Never truly alone. (2.1 War)

[Sahir Masbrati]

Sahir dragged herself up to a sitting position, her tenacity being the only thing stronger than the pain from her recovering body. Eyeing up the old lady with a concerned look she gulped as she took the vial into her hand. Thumbing the vial cap off she closed her eyes and winced as she swigged it's contents down. The stuff practically crawled down her throat with how thick it was and after it was finally gone she couldn't help but make a ridiculous face like she'd just shot back the strongest liquor that existed.

"That," She croaked out, "was the second worst thing I've ever tasted." With a shake of her head she focused back on the her initial troubles, namely her clothes and Dral. Struggling up to her feet she locked onto the direction Annabelle had looked when she made reference to her mount. "Dral!" Sahir called out as she pathetically tried to run to his side, leaving Umbravox to lie in the dirt unattended.

Rushing as best she could while clutching her still-tender shoulder and ribs tears streamed down her face till she was at his side. Her uninjured hand gently caressed Dral's face the way a mother would to her sick child, stifling back sobs as she brought her face down, cheek to cheek with Dral's. "No, wake up. Wake up for me please. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Her tears splashed against his scales as she muttered the same apology to him over and over again. While the medicine slowly worked upon his tissue and bones, he could only respond to her words with shallow breaths.

[Enizo]

Enizo thought about speaking out to Sahir but no mater how many times he opened his mouth to speak he couldn't find the proper words. So instead he sat down behind Sahir on a large piece of rubble and watched as she took care of Dral.

Watching her take care of Dral made him realize something: if he were to die today, would anyone even mourn past the first week? Would he be remembered at all?

At a very young age he could remember being told that he was a worthless waste of air and he'd best spend his miserable life doing work as a Guardian. How was a young child supposed to respond to that other than 'okay'?

Enizo ran his fingers along his shoulder blade where he had a tattoo of about a dozen black skulls across his shoulder to signify every person he had lost in battle...

But than it occurred to Enizo, does he really WANT people to remember him - to even mourn him for a little bit? Why would he want people to feel the suffering of loss?

Enizo slipped his hood over his head, now the only visible part of his head was his eyes and his sweat covered forehead. He got up and walked by Sahir to who he decided not to say a word, instead he just put his hand on her shoulder as something of a reassurance before stepping away towards.

He walked over to Roxa ( Enizo was still a bit confused about the armor but that was questions for another time) and caught his attention, "Search for a bit longer than meet me at that ruined church over there, we need a plan of action."

Enizo directed Roxa over to the church which somehow avoided the majority of the blast before stepping off to tell others, "Tell anyone else you see!"

He wanted everyone that could be there to be there, including the two new Queens. It might be helpful to get their standpoint in this as well.

[Katina Ernfond]

Seeing Sera come into my field of vision was a real weight of my shoulders, as it was nice to have eyes off me for the time being. Just as sis did, she cut right past all the crap and got down to business. It was pretty easy for people to tell who the real "Queen" was, but it somehow didn't bother me too much. I knew my role relative to Sera's, and was comfortable doing what I was known for.

That said, I figured I'd best break away from the group for a short bit, as emotions seemed high and I really wasn't built to help or deal with other's personal drama, or rather, just not good at it. Walking up to Sera, I softly placed one hand on her shoulder, whispering, "I'm gonna go set up a perimeter around here, lay down some alarms incase there's any movement around here, unfriendly or otherwise," before walking past her and the rest of the strangers to start securing the area.

[King Roxa Hiaten]

Roxa sighed as Enzio rushed past and headed for the church. He looked across at Vash and gave a shrug, no rest for the wicked apparently. He turned to the others and approached, wishing to the gods that he could take off this damned helmet, talking to them was going to see much more impurtenant whilst he had this tin can covering his face, still, he could explain all of that later he guessed, not that he could explain it much at all. Stopping a few feet short of the others, he lightly clapped his armoured hands together before coughing into his fist.

"Excuse me!" He called, his arms falling down by his side as he surveyed the new additions brought along by the Queen(s?) of Chalybs. Truth be told, the more the merrier in some sense, in others it was just going to make everything harder.

"We're regrouping at the Church. Most of you can wait a bit before heading up... But I think the newly-arrived Queen... Or... Queens... Or... Whatever... Should head up with me now. It's time that we all had a little talk before we head on." He also motioned to Kazan, the large Allorum Guardian. "You'd best come along too."

He held his hands behind his back, and waited for these three. He could swear he heard a 'Dada.. Oi...' From the Allorum Guardian.

