251 What Comes Nex

Decanus Constantina reached into her quiver.

Empty.

Flame take her. How could it have been empty? Had she really gone through two quivers of 60 arrows each?

She hastily scanned the blood-soaked ground around her. There were many arrows lying uselessly-- but she'd have to spend precious moments searching amongst them for undamaged arrowheads, unbent shafts, and intact feathering.... No, she needed... That! Hestia's dropped quiver!

Sister Hestia used a shortbow, like she did. Her quiver would be full. She found herself in the creature's grasp before she fired a single shot.

Constantina made a mad dash towards the winged lion and her fallen sister.

"Ihihihihi!!!" A massive cat paw crashed down-- not on Hestia, but on the ammunition Constantina desperately sought, "Looking for THESE??!? Aiihahahaiihiii~!!!"

Scoutmaster Constantina skidded in the dirt, barely avoiding a swipe of the laughing creature's claws. She threw herself backwards, rolling to her feet in an acrobatic tumble.

The arrows... She grimaced as she looked at the trampled container. They would be bent and useless, if not broken.

Constantina drew her long, sharpened dagger. She wasn't confident of her chances in close combat-- the creature's claws would break her body and rend her flesh. She'd be maimed. Then she'd be tortured.

But Flame take the beast-- she wouldn't die without struggling to the last... just as Hestia did. At the very least, she swore to die with her eyes open.

The creature whirled around, smashing its spiked tail into the Shield-bearers surrounding it. One Decanus' shield was pierced through entirely. Knocked away, the woman's back struck against the uneven mountainside. The only movement left of her was from the blood pooling underneath her shield.

The tail was a death sentence to any Shield-bearer that took a direct hit, save Sixtus-- and even he angled his shield to deflect the blows.

A CHNK of a crossbow sounded off, close to Constantina.

A glowing silvery bolt pierced the size of the creature's cheek.

The winged lion contorted its face into a disgusted frown. "Mm... Your arrows... they BOTHER me... It makes me feel LIKE... killing ARCHERS! HAHA!"

Why? Why would it say that? Dozens of arrows were pierced into the creature's hide out of hundreds fired.

"Why?! Why my archers???!" Constantina shouted, "AND WHY won't you DIE??!!"

The creature grinned, bits of Hestia's guts evident caught in its teeth, "You must BE the leaderrrr. I'll saaave you FOr LAassst!!"

"Flame TAKE YOU ALL!!! Throw the nets!!" Sixtus screamed.

It was too late. The creature spread its wings and dashed towards Constantina, dodging the series of thrown nets and pila. It leapt over her and down the steep drop... Soon, its wings would catch air. Soon, it would fly up to kill the rest of her family.

Constantina clenched her jaw. She knew what she had to do.

She dashed to Holy Bolter Rena. Her hands shook as she fumbled to reload her crossbow, taking cover behind a dead tree.

"C-constantina! I shot it... It-- I don't know. It wasn't enough." Rena babbled. Her head suddenly reeled back with a thought, "Let me enchant your arrows! D-don't worry about my mana!! We have to kill this thing!"

Scoutmaster Constantina grabbed hold of Rena's wrist and began to drag her away, "Listen to me, Munifex. You will withdraw, immediately."

The fool child's eyes widened, her pupils shaking. She pulled her arm, uselessly, "B-but... No! I won't leave you, Constantina!"

Constantina stopped and slapped the girl hard across the face, "This is no time for your stupid sentiments. I gave you a direct order!"

Rena shut her eyes, the side of her face reddening. She screamed, "And I'm choosing to ignore it on account of your order being STUPID!!"

Constantina took a deep breath, her entire body trembling in anger.

She would have done the same. Exact. Thing.

The pot of emotions in her heart had boiled over. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, raging at the fallen. Her heart surged with pride, irrevocably stained by guilt. The pure and innocent love and respect of Constantina's newest, youngest sister cracked the iron barrier guarding her feelings.

She pulled Rena into her arms, "Listen to me, girl. You're the best archer that I've ever known. I know you've worked hard-- I know you've struggled. I've been tracking your progress since you began basic training, long before you became a Munifex."

"I... No-- I don't understand! Decanus, please!!" The child in her embrace began to choke on sobs. Though she denied it, Rena's tears proved that she understood clearly what needed to happen.

The winged beast flew up... past the two of them... high up into the air.

"Ohhh, AAaaaaRCHeeeEEERRRS!!!" The creature sang, its voice an ugly, varying pitch.

Death was coming for her and those under her command.

Constantina averted her gaze from the beast. She grabbed onto Rena's shoulders and pushed her to arm's length, "You have talent. You have perseverance. The Flame has blessed you with a high-tier class to show for it. I know you're strong enough to get through what's going to come next."

Tears ran freely down Rena's dusty cheeks, "Constantina, no! What are you saying?"

...

Optio Sixtus cursed his thrice-damned inability. He wasn't strong enough to nullify the Manticore's tail with his shield. The fact turned the fight from a contained undertaking to a slaughter. In its clumsy flailing, the beast injured and killed over half a dozen Rhodoks-- but it was still too early to reveal Fortuna.

She had the Healer class, but her martial skills were only about the level of a basically trained Munifex. If she was targeted and killed... No, it wasn't worth the risk of saving only one or two.

The Rhodoks utilized Fortuna after battles, saving the lives of the injured. Any in-combat healing spells were to be used with priority on himself and Cyrac. They were the strongest Iron-Rankers and essential battle-commanders.

In front of the forward team and the archers, Sixtus loudly ordered Fortuna to ignore Ranger Hestia's injuries. Fortuna would be obedient-- it was not the first time he gave such an order, and never before was the situation so treacherous. It was more important to win the battle than it was to save a single person...

It was a shame. Hestia was an excellent scout.

Constantina would never forgive him. Fortuna already hated him, so there was no loss there.

The Manticore flew up high, spinning acrobatically in the air and whipping its tail. Its tail spikes-- longer and thicker than Tyrion swords plummeted down, embedding themselves into the rocks near the archers hidden behind cover.

They were inaccurate. None of the archers were hit.

Sixtus quickly identified six different bone-yellow spikes dispersed around the archer line.

Wait, no. No!

"SHIELD WALL!!!!!" He screamed. He smashed the bottom edge of his shield down into the dirt. "Eternal Flame, ⌈Protect the Faithful!!⌋"

The others immediately heeded his orders, interlocking their shields, facing them towards the bone spikes.

Sixtus remembered hearing a thunderous series of explosions before the forward group emerged from the cave. There was a cloud of dust and the rocks near the cliff edge had been broken as if by a huge force.

He stared at one of the spikes through a thin opening between his shield and the Decanus to his right. His vision was colored silver through the protective mana enchanting his and his Rhodoks' wall of steel. Would it be enough?

Though the bone looked solid, it began to expand-- its surface bubbling as if it were a gelatinous soup. There was an unseen pressure inside, pushing outwards.

And when the pressure grew too great...