Gale was still on a knee waiting for forgiveness. He'd sucked up his pride but the laboring with a growing hate. Magic or no magic, he was still pissed that they'd stopped him earlier. Finally, sick of waiting he slowly lifted his head, his eyes met with Mia's as he was lowly growling the horses started to move frightenedly. Why sould I bow myself foolishly on one knee asking forgiveness? I'm nothing to be sorry for. Those idiot elves here, wanted to stop me, their fault. But I will not be humbled for a right choice. "Mia, you little foolish elf. I have no time to care or wait anymore. Get out of my way. That is all I'll say." Mia shot him a glare to freeze anyone to the core, but it didn't seem to affect him. First clenched at her side and her back rigid, she radiated such coldness even Lucied and Fou-Lu backed away. "Leave then you bloody fool wolf. I'm not saving your ass this time." She turned away and returned to the window, Lucied trailing her. Fou-Lu stared at Gale, impassive at first, then as Gale passed, he stepped in front of him to stop him. "Don't you dare speak to her like that," he growled close to the were-wolf's face. Hand on Ruin's Fate, he was ready to fight. "Fou-Lu, don't waste your time," Mia called from the window. It was apparent to everyone within the next few seconds that Gale had been sourly underestimated and was as they feared, unpredictable, to a deadly extreme. His eyes seemed to radiate a coldness that was crushing out Mia's. "Little elf, you'd BEST be moving out of my way. I speak to anyone in any way I see fit. You or her can not stop me, no more than you can stop the Chaos." But Fou-Lu wouldn't move, he remained in Gale's face growling in anger. It was the next few seconds that were so critically a surprise to everyone. "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!" This caused Mia to whip around in shock. Gale snapped his heasd back and head butt Fou with such force that the cracking sound might have been the sound of Fou's skull cracking. When Mia made a move to get to Fou, he thought she was going at him and his spear's edge found her side, the speed and force of the swing cut her side, spinning her body around as his right fist hooked down and swept out her feet. Lucied snarled and lept at Gale, ready to tear his throat out, but Gale blocked the flying wolf with the shaft of his spear. The wolf yelped and fly in the other direction into a wall. After his assault, Gale took off out the door, moving with the speed of wind. He was heading right for Roid with a completely relaxed self. He was finally letting go of the restraint he'd been putting on himself. "Foolish elves, they were wrong to have stopped me before I wouldn't have died, just as I won't now. I don't need any of them. I only need Sevrina." Gale let out a bone chilling, blood curdling howl that rose to Roid, even in the midst of battle, a howl that Sevrina would know. Azala jumped slightly as his elven ears picked up the cracking noise, he turned to see Gale rush out of the temple. He looked breifly at Seri before getting up and rushing in the chapel to see Mia and Fou in bad shape. He rushed over to Mia and checked the wound, definatly not a sword or knife wound. He placed his fingers around it to try to lessen the bleeding. "That damn son of a bitch...he better hope he gets killed in Roid...if I catch him he's gonna wish his mother had never gave birth to him..." He mumbled under his breath as he looked at Mia. "A nasty scratch you got here young'un...well, we'll just get that priestess to heal ya up." He kept his fingers on the wound. "SAKURA!!! WE NEED YOU NOW!!!" He yelled as loud as he could. "Fou..." Mia moaned and tired to push herself up. Azala kept her firmly pinned however. "Get off me...I've had worse..." she muttered. Well, maybe, maybe not. Either way, she didn't care. Her only concerns were for Fou-Lu laying unconscious nearby. "Azala...let me go...Fou needs help..." Lucied limped back to them after being thrown against a wall. Whimpering, he first nuzzled Mia's head, then moved to Fou-Lu and lied beside the dark elf, obviously in excrutiating pain. Azala kept her pinned down. "Yeah, you might have had worse, but that doesn't mean this wound isn't bad." He stated deadly serious, looking over at Fou. He paused for a few moments before picking Mia up and setting her on a pew. "Keep pressure on the wound...I'll bring Fou over." He stated flatly as he walked over to Fou, he looked over the unconsious dark elf before picking him up, making sure to support his head and laying him next to Mia. "Gale did this right? Why the hell did he slash you?" Seri moved up by Mia, placing her hands on the wound. She chewed her lip anxiously, she had never really dealt with wounds like this. She trusted Azala though. He'd been out in the world. Sometimes Seri felt like such a child around them both. "What do we do about Gale? Let him be? He will only continue to fight us. He is a burden to us." * * * Look at these poor people. Cha Za, bless them. The little girl led the young priestess to her house. As Sakura looked around, a small tear creeped down her