hypergetic

Revenant (6/10 HP) attacks Elincia (8.5/10 HP) with Silver Gauntlets Roll 2d20-4: 9-4 = 5 and 2-4 = -2. Hit and miss. -1.5 damage. Elincia has 7/10 HP remaining Elincia counters with Iron sword. Roll d20+4 : 15 +4 = 19! Hit. -3.5 damage. Revenant has 2.5/10 HP remaining. Dracul A attacks Elincia at range with Spear Roll d20+2: 17+2 = 19! Hit -2 damage. Elincia has 5/10 HP remaining and cannot counterattack.

"Watch yourselves, everyone! Our foes are fierce but they aren't well organised. We can break through their ranks if we work together," Elincia adjusts the grip on her sword as she eyes up their foes. The revenant seems closest to falling, one sturdy strike should do the trick. "I'll take this one out. Thin their numbers a little."

Elincia attacks Revenant (2.5/10 HP) with Iron Sword Roll d20+4: 11+4 = 15! Hit. -3.5 damage. Revenant has been defeated. Byleth's Professor's Guidance triggers. Grants +2 dex to the party!

It takes little effort to finish the monster off, it crumbles to dust with a single jab of her sword. She steps away with a smile on her face, content that her friends are just a little bit safer now, thanks to her actions.

"Another one bites the dust," Elincia snorts at her own joke, "let's keep up the pressure."

"I'm fine! Just-" she starts to reply back only to see another spear soar over and pierces the king's side. He's still standing at least - she would hope a man like him could after his fair share of battles - but for how long, she is uncertain.

"Don't worry? I'm worrying pretty hard right now!" Mae exclaims after his grunt of pain. She knows he doesn't mean to sound so selfless (hopefully), though as much as she would like to zap his aggressor and give it what for, she had to keep Alm safe for the time being.

Mae 10/10HP heals Alm 2/10HP with Heal. [Roll: 12; +4HP, Alm 6/10HP]

"Just - hold still for a sec," without the need to run a marathon within the cavern to reach him, Mae is able to focus more on the proper incantation and transfers more white magic to the injured this time, making for a much more effective heal. Her defensive manuever is rewarded, with the others managing to clear out the rest of the Terrors. They are free to continue down toward...well, wherever the hell these dirty depths lead.

Room 2: You find yourselves at a Servant Statue. Where a unit would get promoted. It’s kind of dingy-looking and not well taken care of after years of neglect, but it’s a sign that someone is watching out for you… it’s a comforting presence. Maybe.

It's pleasant to see a familiar face down here at least, even though parts of the statue are chipped and covered in mold. Although the girl did not recieve any injury from the previous skirmish, she lays down on her knees and prays to the servant. A prayer of good health for her teammates - both those currently in the mountain with her and those lost at sea. A prayer that their future endeavors within these caves are fortunate enough to see them triumph.

Entire party receives +0.5 Str/Mag!

...and finally, a prayer for a clean set of clothes once this is all past them. That last one will obviously have to wait, but taking her time here seems to have bore some form of inner strength.

Room 3: :) So as you continue your journey through Fear Mountain, you find yourselves staring down a particularly nasty creature: a necrodragon tearing into a poor unfortunate corpse. Even more unfortunate, it notices you. And immediately goes to kill you. 

Well, it isn't like the Goddess can answer every prayer immediately. Even less so when...she's already gone. Fretting about the past would have to wait though, as the present is currently charging straight for their poor souls. As terrified as she is despite the familiarity of this undead foe, she does not make an immediate break for it. She is the most healthy out of everyone remaining, and they needed her here.

Mae 10/10HP heals Elincia 5/10HP with Heal. [Roll: 17; +4HP, Elincia 9/10HP]

"G-get ready, guys!" Mae yells in preperation as she passes another burst of white magic to the weakest of their allies: Elincia. The transmission goes well, which can hopefully counteract whatever this unholy dragon has planned for them.

Such were the silent yet no less colorful words Rafal used to describe his captors, his circumstances, and the dreary mountain without sunlight that encased one like a tomb. Traveling in a compact line through the cavernous spaces were prisoners put to labor and the mighty Fell Dragon thought his place most undeserved among them. It was a waste to purpose his strength for mining and exterminating undead but- most of all- an utter waste of time. He at least much preferred the latter; something that wouldn't squander away his power or his patience.

And it seemed his wish would be granted.

Sparks of commotion touched at the fringes of his perception. Mulling over the shabby iron axe in his hand at the rear, by the time he realized a battle was occurring one of his allies had already defeated a skeleton. Disappointing.

He perked up to the notice of the green-haired woman's encouragement- the promising insinuation of a clash yet to end- as well as the earlier acquainted Mae and Alm performing spectacularly in the realm of blunders. Too bad Rafal of all individuals had been the one to caught an eyeful.

"Careless," the dragon gave a smirk toward the pair, already scanning the collection of their enemies for a target. His attention perched upon a spear-wielding dracul with a corpselike stench he disliked. They would do. "I see you two have already grown accustomed to labor over combat. No doubt you humans are well-suited to that!"

Rafal (10/10HP) misses Dracul A (10/10HP) with Iron Axe. [Roll: 2; -0HP] Dracul A (10/10HP) counterattacks Rafal (10/10HP) with Spear. [Roll: 9; -2HP, Rafal (8/10HP)]

Several running steps forward in its direction and a decisive axe strike- though it may have been the intent- passed only harmlessly through the air at the behest of his unexpectedly agile foe. Perhaps he should have expected its form to belie greater coordination when the Corrupted had been much the same. The wide flare of Rafal's eyes expressed his shock at the retaliating blow, the speartip scoring a shallow cut across his wrist.

