[[Day 1 of Month –3, Caletta]]<br/><br/>“I wonder why they demanded a squad battle,” Leon mused aloud from his seat on the bench lining the training room.  Squad Prissy had just left the room with an angry slam of the door, leaving Squad Ten with the unenviable task of cleaning the room.  The room wasn’t in too bad of a shape, but some holes needed to be filled and it was only polite to sweep the room clean after use.  Captain Lethe had, perhaps unintentionally, instilled manners into all of them.<br/><br/>“I’m more curious why they demanded a squad battle and then immediately tried to force us into duels.”  YunQiao added drily from his section of the training room.<br/><br/>Seraphim snickered at the words, “Yeah, that Advocate looked<span style="font-style: italic">super</span>mad when I threw that Banish over.”<br/><br/>Valiar, comfortably sitting next to Leon as a fellow “wounded comrade,” added his two cents, “You should have seen Fiona and Joaquim.. I think he almost impaled her on accident.”  There was a collective wince from Team Blonde: that would have been<span style="font-style: italic">very</span>bad.  “Well, either way, good job team!  We won!”<br/><br/>“Says the injured one.”  Five heads spun to the left at the unexpected voice.  An unimpressed QianHua looked down her nose at the lot of them.  “I would have expected better from you.  It appears I need to put you through your paces..<span style="text-decoration: underline">again</span>.”  Grey eyes narrowed on the suddenly tearful Valiar; he wasn’t injured by her words, but even harder training..? Light save him!<br/><br/>“I’m more impressed that you found a team that sucks even more than you.”  Skassia grinned at the Knights her squad was training, amusement and incredulity warring on her face.  “Did you pull them out of the PKA or something?”<br/><br/>Normally Cricket would have been the one to retort, but the purple-haired Knight was conspicuously silent.  His attention seemed focused on the ground he was sweeping, not looking up even once.  The others exchanged surreptitious looks but it was Adair who finally responded: “or something.  What brings you three here?”<br/><br/>“Did you think we wouldn’t realize you were skulking off?”  The green-haired ex-Knight wagged a finger chidingly with an admonishing “tsk tsk tsk.”  They didn’t need to know she’d been sneaking around in search of a new prank victim and QianHua and Mei had caught her red-handed.  Come on, she needed something to stave off her boredom!  “But hey! Since you’re all here, let’s fight!  It’ll be good practice!  Free for all?”  Her shit-eating grin slid off her face as she dodged to the side.  An arrow and a Banish slammed into the place she used to stand.  “Hey!”<br/><br/>“Extra points for whoever gets Skassia.”  QianHua contributed with a smirk as the room descended into chaos.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 5 of Month --3, Marishen & Iovita]]<br/><br/>Couldn’t it move any faster?!<br/><br/>Two horses raced down the path, dodging fallen branches and swerving around inopportune trees.  Glowing hooves pounded against the packed earth.  In the distance, there was a resounding<span style="font-style: italic">Slam!</span>even as the ground trembled with the impact.  The horses screamed in fear but they were forced to oppose their instincts and continue running towards the ominous noise.<br/><br/>Even with all their speed, only one thought echoed in Lethe’s mind: couldn’t it move any faster?  There was another forbidding slam and only a harsh yank on the reins kept her horse from bolting.  Normally, she’d feel bad for making the animal do something it so clearly didn’t want to but—<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>Marishen was a mid-sized village just north of what used to be the Immaculate/Sovereign Palaugrim border.  Like Puerta Ciel, it too had two names and had been occasionally pulled into one’s rule then another.  However, the past three years had seen it firmly controlled by Sovereign Palaugrim and so even now, they maintained the name they’d used under Sovereign Palaugrim’s rule.<br/><br/>Regardless of the name, it had been a welcome sight for many of the travelers, Lethe included.  The past five days of travel had been unsettling.  As she’d feared, the common Palaugrimian wasn’t particularly thrilled with the Liberation campaign.  Some were vehemently against the Immaculate, a few were in favor, and most were simply apathetic leaning towards against.  While the raiding by the rebel army was annoying, most blamed the Immaculate for the sudden upsurge in banditry.  As Tamati had pointed out on that first wagon ride, they had done some good and caused a lot more trouble.  A one pro-Sovereign Palaugrimian had pointed out, the rebel army wouldn’t even need to resort to highway robbery if not for the Immaculate.<br/><br/>It was a hard point to argue.<br/><br/>It also didn’t help that of the few who supported the Immaculate, at least half of them had.. <span style="font-style: italic">odd</span> views, ones she’d never heard of.  A few of them she didn’t even understand which Scripture could have been the basis for that idea.  And then there had been the constant fear of the Seraphs… That had been pretty awkward, hearing herself and Master Guilford described as, well, boogeymen? She’d even overheard one mother scold her child, “Go to bed or a Seraph will come for you!”<br/><br/>As enlightening as this trip had been, she was glad to be separating from the caravan.  