Despite Lewis having told her to stay safe, Akira knew she had no choice but to disobey his request. For once, he could finally see just how useful she can be, how strong she actually was. She wanted to prove herself to him. Akira was so much more than a child to be protected, not easily broken like a vase was.

Xeik rode Zahra while Lewis and Akira were on Aymrod, her recently friended boreas dragon. Together, they bore the teens from the graveyard up to the mountains. While it tickled Akira to pieces to see the boys back together, she could still feel the tense relations between them. However, the young kitsune kept her mind focused on the task of getting as close as she could to the tippy top and land them safely on the mountainside.

Aymrod gave a worried whine. ”Can you fly past them? … Around them? … Akira trust you keep us safe. Zahra!” Akira’s ears swiveled, trying to hear his voice over the wind as he chortled at her. ”What? Oh! Aymrod, over there!” She nearly toppled off the dragon’s back as she eagerly leaned to point to the best clearing to land, thankful to have Lewis’s arms around her.

As Xeik watched the two ahead of him, he wondered if Akira was okay with what Lewis had done. The killing and death that he had caused. It may have all been in the name of saving, but violence only begot more violence, and it was something that he could not abide by. He closed his eyes, briefly flashing back to their earlier encounter. Despite being a trained assassin, Lewis was still nowhere near as adept at sneaking around as Xeik. It didn’t take much for the young thief to sneak up on Lewis, overhearing the conversation between him and Akira. It was a brief argument, one that Xeik had heard before on other missions from the guild.

Akira was strong. She could look after herself. At least, that was her argument. But Xeik agreed with Lewis in this instance. Strong or no, this was no place for her to be. It was barely a place they should have been. Xeik should be fighting alongside the guild to stay alive. After all, he had heard that their base had been ransacked. Poor Bat and his tavern. But that was for another day. The boys had scattered, and that was all that mattered. As long as they stayed alive, the guild halls could be rebuilt.

He opened his eyes at Akira’s cry of a place to land. She nearly fell off her mount, but Lewis grabbed her back, a look of annoyance on his face. He glanced back at Xeik with an almost knowing look. Just for now.

Xeik nodded. The truce was still on. For now.

Lewis let out a small cry as Akira nearly fell off Aymrod, quickly grabbing her back and holding on tight. He glanced back to Xeik, and then focused his attention on Akira. “Don’t do that again,” he yelled, trying to overpower the wind. “Just stay put! Aymrod knows what to do.” And indeed the dragon knew what to do, heading towards the landing place that was pointed out by Akira.

“Akira, I know you want to prove yourself, but now is no time to play hero,” Lewis said as the wind around them died down. “This isn’t like one of the rescue missions. This is a fight against a Goddess. And while we have the backing of Lord Raith…” Lewis glanced back to Xeik, pleading for his ‘partner’ to side with him, “It does not mean we can be careless.” But the young assassin knew better than to think such words would stop the kitsune. He adored the girl, but she was almost as stubborn and hard headed as he was.

It was a wonder that they got along so well. He sighed, readying his bow. Lord Raith, give me strength. The Goddess Sironia has gone too far this time…so far that even Xeik has thrown in against her. This is madness beyond anything I can comprehend…

Lewis scolded her, still annoyed that she was even there. He just had to be patient, and he will see why she was necessary to their survival. Aymrod and Zahra slowed their descent as they prepared to land, Lewis still trying to lecture her on the mission and carelessness. Akira rolled her eyes as her beloved pets landed safely and she could slide off. She opened the bag at her hip which she was never without and began rummaging through it while giving a stern look to Lewis.

”I don’t play heroes, Lewis.” While she could remember little games she played with Steve and the toys at home in Sularia, Akira could not remember actually playing much at all with anyone. ”God or not, Sirona is too hard on us.” She pulled out Regal, her companion since the birth of a child of great power. He was a white rabbit with black tips of his ears, identical to Akira in many ways. Regal’s beady black eyes gazed up at the kitsune with eagerness, his cute little pink nose quivering as he sniffed the air. A pair of white and black wings were folded against his back. Akira gently pressed her forehead to his in a greeting.

