[[Day 29 of Month -4 :: Lindela]]<br/><br/>A tense energy filled the elevator as the men and women inside tightened their gear, checked their swords, and prepared for battle.  Even the presence of a Seraph and her squad couldn’t make the Knights be still.  Lindela was under attack.  From their vantage in the descending box, they could see fights breaking out all over the island.  It was a chilling sight.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “You all know what to do?”</span>The question reverberated through the enclosed room and prompted all to turn in the speaker’s direction, though Lethe had only been addressing her squad.  Seraphim, Adair, Leon, and Valiar all nodded in response.  In such a spread out fight, there was no reason for them to stay grouped as one.<span style="color: silver">“Seraphim and Leon, go reinforce District Twelve.  Adair and Valiar, take Gless Squad Fourteen with you to District Four.”</span>There was the clang of armor on armor as Squad Fourteen acknowledged their order, overheard though it was.<span style="color: silver">“If you see any of the others, allocate them accordingly.  Gless Squads Five and Eighteen, please report to the local commanders for deployment and use your discretion where needed.  Adair, I leave you in charge of the surrounding areas.  Please coordinate with the others as necessary.”</span><br/><br/>The rest of her words became superfluous as the elevator settled on Lindelan ground.  The doors hissed open to allow the men and women release.  Despite the screams audible from here, all the Knights were still loitering around when Lethe left the elevator.  She lifted an eyebrow in question but vanished from sight.  She would reinforce the outer edges of Lindela, given her ability to reach there the fastest.<br/><br/>The White Seraph reemerged atop District Thirty Three, swords spread behind her to catch the drift as she floated to the ground.  From her vantage in the air, she spotted a few fights in progress.  A Reaper was surrounded by two Knight squads.  A Sinner was battling a few wounded Knights.  A Pure Sinner hid in shadows as a family ran towards it, clearly ignorant of its presence.  It took but a moment for her to diagnose the situation before she vanished from the skies.<br/><br/>A white sword slammed into the ground in front of the fleeing family, forcing them to stop.  They turned only to see another white sword blocking their escape route.  The blades started glowing and a white barrier sprung into existence, enveloping them under a dome.  There was a shriek of distress before they realized their entrapment did nothing.  There was no pain.  If anything, they hurt less!  The group straightened as their exhaustion faded.  What was going on?<br/><br/>It took no more than ten seconds for her to dispatch the Pure Sinner.  It hadn’t expected someone else to find it, never mind sneak up on it, so it had no defenses to prevent Luna from slicing it in half.  Lethe teleported to her next blades, appearing for a moment in front of the family she’d saved, before she vanished once more with the two swords in tow.  She reappeared above the Sinner she’d spotted and cast Penance, vanishing before the chains had fully formed.  The Reaper caused her no more trouble than its peers.  Its corpse was still burning as she winked away once more, this time en route to another District.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>“Sir, fighting has broken out near the district square!” A voice shouted out.<br/><br/>“Three blocks ahead and one to the left!” Another clarified, having realized their temporary in-charge had zero idea of Lindela’s layout.  The man’s competence with the bo staff more than made up for that deficiency though.  The brown-haired man had led them into what looked like ridiculous odds only for them emerge all alive.  Their confidence in the unknown Knight was rising.<br/><br/>Romauld raised a hand in acknowledgement but otherwise saved his breath.  Three blocks ahead then and one to the left.  A scream of fear spurred him into action and he leapt into the fray just in time to block the downward strike of a scythe.  A Reaper! He tapped into his Light’s Wrath and let it flow into his staff.  Empowered by the divine magic, it was easy enough for him to throw the scythe away.  The tip of his bo stabbed the Reaper in the stomach, earning him the sounds of cracking bones and a ghastly scream.  Despite the eerie sound, Romauld pressed his advantage with a downward strike to the Reaper’s neck and then a follow up to its opposite side.  There was no time for mercy against the Reaper.  Another forward strike broke through the Reaper’s windpipe, if Sin Creatures had windpipes, and ended it.<br/><br/>The former Knight Commander kicked the body towards the side of the street, out of the way, and then turned towards the next fight.  Two of his Knights were being overpowered by a Sinner.  The sight made him want to frown.  Two Knights shouldn’t have any problems with a Sinner.  His men in Rasova could easily go one to one against a Sinner.  A shot of Banish forced the Sinner back and gave him enough time to cast Penance.  “Absolve it!”  He ordered even as he turned away at the sound of running.  A woman ran towards them with something clutched in her arms.  Another shot of Banish left his hands to intercept the Sin bolt that would have struck her down.  A Knight ran forward to guide the woman away as the other ran blindly in the direction she had come.  Stupid!  Who knew what was coming from there?  Romauld ran after his errant Knight.  A sense of foreboding had him diving forward and knocking his subordinate off his feet.  There was a crash as a massive boulder slammed into the place they used to be.  Pure Sinner!  There was no other source for such a piece of rock.<br/><br/>“Careful. Pure Sinner.”  He whispered to the Knight behind him as he looked around cautiously.  His Prayer flared around him and after a moment, he felt another holy presence, weaker, join in.<br/><br/>“Wh-what do I do?”  The Knight whispered in response, the unusual stuttering making Romauld look back.  A sickly white face stared out from under a helmet and the man’s sword trembled.  What?  Pure Sinners were scary but hardly enough to make one pale with fright!  Had Kobayashi sent out a trainee with him?  “Have you never fought a Pure Sinner?”  Romauld hissed in response, still trying to keep one eye on his surroundings.  A shake of the head confirmed his suspicions.  “I’ll try to break us free.  Go back to the Square and get into a defensive position with the rest of the squad.”<br/><br/>There was no way he was taking a greenhorn into a fight with a Pure Sinner.  The other Knight’s inexperience would be more deadly than chancing a Pure Sinner alone.  “Ready.” He warned before he shot forward, bo staff knocking aside the sudden barrage of Sin Blasts, and ran for the other side of the boulder.  He jumped onto the massive stone while his companion dashed around the side and back towards safety.  Now alone, Romauld turned his attention to the still invisible Pure Sinner.  He was a Seraph Candidate!  He would prove himself worthy!<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>"Arriving in one." Leon warned as he pulled out his sword.  His focus was on the fight up above: a crowd of strong Sin presences and a weakening collection of Light.  One was dangerously close to dying.  "Reapers!" He exclaimed in realization before shouting urgently, "Seraphim, Hurry!"<br/><br/>For a moment, he could sense nothing but pressure as the presence behind him--Seraphim--exploded.  A blur of pure light dashed past him and then dropped off the roofs.  The area shook at a sudden slam and then a Sinner went flying into the air.  It flailed in panic before a blast of magic engulfed it.  When the light dissipated, only dust remained to float to the ground.  By the time Leon reached the battlefield, the weakened squad he'd sensed had backed away, realizing they were far outclassed and would only hinder the light-enveloped Knight.  