melodiesoflife | Event || The Empire Strikes Back

Event || The Empire Strikes Back

Characters: Everyone participating in the event
Where: Aqures Ixen
When: July 27th to August 02nd
Summary: The battle for Aqures Ixen is about to begin! The Heroes of Light are going to do their best to defend Aqures Ixen, but will this be enough? Feel free to participate and reply to appropriate threads. New top-level threads will be posted regularly as the battle progresses.
Warning: N/A, will be updated.

July 27th || Mingle
July 28th || Bomb Defusing / Imperial Assault
July 29th || Mingle / Attack on the 13th District / Aerial Battles / Imperial Camp
July 30th || 14th District on Fire / The Hospital / Mognet Office Attacked
July 31st || The Fire Spreads / Betrayals
August 01st || The Second Wave / Ultima Weapon
August 02nd || Final

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Watching Ven move was like watching a dream. His strikes and form were almost perfect allowing him to move between the soldiers with ease. He even was able to change weapons as if it was effortless or at least practiced. Terra had to swallow hard to remain focused, keeping her gaze on those just outside of the group that Ven was targeting.

There were so many…

She pushed that thought from her mind focusing instead on those who look as if they might cast or target her friend. Blizzaga shoot up around Ven aimed at those that might not be in his sight while forming a small barrier between him and others coming in for a fight.

Terra would turn the street into a terrain that was to Ven’s advantage. She would make sure they had to funnel towards him and in turn they would be forced to meet Ven’s strikes without the advantage of numbers. However, the enemies worked to undo Terra’s wall. The ice cracked and chipped as gunners fired at the wall of ice using their skills to pierce its hardness.

She watched the wall crack, casting again to thicken them and take out more of those just outside of Ven’s awareness. She’s far enough away that the warriors couldn’t reach her but those with long range have begun to change their focus from Ven to the unprotected mage behind him.

The Warriors and Mages were generally close enough for Ven to keep an eye on, but the Gunners always remained beyond his reach -- and often beyond his attention -- so while the numbers of the first two classes fluctuated, those of the riflemen remained steady. Even so, while Ven couldn't focus on them, he grew used to the sound of bullets chipping at the ice barriers and zipping past his head on occasion; when those sounds suddenly dropped, he noticed.

"They changed direction, kupo! Terra--"

Ven didn't need the clarification. He released part of his halberd to throw out a hand, casting Blizzara and reinforcing Terra's wall -- but as fast as he was, he wasn't fast enough for the nearest Mage who was looking for just such an opening. A Firaga spell slammed hard into Ven's chest -- he felt the heat and the force, the latter of which was enough to knock him backwards, but as luck would have it his thick chestplate caught most of it. Unfortunately, that loss of footing was detrimental when surrounded as thickly as he was. A Warrior seized the moment, axe cutting through the air; Ven pivoted desperately in place, and rather than being buried in his back, that blade sliced instead over the vulnerable opening on his bicep, deep enough to draw a splatter of blood.

Rather than fighting momentum, Ven fell into a roll -- favoring the shoulder that Rae wasn't latched to -- and came up onto his feet again a second later, shooting Terra a quick look before jerking his head at the nearest street corner.

"That way!" If they could make that turn, it would cut off the Gunners' line of sight and buy some time to gather their bearings. If they could do that, slow the Warriors in the front, and get some distance, he and Terra could recover and figure out a counter-strategy, maybe find some other Heroes to help with these numbers--

One thing at a time. They could do this; he just needed to make sure Terra went first, and then he would follow.

Terra gasped as Ven was struck, first in the chest and then again across his arm. She looked out at the gunners and then at those fighting around them. Her hands were shaking and her feet felt like they were cemented in place.

She casted her strongest cure spell hoping that it would lift Ven from his tired and hurt state. She then cast at the barrier once more only to be faced with the realization that Ven wasn’t holding off those around him anymore. Waterga swept her from her feet and then slammed her against the hard street. She looked up, watching her vision swim as water dripped from her hair.

She watched where Ven pointed, shakily rising to her feet as she began to move. She continued to cast blizzaga at the wall of ice she had created while trying to clip those close to the frozen fixture. She was close to the alley way but she didn’t duck behind the building. She wanted to keep Ven in her sights in case he needed to be cured.

“Ven!” Terra’s voice begged hoping that he would move towards her so that they could move into a safer place.

"Go, kupo!"

