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"Well well well..." An ominous voice called out. "About time you got here!"

Abel jumped down from the top of one of the still intact houses and landed a good distance in front of the new arrivals. He new that the castle guard was nearby, but he had ordered them to keep their location secret until they needed to reveal themselves. He put both hands on his hips as if everything was casual. The smoke blew around him, as if afraid to touch him. "Man, you realize how long I was waitin'? Not cool, guys, not cool!" He rubbed the back of his head. "Got bored with this village a while ago, too..." He put his hand back on his hip, then looked over to see some less than happy reactions at what he had just said and grinned. "My, my, what angry looks!" His face grew more serious. "Careful... you'll make people angry by looking like that."

Abel couldn't see Alihi in the midst of the people who showed up. They just looked like a mass of flesh to test his strength on. Being darkened had increased his power and other qualities quite a bit. He normally wouldn't be this much of a challenge. But, he was being driven by this new force, and it was leading him to what he thought he was after. And yet, he hadn't even thought about his name ever since he had been darkened. He was blinded.

Abel moved one hand and placed it on the hilt of his new sword that he took from the castle. He felt that it... suited him well. He then grew that same menacing grin once more. "So what's it gunna be...? Feeling anxious?"

"Yeah, I'm feeling anxious, you impostor. Anxious to get my friend back!" Alihi snapped, her eyes narrowed into a glare. Even now, she refused to call him "Abel". He wasn't the Abel she knew, not now. Someone or something had taken him over, corrupted and warped him into something barely recognizable. It made her stomach turn.

All of her bottled-up frustration and sorrow and confusion and everything just came out as she continued to speak, maintaining eye-contact with the person in front of her. "You've hurt innocent people with no reason what-so-ever. Your little "group" took comrades, friends, loves, and even family members away from us. And one of you tried to hurt my daughter." Her words weren't directed just at the impostor, but at any darkened soldier nearby. There were tears in the corners of her eyes, but she ignored it. There was no time for her to begin to cry; there were more important things to take care of. She gripped her sword, making sure she would be ready to move at any moment. I will stop you. No, I will save you.

"... You're going down."

(( Aiyeeee busy again, posting fnally X_x;; ))

Ephraim stood quiet the entire time. He realized how angry Alihi was at what these people have done but doubtful that they cared or bothered to listen. It was confirmed when this person they called Abel started laughing in a very evil way. Ephraim gripped his spear when this mercenary suddenly drew his sword and he went into a defensive position.

The noble really wasn't one to make a first move, but then again, it didn't seem like Abel was going to either. "Whether you are the same or not I do not know" Ephaim spoke finally, after keepign quiet all this time, he gripped his spear, twirled it against his palm and pointed it directly at Abel. "But we will take you down by all means neccessary. Surely you cannot take us ALL on" The noble threatened. Maybe he can, maybe he couldn', Ephraim truly didn't know what this person had in store for he group but he was obviously about to find out.

((*Disappears again* Gotta close my shift ))

Abel glanced around, knowing something that they others did not. "Unfortunately for me, it doesn't appear that I'll be able to handle you all by myself..." He said, with a slight tone of disappointment.

Just then an arrow came out from atop a house straight toward the peg knight flying over head. If it didn't hit, it would surely spook the pegasus, and knowing what she's been through, it wouldn't be a pretty sight. The other castle guard members jumped out from where they had hidden themselves, and drew their weapons. They surrounded themselves around the group. Large scowled a bit, as he recognized the lance user from the manor, that almost made him fail his mission. The others, Steely Dan, Chickenwire, Clang, etc., all stood there with big grins on their faces, ready to take down the fools who had so willingly entered their trap.

Abel grinned. "I guess Nino is all alone now... or close to it, at the very least. Lizard girl will be pleased." Abel chuckled again. "Get them."

The noble looked about before preparing to fight back. That was then he realized the face that had invaded the manor AND taken Amara hostage "You!!" he cried out, immediatly charging toward him until a few of the other soldiers blocked his way. Ephraim rammed his elbow in the face of one of them whom he did not really care for the name off and spun his spear 90 degrees, smacking another just beneath the chin and enough to back them off of him a few feet.