Leaping back in alarm, sullenly he pressed his mouth to the wound. On second thought. Hadn't the one called Alm said something of inordinate strength and caution? ". . .humph. They are somewhat tricky to handle. I will give them that."

The Revenant she just missed continues to go for Elincia, but she does her best to avoid its claw swipes and gets a good sword hit back in response. If she could be this swift with a simple blade, Mae could only imagine how she'd look with her actual equipment. There is no time for daydreaming, however, as the thunder sword-wielding foe strikes Alm twice over without a chance to counter.

"Alm!" the girl shrieks, forgetting formal titles amidst her sudden panic. The other Dracul manages to connect an attack with its ranged spear while Elincia is pre-occupied with her current fight. She seems pretty beat up too, but if Alm was to fall...

What could she ever say to her?

"I've got you! Hold on!" Mae rushes back from her advantageous position against the Revenant and makes her way toward the king's side of battle. He is still protecting Daniel (well, she supposes that he deserves something in return of the borrowed weapon), so in a way she is helping two people for the price of one, right? She reaches forward to release healing magic for the green fighter...

Mae 10/10HP heals Alm 5.5/10HP with Heal. [Roll: 1; +1HP, Alm 6.5/10HP]

...only to trip on an unseen jagged stone within the ground. A small trickle of white magic manages to pass through before she tumbles over, though she doubts it is truly that effective. She at least does not take any physical damage...the same cannot be certain for her mentality, however. She hopes the two of them fail to notice her blunder, but the chances of that after her loud call and even louder stumble are pitifully low...

They had been led out of their holding cell but a pair of guards to be taken to a mining pit to be put to work. Their new 'friend' Daniel was with them and they are instructed to bring what was left of their weapons too. Byleth felt more capable knowing they had their trusty gauntlets ready as they venture deeper into the mountain.

Arriving at the designated site, the guards drop them off with knowing grins on their faces. Before them are winding passages and caves to traverse to clear out for the miners. Byleth led the way into the first room, noting immediately the presence of creatures there waiting for them.

"Great. Of course the witchy mountain contains horrors hidden away within." The Professor told their teammates.

Pulling on their Aura Knuckles, Byleth noticed the skeleton, hiding towards the back of the group, bow in hand. A perfect target for the first attack, take out the support. Darting forwards, they drew back their fist ready to strike.

Byleth 10/10HP hits and hits Bonewalker 12/12HP with Aura Knuckles (One-Two Punch). [Rolls: 15, 6; Hit!, Hit!; Damage: 1.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 = -2.5HP, 1.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 = -2.5HP, Bonewalker 7/12HP]

The first hit catches the skeleton in it's boney shoulder, knocking it off-balance before the second hits square in the chest. Undeterred, it raises it's bow to fire back.

Bonewalker 8/12HP hits Byleth 10/10HP with Devil Bow. [Roll: 12; Hit!; Damage: -2.5HP, Byleth 7.5/10HP] (Devil Bow roll: 1. Failure) Bonewalker 7/12HP loses -2.5HP; Bonewalker 4.5/12HP

The arrow soars through the air and pierces Byleth's arm. Pausing, to break off the shaft, Byleth looks up to notice the skeleton almost seem to wince. The bow in it's hand glows red and seems to draw something from the enemy leaving them weaker than before. Some sort of cursed weapon, the Professor wonders.

Wanting to capitalise on the opportunity presented, Byleth moves in again for another attack.

Byleth 7.5/10HP hits and hits Bonewalker 4.5/12HP with Aura Knuckles (One-Two Punch). [Rolls: 9, 7; Hit!, Hit!; Damage: 1.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 = -2.5HP, 1.5 + 0.5 + 0.5 = -2.5HP, Bonewalker 0/12HP]

Byleth knocks it's skull back with a glancing blow before swiftly adding in an upper cut. The skeleton's head pings off the top of the spine before rolling away with a clatter across the floor.

Returning to the group, Byleth rolls their wrists, casually remarking. "That's Bones taken care off. Who wants a shot at them next"

Taking a survey over the remaining three corpses, Mae decides to go for a cheap blow on the gauntlets-wielding Revenant. It is the only one without a weapon that can strike her back, which should be helpful in retaining strength if she wanted to singe their captors' capes next. The mage takes a step forward and preps a roaring thunder bolt that aims to smite the target.

Mae 10/10HP misses Revenant 10/10HP with Thoron (Ranged). [Roll: 3; -0HP] Revanant 10/10HP cannot counterattack.

Unfortunately for her, the narrowness of the caverns makes a clean hit difficult, resulting in the lightning to bounce aside and miss out on colliding with any opponents. At the very least it doesn't find its way to any of her allies!

"Shoot!" she groans aloud, unable to keep a perfect composure under the rather stressful situation. "Anyone else wanna try cracking their skulls?"

this must be in the northern parts of valentia. rigel, as it was before it and zofia became the one kingdom.

one of the girls confirms as much, narrowing it down ever further. rigel plains. the tension starts unraveling with some... colorful words. (alm can agree the pale-haired guy hasn't been the nicest.) but it's what it takes for the death grip to loosen around his arms.   &   maybe he has misjudged his teammate some.

The older girl seems... surprised? Rafal does not smile, but Rigelians aren't known for throwing out careless smiles either. It's those smaller gestures, a gentle voice and relaxed features, that speak loudest to them. And as Rafal's voice lightens, the girl's voice lightens too as she eases up. "Glad that's settled then."

he takes the opportunity to address the same girl in turn, "can you tell me who's in charge here?"

some girls still hold onto his arm, and alm is gentle as he pries himself from their grasp. they have gone through a lot  ———  the king can tell as much. it and his and his allies' situation... all the more pressing for him to find the right person to speak with. or a get a word to grandfather.

"i need to speak with that person immediately. or even better, can i find a messenger somewhere?"