They hadn't planned it, but Ven and Rae had settled into a simple and effective partnership: she was his second pair of eyes. When he stole glances at Terra, she watched the enemy; when he looked ahead to fight, she kept an eye on Terra. So it was that Rae noticed first that Terra was in position, and her quick cry to Ven was all he needed.

After shaking off the latest Warrior, Ven turned and bolted up the street. Rae watched his back, her guidance helping him to sidestep a couple spells, but soon he was out from under the protection of that ice barrier. Only a few steps, though. He would make it.

He skidded to a stop as he reached Terra, sliding a bit on the pavement but staying upright. "Let's go--!"

The opening between the barrier and the alley was a small, tight one. The lighting along this street was poor, and while Ven's armor was good at what it did, it had several vulnerable places for those who paid attention.

One of the sharp-eyed Gunners had done just that, and the small window of opportunity and low visibility weren't enough to hamper his perfect shot.

Ven had started to usher Terra along when pain exploded above his left knee. It was sudden, forceful, and shocking enough that he instantly lost his balance without argument, landing hard on his shoulder and inciting a wounded squeak from Rae as she was caught under his weight. He didn't notice right away -- he didn't even notice that he'd fallen, or that his whole left side was aching from it. For that instant he only had a mind for that intense agony in his leg, and try as he might to reflexively cast Cura on himself -- forgetting, for the moment, that he had already cast a lot of magic in the last couple minutes -- it did nothing for the pain and even less for the bleeding that was already making itself known.

Terra felt his soft push as he ushered her into the alley while heat prickled at the back of her neck. She said nothing to Ven and did as he instructed. She felt him fall and was lost in the confusion caused byt his sudden stop. She turned, her eyes wide as blood filled her vision. They were still coming and if she didn’t do something quickly they would catch up with the pair.

She sank to her knees her eyes first on Ven’s leg and then at those shouting at them. One of the gunners aimed at her and for a second it felt like the world had paused. Ven was frozen in front of her and the soldiers were closing in on their hiding place. The sounds drowned out and everything became clear. Without knowing it a hand extended towards the mouth of the Alley way and a seven foot thick structure of ice filled the void trapping some soldiers within it. Terra’s gaze was furious mixed with pain and confusion at the sight of her friend.

After her spell was casted time returned and she hurriedly worked to pull Ven over her shoulder. He was heavy and his armor only made him heavier. She wasn’t strong. At least not when it comes to brute strength, even so she pulled him along, a trail of bright red blood following behind them. She could hear the soldiers shouting, trying to get through and they quickly decided to move around the building and try and head them off. Except that Terra knew these streets and she was able to indiscreetly duck into a nearby shop. It was the fabric store, about five doors down from her flower shop. She rested Ven there feeling her legs wobble as if they might soon collapse.

Her fingers were cold when she lightly touched Ven’s forehead and her voice frantic when she spoke. “Hey, come on. You’ll be okay.” She cast cure on his wound but it did nothing to stop the bleeding. More likely than not she’d have to take out the bullet herself. “Ven, please tell me you can hear me.”

Was she crying? Terra didn’t know; she couldn’t feel anything expect the pain and worry growing in her chest. She had to clean up their trail, she had to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out, she had to make sure they didn’t find them and she prayed that she’d be able to keep them alive.

Ven did what he could to help Terra bolster him along, but it wasn't much. There was little sensation in his wounded leg other than pain, but even his good leg wouldn't cooperate enough to be all that useful. That wound seemed to be siphoning his strength -- or maybe the shock of it was setting in, finally puncturing his stubborn will to let fatigue catch up with him as more blood left him.

It was a lot of blood, too, he realized. By the time Terra set him down in the shop, Ven was more lucid -- which was good, because he could think more clearly, but his awareness of the pain seemed to double or even triple and for a long moment he couldn't find his voice. Rae flew nervously around him, flustered and fighting back tears and giving halfhearted reprimands.

"You should have evacuated, kupo! You're too young to be in this fight and now look at you! If you weren't so reckless all the time, kupo, you--!"

"H-Hey--" Speaking suddenly felt like the hardest thing he'd ever done, but Ven managed -- he even smiled, as forced and exhausted as it was, looking between Terra and Rae. "It's -- I'm fine -- it's not so bad--" He winced as another bolt of pain shot through the wound, this time working as far up as his hip.

"Stop acting tough, kupo!" In a flash, Rae switched Ven's armor out for his usual clothing. The loss of weight was a small relief, but his injured leg was unchanged.

He looked at Terra again, this time seriously. "I can't... heal it -- yours didn't do anything, either." His bewilderment showed. What kind of injury couldn't be healed?

