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year 5, quarter 3
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The truth was, Caius had absolute faith in Celes. And he knew Vordun would trust her too. It had been Celes after all, who had been with Caius and Vordun the most since Vordun had hatched. It was Celes who was the most familiar to Vordun. It was Celes who Vordun wouldn't put up a fight if she tried to take the reigns. Vordun was a stubborn dragon, but if anyone was going to win his trust and aid, it would be Celes. At least, that was how it was in Caius' eyes. Asking her to do this was his show of absolute trust in her, the only person who he felt he could trust to make the plan work. Though it didn't seem she saw it that way.
Instead, she refused. He wasn't surprised she refused, but it was the basis that surprised him. No, she wasn't saying no to the idea. The both of them knew that Charon would only hurt people, their own guild members especially if they didn't stop him here and now. But SHE wanted to go down there and end it.
Caius hadn't let go of her hand since grabbing her before she fell, and his grip tightened suddenly at her suggestion, eyes widening in pure terror at the notion. This was new for Caius. Especially around Celes. She had seen him be upset, seen him be angry. But never scared. Yet he was. Caius had formulated the plan around the fact he could warp, and Vordun knew to catch his blade and get them out of there before the backup bandits would be able to swarm him with their firearms. Celes didn't have this advantage... The risk was incredibly great already with Caius doing it, but Celes? He didn't doubt her abilities one bit, but the risk was... Terrifying. The likelihood of her dying here was great, and Caius felt the gravity of that very quickly. Sure, he'd been fine to potentially throw his own life away for others... But he wasn't so eager to sacrifice hers.
But she was right. For as much as Caius trusted her, she was inexperienced steering Vordun. And she was terrified of flying, he had already figured that out. Caius knew how. She didn't. And clearly she trusted him to get her out of there in time... He doubted Celes would ignore the small army below them. She was too smart to do that. Or at least Caius thought so.
He almost said no. While her reasons were valid, he almost said no and had Vordun get them out of there. As much as he didn't want to, if they couldn't agree to a plan... He almost decided damn the consequences if that meant he didn't risk losing Celes.
But his grip loosened after a few moments and he let out a sigh, slowly nodding his head. He knew what needed to be done. And as much as he hated to say it, this was the most practical way to do it.
"Finish him off once he's open. I'll have to cause a bit more damage than I was hoping to, but... I'll cover you. I'll make a turn as soon as I've dealt with the bandits and get you. Do it fast. We don't have much time once we're down there."
There was no more time to debate or plan. Caius launched Fira into the illusion dragon's mouth, barely landing before it fired. It was way too close of a call compared to what Caius had initially envisioned. But it got the job done, as the dragon let out its final death bellows before collapsing, disappearing into nothing. Caius didn't check for Charon just yet as he had already let go of Celes and taken Vordun's reigns, diving downward at full speed. His hope was to zoom through the dragon just as it disappeared, striking before the bandits could fire their long range rifles and shoot Vordun down. It was another close call, but Caius managed to pilot Vordun through it, going as fast as they could to avoid the attack. Caius spotted Charon from the corner of his eye. The mage had hunched over, seeming to be gasping for air. If they weren't going so fast, Caius would have taken a shot at him. He regretted that he couldn't.
As soon as they flew just over the ground, Caius nudged Celes to indicate it was time to hop off. Once she was off, Caius looked to the bandits who were aiming their rifles at Vordun.
"Vordun. Fire."
"Wrrroorg?"
Vordun's curious growl was a sign that the dragon understood full well that this was an unusual command. Opening fire to this degree on human beings? It wasn't what Caius would normally order. And the dragon seemed intelligent enough to sense his partner's conflict the last time he had struck down another of Caius' own kind that way.
"I know" He spoke quietly as he placed a hand on Vordun's head, lowering his own head. "We have no choice."
There really wasn't. Either they did this now, or they would shoot Vordun down. Then they'd go after Celes.
Vordun didn't hesitate further, charging the heat in his mouth before exhaling a stream of flames that engulfed the bandits. Caius wanted to close his eyes. He didn't want to watch. But Celes was counting on him, and so were the Dragonblades. He needed to buy Celes more time.
"Turn" He commanded to Vordun, and Caius let go of Vordun. As he fell, he cried out at the top of his lungs to Celes.
"CELES! IT'S NOW OR NEVER!"