"Mr. Ruger likes to be in charge, but... well, last I heard, Margret was having one of her days. We also look to the Holy Mother--not Mila, obviously... that's just what we call that old witch in the woods.  "We let her know we found some castaways on the beach. She said she'd be on her way over, but Yuri would get here first. He should be coming here sometime today... but honestly, who knows with that guy. The kids he likes to travel with usually slow him down."

a witch in the woods... alm isn't too sure what to make of that, but he supposes they will find out sooner or later.   &   while he might not get a chance to speak with ruger, emerald eyes light up at the familiar name. "yuri? that might be someone we know." unless it's all some weird coincidence, of course. but that might also mean their allies washed ashore somewhere nearby after all!

"but thanks for the information." his gaze lands on the weapon rack again. "and i guess those weapons over there are ours?"

“Yeah. Oh, uh, except for one. Your big fancy sword was way heavier than it looked… we had to drag it all the way back here. Ruger has it. Thats why the Holy Mother is coming in, actually: she said she wanted to see the sword.” Her voice turns curious. “How the hell do you even lift that thing?”

that causes alm to immediately turn back to the girl, wide-eyed. he blinks. "uh, i just do." it's probably for the best to save such explanations for ruger. "but that's beside the point— that sword... it's really important. and i need it back. so, where's ruger?"

“Probably at home with Margret.” “What’s so important about it?” She’s very curious now.

should he tell her...? alm weighs his options for a moment before he meets her eyes. he speaks with an even tone, "that sword is the divine falchion. and i am saint-king alm, for that matter. i used it to lay duma to rest." a beat. "i trust you to know why it's important."

…Her brows furrow in confusion. “…Saint-King?” Shes starting to question your sanity.

if anything, alm's brow furrows, too, puzzled by her reaction.

"well, some call me that," he amends. "and i know it's strange hearing it from someone who washed up on the shore... but really, i am king alm of the one kingdom of valentia. i have the brand and falchion to prove it."

While it is nice to see the girls getting over their initial fear of their third member, the exchanges between the king and his subjects (at least, those who should be his subjects) bewilder her as much as him. Once the main priestess starts to break into hostile shouting, she decides that she's stood by for long enough.

"Now hoold up a sec there, he - I mean King Alm," she corrects herself right away in the chance that her murderous threat holds any backing, "and his army never did that kind of stuff! The queen would have never allowed it. They are trying to rebuild Valentia, the both of them, not burn it to the ground!"

"Who, Queen Celica? She wasn't queen then. This was before the war ended. The Deliverance had just crossed the border..."

Right, this razing would have happened while the war was still raging. It is at least nice to know that they are familiar with the queen's name. Hopefully it didn't invoke the same rage as this apparently-vicious king they were thinking of.

"...and they went up to the castle and ended up giving those creepy Duma cultists what for, right? I was there to see him end it all!" In a dashing swoop, she wanted to add...but now wasn't the time.

Of course her summary avoids a lot of the middle ground, partially out of baseless hope. It is difficult for her to sound truly confident means it when she was not present for the Deliverance's march on Rigel, but she trusts her king. Not just because of the lovey tales that Celica used to share with her; this was the guy who saved her friend in time of need. She could only hope that backing him up now is a fair start in paying back.

"You mean Jedah's guys? Well...!" Brooke relents, but only a little. "I hated Vidar and Nuibaba... I'm glad they're gone... but that doesn't make burning people's homes okay."

"Yeah, those!" granted, she has no knowledge on either of the given examples, but given they were related to that sham of a priest, they couldn't be good news. "Well...are you sure the Deliverance were the guys that did it? I'm from Zofia and not here, but I wouldn't be surprised if some brutes went and took advantage of the whole war situation for some bonus loot."

“Yeah. Yuri told me. And he never lies.” Brooke does not look pleased to learn that Mae is Zofian. “But of course you’d defend them.”

Revealing her region is a small slip of her tongue from attempting to remove bias from her judgment. Bleh, easy to see that national tensions are still high even years after their conflict. Her own fault for bringing them up, though.

"Hey, I'll let you know I never wanted them to fight it out in the first place!" she thinks back to the anger and pain felt by her princess back when they stormed out of Zofia Castle. Were people like the girl in front of the topic of Celica's worry back then? Mae decides to redirect her rough feelings before the men have to experience a girly civil war. "And, uh, what's with this Yuri guy anyway? Did he save all of you, too?"

"He's one of the Holy Mother's 'special kids.' You're probably too soft to realize, but it's hard to live out in Rigel. If you're weak, you get left in the woods to starve. Yuri can't run ten seconds without needing to catch his breath, but he's the Mother's favorite." Brooke points over to the group of normies in the corner. "See that girl? Annika is another one. I don't know what's up with her. She's kind of weird..."

("but he is so ruggedly handsome," one of them says, letting out a dreamy sigh.

something scrapes against the floor.

another responds, "honestly, doesn't he seem kind of... old?")

the scent of herbs.

alm is distantly aware of those things as he starts stirring after... after what? with his eyes still remaining closed, the king's brow furrows between wakefulness and sleep. he can't seem to remember. and so, he tries thinking further back. to fódlan... to the letters arriving from home after a terrible blizzard....

something or someone nudges him, bringing emerald eyes to finally flutter open. at first, it doesn't register to alm that he is being spoken to. or that he's the 'green guy,' until alm pushes himself into a sitting position. he blinks and looks up at the pale-haired man he thinks he recognizes from somewhere—

—the boat!

they had departed for valentia, hadn't they? the pieces of conversation on the ship's deck return afresh to the young ruler's mind. the ship had been sailing toward home, toward valentia, with the recent crisis—

but they hadn't made it.

