Arc 4: What families entail
After the time of the First Valentine, when Athens were a few towns growing into cities. Borders to stay away from the Arrows even if the Arrows didn't build on the land. Yet as Athens' population grew, as its needs required more resources, as the nobles of the land fell into an immense struggle of what to do next, the first Valentine's great grandmother stood. Her grandmother's dark skin fading into a tan, her hair a bit more brown than black, only her green eyes remaining. A hundred years away from the day Athens became an idea. Surrounded by beautiful white stone columns coated in greenery, filled with paintings of Walgonia and unfilled bookshelves. In her large chair she sat sternly, almost angry. She was short, incredibly muscular, dawned in iron armor, standing with her soldiers inside of what would become the capital city. Inside the city hall's office, as Athens tower had yet to be fully constructed. Just a looming and growing pillar over the many Arrows, especially the many inside to speak with the Valentines. With Athens.
"The Spirit Beasts have been fading in certain areas, migrating from others. The trees you've been cutting are also approaching the border, inside the border you've almost erased it!"
Speaking was one of the many older men and women from the Arrows, from fifty to slightly over a hundred. Human, with complexion due to the area, but their spirits were so strongly connected to the Spirits it felt mystical. Mostly gifted with affinities, a good amount of healthy mana, and a lifespan that usually lasted until your late nineties or even early hundreds. The oldest standing at the front, a hundred and twenty five, the leader of the Arrows who first met the first Valentine so long ago. Stretching his frail arm in front of the aggravated elder currently screaming with enough fury to trigger the Athens Warriors.
"I'm sorry, we wish no fear, no pain. But with the walls you build, the weapons and armor you create, the areas you ask for. It's strategic, it's expansive, it's -
Queen: "To ensure we stay in Walgonia's grace! Do you think they like our partnership!?"
The moment she raised her voice the king shuttered for what may happen. Readying his mark, while all of the Warriors took out their spears.
Queen: "Do you think they like that we've lived together peacefully for so long!? There has to be a balance, if there isn't, then there won't be Athens."
"Athens? This land is called Villa. Or Home. The Island. The entire point is we live within this world, and it rewards us, your grandmother understood, your mother somewhat understood -
Queen: "Watch your mouth! We are not the same, and they didn't understand that, but I do! Look at us, your Demi-humans, you Demi-humans! You have the strength, the supernatural ability to survive. You're the forces of the world, and -
"And you're the leaders? The ones who are meant to stand above, prove that you can survive? That we're just Spirit Beast? Meant to push you forward?"
Queen: "Not Spirit Beast. But not human, definitely not. You're, you're something else."
She stomped her spear, sending out a harsh wind to blow the leader's thick white dreadlocks out of his face. Revealing an old, deeply distraught man, almost broken by the reality of it all. How reaching his hand out to a girl in need leads to all of this in front of him. But now that hand was scared, weak, hardly able to grasp itself. Let alone that once bright future.
Queen: "We exist together because it's better that way, and that can change. I'm sorry, but this is Athens now."
He walked away that day, just as the queen coughed a handful of blood. Triggering even more rage as she swung her eyes toward an almost seven foot man smiling in the corner. His right eye had a blue seal around it, almost like makeup similarly to Prometheus'. His hair is like an overly long mullet, and a wife even taller than him is always at his side.
Queen: "What are you staring at!?"
"We just want to remind you to take your medicine."
Queen: "Damn magic trash. Whatever."
She took out a vial she needed to inject into her arm, surging through her veins to shock the mana within. To regenerate, to empower, to prolonged, no matter how much pain it caused. Only making her anger more fierce, at the world, at it all. Locked away from Walgonia and its own healing due to the treaty with these Arrows. And in the week's passing, a group of Arrows trying to protect a cave of flame crystals were killed. They were young, they were scared, but they wanted to hold their law. And the Warriors cut them down, by order of the Queen and overseen by the prince. The first spilled blood, before the first real battles of Athens. The leader passed a day before a fifth of his people were slaughtered, not ready for the storm of Warriors coming from the many towns. The title passed into his son, to fight for the next hundred years. Borders taken and lost, cities attacked and expanded, forces of Warriors that only seemed to grow while the Arrows slowly dwindled.
Lincoln: "Are you good?"
