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The citizens of Eyris accompanied Octavio on a march up into the mountains... It was nearly sundown.

Anyone he could get to follow him to the battle was welcome... They needed everybody they could get... People were still catching up, even. They stopped to rest... They were on a winding mountainside.

Octavio sat down. "It's not long now. We're almost there. It's just up there... About ten more minutes walk... He's still there. I feel him... I hope you are all mentally and physically prepared for this." He addressed the group.

Octavio smiled up at Amelia, a sort of sadness in his eyes.
These people... They're so brave... Why... Why am I so afraid? I shouldn't have endangered them this way...
"I'm glad." He said simply.

He returned a wave to Blossom.

Ephraim was seen leaning against a tree, just a little away to the side of Amelia if you needed to be specific. Blossom and Aiden followed, two faces he knew, Chickenwire whom he had a fight with back when he came to Learania.

At times like these, the prince should be nervous..or at least feel SOMETHING, for the upcoming battle..but for some add reason..he was as calm as he could be..calmer then when he had to deal with his sister's 'girl' issues..why she couldn't go to Tana he had no idea. He looked up with Octavio asked if they were prepared. Ephraim didn't asnwer, actually, he was a bit confused but he was ready non the less.

Octavio looked down at John's question. "Where am I.. from? Are you sure it... matters?" His voice was quiet.

He thought for a moment. "I guess.. I'm not really from anywhere. I suppose you could say that... I can't... really explain now. I will tell you that I was created. I was not... born..."

As if to avoid prolonging the subject, he got up and looked towards Isadora. "Alright... We'll wait just a few minutes for the rest of the group to catch up then move forward together."

Victoria, despite having no mounts of any kind was able to keep up with a lot of the cavalry that seemed to be coming with this battle they were yet to face. She heard Octavio's question, whether or not they were prepared. Of course Victoria was! The bishop was given the Goddess's gifts, and that amounted to something! Clutching her Aura tome, she spoke. "I've been ready for this, the moment that we were forced from our own home, Sage. I've been ready to end this fight... for a long time."

And she was sure with those words... a lot of people agreed. Again, her fear of an all-out war was surfacing. If they were to 'n** this at the bud' so to say, to destroy the source of the chaos rather than its by-products... the war... no massacre between Etruria and Bern... something like that could be avoided. Victoria had never thought she'd have such power over fate. It felt very rewarding to be the one calling the shots for once. It was fueling her morale even more. "When this is over... I will once again help my new home. And this time, the chaos will not repeat itself. My blessed gifts, I understand why the Goddess and Lady Saint gave them to me. It was so I can be here and now... to destroy this threat upon this world."

CRUNCH.

Rhys came to a stop at the foot of the mountain, having rested up. He didn't feel feverish, or nauseous--perhaps Ashera was lending him some brief bit of extra immune system strength before the end of all this? He silently thanked her for not allowing him to fall ill at such a crucial time.

The light tomes were rather slim... Victoria had gotten to them first. But there was a Purge tome at the very bottom, which would serve his needs well enough. That, and... a Fortify staff. Again, she already had one. While the Fortify staff was in a league of its own and therefore couldn't be used interchangeably like others, it was still something one didn't leave behind.

He'd taken the time to attach straps to these staves, and had one slung over each arm. It looked as though he was wearing some kind of really long jetpack... but of course, actually SAYING so would be breaking the 4th wall, which is never a good idea.

Purge and Nosferatu were both heavy tomes, and they weighed him down... but he was rather refreshed by now, and could manage up a mountain path, at least.

Sue was one of the first to arrive, actually... although she'd only briefly heard what Octavio said. That 'he' was coming soon. 'He' meaning Loki. To tell the truth (and Sacaens always had to tell the truth), Sue was a tad bit nervous about all this. Fighting a God? Sure, she'd fought dragons, wyverns, and even a mad king, but... never a God. All her opponents before were mortal!

But then... again she remembered Rei, a tribesman in trouble. To defeat Loki was to save him, likely. To defeat him was to return to their rightful home... to Eyris! "Octavio... great Sage... I've been waiting for this moment... too long."

Leon had also arrived, trailing his fellow Watch members especially closely. He managed, from the height of his horse to put a hand on the Constable, Amelia's shoulder just before whispering to her. "Yer ready, ain't ya? I am. 'Tis be a big battle, for all o' us. Don't ya be worryin' bout' me an' th' others though, we can take care o' ourselves. Be careful, ya hear? ... " he stopped for a moment, before he made a proud smile after shortly removing his gauntlet-covered hand off her shoulder. "Ya see, I wanna be Cap'n one day. An'... when that day comes... I know yer gonna be a darn fine officer. So just watch yerself, and so will I. We'll be gettin' through this to return t' the 'uns we all love 'n miss, 'Melia!"

Amelia was surprised to feel a hand on her shoulder, close to her neck (as the shoulderguards covered everything else). She looked up, finding Leon overhead, still sitting astride Anri. He was definitely easier to understand than, say, Dan... but even with small parts that she couldn't quite grasp, Amelia smiled. The message was there. "Leon... thanks. We definitely will." Amelia turned her eyes to Rhys, then to Renault, and looked back at Leon. "Remember, if you get hurt, I'm going to kick your a**, okay?"

Blossom, chest heaving as she panted in surprise, halted as she put her foot back down to the ground. John...? Again? "Wh-What do you think you're d-doing?!" she demanded, face turning red. Did he think this was funny?! Scaring a nervous girl like this? Twice?! She huffed and left John on the ground to writhe, moving a few feet away from him.