Instead, three were healing the almost dead Knight he'd sensed earlier.  The remaining two stood defensively despite the tear tracks on their cheeks.  Leon glanced at the rest of the street and felt his heart drop at the corpses.  They were late.<br/><br/>There was a final thud and then Seraphim was standing in front of them.  Light's Blessing surrounded her, washing out all her features except her swirling hair and vibrant purple eyes.<br/><br/>"I'm sorry."<br/><br/>The defensive Knights averted their eyes at the reminder of their dead comrades.  "You, sit rep as we move. The rest of you, fall back. Injured, heal up then find a civ shelter to defend. You two, join another squad.  This isn't over yet."<br/><br/>Under the force of her resolution, augmented by the swirling presence of the divine, the broken squad submitted.  The three knights--two of Squad Lethe and the one they'd commandeered--jumped back onto the roofs and started running once more, Leon directing as the newest briefed them.<br/><br/>Things were grim in District Twelve. They had no Divine Magic capable Knights and were struggling to even contain the Pure Sinners that popped up.  They hadn't even had their remedial training yet; it was scheduled for this weekend.<br/><br/>Leon ignored the bitter laugh the Knight released at that confession.  Regrets would do them little help here.  Others still needed their help.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>“Get ready.”  Cricket warned his companions as he tapped into his divine magic.  Up ahead, a group of Sinners had broken into one of the shelters.  The broken bodies by the entrance spoke of a failed defense and the screams inside warned of an impending massacre.  The few Sinners still milling outside froze; they mechanically turned to face Cricket who had skidded to a stop and now had his sword lifted up defensively.  Grisia, Lesus, and Roland also came to a halt by the Pristine Knight and  settled into defensive stances as well.<br/><br/>“What are we waiting for?”  Roland muttered from the corner of his mouth.  His answer came in the unexpected charge of Sinners towards them.  It seemed as if the creatures had lost all sense of rationale as they hurtled themselves towards the group of four.  The three swordsmen struck out as behind them, Grisia started casting.  The first wave was cut down; the second immobilized by the chains of Penance.  The stragglers, their weapons painted red, emerged from the gaping Shelter at a gallop.  All ran towards the faintly glowing Cricket who darted past Lesus.  The first Sinner sliced itself apart on the former Scout’s sword.  Cricket swerved around Roland and the remaining three Sinners followed once more.  The brown-haired man had been so busy watching Cricket that he forgot to attack them.  It was only Grisia’s exasperated “Roland! Hit them!” that spurred him into action.  He ran after the Sinners but Grisia was already in the way.  With an exaggerated roll of bright blue eyes, the former Advocate absolved the Sinners.  The victims fell to the ground in a heap.<br/><br/>“You’d best turn that off.”  Grisia told Cricket pointedly, looking between his old friend, his brother’s squadmates, and the civilians starting to leave the shelter as they ambled towards the Pristine Knight with a disturbing mindlessness.  With a nervous laugh, Cricket did as told.  The moment the glow vanished, so did the trance everyone--save Grisia, Roland, and Lesus--seemed stuck in.  The civilians looked around in surprise, clearly wondering why they were outside the shelter, before pandemonium broke out as they saw the injured and dead people.<br/><br/>“Papa! Papa!”  One little boy yelled as he tugged at a groaning man.  “Nooooooooooo!” Another screamed as she dashed towards a broken body.  “Patricia!”  One man ran back towards the shelter, face ashen with fear.  The others ran towards bodies or milled around in uncertainty.  Where to go now?  The shelter was broken and they couldn’t run with the wounded.<br/><br/>“Everyone!”  The Lindelans turned at the shout.  Grisia stood before them with hands outspread.  “I know we’re all worried, but standing here won’t help us.  Let’s bandage the wounded and then find another shelter.  I know somewhere safe we can go.  My companions,” he gestured at the three armed men by him, “will guard us as we travel.  But we must stay as a group and stay<span style="font-weight: bold">orderly</span>.”<br/><br/>As the crowd turned to do as instructed, the blond man turned to the others.  “I’ll go help heal the most injured.  Cricket, Roland, can we fashion some stretchers for the most wounded?  Lesus, keep a lookout for any Sinners approaching us.”<br/><br/>“But where are we headed?”  Cricket muttered, careful to keep from being overheard.  “All the other shelters are probably full or sealed by now.”<br/><br/>“The Golden Sun.  We can better defend ourselves from there than out in the open.”<br/><br/>The purple-haired Knight eyed Grisia’s predatory smile in alarm.  He had stumbled across Adair’s brothers while heading towards the elevator shaft.  Apparently the three men had been out for lunch when the attack had started.  Since then, they’d just been wandering around taking down Sinners and Pure Sinners whenever the opportunity arose.  He’d always<span style="font-style: italic">heard</span>, second-hand, that the three were strong and Adair was a testament of their tutelage, but he’d never witnessed just how strong until now.  He could easily bet that they’d give most Pristine Knight squads a run for their money despite the numerical odds.  Now, the loan shark-esque grin warned him that Adair’s ruthlessness might have been a family trait rather than a one-off personality quirk.  Cricket nodded and moved off to do as bade.  he had a feeling any Sinners stupid enough to attack the Golden Sun would meet a vicious end.<br/><br/>(The gleeful gaze on his back told him the Sinners might not have a choice in attacking the house, given the unintended effects of Light’s Blessing.)<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Thump. Thump. Thump.</span>His footsteps sounded unnaturally loud as he ran through the empty streets of District Thirty Two.  Most of the civilians had fled or found shelter by now and only the desperate or Knights were still in the streets.  And Sinners.  There were plenty of Sinners as well.  He’d already taken down two although the last had gotten him separated from his group.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Thump. Thump. Squelch.</span>Dietrich almost tripped as his foot gave out from under him and he scrambled for purchase, arms flailing for balance.  Stable once more, he looked down to see the cobblestones was unusually red.  His throat convulsed instinctively.  No. . . No it wasn’t. . .  There was another<span style="font-style: italic">squelch</span>, not from his feet, and he slowly looked up.  A short-haired brunette in a navy blue, militaristic outfit strode towards him.  An amused smile played on her lips, doing nothing to hide the sadistic pleasure in her red eyes.  A red tongue slipped out to lick at bloody fingers.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Ba-dump. Ba-dump.</span>His sword clattered uselessly at his feet but he couldn’t hear it over the sound of his heart beat in his ears.<span style="font-style: italic">Ba-dump. Ba-dump.</span>Someone was screaming.  He lifted his hands in front of him in a panic-stricken but futile attempt to ward off the incoming spectre.  Red eyes gleamed.  Red eyes glowed.  Red eyes—<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Hooves pounded against the crushed pavement that passed for a road in the outskirts of District Eighteen.  Unlike in the other districts, the derelict buildings were not a result of this unexpected attack.  These wreckages had existed long before today.  