This was a fanfic I once uploaded on dA, but I took it down eventually for revision. It stayed in that period for several years until I decided to get back to it again recently. Then I was spurred with by an idea that would help me further deepen the plot and expand on character development, but I realized it had made the story terribly too long to be just a one-shot and so I decided to break it into two parts instead.
This story contains major spoilers for Laura's story in Unlimited Saga.
---
Power SurgeChapter 1
The Clockwork of Conflagration
Flames crackled quietly in the center of their little campsite, tiny cinders hopping off the wood they fed on only to roll in the dust and fade away. She felt the cinders too as she sat there, her pale eyes distant, but unlike the ones that found themselves being blown away by the wind, these flickers became fires of their own. And it wasn't until recently that these flickers came together, a mass of flames that only grew with consumption.
Meat from a beast they felled earlier roasted slowly above their campfire, and blonde mage girl in purple asked the brunette in yellow when it would be finished. Another chunk of wood was thrown inside the pit, and the flames welcomed the addition to their evening meal, consuming it within their fiery maws.
"In a while, Judy," Michelle answered. "It hasn't even browned yet."
Laura's eyes stared on in a state of contemplation, reflecting the image of the flames devouring the hapless piece of wood. Her elbows were propped on her thighs and her fingers were laced together in between the space just below her nose. Her mind was adrift a sea of thoughts, too focused on them to consider the wafting aroma that came from the meat Michelle roasted or the repetitive, metallic shing of the Anubito's whetstone meeting the blade of his black axe. She never really was the type to be easily distracted by anything; now was no different. Her attention remained affixed on a single thought throughout the entire day, bringing her blood from a simmer to a boil, fueling the fire, so much that every time a monster came in their path she struck it down without mercy:
Galeos.
That sneaky, traitorous bastard; she had a bad feeling about him from the start since Vaftom, and that there was more to the pleasant formalities he shared with the orphaned prince of the fallen Escata. It was only after they returned from Dagul Bos' lair with the Gloves of Venus, that his true face reared its ugly head out for the world to see, and he sent monsters to attack their party before promptly fleeing westward. The entire time, they were nothing but mere pawns to do his bidding for him, to collect the Elemental Gears without having to lift a finger.
The thought of them being used--betrayed, even--made her gnash her teeth behind her closed lips. Her gaze on the fire-hardened, and for a brief moment she saw his image laughing maniacally at the sight of the blazing Escata before him, while Dagul Bos and his men murdered the late king and queen right before their son's very eyes--
"Ow, ow!" And for the first time, Laura broke her attention away from the fire, alerted by her companion's cries. Michelle immediately retreated her hand from the roast, shaking it away in pain. Judy was at the brunette's side at once, followed by Armic, who stood from the log that was his makeshift seat and had an alarmed look on his face.
"Are you alright?" Judy asked, examining the older woman's hand.
"Y-Yeah…" Michelle bit her lip. The flames were hungrier than usual it seems. "I guess even now I still have bad luck with cooking…"
Judy shook her head. It hadn't been the first time Michelle was hurt cooking their dinner, but she wished that the older woman would be a bit more careful. "Hold on. I'll get that fixed up for you…"
The healing spell was out within moments, along with the image of a blue, amphibian-like creature quickly flashing behind the mage as the spell was cast. Healing waters cleansed the burning sensation from Michelle's hand, leaving no more than a feeling of numbness, and a faint white scar where her burn used to be. "There."
Michelle was quiet while she examined her hand. "…Thanks."
"No problem," Judy beamed happily.
"I'll take over," Armic offered in his usual slurred voice as he approached the two. "You might get hurt again if you do…"
Laura paid no more attention as the three continued their conversation, returning it instead to the now shrunken fire. At the corner of her eye, she saw the young prince approach them. At the sight of who was following him however, Laura's lips contorted into a scowl she kept hidden behind her hands.
Her eyes met Henri's cerulean ones. He acknowledged her with a kind but light smile. Her face softened slightly at this, but it was there she saw it immediately. Something was troubling him deeply, and she already had an idea as to what.
