vietmyke

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Galahad Caradoc

---

It seemed that despite their best efforts, this damnable monstrosity just wouldn't die. It was more durable than any foe they'd faced so far, and much faster to boot. Galahad could barely keep his eyes on it whenever it moved. It felt like Izayoi, a much faster, stronger- and if it were even possible- more bloodthirsty version of the Kirin's samurai companion. Even as the party came at it from all sides, the creature could be hurt, but it wasn't going down.

Galahad staggered as his halberd was parried, the reverberating metal close to flying out of his grip as he recoiled. Before he could fully recover, the magical shockwave sent the Kirins scattering across the ground. Rising unsteadily to his knee, Galahad managed to catch the revenant glancing back at the airship before it disappeared. From the airship itself he spotted a spark of orange fire.

"Incoming!"

Falling wasn't an unusual feeling for the Dragoon. The air whipping around his body and the way it rattled his armor was familiar to him. What was unfamiliar was the sheer darkness that surrounded him as he fell, and the manner in which they were sent falling. He was tumbling. Somewhere along the way, Wyrmfang was wrenched from his hand. Was he dying? Around him he saw the fluttering forms of his comrades plummeting through the darkness. His arm reached out try and grab at one of them as he instinctively began trying to correct his own fall. How far to the bottom, he had no idea, it was too dark to tell.

He saw magic winds wrapping around his friends and knew that meant they weren't dead yet. It also meant that they were nearing the ground. Righting himself, Galahad came in contact with the ground. A three point landing- less graceful than he was used to, but still in one piece. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of sundering stone as his halberd crashed into the floor, embedding itself in the stone.

"Everyone alive?" Galahad's voice called out, taking in the cavern around them. A settlement, or a temple of some sort- lit by the faint reflections of crystal stones, or something similar. Ahead of them, an older man identified himself as Cid, a caretaker of this place. Eve explained to him a bit of what their purpose was, but the larger details could wait until after they've found a place to set down properly.

"Caretaker Cid. Our apologies for dropping in unannounced," Galahad winced, "But we may need to trouble you for assistance. Many of our number are wounded after a battle with Valheim."

Galahad glanced up towards where they fell from, but saw no semblance of a hole, only darkness- just how far had they fallen? "Perhaps we can continue this conversation as we move to shelter of some sort?"

Stopping by Izayoi, Galahad offered the mystrel woman his hand and helped put her weight on his shoulder. Pride or not, the samurai was gravely injured and wasn't going to be able to stand on her own.

SPIRITUM

Gerard Biserus

"You're no fun." Gerard whinged back at Morden, "If you want to get specific about it, technically we're just academy graduates. We've only just received our unit deployments after all."

Besides, we're all armed. He quipped back over their communication spell.

To Veld, the Princess was quick to confirm Val's suspicions, though whether or not anyone believed her remained to be seen. "When we encountered the other ship, we thought it was firing cannons at us. Only when I was evacuating did I see that the projectiles being fired at us were actually boarding crew- in the form of these robots. The Palatine was a diplomatic vessel, any soldiers onboard were ceremonial, and kept to a maximum of a single platoon as our nations had agreed upon."

"I have a team on their way to the crash as we speak, they'll confirm whatever the case may be then. Luckily, the ship crashed in the ass-end of nowhere, so I don't think we have to worry too much about leaks for the moment." Veld grumbled. He didn't look surprised or concerned as Silje mentioned the abnormal mist and the precuring storm, or if he was, he managed his poker face well. "There's too little information and not enough hands on deck. For now, we work with what we have. Plan stays the same- deliver the Princess to Dunbarton. As far as spare resources with which to do so, I'm afraid I don't have the ability to get any directly to you at the moment. I can put together a package and find some non-regulars to drop it to you, I'll let you know when that's in the works. "

"I suppose I don't have a say in this..?" Collette sighed, to which Gerard offered a noncommittal shrug. "Even if you did, where would you go? You're alone in Rassvet. No phone, no money, nada."