Terra shook her head feeling a pain rise in her throat. She looked back at where they had entered the shop and then reached for a bolt of cotton that was close at hand. She handed it to Rae and then pointed towards the trail of blood. “Clean that up. I’ll take care of him.” The wound had to be closed for them to safely move and even then there was a chance they would get caught.

Terra, for all her delicate features and sensibilities, was used to wars. She was used to seeing people bleed out and she knew exactly what to do. She had seen it be done many times even if she hadn’t been the one doing it. She grabbed another bolt tearing fabric and then wrapping it into a mess. She held it out towards Ven’s mouth her expression calm even though a storm was waging beneath the surface.

“Bite this…” She took a deep breath. “I’m going to take out the bullet.”

She moved next to his leg and began to remove the armor. She’d have to remove all of his armor to move him but for now she focused on his leg. Sweat dotted her forehead as she looked down at the bloody mess. It was easy to tell where the bullet had logged it’s self which meant that she could dig it out. She pulled a small dagger from her boot and looked over at Ven.

“This is going to hurt…. Are you ready?” Because in a few seconds she’s going to dig it out.

With an eager huff, Rae took the fabric and quickly unrolled it as she hurried towards the door. She was equally glad to be of help and have something to busy herself with, and Ven could appreciate not having her hanging over him at the moment.

That relief was short-lived.

"Wait -- what?" He looked from the ball of fabric he'd been given, to the knife in her hand, to Terra herself. It took a couple heartbeats for it to click. "Wait--!" He tried to shift, about to pass it off and insist that he could deal with the injury as it was -- but even that small movement felt like hot iron was being twisted inside his leg. He bit back a cry, turning it into a growl, and only because he knew the enemy soldiers were still around.

Ven looked down at the exposed injury, a mess of blood and ragged skin. It looked -- and felt -- worse than any physical wound he'd ever received, which was hardly surprising. As it was now, he wouldn't be able to walk, at least not by himself. He had no idea if removing the bullet would help all that much, but he trusted Terra. Removing it certainly couldn't make his leg any more useless at this point, and he couldn't ask her to keep dragging him along. The clock was ticking and time wasn't on their side. As sheltered as he'd been for so long, he knew what would happen if the soldiers caught them unawares like this. They would die, no doubt about it.

Even with that logic in mind, Ven hesitated. This was new, too new, all of it -- the setting, the situation, the threat, this level of pain and the awful decision he had to make, and now--

He was scared, plain and simple. But he trusted Terra.

That was why, after a tense few seconds, Ven nodded stiffly. "O...kay." He sounded more confident than he felt, which wasn't much. As he said it, he quickly leaned back, gaze resolutely on the ceiling as he bit down into the fabric in his fist. He was barely aware of the bland taste.

Terra didn’t want Rae to see what would happen next. As it was she had to steel her stomach against the rush that pooled in her gut. She’s seen this happen before and since her world relied more on technology and items than it did magic, she could use what she has seen now. Terra began to chew on her bottom lip as the blade slowly sank into Ven’s leg. She tried to be quick but she had to remove the small piece of metal so that it wouldn’t get infected.

She noticed the blood pooling at the tip of her knife and had to swallow the distaste in her mouth once more. She found the small piece of metal and it looked like it was in one piece. She carefully lifted it out using her fingers last minute to reach in and grab it. She had to stay focused, ignoring Ven’s pain as she worked. It hurt but she pushed the feeling away. She sheathed her dagger not bothering to clean the blood from its tip. She looked over at Ven who was rapidly turning pale.

“Hey, stay with me okay.” Water gathered in her hand, using the spell but then only for a small amount. She dropped it on the wound hoping to wash away anything that might be left inside. Terra then reached for a bolt of fabric pulling the cotton free and beginning to wrap his leg.

She had to stop the bleeding.

“Ven say something, please.” Terra wanted to make sure he was still here. He looked so pale.

His fears weren't entirely unfounded. If Ven had thought that the pain couldn't get worse, or at least not much worse, he was taught better the second that blade touched his tattered, exposed tissue.

He had a pretty good pain tolerance, or so he'd thought -- but this pushed, tried, stressed, and then shattered those limits faster than he thought possible. He cried out, a muffled choking sound that loosed all the restraint he was using to keep his leg as still as possible. Even then, he jumped slightly, and it took a surprising amount of self-control to resist the urge to twist and shrink away from the source of that pain.