[Serafina Ernfinder]

"A good idea, dear Sister." Serafina replied to Katina. "I'll catch up with you soon."

She motioned the troops to follow Enizo's lead, while she walked over to the one with blonde hair motioning her over. "What can I do for you?" She asked.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

"Just be thankful that we've got extra help," I muttered to Roxa, noticing the helmet's slight movements towards the Queens.

"AH, yes. The leader of this expedition is asking everyone to regroup in the Church, that way." I pointed. "All of the higher-ranking people should probably meet there now to discuss strategy a bit before the rest of the troops arrive, so my armored friend here and I were offering to escort you." I smiled pleasantly. "My name is Vash, a representative of the Lunar Order, and this is His Majesty Roxa Hiaten, King of Roccia. It's our pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty." I bowed.

[Katina Ernfond]

I paused as I heard that guy with the helmet make the announcement as I was in mid stride, causing me to pause to the situation, and feel perhaps it'd be best to convene with the others, especially if strategy was the name of the game.

"Alright, it'd be good to know exactly what's going on here, and what needs to be done," I spoke aloud as I brushed a stray strand of hair out from my good eye. Giving a sharp whistle, the guards suddenly stood at attention with eyes on me as I gave them several gesture based commands, still wanting someone to set up a perimeter before we got too distracted.

The soldiers hastily taking to their task as I gave Sera a quick wink, hoping she wouldn't mind me taking her "boys" away from her.

"We'd best mosey on over, Sis. The guards will get things set up around here, and we need to get ourselves up to speed." I said, admittedly butting into the conversation between Sera and the tall blonde fellow so I could sneak a quick look at him.

I'd be lying if I didn't say I felt a little jealous that she was already getting such honeyed words from this "Vash" character, but somehow it didn't feel like the right time to be putting on airs, even if he was kinda cute...and tall...b-but that was beside the point, and right then I needed to stay focused on getting my head in the game, and planning our next move.

Motioning Sera towards the church, I figure I'd try and prevent her as well from diverging her thoughts too far from the task at hand, and escort her myself to our destination, if she'd be willing that is.

"You go ahead, and I'll follow behind. Gotta stick together till we know things are safe, yeah?" I remarked with a demeanour a bit more natural as I placed my hand against her back, trying to motion her onward and hoping that she'd cooperate.

[Sahir Masbrati]

Sahir jumped slightly at the touch of Enizo, before looking to him with swollen eyes that conveyed nothing more than her feelings for Dral. There was no bitterness, no blame to be laid on the boy that she'd followed. She could only try and force a reassuring smile that she appreciated his concern before turning away to better look at Dral's condition.

It was something new and almost terrifying to her to see the old woman's medicine work so quickly on both her own body and Dral's. Apothecaries had been a frequent part of her missions, but none had ever had such potent potions before. Looking to his battered wings she could see the flesh knitting together before her eyes, and the sight calmed her worry, if only a little. Wiping her tears from her eyes she laid Dral's neck back softly against the magic lift before giving him a soft kiss on his forehead. "Rest well my dear friend. I'll be back by your side in a moment."

Moving to her feet Sahir moved back towards the place she'd awoke from. It was the first time she paid any attention to Umbravox since she'd regained consciousness and with the way it shone it was baffling to her how she'd neglected it for so long. Averting her eyes she almost hesitated to pick it up again, for never before had such a thing happened to it. Drifting her palm across the space above it's blade the light was warm and sent tingles through her skin as though a powerful vibration was humming through her body. Feeling confident she lifted it up and with the same practised twirling motion the weapon disappeared in an instant, held as always within the magic of her necklace.

Suddenly the same tingly warm feeling flowed from the necklace, intensifying to the point where it felt like it was on fire. The golden emblem at its centre glowed with a tremendous light, and though she could not notice it now, two of the stones that decorated it's plating sparked to life with a gorgeous luminousness.

"It's about time child. Come to me Sahir, my Unashue." A voice filled her head, and as soon as the powerful glow of her necklace had come it was gone, along with Sahir.

[Enizo]

With Enizo now in the church he never saw Sahir vanish into thin air, yet there was a brief feeling of loss which almost made him look around until he saw people were starting to gather for the meeting.

Enizo took a seat on a stone chair, it was remarkable that these chairs had been spared of the blast, Enizo thought they must have been a couple hundreds years old judging by the markings that were carved into the side. But that was enough admiring the old workmanship, it was time to figure out there next move.