"I will rest now," He simply told her softly. "It's been… A rather long day."
She closed her eyes, giving him a short nod. She didn't insist that he stay for dinner, nor did she think of prodding what bothered him either. Knowing him, he would simply refuse, and lie that he was alright.
Unfortunately, the knight that stood right behind him didn't know him just as well. "Prince Henri, won't you have dinner?"
"No," He said simply, turning away and making his leave. "I'm not feeling hungry. You can have my share if you want."
Either the knight couldn't take a hint, or there was something else he wished to tell the young boy. "Prince Henri--"
"Goodnight." He finished, not wishing to hear what else he had to say further, and the knight said no more as the prince disappeared into the tent.
Francis remained standing there, watching as the flaps of the tent settle. After a moment, he let out a sigh, before turning around to face the ex-pirate, who gave him a hard stare.
Laura's eyes narrowed. Despite how long they were together in this journey, this haughty knight, too, was no different from Galeos. The apple, after all, didn't fall too far from the tree. Were it not for Henri, she wouldn't have trusted him even if her very life depended on it.
Honestly, she still didn't.
"What?"
Laura closed her eyes, her brows furrowing. She didn't want to waste her breath, nor did she feel like it. Without a word, she stood and walked away, ignoring him deliberately. The fire rekindled itself as she went downhill to the nearby river to refill her canteen.
The water was calming as it flowed inside the round container. It soothed her ungloved fingers, rinsing the dirt and grime out of her palm. For a moment, the fire calmed itself, shrinking again at the cool feeling.
Yet in spite of the river drowning out the noise, she could still hear Galeos laughing amidst the blaze, mocking them… Mocking her.
The fire made a sudden burst, and her hand nearly crushed the canteen it held. The water did little to douse the flame at this point, evaporating only into steam as the flame grew hotter.
God, what she'd do to slit his throat right now.
---
The party of nine had no time to waste once they left the castle. Galeos was on the move, all five Elemental Gears and the Blade of Escata in his possession. He said he was taking them to Nakle Lines to fulfill his motives of reawakening an otherworldly power he seeks, only to claim it as his own. There was no telling what the man would do with this power, but Laura knew it wasn't going to be anything good.
They didn't make time for any stopovers during the day. It was only at night when they stopped to rest before heading out again at the crack of dawn. If they kept at it, they would arrive in Wanda within a day or so, and they would kill him before he executed his plans any further.
Unfortunately, as with everything else, their journey was not without any obstacles or distractions.
The monsters roared as they charged forward to attack them. Weapons were drawn. Wheels turned, and the flame within burned bright, giving her the adrenaline she needed to see the fight to its end.
The goblins were dispatched easily. It was nothing a quick slash to their vital points, or shots of fire arrows didn't fix, and Henri kept her back covered the entire time. Musol Yanii rushed forward, his outstretched fist sending his foe flying, before Armic leaped into the air and slashed the blue goblin's stomach. Anzan and Judy fired a series of boulders in the air, striking down the waterfowls that dove in to intercept the close-range fighters. Francis leaped for a pole vault with his spear, while Michelle's bullets tore the air across the battlefield; when they landed right in between her mark's eyes, Francis came plummeting, his spear skewering through the poor goblin's body before he shot himself out into the air again.
The knight, however, was caught by surprise when he saw a purple bird rushing straight for him. But before his fear caused him to lose momentum, a bright bolt of light emerged from their resident Lilean's leafy palms, sending the last of the waterfowls falling to its death. The resulting boom left his heart stopping for a moment, considering how close it was, and he regained his senses right on time before he fell flat on his face. He landed on his feet, but nearly losing his balance.
Platyphyllum gave him an amused look as he straightened himself. "Most interesting, that," Her rippling voice echoed.
He was still shaken at the close proximity of her Wood spell, but he managed, "Thank you."