The mysterious attacks, the public relations campaign (and that had definitely shoved its way higher on her already too long to-do list after this sojourn), preparing for Eve’s next moves: there was simply too much for her to do, regardless of her personal feelings.  Krastio had been inviting her and Lady Mei to stay for the rest of the day, for it was already afternoon and Acheron was another day’s ride, when a messenger flew into Marishen.<br/><br/>“At-attack!” The man shouted, stumbling out of his saddle.  His horse, clearly exhausted, had just crumpled to the ground the moment it realized it could stop.  “Iovita is under attack!”  The townsfolk all exchanged worried looks even as some rushed forward, one man to the messenger’s side and a child with a cup of water.<br/><br/>“Steady, man.”  Krastio’s smile had transformed into a frown as he stepped forward, donning the mien of someone used to being in charge.  “What’s happening?”<br/><br/>“Io-Iovit-”  The weary man gasped for breath, half gulping and half spilling the water that had been offered.  Lethe came up to his side and placed a hand on his back, discreetly flowing healing magic into him.  “Iovita. It’s under attack.  Just..”  He shook his head, droplets of sweat flying with the motion, as he tried to find the proper words.  “Just.. some.. white-garbed woman. Up in the air.”  There was a murmur of discontent from the crowd.  One of the Seraphs was renowned for wearing white and supposedly could fly… “She’s just.. destroying the town.”  His breathing was starting to slow down, pupils dilating as he focused on memories.  “Just laughing, and swinging some massive.. metal thing.  Like how a blacksmith pounds metal into shape, she’s just.. circles. Circles where houses used to be. Where people used to—”  His words came to a halt when he suddenly vomited.  The crowd jumped in surprise.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Sir?”</span>  The man raised his head in her direction, eyes trying to focus on her.  He opened his mouth as if to speak but then turned aside just fast enough to avoid covering her in bile.  She rubbed his back gently but her eyes were already searching out Mei’s.  The older woman nodded her head in acknowledgement and then slipped off, no doubt to ready their horses.  It sounded terrible to think but if the town was under attack <span style="font-style: italic">now</span>, perhaps it would last long enough that they could get there..?  Instinct had her hand reaching out just in time to catch the man before he fell face first into his own vomit.  He’d fainted.  It seemed to stir the townspeople back into action.  Many of them looked fearfully at the man, at the gates, and then hurried away.  Krastio stepped forward to take the messenger from her arms.<br/><br/>“Miss Blanche, I can lead you and Miss May to our spare rooms.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Thank you, Krastio.  But we must go.”</span>  Startled hazel eyes looked up from the man he was holding but Lethe had already gotten to her feet to accept the reins from Mei.  Krastio seemed to just notice the black-haired woman and their horses, having been understandably occupied with the unconscious villager.  Years of practice had Lethe atop her horse in one smooth motion, holy magic already flowing through the animal.  The few townspeople still loitering around drew away from the faintly glowing beasts.  Lethe cast one more look at Krastio, the messenger, and Marishen and couldn’t stop the words that fell from her lips, <span style="color: silver"> “May the Divine Light guide you and keep you safe.”</span></div></blockquote><br/><br/>And then they were running, galloping towards Iovita as fast as the enhanced beasts could take them.  But even this wasn’t fast enough.  Countless slams had reverberated through the forest—and of course there was<span style="font-style: italic">another</span>forest between them and their destination, conveniently hiding their quarry from view—each one signaling more destruction, more death.  The flattened circles irreverently shaped like a cloud, a heart.  It took most of her willpower to not pump more holy magic into the horses.  And suddenly, the forest was in chaos.  There was a deafening<span style="font-style: italic">BOOM!</span>, the loudest yet, and the ground shuddered.  The two horses were sent tumbling when the ground underwent sudden upheaval and only instincts honed from the First War got the two women free from the saddles in time.  Lethe turned shocked eyes from their downed steeds to Mei.  What had happened?  The ringing in her ears was slowly fading and all she could hear was…<br/><br/>She leapt for the closest still standing tree, bounding up the branches in a frantic attempt to get at the top.  Laughing: why was she hearing—boots landed on something other than bark, an intricate platform built of—she shot into the air, wings out and—<br/><br/>A pink skirt fluttered in the wind.  Short orange hair, no longer than ear length, brushed against the popped collar of a black corset.  Familiar white boots, topped in pink rather than more white, seemingly stood on thin air.  A gloved hand, pink like her skirt and boot cuffs, idly spun a massive war hammer in one hand, seemingly preoccupied with the ground below her.  It was laughing.<br/><br/>“BUNNY!”  It shouted aloud in joy and then it vanished.  There was no flash of light, no magic buildup, or any fanfare.  She just vanished before Lethe’s astounded eyes.  What? There was another…?  