"wait, what?" alm scrambles to his feet, his eyes looking around his surroundings. it's a room, a small one at that, but it doesn't seem entirely unfamiliar to him.   &   the voices he heard must have belonged to priestesses he finds.

The young priestesses' attire is painstakingly tied up in ribbons and fabric scraps, but even then their dresses are so baggy that it's obvious they're too small for them. You see girls as young as nine and motherly women as old as sixty, but... you might notice the lack of girls your age, young adults. It's a rather distinct gap.

a slight frown forms on alm's face at their attire... there are older women, too, some old enough to be grandmothers. small girls. but he doesn't dwell on them for too long, having spotted a weapon rack at the far corner of the room. that's where his weapons are  ——  alongside several others.

One of the girls, an Alm stan, notices him looking over at the weapons and grabs his arm, shaking him vigorously, "Help us, sir! That man is trying to kill us!"

it takes him a second to realize the girl means his teammate.

"no, that guy isn't trying to kill you... probably."

You don't seem very sure, which isn't very reassuring. Team Rafal joins Team Alm in huddling behind him (Alm), each wishing that you would look think of them. You guys are really causing a lot of trouble, huh!

that doesn't seem to reassure her or several other girls.

the king turns to the pale-haired man. honestly, his first impression of the guy isn't that great. but... "you aren't, right?"

Mae's consciousness is slowly restored to her, in part thanks to the commotion occurring what sounds like to the left of whatever room she is confined in. The voices of young girls...at first arguing, then...slight panic? Before she can get up to get a better understanding, some other murmurs can be heard, and much closer to the bed she is laying in.

"...stroke of luck. There's hardly any girls our age anymore--and the ones I've met get snatched up quick. My sister came of age the other week and she already had a slew of men begging for her hand in marriage. She isn't even pretty! We're done for, lads..." "There's Margret," another acolyte offers. "She managed to come back to the village." "You're kidding. Yeah, she came back... half-turned and half-mad! I doubt anyone would try to wed her. She used to have this fire about her, but now she's just crazy. But this girl... she seems so reliable, you know? A real beauty, too; the other one is rather plain." "Beggars can't be choosers..."

...ignore the fact that they are ogling over her, which is gross in of itself. Did they mention...girl-snatching? Ohhh no no no no-

"No no NO!" Mae's lips work faster than her eyes, opening after the words come out to see the young men's confused faces. A brief look to their sides only further confirm her fears - heavy weaponry implying that she wasn't getting healed by your friendly Zofian priests. She needed to get out of here before they do Mila-knows-what to her.

"I mean...no need to nurse me up! I'm f-fine, see?" without giving them a chance to remark, Mae is already rolling out of bed and runs leftward, away from the fire. Stings of drowsiness and fatigue do quick to prove her claim false, as she immediately trips over herself only to (fortunately) encounter some familiar faces: King Alm and another man that was on the boat. He complained about their shanties, if she remembers correctly...? Kinda a jerk.

But the girls don't see you as a threat. They probably see you as a sort of potential "big sister" figure. All eyes are on her, hopeful eyes.

These must be the source of those previous voices. Were they...trying to help them as well? Mae almost feels guilt for the men she just bolted past, until reminding herself that they were mainly planning to wed her on the spot. Yuck.

While going for a headcount on the amount of girls present, she is distracted by the amount of young faces present, or rather the majority of youth present. It takes her back to living with and looking after young, lonely souls within Novis' priory. Thinking of home reminds her of their reason for returning to Valentia in the first place - and she suddenly feels a surge of confidence. Their first spot might not be the home she is more comfortable with, but these girls appeared to need their help.

"Hey, no need to look down. We're all here to help out!"

"What about him?" One of the girls points at Rafal. "He's being an arse!"

She looks at where she is pointing, at the other man. Now that she has time to think, is this not one of her own professors? There's no girls crowded around him, only Alm....ohh.

They are words of reassurance she used for her qu- no, close friend, before departing on this new journey. However, the more time she is given to think and reflect, the words only sound weaker in comfort, and more false in Mae's heart. She has been at home longer than the rest of them, more than enough time to tell that something was wrong. If she had just said something, anything, then perhaps some steps could have been taken toward fixing Valentia's unrest.

But instead, the girl wanted a break from home; to have her dearest friend back and forget about her highly duties when she was around. And now all of them, including their king and a couple of extra heads from the monastery, were sailing on their way to fix "her" mess. Of course, the blame is nowhere near her own. Rather, Mae knows she could have done a much better job of handling her concerns over direct dismissal of them.

It's been some months, but she still recalls the voyage from her home continent to Fodlan. The ship now is a little bigger, to accommodate for the larger group in transport, yet Mae finds herself seated in a similar position near the back half of the top deck. Except her free time to joyfully bask in the sunlight and dream of reunion is replaced with uneasy thoughts and twinges of guilt.

Or it could just be another wave of seasickness. Blurgh...

"Would you mind terribly if I have a go?" Elincia asks both Leanne and the man beside her, a nurse at Garreg Mach. Someone she'd decided to stay close to as her stomach's churning returned with much aplomb "Sir Zelkov, isn't it? I'm Elincia, it's a pleasure to meet you."

She hums a light tune as she reads the words already, trying to pick up the natural rhythm of the words. Find the melody inherent and fundamental to the rhymes already shared. The pen rests in her hands, itching to leave her own mark alongside that of her friends and allies. A memento of their journey upon the waves, a token of bonds forged.

"The siren song of sea salt spray, Gentle as the flowers of May,  Belie a raging, tempestuous heart:  Her depths are Hades counterpart,"

Elincia chews on her lips as she writes, pen flowing across the page in time with the crashing waves around them. She's not sure if it's any good, whether she has any technical skill but the moment feels hallowed all the same. Sharing a part of herself with her companions, a vulnerable moment. Her gaze drifts towards the ocean surrounding them, endless on all sides. Holding her in it's embrace like a mother. She sings the words quietly before passing the book to the next person, grateful to share the uncertain warmth in her heart.