The first Valentine healed her disease with her corrupted healing, but it requires consistent work. Passing in her seventies, her son in his fifties, and now the third born Valentine was soon to fall in her early fifties. Given a few more generations, Princess Lilith found herself coughing up the same blood. Getting the same horrible multi-hour long migraine, the shakes and tightness. All before she turned thirty, left angry at everything while Athens moved around her. Only Lincoln, only he reached out his hand with only kindness. Outside of her queenly title, outside of the worldly restrictions, he just acted. So they acted together. As the last of the Arrows faded away.
Lilith: "Yeah, I'm fine, of course I am."
Since the Valentine who started this war's time, her family had been getting treated by the alchemy of the Salvar family. But no matter how many of these strangely glowing vials she took, no matter how much energy or pain she felt from it, all she could do was take another. Only to cough blood, fall from intense vertigo, or lose control of her mana. She stood, getting out of her beautiful carriage with Lincoln and Raylice with her, walking with a thick group of Warriors to face a group of Arrows fighting back within one of Athens' few towns. Their cities like the Coliseum city, Cretan, Panzer, and the Capital are still building up. And now that Capital was rushing with Warriors, preparing for battle. Like Athens knew war was going to fall, and it was. From the streets filled with screaming civilians, rushing warriors hold to die and kill indiscriminately, taking refuge in homes or entire blocks. Running en masse on foot and in carriages to the shores, the great bridge filled with warriors to stop them from leaving. And inside the Castle tower were their so-called Top Elities, all frozen before the battle was to begin.
Frank: "This…it has to work right?"
"Hey don't blame me if it goes bad, you wanted this."
Frank Will, destroyed by his Elixirs, now mounted with iron bindings on his arms, neck, and legs. Filled with tubes connected to vials of Elixirs and potions, a mix of mass regeneration, healing, strength, durability, stamina, anything that could push somebody forward. Even something without a brain. All created by one doctor's research, a fifty year old man with a half balding head of black hair, incredibly frail and hunched build, with a square face sporting a single blind eye. Because he was once a Scholar of Valor, before Valor Athens and removed any connection he had to it. Now left to use his research to enhance the Warriors of Athens, any way necessary.
"Now lets begin."
The mix of fluids poured into Frank's body, lighting up his veins in an instant. The dark, cramped stone room filled with shelves, scattered papers, and desks lit with bright red and green shades. Surging Franks burnt, but still bulky build to grow. For his eyes, his veins, his soul to erupt with the bright mana. Before the doctors, nurses moved to stop it and create small seals around Frank's body to try and stabilize everything within him. Left for the coming battle tonight.
"Now prepare him, it seems his body really was perfect for this. Decades of powerful Elixirs, surviving crazy overdoses, made you the greatest Warrior in our ranks. A true tyrant."
Aside from the thick mass of Warriors, there were the Gravestone Pirates. All close together around the North East, over half of their forces still recovering from the battle in the Coliseum City. Even if they were happy being paid, even if they were living a life of grit and conflict, the fact they had killed so many of their own kind just trying to escape captivity weighed incredibly harshly on their hearts. Yet the higher up the rank you went, from the recruits, Officers, Lieutenants, that despair was far less. For the last living Head Lieutenant Ju'stone, the other seat is yet to be replaced after the death of Bella, and Moro? They couldn't be happier.
Moro: "Common! Move those crates! Swing those hammers! Work out or somethin if you don't have nothin to do!"
He walked across a wide ship under construction, since the attack at Solon bay devastated most of them they had been forced to use the scraps and anything they had to make three in total. A camp of Pirates in tents across the sand, across the forest, thick and crowded with various Demi-humans. All while Moro smoked his cigar and barked orders, leaving Ju'stone to actually help his crew.
Ju'stone {If Bella hadn't let herself be killed I could be makin' her do this right now!}
However, over these weeks they've gained so much. With crates of iron, explosive power, spirit fauna, gold coins, iron wood, and much more. However when this battle ended, they would get a great amount of Dragon stone. All of this would push the Gravestone Pirates back onto the map. To reignite their name, their forces, and their mission to destroy Saga for what they did to the Demi-humans could end in another seventy year long war. Even if they didn't, Ravoria, Valatroctius, all of the bounty hunter groups and criminal organizations, on top of this massive whole the Sect is creating inside them all as their power sky rockets, could end in war anyway. Especially since Kioshi and Musashi have fallen, that Ryo holds himself back, that Lincoln's been missing, that Athens is going to implode.