Even human stubbornness had to bend before the intractability of Nature; Nature had clearly wanted this plot of land and after two years of futile struggle, Lindelans had ceded the area.  Eight years of unchecked growth had crumbled the once pristine buildings.  Trees yawned from the houses they’d occupied while trailing vines crushed stone walls.<br/><br/>Blue eyes surveyed the area he was galloping through in search of clues.  Enough hints had littered his journey so far to give him hope: an unusual indent, a clean cut of a branch, splatters of dark grey liquid.  A large group had come through this way and YunQiao had a suspicion it might be the Sinners currently attacking District Eighteen.<br/><br/>He felt a twinge of unease; he should be helping defend.  However, the memory of an unusual stone arch--<span style="font-style: italic">I’m guessing it’s some kind of door</span>--gave him the resolve to keep riding.  Yes, he should be helping defend.  However, it was more important right now to make sure this invasion didn’t occur again.  Given the diffusion of Sinners from the outskirts of the Island inwards, it was unlikely Eve or Lillith were teleporting the troops into Lindela.  Why not just attack the most populated parts of Lindela?  However they were coming on to the island was fixed and he had a feeling he was close to one.<br/><br/>YunQiao pulled on the reins of his horse, forcing it to slow to a halt as he looked around him.  He’d seen no signs of passage in the last five minutes of riding.  There must have been a turn that he’d missed somewhere.  He turned his horse around and retraced his steps at a trot, vigilant once more for clues.  Here.  The black-haired Knight slid off his horse and tied it out of sight.  Its presence would be enough to tip off others of his intrusion, but perhaps any returning Sin Creatures wouldn’t think to look at that alleyway.  Back in the middle of the road, YunQiao looked around him cautiously.  Here was where the marks first started.  One of these six houses had to host the origin.<br/><br/>Closing his eyes, YunQiao tried to sense for the stone arch but he felt nothing unusual.  With a huff of exasperation, he walked into the first house.  Clearly, this was going to be an “on foot” operation.  Six houses later, an annoyed Pristine Knight stood in the same spot, this time glaring at the offending buildings.  Nothing.  He’d sensed nothing and seen nothing.  Maybe there really was nothing.  Frustration welled up within him; Lights Above, he could have been helping defend!  Who knew how many were injured because he’d taken a joy ride through District Eighteen!<br/><br/>A frustrated hiss of air forced through clenched teeth was the only sign of frustration he allowed himself to indulge in, at least until he got back to his horse to find it gone.  He slammed angry palms against the wall beside him and stomped off after the hoofprints.  Half a street and a corner later, he found the butt of his horse sticking out of the ground.  The rest of the culprit was happily munching on some greenery that had sprouted in. . .<br/><br/>Blue eyes widened in revelation.  The usually dignified Knight spun around and sprinted back to the suspect houses.  This time, the second one resulted in success.  A stone arch, its runes glowing a faint blue, stood in the center of the basement.  The presence of magic lingered in the air like white noise.  It didn’t seem active but it didn’t seem<span style="font-style: italic">inactive</span>either.  He contemplated testing it before quickly discarding<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>stupid idea.  If this really was the source of the Sinners, throwing something in might just tip off whoever was on the other side that the portal had been discovered.  Should he bring Captain here?  She might know what to do better than him.  But who knew where Captain was--still on Gless?  Could he really leave it active for more Sinners to come through?  More importantly, how could he destroy it?<br/><br/>A yawn interrupted his thoughts and he rubbed at drowsy eyes.  Maybe he could do this later?  A nap sounded good right now.  The absurdity of such a thought--sleeping during an attack on Lindela--shocked him into wakefulness.  Prayer flared around him in a reflexive reaction and his lethargy fled.  He threw himself to the side, hindered by the leaden blocks his feet had become.  He forced his unresponsive body into a defensive crouch as he looked around him warily.  One hand held a handkerchief to his mouth to filter out the air.  Blue eyes strained to see in the half shadows of the basement despite the darkness tinting the edges of his vision.  He forced air in through the window and solidified it into a shield; there was a clatter of throwing needles dropping to the floor as his spell disrupted their trajectories.<br/><br/>“Illumination!”  An orb of light winked into existence like a miniature sun, revealing a golden eyed brunette.  The horns protruding from the dark curls broke any pretense of humanity though the demon hadn’t tried hard, not like the other four he’d met so far.  The unknown demon sported a distinctly displeased face at being revealed.  The cloak she wore rustled and YunQiao dashed for the exit.  He had to skid to a halt when an eruption of fire bloomed in front of him.  Clearly the demon didn’t want him leaving.  The door had to be the portal as he suspected.<br/><br/>Anrui frowned at the Knight in front of her.  Why was he here?  They had chosen remote places to set up the tunnels precisely to avoid situations like this.  She fingered the vials strapped to her belt, reminders that she was more than capable of taking down a lone Immaculate.  Her sleeping gas had almost worked until he’d somehow snapped awake.  Her fingers stopped on a few vials and she extracted them with ease.  As long as he was strapped in here, it would just be a matter of time before her poisons overpowered him.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/><span style="color: silver">“Swords of revealing light.”</span>Glowing blue eyes surveyed the swarms of Sinners, Pure Sinners, and Reapers rushing over the wreckage of District Twenty Eight’s outer walls.  A remnant from the Pure, the wall had been a bulwark against Sin’s forces during the First War.  However, a decade of neglect had weakened the structure till it finally toppled today.  Her Heaven’s Judgment blades reappeared and vanished all over the battlefield, leaving mimicries of themselves behind.  Each blade of light trapped the Sin creature it touched, holding it in place as if applying the chains of Penance.<br/><br/>When the majority of the battlefield had been trapped, Lethe beckoned to the Knights beside her.  The squad of Knights lifted their voices as they released the spells they had prepared.  Earth, Fire, and Lightning enveloped the trapped figures and when their effects faded, only corpses remained.  A ragged cheer erupted from the weary Knights and a pleased smile made its way to Lethe’s lips at the sound.  The troops sounded heartened once more.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Stop the Sinners if they come through here but remember that the civilians are the highest priority.”</span>Blue eyes surveyed the wrecked district around her but didn’t let her emotions show.  Displeasure wouldn’t help right now.<span style="color: silver">“Keep up”</span>Her attention snapped towards the right and she spun at the sudden wave of holy light.  She knew that spell.<span style="color: silver">“Fire a flare if you need me.”</span>Lethe snapped out before she vanished in the direction of District Eighteen.<br/><br/>Two hops later and she re-emerged on top of a row of destroyed houses.  A frown furrowed her brow as she realized this was one of the abandoned portions of District Eighteen.  What was Lady QianHua doing here?  It took a moment to access the divine realm and she saw a splotch of inky black.  It wasn’t as dark as Victorie or Lillith but still more substantial than a Sinner.  