He managed to reach Large and their weapons clashed against each other. "I'd like to see just how strong you are with my own two hands now that I have my spear" he challenged, listening to the steel of their weapons screech just before he jumped back.

(Charice is blue. Ghis is black.)

At Ephraim's charge, Ghis followed close behind, charging into the fray. A duo of Halberdiers, eager for a fight, obliged his challenge and raced for him. A General's armor was weaker at the joints and the neck, and one soldier stabbed for that while another aimed for Ghis' left leg.

They couldn't tell Ghis' expression, but he lifted his leg slightly, letting the one lance bounce harmlessly off his shinguard. The other met a mighty SMACK with his axe, sending its owner off-balance, staggering in front of his partner, preventing him from getting a good stab. Ghis' lance took advantage of this opportunity, striking the first Halberdier directly in the face as he staggered, piercing him cleanly through the nose, the tip of the lance extending up into his skull, killing him instantly.

That sent a clear enough message.

The second was enraged by the loss of his comrade. "You dastard! Do we mean so little to you!? DIE, you worm!" In his fury, he charged, and under his helmet, Ghis could not help but crack a small smile--charging opponents didn't know they were already dead. All he had to do was kneel--the Steel Lance CLANGED loudly off his breastplate and veered off to the side as the enraged enemy cursed and and raised his lance for a strike... but was taking too long doing so, and wasn't thinking clearly enough to step back. Ghis' Axe tore through his left knee, severing the leg in half. As his last opponent gripped his leg, screaming in pain, Ghis raised his lance and repeated himself, administering an effective coup de grace.

Was it terrible to slay these men, who had technically done nothing wrong? To some, certainly. But to Ghis, there would be too many men to be saved. Simply put, some would have to die this day.

If Charice could remember one thing from her training as a Pegasus Knight, it was this: DON'T GET HIT BY ARROWS. "You get hit by one, you're good as done" was the saying of the day, and if you avoided getting "hit by one", chances were you would fare well.
That said, it was fortunate she was flying toward the village as opposed to away from it, so she could see it coming. Tugging hard on the reins, Aphrodite banked sharply to the left, raising its right wing as the arrow narrowly missed clipping the Pegasus. She neighed in protest. Now, really! First that... that... THING from yesterday, now ARROWS?

It was funny, that. Had Charice and Aphrodite not been chased away by a Hawk King, faced him square on, and come within INCHES of Death's door, they might have been genuinely scared by the arrow. But compared to a Hawk King who'd had YEARS of experience maiming, dismembering, and all-around GENOCIDING his enemies, an arrow didn't seem quite so bad.

Still, arrows were arrows. Charice turned the Pegasus around, backing well out of range of the rooftops. Her mage gunner could at least protect the archers from anyone who came too close.

"Hmph, 3 against one eh? This outta be a challenge" the noble commented, preparing his spear as he kneeled lower toward the ground. The two heroes were to his left and right, behind him was Large, a swordmaster which Ephraim already had an encounter with. He eyed the other two, noticing their movements were different and that he was dead straight in the center of their triangle. "They plan on pulling a triangle attack? Well that's just great" Ephraim thought, sliding his right foot to the side slowly as it pushed the dirt aside.

Ephraim eyed the two heroes once more, trying to read their movements. It was then he noticed that each were going to attack. But the only problem he had with this attack..was Large..he couldn't see when he would attack or how for that matter, his back was toward him and that made it difficult to read his movements. Before the noble could think, a sword came flying at his head. Ephraim immediatly ducked, blocking the first attack with his spear head and prepared for the 2nd which came at him quickly, this time the blade aimed for his lower stomach, attempting to cut him deep.

"Two attacks..the third....Third!!" At that very moment, Ephraim was caught off guard and immediatly was he hammered into Large as he came charging through, causing him to skid against the dirt behind him, ramming into a burnt barrel. "D-dammit! Faster then I thought" Ephraim cursed, rubbing the back of his head. He narrowed his eyes and mustered up a glare toward the three. "This won't be easy.." he whispered under his breath.