"I suppose I should remind everyone," Veld chimed in, his eyes narrowing as he stared down each party member individually. "Vangar or not, the Princess is here as a diplomat, a noncombatant, and is to be treated as such. She is to be delivered to Dunbarton healthy and in one piece."

"Alright, any longer and we might start picking up some ears. Get it done. Veld out."

---

"Fun." Gerard grumbled sarcastically, as the party shifted to their truck. They were lucky. Much like Justice had said the night before, the damage to the truck could be fixed with some moderate salvaging of other vehicles. The truck wasn't particularly new or well maintained- and luckily for them, neither were junk heaps lying around the garage. The rest stop owner had been a bit obstinate about letting the party pull apart the nearby wrecks, but he also had no idea what kind of value to put on them. In the end, the Barghests got what they needed with minimal costs all around- though what cash they brought with them was quickly starting to drain. Repairing the engine did not however repair the rest of the truck body. The canvas canopy over the truck bed was riddled with holes from their previous encounter, and the chassis itself had enough scorch marks and dents that one might think it had been fighting on the frontlines.

"We might have better luck ditching the truck and picking up a more... civilian vehicle." Gerard mused, though they didn't exactly have the funds to buy a new vehicle outright, and nothing at the rest stop looked like it would function any better than the truck and fit all of them.

"What are the chances we get to Dunbarton unmolested?" Gerard said aloud, practically challenging the fates.

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

Hayakawa Kimiko

South Team

---

"You think I'm made of money or something?" Hayakawa half chuckled, half snorted, "I can barely afford to keep that stupid dog of mine fed. That fatty eats better than me."

Kimiko ceased her banter as the barrier lowered- it was go time. Spitting out the worn stick and pulling her mask over her face, she shot Hiromi a nod as she lead them out. Though a spanner was quickly thrown into the works as they found themselves facing not a single grudge within the school, but rather several at once.

"Well thats certainly not part of the plan!" Kimiko cursed as she pulled her bow out of its case, quickly planting her feet a few meters behind Hiromi and her blade. They needed to get inside, that much was obvious, but first they had to stop the rest of these little guys from getting out.

Holding out her arm, Hayakawa quickly let out a breath, a small sliver of lightning crackling in her palm before bursting out into a flickering, somewhat jagged 'stick' of lightning. With practiced ease, Kimiko pressed it against her bowstring and pulled back, taking in a deep breath as she did. Taking aim at the grudge closest to her teammates, Hayakawa exhaled through her nose and released, the bolt of lightning blazing across the lawn and walkway towards its target.

She didn't wait to see if she hit before repeating the process and loosing a second bolt at another target.

"Keep moving up, I'll watch your backs!" She called out as she prepped another bolt.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Galahad Caradoc

---

Like lightning and thunder, spell and man crashed down on the revenant, Galahad's halberd striking true, even as the rest of the party bombarded the creature from all angles. However, Galahad had not even a moment to check the impact of his blow before he was unceremoniously tossed away, the armored Dragoon tumbling into the sands as the creature roared in defiance.

As he quickly righted himself, Galahad found himself staring at three images of the revenant, flickering with speed that didn't seem possible with his size and strength. They were surrounded on all angles. He'd hardly registered Izayoi's command as he braced himself for a death stroke. He couldn't see what was happening next, only hear- and occasionally felt, as one or two swings came in too close, sundering cloth and steel. In that moment he realized why his father hated Izayoi so.

For the first time, in a long time, Galahad realized that he was afraid. How was he supposed to face and win against that? Even now, with all his fame and noteriety, he was hardly the warrior his father was. Even now, he relied on the strengths of his party to supplement what he lacked. To be called Dragonslayer almost felt like a mockery in the face of such speed and strength.

Izayoi was going to kill the revenant on her own.

Or so was Galahad's thought. The sight of the mystrel samurai being cut down brought Galahad back into the present. He forced himself to move, even as Rudolf intercepted the oncoming revenant, interposing himself between them for a masterful block, the energy from his limit break causing the sand around them to billow and swirl. The young monster slayer had the right idea.

"Everyone up! Now!" Galahad barked as he leaped towards the revenant, not content to give it even a second to think through its actions. "Miina! Help Izayoi! Everyone else stay in the fight!"