At first she merely observes while the book is passed around. Its owner - Zelkov, according to Elincia's future words - seemingly begins a chain that reverberates over to the long blonde, then the cheery young man, and finally her kind professor. Though her idle enjoyment does not last for long, as the pen and paper are suddenly given to the pink girl herself. Mae isn't totally insecure about her musical sense, but...was her teacher serious? Her tune flowed so naturally with meaning, and now she is meant to surpass it?

"Give yourself more credit, professor!" she remarks as she takes the materials. "Your words are great! But if you insist..."

The pen is juggled between her fingers while Mae looks over the previous lyrics. She lightly hums over them, using a slightly quicker yet similar melody. After feeling like she's stalled for way too long, she lets her mind and pen do the speaking, starting below where Elincia wrote.

"But push ahead and go, we must,

Fighting on with friends we trust.

Over the waves the ship does sail,

And reach its end without fail."

Near the end of writing, her humming eventually shifts into a more prideful song. It's a bit embarrassing, and she almost feels her cheeks turning red, but there is satisfaction upon completing her own verse. It may not be perfect, but the allies around her appear to be accepting. And at this moment, that is more than enough for her.

Frosty chills linger on her body as she shuts the door to the outside shut. The indoors were barely any warmer to compensate, but anything is better than the lonely cold that spread throughout her dorm room. As much as she wants to gloat that her first round of training took off without a hitch, blind optimisim in this instance is a stretch, even for Mae. 

Well, it wasn't like everything from the Arena went terribly. Her team overall, especially the blue noble-like presence and shy healer girl, was rather sound - outside of that creepy green masochist. Looking back at his behavior just made her sick, and the "Celly" drop most definitely remains loud in her mind. In theory she should have jumped right onto him (she didn't even have his name for a potential lead) upon training's end, but her fatigue is as strong as ever.

Not in the physical sense, although the swift sword sweep from the holy knight phantom left some faint stings. They said that this session would be rigorous, but to Mae those words merely translated to a challenge, one that should be easy to surpass on her search for higher strength. Instead, she ended up with seemingly more mental strain and despair than she ever felt before, at least when it comes to singular battles. Did she leave with more strength as well? Yes, but she had to question the means that got her there.

Mae approaches the infirmary - moreso stumbles - at the early crack of morning, hoping no other students caught her half-done pigtails or messy demeanor. She usually never found issues sleeping after exerting herself, but this post-training night is restless. Something had to be done before she risked lowering her performance in the next few days.

No one is present within the office, either due to the abnormal hours or Mae's own good luck. She didn't plan to be in here for long. Just a short moment to pick the proper remedy and slip back to bed. It doesn't take long for her eyes to catch a small container with the words "Arena Herbs" written on it. Perfect! Who else could these apply to but her?

She isolates a small sample for herself and places them back down to their previous location, conveniently ignoring the heaps of additional small text below the herb's title. Before she can exit and complete her totally-legal heist, she takes another look at the medicine in her hand. The idea was to consume these back in her own room...but there's already a soft white bed here. And it's so early in the morning, surely a quick nap here instead would suffice? 

With a slight lack of logical reasoning in her tired mind, the pink girl lies down and quickly swallows the sample of herbs. To her surprise, the aches in her head almost immediately subside, encouraging her to close her eyes with a soft smile. She has no reason to mistrust their medical staff, especially regarding a batch of unguarded medical herbs...right?

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Poe drops her hand after the spell goes awry, making her way over to her spell's unintended target—not a run, Poe rarely runs, but a rushed walk. Her hands reach out, though they don't make contact with the other other girl, as she looks her up and down for any wounds. Justice's helper in pink supposes she is lucky that the full force of the strike didn't hit Mae; to harm someone who's done no wrong goes against her creed.

(She will need to repent later, or she is sure the karma will come back around for her)

"Are you sure you aren't hurt? I pack a mean Heal, though I would understand if you didn't believe it based on this."

...though, admittedly, a part of her is pleased to see that her spell has its intended effect, if a tad weakened. Why, if she could just make it a little stronger, she's sure she could use it to subdue a foe.

Promising.

Still, she is impressed at the patience she is being shown here, and especially at her classmate's ability to maintain such a positive disposition in spite of it. She knows well enough herself how hard it can be to maintain ones composition, and repeated minor setbacks are often even more frustrating than catastrophic failures in solo. Either the girl is quite dependable, or it is important to her that she at least appear as such.

In the absence of evidence to the latter, Poe is willing to believe the former.

"Clearly, I still have a lot to learn, heheh." Now that she has a starting point, perhaps she can put in some hours at the training grounds. Well, when no one else is there, at least. "I have to admit I'm impressed by your fortitude. You're shockingly patient, on top of it."

In all honesty, Mae would have easily lost her temper if a similar instance was to occur in the past. It's amazing what a little experience could do for her mentality and make her consider the little things. She was the one who initiated this impromptu lesson and likewise provided the feedback. And in the end, her temporary student was still successful! That's something to be proud of, right?

"One bolt isn't going to spell my end! At least I hope not, heh," she lightens up after having a moment to breathe post-attack. "If you just keep at it, you'll be throwing 'em straight with ease! And I'm always here to he-"

Her last words are cut short with a quiet thud as Mae slams back onto her seat upon attempted to stand up with confidence. So much for offering to help, when she's going to be the one needing it at the moment. Strange though, even her sparks never seem to sting for this long, from what she could tell at least.