Victory was short-lived, however. A shriek filled the air, screeching like metal being scraped against their ears, sending shockwaves pulsing throughout their bodies. Francis had his hands on his ears instantly, dropping to the dirt along with his spear. He felt his eardrums being ripped out. When he spun around to find what caused it, he saw the ghostly, blue monster that reared back the hook that served as its lower body. It pulled itself back to sling the hook towards him, and he was too astonished to move away.
At that moment, the fire revved up again from within, bursting like the monster did when she sent out that final shot of fire arrows from her palm. Francis shielded himself from the resulting explosion, and when the smoke cleared, so did the remaining wisps of flame. His face was pale, realizing his close encounter with a deadly magical attack happened for the second time that day. He turned his head towards the caster immediately, who was none other than the cold, ex-pirate herself.
Her gaze was fierce, and her hand remained outstretched in front of her. Briefly, she cast her stare upon him, and his metal eyes locked onto hers. She had no intent to harm him when she cast her spell, but the smoke from the fire she constantly fed held a hint of her contempt towards him still being here.
It only lasted a few seconds, before her gaze went ahead of her again.
Why was he still here?
The area was in dead silence following the last monster's death, but the party remained alert. Her flame kept burning in case she needed to call upon it again, and it was ready, lingering at her fingertips, awaiting her command. Tension remained high amidst the battlefield, now littered with the bodies of the monsters they felled, as they waited for another one of their enemies to make their move. A minute, then two, and finally three, passed.
Armic was the first to let out his long-held breath.
"That was close," He said, falling back to a flop on the dirt. "Thank goodness."
None of them could agree more. Weapons were either sheathed or put away, while Judy and Platyphyllum made their rounds among their party members, healing any wounds they may have sustained.
Her dagger was back in its sheath too. The wheels slowed, and the fire calmed. She turned to face Henri, checking to see if he was alright. He was, and she noticed the faint splatter of monster blood along his cheek. She frowned. Something impure shouldn't be tainting the innocence he held.
She didn't realize that Henri noticed she was staring. "Laura…?"
He trailed off, when the soft cloth of her handkerchief found the skin of his cheek. Her fingers wiped the blood away softly from underneath the cloth. Henri simply complied, letting her take care of it, finding her intimate gesture more than welcome.
There was still warmth in her fingertips, but it wasn't the one she'd been entertaining in the last two days. This warmth was gentler… Kinder, one she reserved only for a namely few.
Her action soon finished. Pulling herself away, she examined the boy's face again. The blood was gone, but his face held a look of concern. He was too easy to read.
"I'm alright," She reassured him. It was funny, though; she was the one who was supposed to be asking. "Are you?"
And for a brief moment, his expression creaked… Faltered.
Their conversation paused when the two healers approached them. Although they had no major injuries, they felt the cleansing wave of the water familiars soothing their spirits.
Henri regarded Judy and Platyphyllum with a grateful smile. "Thank you."
"It's no problem," Judy replied, and the two went way, seeing to Armic and Michelle next. Not too far away from the four, Anzan and Musol Yanii searched the monsters for any loot, and Francis was keeping his distance.
Henri spun around, redirecting his attention to Laura, but he was instantly met with her cold gaze, sending a shiver down his spine. He had her full attention, and there was no breaking away from those eyes when he locked into them.
She was still waiting for him to answer her question.
He was aware of the flame's presence in spite of her chilling stare, knowing full-well what enraged it in the last two days. He feared to invoke its wrath if he chose to avoid her. But she kept it at bay. She was its mistress, not the other way around. It couldn't burn him even if it tried, but Henri felt its unbearable heat nonetheless.
"Laura…" He tried to speak. "I…"
He needn't say more.
"We'll talk about it in the evening," She told him, and he nodded slowly in silence. She faced their group. Everyone was accounted for, simply waiting for their leader to give them their next course of action. Once they gathered together, she led the way.
"Let's go."
He was still for a moment, feeling the heat leave him as she moved ahead and the others brushed past, leaving him hollow and cold.
