The Valiant

*Taiyo begins a Mincing Minuet while Mimiru continues advancing towards the Chemist. Azuma stops going for the Archer and goes for the Knight.*

*If Rhea has any little MP left, she tries to cast Moogle on Parker (unless it affects an area), while backing away from the three thieves. Reiter starts moving towards the Chemist and Parker towards the Archer.*

"Excellent, and does the church need to order anything else?"

~Grogh~

*Each of the thieves stabs Mimiru in turn. The archer, of course, shoots her again, critically wounding her.*

Woman<Where do you think you're going, missy?>

Knight<I'm the leader, yet I always get the job of hacking up the brutes.>

*He slashes at Azuma. Everyone just ignores the clueless, MP-less summoner.*
===================================
~Mullonde~

<I don't have any requests in from the Holy Office.>

"They know the usual channels to reach me. Thank you for your time" Sorrel exits.

Zac splits the damage with the archer, then tries to get a good line of sight to shoot the fucker.

--

Noct goes back to her Mincing Minuet after flying to land, and Mortal goes to where the already dead skeleton is, waiting for it to spring back to life so she can rekill it.

~Fenlands~

*The skeleton shoots Euryale with lightning right before Euryale puts it down.*

~0,3~
=================================
~Finath River~

*He would have to jump down & wade pretty far down the river. Even if he got to the end of the hill, the angle would be too awkward to hit him. Meanwhile, let's say Seraph & Roatha put the samurai down with a blast of lightning & a lucky strike, respectively. Right before Seraph is run through with a spear.*

Grimms<So you took down most of my Black Sheep guard? Do you think that will be enough?>

*Lilith slices Grimms down the back, but he doesn't even react. Grimms then clobbers Seraph with his mace, critically wounding him.*
=====================================
~Mullonde~

<Yes, any time, Ser.>

Zac gives up on the fucker and returns to shoot Grimms with a Barrage.

--

"If they're all dead why isn't the battle over?"

"How do you know it isn't?"

~Fenlands~

"What do you expect? For the skeletons' spirits to just suddenly vanish, without crystallizing or rising again?"

*As Euryale is wading her way back over, the skeleton gets up with a few broken ribs, a missing horn, & some absent arm & finger bones.*

"Case in point."

~2~
=====================================
~Finath River~

*Roatha charges in, shoving Seraph out of the way & slashing Grimms both times. Lilith also stabs him again. He lets out a growl, turning towards her. She grabs his first attack, & his second is a glancing blow. The archer stays where he is & downs a potion. Seraph begins charging his next spell.*

R"What is this guy MADE of?"

Mortal tears into the fucker with two strikes, and hopefully as many Ice spells.

--

"Flesh and bone, just like the rest of us," Zac said, shooting another Barrage, "There are more of us than there are of him, so if we just keep at him, and he'll go down eventually."

~Fenlands~

*He drops dead again. Euryale manages to catch up with the badly-wounded Mortal in time to heal them both from the poison status.*

"I wish we could see to it that they find rest, but it could be beyond our stamina. Perhaps we should simply leave."

~1,3~
========================================
~Finath River~

*The archer uses another potion. Baron Grimms crosses his weapons & puts all of his strength into charging past Roatha, knocking him aside.*

Grimms<Ridiculous! You honestly think you can win just because of your superior numbers? Shed a hundred thousand drops of obscure blood, it will not equal that of a Great Baron! Much less so that of commoners!>

"No man is greater than another," Zac said, shooting another barrage, "We're all going to end up as worm food, you included, and I pray the worm that eats of you is used to gild a poor man's fishing hook, so that you may one day find yourself progressing through the gut of the commoners you insult."

--

"Perhaps we should."

