The Coming of Shadows

[Flarecobra]

Kazi had a confused look on her face. "Wha? Who are you, and how do you know my name?" she asked.

[Kuffie]

He stopped in mid lunge "I've been Spying On you since a noblemen hired me to kill you For Apperntlly being with the Empire," he replied his face made an appologenic gester "look all I want to know is if your with them and I shall leave you alone,"

[Astral Harmony]

Clitonna, Ferra, Lilemi, and Samantha were walking with the rest of the Emerald Phoenix Battalion, to which Samantha had announced the other three girls as members. They stayed separate of the battalion so they could talk in private.

Samantha: "We should be coming up on the next target early tonight."
Clitonna: "If I remember correctly, it's one of the outposts protecting the village of Charlesland."
Samantha: "Yes. If all goes according to plan, Lufice and Grephen would move along, flank, and clear out the other outposts, leaving us with the village defenders."
Ferra: "Sounds fairly standard, but do their battalions have enough units?"
Samantha: "No."
Ferra: "Wha?"
Samantha: "The initial strategy is to coerce the villagers into helping us out with supplies and makeshift soldiers."
Lilemi: "You mean they want you to force the people in Charlesland to help Lufice and Grephen take over the other outposts?"
Samantha: "That's their strategy."
Clitonna: "It can't happen like that."
Ferra: "What, they suddenly expect innocent civilians to take up pitchforks and go stab their fellow countrymen? These guys could be friends and family and they want to pit the villagers against their own defenders?"
Lilemi: "Isn't that against war law, anyways?"
Clitonna: "That's right. It is."
Samantha: "Then can we rely on Lufice and Grephen to take on all the outposts without help from the villagers?"
Clitonna: "Without help from the villagers...yes. But only if we help."
Samantha: "So the Emerald Phoenix Battalion will help take out the outposts, instead?"
Clitonna: "How confident do you feel in me?"
Samantha: "I don't understand the question, sorry."
Clitonna: "My abilities to fight and lead."
Samantha: "I have a lot of faith in your abilities."
Clitonna: "Great. Then here's the deal. When he hit the village, we'll need to split up the EP Battalion. One half will assist Lufice and the other half will assist Grephen. You can't be in two places at once, so I'm wondering if you'll allow me to take one of the halves while you command the other with Ferra."
Ferra: "Me?"
Clitonna: "Yes. You know how military tactics work and so does Samantha. Your minds together are just as good as mine and Lilemi's together."
Lilemi: "I'm going with you, Clitonna?"
Clitonna: "Yes. I'd like to talk with you about some things later that evening if possible."
Samantha: "Hmmm. It's a good idea. That is, if Ferra accepts."
Ferra: "Of course I accept. You think I'd let you command even half a battalion alone with what was about to happen last time?"
Samantha: "If I might be able to defend myself, I am a decent enough tactician. It was just a very desperate time."
Ferra: "It would've had to have been with tactics like those, if you can even call that tactics."
Samantha chuckles nervously.
Ferra: "Don't worry. I guess you did have a little potential, what with the formation you were using."
Clitonna: "So we're agreed, then. When we reach Charlesland, we split up the battalion. I wanna meet you all after we take the first outpost so we can discuss who goes where with which troops."
Samantha: "Understood."
Samantha takes Ferra aside a little distance.
Samantha: "She really knows her stuff."
Ferra: "She has to. She's now the squadron leader of the remnants of the Shock Falchions. Unless she's killed, she's in command, and she has a lot of responsibility."
Samantha: "I heard the story. How horrible that must have been."
Ferra: "Yeah, but it's going to make ripping that bitch's face off that much more pleasureable."

[Flarecobra]

"What? I'm not!" Kazi said, a little offended at his remark.

[Kuffie]

"Whatever," he said turned around and started walking back out of the woods an hour or two later he got lost "GREAT Just great I'm lost!" he Yelled out loud he pulled his sword out of the sheath and hacked away at two trees. hes started a fire and then saw what looked to be a cabin or house of some sort "Feh Most likely that woman's house!" all of sudden rain fell from the sky "DAMN!" he yelled at the sky he tried to find shelter but to no avail.