---
Night came and fell once again. The swampy, yellow-brick path led them to a forest. Upon seeing the worn, wooden sign that pointed to Wanda and Escata, they knew they were in the right direction.
Of course they had to be, because they couldn't afford any detours.
The fire still burned inside, longer than the one that was laid once again in the center of camp. Armic turned the roast--a fowl--this time, while Michelle set up the tents with Platyphyllum and Judy. Michelle didn't feel confident about making dinner after last night's burn, and Armic didn't mind.
Galeos lingered in her thoughts once more, and she heard him chuckling evilly in the recesses of her thoughts. The traitor would have called it torment, but Laura considered it as a mere taunt, one that consistently provoked her, making the flame lick its lips greedily in hunger.
The wheels creaked, before they started spinning slowly, giving off a faint hum.
Behind her, Francis approached the fire from the edge of camp. Musol Yanii relieved him of his sentry duty, axe in hand as he stood firm and vigilant for any outside threats. He had just begun his watch, yet the Anubito was insistent.
"Go," Musol Yanii said firmly. Like the sharpness of the axe he held, Musol Yanii's obsidian gaze cut through to the knight. Feeling the weight of the taller one's icy stare, Francis debated no further. Reluctantly, he took his spear, and went away. There wasn't much to be done while dinner was cooking. Earlier he offered to keep the prince company, but he was denied.
Francis stopped in his tracks. The prince had been increasingly distant with him since the incident at Galeos' Castle. His eyes fell on the ex-pirate's back. She stared into the campfire much like she'd been doing in the last few nights, paying no heed to the world around her as she watched the flame sate its hunger with another serving of wood.
If there was anyone to blame for the prince's sudden lack of trust in him, no other person was convenient to put it on.
She's influenced him.
He was well aware of her mistrust (Just the way he should, she would have said) towards him. He too, was once untrusting towards her, seeing her as nothing but a barbaric commoner whom the prince was unlucky enough to have become acquainted with. But over the course of their journey, he, unlike her, learned to trust her in return, after seeing how truly genuine her intentions for accompanying the prince were. In spite of this, however, he still retained a feeling of dislike towards her, and she, too, did the same.
And now, given recent events and his affiliation with Galeos, there was no surprise why she--and a few of their allies as well--became more vigilant and mistrusting than ever towards his presence in their company.
He didn't need to prove himself to her, or anyone. In fact, they were supposed to be proving themselves worthy of being trusted in the first place. His unwavering loyalty to the prince was obvious enough given their travels together, even when he chose to stand by his side when Galeos attacked them. He would never do anything to harm him.
Yet there was no denying the slowly increasing distance he felt from everyone else. Anzan flat out ignored him. Michelle chose to be near Armic and Judy more often. Judy hesitated when she approached to heal him. Musol Yanii took him away from sentry duty in spite of his insistence. And this may just be his imagination pushing it, but Platyphyllum cast that spell by a hair's length away from him as the waterfowl came rushing that afternoon; for all he knew that spell was actually meant for him, but the Lilean just decided to show him some kindness on the last minute.
Perhaps he was merely being paranoid, but now… Even Prince Henri too, refused the knight's presence, preferring instead the company of himself.
Francis gritted his teeth, lowering his head down, his gray eyes shadowed by his helmet. Even if he didn't have to prove himself to the others, the prince was the one whose trust he needed most. And he couldn't have the boy's trust once more until the others learned to trust him again. As much as he hated to admit it, in this final stand against Galeos, his own former master, he needed the trust of his companions more than ever as well.
His eyes fell on Laura, who had now stood and was drinking out of her canteen. It stung him, knowing that he would need to confront her first of all people, but it was necessary, in spite of how hard his pride protested.
He would need to do it sooner or later anyway.
Laura spun around when she finished drinking. The canteen was empty, and if she recalled right, Platyphyllum mentioned a spring just nearby where she could do a refill. She froze, however, at the sight of Francis standing a mere few meters behind her, his spear still in hand.
