rokubiraijuu

A swift, clean shot from Rokan's bow brings the fighter to his knees. Noah gives a whistle of appreciation, hoisting his hand axe back on his shoulder. "Heh, all right, that was pretty cool. Us gladiators don't get to partner up too often, y'know, so this is a change of pace. Not too bad, I guess." Cheat Sheet:

One strike of the lance is all it takes to make the mercenary regret his poor life decisions. Cheat Sheet:

[ ENEMY PHASE ] Mercenary 4 moves to L18 and attacks Marek. Deciding to try his luck against the unmounted knight, the mercenary rushes up and takes a slash at Marek, who retaliates with his slim lance. Fighter 8 moves to O20 and attacks Arthur. The fighter underestimates Arthur's armor, his hatchet barely scratching the plate. Fighter 7 moves to I21. Fighter 6 moves to N21. Thief 2 moves to H22. [ ALLY PHASE ] Drawing up beside Arthur, he sizes up the fighter. "This guy got a little ahead of himself." Noah moves to P19 and attacks Fighter 8. The two exchange blows, Noah's attack doing a fair more amount of injury. Turn 7 Marek's Imbue heals 2 HP. Rokan's Imbue heals 4 HP. Cheat Sheet:

"Lucky dodge," he mutters under his breath, a pinprick of irritation at his own miss prompting him to swing Kite back around and move slightly back towards the rest of the group in the previous room. Canto to G13.

So they've been trapped. While Idei figures he should feel more alarmed, more panicked, than he does now, somehow he feels as though this must have been inevitable. One question he does have, though — why had the man seemed to single out Belros in particular? Some history, maybe. Attacking the enchanted doors doesn't yield any results, which means there is only one way out if they wish to survive. "If they wanted an easy kill, they should have taken our weapons first," he remarks. Maybe that would've been too obvious. Once Myrdwyn opens the passageway to the south, Idei hoists himself onto Kite's back, situating himself on the newly fashioned saddle. He'd thought he would have to wait a little longer to test out the capabilities of his new bow, but it seems it's going to come in use earlier than they had anticipated. He kicks Kite into an easy canter, gripping his sides with his legs as he takes out an arrow. Move to G15, equip Steel Yari, and shoot Dancer 3.

Rokan's arrow strikes the already heavily winded soldier and easily brings him to his knees. Though he'd talked big, the blood loss from his injuries make him clearly unable to go much further. Cheat Sheet:

Seeing the group fleeing the city, the soldier scoffs derisively. "The traitors! Grrr, always knew they would pull a stunt like this, deserting the job and leaving the rest of us to rot. Our Captain'll be my Captain till I drop, idiots! So do your worst."

"Hm, she's right, you know. You probably want to stop shouting so much before you pass out too, Yves. We can't carry both of you out of here." " . . . Fine. I guess we should thank you for getting rid of that human sore of a Captain we had. Good riddance. If this hadn't gone so south, then maybe Rooz really could have fulfilled his dream." "There won't be much left of the company after this job, I wager," Sterling replies thoughtfully. "We might as well start from scratch." He catches the vulnerary tossed at him, looking back up at Akane with some small surprise. "Hmm, you don't look very good yourself, miss. How did you get so badly hurt?" "Uh, that was me." " — Well that explains it. I didn't think it would be from the Captain's men. No hard feelings, I hope." Pocketing the vulnerary, he moves over to Rooz' unconscious form and, despite the difference in size between them, hefts the large swordsman over his shoulder without much apparent difficulty despite his thin frame. "We should make ourselves scarce before the others start looking for us, then." "Wait, my lovely, did you bring the thing? You know . . . " "Oh. No, I left it behind. I think I might leave it for them." Turning to Akane and Marek, he offers a mild smile. "There's a little something at the other end of this alleyway, where your comrades are, tucked behind some trees. It was intended to be a gift to our Rooz here, but it's yours now if you want it. I'd say our lives are the more precious artifact here." "Well said, Sterling. Wonderful as always." "Okay, let's just haul ass and get out of the city while they handle the rest of these guys." "Indeed. Thank you, Queen's Knights. I would say we owe you our lives, but who knows if we'll meet again." Carrying Rooz over his shoulder, he heads north for the western exit, the others following behind. Cheat Sheet:

"Hm . . . do you hear that?" Cursing under his breath, Yves presses a hand to his side where the little brat's axe had struck past his light armor. How dare he! "Apologies, dear Sterling, but I'm a little busy at the moment." "No, no. Listen. I heard something about Rooz. And Grayham." "Those two?" Somehow, Yves manages to straighten up, looking a little pale. "Oh, they'll be just fine on their own. They're capable. That little squirt is even better than me at — wait, what am I saying? He's — " "The Captain's dead, Yves." " —— What? " The man's dismissive tone immediately changes. "Then — that means . . . Sterling, my dove, what are you doing standing around for? Come on, let's hurry over! I'm not staying here one moment longer." Breaking away from the fight, the two rush through the trees, emerging on the other side. Yves gives a loud gasp upon seeing Rooz' unconscious form. "Rooz! Oh, no no no, this can't — " "Yves, he's — " He turns to face Marek, already notching an arrow. "You . . . you did this?" Tears bead in the corners of his eyes. "Yves, calm down." "I will not be calm! What is the meaning of this?"