The queen's attention is turned back to the flower stall when she follows her best friend's gaze, the other woman's honest—if blunt—question pulling a bashful laugh from Celica. It was not often that she spoke of her love life to others, if at all. Just a few years ago, she didn't have much of one to speak of... but she supposes this is what friends do, in times of peace. Recount their days and giggle over stories of life and love.

"Alm, yes." She smiles warmly, "I thought—well, I thought it might be a romantic gesture, if I surprised him with flowers. The issue is figuring out which ones to buy..."

There's a hint of mirth in her eyes when she turns back to Mae, though it is also weighed with a genuine curiosity. "How is Boey, by the way? Did he not come along? I've missed him so much—it'd be wonderful if we were all able to get together again."

Mae easily catches on to her queen's brief moment of hesitation and lightly giggles to herself, finding relief that awakened nobility or ruthless tutelage has not removed light-hearted weakness. Before she could follow-up with a dive into the available flower choices, however, she is hit with a question about him. There is a pause - the smile does not leave the pink girl's face, though its strength is challenged.

"Oh, Boey? He, uh...yeah, he didn't come. Said someone's gotta look after the priory and all that...he's fine though!" Mae chuckles, piecing together a mental image of the white-haired boy in the moment. "I mean, I tried to pull him along, but you know how he is...stiff as a sack of bricks!"

And he misses you too, she forgets to add in her recalling. Does it truly need to be said, though? Of course he missed her; everyone in Novis - heck, Valentia - missed her. The three of them were friends, but...he always put the duty of protecting the princess above buddying around. That's what she was here for, to be that pal that never let her down. There's still room for her, right? Just a best friend?

...she needs to be in the present, not the future.

"What isn't stiff," Mae attempts to do so as naturally as she could, "are these!" She points toward a cluster of dark orange flowers, mimicking the shade of fire. Picking one of them up, she gently holds it in both hands and presents the flower to the noble, smiling over its glow. "Give him one like these, and he'll never get you out of his head for weeks!"

Whoever that would end up being.

But the big takeaway is that he agrees to the terms Mae lays before him. Slowly, subtly, his opinion of her is shifting from that of an annoying brat to a key figure in restoring balance to his life. Through her–Sain is convinced–he can gain the future he desires. Free of strife and heartache, void of tainted feelings for a lord who would never look his way–someone will come to sweep him off his feet.

And the mage will be their cannon, flinging his beloved into life.

“You’ve got yourself a deal. Vendor!” he waves for their attention, and naturally he receives it, “We’ll take one of your finest cakes! If it proves to be a revelation to the palette of a lady, you may have yourself a few regulars.” 

While the cake-seller busies themselves preparing the pair’s order, Sain leans against their stall. Watching them box and count out food proves to be uninteresting though, so it’s back to Mae, with that expectant stare.

Mae gets back to lugging the previous foodstock that Sain assigned her with earlier - capable of bearing with its hefty weight now that she was certain there is something to gain out of all of this. She does wish she was responsible for carrying the pastry, keeping its sweet fragrance to herself. Even so, it is only right to isolate it from the rest and keep it safe from harm. And she doesn't think she's prepared to request a hand swap, or else risk an argument on the finer points of grocery carrying.

"Oh, uh, no sweat!" Mae feebly bounces the apology back, not entirely expecting such a genuine one. Perhaps this man is not as thuggish as he initially appeared...though seeing him as a friend is rather too soon. His final statement makes it clear where the knight's true intentions lie, and even if it sets her up with a good time with her instructors...Mila knows how the set up plays out.

"Yo- We'll be set with a bunch of professors in a flash!" she reassures him as the two retrace their steps back home, avoiding eye contact with the cheese vendor from earlier. While she is being rather judgmental regarding Sain's aims, one selfish thought is brewing within her own mind:

Could I have slipped off with two slices?

Marianne 9/10HP refreshes Mae! Unspoken Water activates Caeda 2.5/10HP [roll: 2] 4.5/10

Mae 10/10HP uses Fortify [Roll: 3 + 2 = 5; +3HP] Caeda 2.5/10 HP heals to 5.5/10 HP

a feeling that is replaced with the soothing wash of fortify and something more. right, there is no time to sit and watch. "thanks mae! marianne!" she calls out to the both of them, before diving back into the fight again.

Caeda 5.5/10HP hits Golden Lich 2/15HP* with Chrysaor [ Roll: 5 - 2 = 3 ; -4/2 = -2HP, Golden Lich 0/15HP* ] Caeda 5.5HP loses -1HP to poison [4.5/10HP] UNBEATEN: Golden Lich recovers HP [15/15HP] and gains +1 magic and +2 speed [total +2 magic, +4 speed] Golden Lich 15/15HP attacks the party with Living Death! Caeda 4.5/10HP loses -0HP [ Roll: 0, 4.5/10HP ]

"hah!" archanea's queen cries out as she unleashes what she thinks is the final strike on the golden lich. the illusion flickers for a moment playing with her eyes and confusing her. still she tries to keep her wits about her through her confusion.

caeda grits her teeth as a wave of darkness and poison is released upon them all, throwing her arms in front of her and covering her mouth before the poison can dare to overtake even more of her body. the grip on her blade tightens as she lowers her arms after the wave dies down. keep going. push yourself. her body tells her despite her own common sense when it came to the battlefield.

she knows she should retreat, but caeda did not flee from the battlefield. never. it was her duty to stay fighting until her last breath.