The wheels increased momentum, and the low hum became a constant whirr. The flame within roused itself from inactivity and the surrounding temperature gradually increased.
"Got some plans with that spear, I take it?" She hissed, setting her canteen aside, suspiciously near the sheath of her dagger. She had always known he would make his move, but not so soon.
Figures it was only a matter of time…
"No. It's not like that," He answered, setting his weapon away. He didn't need her getting hostile on him right now. "I just… Wished to speak with you privately."
"Privately, huh?" She placed one hand on her hip, looking unamused. "Why not here? Here's as good place as any to talk to me about anything."
"Well, yes, but, I mean…" He glanced at Armic. He didn't seem to be paying them any mind, or he didn't notice them at all. The other three girls were finishing up their tent, and Musol Yanii was joined by Anzan. "Here is just as well. I simply meant that I wished to settle a personal matter with you."
Laura raised an eyebrow. "Funny, because I've got some personal matters of my own to settle with you."
She was clearly making this difficult. "Look. I know you and I have some issues with each other, but please. Just listen to what I have to say for a moment."
Unwillingly, she pulled in the reins of her hungry flame backward. Just for now she was giving him leeway, but the wheel kept spinning, and the heat made itself known to the seasoned knight. "Fine."
"I know that… I've been insensitive," He started, collecting his thoughts. "Blind, even. I had been nothing but a mere pawn, following orders, never considering what would happen if I strayed from my path, never seeing anything other than what I believed to be true… Several times over I thought of you and the others as anything but equal."
"Your point?"
"I merely wanted to apologize," He said, wanting this finished quickly. "For not being considerate to you on several occasions. You only meant well for the prince, and I shouldn't have been so stubborn enough to think that you had any hidden agenda behind your assistance to His Majesty." He bowed his head. "I also apologize for being blind to my former liege's intentions. Had I known them beforehand… This entire situation could have been avoided."
Silence followed. Laura didn't say anything, taking his words into consideration. The whirr made itself more known, and the fire crackled further.
"…Is that all?" She asked after a minute or so.
"Yes."
She made a half-turn, finding her cool gray eyes to the campfire again. Wisps of red and orange danced in the air before fading away into smoke as they remained mirrored in her glassy eyes. She no longer saw the campfire as she stared on. Instead, she saw the memory of a small lantern in the knight's tent over the last several months, shedding light onto the black letters written in fine ink that detailed what transpired over the course of their journey.
She remembered when she first found them. The lantern's wisp shrunk in fear when her flame lashed out that evening. Her anger was truly justified on their way to Escata. After the incident, he'd been greatly condescending towards everyone besides Henri, herself most especially, and his haughty arrogance spun the wheel on a regular basis, to a point where it was a mere miracle it hadn't broken.
Now, here they were, several months later, the Blade of Escata and the Elemental Gears fallen in the hands of their enemy. And here he was, apologizing for several months of his behavior towards her and the others, and on behalf of his former douchebag of a master, who sent several months of hard work collecting those blasted Elemental Gears down the drain. After the gauntlet of monsters they faced at the castle, he still had the gall to remain, pledging eternal allegiance and loyalty to the young prince, following him around after his master promptly abandoned him before fleeing to Nakle Lines.
Her stomach twisted in disgust. If he had the capacity to betray his former master, then by that logic, he had the capacity to betray them--betray Henri--when the time came as well.
The wheel turned faster, the flame becoming restless… Unruly.
"…So," She turned away, facing the campfire completely. The smoke hissed out, fuming heavily from the blaze, but Francis was unaware. "You just came up to me to get all sorry for being an ass, and for being a tool who was too stupid to see what that bastard was really plotting behind our backs."
It was a vulgar way of putting it, but, "…Yes."
It was unexpected when, as his answer echoed inside her mind, the spinning wheel suddenly snapped from its place, unable to bear the ever-increasing speed of its overworked gears. Amidst the sound of the wheel smashing into pieces and the fire behind her enveloping the fowl's carcass, was a loud, audible crack. The flame surged forward in full force, its heat reaching unbearable levels.