With Izayoi down and Rudolf blocking for her, Galahad currently had the heaviest weapon to bare down on this monster. Planting his feet at the last minute, Galahad flipped his weapon and jabbed the point at the back of revenant's knee. Pushing off of him, Galahad used the momentum to backstep and twisted, sliding his hands down to the very end of his weapon to give it the most length and weight he could, delivering a vicious overhead swing down onto its injured shoulder.

"Kirins!" Galahad bellowed. "Cut him down!"

SPIRITUM

Act 2: Peculiar Journeys and Stranger Bedfellows

---

"I'll take em." Gerard commented as Justice reminded everyone to recharge their aegises. Those in his role- high mist aptitude, generally low mist usage, outside of bursts of healing, were usually the ones that maintained the squad's magical gear. Aegises, communication spells, and whatever else the squad needed. Truth be told, Gerard hadn't really expected to do any of this work until they got shipped out. Most of the squad Aegises were easy enough to keep in shape- Morden and Val's were considerably more complex, he should've counted himself lucky that Justice took care of Val's for him.

Normally he'd have waited until his watch shift to charge and redistribute the shields, but something about their previous experiences made even the ever reluctant Gerard kick himself into some manner of gear. He spent some time pouring over each of the Aegises, repairing damage wherever he found, Mist flowed into orderly lattices layered on top of one another, the support mage taking time to add an extra layer over the heart and head region of each person's personal aegis. By the time he'd finished, it was time for his watch.

"Well, fuck me I guess." Gerard grumbled to no one in particular as Kali turned in for bed. Taking Kali's spot on top of the RV, Gerard sneaked a glance at Justice's carving, before idly scanning down the road.

"Don't think we'll miss another half dozen of those robots dropping out of the sky." Gerard remarked with a yawn. "Other then that, I doubt we're gonna see anyone this far out in the sticks."

"Political shitstorm aside, I thought you'd be more excited about getting into some action so soon after we graduated. Mord and Kali seem to be taking to it like fish to water." Gerard chuckled. "As for the princess... Peace huh? That's a pipe dream if I've ever heard it."

"By the way- any idea about how we're gonna fix that engine?"

---

Collette made her way out of the RV camper with a short yawn, hair frizzled and in obvious discomfort, even if she didn't actively say it. The RV was small, and the bunks were barely long enough for them to lay down in- if not outright impossible for the taller or larger among them. She'd been awoken by the sound of shouting and almost had a heart attack thinking it was another robot attack, but found herself staring at the WARDEN squad squatting around Gerard's phone.

They'd finally gotten ahold of someone with actual authority- though where Gerard had been expecting Colonel Mathis, the commander in charge of the WARDEN platoons and their deployments, they instead found themselves face to screen with a man named Veld. He bore no ranking insignia, nor were there any identifying markers in his office, save for a badge that he flashed the squad, and his fearsome reputation. Veld was the director of field operations for Rassvet's Internal Investigative Branch. While technically part of Rassvet's overarching military structure, they didn't hold traditional ranks like the armed forces, but were known to regularly appropriate combat units for use in whatever plots they had going on. Part secret service, part special force, part intelligence agency, in a heavily policed state like Rassvet, it was common knowledge that the 'spooks' were generally not to be fucked with.

Veld's dark hair was pulled back and out of the way, and thick bears was all but shrouded by a pair of hands simultaneously clasped over his face and rubbing at his temples. "So let me get this straight. You all, while on 'vacation' ran across a crashing airship that somehow managed to come well past our air defense line, that happens to have been carrying a Vangar Princess responsible for the upcoming peace talks happening in 5 hours? And to top all of it off were attacked by a second, unknown airship deploying hitherto unseen combat mechanoids?"

Finally noticing a Non-WARDEN head in the group, Veld pointed at Collette. "This is her? Have you confirmed her identity?"

"I didn't think to run back to my quarters to grab my wallet while I was abandoning ship." Collette replied, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her voice. "But I am Collette van Skymning. Whether you believe me now or in a few hours when the Palatine fails to arrive in Orestia is up to you."

