counter-attacking before the Varjan even realized he missed. Kazenosuke's blade spun, deflecting any attacks swung at him and covering his attackers with multiple deep cuts. Yurine may be old but she still swung her axe with enough force to rend a Varjan Warrior's thick armor, opening them up first with a strong leg sweep.
After pulling her blade from her latest kill, she saw the monsters of the taskforce that stayed in this side and let out a crazed shout, "HAARAAAAAAAGHHHH!", before charging them. It felt as if she didn't realize she was attacking monsters, her vision too clouded with mindless rage.
Before the Brigand could do anymore damage, a blast of wind slammed into their body, sending them spiraling right back out the entrance. A regiment of Varjans were set to jump over the temple walls, but...
"Wind Art: Squall Blaster!"
A powerful shockwave of air sent a number of Varjans flying as Kerry perched herself on top of the wall, Dusk gripped tightly in her hand as she surveyed the scene before her:
Varjans. A lot of Varjans.
Including one that was oh so eager to see her.
"HAARAAAAAAAGHHHH!"
"Mmmmmm....nah, I'm good. Thanks for askin', though.", taunted Kerry as she suddenly leapt forward. Before the crazed warrior could react, the hornet planted her boot on the woman's face, using it as a springboard as she took to skies. "That one's all yours, Gringor!"
Wings buzzing, Kerry flew over the battlefield, with one target in mind: The Varjan backline.
The foot soldiers we can deal with, but these catapults will wreck the temple if we don't take care of them., she thought to herself, drawing forth Mort as well as she got closer to her target.
The siege upon Terauchi temple had begun, with the swarm of Varjan soldiers proving a formidable tide of steel and bodies. Eula was out an arm, and didn't have the element of surprise to try and ambush some. The sad reality of it was, in a grand scale conflict, a weapon that couldn't kill people was nothing more than a hindrance at best.
Kerry's look of resolution was what she'd expected. Kerry likely expected Eula to return and fight her, but...that was irrelevant at the moment. All consequences needed to wait while the siege was repelled. Human lives had to be saved, even if it meant pushing herself to the point of non-functioning. Eula would hold the line alongside the others, firing off the occasional bolt of stunning energy, or using her metallic arms to shield others from thrown projectiles.
She needed a chance to break through, to find the commander, and incapacitate him. In all likelihood, the mage she encountered earlier was who she was looking for...and without the element of surprise, she could only hope that she would stand a chance against him with one malfunctioning arm.
The noise of battle now filling the air surrounding the temple. Yuki let out a reluctant sigh as she had only just gotten back from a mission. Not having any time to really rest or enjoy her various pranks she had planned. She observed the ongoing battle from as afar as she could from within the temple. A slight frown on her face as she saw the large numbers of Varjans that where in battle with the front line of Shizuyaman.
It looked as if on one side the Varjans were even succeeding in beginning to push the Shizuyaman line back. Despite the best efforts of those there to hold them back. Deciding that it would best serve her side if she stayed back in the backlines and defended the inside of the temple. Knowing that if she charged into the fray of battle, she likely would be able to help quite a lot. But it would leave the inside of the temple less defended if anyone were to slip by the front lines during the chaos. "Guess I'll just have to hang back here for now...." muttering underneath her breath as she knew what she had to do.
Putting her faith in her comrades to be able to persist against the ferocious assault. Yuki stood guard as her lightning begun to crackle around her hands and arms. Her claws having already revealed themselves once more as the two horns on her head extended and grew as did her fangs. Hating having to go into this form, but she knew she had no other choice in the matter. She knew she had to not hold anything back if she was going to be able to protect those within the temple from any intruders. While the others were distracted by the battle, that was when it would be the most vulnerable for the numerically superior Varjans to slip some forces by to cause chaos within the temple itself. "Any Varjan that shows up here is going to have to pay for making me have to get serious....." Yuki declared to no one in particular. Finding herself in a rather foul mood and not feeling so forgiving.
