I'll wait the signs to come
I'll find a way
I'll wait to the time to come
I'll find a way home
-Lyrics to 'Exile' performed by Enya
Elements of Great Design Part 73
Encased by a thick dome of water, the Fighters and Gifted of the White Fang stared up in awe at the high ceiling of constantly moving waves.
What monsters were within Quatre's barrier were put down in relatively quick fashion since they had been outnumbered by a few thousand at that moment. Now on their own inside of the shield, those soldiers were able to take in the immense power of the Keepers for the wonder that it was.
When the last of the explosions in the world beyond had subsided, Fire and Water exchanged knowing glances before they both gave a shallow nods to Firion at the same time.
Dismounting his horse, the Commander raised his bloodied sword overhead to have it flash in the spirited lights spread throughout the White Fang produced by the Gifted. "Make ready, everyone!" he yelled. "The shield will be coming down!"
His hands remaining up and opened, Winner closed his eyes with a soft sigh and a prayer that they might actually have a bit of good news when he sealed off his spell. With an endless supply of demons in the heartland of Abaddon's control, the odds were very much stacked against the Alliance and the people standing with them.
If the attack that he and his siblings had just unleashed was successful, they could actually have the break they needed to take the castle and use the Elemental Stones to close the gates to realm of the damned.
Everything weighed heavily on whatever was ready to greet them on the other side of the shield...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Only minutes earlier...
Mariemaia saw her chance... the lead to what might very well allow her to be the help to the Alliance that she so desperately wanted to be in her last living hours.
She had committed to memory every combined effort that the Keepers had made in obtaining their Elemental Stones based on the accounts of those beasts close enough to have witnessed it prior to their own demise. Watching the four elementals closely in silence, she hoped... no, she prayed that they might utilize any of those strategies again so that she could put her own plan to motion.
Heart hammering in her chest, she was trained on Earth. Not since she had cast the curse on the Monk had she seen him in his true form. And he was every bit the striking presence that he had been those many years ago.
It was a bittersweet thing, this reunion of sorts for Mariemaia. She was well aware that it would not be long before the handsome young man was able to remain in his body for the rest of his days by the time the day was ended. Even though her life would be forfeit, she would die happy to release him of the torturous existence she had doomed him to.
As soon as he took a knee and closed his eyes as the settling of his hand against the earth, the Sorceress felt what he was doing through her own gift.
Where the monsters and even her Uncle were unaware of what was transpiring, Khushrenada was able to detect the change in the ground at the feet of the army she had brought into Gaia. The subtlest of shifts in the structure of the dirt told her everything that she needed to know in regards to what was coming. All four of the Keepers were about to be very busy, each element needed to come into play for this strike.
Going off of the report she had from the fight for the Earth Stone, Mariemaia noted that the Keepers were executing this tactic much more efficiently this time around judging by how the air suddenly spun at an electrifying pace.
If ever there was a opening to rid herself of the old man without incriminating herself, it was presenting itself now.
Elated as she was, the Sorceress remained stationed on the highest balcony with Dekim as though she was oblivious to there being any real danger to the forces protecting the castle.
Frowning, she heard the old man mutter under his breath, "What are they up to now?" By the time the span of dark soldiers was covered by the dust, Water had taken his stand at the front of the rebels at the same time Fire's eyes snapped open.
Unconsciously stepping back towards the room behind her, Mariemaia lowered a hand to push Sid with her. The Tonberry peered up with confusion in his gold eyes, but did not hesitate in their urgent retreat.
A few sparks of fire danced from the thief's fingertips as a whoosh of water shot up from the hills. Crying out from the loudness of the first explosion, the child turned and flung herself into the shelter of the corridor while shielding her friend in the process.
The violent thunder of the blast shattered the balcony, giving Barton a close call in his spin to leap behind his niece at the last possible second before he would have fallen.
Collapsing onto the floor with a loud grunt of pain, the Sorcerer made sure to lie on his stomach and folded his arms over the back of his head as the palace shook with every round of implosions that followed the great ball of flame that rose up. There was no time to react through a spell in that harrowing stretch of minutes that felt like hours.