"Yeah! That's them! An axe guy — kinda skinnier than you'd expect, long hair. And another archer like me, but uh, older. They're never far from each other, so if you find one, you should be able to find the other one. If they're okay, then I'm okay with blowing this popsicle stand. I bet Rooz would be too. None of us ever liked the Captain, and we didn't want to fight for Lord Leofric, either, but then the Captain went and saw the price he was putting up, and — ugh, I mean the whole gladiator thing is none of my business, but his attitude about it rubs me the wrong way. World would be a better place without him in it, probably. But what do I know?" Lowering his bow now, he looks up at Marek, brushing dark hair finally out of his eyes to reveal strikingly teal irises beneath. "Just tell those two that Grayham asked. And uh, don't take Yves too seriously if he says . . . anything, really."

"You — You killed the Captain?" The archer, a young boy who looks no older than fourteen, looks stunned for a moment, then shakes his head. "Well, so much for that . . . it's one way to go about things, I guess. We could walk away, but I can't make that decision. It's up to Rooz, and we can't leave without the others too. Sterling and Yves. They should be around here somewhere too. On the other side of these trees, maybe. I hope they're okay . . . they're fighting the rest of you guys, right?" He casts a worried look off to the other end of the block, but isn't able to see past Marek and the line of trees. "If we'd known we'd be up against Queen's Knights, even that dumb Captain probably wouldn't have taken the job. Or maybe he would've. I mean, geez, what a mess."

"Haha! That's right; just try to take me down, the mighty Rooz! I'll show y — " Not realizing that Marek had circled around, his speech comes to an end when the butt of the slim lance connects with the back of his head, knocking him out cold. "Rooz! No, man, you can't die here!" the archer on Marek's other side wails. "You were going to show up the Captain and everything . . . not here . . . !" Cheat Sheet:

The mercenary manages to see Marcus' incoming attack from behind Akane and dodges out of the way of the flash of lightning. Flying in, Elise throws two javelin shots, each one hitting their mark on the unsuspecting fighter. [ ENEMY PHASE ] Archer 2 moves to K17 and attacks Akane. Having seen Akane attack previously, the archer is able to target her weak side. His shot is crippling, and Akane falls. Mercenary 3 moves to L16 and attacks Marcus. Slipping into the trees, the swordsman strikes out at the monk. Wounded by the blow, Marcus misses his counterattack. Soldier 3 moves to M15 and attacks Marcus. Marcus manages to dodge the impending fatal blow and retaliate with a spell of his own, wounding the soldier. Fighter 5 moves to Q14 and attacks Rokan. Moving into the trees, he takes a swing at Rokan, but his injuries from the javelins cause him to miss his strike. Archer 3 moves to Q15 and attacks Rokan. Moving to shoot Rokan, the two fire arrows at each other from a distance, each slightly injuring the other bowman. Thief 2 moves to E19. "Man, finally. While those royal dogs are wasting their breath on these bozos, I think I'll nab me some . . . ooh, what's that! . . . Doesn't look like anyone's home. Doooon't mind if I just help myself, then. This'll go for a pretty price." Steals Sleep Staff. [ ALLY PHASE ] Well, Rokan had said something about the soldier, and yeah, he could go after that guy and help out the swordswoman who just fell. But the monk over there had frisked him without even asking, earlier, and that sword lady had probably had it coming, anyway, with how she'd rushed in like that. And right after giving him a speech about being reckless, too. Just desserts, he thinks. "Hey Rokie, need a hand?" Noah moves to P15 and attacks Archer 3. With a yell, he drives the hand axe into the archer's side, grievously wounding him and leaving him on his last legs. Turn 6 Rokan's Imbue heals 4HP. Cheat Sheet:

Akane and the mercenary exchange blows, each landing fairly severe hits on the other. Cheet Sheet:

Level ups! Some were good, some were meh, and some were.........well. "Yeah, I'm okay with this. Hell, I'm more than okay with this."