The line was silent for a few long moments as the IIB Director was obviously trying to form some sort of solution or game plan. "The images and stills from the crash, you've shown no one else, correct? From this moment on, consider those as good as classified."

With a short sigh, Veld finally straightened up and addressed the assembled WARDENs.

"Alright, here's how this is going to go down." Veld stated. "You shouldn't be far from the city of Dunbarton, about a day or two's drive north-west. I have some ground teams stationed there already, I'll get in contact with them, and they'll meet you at a secure location. From there, they'll take the Princess to the airfield and back to Orestia."

"In case it is not abundantly clear, don't let anyone know where you are, or where you're going- don't let anyone know who you are. Don't let anyone know who she is. Don't let anyone know about the crash. Don't do anything stupid or get fucking arrested. Don't contact me, I'll contact you. The less who know about this, the better for all of us."

Seemingly satisfied with his impromptu plan, Veld leaned back and sighed. "Any questions? Say them now."

"So does this mean the road trip is back on?" Gerard asked aloud, to no one in particular.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Galahad Caradoc

---

The heat was stifling. Galahad had done his best to modify his armor for the extreme heat and sands of the desert, but there was only so much that could be done- in the end, he was still wearing steel, and while he wasn't cooking in his armor, it was still far from comfortable. At least for the first few days they were able to stay cool by the river, but the dunes of the desert were harsh. Even if he wanted a brief reprieve, he couldn't jump through the air for the breeze, glinting steel in the desert sun would basically be a beacon for anyone keeping an eye out for them. So he suffered silently, Keeping his helmet off and hood on for as long as possible.

Not that he managed to keep his helmet off for long these past few days. It seemed like they were beset by blightbeasts near constantly, as though they were wading through a sea of them alongside the desert. Sand clung to sweat and got caught in nearly every joint of his armor. The sand didn't stifle his range of motion, but the constant gritting of sand between steel was never a comfortable feeling.

On their third day they finally found something other than blightbeasts. For once, Galahad was glad that the Valheim had to deal with the blasted creatures. Less work for the Kirins, and if they were lucky, maybe a beast or two would help cut the Valheim numbers down to size. One could hope anyway. Any hope of a quick cleanup was quickly dashed with the presence of Valheim's own monster- a armor clad man towering over even he.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Galahad cursed as the thing struck. Not only was it large and powerful, it was fast, getting into the middle of their formation like it was nothing. It brushed off blows and magic like it was nothing. Galahad grabbed Eliane by the collar and was in the middle of pulling her back to her feet before a short swing caught Galahad and broke open his guard. The giant samurai lunged for the kill. Galahad's eyes widened, his grip tensing around his halberd as he attempted to both push Eliane out of the way and move his weapon to block a mortal strike before Izayoi parried it on their behalf.

Galahad grunted a curse before he too dived in with his own offensive, leaping over Izayoi as the man shoved her back with an overhead stab of his own. Shifting his halberd at the last moment, the monster's blade clashed against the haft of his halberd, the resulting force smacking Galahad back down into the sand as though he weighed nothing.

"Get the wagon and birds back! Get some distance" Galahad bellowed as he quickly righted himself. His eyes caught the two samurai adopting the similar pose- his mind quickly recalling their first fight in the sea of grasses. Armored or not, that sword could cleave through them if he got a clean hit.

"He's about to strike! Get ready! " Galahad called out, "Magic and Missiles, hit him from the flank or from below, avoid friendly fire!"

Catching Eliane's eye, Galahad's gaze quickly flitted to her rifle before pointing at the monster's sword hand. "Cripple him! If he gets a good swing on any of us, we're dead." Galahad grunted. He'd fought samurai before- but none had been quite this big or well armored. They had to be careful, but they couldn't let him dictate the pace of the fight.