Io was certain that Kazenosuke wasn't lying, though the potential double meaning of what he said amused Io. Of course, this was no time to explore wordplay. She simply gave him another wink as she moved on.
The two forces met, the difference in numbers being clear within the first exchange of blows. Io tried her best to focus in on specific areas - leaders, skilled warriors, those who would rally troops. Destroying them was important to reduce the effects of the numerical advantage. Before long one such Varjan made an appearance - some kind of brute that charged without a second thought.
'She is strong, no doubt. But compared to Gringor...' Io had confidence it was something the high orc could handle. What was important was keeping the rest of the Varjans from following in her wake and overwhelming the Shizuyaman defenses. Her reckless charge was something Io could exploit.
Io weaved a spell to cut off the warrior from the main force. It would give Gringor a fair arena to fight in and create a chokepoint for the Varjan forces behind them. The spell conjured a crude wall of blight magic, one that would harm living but not undead - a commonplace spell for necromancers. Any Varjans that would try to cross it would likely die trying. Io hoped that plenty would learn the hard way before they regrouped and dealt with the change in the lay of the battlefield.
"I've cut her off! Now is your chance!" Io shouted to the Task Force members on her side.
Io narrowed her eyes as she noticed the corpse the warrior carried. It was clearly meant to be some kind of intimidating message, but she kept that detail in her mind should she need to help Gringor. It was not common for the dead to be a factor in a battle, but any battle with a lich was uncommon to begin with. Io would wait for the right time - both with this particular warrior, and the growing number of dead within the battle as a whole.
In a hurried panic, Atsuha rushed back to her sister's side. The attack on the Temple was sudden, leaving them with no time to plan or prepare. "Godsdammit all, this the worst possible time!!" She cursed aloud. She arrived to see that Hinami had already come to. "Hinami!"
"I know sister." She said solemnly. It's honestly hard to sleep with all of the chaos going on outside. I'm feeling refreshed after what you and Lady Yurine did for me. Even Skars-kun was by my side." Getting on her feet, Hinami summoned a three-sectioned staff in her hand, her face which was once full of delirium and fear now with strong surety. "We need to help our friends, Nee-san!"
"Yes, of course1" Atsuha said, with a confident smile.
Arriving outside to join their comrades, they saw Lord Takeshi along with his compatriots taking the fight to the invading Varjans, and we're actually doing a good job of pushing them back. Atsuha was relived that Takeshi seemed to be doing fine. She looked for Skarsneek, eventually spotting him with Gringor. Generating a barrier ofuda, she created a magic wall on the side road. The barrier was special in that it was coated in her own poison, therefore if any for came into contact with it they would be subject to hallucinations and loss of stamina.
Hinami went to Gringor's side and prepped to back him up in the battle. "My sister and I are here to help!" She said to the High Orc. "I'll back you up as a distraction so you can deal a big blow to that scary-looking woman!"
Wielding her sectioned staff, she attempted to smack the warrior with her whirling weapon, which would hopefully allow Gringor an opening to land a decisive strike.
The wererabbit huffed, her cheeks reddening slightly as she glared at Takeshi. “Hmph! You don’t have the right to pat my head! You’re not my father!”
Ayu finally returned and saw Takeshi and Lunatea little scene. "Hahaha! It's good to see that Lord Takeshi is getting along really well with the yokai." She cheered.
“I’m not getting along with him!" Lunatea protested, only to fall to deaf ears.
The two then explained the message Musubi had brought to Ayu, although, it was more like Takeshi did all the talking while the wererabbit stood behind him saying nothing. She was still too upset to speak in her usual manner.
Only when Kerry and Relica made their dynamic entry that she returned back to her usual self, out of the sheer disbelief and surprise that she experienced.
“What in the world are you two doing?!”
They were then interrupted yet again by the arrival of Io, Yuki, and Kaze. Takeshi then left the group to catch up with the latter, leaving the wererabbit with Ayu.