Then the Knight was falling back down, her temporary flight giving way to gravity.  Mei was waiting for her on the ground.  The horses had been righted in her absence, but one was clearly limping.<br/><br/>“Lethe?”  The unexpected call woke her from her stupor.  Another demon who could teleport?  But that wasn’t important right now.  Iovita was.<span style="color: silver"> “Come.  It’s over.  They’re only about another fifteen minutes run.”</span>Directions given, the Seraph went running towards the ruined town.  She carefully locked up her despair—she had been so close! She might have, maybe, been able to stop it?—because it too wouldn’t help.<br/><br/>She broke out of the foliage and scanned the ruined village.  Like the other sites, entire swaths had been destroyed.  Unlike others, some of the townspeople were still alive.  Many were injured; all had a look of complete shock on their faces.  One woman was desperately trying to stem the blood flowing from a wound, tears streaming from her face as she frantically spoke to the injured child: “It’s okay.  It’s okay sweetie.  Mommy’s got you. You’ll be okay. You-You’re—”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Mei, set up a stasis seal and bring the worst injured there.  I’ll start healing.”</span>The older woman left without comment, leaving Lethe to run up to the mother and her daughter.<span style="color: silver"> “Excuse me, ma’am,”</span>was all the white-haired Knight spared the mother before she reached out with glowing hands.  Shocked eyes stared at the stranger but Lethe was oblivious, focused on the young child.  Liver wound.  No infection in the blood.  It was an easy enough injury to treat with healing magic.  When she drew her hands away, the skin underneath was pristine.<span style="color: silver">“I’ve finished healing the wound.    She’s in no danger of dying; she’ll sleep for a few hours, until she recovers her strength.  Move away from these buildings in case they’re unstable.”</span>Simple commands were better for people in shock than requests, as she’d normally use.  When the mother didn’t move, Lethe added more forcefully,<span style="color: silver"> “Follow.”</span>The white-haired Knight walked towards the seal that Mei had set up.  Already, three bodies in critical condition were waiting for her.  The more able-bodied townspeople had started drifting towards the seal.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Everyone.  My name is Lethe; I’m a healer.”</span>There was a mumbled response to her announcement.<span style="color: silver">“Please bring the injured here for me to treat.  Those unable to pull out anyone still trapped in the village, please help by bandaging wounds, preparing clean water, and so forth.  This has already been a tragic day; let’s put aside any differences we may have and focus on saving as many as we can.”</span>As she was speaking, she identified three more capable-looking townspeople.  She pointed to the first,<span style="color: silver">“You, organize those able to search and rescue in the village.  You,”</span>Her finger travelled to single out another person,<span style="color: silver">“start gathering anyone who can help with basic first aid: bandaging wounds, cleaning wounds, basic stitches.  And you, start gathering supplies: hot water, food, blankets.  Anything that can be safely salvaged. Go!”</span>At her final prompt, the people finally snapped into action, seemingly awoken from their shock.  Lethe turned to her left, words already forming instinctively,<span style="color: silver"> “Adair,”</span>she paused when level black eyes stared at her instead of familiar green ones.  Oh, right, she didn’t have her squad with her.  She shook her head to clear her thoughts, trying to reorganize her plans now that she only had one person to rely on instead of seven.<span style="color: silver">“Lady Mei, can you help oversee them?  I’m going to..”</span>A hand motioned at the wounded.  Though the brunette may not like leading, or speaking, she couldn’t heal.  There was only one healer and there was no way Lethe could manage the townspeople and heal the wounded.  Despite her reluctance, Mei nodded her head.  This wasn’t her forte,<span style="font-style: italic">at all</span>, but Captain had told her to listen to Lethe and if Lethe commanded (which she did)…<br/><br/>The moment she had Mei’s cooperation, Lethe immediately moved towards the wounded, eyes scanning them as she tried to determine what order to heal them in.  She knelt by the rightmost man, placed her hand against his head, and let her healing magic flow into him.  The moment he was stable, her hand moved to the next body.  Another five bodies had been added when she was busy with the first.  She’d have to worry about it after this one.  Closing her eyes once more, Lethe focused on her current patient’s injuries.<br/><br/>The scant hours remaining of the afternoon, and much of the early evening, passed her in a blur.  All she could remember was countless wounds, endless healing magic.  The moment one body was healed, she moved onto the next.  There were just too many injured and only one of her.  Despite her affinity with magic, she did<span style="font-style: italic">not</span>specialize in healing.  Some injuries had simply been too complicated for her to cure.  If only she had Valiar.. if only she had<span style="font-style: italic">any</span>cleric!  They underwent specialized training she’d never bothered with, having always been focused on the offense.  