Caeda’s GALEFORCE: Caeda 4.5/10HP hits Golden Lich 15/15HP with Chrysaor [ Roll: 1 + 2 = 3, -4/2 = -2HP; Golden Lich 13/15HP] Golden Lich 13/15HP misses Caeda 4.5/10HP with Echoing Groan [ Roll: 1 + 2 = 3, -0HP; Caeda 4.5/10HP] FOLLOWUP: Golden Lich 13/15HP misses Caeda 4.5/10HP with Echoing Groan [Roll: 2 + 2 = 4, -0HP; Caeda 4.5/10HP] Caeda 4.5/10HP loses -1HP to poison [3.5/10HP]

"we'll take you out again and again!" she shouts as she strikes hard into the monster's body with her blade. she pulls it out with one swift movement, falling back a bit and then pausing at the feeling of something coming up from her throat.

another loud cough falls from her throat that she covers with her hand, one that splatters blood against her palm. the poison was starting to get into her lungs. she winces at the sight, looking up as she hears the telltales signs of another guttoral groan incoming. the roars of the undead fly past her, whipping up a storm of wind and boggy air around her. any inexperienced flier would have been out of comission by now, but not caeda.

if there was one thing she had going for her, it was her expert control of a mount. she pulls on the rein and kicks at the side of her mount at the same time, willing the bird into easily dodging the attacks.

Golden Lich 15/15HP attacks the party with Living Death! Mae 7.5/10HP loses -5HP and is inflicted with Undead! [10/10HP]

The air fighter complimenting her and following with a swift strike makes her assume this is the end, that they have won and can finally go back to being somewhat-normal students in this somewhat-normal academy. But the lich had other ideas, sneakily rising back up once more and releasing a larger wave of sludge and gloom. Having done so much already, her horse hesitates a moment before recognizing the danger, a moment too late when it comes to evasion.

Mae is fully swallowed by the murky waters, coming out of them cloaked in the death she previously feared. Her sight is not taken and her surroundings are not blank, and yet she feels empty. She is capable of movement and thinking, but her thoughts are still and slow. She does not even have the will to look down at the outcome of her poor horse. She is...nothing.

She is at least able to turn, in which she finds the green man, once again covered in rot and decay. Can this guy dodge at least one deathly experience?! She wants to shout and scold him like earlier, but finds pain in moving her mouth. Even anger is difficult to formulate in the state that she is in.

Can't leave him like this. Can't leave him like this. Can't leave-

Mae 10/10HP heals Griss 10/10HP with Restore Griss is no longer Undead!

"...go..." is the only words that can leave Mae as she lifelessly flicks the Restore staff forward, at the very least being able to provide life to another. Maybe someone who didn't seem to value life, but she wanted to do something, anything.

In her hand is a sword. Not her relic, but perfectly crafted to be an extension of her arm. It's sharp and elegant, unlike Blutgang's wicked bones and membrane. A beasts fang doesn't care if its straight or curved though, it will tear all the same.

Their foe moves slowly, with all the time in the world. It's a tall, lumbering thing. The sight of it fills Marianne with a quiet fear. Decay and rot have eaten away at great chunks of the thing's flesh, leaving bone white visible. That seemed to have no effect on its strength, nor it's ability to move.

Griss moves before they can gather their senses and attacks the Lich. He does significant damage to it, and to himself. The corpse is furious at the insult.

UNBEATEN: Golden Lich recovers HP [15/15HP*] and gains +1 magic and +2 speed Golden Lich 15/15HP* uses Living Death Marianne 10/10HP loses -1HP [Roll: 2, 9/10HP]

The creature roars, sending debris and decay flying. Marianne hides behind the sword from most of it, cutting her hand on the sharp blade. When the attack settles, Griss is left as rotted and decayed as the creature.

Kiran and Mae and Caeda all rush to attack, but Marianne is left staring at Griss. Was he dead? He seemed to be standing, but there is an odd look in his eyes. It's unfocused and glassy. She's seen that look before.

Memories of her parents, their death, come rushing all at once. The glassy look in their eyes won't leave her vision and suddenly she's fourteen again begging for her mother and father to move and pleading that the goddess take her instead. She feels the dirt digging in to her knees and the palms of her hands and the way her face itched from the tear stains. She can't move, she can't breath, and all she sees is the glassy stare of the dead haunting her.

Mae rushes by, sending the ends of Marianne's gown fluttering around her legs like grass in the wind. This is not her parents death. This is not their tomb. She is not fourteen. She is not a frightened child this time.

She's a beast with a fang. Light as the wind upon the sea. She knows her duty.

Her head snaps towards the Lich as it cries again. The embers of powerful white magic is still burning on its rotting flesh. She whips her head around, Mae has the tome of white magic. Above her, a wyvern with its injured rider flies.

"Mae!" Marianne calls. Her feet are light as she gracefully leaps across the field, dancing around debris. "Kiran is hurt bad."

Marianne refreshes Mae! Unspoken Water activates, everyone gains 2HP

"Got it!" Mae is quick to swap from the restoring staff to the heavier one. It is a spell she never used before, but she could tell that it holds some potent healing magic within. With how the rest of this training has gone, she probably just had to believe hard enough and the staff will do its magic. Heh, just like a fairy tale.

Mae heals the party with Fortify [Roll: 3 + 4 = 7; +4] Kiran 4/10HP heals to 8/10HP Caeda 7/10HP heals to 10/10HP Marianne 9/10HP heals to 10/10HP

Her intended target is only Kiran, so when she aims skyward only for the staff to shine bright across the entire arena, Mae is slightly taken aback. Fortunately, the spell is not entirely flubbed, and she could tell that the magic spread out to whoever needed healing the most. What is a concern now is how she lit up the dim area. Creepy monsters in darkness usually don't like that.

Golden Lich 1.5/15HP* summons Growth: Autolysis and Growth: Putrefaction!

And right on cue, the foe acts by...spitting out more beings to do its bidding. Well, it is probably better than getting smacked by it directly, but...gross? There's little time to reflect, though, as the globs are quick to initiate. They move straight to the support end, right toward Marianne and Mae.