All because of hate. Generational, momentary, situational. No matter. Everybody hated somebody else. And they would all fight tooth and nail for their version of the world to exist. A world, a world of only war. Where no real hero has existed, and if they did, they were always snuffed out before they could change anything at all. How terrible it is to live.
Leo: "Night's gonna fall soon, well in less than twelve hours anyway, who's ready?"
The Red Arrows, maybe the only group in Athens aside from the civilians who fought for connection. And still so many were suffering. Everybody else, including the suffering, were active. Spartans moved toward the Gravestone pirates with explosives, Civilians were led out in mass, some Red Arrows were setting up the explosives to collapse this base, and everybody else was helping someone to prepare. Leo and Toll looked over a stone ledge together with a bottle between them, not yet in their armor. Looking down at Gray and the others getting ready.
Toll: "I guess almost everybody, once the people are cleared out and it's just our forces again, we move. We have to get ready though."
Leo: "I thought you were leading the convoy out? You can't really want to fight can you? In your state?"
Toll was a Demi-human, a strong one at that, taking Elixirs and healing magic, on top of an incredible will. She would fight if she had nothing to move with. But, she laid her head down. Letting out a horse-like exhale as she took a harsh swig of whiskey.
Toll: "Not dead yet am I? Word is Arthur's left, so I think the only person who could stand against us together is Raylice. And there's no way you're fighting her alone. Without Garly…our strength has dropped horribly. She was taking care of North Athens basically herself, and then it took one stupidly strong legend to take her down."
Leo: "I might be able to beat Garly in an all out fight, but in the type of battle she was in, I would have been killed almost instantly. No doubt she was the best of us, but even still, in terms of sheer physical ability, you're probably still better than me now."
Toll: "You're startin' to sound like Bearguard."
Leo: "Now go too far, huh. It's just…I don't even know. This is it, and I'm not happy, I'm not scared either though. For some reason, it's all starting to feel kinda pointless now. Cretan, the Coliseum City, Panzer, so much of Athens, and now the Capital? We fought to return Athens, but now we have to rebuild it, and there's no way to make it like it was before. Hell, before it was still terrible for any non-human. And they were all pushed to join the army in some or another."
Toll: "I can't say I don't agree, hell I know how hard it was to get to my spot in the Warriors, but I also know the fear I felt when Bearguard took rein. Everything slipped away so fast, before it was like this. Maybe if we had fought harder then, got Walgonia's help, got these damn tough kids help, Athens woulda fallen back into place. Now that structure is gone forever. But it doesn't mean we can't fight to build something better. Like the Arrows before us."
Leo: "Something not soaked in blood, not the Red Arrows then. Means that tonight is the last time that Arrows flies."
He looked down at his headband between his hands, before wrapping it tightly around his head. Smiling down at Gray's group and stealing Toll's booze, before quickly rushing away from Toll to get his armor.
Toll: "I'm missing an arm not a leg!"
Down below, aside from all the soldiers surrounding them, stood Gray, Edward, Rosemary, Soku, Julius, Peter, and Erin in a circle. All about to join their groups for the upcoming battle.
Edward: "You think they're waiting on us?"
Soku: "Well they're better, but I don't mind missing out on the Gravestone pirates."
Peter: "Yeah…I agree with her, I don't know why Leo asked to go anyway!"
Gray: "You did say yes though, kinda on you dude."
Peter: "UGH BUT I CAN'T TAKE IT BACK! EEEH!"
Edward was in his Dragon stone gear, Soku in her usual large jacket and Peter's glider, while Peter desperately gripped a large back full of tools. Even though he was supposed to help scout from atop a mountain with Spartans overlooking the coast. Gray sat beside Rosemary, but with a small distance between them in their hearts. Something Gray was burning to resolve with no idea how to, and Rosemary, left to wonder why Gray hadn't just acknowledged her. Still he was a bit focused on his armor, without any spares that resembled his usual get up, he was forced to use spare Red Arrow armor. Yet he removed the lower waste armor, the shoulder armor, the knee armor, and the gauntlets. So he could move better, actually stand without falling over due to the density of the gear, and wear some spare Wrist Talons just finished by Peter.