"Multiple angles, get around his guard!" Galahad called as he took a step back and leaped high into the air. Shifting his body to control his rate of fall, Galahad shifted his weapon in his hands, aiming to fall on top of the thing as soon as it finished its first swing.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Galahad Caradoc

---

Despite how little sleep he'd gotten, Galahad was awake bright and early with the rest of the Kirins as they discussed their next moves. Hien had brought them up to speed on the goings on around Osprey- namely deep into the deserts, where Valheim were plotting something. Whatever it was, the gods knew it couldn't be anything good. The perspectives gained in regard to Valheim made them just as much of a threat to the region as the Blight did in all honesty, whether or not they were connected after all. Though a trek through the desert had its own share of hazards, both natural and human, as Rudolf had pointed out water was going to quickly become an issue for a group their size.

"I don't know how equipped the wagon is for sand either." Galahad mused, "Too much weight will have those wheels stuck in the sand. We may be better off traveling on chocobo alone, but that will cut down on the amount of supplies we're able to carry."

How did Valheim get their men and material in and out of the desert? Airship perhaps? How likely was there to be another airship after the one they'd shot down. The idea of commandeering an airship was appealing, but Galahad was hardly a pirate, and finding a crew willing to listen to them without causing trouble would be another headache of its own. There was also the matter of the sheer heat of the desert as well- dragoon armor was seemingly built for the exact opposite. The dragon leather within and layers underneath the plate was meant to insulate him from the cold temperatures of the mountain and the altitude of his leaps, not to wick away heat. A good portion of their number was from Skael as well- the high temperatures would be a new for most of them it seemed.

"It seems that we'll have much to prepare for." Galahad sighed. "I don't think anyone from Valheim has seen mine or Ciradyl's faces. If needed we can likely stop by a market to procure anything we can't scrounge up around here."

Shadow Contract: An Urban Fantasy Action RP

Hayakawa Kimiko

"I guess we should count ourselves lucky its not the middle of the day, huh?" Hayakawa was huddled around with the rest of the southern team, head low and out of sight as they quietly observed the high school, waiting for the signal. The ball cap pulled over her head did little to hide the bright red jacket she wore, and the mask over her face was doing little to hide her identity as it was currently pulled down to her chin, the well-chewed stick of a lollipop jutting out between her lips. In contrast to her outfit, a rather traditional, ornate looking yumi bow almost as tall as the girl standing was nestled in the crook of her arm. Her leg bounced quietly as she squatted by the others, anxious, impatient, or both.

This was all still new to her, exciting, dangerous, cool. She'd hardly gotten to see a Grudge up close and personal, so she was raring to go. She looked up and around at the rest of the group, and shot a glance at her own equipment.

"So what do we do if they do notice us?" She asked, referring to the students of the local school. "Or if the Grudge gets to one of those schmucks staying late?"

Blue sparks formed in Hayakawa's hand as she tested her powers, careful not to make it too noticeable from their hiding place before quickly snuffing it out, satisfied that she'd be able to form bolts on command.

"What are we gonna do after? Karaoke anyone?"

SPIRITUM

---

The truck managed to sputter the last mile and a half to the rest stop before the engine started belching black smoke. The more mechanically minded among them knew it wasn't permanently disabled, but it wasn't going to be moving any more that night. It took a combination of Morden's bulk and Gerard's telekinesis to get it the last two dozen meters into the waiting garage bay door, attended to by some old timer severely lacking in sleep, but with enough wits to know better than to ask a half dozen youths in a military truck to ask any probing questions. The area itself was sparse enough that there wasn't even much in the way of a motel, just an oversized RV for renting. Luckily for them, the old timer running the place was partial to cash payments and said little more than a number before taking the cash and quickly scurrying away to his own bed for the night.

"I guess we can call it lucky that just one old man runs this whole place." Gerard commented idly, "Just a single geriatric- perhaps memory addled witness. I wouldn't believe him if we questioned him."

"Sleeping situation though..." Gerard glared idly at the unoffending RV that sat on one end of the driveway waiting for them. Single bathroom, 2 bedrooms- one with a bunk bed, the other with a single twin. A table and a quartet of folding chairs sat in front, and a portable firepit sat not far away from it. Otherwise the lot had plenty of space for the squad to fan out and find their own space- be it the garage, the roof, or the robot-run gift shop. Though after that night, Gerard was less inclined to trust even the auto-cashier.