Up and down the corridor, large chunks of brick fell along with statues and artwork that decorated the interior. Under her breath, Khushrenada cursed the luck of her Uncle managing to save himself. At least he did not have proof that she had left him outside for the direct explosion.
Finally, the quakes and loud crashes came to an end.
Panting, Dekim raised his sweat-soaked face as he peered back and forth to assess the damage around them while at the same time finding a grasp on his own condition. Breathing out a sign of relief when he came to his feet and patted his chest down, he shook his head with a breathed, "Damn but that was close."
"Are you okay, Sid?" Mariemaia frowned in worry as she crouched back onto her heels. Pushing himself up, the Tonberry chirped and wrapped his arms around her neck, his gratitude practically vibrating through his small frame. The Sorceress tightened her hold around him with a relieved sigh and slowly rose on shaky legs.
When Khushrenada looked upon the old man, every bit of confidence that she had managed to go without suspicion in her plot to lose the shadow that was the old man was lost when she gazed on the fiery glare boring down on her. "Thought I did not catch that easy escape, did you?" Barton hissed lowly as he lowered himself at the waist to be at eye level with his apprentice.
Her world spinning, the girl struggled to find her voice at the sensation of the power she could feel her Uncle pulling in to strike her down. Lost in her desperate try to think of where she had slipped, she nearly forgot to conjure a counter spell as she stood there stiff as a wide-eyed statue.
Suddenly, Chaos flew through the arch of the window that had been widened from the shattered frame. "Mistress!" he shouted in finding the child. Landing onto his hoofed feet, he gripped his Queen's shoulder to force her attention to meet his frantic expression. "We need the gates to be opened. Now. The castle is all but exposed after that attack!"
In hearing how his own fate now rested with the child and her ability to wield more soldiers, Dekim immediately released the hold on the energy he was holding back. "Yes," he half-snarled to her as he righted himself, "open the gates, Mariemaia."
For good measure, he added, "And see that they are held open until those Keepers and their precious rebels are destroyed. We will be there with you to see that you are not... disturbed."
To see that she did as she was told, Khushrenada translated. Now with two powerful entities breathing down her neck, she truly had no choice but to see the deed through. She needed to stay alive just long enough to see that the Alliance was able to reach her spell room to permanently seal the gates once again.
With a rough swallow, the Queen nodded and hurried down the hall with her 'guardians' close behind.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In the South....
"There are so many of them!" Odin growled deeply as he beheaded an ogre that had made to break through the line forged around the infirmary tents. And there were more demons coming.
Perhaps these demons were not of the continuous surge as was waiting in Paramecia, but there was a steady flow of challengers charging in to make their own claim on what rebels they could.
Already back into the thick of the skirmish, Mueller kept close to the Romefeller officer. Fighting for breath, the young man shook his head, "Your son warned us that we were going to tire fast when dealing with these monsters. I just don't know how much more of this we'll be able take at this rate."
Off in the distant tree lines, the horrific sounds of shrill screams from the scouts that had been making their runs in and out of the darkness to report what they could from the north could be heard over the sounds of the battle. "The kids," the burly Captain breathed. "Those bastards must have learned of their shrouds thanks to the spy that girl sent!"
Not caring for their own safety, Odin and Mueller rushed for the edge of the forest while taking out every opposition along their way. Other Fighters followed suit, their own worries falling on the young charges of their ranks. Once they were within the shade of the trees, the soldiers gasped at the sight of several small bodies lying on the ground... some moving and others not.
His vision clouded over in a haze of deep red, Lowe unleashed a loud cry and pushed himself deeper into the woods as fast as he could move in his full armor.
At the first sight of the beasts that were literally sniffing the air for their little targets, the Fighters yelled as one and cut the lot down in swift, violent assaults. Thinned in their numbers, those gruesome beasts were easy pickings for the tempered warriors who were rejuvenated in their need for vengeance.