Gray: "Still, do you guys really want to split like this?"
Julius: "Suprisingly, and generally, it seems we all do better when we are separate. The motivation to reunite, save somebody, do something important, and or individual luck seems to all rise in solo affairs. Take the Capital, Solon Bay, the Tower."
Rosemary: "We weren't all together then. The Sect were all together in the castle, Gray was absent during Solon Bay, and Edward wasn't at the tower."
In a moment of embarrassment, both Edward and Gray let out an apology, letting the conversation continue after. Julius, now with cleaned clothes, Erin with her bags packed and ready to go, and Rosemary, dawned in her own Red Arrow gear. However she only removed the shoulder armor, other than that she could move fine.
Soku: "Maybe it's better we aren't all going together. We're always rushing to die for somebody else, or trying to conserve strength. If we have to go all out, we can't have anything stopping us. It's do or die now isn't it? For Athens and Walgonia."
Erin: "Would Walgonia really fall because you lost Athens? Rumors are Kioshi and Musashi got taken out by the Sect, but that can't be it for Walgonia. So many Leviathan soldiers, knights, different families and powers. Ravoria and Valatrocitis are strong, but even without those Helsings, Walgonia is still the strongest right? You've got great Ryo Hollis, the grand Gordon Hill, and some pretty popular Leviathan soldiers. You guys included."
They came to Athens because victory seemed simple. Not instant, not easy, but a clear shot. Yet the Red Arrows were, have been, and are struggling so much harder than anybody could have imagined. Even more so since Gray's group arrived. Newly established Elites, Arthur's deals, the Gravestone Pirates arrival, Raylice' release, the building volcano forcing everybody to act faster. So much fear, so much loss in just a few weeks. But it may be true, that it was all useless, that they could have just trained like hell fighting against the Sect. However, there was one thing that made it obvious why they had to be here.
Edward: "Helping Athens, that is our mission. To bring back our bond, to push the Sect away, to try and resolve all of this hate infecting our land. It's why the Sect, why Bearguard, why the Gravestone Pirates exist. Hell it's why we're all here, because of our mission. To stop it all."
Erin: "Sounds kinda naive, even if it's good morally."
Julius: "You wouldn't be wrong to say so."
Gray: "And it doesn't matter. Everything is naive, nothing lasts forever, and nothing will ever go how you want it to. Fighting because the world was made just how you like it is useless, and trying to destroy everything that exists because you hate it is childish. But fighting for a goal, one that will stop the pain, even for a moment, that's worth your life. A single soul for many, instead of many souls for one."
As Gray spoke he finally shifted his hand to Rosemary, instantly to make himself feel better while speaking between everybody so firmly for once. Instead of zapping all around, with wide eyes and a smile, now straight faced and focused, even if he went back to smiling due to nervousness. But it was time, marked by the arrival of Spartans. A mix of Demi-humans and humans, some extremely focused and tired, others ready for battle, and some just trying to get this over with. And all of them were going to do something, to end this war with a life after.
"Common, it's gonna take a bit to get to the pirates camp safely, especially when we're trying to move the rest of this gear."
A shutter of memories consumed Edward for just a second. Of Moro's laugh, his strength, the flames that consumed every memory with him. Before he looked back at his friends, at his brother in war, and didn't see his old family. Instead, he saw them all, dead or not, as one big family. One he would fight for, by defeating Moro and his pirates, by helping Athens and everybody in it push forward. So he gave a goodbye to them all, a bow, before looking up at Erin one last time.
Erin: "Well this is it for me too, I'm gonna head out of Athens now, try and make it back to Valatrocitus. I wanted to see you off, Helsing."
She gave a smirk, causing Edward to flash red before stumbling through any word he tried to say. Causing Gray to almost blurt out something in his laughter, which Rosemary stopped, before thrusting her hand over to stop Soku as well. Although she then grabbed hold of Soku's thick gloves hand right after, letting out a heavy sigh of worry.