Francis was instantly on the dirt, the back of his head landing with a loud thud. His jaw sustained a terrible ache, and perhaps, even dislocation. Even with his helmet, the blow he sustained when his head hit the ground left him in a daze that left his head spinning.
She had one hell of a right hook.
It didn't end there, though. Soon he found himself in her iron hold, gripped by his iron pauldrons. With great force, he crashed a fair distance away from her, tumbling and skidding to a stop on the rocky soil. When he tried to lift himself, a rouge boot connected to Francis' face with such force that he was sent flying again, this time towards a nearby boulder. The sheer impact of his collision cratered its surface in the process; had Francis shed his steel armor moments ago, he was sure to have broken more than just a bone or two as a result, if he hadn't already.
Armic and the girls were at the scene almost immediately. Judy had her hand to her mouth in shock, while Michelle and Platyphyllum were beside Francis, knelt down on either side of him. Anzan and Musol Yanii came sprinting, only to stop at a considerable distance from the scene.
It was clear now that they, too, were just as aware of the flame's shackled fury, which now apparently reached near its limits. Although their opinions on the matter varied, they never prodded her about it. They were in no position to, because of her decision to maintain some sort of distance between her and themselves. They respected that. The flame was often dormant, only released in the height of battle, but for it take action now, however, simply meant one thing.
Laura had enough.
His entire body throbbing with pain, Francis shut his eyes, only to reopen them again slowly, his blurry vision refocusing at the sight before him. The ex-pirate loomed above him, her expression furious and her dagger now brandished, gleaming in the light of the now roaring campfire. Anger rose to a dangerous boil, and she breathed heavily through her bared, gritted teeth.
"You think, after all these months we--I, had to put up with you… That a simple sorry's just gonna cut it?" She seethed. "After all you and that son of a bitch put us through?"
Francis could see it. It was there, burning brightly inside her eyes. The fire thrashed and raged, daring to consume all who came near. She'd been holding back for gods only knew how long. With the wheel destroyed, there was no controlling the now rampant inferno that begun to spread around, leaving nothing but charred remains and ashes in its fiery wake.
"Laura, don't do this, please!" Judy cried, pleading. A fearful Armic held her back before she rushed in to do anything reckless. "You'll end up hurting yourselves!"
"Calm down, Laura," Michelle joined in. "There's no need for you to get so angry…"
"Certainly this can be discussed in a more diplomatic manner," Platyphyllum suggested.
Their voices fell on deaf ears; all she heard was the flame's long, reverberating howl, and the rattling whirr of the uncontrollable gears. It burst into hellfire, and before anyone could stop her, she had already sprinted forward towards him.
She had every reason to be angry.
And she was going to kill him.
"Traitorous little shit!"
There was no escaping this now, even with the two women by his side, and the other warriors who came in to protect him. The fire was unstoppable at this point, and he shut his eyes once more before, ready to accept his incoming fate--
"Laura!"
The flames halted their violent advance, and the gears instantly screeched to a halt. Much to everyone's surprise, Laura had frozen in place, complete shock visible on her features. Her weapon remained aloft in the air as a pair of arms locked around her waist, holding onto her tight and firm with no intent to let go.
Francis, much like the others, simply stared agape, speechless at the sight before him. The primal, merciless flame, tamed by the one person he least expected it to ever yield to.
Henri.
Both the young prince and the ex-pirate remained still where they stood. His face was buried in the middle of her back, while his arms pressed her ever closer to him. Neither they nor any of the others dared to move from where they were, and a tense silence fell in the atmosphere within the campsite.
And then, in the silence, they all heard it.
Crr…
The faint twitch of a cog.
A mere three seconds later, her face was stone once more. A shadow fell over her eyes.
"Let go of me, Henri." Her voice was firm, authoritative, a foreboding of things to come should her demand be unmet. The flame jerked once forward in spite of what binds held it back; her leg twitched before her foot lightly brushed forward against the dirt. At this, Henri linked his fingers together. Despite his fear, he knew he had to take courage, needing all the strength he could muster.