”Be my eyes, Regal. Scout ahead and keep us safe.” She planted a kiss between his ears and lifted him out from her body to allow him room. Regal spread his wings and was silently off. As she watched him disappear into the forested mountainside, Akira addressed her friends. ”I’ve been in dangerous situations many times before. Each time the gods called on us, I tried to help. I healed mostly, but I was not careless. Eager, maybe.” With the seriousness of the situation, her childish habit of referring to herself in the third person finally fell, making her sound much more mature and educated. ”Amyrod, Zahra, stay close to the mountain. We’ll call when we need your assistance.”

Akira started marching up the mountain, her feet bare as she considered the best way to assist them. ”We may want to stay near streams and sources of water as we head to the top. It’ll be the best way for me to help you.” Regardless, if they want to take point, the boys would have to catch up and take it for themselves.

Ugh, she’s impossible. Lewis rolled his eyes. Trying to argue with went about as well as trying to argue with a stone wall. It wasn’t about playing the hero. The phrase seemed to go over her head. It didn’t matter if she was capable and prepared. The emotion that he felt towards her and her actions, fear, was one that he didn’t even feel for himself. It was overwhelming, and made him worry far too often.

If the assassin were to have his way, he would never allow Akira to put herself in these situations. In all fairness, though, he had about as much control over Akira as he did the weather. Which was to say, none. He hoped, though, that she would learn her lesson if not in the least painful way possible. Had she ever experienced failure?

“Xeik,” the boy said to his former partner as Akira went ahead of them. “I know we have our differences, but…” He was staring at her back as she walked onward. “I think this is partially our fault…for involving her. I think she’s acting overconfident.” The words were hard to form, “Just… Just make sure that if something happens to me, that she stays safe.”

Dark. Light. None of that mattered. Protecting her was a priority.

She could not help but smile to herself as she continued pressing forward. While the words were not able to be heard, the kitsune could hear them conversing behind her. Maybe, when this was over, they could mend what tore them apart. The chances of that were slim, she feared, but she could hope.

Akira stumbled upon a path that appeared seldom used which might prove useful. Motioning to the boys, the young fox kept vigilance as they continued the march up. She wanted to get lost in the nostalgic feeling of the boys being together again, the three of them working on a task as a team. But there were forces out here that would attack them if they spot the spheres of darkness the three of them harbored. It seemed almost fitting that she opposed Sirona in this revolution of hers.

There was a rustling of the nearby underbrush which caused Akira to pause. Weren't their opposition supposed to be much taller than herself? Still, there was sure to be wild game up here that would be an obstacle as well. She retreated back towards the boys, more for their sense of ease since she wasn't quite afraid. Akira was more concerned as to what it was to be, until Regal hopped out. He sat in the middle of the path, lifted a paw and wiped at his ears, which was littered with small burrs. With a smile, Akira approached and listened to what he had to say.

"Regal said there are a couple of small groups of about five on the main paths, but if we continue straight, we will run until a slightly larger group. Seven angels and an elf. They are headed this way." Akira stood and looked at the boys, mentally preparing herself for what was to come. "Just beyond them, the path will cross a stream… But I don't know… if the distance will be a problem."

As Lewis talked to Xeik, he tried his hardest to actually listen to his former partner, but the words were hard to grasp. The only thing that continuously came to the boy’s mind was that Lewis killed, and did so without remorse. Even though Xeik himself felt a sort of hatred towards those who had done wrong, he never felt as though they deserved death. There was always the chance at being saved, of seeing the ‘light’ so to speak. The ends definitely justified the means. If killing was that end, then there was never a chance for redemption.

“Fine. I’ll keep her safe,” Xeik said with disdain. It would be quite easy to protect Akira if he wasn’t away killing his enemies. But even without asking, Xeik would do anything and everything in his power to keep the kitsune safe. She was a part of the guild, and he protected those in the guild. “Not that you needed to ask,” he replied under his breath.

As Akira came back, Xeik changed the tone of his voice, faking getting along with Lewis. For the time being. “The larger group. We probably won’t be able to avoid a confrontation.” He pulled out the dark orb that he had been gifted. Is there a way to do this without killing them? This will drain the magic from the statue, but can this drain the strength from their fighters?

“Lewis. Take to the shadows. We’ll set up an ambush. That elf…could it be one of the annointed?” He glanced down. If it is, that’ll put everyone in here in great danger. Even if Lewis has been trained by that God…I doubt the two of us could handle it.

Lewis cleared his throat, “Excuse me, but when exactly did you die and become leader here?”

Xeik shot daggers at the teen. “Since that’s what I’ve always been good at. Or do you think you can take on an entire patrol on your own?”