She reappeared by the Sin creature and spotted it thrusting a hand towards--<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“YunQiao!”</span>She blocked the attack with her keyblades as she ran towards the demon.  Common sense dictated not rushing an unknown enemy blindly; common sense had little importance compared to the safety of her family.<br/><br/>Anrui jumped away from the glowing sword aiming for her stomach, only her instantaneous response to the shout having saved her.  She had recognized the Seraph with a glance and had abandoned her post that instant in case the Seraph decided to attack.  A hasty wall of vines obstructed her from view long enough to rush away from the angry Seraph’s follow up attack.  She was desperately outclassed here.  Her forte had never been direct combat anyways.  She clawed at the poisons by her hip and threw them haphazardly towards the two Knights, retreating in the mix of vapors.  The Seraph would probably stop chasing her when she realized the other Knight was suffering.<br/><br/>Ducking into the abandoned house, Anrui ran through the portal before sealing it closed.  She didn’t want the Seraph following her here.  The demon sighed in relief now she was in the safety of the Barrens.  She should have defeated the first Knight faster rather than relying on her poisons.  A growl escaped her throat at her own chastisement; now she had neither Knight nor portal.  But she did still have her life so perhaps that would have to be enough consolation.  Looking around, Anrui spotted another portal connecting to Lindela.  This time, she resolved, she’d stay inconspicuous.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Lethe let the glow in her hands fade as the last of YunQiao’s wounds faded away.  Her squadmate was unconscious and she had no idea why he was in the middle of nowhere.  With a grunt of exertion, she folded him over her shoulder in a fireman’s carry.  Now what to do with him.. She didn’t want to try teleporting with him but there was no way she was leaving him out here.  She needed to put him someplace safe until he woke up, not that there were many of such places.  With a weary sigh, the Seraph started walking towards the center of the island.  She hoped there’d be something there at least.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>“Stay behind me..” Marielle ordered with only the faintest tremble in her voice.  Annabelle clung to her waist, a reminder of what was at stake.  Brown eyes stared determinedly at the Sinners wrecking havoc on the street.  They hadn’t noticed her yet, hidden in the small alcove, but she had no doubt eventually they would.  Destroying empty market stalls could only be interesting for so long.<br/><br/>One hand gripped the spare Faith Valiar had gifted her when he’d first rejoined the Pristine Knight Corps.  It had accompanied her through the endless nights she’d lain awake, dreading he’d never come home; now it was her only defense to keeping her and her daughter safe.  As she’d expected, the Sinners eventually realized no prey were hiding in the wooden stands and stalked away.  They passed her hiding spot and for a moment hope welled within her.  Would they not notice her?<br/><br/>Her joy was short lived.  The last Sinner paused and backed up; a blue-grey head swung back and forth curiously before it turned in her direction.  White eyes scanned her alcove before sharpening.  She’d been spotted.  The Sinner advanced towards her; a pleased smile crossed it inhumane face.<br/><br/>The blonde reached back with one hand, pushing her daughter further into the hiding spot.  Her other hand gripped the cross-shaped necklace harder.  Valiar…  The Sinner had blocked off the entrance, clawed hands reaching out greedily, when Marielle screamed in defiance.  She pulled back her arm and threw the Faith as hard as she could.  She refused to let it win without a fight!<br/><br/>The Sinner screamed as the Light-infused trinket smacked its face.  It reared back in shock.<br/><br/>Marielle grabbed Annabelle’s hand, slammed her shoulder into the Sinner, and ran out of the alleyway.  The commotion had garnered the other Sinners’ attentions and they had turned in her direction, already starting to gallop towards her.<br/><br/>“Run Annabelle!”  She shouted as she released her daughter’s hand, pushing the girl in the opposite direction.  She could only pray Annabelle would live.  The defiant mother spun to face the charging Sinners when there was a blur of grey.  A swarm of identical men appeared around the Sinners and the next thing she knew, all of them had collapsed to the ground, slaughtered.  A familiar Knight appeared atop the corpses, katana resting comfortably on his shoulder.  Cool, pale yellow eyes turned in her direction.<br/><br/>“Annabelle! Marielle!”<br/><br/>She spun around at the familiar voice, heart swelling at the sight of--”Valiar!”  She shouted in joy as she ran towards her husband.  Strong arms crushed around her and she returned the gesture, overcome with relief, gratitude, and the remnants of her fear.  She was alive; Annabelle was alive; and they were safe now.<br/><br/>“Marielle,” Valiar repeated; his voice shook with his overwhelming relief.  When he’d heard that first shout, his heart had almost stopped.  Thank the Light for Deimos.  Oh thank the Light indeed.  The reminder of his squadmate had him looking up to catch sight of pale yellow eyes.  The light blond Knight nodded his head to the unspoken gratitude and shrugged a shoulder to show no thanks was needed.  Marielle was a part of Squad Lethe.  It was his job to watch their backs.  He turned away.<br/><br/>The oldest Knight reluctantly released his wife; the battle was still raging and despite her close encounter, he was still needed.  Marielle was similarly unwilling to part but she too knew her husband’s duty.  The two exchanged a look before they fully untangled.<br/><br/>“Come on, I’ll take you two to a shelter.”<br/><br/>Deimos silently reappeared from wherever he’d gone off to, one arm wrapped around Annabelle.  He handed the young girl off to her mother and then took his normal position at the rear.  With one last thankful look at his daughter, his wife, and his fellow Knight, Valiar turned to lead them to a safe place.  Thank the Divine Light they were safe.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Lethe frowned at the retreating Sinner.  That was the third such group of Sinners she’d seen running in that direction.  The first time she’d seen them charging towards her, she’d assumed they’d spotted her and were attacking.  The second group had been as oblivious to her presence as the first.  They too had impaled themselves along her keyblades with nary a reaction.  Twice might be coincidence but three times?<br/><br/>Blue eyes narrowed as she hid herself and the still unconscious YunQiao in an alleyway.  She didn’t want to leave him alone but that left her few places she could check the situation from.  Heaven’s Blessing blossomed in her eyes and she looked over the divine realm critically.  Multiple sinners were congregating towards the border of District Twenty Six and Twenty Seven where a strong concentration of divine magic was residing.  The Golden Sun was located there: Grisia perhaps?  With a blink of an eye, the divine realm faded from her sight.  Or, she considered as a Pure Sinner ambled by in the direction of the Golden Sun, perhaps another member of her squad who Sin creatures seemed oddly fond of when he tapped his Light’s Blessing.  A bolt of Banish finished the absent minded Pure Sinner and then Lethe resumed her walk, this time heading towards her Vice Captain’s home.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>“Get back!” Adair shouted angrily, his fury channeling through the aura around him.  The disobedient Knight collapsed to a stop as legs gave way under the sudden swell of displeasure.  “Get back! Get back!”  The Knight struggled to obey but his legs were still frozen.  