Caius drew his sword as he fell off the saddle, and began to pump his magic. His sword was tossed and Caius zipped through the air in a warp to take out one, a warp for another, and another and another, and another... Taking advantage of the confusion caused by the pained and panicked screams of those that had been set aflame, to continue to strike at the ones who had been luckier. He needed to divert as much attention to himself as possible, to buy Celes enough time to kill Charon interrupted before Vordun turned around. Even if he needed to use all of his magic.
Caius continued striking until he felt his magic near its limits. Warping upwards, he launched another Fira, this time into the center of another group of them. He knew that the destruction he had caused would most likely set fire to what was left of the village, but he had done what was necessary even if he didn't like it.
With the last of his magic, he tossed his sword to Vordun to catch just as Vordun rounded the bend. The dragon caught it in his jaws and Caius warped to him, swinging himself onto Vordun's back. He tried to call his sword back to him, but it disappeared instead -- just as Stasis hit.
"Argh..." Caius groaned. Exhausted or annoyed? Bit of both. He'd done everything he could. As they headed for Celes, Caius called out to her as he extended his hand...
All he could do was pray she had finished the job and they could fly out of here before the bandits recovered and attacked.
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Who asked for a stupidly long scene? No one? Just me?
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius agreed. After a long, painful pause, he agreed. She could see that flicker in his eye. The doubt. The fear. That idiot. If Caius could throw himself into danger then Celes could too -- if they really were equals as he claimed. She was right and they both knew it. Even if Caius had an advantage in speed, Charon’s magic could catch him at a distance, and he didn’t have much of a defense for it. And if someone had to fly…
Celes’ stomach turned. She’d rather have thrown herself at a hundred men than stay on this dragon alone.
”I’ll cover you.”
Celes nodded. It wasn’t right to say that she wasn’t nervous, but they had a plan -- and a good one, she thought. Caius wasn’t quite as skilled at a distance as she was, but he was nothing to scoff at either -- and neither was his dragon. They wouldn’t take out the whole place, but they’d cause havoc and that’s what she needed. Caius was the center of attention -- he always had been. They knew his skills, they knew how dangerous he could be, and they wanted him dead. Celes was just along for the ride and though she’d shown off her magic against their dragon, they didn’t know much else about her nor did they seem to care.
They’d keep their eyes on Caius. She was sure of it.
Caius grabbed the reins and then they were rushing down at a speed faster than gravity. Celes let out a cry of pure terror as she grasped him, eyes closed, teeth grit, stomach turning and face nearly pressed into his coat. Don’t faint, don’t faint! She was stronger than that, she knew, even as she thought of water and heat and the jutting rocks of desert islands. She hardly noticed the sound of gunfire. Let them shoot her! It would be better than this.
Caius nudged her. Were they done falling? Celes opened her eyes to see the ground mercifully within reach and she let out a breath of relief as she slid off, hitting the ground hard and stumbling as the vertigo caught up to her. No. The sky could spin later. She swallowed hard, took a breath, and steadied herself on her heels.
It was time to fight.
Fire erupted beside her in a brilliant shot of light. She ignored the cries of alarm and the baking heat that threatened to singe her. She felt her magic well inside her as she readied her blade and turned on Charon.
”CELES! IT’S NOW OR NEVER!”
Celes’ lips soured. So much for the element of surprise.
Whatever Charon was, he wasn’t human -- at least not anymore. His skin was gray and mottled. His bones stuck out in skeletal angles, and his eyes were hollow as the dead. Had she not known better, she’d have thought that a stiff breeze could have blown him over, but he looked steady as ever as he recovered from the last echoes of her magic. His eyes darted from the sky to the dragon and then to Caius zipping around in his flashes of light. Those eyes lit with a sour hatred. Celes didn’t waste time on banter.
She rushed forward, sword in hand. She saw his attention shift. Saw the slight surprise in his eyes before they hardened and he was spinning magic like silk. She was ready for him. In seconds, black power was swelling at his fingertips and then it launched at her like a magitek cannon. She raised her sword.
The power overtook her in cold shadows, she shivered, and then it was gone -- sucked into the light of her sword. He recoiled in surprise. Wasn’t expecting that, were you? She didn’t bother with evasive maneuvers. As he hurled another spell her way, she neutralized it just as quickly.
Any mage was powerless before her blade. At least as long as she kept it ready.