When the skirmish was over, Odin peered around his surroundings and cupped the side of his mouth as he called, "Scouts! Is anyone still here?!"
There was nothing made in means of a response other than the wind that played with the branches high overhead. The small groans and whimpers of the injured children were the only other sound for a long pause.
Shoulders sagging, the Captain tried again with more desperation on his cut face and in his voice, "Kids?! It's safe to come out now!"
"H-here," a small voice called at last. Up in a low resting branch a few yards ahead, a boy nine physical years in age appeared at the removal of his shroud.
Soon, more than a dozen others that had hidden themselves the way that Duo had taught them stepped from the nooks and crannies of the woods. In all of their enlarged eyes was the fright that they carried after having to watch their friends fall at the claws of the monsters that had hunted them down.
Falling to his knees, Odin breathed a sigh of relief. "Come along, now," he urged softly. Mueller and those closest by lowered themselves at the same time that the children rushed into their opening arms to cling on with all of their strength.
Caught up by the soft sobs of the little ones, Lowe fought to keep his own emotions in check. He cleared his throat and rubbed the backs of the children in his care, telling them softly, "This way." Wiping their eyes, the scouts held onto his hands and arms as they followed him through the trees to return to the tents.
Those Fighters that did not have a young one with them were kind enough to have already cleared the bodies and taken the wounded away... but the blood patches in the snow and glistening on the frozen stalks of grass were enough of a reminder to what had transpired. Mueller and his 'brothers' shielded their little ones' eyes from the sight in their passing.
Reaching the clearing, the children were scooped up so that the soldiers could run them to the tents furthest away from potential danger.
Inside, Sally and her fellow Healers peered up from their diligent treatment of the Scouts who could be saved. A rush of air escaping her, the braided woman spoke with the gifted at her table and waited for their nods that the small patient was fine in their hands before moving to the Captain.
Quickly looking over the newest bunch of fresh faces, Po gave a brave smile and bent at the waist to be closer to them.
Cupping the face of the boy who had revealed himself to Odin, Po gently brushed the tears from his face with her thumbs.
"You have all done brilliantly, Ian," she whispered, gathering all of her strength to not come apart. With a kiss to the top of his soft, brown hair, she pulled back and suggested, "Why don't you lead the others over to Hilde's station? If any of you wish to be of help here, we could use all of the help we can get running her medicine around."
His grief giving way to determination to be of any sort of assistance for the bright-eyed Scout. Gulping down the thickness in his throat, he grinned in kind and straightened his shoulders with a brave, "Okay, Sally. We'll be the best runners."
Drying their own cheeks, the other kids nodded in agreement and hurried to the smirking Alchemist standing by to greet them at the far end of the tent. If nothing else, there was a sense of purpose for the youngest of the rebels again... a distraction that they needed to collect their desire to be a part of the cause against the darkness that had left them orphans.
A few tears filling her vision, Sally shook her head and muttered to herself, "Those poor children. They have already been through so much." Facing the tall Fighter, she frowned deeply, "We have more Scouts than what we have accounted for here."
Lowe nodded, "I know. Many of them are still out and sending back what news they can. I will have some of my men stationed through the forest to intercept them and keep their way back cleared of any threats."
Reassured by that, Po ran a hand over her dampened brow. Lowering her voice as much as she could she asked, "How is it out there? Really?"
The inquiry was more than understandable for the Captain. Though the walls of the tent sealed off the view of it, the sounds of the struggle were pronounced enough. And the Healer was wise enough to keep the question from the ears of the already occupied medicsund. Their care of the injured was the best bet in keeping them alive.
As anyone would have expected, those Fighters who were well enough when repaired were off and rushing outside to serve as reinforcements for the guard of the encampment. There could be no pause in the rotation of those healings.
"We are holding on," Odin answered finally. Fixing his Commander's soul mate with a firm gaze, he told her, "You are all doing a wonderful job here."