Captain Abel had run an attack-based squad and after the last Battle… The Council hadn’t seen any reason for the Seraphs to pursue the healing arts when there was an entire division dedicated to them.<br/><br/>With a sigh of frustration at her inability, Lethe let her head drop back down and removed her hands from her last patient.  She was out of magic, barely had enough to maintain Prayer for more than a minute or three.  Foolish of her, no doubt, and yet, as blue eyes scanned the prone bodies all around her, all still needing healing, she found herself unable to regret it.<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="color: silver">“To die for the sake of something we love, […] I should have died instead.”</span></span>She slowly got to her feet, giving her legs time to recuperate from sitting for so long.  Yes, she couldn’t regret her choice, even if it came back to haunt her.  She gingerly walked out of the stasis seal and headed for the group of able-bodied townspeople.  Someone had started a bonfire that everyone was gathered around.  An enticing smell wafted towards her and her stomach growled in anticipation.  It was hungry.  There was a spot by Mei and, coincidentally, the mother and first child who she had healed.  She accepted the bowl of stew with thanks and took a seat, gratefully tucking into the meal.  The noise of the chatter around her washed over her like waves, but she was too exhausted to listen in.<br/><br/>Shouting eventually broke her stupor.  She slowly looked up from her bowl, trying to blink away drowsiness.  The hearty meal and the warmth of the fire had lulled her towards sleep, though she hadn’t quite passed into oblivion yet.  An angry looking man, flanked by a pinched-looking woman and another belligerent man was shouting at the crowd around him.  An argument?  Should she intervene?  Her decision was taken away from her when the apparent leader broke free of the others and stomped towards her.<br/><br/>“You!”  He leveled an accusing finger on her, rage splotching his face red.  “This is all your fault!  You’re one of those blasted Seraphs, aren’t you?”  He didn’t even wait for a response as he barreled on, “A white haired woman named Lethe who coincidentally can heal?  Pah! Everyone knows only the Immaculate heal.  You’re the Seraph Lethe!”  Lethe only blinked dumbly at him; she didn’t understand why it mattered.  “The attack is all your fault!  You unleashed those demons on us!”  The bowl dropped from her hand in shock.  How did he know about Lillith and Eve..?<br/><br/>“Hush, Dean! “  The woman at her side jumped to her feet.  “She’s been healing—”<br/><br/>“We wouldn’t need to be healed if not for her!”  ‘Dean’ interrupted, his arm lashing out in anger, “We were never attacked like this before that ridiculous war the<span style="font-style: italic">Seraphs</span>,” he sneered at the title, “started.  Can you deny it?  We’ve always been a peaceful village until a month ago!  Until..!”  His hand returned to its original position, condemning the shocked woman in place.  “Until they came! And destroyed Luciano! Conquered Sovereign Palaugrim and suddenly we have rampant Sinners, marauders, that, that demon!  All they’ve brought to us is trouble!”  He roared to the silent crowd.  The only sound was that of his heaving for breath after his outburst before he pinned the woman with a look: “Can you deny it?  Did we have any of this trouble under Victorie’s rule?  Before the Seraphs and their accursed Knights came?”<br/><br/>Lethe turned to look at her defender, but the woman guiltily shied away.  She couldn’t deny it.  Worse, Lethe wasn’t sure<span style="font-style: italic">she</span>could deny it.  She didn’t remember seeing many bandits during her trip through Palaugrim and the few she had had all been captured and punished accordingly.  Could the Pristine Knights claim that?  Lights Above, she was a Seraph and she didn’t even know what to do with these bandits.  What did one do with people who used unsavory methods to get what they wanted but hadn’t fallen into Sin?  She didn’t know.  Looking at the townspeople around her, all she could see was anger or shame.  No one could deny Iovita hadn’t had such problems before the Liberation Campaign.  Finally, her gaze stopped on the destroyed town.  It was dark enough she was spared the sight of the blood, but the vague outlines she could see were enough recrimination.  She placed her spoon down on her overturned bowl and slowly got to her feet.  Looking over the crowd of Iovita residents, she found herself unable to say anything.  What could she say that could possibly recompense for the utter destruction that demon had wrought on their home?  Her gaze guiltily dropped to her feet.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “May the Divine Light guide you and keep you safe.”</span>She offered helplessly, the words more defeated than wishful.  She turned around and walked away, carefully not meeting anyone’s eyes or remembering the way everyone silently opened a path for her.  She could feel their stares on her as she walked to her horse and untied it.  Murmurs had broken out in her wake, but nothing she could understand over the pounding in her ears.  Gripping the reins tightly, she started walking.  Where she was going, she wasn’t sure.  Anywhere but here would be fine.  Anywhere but…<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“It’s all your fault!”<br/><br/><span style="color: red">“Trying to run away?<br/><br/>Like I’ll let you.”</span></span>