<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 29th of Month 4: Gless - Grand Cathedral</span></span><br/><br/><br/>"Captain!"<br/><br/>The familiar voice that yelled for Guilford's attention came from the hall leading towards the Council Chambers.  The moment he lifted his head up from contemplation, he saw Fiona rushing towards him with a grim look on her face.  He stopped in his tracks to allow the female knight to approach him and just as soon as she did, the grim expression turned into a pale one.  Fiona huffed in an attempt to catch her breath, hanging on to the tiny shred of composure she had left in her.  By now, the coded message conveyed by the consistent tolling of the bells had probably already alerted every single knight in the vicinity about the predicament Lindela was currently in, and his Captain clearly already knew judging by how sharp his eyes looked, and how his hair was slicked back into a tight ponytail—its usual arrangement when going out to combat.  He was also lugging his sword around with him even though he was inside the Cathedral.<br/><br/>"We've been cleared to move out." she urgently said, skipping the informative part and nodding a head back the way she came from.<br/><br/>With a surprised look, Guilford shortened the question he was just about to ask.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Lethe?"</span><br/><br/>A confirming nod from Fiona was the only response, affirming that it was indeed the other Seraph's doing.<br/><br/>Sighing a breath of relief for not going to have to deal with old men, Guilford immediately turned the other way from the hall that led to the Council Chambers.  His strides were quick and purposeful, resolve steeled as he and Fiona made their way out of the Cathedral.  When the two reached the ground floor, they were stopped by the other members of Squad Eight, already geared up and ready to go.  Alfrei was the one leading the pack; a good thing they decided to stick close even though they were given time off.<br/><br/>"Captain, we came as fast as we could.  Are we heading out?"<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"We are. I've already made arrangements for a Wyervia transport."</span>he informed his Vice Captain, eyes scanning the rest of his squad for one missing member.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Vlad?"</span>he once again shortened the question he had.<br/><br/>Before anybody else could answer, a holy powered carrier pigeon flew its way inside the Cathedral and hovered above the male Seraph.  It was Vlad's pigeon.  Guilford immediately plucked the note tied to its leg and opened it in haste.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Captain, I've gone on ahead."</span>was the concise message it contained.  Guilford sighed but knew he couldn't fault his knight for rushing out recklessly; his family was after all, in Lindela.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"He went on ahead of us.  We'll just have to meet up with him there."</span>Guilford slid the note into his satchel and proceeded out of the Cathedral, the rest of his squad close behind him.<br/><br/>Outside, the whole of the courtyard was swarming with knights on the move, undoubtedly at Lethe's behest.  Impressive as always on her part.  She may not know it, and he may not admit it to her openly, but she always made his life simpler in situations such as this.  All that was left for him now was to move out and get there as soon as he could; a matter he had already taken care of.<br/><br/>Judging from the vague reports in regard to the attack, he opted it would be wise to take flight instead of using the elevator shaft that connected the two islands. If worse comes to worst, the elevator shaft would undoubtedly be best used to ferry the Lindelans up to Gless.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Gil!"</span><br/><br/>Another call for him diverted his attention from the speck in the sky speeding towards them to the owner of the voice.  A short breath and a moment of recognition later, he found Alona and Silver also rushing towards them.<br/><br/>"We're going with you." the redhead spoke first as soon as she stopped, followed by a secondary nod from Silver.<br/><br/>Guilford simply shook his head.<span style="color: #0080FF">"You two are staying put.  It would set my mind at ease knowing there's two more highly capable knights defending Gless."</span><br/><br/>"But—!"<br/><br/>He knew an argument was bound to follow with how Alona's eyes rolled around, good thing he had contingencies,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Seraph's orders."</span>he said flatly.  While he did not enjoy pulling rank against his friends, he needed them to stay here in his and Lethe's absence.  There's really only a few knights he would, without question and hesitation, entrust the safety of an island to, and these knights were among the few.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Leave Lance to me."</span>he voiced out their hidden concern followed by an encouraging smile.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I need you both, and your men on high alert and on standby, just in case Lindela's attack is just another subterfuge. Is that clear?"</span><br/><br/>Before any of the two could answer, all chances at further conversation was taken away by the loud roaring engines of the Wyervia that just now came hovering above the center of the courtyard.  With one last assuring look at Alona and Silver, Guilford began walking towards their transport in haste.<br/><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Day 29th of Month 4: Lindela - District Five</span></span><br/><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Clang!</span><br/><br/>Lance blocked another slash, clipping the blade of a Reaper's scythe between the prongs of his spear tip.  