But Ven managed. He bit down harder until his teeth ached and his jaw was nearly numb, his free hand fisting tight enough to draw flecks of blood in his palm. Rae was at his side again in an instant. If it was possible for a moogle to go pale, she managed it right then -- but unlike before, she didn't panic. She put her paws on his arm and spoke to him quietly, doing her best to offer what little comfort she could, but Ven didn't hear any of it. He was screwing up every ounce of strength and willpower he had to keep his lower body motionless, and that required locking his focus onto a single point in his mind, an attempt to drown everything else out. Even his own stifled screams were soon beyond his attention, as were the pained tears in his eyes and running down his temples, but nothing could do a thing for the agony in his leg.

Fighting through this pain would have been easier. Simply doing nothing, having to remain as still and quiet as possible, made it all the harder to bear.

He didn't hear Terra's voice at first. He didn't feel the touch of cool water, either; the only change that caught his attention was the way the pain slowly shifted, dropping from the razor-sharp pulse that mimicked his racing heartbeat to a slightly duller throb. Only when Terra said his name did the miserable haze in Ven's head start to clear, enough for him to become aware of Rae's presence and notice that Terra had moved.

Was it done?

"Yeah," he managed hoarsely, unsure just what she had said. A response was probably good all the same. "I'm..." He couldn't tack on a fine, not this time. Not yet. "Is it...?"

“It’s done.”

Terra sounded relieved to hear his voice and her expression shifted from one of focus to a calm mask. She needed to stay calm. She finished wrapping his leg, it’s tight but it will hopefully stop the bleeding. She’d replace the fabric later if need be but for now she was only focused on Ven.

She began to remove his armor, helping him out of the heavy suit and its many pieces. He was done fighting for now and she wouldn’t be able to carry him and the armor. She passed each piece to Rae who managed to make the armor vanish. Terra never did understand how a moogles bag worked but there always seemed to be room. She noted the sweat that gathered on his temple and the heat that his body radiated as she ducked under his shoulder.

“You have a fever. We need to get you to a medical tent.”

Terra was repeating what she knew for his benefit, realizing that he might not be able to understand what was happening.

As she pulled him over her shoulder she heard shouts from just outside the store. Her bright blue eyes flicked towards the store entrance and she began to move. Her steps were quiet and measured as she slowly pulled Ven forward. She hoped that Rea could be silent so that they could slip away from their assailants. They were, however, in the middle of a battle field where Aquares has lost its ground.

Terra glanced outside seeing a few soldiers pass by the front of the store looking for the injured pair. She turns towards the stairs, slowly making her way up towards the roof. It was most likely the safest place to get away and she might be able to sneak up on anyone who was stationed at the top of the building.

Despite the sweat on Ven's skin and the fire still raging in his wound, chills had started to work their way over and through him. He didn't question Terra when she helped him up, vaguely aware on some more lucid level of his mind that he needed to rely on her now more than ever -- literally, as every movement that disturbed his leg made him cringe and hiss quietly. He tried to maintain at least half his weight on his good leg, but that whole process just now had sapped much of what energy he had left. Simple balance was easier said than done.

Rae followed along quietly, shooting nervous looks back towards the entrance and boarded windows, but then quickly moved ahead to open any doors for Terra as needed. As often as she'd chided Ven for not planning ahead better, she had no advice to give this time; this was a Hero matter, no mistake, and they were both depending heavily on Terra now.

"Terra..." It was Ven who spoke, keeping his voice low -- although even if he'd wanted to, he probably didn't have the strength to be much louder than that. "If there's too many -- don't worry about it. Just... If it's just me, maybe they won't..."

That was wishful thinking. If Terra left him to save herself, there was a chance -- a small chance -- that they would spare him, perhaps, taking him prisoner instead of killing him outright. As lightheaded as Ven was, however, he still knew those odds were low; he'd just cut down a dozen of them in the last half hour alone. They knew what he could do.

Terra paused at the top of the steps when she heard Ven's voice softly rise through the thick air. She waited for him to speak before she continued to pull him forward. "I won't leave you behind." That wasn't really an option and she wasn't about to entertain it for longer than it took for Ven to suggest it. How could she possibly leave her friend behind? They'd kill him.

She gently slipped him off her shoulders and against a wall. She motioned for Rae to stay with him as she peeked out the door that lead to the roof. As she thought there was a man standing which, though how he got up there was a mystery to the young hero. She slipped through the door trying to remain quiet and sneak up on the soldier. She wasn't a ninja or skilled in anyway that might suggest that she could sneak but she managed to get close enough to cast ice and encase the soldier without a sound.

