“I Figured we’d hit round two at some point,” Krey sighed. “This time, though, we know it’s coming. We won’t have a repeat of Ardour Temple.” He allowed himself a smile. “We better not, at least; I don’t know if I’d be willing to sit around waiting for you to heal again, Livia.”

Livia shot him a funny look. “To be honest, at this point, I think we can handle a few elven guerrillas. What really worries me is her.”

“Pff!” Pippy blew, “she didn’t look so tough! We’ll scatter her goons, then take her on all at once! She won’t stand a chance!”

“She won’t make that easy,” Emilie spoke up. “I have, of course, visited many shrines in my capacity as a hierophant; I have watched the shrineblades spar and train, and I’ve seen how they fight. They are ferocious, and they will not hesitate to throw themselves into harm’s way. I have no doubt that she will be at the tip of the spear.”

Krey smiled at that. “Then what we need is to catch said spear on the first thrust.”

“Excuse me?” Livia cocked an eyebrow.

“I get it…” Pippy oohed. “They’ll come at us super aggressive, and then we snag ‘em under an arm! We yank that spear right out of their hands!”

Krey pointed at her affirmatively. “Exactly. Or, at least, get behind the spear tip; if we can do that, we’ll be in a good position to gut their forces.”

“We’ll also be totally surrounded,” Livia couldn’t help but point out.

“As we were in Narkato,” Emilie rebutted, “and against foes of far superior skill no doubt.” She looked over at Pippy. “I don’t suppose you would be able to perform a similarly terrifying feat now as you did back then?”

Pippy crossed her arms. “I mean… I could, sure, but…”

“No,” Livia shook her head. “Doing that nearly killed you, and I won’t let you risk yourself like that again. We were caught with our trousers down last time; this time, we’re going in ready.”

Krey and Emilie nodded.

Pippy beamed at Livia with sparkles in her eyes. “Aww… I’m glad you care so much about me~”

Livia rolled her eyes. “Of course I do…”

Though their planning time had been less planning and more boosting morale, it would serve them well all the same. They gathered their things, dispelled the traveller, and headed out, deeper into Linabis. They moved in a diamond formation, with Krey at the front, Pippy and Livia to either flank, and Emilie in the rear. They all had their tools of their trades brought to bare, knowing it would not be long before they would need them; a knight’s tried-and-true sword and shield, an adventurer’s god-given blade, a battlecaster’s catalyst mace and buckler, and a cleric’s beautiful rosary. With these faithful extensions of themselves, they would face one who’s connection to her own armament was immeasurably greater.

Lu Sen spied them approaching long before they saw her. “Phyrn’s chosen… isn’t that what you called them?”

Yes, the pink, disembodied voice echoed through her mind. Send your peons in first. We want to give them a good warm up.

“What?” Lu Sen gritted her teeth. “That is not—”

Don’t worry, the voice cooed, I simply wish for you to fight them at their best. The lives of these terrorists will serve that end; order them to their deaths, and await your emboldened challengers here.

“I… yes, I understand.” Lu Sen rose a hand skyward to get everyone’s attention, and then swung it down vigorously to point forward as she gave the order: “All of you, charge the incoming enemies! For Dunlark!”

All the elves cheered in unison as their broke into a run: “for Dunlark!”

For Dunlark… Lu Sen felt her stomach turn. What sad, meaningless people.

“They too serve a greater purpose”, the pink voice said out loud now, on the air instead of in Lu Sen’s mind. “Even if they don’t realise it.”

“What the…” Krey mumbled.

Livia’s grip on Veridis’ hilt tightened. “What is it?”

“It would appear Her Holiness’ prediction of Little Miss Runaway’s strategy was slightly flawed.”

Pippy nearly broke formation when she saw it too. “I see ‘em! They’re running right at us… and she’s not with them!”

“What?” Emilie’s face scrunched up. “That does not… this isn’t right.” She clutched her rosary with both hands and raised it up in front of her face, mouthing a brief prayer, and encompassing them all in a faint blue bubble. “Be on your guard, something is deeply wrong.”

“Aye, milady,” Krey acknowledged.

Livia and Pippy also nodded at her silently, bracing for combat.

The four of them clashed with the elves, and it was not long before blood spilled onto the grass. Emilie followed Krey as if she were his shadow, bolstering him with her green magic while he took the brunt of the opposing force. Livia and Pippy had scattered to the flanks, chipping away at them from the outside, keeping them harassed and distracted.

Livia took a fist to the face, not quite breaking her nose, but still putting blood in her mouth; she reprised with a stomp of her foot that catapulted her attacker into the air with a pillar of rising earth, a pillar she then felled with Veridis and used to crush a handful more of the Dunlark Spire soldiers.

Pippy flung arcs of red into the crowd in a passionate dance, catching attacks with Gloom and sending the energy right back with Doom, turning the energy of her foes into focused blasts of magic.

Krey barrelled through them like an armoured bull, his armour aglow with reinforcing magic; it felt weightless on him, also thanks to the faint prayers of his beautiful shadow, his fair lady. He battered one elf with his shield while piercing another with his blade; he had never felt so utterly unstoppable.

Soon, all of them were dead, and Phyrn’s chosen stood victorious, splattered with the blood of many green and bronze elves. Their chests heaved with laboured breaths, but they dare not stop; the fight was only just beginning.

“Onward!” Emilie cried. “Hold onto your surging energy! Now we face a truly fearsome foe.” Silence. “Krey? Pippy? Livia?” Silence. “What’s the matter?” She turned around. She was alone. She turned around again. She was no longer in the Linabis Uplands. Her companions had vanished, and she had been snatched into a strange place made of abstract dimness and eerie disquiet. “What… what is…?”

“Hello, Your Holiness,” came a voice.

For the third time, Emilie turned around, and knew immediately who she was looking at. “Ah… hello, apostate.”

“You’re mistaken,” Lu Sen smiled. “I serve the Decakon just as you do.”

“By partying with terrorists?!”

“You will have to earn my explanation, I’m afraid.” She drew her blade, and the sight of it mystified Emilie… or, rather, the lack of sight of it did. The hilt was clear enough, but the blade itself was nothing more than a vague mirage of translucent orange…

The orange of pallite, Emilie realised.

“Trick of The Light has never had to clash with another blade to reach its target. None have been able to perceive its advance in the heat of battle. Will you be the first?”

The hierophant audibly gulped.

The shrineblade leapt toward her. “Defend yourself!”