Distrusting of machines or not, Gerard returned to the group with a pair of jeans, t shirt and a trucker cap. Rather unceremoniously pulling the cap over the princess' head, Gerard shrugged before tossing the rest of the clothes at her. "Better for all of us if no one recognizes you, yet." The princess grumbled but nodded as she disappeared into the RV to presumably change and sleep.

"Who wants first watch?" Gerard asked aloud, magnanimously not offering his own presence. Holding his phone up to whomever offered. "Just in case we get a call in the middle of the night."

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Galahad Caradoc
Hien Rijin

---

Perhaps an hour or so after Izayoi and Lord Hien had finished their argument, Galahad found himself standing outside his door. Having long since doffed his dragoon's armor, Galahad mulled over what he was doing here. He was a leader, expected to take charge of the Kirins' and their objectives, make allies and discuss next steps towards their goals, but he was no politician, or mediator for that matter. The scars of the war ran deep, yet Galahad couldn't sit idly and let his comrades do what was his work. Oddly enough, a part of him was offended on Izayoi's behalf–having risked her life to save him, only to have it thrown back in her face. Their problems were probably much more than he knew, and if Izayoi ever caught Galahad feeling pity for her, his head would probably not be attached to his shoulders.

Yet here he was.

With a sigh, Galahad collected himself for a moment longer before he rapped a pair of knuckles. ”Lord Hien. A moment, if you would.”

Hien sat kneeling on a mat within his quarters, attempting to meditate to calm himself. And failing. With a frustrated sigh, he rose and forced a placid expression on his face before opening the door. He looked at the man before him.

“Ah. You must be the dragoon. I’ve not seen your face compared to the others, so that narrows it down. Come in, come in! You helped save my life, I won’t bite. At the very least, you aren’t Artorias Caradoc.” He chortled briefly before ushering Galahad inside.

Galahad frowned, his lips forming a fine line as he paused in front of the threshold. “No, I am not. My father and I currently have… differing opinions regarding my being here.”

“I am Galahad, though a Caradoc no longer. If my presence displeases you, I will excuse myself.”

Hien’s expression turned unreadably neutral at the revelation, though he made no move to push Galahad to leave, continuing to allow him inside.

“Well. Isn’t that…unfortunate. Regardless, I believe you had something you wished to discuss with me?”

He turned and strode back inside, sitting with his legs crossed on the mat he’d previously been trying to meditate on. Galahad sighed but followed him, taking a seat a respectful distance across the mat. He'd have found out in the next few minutes anyway, better to have been honest and up front.

“By all means, let’s hear it.”

“Firstly, I'm glad to see you've made it back in one piece. We may have caused a bit more chaos than intended, but your people here are quite capable. Ciradyl and that ninja Chisaki especially.” Galahad said with a respectful nod, taking a moment to take stock of the young lordling.

“I lead the Kirins.” Galahad started simply, gesturing with his head towards the door where the rest of the party went about their business. “We're spearheading an effort to stop the Blight that's been plaguing these lands. Our current working theory is that Valheim is responsible– if not for its creation, then at least for its propagation throughout Osprey and the rest of the continent.”

“It seems we'll be in Osprey for at least a while longer. It is my hope that we may be able to help one another.”

“I don’t disagree with your assessment.” Hien nodded. “The reports from the outlying villages didn’t begin until after the invasion.” He mulled over the rest of Galahad’s words for a moment longer, squinting slightly as he looked the man over.

“There were reports from the desert that I’d been meaning to send people to look into before Valheim took me captive. Now, I’m to begin the arduous task of finding what remains of my men and rallying them back under my banner. And Lady Ciradyl’s people, gods bless them, aren’t quite direct fighters.” Hien said with a rueful smile on his face as he continued on.

“Quite frankly, I can’t turn down your offer of aid at this junction. We can discuss this further in a day or so, give your people time to recover. And for tempers to cool.”

Galahad couldn't help but chuckle at that. “You mean Izayoi? Smart, that. The woman's more explosive than the mages sometimes.” He paused for a moment, “But, for all my misgivings, she's always done exactly what she said she'd do. If I understand correctly, she's your bodyguard? Instructor?”