She closed the distance. His eyes hardened -- his mouth drew into a sneer. She swung her blade, and he caught it in the magic he’d woven like metal around his palms. Her blade deflected off it, and she spun with its momentum, righting herself so she could strike at his side.
He was fast. Faster than he had any right to be, but his movements were clumsy. He wasn’t used to front-line fighting. He had no idea what she was capable of.
The man’s lips drew into a sneer. “So he’s having you fight his battles for him?” He whipped himself around and shot black sparks from his hands. Celes’ eyes widened as they struck her -- an electric heat -- and she stumbled, raising her sword only in time to block his palm strike against her.
“This is my fight,” she said. “I’m not here for him.”
Behind her, the sound of sword clashes. Gunfire. Caius was doing his best.
“We’ve watched you.” Charon drew a shimmering shield around himself, and Celes struck it wildly. “Your entire organization. You stay behind while he fights. You follow his lead.”
“That isn’t-!”
“And now he’s sent you here.” He smiled with a dry amusement. “You only know how to stand behind him.”
Celes struck it again -- pointless -- before she thrust her hands together and gathered her magic. Charon muttered incantations of his own. It was a quick-draw battle of spells. They cast together.
”Demi.”
”Blizzaga!”
Celes felt the rush of his spell around her. Shadows. Heavy. Suffocating. She stumbled, her knees going weak. It felt like the cold was draining her, and she struggled to breathe against it. Her ice cracked, and she looked up to see his shield shattering from the force. The glacial spell had done its job, but his shield had taken the worst of the damage. By the time she’d straightened herself, he’d already spun magic back to his hand. It flared at her.
Celes’ eyes widened and she back-stepped, just barely avoiding the singe of flames. He shot again, and she dodged back clumsily, too caught off guard to steady herself. His magic had weakened her. She was slower now. And still, he kept on the offensive.
They danced together -- one forward, one back. Her heel met the edge of a wooden shack. She glanced behind her. There was nowhere else to run.
Heat welled on her chest. Charon had ceased his advance. His hollow eyes were sickeningly satisfied. He could cast before she could so much as raise a finger.
”He killed her,” he said. ”My daughter. They say he didn’t hesitate. Her death was...cold.” Charon looked at her closer. ”He isn’t the man you think he is.”
Celes’ grip tightened on her sword. Darlene. She’d heard the story. The pain in Caius’ voice had been excruciating. As always, death was only met with more death.
Charon watched her carefully. ”I’ve seen the way he strings you along. You and that poor white mage girl. Always into danger. Always into his messes.” He smirked dryly to himself. ”My daughter’s murderer is cruel.”
Celes glanced to the side. Could she dodge quickly enough? She braced herself -- ready to throw herself through the burn of magic, to land on unsteady legs, to raise her sword despite the pain -- when the heat dissipated. She looked up in surprise. Charon had lowered his hand.
”Leave here, girl.” His voice was tired. ”Our fight is not with you. And I am not without mercy.”
Celes stared at him. ”What?” Far away, she heard the sound of a dragon’s screech. Gunshots. Caius.”You can’t just-!”
”Quiet. I know who my enemy is.” His gaze drifted to the sounds of chaos. There were no more aerial flashes. Caius’ warping had exhausted itself. ”He is consumed by hatred.” He spoke thoughtfully, musing more to himself than her. ”He is a monster.”
Celes’ head spun. Here he was -- a demon held together with black magic. A head in the hydra of Caius’ nightmare. A murderer. Here he was -- an old man. Tired. Grieving. He wanted Caius’ life. He wanted any life that stood in his way, and any that would suit his cause. The people here had cowered and fled and ultimately been overtaken. He’d stolen their likenesses and waited, scheming in his spider’s web. Her stomach rolled.
He wanted Caius. He would kill Caius. Her throat tightened as she lowered her head, breathing hard. Her voice cracked.
”Why do you think I’m any better?”
She rushed him. Her blade sank into flesh. She smelled his better scent, and then she yanked her sword away. He stumbled, gasping and grabbing at his wound and the blood that swelled between his fingers. He looked to her in surprise. Betrayal.
That look. That same look. Blue eyes wavering with shock, hurt, pain. Tears streaming down white paint, dripping with red lacquer. Her own hand, trembling with the weight of a blood-stained sword and then-
’HATE HATE HATE HATE’
Her grip tightened. This wasn’t the same.
It wasn’t.