Rosemary: "You don't have to do this, you know. You're so young, and you're so smart. You're strong, and you might have more potential than any of us. And you have more of a reason to push on, for Ophelia. You could leave, go back to Greenvale, or just stay safe somewhere here."
Soku: "No where is safe, and I'm doing this for Ophelia in the first place. If it was up to me, I probably would have left Musashi's mansion. But with you guys, knowing she'd be proud, I'll fight. But you gotta fight too, everybody has to fight for her. Musashi, Kioshi, Al too."
Soku smiled, and it forced one out from Rosemary, before she stood along with Gray to move with their groups instead. Giving one last nod between them, before stepping toward war. And no idea of what will be left when they're done, or who will be back here. Still they all waved Edward, then Soku, and lastly Peter who needed to be taken by Edward, off with the Spartans. Off to the Gravestone pirates.
Edward: "If you really don't wanna go, I'm not forcing you. You're still a kid, more so than Soku."
Peter: "It's super scary, but all I've got to do is help, activate the explosives and nothing else. I've spent so long in these tunnels, spitting out ideas or making things anybody else could have. But if everybody thinks this is something I should do, where anybody else could be chosen, then I gotta do it! Even if I need you to keep stopping me from trying to escape. Deal?"
Edward: "Deal, but I won't force you past your limits. It's just…I know how it feels for everybody you think is above you to toss you away, make you think you're weak, because when you think that. It's true."
Peter: "Thanks. NOW LET ME GOOO! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PIRATES WE COULD FACE!?"
Soku and Edward couldn't help but laugh as they moved down the narrow tunnels, only growing smaller due to all the closed off paths to throw off the searching Warriors. Yet the Spartans were extremely focused, some more than others, and those that were less serious were more scared of their upper ranked Spartans than even the Gravestone pirates. Although it meant they'd probably survive the battle if they acted exactly as planned. Leaving the Red Arrows as they moved onto carriages, leaving through cave entrances to move through the thick forests, all the way toward the North East. Gray, Rosemary, and Julius all stood focused. Ready to help set up the explosive trap throughout the main base, before Leo stopped by to join in. Dawned in the True, Red Arrow armor. Beautiful crafted, just like Edwards armor.
Leo: "After we help set up, it should be time to start this battle. So if you need to drink some elixir, some booze, go to the bathroom or eat a snack, or help your fellow man. However, I know you guys, or at least I know Gray and Rosemary would like it. To help, lead these civilians to safety. Don't go fight at the bridge, don't go fight in the tunnels. Just extend a hand, Walgonia might be hated in a lot of places, but Athens isn't one of them. Walgonia was once considered the land of Heroes, by more people than just themselves."
His armor was Dragon stone, with red lining across the shoulders, knees, chest, and gauntlets with the same Red Arrow pattern as the regular armor. Yet it was dense, thicker than Edward's more mobile gear, making Leo seem a bit more imposing with his weapon of Alheilm in hand. Along with his now longer, flowing red ends of his Red arrow headband.
Gray: "Where is that wind coming from -
Rosemary: "How come you hadn't dawned this?"
Leo: "Didn't think I deserved it. I tried to give it to Garly but she always denied it. Had it been made around the start of the War, I used my Valentine blood to get access to our best blacksmith before Bearguard tried to close it off to everybody."
Julius: "Well Edward said his armor was crafted by the same man. Ox, correct?"
Leo: "Yeah well if my father's here then it's true. Ugh. Maybe he'll appear in the end, but it's up to all of us."
Toll nodded, ready in her reinforced Red Arrow gear, for the three to move out. For Gray to force a smile no matter whatever he was feeling, for them all to do the same. Well aside from the always smiling Julius. Reaching out a hand to those with their heads down, to everybody, before using their presence to try and ease the fleeing civilians.
Gray: "It's gonna be okay, It's gonna be okay, It's gonna be okay, It's gonna be okay, -
"I get it!"
Gray struggled with a couple kids trying to pull at his Cloak of Darkness for fun. Crawling all over, reaching into pockets, all while Rosemary chuckled at the sight.
Gray: "Like a bunch of mini Soku's."
