“Thanks, Lucious.” Emma smiled weakly while holding her head with mild pain. Olwen and Lowen nodded gratefully at Lucious as the twin shield knights roused themselves and readied for the second battle. “...Take care of Cassian for me...” Lucious nodded strongly at Emma’s whispered request as the red-robed lady Maeist joined with Julian and Olwen and Lowen to assist Merridian and Lucson in their fight against the Grimkeeper. “Well done, kid.” Floki commended without looking at the boy as he concentrated on Cassian’s wounds with a serious expression. Nodded with appreciation, Cassia continued to stand guard in front of Floki and watched out for the incoming danger. Lucious went to Pop and roused him with a shock of Natura. The bald lancer jumped and walloped Lucious’s chin with an uppercut. Falling on the ground dazzled, Lucious groaned in pain as Pop rose up with an annoyed expression and went to retrieve his spear.
“...Next time, be careful...” Pop offered Lucious his hand after retrieved his spear. Lucious tried not to notice Pop’s embarrassed expression as the bald warrior turned his face elsewhere. “...What an ungrateful puppy...” Lucious was quite surprised at Cassia’s relaxed sneering as Pop flared at the statement and flew toward the female knight. “...Enough!! You two...” Hearing a firm and commanding voice, Lucious rushed to Floki with joy and relief. Cassian was lucid with a pale yet determined expression. Grabbing at his wound with his right arm, the knight leader stared sternly at his quarrelling members and gestured toward the escalating battle between the members under Merridian’s lead and the Grimkeeper. “...You two. Go and substitute Merridian. She’s pushing herself.” Cassia nodded in relief and apology while Pop sighing with exhaustion before joining the battle.
“And you should move no more for today...No, for weeks...” Cassian raised his eyebrows in plain admonishment but Floki had none of it. The old Maeist slapped at Cassian’s chest lightly and looked on as the young knight convulsed with severe coughs with some blood. “Are you sure about it, lad?” Cassian ignored Floki’s sarcastic question and turned his gaze to Lucious. “...It seems I caused you great inconvenience, Lucious. My apology and thank you for your brave effort.” Lucious shook his head and his hands in guilt and embarrassment as the knight leader bowed his head in apology and gratitude. “Alright, now. You’re putting the boy in a hard spot.” Cassian muttered a silent thank to his instructor as the old Maeist inspected the wounds once more.
“...So, you got yourself a hole in the chest...” Looking up, Lucious felt a slight prick of fear at Merridian as the swordswoman approached with the look of a beast amidst a fierce hunt. “...Don’t stare that hard, Merri. Alright, I messed up.” Giving up at Merridian’s deep scrutiny, Cassian shrugged his shoulders helplessly while sitting on the ground to catch his breath. “...Wait...Why...How’re you managed to...?” Looking at Merridian with questioning eyes, Cassian looked across the battle before closing his eyes in exasperation. “...You’re really a terrible person...Leaving those three covering your back...” Lucious shivered at his imagination of the scene where Quingon, Penn, and Gabriel were forced to fetch for themselves while facing the endless hordes of undead without a mean to purify the dead.
“Say what you want, loser. But you’re alive because of me...and the boy...” Lucious looked away partially in shame as the root of Cassian’s recklessness was his capture at the hands of the Grimkeeper. “Not your fault, Lucious. He is supposed to know the cunningness of a Grimkeeper.” Lucious looked at Merridian in surprise. “...Don’t bother. I just know.” Merridian shrugged her shoulders with a mocking smile. “...You’re right. For now, I’m thankful for your resourcefulness...” Struggling to sound his gratitude, Cassian smiled weakly before relapsed to several coughs. “Lad, you need to keep it down.” “You and I both know this is the strongest Grimkeeper we ever meet. Perhaps, the strongest since more than half of a century ago in the Principle’s history...” Floki squirmed his eyes in silence. “...This is not enough. Not yet...We need more hands...” “What do you think you can do in your condition?” “...You know what to do, old dog...” Gesturing to the battling members, Cassian’s eyes curved in resolute.
“You crazy Clypeus fanatic. First Lucious, now you?!” Floki roared in anger at the stubborn young knight leader. “...What happened?” “This crazy lad wants us to help him break his limiter...in his condition.” Lucious widened his eyes in horror as Floki poked at the defiant Cassian who refused to budge. “This is the only way. I must return...” “No way, you will not be alive after that. You might not even survive the bet...” “Please, Cassian...” Cassian frowned in frustration at the desperate objection of both the mentor and the apprentice. “There is no time for this...” Cassian was about to start an argument with the duo when a voice interjected.
Merridian stood with her arms folded across her armour. “...Why don’t we use the boy...” Floki and Cassian, even Lucious froze in their place. “Merridian...what’re...” “Don’t be stupid, Floki. We all know there’s always something special about the ones who survived the baptism of a Grimkeeper.” Looking at Lucious with an icy glance, she continued. “...Judging from the start, from Fang Coyotes and your recent behaviour, it is something about your barrier, isn’t it?” Lucious looked like he had his tongue caught in the middle of his throat. Without waiting for Lucious’s confirmation, Merridian looked directly at his instructor. “Floki, there is no other choice. We must make use of his unique ability now or never.” “But...there is much we don’t know of...and the boy is not able to control...” “Then, will it be possible for you...for all the Maeists to help him to stay on his toes?”
Leaving Floki in deep contemplation, Merridian turned to Cassian. “Merri...” “You’re in no circumstance to join the fight anymore, loser. It’ll be a disaster on my profile. The one who left a Clypeus to his death.” “...Is there no other way?” “No. From the time when you got yourself injured, this is the only way.” Merridian retorted without pulling her punch as Cassian winced at the result of his recklessness. “...Relax, Cassian. At least, Lucious is still alive due to your effort.” Cassian tightened his eyebrows in deep thought before lowering his shoulders in resignation. “You win this time. I will slink to a corner...” “Be a good boy and wait until I return.” Merridian cast a devious smile at the knight before focusing back to Lucious. “Floki, do you think it’s possible for the Maeists to help Lucious?” Repeating her questions once again, Merridian did not let Lucious out of her gaze. “...Maybe...We did not try before...But it should work...logically...probably...” “That’s good enough for me.” Nodding with approval, Merridian shut Floki with a firm look before addressing Lucious. “...Can you do it, Lucious?”
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