[Astral Harmony]

Samantha: "How do you people come up with this stuff?"
Ferra shrugs.
Ferra: "It's a gift."
Samantha: "A pretty sadistic gift, I must say. But what really shocks me is that Lilemi thought it up."
Clitonna: "And everybody always doubted her."
In normal instances, the tower outpost would have been knocked down by normal ballista arrows, until Lilemi randomly came up with the idea to apply explosive powder to the arrows, set the wooden arrowheads on fire, and launch them at the outpost where they would most likely detonate upon crashing into the tower.
Samantha: "It just doesn't seem like her to thing up something so violent."
Ferra: "Yeah. And all this time, I thought it was just Clitonna and me who had that dark mindset. Think about it, girls. Lilemi thinks up exploding ballista arrows. If you had even a shred of a conscience, you would not even mention such an idea to other people. Lilemi, however, not only let us in on it, but we're having these things made for the raid on Charlesland."
Clitonna: "I think this is the day she's become a real Shock Falchion."
Ferra: "That's true. I always thought that she was more of just a regular troop assigned to us by mistake, and now she comes up with this stuff."
Samantha: "Will this work?"
Clitonna: "Lilemi may be new at the concept of killing dozens with destructive force, but she's definitely got a good head on her shoulders. She told me it will work and I have complete and absolute faith in her."
Lilemi: "Awww."
The three girls turned to see Lilemi standing there, smiling at Clitonna. It made Clitonna blush a bit.
Clitonna: "Oh, Lilemi. How goes the construction of those Bang Arrows?"
Lilemi: "We have at least enough for the operation I have planned."
Ferra: "You planned an operation?!"
Clitonna: "She's a thinker, that girl."
Lilemi: "Check this out."
Lilemi leads the other girls to the top of the hill they used to gaze at the outpost tower.
Lilemi: "The first Bang Arrow will hit the guard post at the top of the tower. We'll muster a squadron of EP Battalion boys within viewing range...ummm...this far."
Samantha: "Won't that put them in the range of the archers?"
Clitonna: "Not with the guard post at the top of the tower in flames."
Lilemi: "Once they see the squadron set up, they'll go to ground to charge us. That's when...hmmm...this point here and that point there will be struck with Bang Arrows. Then the squad will be fortified with other units, including Clitonna, Samantha, and Ferra, and will attack the remnants of the force. If you can't kill them with strikes, you should be close enough at all times to knock them into the fire."
Ferra: "This is fuckin' brutal."
Clitonna: "But damningly effective."
Samantha: "With a strategy like that, I'm having trouble forseeing any kind of casualties...ah, on our side, I mean...but the Gelti Empire..."
Lilemi: "So it's a good strategy?"
Clitonna: "It's almost perfect, Lilemi. I couldn't've thought up such a good strategy as this."
Lilemi smiled sweetly.
Ferra: "Damn, girl. I didn't know you had this kind of planning in you."
Samantha: "Well, I suppose she wouldn't have become a Shock Falchion just because she's pretty."
Clitonna: "The only real flaw I see is if the Bang Arrows don't blow."
Lilemi: "I arranged it so that the Bang Arrows hit their target locations very hard, allowing the flames to definitely reach the powder pockets."
Clitonna: "Then it's all set."
Samantha: "All right. I'll signal Lufice and Grephen. Then the attacks can begin."

[Kuffie]

he pulled out his sword <well Can't really sleep might as well train> He started attacking the trees after about 2 more hours he stopped < All the training made me tired> he sheathed the sword and fell asleep under a tree

[Ryu Kurai]

Kirrass growled. "I don't like that guy, he sssmellsss of blood. Drake'sss blood." He released his grip on his knife. "Ssshall we go then?" He asked, waiting for Kazi to move so he could follow behind, where it seemed the majority of her attackers were coming from.

[Flarecobra]

"Not to mention that there's something about his eyes...." Kazi said, shivering slightly. After a few more minutes they came across a stone building. "Well, there's home sweet home. Not much of a view, I'm afraid, but it keeps me safe and dry."

[Ryu Kurai]

Kirrass sat down next to the front door with a thud. "Well, I'll keep guard out here. Exactly how many people are after you anyway?" He said, tail swaying a bit due to the sound of the crickets chirping.