The remaining Knights, still lingering despite his order for them to leave, hastily casted Banishes and Penances to distract the roaring--Adair wasn’t even sure what to call it--<span style="font-style: italic">Sin thing</span>as Adair ran forward to grab the struggling Knight.<br/><br/>The two retreated out of the thing’s range as it screamed its defiance.  There was a panicked yell and then the ominous whistle of scythe through air that sent all defenders ducking.  There was the sickening sound of flesh being bisected: another Knight had died.<br/><br/>“All of you, retreat!”  Adair ordered again in the distraught silence, raising his voice to be heard over the Sin Creature’s crowing.  “Now!”  He pushed the idiot he’d saved away and ran back to fight the Sin thing.  It had the height of a Pure Sinner, a bulkiness similar to--but even more exaggerated than--a normal Sinner, and it had the same resistance to holy magic Reapers had.<br/><br/>Adair would have groaned if he could; as it was, he was too busy dodging a punch to spare time for such frivolities.  Lights Above, how was he going to stop this thing?  He caught another punch on his shield and felt his entire body groan at the strain.  Even with Light’s Blessing to reinforce him, there was no way he could keep allowing these hits.  He was just lucky he could even block them; he’d already seen at least three Knights die from taking a hit by the thing.<br/><br/>He pulled his divine magic closely around him, forming a shroud similar to Master Guilford’s Providence.  Now that the others were gone, he didn’t need to extend the Blessing to boost their morale.  He deflected the next hit and snaked his sword out to disembowel the creature.  However, due to its height, he hit leg instead of the more vulnerable innards.  Nonetheless, he still slid the sword along the length of the thigh before he was forced away.  Thank the Light it still felt pain at least.  Even if the creature regenerated from the wound, which it had done to every other injury so far, there had to be some effect of harming it.  Perhaps its magic would run out or the body would eventually be unable to cope with all the wounds.<br/><br/>In the creature’s moment of pained roaring, the Vice Captain of Squad Ten looked around him.  The neighborhood was devoid of people.  His gaze stopped on a bloody arm, the rest of its body hidden in the rubble that had fell on it, and he grimaced.  It was devoid of living people, at least.  heavy footsteps alerted his wandering mind that the creature was resuming its attacks.  He dodged out of the way, slammed a Banish-coated hilt into the creature’s arm, and ran further into the cul de sac.  He couldn’t let it leave here.  One house, tottering dangerously towards the left, caught his attention as did a bent fence up ahead.  Its upper half was now bent, angled threateningly at any intruders, daring them to charge forward.  The bottom was partially uprooted, enough so to create a small hole.<br/><br/>Adair looked back to check on the creature; it was still chasing him.  He turned to run towards the fence and the creature followed obligingly.  Close, closer, he dropped and slid through the hole at the bottom, metal wining angrily as the fence protested his armor’s passage.  A spray of blood covered him on the other side.  He swiped at it in disgust, shaking his head to release the liquid and try to hear where his opponent was as he tried to clear his vision.  There was another wet cough before more liquid fell on his head.  The now drenched Knight backed away.  Vision cleared once more, he saw that his plan had worked.  The creature had impaled itself on the fence’s tines.  Shaking away stray droplets (the creature’s blood, he realized with disgust), Adair lifted his sword to behead the thing.  He sharpened his blade with divine magic, lined it up above the thing’s neck, and brought it down quickly.   Executions were about precision.  At the last minute, the thing wrenched away, pulling the fence out of the ground with its sudden jerking.  His sword bounced against the creature’s neck, cut a long gash, and then went flying as the bottom of the fence slammed into its wielder.<br/><br/>Adair scrambled back to his feet once he regained his bearings, scurrying forwards to pick up his sword.  The thing still wasn’t dead despite its half severed head!  Instead, it was making a ruckus as it pulled the fence out of it.  In front of incredulous eyes, the wounds started healing once more.<br/><br/>Was the Light serious?!  He knew the Light didn’t ask more than its followers could give but wasn’t this a bit ridiculous?!  A Sin creature that didn’t die even after being partially decapitated?!  He was ready to start spitting blood, both literally and figuratively!  After a mental smackdown of the Divine Light, Grisia’s younger brother turned his attention back to the unknown Sin creature.  It seemed to be healthy once more and was looking for another victim.  With a silent roar of anger at the Divine Light (why was it him in these situations?!), the Knight threw a blast of Banish at the his opponent.  When burning white eyes focused on him, Adair blasted the thing again and then moved backwards cautiously.  As expected, it gave chase and he began the game of Keep Away once more.<br/><br/>They’d run through the neighborhood once when a glancing blow sent the Knight sprawling.  He landed painfully against the wall.  His shield expanded in time to block the kicks that rained down on him.  Each strike forced his already sore body backwards and he could feel everything trembling.  Pebbles crumbled and he shook the dust from his sweaty hair.  He braced a hand against the wall behind him, just to feel it give way.  Wide green eyes glanced behind him to see that yes, his hand had pushed the brick back.  In fact, the entire wall--his gaze swept upwards and around, temporarily forgetting the creature kicking at him--was shuddering with each blow.  He could see the roof ominously creeping into his vision.  A shout of pain was forced from his lips as his shield slammed into his shin.  His inattention had caused the aura around his shield to weaken.  Teeth bared, Adair slammed his palm against the base of the wall.  The chains of Penance sprung into existence along the wall and contracted just as another kick connected.  Between the double assault, the wall ceded and a rain of bricks fell onto the two of them.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Four self-satisfied sighs came from the weary Knights  as all collapsed against the Port’s benches.  They had been running around all afternoon subduing Sinners and were feeling the effects of such exertions.  One leaned back on his arms, gaze unconsciously looking for the Knight who had led them all day.  “I can’t believe he’s not tired..”  He muttered in disbelief, catching his companions’ attention.<br/><br/>“Who?”<br/><br/>“The Captain.”  A nod pointed out the brown-haired Knight’s position.  Somehow they still didn’t know his name, but he was undoubtedly The Captain now.  The Captain was speaking with Captain Kobayashi but despite their accomplishments today, The Captain still looked severe.<br/><br/>“You said Master Guilford is in the center of Lindela then?”<br/><br/>“Yes, District Sixteen I believe it was,” Kobayashi confirmed.  His district, and the two surrounding ones, were all safe for now and it was in no small part due to the man beside him.  He looked at the younger man in admiration.  So this was a Knight Commander of Palaugrim!  It was no wonder then that the Light had maintained its presence on Palaugrim.  If anything, he was surprised they hadn’t reclaimed the island earlier!<br/><br/>“Alright.  I’ll head that way to report in then.  Will you be okay here?”  Romauld turned his attention back to the older Knight Captain and received another confident nod.  “Thank you for your men’s assistance this afternoon.  May the Divine Light guide you and keep you safe.”  With those parting words, the brown-haired Knight started jogging towards the exit before Kobayashi could even formulate a response.  