face. All of the pain and suffering these people endured and she lived comfortably in the temple of Cha Za. Entering the house, Sakura saw the girl's father. He laid in a makeshift pallet and was obviously sick. She rushed over to him without a word, and placed a soft hand on his feverish head. The little girl walked up beside her with pleading eyes. Sakura smiled reassuringly and began to sing a song of healing as well as using her own power. The man was surrounded in a burgundy glow as the holy magic began fighting the cancerous cells in his body. Oblivious to the outside world, Sakura added her own power, allowing his cells to heal and regenerate. She nearly passed out from the effort but after her song she looked at the man satisfied. All though he was sleeping, his fever was gone and the color in his skin seemed to be more vivid. The priestess stood up and smiled once again at the little girl before placing a small vile of medicine into the man's hand. "Make sure he mixes this into his soup and make him rest." The girl nodded and ran back to her father's side. Sakura began walking back to the others when she heard Gale's roar. She jogged back to the others, despite her creeping fatigue. Entering the hut she frowned and immediately ran over to Mia's side. Brushing Azala and Seri away she sang her song of healing. She looked at Fou Lu and healed his head also. Standing up she looked at all of them frowning. Sakura opened her mouth to speak but then decided against it. Slumping into a corner she closed her eyes from exhaustion. Azala crossed his arms, this was the very last straw. "We can't trust him ever again. His mind isn't right, his mind is so into that woman he seems to lust after that he would make such a moronic move as to charge into Roid as one person versus an army. We could go after him, but I won't travel with him, hell, if I see him again I'm considering him an enemy and I'll kill him on sight." He sighed, brushing some hair out of his face. "Our next plan of action should be to go to Glassy woods to get the elves and centaurs there to give us assistance. After that, well, I think we should probably wait for the others to arrive at Roid then attack in full force." He moved as Sakura rushed in, healed Mia and Fou, then fell in exaustion. He wondered exactly if those two boys she seemed to have an attraction to had anything to do with it, but shrugged it off. "No matter what we do we should probably let Sakura and little Mia..." Scratches Mia under the chin in a joking manner. "Rest for a little bit. And,as much as I like playing the tough old elf, I think I could use some R&R as well." Mia thanked Sakura and sat up. "He's going to pay. It's as simple as that," she replied to Azala as she checked where the wound had been. "That fool will get us all killed. I agree Azala, lets head to your home. Mia swatted at Azala's hand after he tickled her chin. "You old fart," she added with a smirk. * * * Gale swiped his arm to the side, uprooting a tree, tossing it aside as he barreled through the forest, heading toward's Roid. It wasn't far off either. He could see the edge of the forest. He smirked at the memory of Fou-Lu having pushed him to the limit where he openly smashed his skull into his. But he did he feel a bit or remorse, Fou was defending Mia, as cold as the Ice Queen she was. And Mia was coming for him. He had to react or he'd probably have been attacked and the others couldn't have possably understood Gale. Eh, he didn't give a flying fuck now, they were far behind him and the damage he'd done to Fou would be enough to keep the well busy. "Heh heh heh, foolish boy. I told them all my past, I warned them I wasn't to be fooled with. Why did he do? Fooled with me and I called his challenge. Now, he felt my rage. That fool best not triffle with me again...if he lives." Gale reached the forest's edge and jumped out, he could see the reddish skies of Roid as the chaos and battles were doing hell to it. He smiled with the idea of battle. The red background light that was thrown across Roid as Gale stood on the roof of a building at the ever edge of the city looked devilish. He actually...felt comfort here. The fields of battle had been the only thing he'd really known in his life. So battle was home. "I'm so glad I got that out. Fou had that coming for a long time. Mia didn't...oh well...she came at me. This is battle. I think I fully understand that saying, 'All's fair in love and war.' I'll bet none of them saw it coming. I'll also bet they won't understand my actions either." Gale's eyes narrowed as he felt a cold powerful arua not far away. IT had to be Cray. Evil or not, he no longer cared about vengence, he wanted Sevrina and nothing else, other than blood from his victoms. "Idiots...these creatures, where did they craw forth from? Don't matter, they're in my way..." A low, rasping, demon voice spoke, "We are? THen allow us to send you to a place were paths don't matter! DIE HUMAN!" Gale shifted to his were-wolf form and turned to face the demons, who'd abruptly stopped at his change. "What'd you call me?! NEVER!! NEVER CALL ME A HUMAN!!" He