Rosemary got a bit distracted by all of the people staring at her Golden Hair, making her stand out, and making most people stand back out of fear. Lowering that smile, even if she was trying so hard to keep shining. Julius simply walked, listening to the conversations of anybody who wanted to talk. Getting information while letting them get off steam. But the Red Arrows rushed all around. Now that almost every remaining Red Arrow, Spartan, and escaped prisoner was closed into these tunnels, it made it all feel like a maze of lives. Some ran, some couldn't move, others were far too injured or sick too, some starving. Bodies stacking up from the lost. And yet crates of explosive powder, similar to gun powder but made from Elixirs, were stacked with and beside flame crystals or anything that could combust. Mainly along the supports, in order to keep the blast as low as possible so it didn't completely destroy the center of the capital or kill anyone above.
Even still, so many escaped prisoners and civilians who wanted to help anyway they could went out. Not to bring others here, but to gather their families, their friends, anybody they could. And simply leave. Escape. The Warriors didn't care about who died anymore, as for Bearguard it was win or die anyway. It may be the same for everybody here, but the Red Arrows were never going to give up the lives of the innocent, even if it's for them. They would never make the mistake that set Athens aflame a few centuries ago.
Gray: "So what do we do? Y'know, when does it start?"
The sun was soon to begin setting, most of the civilians within the tunnels had left, and anybody who stayed behind joined the fight. Gray walked with Rosemary, back out of the tunnels everybody was using to escape. Waving, smiling, but it didn't help most. Their faces, young and old, all filled with rageful sorrow. Forced to leave, forced to abandon their lives, but at least they'd get to live right?
Rosemary: "The plan is to go help around the capital battle right?"
Gray: "Yeah but what do you want to do? I want to use this as a chance to really save people, instead of just killing myself fighting somebody again."
Rosemary: "Well…I want to save people too, always, everybody, but."
She stopped, staring at her bandaged hand from the battle in the dungeon. Seeing flashes of Iris smile, of Calgary's broken one, of all the pain and fear she felt in the form of one idea. The Golden Knights, maybe not them exactly, but their ideas. The way they moved through the world. To fight, to kill whoever stood in front of them no matter what, as long as they got something out of it. So she clenched her fist, and attempted to clench her resolve, before standing strong. Leaving Gray a bit sunken down under the weight of her presence.
Rosemary: "I want to win. I want a real victory. And I want to help. Sokus home, the mansion, the castle, every battle we've had it always ends in some kind of major failure. War, war never accomplished anything, but if we put it all on the line and act exactly as we need to, maybe it's possible. We aren't fighting to protect, to save like the others, we are fighting for the entire future. They were too, but they all died for us. I won't accept that, I won't let any of us die for another, because we won't win unless everybody lives."
Gray {I don't know if she believes what she's saying, guess it's kinda like me with the hero stuff. But common! Speak! Reach a hand, everybody needs you, she needs you and you keep running away like you always do! Just man up dammit just do something other than smile! If I can fight with a broken body, I can act if it's just anxiety! Don't quiver in fear like a clown at least once!!}
He didn't speak, he just took a deep breath and stared into her stern eyes. Gray's were tired, usually wide or scared, but for once they were calm. He was cold, but so warm. And Rosemary's lip shook, before he held tight. As she went to his shoulder, to breathe and breathe, to just let it all out. But it was only for a moment, as she continued to hold him tightly and backed away. Both taking one last breath, and smiling.
Rosemary: "When all of this is over, when we get the next chance to just sit, I wanna talk. Okay?"
Her voice felt hesitant, and Gray's overly anxious soul felt like she was gonna break up with him instantly, but his face didn't waver. He just smiled and nodded.
Gray: "Yeah."
For Erin, she moved like a shadow while watching over the mass amount of civilians pushing past. To boats, to swim, or to cross the mostly open Great Bridge into a now destroyed city and another war covered land. And Edward, Soku, and Peter pushed over the woods atop Dema. Peter was about to pass out from fear, again, but Soku was covering his eyes the best she could. Edward didn't waver, he just pushed through the damp and sharp clouds to the orange sky. Down below were thick, massive streets all together. And inside was an invisible wall, where the Gravestone's outposts began. Not too far from the relatively small camp. Through the forest were Spartans, riding carriages pulled by Horses with wagons of explosive powder and flame crystals.
Soku: "You okay?"
