Welcome to Gaia! ::

(You have no idea how much I needed that right now. How about Justice for the horse's name, or Athena?)

One after another, the bandits were disposed of. With their numbers dwindling, retreat was imminent. Their leader, a red headed man in leather armor, called off his men and fled towards the hills.

"They're gone, for now." Keith returns his sword to his side. His companions appeared to be fine. "There's only one other I've ever seen wield a sword like that before. The blood knight."

"Then I'll be taking that as a compliment." Says Lloyd, it would seem he would have to tone it down the next time they were attacked. "Should we continue to ride, Lilith?"

(Yeah, it is. I think a time skip is in order.)

"Yeah, I'd suppose that's true. I hope I manage to learn something as well." Said Keith, at the moment he simply felt like a third wheel.

"Alright, just don't push yourself with all this hard riding." He make a joke about that, but the woman was surrounded by weaponry. The Blood Knight rather not have any part part him cut off or impaled.

(And I lost my post yesterday >< Either way, I had a lead? 0o)

“Well, I may had provoked that response from them...”

Lloyd kept quiet about it from there on out. He didn’t want Keith nor Lilith to get too curious about his affairs. Soon it was the evening, and Lilith finally took their word to rest. Good for Justice as well. He waited until Keith was asleep before talking to Lilith about what was going on.

"With the way you had us ride today, we should be there in two days time. You, you really want this guy gone as much as I do. Don't you Lilith?" It was the only reason he could think of. "We're running short on time too, so this has been also necessary."

(More of a joke, but yeah I really do. I believe we had talks that lead to Lilith giving birth here?)

"Some b*****d? Lilith, look at the signs. That could only be Mathias. He's taunting me to go after him, taunting us." It was clear from their fight with Mathias that he had supernatural powers. A connection with his family, this bloodline curse was his doing. He assumed that was why she was so adamant on going. He had done so much to Lloyd, Scarlett, and now paladins and innocents alike.

(Of course, once the right opportunity presents itself.)

"Yeah, an end to this." Lloyd clenched a fist in frustration. No longer would he have Mathias harm others. Especially not Scarlett and Lilith. Those two meant so much to to him. With a heavy sigh, he leaned over to Lilith and gave her a kiss. With his hand her rubbed her round stomach in soft circles very briefly. With Keith around, he could do much more, so he reluctantly got prepared to sleep alone, away from Lilith.

Eric had put the book down to nudge the sleepy eyed warlock. "Why would she put herself through this. Isn't she endangering their child?" Asked Eric, maybe someone of the other gender could help give him the answer he was looking for.

"We could probably ask our own Paladin ally, but I think Firin would take offense to that somehow." Answered the Lancer. Though he didn't agree with Roxanne, she was right in saying there really was no other choice. Those two were the only ones that has so far lived in multiple run-ins with this guy before...
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They rode long the next day. If only by the labored Lilith's request to ensure another town wasn't ravaged. But unknown to the males that there was another timer, and Lilith wanted to ensure she had time to spare after this was over.

They made it to Blood Valley just an hour before the setting sun. Their target was there, armored like Lloyd once had when he was the targeted Blood Knight.

"No kidding, not that I expected it to." This was Blood Valley. It would always be the same. Crimson red, bone filled and the stench of death. With their target ahead, Lloyd dismounted his horse and walked towards him.

"I was not expecting to see the four of you. The paladin is a as stubborn as ever to bring the heir of the curse it's premature destruction?" Said Mathias, posing as the infamous Blood Valley Blood Knight. Surely by now she must have known this. And yet here she was, heavily eight months pregnant. The child she carried was a blight to him as much as Lloyd was. The necromancer would not spare it nor it's mother once he was done with it's cursed father.

The great sword he had been carrying transformed into an enchanted longsword infused with dark magic. The weapon he was more accustomed to, but confused Keith so much upon seeing this. The paladin had once thought that the great sword was the weapon of choice for the blood knight. After all, he was still not clued in on just what was happening.

"Believe me, I had every intention of taking you on solo. But you know Paladins. Can't change their mind on anything." Lloyd drew his great sword in arms. There was a determination in his eyes that had not been seen before. He felt it, this being a now or never type of battle. "This is where I'm ending you for good, Mathias, Leon, whatever name you have chosen for yourself. You have terrorized us and humanity far too long. The ones before me may not have been able to, but their strength lies in me. I will prevail where they have fallen."