dashed forward and plundged his spear into the head of the demon that spoke. The other one, rushed at Gale and slashed hard, striking the armor which it deflected off of. It was in shock that it's sword didn't shatter the armor in two, just befor a spear split it up the middle. He was finished with two more fools. He walked on, heading deeper into Roid, Humans that were alive were seeming to take the opprtunity to flee down the path of dead demon's Gale was cutting. Things would get much tougher, but Gale didn't care. Battle brought out the best in him, the true nature in him and his kind. Sevrina crouched on the slanted roof of a shattered apartment watching Gale from the distance. Drenched in demon blood, even he wouldn't be able to smell her from this distance. Her usual cold smirk touched her lips again. Below, Blade was fighting. Sevrina left him on his own when she heard Blaze call. He could handle himself, and if not, oh well. She was aching and exhausted herself, only the adrenaline kept her going at the moment. With out that high of battle, she would likely pass out on the spot. She was tough though, a dark elf accustomed to having to push herself past her limits. She could take it. She had no choice. Behind her, she heard the click of large claws on the roof. She waited for the demon to come up from the other side of the roof and the minute it was within view, she leapt up and slashed her rapier through it's head and shoulders, cleaving it. A fresh splattering of dark blood covered her face and she barely noticed. After yanking her blade free, she leapt to next roof, then the next, paralleling Gale two streets over. On a couple occasions she had to hack at winged demons swooping down on her. Eventually, she made her way ahead of Gale. The roofs were safer than the streets. Even in her fatigue she was fast. About a block ahead of Gale, she jumped down and waited for him. "Here wolfie, wolfie," she called out and chuckled to herself. "Somebody wants to meet you." A demon which appeared to be a twisted combination of dog and rabbit loped out from the next street directly at Sevrina. "Bloody things. They never get up. Don't have a brain worth mentioning," she muttered to herself and cracked her whip at the thing and caught a foreleg. She yanked the flailing beast to her and cracked it's skull open with a downward stab of her rapier. Looking at the brains splatter on her boot, she added, "Huh. What'dya know." Gale's feet pounded the ground under him in the almost silent battlefield. His steps drew the attention of a few of the larger demons who laughed at the armored spearman. "Laugh now, it'll be the last thing you'll ever do. When a demon dies it's sent to oblivian. Looking to jump off the mortal coil so quickly? Get out of my way you idiots. I don't have time for you..." "What? IMPUDENT FOOL! You threaten us? You will make a fine kill." Gale's eyes shone red as he lundged forward cleaving the arm off the leader and slamming a spiked gauntleted fist into one of the other ones. The third swung his sword at him, but missed terribly and struck the demon that was punched. Gale, with one quick spinning attack took off the heads of all three demons. Fresh blood painted the walls in the street he was at. His eyes shot up as a familiar scent carried to his nose and the sound of a whp cracking. He smiled coldly as he went down the street to see Sevrina covered in demon blood with a demon dead at her feet. "I see you're having fun. I didn't have fun until I finally let it all out. Sevrina, my love. I've missed you, and I've missed the call of battle. Those fools in the group can't understand us. That idiot Mia and her 'dog' Fou-Lu. I have no regrets on what I did to him. Come, tell me, what has happened?" Sevrina chuckled with her smirk. "Ahh...now I remember why I fell in love with you," she strode toward him swaying seductivly. "You naughty wolf..." she added, shaking a finger at him playfully. Then she jumped on him, kissing him passionately After a long moment, she pulled away. "Unfortunately I dont have the time to punish you properly." She jumped back down the ground and picked up her weapons. "Come with me," she said and bolted down the street to where she left Blade. A huge smirk was plastered across Gale's face as he watched Sevrina's swaying figure with great amusement. "Heh, please, punish me when we get a chance. I haven't been punished in a long time. I've missed you. You'd have laughed if you'd seen what I've done. You had to see the look in Fou-Lu's eyes the moment after my skull connected with him. It was a shock, bewildered, and disbelieving look. He must have thought I wasn't going to challenge him back. Bad news for him, challenge an Alpha male and expect to get beat." He followed her closely, his weapon felt relaxed as he could easily handle the demons that showed their faces. They were little more that a warm up. He was hoping for something to give him better sport. He didn't care about revenge too much now, but he'd still like to go at Cray. Sevrina chuckled softly. "Silly boy. I don't see why Mia hangs around him, she's a tough girl. Doesn't