There was hardly any time to breathe when the Lion suddenly found himself under attack from the sides the moment he got into a deadlock.  A hasty retreat was in order.  Repositioning himself a few steps back, Lance assessed their current situation.  Everything was going smoothly for them a while back, until now.  Somehow, the Pure Sinners beyond the walls had been suppressed by the front line.  It took a while but he was glad they were given a break from having to constantly dodge magic artillery as they fought within the town walls.  On the one hand it was a good thing, a blessing in disguise.  Then again on the other, given how these Reapers now showed their faces within town, perhaps it was not so good that they stopped the bombardment.  Either way, there were still civilian and knight casualties alike, and the body count was still steadily on the rise, and his squad might be the next addition.<br/><br/>Swaying back to dodge a sudden swipe from one of the reapers before him, Lance countered with a blast of fire that set the creature ablaze, staggering back from the force of his attack.  Lance immediately balanced his footing and raised his weapon defensively, parrying the next set of swipes while holding his ground.  With three of his squad members having sustained critical injuries during the course of their defensive effort, he couldn't afford to move an inch until their treatment was finished.<br/><br/>"Chigusa, how is everything back there?!" he asked in concern, not for himself but for his injured knights.<br/><br/>"I've managed to stop the bleeding Captain but I need more time!" she roared back, seemingly having great difficulty focusing on her healing given she had three critical patients before her.<br/><br/>Lance silently clicked his tongue, time was not a commodity they had in abundance right now.  "Gerard, Lucian, how are you guys holding up?!" he asked again, blocking more simultaneous swipes from his front and pushing back his assailants right after realizing he was losing ground.<br/><br/>The two who were defending Chigusa's flanks as she went about healing their injured members could only grunt in exhaustion.  At least Gerard was doing much better than Lucian who looked like he was about to collapse.  The latter knight was skilled indeed, but upon seeing how Reinhardt almost got taken out by a Reaper because of his rashness shattered the knight's resolve and instilled fear in his heart.  Had it not been for Lance coming to his rescue, he would have died frozen in fear right on the spot.<br/><br/>"I'm managing!" Gerard answered back, bashing a Reaper that tried to bite him in the face with his shield. "Lucian is struggling though!"<br/><br/>"I-I'm fine!" the other knight voiced out his false bravado.  He was clearly struggling, and his body won't move like he wanted it to.  He was trembling, and his mind couldn't help but keep picturing his own death at the hands of these creatures.  He was afraid.  Lucian had been bragging about how Master Guilford made a mistake for not choosing him to be in Squad Eight but now he finally understood why.  He was still too green, his aspirations bigger than his actual capability as a knight.  How could he even dream of saving many when he couldn't even save his fellow knight?! Much less himself!<br/><br/>Frustration seeped into his heart, clarity of mind diminishing rapidly as the trembling his body experienced gradually increased.  He couldn't take it anymore, the anticipation of his own death nearly drove him to the brink...<br/><br/>Lucian lashed out.<br/><br/>Much to the surprise of both Captain and squad members, Lucian broke formation and attacked the closest Reaper to him, with nothing but desperation and fear backing his every sword swing.  A cold bead of sweat in the heat of battle trickled down from Gerard's brow.  He had just realized that Lucian had strayed from their formation and went on a hasty offensive.  The same expression of dread was painted on the faces of the rest of Lance's squad, Captain included.  They were Chigusa's last line of defense.  Should one of them move out of position to respond, Chigusa would be left defenseless.  Gerard was left with no option but to stay put, hold his line, and grind his teeth together.<br/><br/>As amazing as their Captain was, Gerard knew that even he had his limitations.  Out of the three of them, Lance had the most Reapers kept at bay.  It was painfully clear that he could not afford to move from his spot, and the expression Lance had as he watched Lucian's reckless rampage only served to solidify that notion.  Him on the other hand, even though having lesser Reapers to deal with, was clearly at his limits just trying to bottle them down.  He couldn't afford to continue watching.  Lights above! They needed a miracle!<br/><br/>A hard blow crashed down on Gerard's shield that immediately sent the knight down on one knee.  It was as if the Reapers had sensed his hesitation and lack of focus that they decided to move in for the kill.  Mind forced to the present, Gerard saw a glimmer of silver headed his way from his shieldless side.  One of the Reapers was trying to get him where he was currently most vulnerable.  Responding to the threat immediately, Gerard stuck his sword down on the cobble ground, an impromptu defense just to stop the scythe by blocking the handle making the blade halt its menacing advance just inches away from his neck.  Now pinned down, Gerard knew that another attack from them would be the end of him, and the Reapers knew that too.<br/><br/>He closed his eyes and sighed, as if already accepting his fate.<span style="font-style: italic">"I'm sorry everyone..."</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Clang!</span>The first sound he heard and the weight on his shield that kept him pinned down was gone.