Peter: "No -
Soku: "Not you! Edward. What happened last time, I didn't get to see, but I heard it didn't go well. You might have gotten stronger, hell Gray training with Musashi pushed him far too, but are you just gonna run in? Is it gonna be two on one?"
Edward was locked into an intense focus, snapped out of a fear-like trance by Soku's hand. Still he responded, he was just unable to look away from the woods. The pirates.
Edward: "There's like a vice captain or something we have to worry about, as well as all of the pirates. They're forces probably dropped a bit during the Coliseum battle. And all things together, the Gravestone pirates are a husk of their former selves. This is the best chance, the only chance to stop it before they cause anymore destruction."
Soku: "Gray was right, you really are obsessed."
Edward: "Its not -
Soku: "I get it. I didn't care about the Sect that much, till Al, but after Ophelia died I can't get them outta my head. When I get the chance, when they show up again…I don't know how I'll react. But if you need support that's what I'm here for. I can push people, cut em real good, but even with my Mark I've only got a few big blasts before I'm down. I'm slippery I guess but strong, super endurance, mutants like you guys? No way."
Peter: "If you think these guys are monsters, what am I?"
Soku: "I don't know, probably cursed."
Peter: "What!?"
Dema soared down. Further and further, before picking back up as the island slanted down. Just as the many Spartans and Red Arrows began to move around the bay, and as the Spartans delivering the gift were caught and taken to Moro. They just had to wait until the perfect shot, and it would all be over. The Spartans continued to move, especially Ceasar, who simply walked into the Tower grounds. His hands up, asking for one thing.
Caesar: "I need to speak to Raylice, I've got the location of the Red Arrows base. If it needs to go through Bearguard, tell him it's now or never."
It was all moving so fast, and for the people in the Red Arrow base, far far too slowly. Until the sun began to set, the remaining forces inside the base moved out, the Spartans arrived inside the Pirates base with lies of working together, Caesar was held in chains by Beargauard in the tower yard while Raylice moved toward the base. Followed by a mass of Warriors going into the tunnels, staying away from the center just in case, even if that didn't matter.
Gray {It's gonna be okay it's gonna be fine it's gonna go fine -
Gray sat with Rosemary and as many Red Arrows that could fit in this small house, just like various buildings and alleys all over the capital. Taking route in the last thirty minutes, before all hell was gonna break loose.
Rosemary {I, I will fight, and for once, I'll really use my might.}
The roads got clear, before the Warriors and Elites around the castle began to swarm. The Top Elities, ready. Iris, Calgary, Crevasse? Ready. The King. Beauregard himself? Stood with a glass of wine in one hand, and the vial from a Doctor in another.
Beauregard: "Nothing permanent, just something that could give me the edge. Right?"
"I became a Scholar like the Duke, because I could create something more. I want to create a permanent beast, so something that works for just a few minutes? That's poultry."
The former scholar was in his forties, lanky with a long face, sporting black hair cut into a fading mullet. Dressed in torn lab clothes atop black pants and a black turtle neck sweater. His most identifying feature was his blind eye, the skin faded after Valor removed his hand from this land. Taking all of his worthy scholars with him, and discarding anybody seen as useless, before shutting down his magical school before the first year of the war was over. The last Scholar of Athens, and he wasn't even a scholar anymore. But he was also a rare case of a Scholar without a powerful affinity, solely picked on his intelligence.
"You know if you let the Warriors use my Elixirs earlier, things may have played out better a long time ago."
Beauregard: "No your place. Valor chose you to create power. The Warriors have always been power. Elixirs are trash, cheating, decay in a bottle. Same with potions, those are just more annoying and less transformative. You're a devil who makes devils, Athens just needs a devil who'll do whatever it needs."
"That sounds more like you than me. I'm working to make something that can turn the playing field on these Gods. When we're all equal, then everything's fair."
Beauregard: "Then go join the Sect after this, because once Athens is rebuilt, we're stepping back."
"Mph, then it'll be your grave."
The man, named Zuen Salvar, the last living member of the family brought in to save the Valentines from their disease, walked to collect the rest of his things. To finally leave this land. His remaining vials of his so-called "Surge" potion were passed around. Zuen himself is gone, all of his notes and supplies with him, without ever stepping out of the Tower. Simply using a parting gift from Valor, sent a bright flash throughout the lower floor of the tower, and vanished from the island. He had no living experiments, aside from one. Frank was still alive, not for long, but alive and ready for battle. All of the Elites were. Calgary was still injured and staying in the Castle, Iris resistant and looming over Ceasar, and Crevasse rushed through the woods. To meet with the Gravestone pirates, soon to cross into the fire.