need a man," her reply was distant, most of her attention was on the demons and finding Cray. Her ears were pricked and she walked softly, sticking to the shadows. She could hear her pulse pounding in her head and fought back a wave of dizziness and nausea. Her steps wavered and she bumped against a wall. "Argh..." she growled and pushed away from the wall. Damn this body. Just a little longer...Sevrina took a deep breath and actually prayed for a demon to come so she could get another rush. Falaris, all I need is a little rest. "No!" she grumbled. She couldn't go much longer. May as well bring them to her. "CRAY!! BLADE!!" * * * "Tch! I told her not to wander." Cray growled while sweeping his dark weapon through a beast made of ice. "Go to her Blade... I shall stay here." "R... Right." Blade hopped to it immediately, taking to the air and stepping off heads to faceless ice beasts towards the sound of the voice. Cray turned towards the circle that began tightening around him. "Enough games Vesper, Nalentha." Fire exploded out in a ring from Cray, consuming the frozen demons leaving the area silent. No new creatures came to fill the void. Cray simply stepped forward towards the broken palance gates... * * * Gale came up next to Sevrina and looked at her. "You're tired. It's no place to rest but I think you'd better stop and take a few breathes. I didn't search all this time to lose you. And I'll be damned if you think I'm gonna let you die. I only live to be with you." His spear struck the ground, the shaft striking the ground was loud enough to echo in the silence around them. It was what was being waited for as a Demon come around the corner of a broken building and lundged at Gale. "Careless..." He dropped to the ground and swung his spear in an arching motion over himself. The Demon stopped and went to strike at Sevrina when it split in half and fell dead. The spear was still crackling with power."Foolish creatures. Slow, yet fast to assume an attack. Sevrina, let us rest here until Cray or Blade arrive. I don't exactly care for either, but, what is their motive? Cray hasn't attacked any of the group in some time. Know any reason why?" Sevrina chuckled. "I'm tougher than that, I'll live. A little exhaustion wont be the end of me. I just need to keep going a little longer..." She was tempted to refuse his offer for rest, but the ache in her bones was begging her to stop. Giving a little smile, she nodded. "We will rest." Leaning against the wall of an abandoned tailor's shop, she slumped down to the ground. "When we see Cray, he will explain. Do not be brash as you usually are, hear him out." * * * "Why didn't you stop him?" Naclia demanded of the elven guard by one of the shattered bridges near Roid. She wheeled her horse around, trying to get the anxious animal under control. "He was alone, determined to set something right I would guess," the guard spoke in the common tongue for Talen's sake. "I figured if someone wanted in there so bad, may as well. Let him become a demon's lunch. Besides, he didn't seem like the type to get in an argument with." Another elf approached, a woman. "Aye, I believe he was a were-wolf too, I've seen a few before. They seem to have the aura of both wolf and man at the same time." 'Were-wolf' caught Naclia's attention and she looked down at the woman from her saddle. And was immediately taken aback by the woman's face. If her skin were darker, she could have passed for Mia's sister, or even mother by the agelessness she had about her. Years of experience. Naclia blurted out, "Where do you hail from sister? What is your name?" She bit her lip to hold back questions about knowing Mia. The other woman smiled, "My name is Arcellia, I'm from Kanon. I came here to see what good I could do here. Now what about you two, I would say you're Mirror Forest, and judging by that handsome boy's armor, I'd say he was a Mossian knight." Naclia smiled only slightly, it was the best she could give when reminded of her homeland. "I am Naclia, this is Talen. Your assumptions were right." She had to somehow be related to Mia, she had the same independence and commanding presence Mia had. Naclia had to get back to the situation at hand however. "The were-wolf, what did he look like? Did he carry a spear?" The other elven guard replied this time, giving a perfect description of Gale. {Damnit!} Naclia growled an elven equivalency of the word and clenched the reins. "That bloody wolf is gonna get himself hurt." Probably trying to get revenge on Cray by himself. The fool! Not while I'm around! I got my revenge on Ralathan, I will at least get a shot in on Cray if it kills me! Naclia was clenching the reins and saddle horn so hard her hands hurt. She then sighed and released her grip, But I'm not stupid enough to do it on my own. Or take all the glory for myself. She felt a tear on her cheek and tried to fight back the rest. With a growl, she wiped the back of her hand across her face. I can only hope the others are in Shinning Hill. "Thanks for your help," she muttered to Arcellia and the other guard and wheeled her horse around to leave again.