The assassin smirked. “As a matter of fact, I ca-”

“You idiot,” Xeik shot back. “There’s no way. That elf is a concern, and you know it. Now is not the time to do this.”

“Oh? And let me guess, you don’t want me killing either?” The teen scoffed. “You’re not my leader anymore, and I don’t have to listen to what you say….”

At first, it seemed that things were going smoothly. Xeik was giving direction, making a plan to decisively take action against the angels and anointed. Then everything fell apart at the seams. Lewis did not seem to like being ordered by the thief. Akira closed her eyes, her fists balling up as she listened to them bicker back and forth. Why can't they get along for more than five minutes? Was everything so far just a farce between them? Was the truce even going to last for this one battle to be over?

She lifted one foot and stomped, screaming at them both. "Enough!" Zahra had sensed her rising frustrations and dove back down until he landed and ran until he caught up with the trio, using his finger claws for balance as he ran on "all fours". When he skidded to a halt behind the boys, Zahra screeched, attempting to pin the boys down. For once, Akira did not call him off.

"If you two cannot come to a peaceful conclusion, I will make one for you. Seriously, if we cannot work together, Sirona will win and we have lost." Akira began to pace, trying to think. "They don't attack unless provoked." She turned and walked the other direction. "But we are going towards their altar… the statue of light. But, can they know?" The kitsune stopped and began to draw into the dirt. Seven X's and a single O were in formation. "We can hope they won't sense the orbs and convince them if necessary that we are here for Sirona's defense…" She shook her head, standing as she tied her hair back. "No, that's too risky. So we will have to do something to thin the group. Hey, do you think I'm too old for the lost little girl ploy?"

Lewis and Xeik continued their argument, heating up to the point where neither one of them recognized the threat that loomed over them. Zahra came barreling down on them, pinning them both to the ground with a snarl. For Xeik, this had not been the first time encountering a dragon up so close, as one of his benefactors was a part dragon himself. Lewis, however, had never been so close to a dragon’s claws and teeth, and was unsure of how to handle the situation as a whole.

The assassin followed Xeik’s movements, though, relaxing in the grip. After all, there was no escaping something of this size and power without help. And while Lewis felt like he could overpower the dragon, he didn’t want to hurt Akira’s friend.

“Look, it’s not like we want to fight,” Lewis said with a start. “We’re just two very different people.” He glanced over to Xeik. The thief looked back. They were at an impasse with their belief systems, but Akira was right about one thing. Sironia was the enemy here, not each other. At least for the short term.

“Something tells me they can pick up on what we’re here for,” Xeik said, shooting a look at Lewis. “After all, it’s common knowledge that he’s apprenticed to Raith.” He squirmed a bit under Zahra’s grip. “A diversionary tactic might work.”

Lewis listened to Akira’s thoughts. “Akira,” he said with a slight smirk. “You’re never too old to be lost.” He too, was feeling the pressure from the dragon. “It might just work.”

“As long as we’re not killing…”

Lewis rolled his eyes, “Fine, fine. It’s just a bunch of misguided fools anyway….”

Akira beamed at Lewis's words. The diversion plan was agreed upon, which made Akira clap excitedly. "Zahra, release." The pakpak listened, allowing the boys back up buy remained nearby just in case they threatened Akira's survival again. As for Akira, she dirtied herself up, almost humming as she did, scrubbing her face artfully as if she had wiped away fearful tears. She all but jumped into the forest underbrush for the illusion.

When she was satisfied, Akira darted ahead, feigning a panicked expression as she did. The trick was in the details. With the gasping for air to the fearful eyes, she spared no expense to sell the act. The kitsune forced herself to stumble a bit, pretending to just manage catching her balance as she saw the guards ahead. "Oh, thank goodness!" she gasped. "Help me!" Akira squeaked in surprise as the angels engulfed her in a circle, surrounding her. Still, she clutched the one who looked different, the local who was obviously the anointed.

"I am so lost! At first, I was returning from visiting my friends in a nearby village, and then these scary men were on the road so I ran! I don't know where I am and I just want to go home!" Akira was sobbing, burying her face in the anointed woman's robes. This woman smelled of ash and magic, scents usually associated with a wizard or spellcaster. The angels had a variety of weapons among them. A sword, two halberds, an archer with a full quiver, and a mace. The pair with sword and mace each wielded a tower shield, which could pose a problem for the boys. She prayed that whatever they did, they would all escape unscathed.