"Big news, everyone. Lady Kyouko has a fleet ready, but she needs a big enough port here to land it. Otherwise, the Varjan can inflict heavy losses on her fleet, even if they can't outright destroy it." The head spy explained. "Most, if not all, major ports in Shizuyama are already taken. That means we'll have to liberate one from the invaders."
"The closest major port here is Komatsu Bay. But I heard that place is as fortified as a castle, taking it head-on will be quite the challenge. Even for you, yokai, so I'm interested in your thoughts." Ayu said. "Although, I do have an idea... N-Never mind, it's not worth it."
“You want us to assault a castle?” Lunatea asked with raised eyebrows. “Are you insane? We might be strong but we’re not that strong! We’ll need an actual army to do that!”
"Hold on to that. Don't ask me where I got it. Now, if Komatsu Bay is fortified, then a full on assault would be a death sentence, not with the devastated numbers on Shizuyamian side. You got us, but there's only so much that we can do, so we'll have to be smart about this. Do you think there's anyone here, refugee or otherwise, that has been there? Any secret routes we can use to- wait, shit, I just remembered. Takamori's kid spilled the beans on that, so the Varjans may have any hidden pathways that we could've used covered."
"She's right," The wererabbit chimed in. "A full-on assault would be the death of us all. And if there's no secret tunnel of some sort that we can use to sneak in, I have no idea how we would do it. Maybe we can set up a bait so the majority of their forces would be somewhere else while we sneak in into the fortress?"
It was only a vague suggestion, a fact Lunatea was well-aware of. She was a scholar, not a war strategist. So she wasn't good at all at this sort of stuff.
"Well, I know someone who's been there but he's... shady, to say the least." Ayu scratched the back of her head. "That and, his name is... well, I guess there's no dressing this up: His name is Shizuka. Not our Shizuka, of course, just same names." The head spy revealed. "Err, I guess we can find a way to handle the names later."
"Actually, that's not all. He's actually doing business with the Varjans." Ayu continued. "But that guy owes me, I'm sure he'll help us. His methods, though, can get... unorthodox so the question is, are you guys prepared for that?"
Lunatea nodded. “That’s fine. If it’s the only plan we got, then we might as well take it.”
"I believe," Io chimed in to Ayu's last statement, "That 'unorthodox' is our modus operandi." It was an equal part lament and praise, in Io's eyes. "But can we trust someone doing business with the enemy?"
I’m with Io on this one.”, concurred Kerry as she crossed her arms. “You say this guy owes you and I’m down for doing anything ‘unorthodox’, but do you even trust him? In my line of work, people who operate on both sides of the coin, per say, aren’t who you would call trustworthy. He could lead us into a trap, for all we know.”
“Io and Kerry are right.” Lunatea chimed in. “We have to make sure he’s a trustworthy person before we employ his methods.” The incident with the natives trying to kill Takeshi and set her up for his murder was still fresh on her mind. Just how many untrustworthy humans are there in this island?
Unfortunately, they never ended up finishing their conversation.
For Eula came in a rush, yelling that the temple was under attack by the Varjans.
Chaos broke loose as the upper part of the pagoda was decimated by a flaming boulder. Lunatea quickly readied herself for a fight, creating a wind barrier around her and the others, protecting them from the rubble falling around them.
After giving his speech, Takeshi ordered them to go wherever they were needed most, which wasn't much of an order at all.
Tch! Everyone for themselves, isn't it?
Lunatea decided she wasn’t a frontline fighter. As such, it would be better if she stayed with the human refugees, protecting them from any Varjan soldiers that might make it inside.
She made her way to the inner hall where the humans had gathered, on the way telling anyone she met to hurry up and go there. Someone had erected a barrier over the temple, something she was particularly grateful for as it meant she wouldn’t have to worry about more flaming boulders landing on their heads.
The hall was packed to the brim and her sharp ears picked up every single whispers and murmurs that came out from the masses.