He was still pressing on the wound, gasping. His magic welled in his hand. Cure. Celes swallowed hard. That had been her mistake, hadn’t it? She’d acted without conviction. She hadn’t finished what she’d started.
She approached. He looked at her. Their gazes met in a kind of strange understanding and then she slashed her sword across his throat.
He fell in a muffled thump. Celes heard the air rush out of him. She heard his wet gasps struggling through broken flesh. Celes watched him, numb, before the nausea hit her and she heard her sword hit the ground. She stumbled back, hand over her mouth. It smelled of blood.
Murder. Hatred. Monsters. They mixed together in a copper mist and there was only her left standing over the death rattles. Charon’s eyes were set on the sun.
He needed to get to her. Nothing else crossed his mind as Caius leaned over the edge of Vordun's back. He had hoped that while he was vulnerable from losing his "dragon", they would be able to finish him off quickly. Unfortunately, Caius' fears had come to fruition when it proved to not be so easy. But either way, Celes had gotten the job done before Caius had arrived, though he knew his heart wouldn't stop pounding in his chest until they were safe. Until she was safe, especially. He had never doubted her capability to do it. Celes had been just as likely to pull this off as Caius had been. He spoke true when he referred to her as his equal, in his mind. But that risk being there... Just the possibility of "what if" regardless of success or fail, the chance that they didn't survive... Celes wanting to go instead had stirred something in him. A realization of sorts. A realization that...
Perhaps that was something he would tell her one day. Or perhaps he would take it to his grave. Who knows?
Either way, Caius needed to get to her. It didn't take long after Vordun cycled back toward Celes that the surviving bandits became aware of what had happened. Caius was trying to keep the contents of his stomach to stay in his stomach at the thought of the lives he had taken, as he urged Vordun forward toward Celes as quickly as possible. The sight of Charon on the ground, not moving would petrify many of the bandits, as if second guessing the idea of attacking a group, no matter how small it was, where one of them had managed to quickly dispatch the powerful mage. That hesitation paved the way for Caius to get to Celes. He called out to her from the top of his lungs as he reached down and grabbed her hand. With his other hand, he managed to grab her sword that she had dropped, as a courtesy. As soon as Celes was in his grip, Vordun would fly upwards. Caius would sheathe Celes' sword to return to her later as he then used both hands to pull her aboard. She seemed... Faint, seemingly barely responsive. Which was concerning. But he was too exhausted to inquire into it too strongly. This had been the first time he'd had a chance to catch his breath since they had launched this attack, and the effects of Stasis were only bogging him down further with what else was on his mind. The truth was, he was just as mentally exhausted as he was physically. The extent of it didn't hit him until he realized that he hadn't let go of one of Celes' hands. He had gripped her hand tight, his hand shaking uncontrollably in her grip as if he were unconsciously afraid that she might be gone if he let go.
It was a splash of cold water on his muddled head, as he realized quickly when he came to his senses that she had always stated being uncomfortable with touch. He let go as soon as he did, instead locking his legs on Vordun to steady himself and silently offering to help her strap herself in if she needed the help, only strapping himself in when he had settled with Celes on that.
After a few minutes of moving as fast as they could, as Caius had quietly commanded to Vordun, he was confident they could touch down now that they had cleared as far away from that hellish place as they could. With that, he leaned over to speak to Vordun.
"Vordun... Can't breathe. Land."
Vordun would let out a grumbly sound as he slowed down before descending. The drake would gently touch down in a grassy field, not too far in looks from the field they had once taken a "break" in, and Caius would slowly unstrap himself before rolling sideways and tumbling roughly off Vordun's back. He had completely exhausted himself to hold the bandits off for Celes, and he had been running on fumes since, pushing himself too hard in order to both ensure Celes was secure as well as get them as far away from that village as possible. The thinned air had drained anything he had left, and without much strength to endure it, it was getting harder to deal with the high speeds and high altitude they had been taking to escape any possible pursuers. Caius just laid there a minute, groaning after faceplanting into the grass.
Eventually he managed to sit up, making a fist a few times before summoning his sword, indicating he had his magic back. With that, he would look around for Celes. If he found her, he'd eye her with a worried glance. While he had been fading in and out during the flight here, she had said little to nothing. Realistically, he should be celebrating. Not only had they stopped that horrible operation, they had put an end to one of the Original Sin's most powerful bandits, who had stolen many lives and would have destroyed many more. But having to take life to do it never sit right with Caius. Their victory felt hollow. And his fear made him almost forget entirely that they had won.