"No…"
Crreee…
"Let go of me, Henri," She repeated, her voice harder. Two cogs went this time, and the flame jerked again. The hand that held her weapon shook slightly, and the tip snapped up in different directions.
"Laura…" Henri whispered again. "I'm begging you. Please don't do this… Please don't hurt him, Laura. This isn't right…"
"Isn't… Right?" Indeed. The knight was the stick that prodded the flame repeatedly while it remained imprisoned over the last several months. In spite of what had happened, doing away with him, the one who helped cause all this bullshit and was just as capable of turning on them like he did with his old master, was unreasonable simply because it wasn't the right thing to do.
What kind of fucking logic--
"And just how you think that, compared to what I'm about to do…" The flame was forcing itself free again. "What he and that traitor did to us--to you--was even right at all? After all the trouble we went through just to get them as far from the enemy as possible, only end up in their fucking hands instead?"
The flame exploded in a fit of rage, rabid and furious. It boomed with the desire for release, willing the gears to spin at an unbelievably fast speed to the point they just screeched. She effortlessly broke free of his grasp, unshackling herself from his measly grip and sending him tumbling a few feet away from her.
"Prince Henri!" The others could only watch in horror as the Escatan royal came to a stop on the ground.
Her fiery eyes found Francis again but the two ladies by his side were smart enough to distance him at least a few steps away from her, just as did Armic and Judy did with themselves. Roused by the flame within her, she broke out into a dash, dagger poised for a killing blow, keeping the knight in her sights.
Never… Never in her lifetime would she ever consider this man before her as her equal, let alone as a friend.
Seeing as they had no choice, Judy and Platyphyllum quickly came forward, and sent out a fireball and a bolt of lightning respectively. Laura merely sidestepped away from the Thunderbringer spell, and with a swipe of her dagger, Judy's fireball instead reflected back towards the Jade Forest kinswoman. Fortunately, Judy had reacted quickly, raising a veil of water in between its path and the Lilean, and the flame was quickly absorbed by the protective blue liquid.
Armic and Michelle drew their blades, and the former came leaping with his blade over his head. The ex-pirate lowered herself and slid across the dirt, avoiding Armic entirely, before she reached over to grab him by his beaver tail and hurled him towards a shocked Michelle. It was too late for the hapless woman to react, as the Chapa crashed into her and both were on the dirt in moments.
With the knight's protectors dispatched or too slow to stop her, she ran for her quarry, too dazed and defenseless to get up. Poising her dagger, she once more raised it over herself, seeking blood the flame had long tormented her to draw in the last several months.
She didn't get her fill however, when her blade clashed with that of someone else's; a sword, made of polished bright steel, held by a youth whose resolve was slowly faltering under Laura's raging wildfire, yet remained fiercely stalwart against it nonetheless.
"Prince Henri...!" Francis blurted out, stunned by the turn of events. The prince parried his guardian's dagger with a loud twang, and Laura leaped a considerable distance backwards, away from both of them.
"Henri..." Laura whispered as she gazed at him blankly. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Musol Yanii and Anzan had both arrived by their side, ready to fight against the ex-pirate alongside him. Francis was stunned at them coming to his aid, despite all that has happened. Perhaps maybe he had been overly doubtful of his allies, thinking they wouldn't be concerned even for the well-being of someone who used to be under the employ of their enemy.
Though, perhaps he may also just be overthinking things again...
"We are yours to command, Prince," Musol Yanii said, brandishing his axe, which gleamed in the moonlight.
"Allow me to be your bastion, Prince Henri!" Anzan roared confidently. "After all, my defense is peerless!"
"Thank you, both of you. However..."
His hold tightened against the hilt of his blade.
"I ask that both of you step aside... And bring Sir Francis to safety instead."
Almost instantly, the remaining color drained itself from the Escatan knight's bruised face as he realized what the blond youth's words meant.
The prince dared to face the flames of hell... Alone.
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