"Mommy, are we gonna be okay?"
"Shh, of course we are. Sir Takeshi and his retainers are fighting for us right at this very moment. So you have to be a good girl and stay silent, alright?"
The mother's optimism wasn't shared by everyone there however. Some were praying under their breaths, begging to the gods to save them. Others were actively sobbing as despair crept into their hearts, making them think this would be their last moments.
The wererabbit paused, her mouth half-open before she closed it once more. She was about to give the crowd some words of comfort, only to realize she wasn't any good at public speeches. What would she say that could soothe their concern, especially since a lot of them were wary of monsters like her?
And then, all of a sudden, the words came to her mind.
"People of Shizuyama! Hear my words! My name is Lunatea vern Farnsworth and I am a soldier that Lord Takeshi has recruited to protect this island!" She placed a hand on her chest, moving her eyes across the crowd. To her surprise, they immediately turned their attention towards her. The hall was now completely silent as they all waited for her to continue her speech.
"I may be a monster! A youkai! But that doesn't mean I am evil or untrustworthy! I am on your side against the Varjans and I swear that I shall protect you from them! So please, stay calm and stay here until it is safe!"
The silence continued as the refugees exchanged worried looks against each other. Thankfully, her magic panties realized the gravity of the situation and they decided not to flip up her dress, even though there were many males of mating age in the crowd.
That… that should be good enough, right?
She ended her speech with an awkward bow before exiting the room, closing the door behind her.
Now, she just had to stand guard here, against any Varjans that might sneak into the temple.
"Thanks." Skarsneek replied as he took the scroll from Io. "Stay back and give support."
"Hmm." Gringor only grunted back, catching the scroll and putting in at his back of the armor. For one, he realized now that it was restricting but not as bad he thought it'll be.
So when Gringor saw the fight, one of them took his attention by sheer dint of having a strong backbone as she charged towards them.
Being a little slower as one of the sisters came to the fight first, Gringor felt annoyed but pushed it to the sides. It wouldn't matter anyways, this was the fight he wanted.
Which was why he walked at a much leisurely pace despite the growing chaos. Ready to spring into a charge the moment an opportunity presented itself when Hinami made one, as he swung his axe one to the sides and chopped one of the intruding Varjan aside. Draining his spirit energy and saving one of the defenders.
Skarsneek in the meantime moved to reinforce the sides, opting to leave the heavy fighting to the orc while he thinned the sides, and this was where he was most effective as he weaved in between the shadows.
Then striking from beneath or through small gaps of the defenders with his quarterstaff, packing enough force to knock one Varjan after another as he aimed for the head or chin.
After taking out enough to reach an equilibrium, Skarsneek idly looks at the top of the buildings and quickly climbed then up. Risking the shots and hugging close to the roofs, he spied and wondered if the ringleader for this was present.
At least that way, if they get him, there's a good chance the Varjan will be easier to deal with by piece meal.
The combined magical barriers of Io and Atsuha put a veritable wall between the Varjans and the insides of the temple, taking down the first attackers who attempted to pass through them. The warriors of Shizuyama and some of the taskforce were with the Varjans on the other side of the barrier, making them the focus of the invaders' ire. Something that was preferable in the defense of Terauchi Temple.
Losia, a Varjan Champion of the Blood Horde and also a legionnaire of the infamous World Hounds, was only further angered when Kerry used her as a stepping stone to get further into the Varjan lines. The Champion was about to go after the Hornet when she was struck in the face by a sectioned staff, courtesy of Hinami. Only Losia's head twisted in the attack, and she looked back at the Jiangshi before spitting out a bloody tooth.
With almost inhuman speed, Losia slammed the edge of her shield into Hinami's midsection which knocked the wind out of the undead. The Champion then kicked Hinami with enough force to knock the Jiangshi flat on her back. Seeing the figures of Atsuha and Io after Hinami's fell, Losia switched targets. Much like her compatriots in the Blood Horde and the World Hounds, she utterly despised spellcasters. And she could tell these ones were casters with only one glance.