"I'm just going to say it..." Enizo said as people started to move into the city, "We're no where closer than we were before. And unless anyone got any leads from Bartholomew or Duo, we've actually managed to take one step backwards."

[Serafina Ernfinder]

Truth be told, Sera enjoyed attention. She enjoyed it very much, but she tried not to let it distract her from the task at hand.

"A most generous offer, and one I'd be pleased to take you both up on." She answered in the same gentle voice as before. "A pleasure to meet you both as well. I am Serafina Ernfinder." she said with a slight bow as to show respect. "Perhaps now is not the best time for formal introductions though." She said, as her sister seemed antsy about getting to the church.

"Quite right then." She answered, as she sister nudged her in the direction of the church. She began walking in the direction in which she was nudged, and although she was a little annoyed at her sister's antsyness, she knew that she was right about getting there as soon as possible.

[Vash, the Angel's Moon]

We entered the church just in time to hear Enizo's pronouncement, and I sighed.

"Sometimes, it's when things seem the most lost that we find out we're father than we think we are. Unfortunately, it usuallyt akes some heartbreak and losses, minor and major, to get to that point. I wasn't in the fight with Bartholomew.... but Duo is out to kill as many as he can. They didn't give a single thought to mercy in destroying this place..."

[annabelle]

Annabelle spent most of the last few minutes being quiet, first watching as the girl she'd just helped cry over her animal friend. It was something that even in Annabelle's older age, no experience could harden her from feeling the sympathy for the girl that she did. The old woman mumbled seemingly to herself then, knowing that she did only the very best (and as far as she knew given what she'd seen in this group, she was the best) she could for the pair but still had a brief moment of prayer to Asmalat for the creature.

Annabelle had turned her attention away from them afterward as she observed the arrival of the two queens, the group quickly heading towards the ruined church. Silently, Annabelle followed, her eyes darting around the group as she tried to take in everyone's individual qualities. They were all highly emotional people from what she'd gathered, almost to the point that she felt they gave too much of a care for their personal issues than the task at hand.
But what does one do when people blather about 'being ahead or behind' and either losing hope or giving some silly fairytale speech about overcoming tragedies and darknesses within? Well, someone needs to take the initiative to be the team leader of motivation. If one person went down with a poor attitude, the rest would surely follow and they couldn't allow that as far as Annabelle was concerned.

"It's war, child," Annabelle spoke out to Enizo, "it's not about if you fall a step behind or not, it's your next actions that really matter. And with that, we need to cough up all what we know and put it all together if we want to figure out what we do next."

And truthfully, she hadn't a clue what next to do otherwise. She began running the last incidents in her head and trying to link them up somehow to come up with an idea.

[Enizo]

"And that is precisely why we're here." Enizo nodded over to Annabelle, "What was the point of him attacking Vuoto, is it for the entire reason of just causing death? If so, why didn't he take out the entire city?"

Enizo closed his eyes and started to think about it, "When he struck Roccia it was a message. A declaration of war even... but why enslave the population and force them to tear up the city?"

He shook his head, his eyes locking on to Roxa, "You're our only hope here Roxa, please tell me they let something slip?"

[King Roxa Hiaten]

"He didn't say a hell of a lot, to be honest... 'I do not wish to kill you Roxa but you need to stop your efforts to find Alessia and return to your throne. From there you will have two options, send your men to die against mine or step down and let your people flourish.' Those were the last words he said before all this happened and he told me that I'd 'chosen my fate'. From what I gather... The death of Kain plays at least a small part in this." He crossed his arms across his chest, his back leaning against a pillar as he gave a small shrug.

"At least when it comes to me, he seems bitter over Kain's death... And then there's one more thing." His thumb jutted out, pointing to the indent in his chest where the two amulets sat beneath his armour. "If he's to be believed, it's too late for Alessia." The helmet prevented everyone from seeing his face, but his voice did nothing to hide the anger within.

[Enizo]

"So he's going on this entire killing campaign... for revenge?" The words left a bitter taste in Enizo's mouth, there was something that wasn't right about that. His moves were not violent enough if that was his entire goal...

His eyes directed over to the two Queens, "If I may ask you two, what are you doing here? What type of Intel did you have that would tipped you off about this?" If it was some sort of spy network, than perhaps they had a lead? It was hopeful... but there was only one option left if they did not yield anything useful.

And it involved going back to the person who had answers for everything: The Mentor. He really didn't want to return empty handed, but that might be the only choice they had left.