<br/><br/>A horrific scream of pain and agony from a Reaper was the next he heard.  Now the scythe blade that threatened to cut off his neck fell motionless on the ground.<br/><br/>A crashing sound followed by shattering glass and the next thing he knew was that his front had now been cleared of the Reapers he was struggling against.  Coming to replace them was a familiar female knight, and she was already running towards him...<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Shield up! Give me a boost!"</span><br/><br/>His body responded before his mind could rationalize what was going on.  Gerard pulled his shield up front, tilting it slightly and offering it as a foothold for the female knight as she stepped on it and leaped over him, running the rest of the distance between her and Lucian when she landed.  A sense of relief washed over him as the blue scarf worn by the female knight fell upon him.  He finally realized that their Vice Captain had returned.  Did the Light just answer his silent prayer?  He did not know.  All that he knew was that for now, he didn't have to worry about the loss of a squad mate.  Gerard turned around to face the line entrusted to him again, only for his eyes to widen in surprise.<br/><br/>Now that he could see their Vice Captain's handiwork, he felt like he had misjudged her actual capabilities.  There wasn't a shred of movement from any of the Reapers she had taken down, and there were reinforcements coming their way along with a group of clerics.  Last he knew, the district center had been overrun and getting reinforcements to their side was next to impossible.  How in the Light did she manage to get these knights and clerics here?<br/><br/>He took a quick glance at the blue scarf he now held and his brows contorted in a mix of concern and disbelief.  He had failed to notice it earlier but the scarf itself was tainted with blood.  Was it hers? Was she injured?  He looked back again, only to find that their Vice Captain was already immersed in combat at Lucian's side.  Though she looked fine from the way she was moving, it wouldn't hurt to check right?<br/><br/><br/><div><hr style="height:2px; width:100%; border:0; color: white;background:white;"/></div><br/><br/><br/>Nothing could have prepared Squad Eight for the sight before their eyes.  As their Wyervia descended upon Lindela, the devastation the island was currently going through solidified the dread already present in their hearts.  From a distance, they could see the island burn.  Districts were laid to waste by marauding forces, and not just one district could be considered fallen.  Alfrei's hands curled into fists, Natalia could do nothing but cover her mouth, an audible gasp managed to escape Fiona's lips, and even Hyuga who only normally cared about interesting things looked unsettled.  Only the more experienced knights did well in hiding their anxious telling.  Guilford remained placid, as well as both Georg and Joaquim.<br/><br/>There didn't seem to be any pattern at all to the attacks, judging by how many and how scattered the districts in conflict were.  How could he possibly plan a counter-strategy for this when everything appeared to be burning in random?  Surely their forces are coming in from somewhere but how did they manage to get so deep into the districts?<br/><br/>The young Vice Captain could no longer contain his agitation, "Captain, what's our play?" he directed the query to the male Seraph.<br/><br/>The time Guilford remained silent was not spent for nothing. What was their play? Indeed, that was the question.  One of the reasons why he chose to go in by Wyervia instead of taking the elevator shaft was for this, to get an overhead look at the island so he could grasp the situation.  To his surprise, Lindela's current state exceeded his expectations, enough so to say that anything he had pre-planned, had to be re-planned.  Not just minor adjustments needed to be made, and he knew he needed to do it quickly.  Guilford closed his eyes and extended his senses as he began to concentrate, trying to get a feel for the two forces locked in vicious combat as they flew overhead.  Seconds later, purple eyes snapped open, his next set of words directed at his squad.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I know how this would sound but there's no point in trying to contain this widespread mayhem. As much as I wanted to, we're just eight people. The best we could do now is to establish solid ground and save as many citizens as we could.  We'll have to deal with the aftermath later."</span>he paused, purple eyes doing a good job at hiding his frustration.<span style="color: #0080FF">"We're splitting into two teams: Huyga, Natalia, Joaquim, I need you three in District Thirteen, find Vlad and help him in any way you can.  Then I need you all to coordinate with the local district garrisons to secure and guide the citizens to safety—save as many as you possibly can,"</span>he then turned to look at Joaquim,<span style="color: #0080FF">"You'll be the man on the ground.  Your orders are my orders. I want you to do everything you possibly can."</span><br/><br/>The Seraph then turned to the other half of his squad,<span style="color: #0080FF">"Alfrei, Fiona, Georg, we're going to set up command in the center of Lindela, particularly districts twenty-six, sixteen, seventeen and eight. Once we establish command and fortified the said districts, we'll send word out to any of the badly hit outer districts to fall back.  Time is of the essence, we need to clear out any threats in those four districts and set a foothold. Is that understood?"</span><br/><br/>As soon as everyone nodded their understanding, Guilford turned to the pilot.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Take us to district thirteen as fast as you can, then get us to the center of the island."</span>