"RAAAAAHHH!" She thrust forth her sword, loosing several fireballs at the monsters' positions and sending wisps of flame flying at the very wooden buildings of the temple.
Meanwhile, Skarsneek saw all this happening from one of the roofs of a pagoda. He also saw in the distance a group of Varjans deep inside the temple already. They were in one of the corners of the temple, a section full of the crude, hastily-built shelters for refugees. One of them wore a distinct blue armor and his helmet was far more noticeable than the others.
Fortunately, the hiding peasants were nowhere near this area. Unfortunately, the Varjan group has freed and were now speaking with all the prisoners the taskforce has taken so far.
Fighting alongside the warriors of Shizuyama, Eula took down all of the Varjans that stood in her way while looking for an opportunity to break through the enemy lines. But the attacking Varjans were just too many, and the few Shizuyaman warriors were becoming even fewer. Magical barriers from her fellow taskforce members were erected to halt the Varjan advance, but Eula was on the other side alongside her human allies.
After a samurai was hit in the chest by a javelin, Eula found herself alone and surrounded by Varjan Brigands and Warriors. A most unfortunate development and the Varjans were not waiting, a Varjan Footman fired an arrow at the Automaton to start this one-sided fight.
*TING*
The arrow bounced off the sword of Takeshi Oja, who had rolled in past the Varjan encirclement to aid the lone Automaton. "I've got your back." The young lord assured Eula. The Varjans hesitated, one monster was one thing but a monster and the Island Lord's heir? They took a moment to gather their courage and attack.
With her back covered, Eula now only had to face a Varjan Warrior with a two-handed axe who went for a horizontal swing at her with a sword-armed Varjan Brigand following close behind.
Kerry flew past the advancing Varjans and reached their backline in but a moment. She did not go unnoticed, of course, but few of the attackers had ranged weapons, much less ranged weapons that could reach the Hornet's altitude.
Soon, Kerry spotted the Varjan artillery: Two catapults hurling burning boulders at the temple. Io's shield continued to protect the temple but it was a dangerous risk to continue relying on the shield. Kerry also spotted a small, dark obelisk between the catapults. It was covered in runes that glowed blue.
Meanwhile, a couple of Varjan Footmen attempted to drive her off with some arrows while the catapult crews continued their work but also watching Kerry cautiously.
Yuki and Lunatea elected to stay behind and handle any Varjans that got past the defensive lines held by their allies, the latter joining the former after giving a short speech to the refugees that confused them... but also reassured them.
Their positions were soon tested, however. The rest of the taskforce had chosen to stand with Takeshi in the main entrance, leaving the other entrance a little undermanned. Still, both entrances held but Yuki and Lunatea heard the barks of vicious canines. They saw, in the other entrance, a group of Varjan Wardogs zip past the Shizuyaman defenders and start attacking the refugees who were still out in the open. They lunged and bit, going for the legs and the necks of their hapless victims.
Four of the Wardogs spotted Yuki and Lunatea and they moved in for the kill, not showing any sign of fear towards the monsters. Even Yuki's current appearance did not deter them the slightest.
Little time had passed as Kerry came upon her targets: Two catapults responsible for hurling flaming boulders at the temple. She also spotted a fence-post sized obelisk resting between the two siege weapons, glowing blue runes decorating its form.
Huh.....Peculiar., thought Kerry as she touched down some feet away, the Varjan Footmen guarding the catapults stepping up to fight the hornet. With a serious glare, she pulled and held Dusk and Mort tightly in her chitinous hands. War had come to the temple's doorsteps. The civilians and refugees needed protection and right now, it was only her here.
Kerry wasn't going to take any chances.
"This is your only warning....", the insectoid mamono spoke, tone calm and laser focused. "Get off the catapults and withdraw.....or else some of you won't be getting up....Period."