He was going?  Wasn’t the Knight Commander tired?  After a moment of disbelief, Kobayashi could only shake his head again.  What a waste to keep Knight Commander Romauld in Gless!<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Adair groaned in pain as he exhumed himself from the pile of bricks.  He turned his head to look at the rubble around him and groaned again.  Given how it’d lived through a partial decapitation, he doubted the house collapsing on them would have killed it.  With a third pained groan, he hauled himself to his feet.  Healing magic gathered around his body even as he forced himself towards the middle of the road.  He’d already used the fence, the decorative pond, the almost--now completely--broken house, and way too many tripwires.  What else could he do to keep the thing busy?  So far his only saving grace had been the thing’s stupidity.  Instead of giving up like a rational enemy, it kept chasing after him.  It was good for keeping the thing busy but there was only so much more abuse he could take.<br/><br/>He eyed the empty road speculatively.  If he could keep the thing contained somehow, he’d be able to kill it.  Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know the first thing about seals besides that they existed and were useful.  He rubbed a weary hand over his forehead, wishing Lethe or YunQiao were here.  Honestly, he wished<span style="font-style: italic">any</span>of his squad were here.  He might even take Team Prissy or the Crests at this point in time.  For a moment, he just stared down at his battered body, his frustration at not being able to take the thing down<span style="font-style: italic">once and for all</span>sour in his mouth.  However, before he could despair any longer, there was an ominous shifting of bricks behind him.  It was starting to recover again.  Adair closed his eyes, shook his head, and then looked over the neighborhood once more.  There had to be something else he could use.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>“Be careful,” Leon warned, his attention focused on the roof Seraphim was very carefully lifting.  “That thing is about a tap away from crumbling.”  The pink-haired woman grumbled in response but heeded his directions.  A gap appeared in the rubble and a sobbing teenager crawled out.  She turned around to reach for the child being handed out to her and then moved out of the way so the last presence--it looked like her father--could come out.  Leon scanned the rubble once more but could feel no other presences.  “Alright, we’re clear.”<br/><br/>A<span style="font-style: italic">boom!</span>accompanied his words as Seraphim let the roof fall back to the ground.  As warned, it crumbled under the sudden impact.  The blond haired Knight shot an annoyed look at his partner but the woman was unaffected.  “They’ll still need a roof.”  Leon pointed out with a touch of reproof.<br/><br/>Seraphim rolled her shoulders back and lolled her head from side to side in response, loosening the muscles after the previous strain.  “I doubt they want one that will collapse from a friendly tap.”  She retorted without any heat.  Her head rolled back to the front and she looked around curiously.  “Anyone else?”<br/><br/>The scene below was a beehive of activity.  Fellow Knights, scouts, and even some civilians were clearing out rubble and searching for any survivors.  After hours of fighting, it seemed the battle was finally coming to an end.  Personally she thought it was a bit early to be doing rescue operations but apparently those were Guilford’s orders so who was she to contradict?  Lethe hadn’t said anything to the contrary and she couldn’t see any other Sinners around.  There was the chance the outskirts needed help, but she hadn’t heard any new orders and Lethe was out there anyways.<br/><br/>“Nothing that they can’t take care of.”  Leon acknowledged with a nod of his head towards the rescuers below.  With her Light’s Blessing active, Seraphim had near superhuman strength, which made her the perfect pack mule.  “Next street then?”<br/><br/>“Sure.”  Leon glanced at his unusually subdued squadmate.  Normally the woman was more of a chatterbox, rivalling him and Cricket for chattiness.  This entire afternoon she’d been sparse with her words.  “. . . Is everything okay?”<br/><br/>A frown was his only response.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Except there wasn’t.  Adair stumbled to the side as a shower of wood erupted around him, gasping for breath over the pain in the left side of his body.  His arm was numb and his fingers were refusing to respond to his commands to flex.  Every house but this one was now destroyed, sacrifices in his attempt to keep the creature engaged.  He had thought the blows were getting heavier but had dismissed it as an effect of his weariness.  Now--green eyes looked around dully as the creature hauled him into the air--he was certain.  The thing was still getting stronger.  His body convulsed as another chair slammed into him and then another.  Why did this person have a eight person dining table anyways, he wondered dully as each chair was broken against him.  As if now bored by the lack of response, the creature snarled and then threw him in the corner where all the other bodies seemed to have ended up.  He studied the dead face beside him idly.  Even if he wanted to do anything more, there was nothing he could do.  He’d played punching bag to this creature for over two hours.  He’d used every new technique Roland had showed him, every skill Lesus had shown him, and even some tricks he’d seen Grisia use in the past to kill the thing.  No luck.  That damn creature was still stomping around.<br/><br/>He sighed, the darkness in his vision creeping ever closer to dominating his sight.  He just couldn’t do it.  Lethe would have to take care of that thing.  With that thought, he succumbed to the darkness.<br/><br/>A moment later, his brows furrowed.  . . .Wasn’t it kind of lame that he was making Lethe take care of it?  His eyes reluctantly opened and he stared at the sightless eyes opposite him.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">He fell backwards, hands clutching his forehead protectively.  Green eyes glared up at his older brother as he rubbed at the red dot undoubtedly forming there.<br/><br/>Black eyes sparkled in amusement as Lesus checked, “Not dead yet?”<br/><br/>“Of course not!” He protested, picking up his wooden sword and charging the other man.  “Yaah!”</span><br/><br/>The memory had him pushing himself into a sitting position.  He ran a hand through his hair then grimaced as he realized he’d just spread old blood through it.  No, not dead yet.  He braced his feet under him and stood once more.  He gingerly walked across the room and picked up his sword.  Not dead yet.  He stared at his distorted reflection; he looked like a mess.  His armor was covered in dents and scratches.  His skin was either bruising or blood covered.  His shield hung limply on his left arm, which he now realized he could still barely feel.  His head tilted down to look at this shield.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“You know what Lesus likes to say, the best defense is a strong offense.”  Roland smiled at him as he introduced the younger man to the ground.</span><br/><br/>Adair tried to lift the shield but it barely budged.  Time to see if Lesus was right, he guessed.  Setting aside his sword, he unbuckled the shield from his arm and placed it on the dining room table.  It had somehow been spared the same fate as its chairs.  He tried flexing his hand once more and a shiver ran down his body as tingling broke out over his arm.  He forced his hand into a fist and then loosened.  Alright then.  No shield, only a sword, and not dead yet.<br/><br/>Well, things could have been worse.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Compared to the chaos of the streets, the hooded figure walking sedately through the rubble was a clear anomaly.  