~Mullonde~

*Euryale offers Mortal her arm for support, & after a quick boat ride, they arrive at the same large, Catholic-style cathedral, with the same group of priests standing atop it that I introduced several posts ago.*

White Mage<State your names & business!>
=======================================
~Finath River~

<I should expect such ignorance from a common thief! Worms do not eat the corpses of nobility, for no creature would DARE eat its superior. What protection do YOUR names afford you from imprisonment, or death? None! You just become food for the real heroes!>

*He turns to attack Seraph, but Roatha parries the strike. Seraph then blasts him with lightning. By this point, reflect & shell have worn off.*

R"What an oddly specific word choice."

*The archer chooses this moment to jump up from his hiding spot & fire an arrow into Zac's back.*

Zac splits the damage, and shoots a Barrage at the fucker.

--

"Mortal Talea, um... hm, what is a good way to phrase what we're here for?"

Sorrel happens to be exiting at this time and see Mortal and Euryale. He decides to wait and see what's going on.

~Mullonde~

"I honestly didn't think that far ahead...umm...we came to learn about the church & its history!"

<We don't give tours, woman.>
=====================================
~Finath River~

*The archer, critically wounded once more, shoots at Zac & runs back towards his hiding place. Grimms begins backing up the hill.*

<Yes, well, all most nobles cared to know about the Corpse Brigade was that they were commoners. If you could find a group of peasant swine no one could recognize...it's not as though Gallione would go to great pains to get them back....>

*Grimms roars, surrounding himself with the red glow again.*

S"I'm out."

*Seraph walks over to the tree & sits down.*

Zac splits the damage, and downs a potion, "Wait, did you just call me a 'common thief'?"

--

Noctis, in all honesty, was fine either way, so she just stood there, waiting for something to happen.

"What must one do to gain access?" Mortal asked, "What business is proper?"

~Finath River~

*The archer actually dies from the damage split. By this point, the summoner has crystallized. Baron Grimms keeps moving towards it.*

<Yes, I called you a common thief! What else would I call you?!>
====================================
~Mullonde~

White Mage<None that you are likely to have! This is a serious institution, we are not here to fulfill your idle curiosity. Return from whence you came, & speak with your local small-town clergy.>

Summoner<Actually, I think "Talea" is a Lesalian name.>

White Mage<Does it really matter, Samantha? Does it?>

Summoner<Okay, okay, calm down.>

Zac uses Leg Shot, "I'm a Sky Pirate, and barring that, I'm far from common."

--

Noctis shrugged, and tried her hand at a bluff, since it seemed they had little to lose, "We're actually here on our father's behalf," She said, "My family would have liked to discuss financial contributions to the church, but if we're being turned away at the door I guess there is nothing for us to do other than find another institution deserving of our gil."

*Reiter continues advancing towards the Chemist and Parker towards the Archer, both attacking if/when they get to them.*

~Mullonde~

Summoner<That sounds important.>

White Mage<Were you born yesterday? They just told us two different stories!>

OOC: Also-

The battle is won!:

=================================
~Grogh~

*They do not, as the female thief charms Reiter, who rushes to attack Parker.*
=================================
~Finath River~

*It misses.*

Grims<That's what all of the rats claim. It never saves them.>

*Before he can get to the crystal, Seraph teleports in, snatching it away & fully healing himself. He takes this time to smack Grimms upside the head a few times, before the Baron batters him back into critical condition. Roatha runs up behind him & stabs him in the back with both weapons.*

*Parker attempts to charm the Archer before backing away from Reiter.*

Clyde: <And what do these heretics... look like?>

"My sister is not trusted with fine details," Noct waved at Mortal, "But she still insists on opening conversations. My father trusts me, and only me, to handle any important business."

Mortal furrowed her eyebrows, and blushed a bit.

--

Zac strafes slightly so he won't hit Roatha, then shoots Grimms with a Barrage.

*Taiyo continues her dance. Mimiru counter attacks, punching a Thief. Or both. I don't know.*

"Maybe you're just not a good leader."

*Azuma attacks the Knight with Rend Power. Mimiru uses Chakra.*