"Cel?" He almost whispered. "Are you okay?"
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
”Celes!”
There were wingbeats. The sound of Caius’ voice. Celes didn’t look up. Her hand was over her mouth. Her head swam with blood and dust. The old man garbled through the blood in his lungs. It pooled around him, a deep thick red.
’Our fight is not with you.’
Someone took her hand. She gripped it on instinct and let herself be pulled forward. Her boot met hard scales, and she lifted herself, settling one leg over the edge of a saddle. The dragon galloped forward, wings spread, and then leaped into the air, flapping. Celes grasped Caius tightly and pressed herself into his back.
The ground fell away. Her stomach turned. She was shaking.
They didn’t go far. Celes wondered if it was for her sake. She closed her eyes as they tilted forward, drifting down. The forest drew back, and in its place was an open expanse of tall grasses. It would be more open to attack. Celes found that she didn’t care.
The dragon grunted as its legs met solid ground, and Caius didn’t waste time stumbling off him. Celes hesitated before dropping unsteadily at his side. She staggered as her weight hit the earth, knees weak. Caius fell to the ground, his back flattening the grasses beneath him. Celes froze, staring. Was he hurt? All that time, the thought hadn’t crossed her mind.
”Caius…” Her eyes darted over him. No blood. Not his, anyway. Still, something was wrong and she hurried to him, kneeling at his side. She hesitated, reached out to touch him, and then he rolled over and sat up. She pulled back her hand.
”Cel?” His voice was quiet. ”Are you okay?”
She laughed. The noise burst from her in hard hysterics. Was she okay? ”What about you?” She touched at her head, still laughing. Her hair knotted around her fingers. ”You’re the one on the ground. Because of me. Because I wasn’t faster. Because I…” She laughed wildly and pressed a hand over her lips.
Pure emotion swelled within her. She didn’t know what it was. Her eyes burned.
”I’m fine,” she said. ”Well, I’m tired. Demi, you know. But he didn’t…”Hurt me. She swiped her palm furiously at her eye. ”What does it matter?”
She took a long breath. Her throat was tight. The pressure threatened to burst. ’God, you’re like some gibbering schoolgirl.’
”So.” She smiled at him weakly. ”When do you think I’ll get my revenge plot?”
Post by Caius Dragelion on Feb 6, 2020 11:11:45 GMT -6
The Dragonglaive
Celes Chere Word Count: OOC: Dialogue Color: 196fd1
Caius let out a tired groan as he sat up, trying to get his bearings after he called out to Celes. He rubbed his temples, his head thumping just as much as his heart was. Also throbbing. His chest felt heavy and his breathing was still a little ragged as he'd spoken, following up by gasping for air. Celes spoke up, and it took him a minute to realize she'd jumped down and was nearby.
"I'm okay" He spoke softly, turning to stare at her. She'd probably be able to tell he was studying her face for notable wounds. He glanced down at the rest of her briefly before meeting her gaze again. "Just exhausted. I overexerted myself from..."
From covering for her. Buying her time. But Celes' sudden remarks that she hadn't been fast enough made him stop. He stared at her a moment. It was true that if Celes had killed Charon faster, then Caius wouldn't have been forced to push himself too hard to buy her time and keep the bandits off her. But he held no ill will toward Celes. He had complete faith that she had done everything she could.
"I got carried away and used too much magic" He spoke, deciding to try and alleviate the seemingly dismal and possibly even cynical state she had started to take. It wasn't entirely a lie. Caius had overdone it and went into Stasis. That was true. But Caius had known exactly what he was doing. He knew he was overdoing it, and that he was taking a risk by doing that. He risked going into Stasis too early, and not being able to make it back to Vordun. And he would have died for sure if he had. But he hadn't cared. Buying Celes time and ensuring she got out of there was his priority.
Perhaps she would see through him. He was a poor liar. But in a sense, hadn't he gotten carried away by overestimating his limitations? Sure, he was just trying to put the blame on himself to make her feel better, but... In some ways, every word was true, wasn't it? It depended on how one looked at it. Technically, wasn't it his fault for making the decision?
She said she was fine. But something was off. He knew it was, but he didn't know how.