A golden eye peeked out from under the heavy fabric and swept the surroundings in search of company.  There was none.  With a pleased smile, Anrui removed one of the vials from her pouch.  A twist of the hand released the cap and the demon poured its shimmering contents into one of the wells.  She peered into the depths and waited until all traces of her addition dissipated, its contents diluted into the water below.  That was fine.  Though it may not be visible, its potency wouldn’t be impacted.<br/><br/>She capped the vial once more and tucked it away.  Three more vials remained.  The demon turned to look at the elevator shaft that loomed in the distance; even now, a shuttle was shooting up towards the island above, no doubt to gather more reinforcements.  It was a pity she couldn’t sneak onto that.  Spreading her concoction into Gless would have undoubtedly earned her more of Master Amon’s praise.  A shiver of delight passed through her body at the thought before she forced herself back into the present.  She continued her walk through the mostly deserted streets.  By now, the sun was starting to set in the distance.  The attack on Lindela had been raging for nearly three hours now.  Soon, she would return to her ‘troops’ and oversee what few remained.  The Sinners and Pure Sinners she’d leave here.  If they were so valuable to the God of Sin, he could arrange for their retrieval.  Master Amon had only expressed interest in the Reapers, so she would ensure their return.<br/><br/>“Ha-hah-choo!”  Anrui paused at the faint sound, her ears turning to better catch the sound.  She could hear a quiet shushing and the brush of cloth on wood as whoever was hiding fidgeted in fear.  There was another muffled sneeze before all fell deadthly silent.  A cruel smile lifted her lips and she continued walking once more as if ignorant to the victims hiding in the house two buildings behind her.  She wouldn’t kill them like they no doubt feared.  Her fingers caressed the vials in her pouch, the results of her research and Master Amon’s ‘present’ to the God of Sin.  No, she would let them be<span style="font-style: italic">useful</span>instead of ending their miserable existences right now.  After all, they were already soon to be dead anyways.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Being able to make clones was<span style="font-style: italic">awesome</span>, Deimos concluded to himself.  It would have been better if he could learn what his clones learned, but it could have been worse--it could have been Cricket’s skill.  The memory of his teammate screaming at the top of his lungs while running for his life from a horde of Sinners had the corner of his lips twitching.  The spark of amusement was a welcome change from the apathy of the afternoon.  His almost tranquility was interrupted by lumbering steps drawing closer.  The yellow-haired knight paused.<br/><br/>Odd, the steps were too heavy to be any creature he knew of.  Reapers tended to glide, Pure Sinners had more of a clicking noise in their gait, and Sinners were characterized by their distinct two-beat rhythm.  These steps definitely sounded bipedal--perhaps it was a heavily armored Knight?  Deimos hesitated but he knew of no Knight who would wear so much armor to have such a thumping stride.  His katana, still pink from imprecise cleanings this afternoon, slipped free and into a guard position.<br/><br/>His caution proved well founded when a giant turned onto his street.  White eyes narrowed on him as the thing opened its mouth in an unfriendly growl.  Despite the aggressive sound, it advanced no faster than before, giving the Knight time to assess his opponent.  It definitely wasn’t human yet somehow it had evaded everyone’s notice, as evident by the lack of injuries on it.  How in the Light had no other Knight seen this thing earlier?  It was hardly being discreet.<br/><br/>His katana twitched in anticipation and then he was on the other side of the thing, weapon swinging carelessly through the air as he shook the blood off it.  That was--his self congratulations halted when there was no telltale topple of a body.  He turned to look but vanished when a hand swept through the space he used to occupy.  A surprised Deimos watched the house opposite his perch shudder as the creature’s palm slammed into it.<br/><br/>How was the thing not dead?  Yellow eyes slid over to his opponent to see unblemished flesh.  Had he..? No, there was no way he had missed. His keen eyes could still see the flecks of blood he’d flicked off his blade.  His head cocked to one side thoughtfully before he attacked once more.<br/><br/>This time he went slower, aiming to hit deeper.  His sword carved arcs through the thing’s arms before he retreated to another rooftop.  Blood splattered in the air as the thing slammed against one house then another in clear anger.  However, in less than a few minutes, its arms were healed once more.<br/><br/>At least now he knew how no other Knight had seen it earlier; whomever had confronted it were probably dead or had fled.  Deimos considered the wisdom of such a course of action.  He had no particular inclination for death and it didn’t look like his attacks were doing much.  Someone else made his decision for him.  A white-shrouded figure slammed into the creature, toppling it over.<br/><br/>“Kill it!”  A vaguely familiar voice shouted and Deimos hastened to comply, conditioned to listen when a voice held<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>much authority.  When Lethe said to jump with that sort of voice, all of Squad Ten started jumping.  Unfortunately, she had knocked the thing down so he couldn't simply decapitate it.  Instead, he slammed his katana into the thing’s chest and then yanked it up in an arc to slice through its heart.<br/><br/>“Good job.”  Not Lethe congratulated, turning to reveal itself as Romauld.  “That should--” His words were cut off by an explosion of Sin that knocked both Knights back.  When both were back on their feet, so was the unknown Sin creature.  Deimos shifted uncomfortably; that fleeing option was sounding better and better now.  There was a line between courage and stupidity and he didn’t plan to cross into the latter.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Adair had just reached the river that bordered District Seven when he spotted his foe engaged in a battle with Deimos and Knight Commander Romauld.  ‘Battle’ may have been a bit generous of a description; the two were clearly superior in skill as the creature had no finesse.  It flailed like a brawling drunk in hopes a stray hit might stop the pain the two more experienced fighters were inflicting on it.  Lethe’s Vice captain might have had sympathy if he didn’t know exactly how hard the thing hit.  He winced in phantom pain as Romauld was taught a first hand lesson about the thing’s strength.  The brunet was driven to his knees and there was a disturbing<span style="font-style: italic">crack!</span>as he hit the ground.  The creature lifted its fist threateningly, ignoring the sudden flurry of strikes Deimos was landing on it.<br/><br/>A blast of Light’s Blessing shot out of Adair’s left hand as he ran into the fray.  Light’s Blessing flared around him and the surge of courage he imbued into his comrades gave Romauld the strength needed to back away.  The moment the Palaugrimian had collapsed out of the way, Adair immediately dulled the effects of his aura before Deimos grew any more reckless.  Between his sword and Deimos’s, they were able to keep the creature occupied.  However, even with the brief respite and his Light’s Blessing encouraging him, Adair could still feel exhaustion starting to creep in.  How much longer could this battle of attrition last?  The three Knights had been fighting all afternoon already and this thing still had about a decade of life force remaining he’d guess.  Before critical eyes, a gut wound healed in record time.  