Sally righted herself with wide eyes. 'And we need this operation to continue as... or we are all in grave danger.' That was the purposely unspoken message. If anyone else got wind of how thin the line was between their survival and their destruction there would have been frantic chaos.
Her head nodding firmly, Po replied simply, "Understood." Well aware that she grasped the whole of his message, Lowe nodded back. Just then, the sound of the battles rose in pitch with a series of new roars and blasts.
Before Odin could finish spinning in readiness to head outside, Mueller ducked inside the tent again, an elated smile on his face. "Sir! You have to see this! We have some new recruits!" he laughed.
Following after the soldier, the Captain ran through the door frame and slid to a halt at the sight of dragons pouring fire down on their enemies. These steeds were not a part of the injured transport. No doubt the Air Keeper had called upon this new wave for backup.
And they were making an incredible difference in shielding the encampment. They may not have been completely in the clear, but suddenly the situation was a great deal less grim for the White Fang.
Odin peered over his shoulder to find Mueller and a couple of dozen other Fighters staring in surprise at the display. Glaring, he bellowed, "Well, what are you all just standing around and gawking for?! Let's move and give them a hand!"
Instantly broken from their shock, the warriors flashed him sheepish grins and hurried to join their 'brothers.' Shaking his head in amusement, the Captain was right behind them.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Back in Paramecia...
"Make ready!" was shouted along the lines of soldiers within Quatre's shield. Crouching and getting into their defensive stances, the whole army glared at the walls before them in preparation for whatever was awaiting them.
Heero gripped the hilt of his sword in both hands, raising it to have its edge rest on a shoulder.
Scythe in hand, Duo tapped into his dark magic.
Trowa spun his staff at his side while squatting down to spring at the first appearance of a challenger.
Getting set to remove the hold on his power, Quatre made note of his twin blades as well as the underlying warmth of his white magic.
With a deep growl, Wufei bent himself forward with his fangs bared.
Nooking an arrow to string, Anna set it ablaze. Raising her bow and pulling the projectile back, she aimed it ahead of her as she sang in a whisper to herself, "One kiss my bonny sweetheart, I´m after a prize tonight but I should be back with the yellow gold before the morning light...."
"...Yet if they press me sharply and harry me through the day, then look for me by the moonlight.... Watch for me by the moonlight. I´ll come to thee by the moonlight though hell should bar the way." [1]
As soon as complete silence fell over the army, Winner caught the wave from Commander Firion that all was in order. Letting out a deep breath, the Water Keeper closed his eyes and allowed his gift to release the dome. Within the blink of an eye, the solid structure evaporated into nothingness...
...and the entire length of land leading to the damaged castle was clear of any obstacle.
Taken aback by that, the whole of the White Fang stood in open shock for a moment. And it was Heero to recover first. Sending off a shrill cry that was immediately followed by the same from the other rebels, he led the way for the castle...
Little did any of them know what was transpiring inside.
The very second Mariemaia opened her eyes at the cast of her spell, she knew that something was terribly wrong. Dampened by sweat, she gripped the railing of the high ledge in her throne room. Nearly the whole of the rounded floor was opened as two literal doors of blackened rock were flipped out to an endless wave of demons pouring through.
Only this time something very powerful was holding the gateway opened... and it was with a chill that the Sorceress realized Abaddon himself was forcing them from closing on his end. He had seen the child's deception and was going to guarantee that he could decide his own destiny.
Even though he could not enter Gaia until after the Keepers were destroyed, the Dark Lord would see that everything within his control would be sent upon them.
'Nonononononono,' Khushrenada thought to herself. At either side of her, Chaos and Dekim watched the deadly monsters pouring through with dark smiles. So this was where they would be making their final stand... where their enemies would be in the greatest amount of danger.
The final act had been set into motion. And the two sides of the war were about to meet face-to-face in closing the play.
In the back of her mind, Mariemaia imagined the checkerboard that she had used in analogy to the fight. The Queen for either team was exposed... waiting for the last move...
Check.
TBC...
[1] Lyrics to Loreena McKennitt's 'The Highwayman.'
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