[ ENEMY PHASE ] "Oh boy, here they come. Don't just stand around, guys! Let's show them what we're here for!" Mercenary 3 moves to J15. Archer 2 moves to I16. "Huh?" Hearing the commotion arriving past the row of houses, the fighter looks up from what he'd been doing. "Ah, already? Man, I'm not even done with . . . ah, whatever, I'll just leave this here and come back to it. Whatever's causing trouble shouldn't take too long." Fighter 5 moves to Q16. Thief 2 moves to H20. [ ALLY PHASE ] "Staying safe never helped nobody. If it's all the same to you, I think I'll face my problems, thanks. Heh, name's Noah." He turns to see some of the mercenaries rounding the next block ahead and frowns. "Looks like they're getting the picture." Move to O13. Turn 5 Rokan's Imbue heals 4HP. Cheat Sheet:

Akane's sword makes quick work of the fighter, and she proves too quick for him to hit.. A single strike of Arthur's blade is more than enough to finish him off. With a bolt of magic, the other fighter also goes down, out like a light before he even knew what hit him. "Who peed in your breakfast this morning?" Noah mumbles to himself as he watches the swordswoman rush off to engage the fighter further west. It's not like he'd been asking for her opinion on anything. And the armored guy too -- a goody two shoes, no doubt. That kind of mindset really ticks him off, but who cares. He can think whatever he wants. "H-Hey, don't go calling me out like that!" Noah's attention snaps back to Rokan at his words, indignation coming briefly over his face. "Jeez . . . well, at least you don't look like as much of a hardass as your buddies. If you guys aren't doing this for me, then I guess we can just say that we've just happened to make the same enemy." Cheat Sheet:

Huh, he sure talks nice. But one never knows about these hired lapdogs and what their real intentions and loyalties are. Still, he puffs up a little at the praise -- whether it's real or not, he can bask in it a little, can't he? No harm done if this guy's going to lay it on. "Probably could," he boasts, knowing full well it's a load of hot air but saying it anyway. Fake it till you make it. It's gotten him this far. "Heh, guess that's why they put so much into making sure gladiators don't break free. No one knows how to fight like us." "Speaking of which, why are you guys helping me, anyway? Ain't the Queen's Knights supposed to obey the rules and whatever?"

Wounded by Rokan's arrow, the mercenary isn't able to dodge in time and is felled quickly. The vulnerary in his hands goes to Marek. "Yeah? Guess that does sound pretty impressive, but big names never meant much to me. One blueblood's hired buddies are the same as the next ones." Giving his hand axe a little toss up in the air, he catches it, then does it again — an idle habit. "I've just got something of a bone to pick with this one." Cheat Sheet:

The arrow flies true and injures the mercenary as a trade-off for his strike earlier. "Hah, told you I'm not half bad. I guess you're pretty okay yourself," Noah replies, seeing the arrow hit its mark. Cheat Sheet:

[ ENEMY PHASE ] Mercenary 2 moves to N9 and attacks Rokan. Seeing the archer unprotected, the mercenary manages to land a strike on him amidst the trees. Fighter 2 moves to L9 and attacks Rokan. Inspired by his comrade's successful attack, the fighter, more adept at navigating the trees, follows up one with his own. Fighter 4 moves to M11 and attacks Arthur. From further south, another fighter approaches, targeting the armored knight at the forefront of the group. Thief 2 moves to N20. [ ALLY PHASE ] "Is it time to soften up the bad guys for you again? Heh, who's really doing the heavy lifting around here?" Noah moves to O11 and attacks Fighter 4. A swing of the hand axe from the trees cripples the fighter who had struck Arthur. Turn 4 Rokan's Imbue heals 3 HP. Cheat Sheet:

"Good to see someone else's got the same idea," Gaill remarks at the mage's attempt with a grin, switching out his hatchet once more for the heavier, but more effective, steel axe. "Oh, and by the way — uh, Alunda, right?" He briefly turns to the nun beside him, who had delivered the finishing blow on the hero that Kayde was supposed to be going after, but oh well. Didn't work out. "Those Speedwings . . . I could really use them, if you'd be so kind. I'd asked the swordsman to get them for me in exchange for the rapier I handed him, but, well. Anyway, think you might be feeling generous? Let me know in a bit, okay? I'm gonna go hack that archer — if someone can back me up?" He shouts the latter words over his shoulder to whoever might be listening, moving to draw up close and land a blow on the bowman before he has a chance to get back out of range and put an arrow in him. That would suck. Move to L7 and attack Archer C with Steel Axe.

Restraining himself from a sigh — less of true exasperation, however, and more in the vein that he had expected a comment like that from Cass, at this point — he nods once more to the shopkeeper. "Thank you for your help. I hope to find the man you're looking for." Not bothering to ask Cass what the particulars of 'whistling this thing at people' entails, he turns and follows him out of the store.

Still focused on Arthur, the Captain doesn't see the archer ducking into the trees, and takes an arrow between the ribs that downs him instantly. "Damn . . . hahaha, why am I not surprised . . . you didn't even finish me off face-to-face . . . " Cheat Sheet:

The shopkeeper's reply earns her the barest laughter, hardly more than a small chuckle. "Thank you, but a nomad's word is enough. I don't need any 'incentive'." It had been a long time until he had gotten accustomed to what people called 'sweetening the deal', and he remembers that the first time someone had offered to compensate him for doing something he had agreed to do, he had been deeply offended, thinking that they did not trust him. Only later did he realize that the nature of people was such that things like that were often necessary. "I cannot guarantee I'll find this man, but I will try my best."