Its regeneration speed had definitely increased, which was in line with what he’d experienced throughout the past hours.<br/><br/>Lines of red appeared where Deimos struck; the yellow-haired Knight was sticking with his normal modus operandum of multiple precise wounds.  Unfortunately, it was little help here.  “Switch to high damage attacks.”  Adair ordered as he chopped at an overextended arm.  The sword bounced against bone and he sliced off the flesh along the forearm with uncharacteristic brutality.  Despite the wound, the creature brought its arm down in a downward strike and Adair resisted his instinctive reaction to block.  Instead, he forced himself to slip around the attack and step back to give his sword more space to maneuver in even as his body screamed to crowd further in to keep the creature immobile around his nonexistent shield.<br/><br/>Deimos must have expected him to distract the creature though as the rear guard was unprepared when it turned around and slammed a hand into him.  A quick clone shoved him aside and probably saved him from another visit to a wall.  Being slammed through a house had been enough introductions for him.  With a hiss at the memory, and the dull aching it inspired in him, Deimos tumbled away from the creature and popped up in a defensive stance.  The creature charged toward him and Deimos was forced to backtrack again.  It lunged forward in surprising ferocity but instead of grabbing him, it fell to the ground with a loud<span style="font-style: italic">thump!</span>.  Adair was revealed from behind its bulk and the blue armored Knight slammed his sword through the thing’s back.  For good measure, he pulled his sword out, slammed it again into the unprotected lower back and then again into the thing’s neck.<br/><br/>“Thank the Light that’s over..”  Romauld breathed in relief, his face still showing signs of strain.  He was lucky he hadn’t broken his knees after being hit by that thing but he still pretty sure his leg bones had at least fractured.  In the break Adair and Deimos had granted him, he’d been able to heal them enough to stand but a trip to a cleric was definitely a requirement later.  From the way Deimos loosened his grip on his sword, the Rasovan Knight Commander could tell the other Knight shared his sentiment.<br/><br/>Vice Captain Adair, however, was still tense.  “It’s not.”  The younger man said, making his companions stiffen in wariness, “It should finish regenerating in a few minutes.”  As if to prove his point, he stabbed the creature another time and it snarled in response.  A hand lashed out and all three scrambled away to a safer distance.  The creature laboriously climbed back to its feet, glowing white eyes glaring hatefully in their direction.<br/><br/>“Fuck.”  The Knight Commander wasn’t prone to swearing but there were some occasions where nothing else was appropriate.  This was one of those occasions.  So he hadn’t misjudged Deimos earlier.  He had thought it odd that someone of Deimos’s caliber had missed piercing the heart when they’d first engaged the creature but there had been no other logical explanation for why the creature was still alive after a killing blow.  Ridiculous regeneration that healed life-ending attacks hadn’t been factored into consideration.  “Now what?”<br/><br/>Green eyes had been surveying the area when they narrowed in concentration.  “Knight Commander,” Adair began offhandedly, “how long do you think you can solo that thing?”<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>‘<span style="font-style: italic">Not as long as you want me to!</span>’  Romauld snarled to himself bitterly as he dodged another attack from the creature.  Hi bo staff poked out angrily then flicked upwards, knocking the thing’s head back.  He channeled his vexation into the next steps of the kata as his bo and body flowed through the familiar motions: a slice, the four-point strike, low-strike, high strike, forward thrust.  He kept his eyes focused on his opponent even though he wanted to check the distance again.  He already knew the distance between his target and his current location; it was only nerves that made him doubt himself, made him seek reassurance.  Nerves and perhaps a dose of fear, he admitted to himself.  He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep this up.  His legs were starting to go numb from the pain but he couldn’t weaken his stances for the sake of alleviating his pain.  Doing so would only earn him a faster path to his grave.<br/><br/>He stumbled to the side as a glancing blow struck him and felt his arm go red-hot with pain.  His wandering thoughts had made him react a second too slow.  Gritting his teeth, he shoved away the pain and focused back in the present.  He retreated into another kata to coax him another five steps forward despite the pain lingering in the back of his mind.  The sound of rushing water was a welcome one.  Pulling his staff back, Romauld gathered his Light’s Wrath and released it with the forward thrust.  The creature went flying through the air, lifted off its feet by the burst of divine magic.<br/><br/>A scream of pain reverberated through the air as a sword the size of a man impaled itself through the thing’s chest.  The thing fell into the river and thrashed to stay afloat.  One hand grabbed at the sword lodged in its body before it slipped off.  No, not just the hand had lost grip; its entire arm had detached itself from its body and floated away in the current.  The creature roared again and reached for the sword with its other hand when that limb also severed itself.<br/><br/>Wide brown eyes stared at the spectacle in disbelief, failing to understand what was going on.  Well, Romauld understood the basics of the plan--pin their enemy in the middle of the river where it would struggle to keep its balance--but he couldn’t figure out where the six foot sword had come from or why the thing kept losing its arms.  He could see it regenerating the arms but they kept falling off before hands actually formed.<br/><br/>Someone came to stand by his side and he woodenly turned to see a grim Adair staring at the trapped creature.  The younger man didn’t appear surprised at the spectacle and instead stood with arms hanging loosely by his sides.  The tension from earlier had melted away and the man almost seemed at ease despite the cries of pain and desperation from the river.<br/><br/>Romauld took a deep breath, gathered himself, and turned back to face the dying creature.  There was no way for it to escape between the sword in its chest and its mysteriously disappearing arms.  Listening to the sounds of splashing mingled with screams, he could not help but grimace; enemy or not, he had never been the type to enjoy watching things suffer, not if he could help it.  “I wish we could put it out of its misery.”<br/><br/>There was no reply, but Romauld could feel the unspoken assent from the man beside him. There was nothing that needed to be said. They were weak.  Despite all their efforts, they were reduced to standing on the banks of a river, watching,<span style="font-style: italic">praying</span>that the creature would never find a way up onto the shore before its regeneration failed it.  Romauld sighed even as he straightened, planting both feet firmly on the ground despite the pain in his legs.  He had always striven to be the best there was, pushed himself to not just meet, but<span style="font-style: italic">exceed</span>, his duties.  It was humbling to realize how little that had been worth.  The two backs he chased still remained so very far away.<br/><br/>He forced himself to stare at the struggling creature, stubs of its partially regenerated arms floating away as grisly reminders of his helplessness.  This was his failure --his weakness--that made it suffer such a gruesome death.  It was his responsibility to acknowledge its death. He had no right to look away.<br/><br/>The two men stood side by side by the river as the sun set until only the sound of flowing water could be heard once more.