Leo: "When the Capital screams, that's when it all begins."
It was all happening around the same time frame, with Raylice rushing through the tunnels and the Pirates taking hold of the explosives. Raylice pushed hard, almost like a flash, just enough to let her Warriors keep pace, without a single thought in her head other than one. And that was to win. Smashing through the Red Arrows front wall in a single slash, blasting into the center of their only real base left. Only to find a few Red Arrows, Demi-humans, and Civilians. All with their hands to piles of crates and patches of explosives connected all throughout these tunnels. Their words before this battle started, were shared.
"Ignic."
For the Pirates, Moro was off on his ship as the crates were loaded into the center of the camp to be checked. Forcing Peter to swallow all of his surging emotions and take out his new weapon. A rifle, made from the faulty one Gray gave him, altered to work with his poppers instead of bullets. Hopefully it wouldn't blow up in his face, right when Athens needed him. And with a gulp, he thought of his family, and his new family, before pulling the trigger. Taking on the burden of whoever would die, and many were going to.
Peter {I'm sorry, but…they need me to do this. So I will, no way around it.}
As his popper soared through the air, down and down, to simply burst. Just as Raylice tensed under the capital. Her entire body squeezed, her soul choked, her face looked like it was melting. Because this was an absolute mistake, a failure, a trap she barged right into. And it felt like everything, her entire life before getting captured, was useless. As after being freed, she'd only win a few fights and die? Truly, a failure. Her Warriors and Elites were breaking inside, and above, the Capital was sent into hell.
Throughout the homes of the capital, Red Arrows masquerading as civilians tried their best to warn as many people as possible. Getting them to come to the base, trying their best to discern if they were spies on the way, before helping them leave to somewhere safer. It had been like this for the past few days, far more today, but it had sky rocketed. Entire crowds of people screamed, fought, and rushed on foot and in carriages. Tears of rage, aches of fear, sorrow, at what had become of it all. Red Arrows screamed out after bursting into homes and shops, through streets, trying their best to push them away before the Warriors attacked. And before the battle could truly start all throughout the capital, they had to use a brief two to five minute window.
And then, right as they all moved to battle, the Capital and the Gravestone Camp roared.
Raylice & Moro: "Fuc -
Under the Capital, through the many winding and interconnected tunnels were a wall of flames. Like a carpet bomb always building backwards and forwards, before the stone all around collapsed. Warrior, Elite, whatever Red Arrow stayed behind to activate the bomb, were instantly crushed. If not, the ground beneath them broke to fall into more ruble, as it continued to drop from above. Walls, roofs, the floor, all on top of each other. And Raylice, at the center of it all, had only managed to swing her blade. Yet atop the base, in the center of the city, were massive bursts of flames pouring out of the grates. The stone and dirt roads. Cracking like squares, flexing down and up, before it all caved in onto itself. Buildings collapsed, large groups of Warriors charged, and the Red Arrows were unleashed. Before the underground mining tunnels, not yet closed off beneath the center of the capital, burst completely.
Edward {I'm coming, for the last time, Gravestone.}
Moro stared into the sky with intense, bloodlusted rage, as the center of his camp and all of the Pirates near it were sent flying. Were ripped to pieces. Were burned to a crisp. As two massive towers of pure firepower emerged, a shock wave of flames pushed through the beach and damaged the nearby ships. Allowing all of the Spartans to act, throwing out magic and weapons to the many Pirates trying to run back to camp from the woods. The entire camp went into chaos, while Edward, Soku, and Peter soared down onto Dema. In the Capital, they all moved toward the Castle. Leo, Toll, and so many Red Arrows screamed and screamed. And above was a pink flash across the rooftops, a golden flame soaring through the air with a leap, and a boy cloaked in purple mana slowly turning blue as he swung through the street. Placing his mask atop his head, taking a heavy breath, and flipping right into battle.
Gray: "NOW LET'S GET THIS STARTED!"