“One, then the other, once upon a time.” Hien nodded solemnly. “She was…unassailable when I was a boy. A pillar of strength.” He looked away, his mien suddenly grim.

“It hurts to see her practically shattered like this. Worse to know she’d all but abandoned us until her own personal tragedy pulled her back in. May as well have told us to kick rocks.”

“Glad I only see her now then.” Galahad chuckled mirthlessly, “Otherwise I'd might not have lived to have this conversation.”

The Dragoon paused for a moment, regarding Hien's face for a moment. Galahad was no aged veteran himself, but the boy looked young, not quite naive, but not quite found his stride yet in the world.

“She didn't abandon your people.” Galahad said quietly, “At least I don't see it that way. I think she died for your people, on that mountain. Her family gave her a reason to live again. Then Valheim took it away.”

“Were this from anyone else, I’d take it as empty words. But you’re a Caradoc.” The other elephant in the room. “From you, I may actually believe it. Though it still stings that she was absent when we needed a paragon the most.”

Hien stood and turned, looking out of his chamber’s window. Fires and smoke from the breakout could still be seen in the distance, along with crews scurrying about to try to put them out.

“Tell me, how is the man responsible for my father’s death?” An undercurrent of rage, grief, mourning in his words that he couldn’t quite keep restrained. “I doubt you were at that first battle, Izayoi would have cut you in twain if you were, but let’s not beat around the bush here. We both know who had the last King of Edren’s ear about that conflict to begin with. And who profited the most from it.”

“I think I could give her a run for her money nowadays.” Galahad replied, “But no, if we met during the war, we'd be one more Caradoc short.” Galahad too stood, but rather than joining the Osprean Lord by the window, Galahad sufficed with examining a few of the scant portraits that adorned the wall.

“He's alive.” Galahad's voice a bit tense, “I'm not sure why he opposes the new King's efforts to stop the Blight, but I've never been one for politics.”

“Though if we're to begin pointing fingers, we had offered to trade for the mines, but our diplomats came back missing from the neck down. At that point, I think war was inevitable.”

“By all accounts, Lord Caradoc’s offer was insultingly low. The Emperor was infuriated when he was informed of the offer. Some thought that was deliberate, you know. Force us into war with a slight upon our honor. So yes, war was likely inevitable. Though still from the same source.” He looked to his Edrenian counterpart, weary.

“But we’ll be here all night should we continue to split hairs. As much as I wish to see your father’s head displayed before me one day, you aren’t him. If there’ll be nothing else, Knight Galahad?”

Not quite angry, but Galahad had tensed, readying a retort of his own before he stopped himself and sighed. Hien was right, they'd be arguing all night at this rate– and he doubted either of them would be able to change the other's opinion in a single night.

“You're right. Perhaps tonight is not the night to debate on the war. I think the scars run too deep on both sides to have it reconciled so easily.” Galahad sighed, his hand massaging his brow.

“But that being said, we must appear strange to you, Lord Hien.” Galahad said, “A dragoon and a samurai– working alongside one another.” Galahad couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. “Demon, Limbtaker, the woman who slew my brother, and yet I still stand with her.”

“We live in strange times. Five years ago, Lady Ciradyl was merely a very talented singer. And now she runs the only active resistance cell in Kugane.” He chuckled back, nodding and just letting the mention of Izayoi and Galahad’s brother pass. Nothing would be gained by prodding into that just now.

“Regardless, as I’ve said, I’ll lay out all of the details once everyone’s had a chance to recover. And you should, as well. It can’t be easy managing so many disparate personalities in your squadron.”

“Five years ago, I couldn't imagine it either.” Galahad replied as he made his way to the door. “But war changes people. Izayoi too. Forgive my impertinence, but I think the two of you value each other more than you both understand– or perhaps are willing to admit. Life is short and fleeting, and if I may offer you something from my own experience: Don't say things you won't be able to take back.”

Galahad offered the lordling a short bow before crossing the threshold. “Goodnight, Lord Hien.”