Growth: Putrefaction 10/10HP misses Mae10/10HP with Process of Rot [Roll: 4] Mae 10/10HP critically hits Growth: Putrefaction 10/10HP with Ivaldi [Roll: 17 + 4 = 21, -9HP; Growth: Putrefaction 1/10HP]

Mae does not get a moment to check if Marianne does alright, but that is because her own mount once again is fast to act and avoid one of the incoming sludge projectiles. Does everything here just want to throw up on them?

"Must be hungry. Then eat this, pal!" Mae picks up her tome, but takes little time to read the contents. She knows her target, and wants them gone. Her horse gallops in agreement, resulting in Mae firing off a surrounding field of light that closes in on the offender. That should shut it up for a while, at least.

It's the foul stench and gloom of the place that drag his attention back to the scene. This place looks too much like a tomb, which implicitly casts the Grreg Mach team as graverobbers. Ick. On top of that, the massive monster on the opposite end of the tomb is no doubt going to be a massive pain in the arse. Then again, as he sweeps his gaze over his teammates, they're all probably going to be a pain in its arse too. Everyone looks so awesome in their borrowed promotions, and the teen's heart begins to race with excitement in anticipation. We fought a shadow monster, a kelpie, Veronica and her thralls, and a robot/human duo. That's four out of five, so this must be the fifth and last round. Okay, guys, we can do this! Let's defeat this final boss and go home!

In true "green guy" fashion, the verdette mage strikes at the undead monster first, and something about the man's injuries compels Rose to look away, unsettled. As the two clash, he can't bring himself to watch--until the boss falls and, to his lack of surprise (Of course it has multiple health bars, darn it!), gets back up. The air compresses in foreboding, and Rose urges his mount higher as toxic smoke blasts out towards him and his party. While he manages to evade the smoke, a few of his fellows aren't so lucky, with the crazy mage... turning. Shifting. Decaying, until he resembles a rotted, undead mockery of himself.

Oh.

Roll Living Death: 1. Miss! Kiran: 10/10 HP

So the zombie can zombify him and his buddies. Good to know, he thinks with a slight hysterical note to his inner voice. No matter, he'll just have to hit the thing and run before it can hit him back.

Roll Axe of Zoltan: 9. Hit! Damage dealt: 2. Golden Lich: 13/15* HP Roll counter: 14. Hit! Damage dealt: 4. Kiran: 6/10 HP Roll Galeforce: 9. Hit! Damage dealt: 2. Golden Lich: 11/15* HP Roll counter: 17. Hit! Damage dealt: 4. Kiran: 2/10 HP

Rose chooses the sharper-looking axe and dives at the giant corpse, the same adeptness with the weapon that he felt before guiding his strikes and slashes. His hits aren't too shabby, but the axe doesn't do much damage to the lich, which hits back pretty hard. By the time he's backed off, the small ravenette has lost the majority of his health. Well, that's just great. Why am I struggling when green guy killed one of its health bars all by himself? Is this monster weak to certain things...? Oh! Of course! It looks undead, maybe light and light-related abilities can put it down faster!

The awakening of their foul opponent reminds Mae of their current predicament, the bright and cheery atmosphere of church halls now a gross catacomb of death and decay. Of course a withering, bony beast would be their obstable in this place. She should be trembling in combination of the fearful sight and the smells that call back to her previous failure, but somehow her senses remain calm. Gripping the harness of her temporary steed removes any hint of fear in her mind. She doesn't even question if she suddenly knows how to pilot a horse perfectly. Her goal in her mind is clear.

She isn't surprised to see the green-haired man take a crack at the foe first, imagining that he is relishing in a setting such as this. The flashes of light magic are almost ironic coming from him. A sight that should be warm - white magic tearing down a ferocious nightmare - made close to unwatchable by his cheers in pain. Glory could not even be taken from the monster being knocked down, as it is quick to rise back up and unleashes a literal wave of death.

Mae 10/10HP evades Living Death! 

"Move it, boy!" she calls out to her companion, not being used to having to rely on another for her evasion. The mount is quick on its feet, managing to outrun and hop over the murky wave. She is fortunate to have them, as on her own feet she could never imagine outmaneuvering the attack. On top of that, they look pretty steamed at the cheap excuse of a strike. Seems like they have more in common than she thought.

She charges forward to fight when she finally notices her usable weapons attached to the horse's side: a tome of light and two healing staves. She carefully picks up the book and gives a quick skim through its pages. She hopes this works...

Mae 10/10HP critically hits Golden Lich 11/15HP* with Ivaldi [Roll: 14 + 2 = 16; -9 / 2 = -4.5; Golden Lich 6.5/15HP*] Golden Lich 6.5/15HP* misses Mae 10/10HP with Echoing Groan [Roll: 2; 0; 10/10HP] Galeforce activates!

A bright wave of light is released from her hands, locking onto the lich and making it stagger back slightly. She might not be fully accustomed to this form of white magic, but at least it's definitely not this monster's favorite food. It tries to counter back with a harmful roar, but her horse can read their foe like a book. They swiftly retreat back, preventing Mae from feeling any potential pain. She has really got to consider a good boy like this one sometime...

Now that she's temporarily out of harm's way, the knight turns to survey the status of her allies, only to be met with a terrifying sight. The reckless man, while not downed, lacks any sign of life while still standing all the same. The closest model of a living zombie, something that makes her truly sick even after facing waves after waves of Terrors. 

...she couldn't leave him like this.

Mae 10/10HP heals Griss 10/10HP with Restore Griss is no longer Undead!

"Oh, no. We still have work to do here, mister, and you are not lying dead while we're busy!" Mae hides her concern for the man with some of her signature sass. She takes the simpler stave from her collection and shakes it forward toward him. Slowly, life appears to return to his husk and he looks good as new. She never thought she'd be relieved to see him in battle-ready condition, but anything's possible in the heat of battle.