When she asked her question, jokingly, he stared at her a moment longer before he just gingerly shrugged his shoulders. "The Dragonblades have been impeding their operations for some time. They were already after Yuna and I, since we did enough to earn their ire. After this though... If they haven't already figured out that the Dragonblades as a whole are responsible for their problems, they most likely have now. We need to be ready."
With that, Caius managed to get to his feet. Though after two steps, he stumbled over, catching himself with his knee. He held his head with one of his hands, letting out a sound that came off like a mix between a growl and a groan. He was still dealing with the consequences of overexerting himself earlier, it seemed. He still felt sluggish and dizzy.
"Perhaps I'm a bit more tired than I'd like to admit" He muttered, though that didn't stop the stubborn mercenary from attempting to get up again.
Final Fantasy VI
22
YEARS
Female
Complicated
Heterosexual
429 POSTS
Fin
Use your own eyes and see for yourself whose side I'm on!
Use your own eyes, and see for yourself which side I'm on.
Caius sat up fine. Sluggishly. Laboriously, but fine. Celes could have breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever had happened, it hadn’t broken either of them. Not physically at least.
”Well this wasn’t exactly the walk in the park you’d promised. It was only a check-in, remember?” Celes was teasing. It was easier to joke than talk. How long would it be before she could talk?
In truth, she was exhausted too. She wanted nothing more than to lay on her back and let the grass take her as she closed her eyes and folded her hands over her stomach. Would all this leave her if she slept? Would she trap herself all the same? Her hands were still stained with blood.
”If they haven't already figured out that the Dragonblades as a whole are responsible for their problems, they most likely have now. We need to be ready."
”Finally.” Celes smirked weakly. ”I was a little insulted, you know. They acted like you were the only one who mattered.”
Caius forced himself to his feet, and Celes looked after him. He was still working hard. Pushing forward. Celes wouldn’t have minded more time with her knees folded under her in the quiet of the grass, but then he fell and Celes was on her feet in an instant. ”Caius!” She reached for him, but couldn’t reach him in time to keep him steady. She watched him worriedly, hands still outstretched.
”Maybe we should rest?” Once again, she heard the pleading in her voice. She didn’t like it. ”I know they’re coming after us, but we could take a little longer. I think Vordun would notice if we were being ambushed.”
She smiled faintly. ”And after all that, I doubt they’ll ever want to come within fire range again.”
She was right. It was supposed to be a check-in. Her remark made him realize he would have to report the most likely death of the client's family, which caused him to let out an annoyed growl. It hadn't hit him fully until now that he had, in his eyes, failed to do what he had wanted to do in all of this. And that was ensure to the lad that his family was safe. He knew that they were likely gone before they had even been given the job, but... Caius couldn't help but blame himself for their deaths. He tried not to show that, though. Taking a breath and settling down, he tried to answer her without looking further suspicious.
"It's always the ones that sound easy. Why do you think I brought you?" He managed to half-joke lightly, getting out a small smile. Sure that was part of the reason, but deep down he knew he just kind of... Missed her, if that made sense at all? Missed working together, just the two of them? He didn't know how to convey that though. Or if she would respond well to it, so he kept that to himself. But it was also true that if he was going to trust anyone on a job that could potentially go bad, it was Celes.
Tired as he was, he still chuckled lightly when she said that she was insulted it seemed like he was the only one who mattered in this Original Sin conflict. "I don't know about them, but you'll always be number one to me" He teased back. Not matter? Well, he knew one person she definitely mattered to.
Caius' attempt to get to his feet ended fairly quickly, and Celes suggested that perhaps they should rest. Vordun would be able to warn them if the Original Sin caught up, after all. He took a deep breath. As much as his stubborn pride didn't want to admit to it, she was right that they needed it, and maybe even had the time for it. He slowly nodded his head as he would sit back down on the grass. Between all that had happened, his overworking himself in the battle, the shock of what had happened to the villagers, going into Stasis and not being able to breathe when they were up in the air, it had all taken way more out of him than he'd have liked to think about. To put it simply, Caius was completely wiped, and then some.
He lied back on the grass, and Vordun moved to join him soon after, nestling next to him to serve as something to lean on if need be. While Vordun was a much bigger dragon now, it didn't look all that different from the time they had spent in the field that day. Something that now felt almost like a lifetime ago.
"If they show up... We'll face them together" He spoke softly. He wasn't just talking about now, either. This was their fight now. "As we always have."