Terra let out a slow breath running back to Ven and pulling him outside, into the pitter-patter of the rain. She casted blizzara again, creating an arch between the building they were on and the next one over. Carefully she made her way across trying not to slip as rain and ice met.

They might be able to get away this way and make it to the next camp but she could relax until they were further away.

After that reply, Ven didn't argue. He didn't have the strength for it.

His attention perked up when they came to the ice bridge. Rae flew close alongside them, hands out as if she could actually catch them if they slipped. It was tricky to say the least, especially with one leg virtually out of commission, but Ven put every ounce of concentration and focus into sliding carefully over the ice. If one of the Gunners spotted them, they were as good as dead; fortunately, none did, and while there were a couple heart-stopping moments in which he lost his balance, Ven was able to breathe out comfortably when they finally made it across. It couldn't have taken more than half a minute, but it felt like an hour.

That done, Rae quickly flew ahead to scout the area, peering over the roof's edge to the street below. A moment later she flew back, shaking her head and speaking quietly. "They're setting some of the buildings on fire, kupo. But they're not on this side of the street yet -- if you can get down into the alley, kupo, you might be able to get away before they see you." The look she gave Ven was anxious, though; it all depended on how well he could move. One slip could give them away if they weren't careful.

Terra nodded to Rae looking for the way off the roof. She found a door, which was locked, so she carefully cast blizzard on the handle until it shattered. She looked back at her bridge and then released the spell, erasing all trace of their path. Slowly, they made their way down the stairs. Terra would glance nervously at Rae, trusting that the little moogles surveillance was enough. She knew this shop like the others on the street and if they slipped into the alleyway they’d be able to jump one more street over and hopefully to safety.

As they moved down the steps she paused and attempted to quiet her trembling heart. She was shaking but she didn’t let that affect her tight grip on Ven. She carefully lifted him feeling her arms and legs ache from the extra weight. She wished she had warrior equipped.

After the moment past she stepped forward again and moved out towards the alleyway, her footsteps quickened slightly almost dragging Ven along as she quickly sought their freedom. She gestured for Rae to fly ahead hoping to find the nearest camp to lay Ven down to rest and get him proper care.

The rain was a relief to the heat in Ven's skin, at least, but he barely noticed over the agony that continued to build in his thigh. If the pain didn't peak soon, he ran the risk of breaking his silence -- but he managed, for now, and bit down every time a particularly jagged spike of pain worked through him.

Rae made up for his slack, at least, constantly flitting to and fro to check on the area ahead and report back to the duo. Once they were in the alley, she clung to the shadows as she crept to the building's corner -- only to rapidly gesture Terra backwards as a couple soldiers hurried past. The darkness worked in Ven's and Terra's favor, fortunately, because the men only spared the alley a passing glance as they went and noticed nothing.

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Rae waved them forward. There were still soldiers along the street, but they were all focused in the opposite direction; as long as the group moved quietly and drew no attention, they would (hopefully) be fine.

"Through here, kupo! The camp's frontlines are just a couple blocks down -- the soldiers shouldn't go past here." Not without risking a landslide of an ambush, at least.

It was at that point that Ven did his best to straighten up some, taking back a little of his weight. He looked at Terra with the most clarity in his gaze that he'd had since getting shot, and nodded once. This was what it came down to.

Terra looked at him noticing the strain to his features. She knew how hard this was for him and the pain she was feeling was nothing in comparison. She stopped and moved in front of him so that she could hoist him on her back. She pulled his arms over her shoulders.

"I'll carry you." She wasn't giving him a choice.

Once he was in position, she ran. She used the pitter-patter of the rain to hide her footsteps as she splashed towards their safe haven. Her breath fell heavily from her lips and she didn't look behind her to see if the soldiers would stop and turn. Her heart was lodged in her throat as she forced herself to move forward.

She would stop until they were safe.

It wasn't as though Ven could resist, not really, so despite a startled Hey! he didn't try to stop her. Instead, he attempted to put himself to use by watching to the left and right while Rae watched their backs, but the attempt didn't last long. Even under the cold rain and the throbbing in his injury -- made worse with every jolt of movement -- keeping his eyes open and his attention focused was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

Try as he might, he couldn't stop his head from dropping down onto Terra's shoulder. After that everything went dark, silent, and -- thankfully, briefly -- numb.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Event || The Empire Strikes Back

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blood cw for anyone who might be following aha.....

blood cw for anyone who might be following aha.....

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Sneaking!

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