LogFAQs > #884383610

When they moved closer to the walls, however, the man above seemed to identify them as a friendly unit.
From that birds eye view it must have been easy since they were obviously being chased.
They dumped oil, threw burning pitch, and fired arrows into the pursuing enemy forces.
There was a young woman, Y saw, manning a small siege engine as well.
She fired crushed rocks into the enemy cavalry which killed a few men and slowed their advance.
All the while they were pushing North, toward hope and futility.
Hope because they thought perhaps there would be something here to meet them.

Futility because the only thing waiting was the remaining wing of the enemy forces.

Two hundred heavy infantry, fully armored, with shields and pikes at the ready.
Might have well been a wall of solid rock blocking their path.
Half of a thousand behind them on horses, and still the forces left over from the fighting in the ditches.

The canopy of clouds was thick overhead.
Finally they stopped running. They just stopped.
Rutherford rode to meet them.
He hadn't been shot down. Somehow.
Well, he'd been shot. There was an arrow in his back.
But he was still on his horse.

The clouds broke and a beam of light shined down from above.
The enemy stopped moving. They could have moved in and crushed these forces easily.
There was nothing left they could do to resist.
Perhaps this was known as the 'wordless surrender.'
Since there was no chance of winning this battle by prolonging it.
The enemy could either slaughter them or capture them.
It was completely at the discretion of the Fairy commander here.
Because even if Winchester didn't raise a white flag he had no say in the matter.

His hair was wet and blood was dripping from his scalp down his forehead as well.
But, ultimately, the grim looking wound at his side was of a greater concern.

Alura Badaura moved to his side. She looked up at the sun.
"I've been praying for victory," she said. There was a strange look on her face.

"I'm sure your prayers will be answered," Winchester told her.

Y shook his head. He should feel terrible right now.
He knew how this would end and he went in after them anyway.
This was the only outcome that could have possibly unfolded.
Yet, still, like a fool, he had chosen to go ahead.
And for a moment there while fighting,
He couldn't remember it well, only briefly,
But there had been a moment when he had faith that the Prince had led them toward a possible victory.
How had he done that? He made even impossible defeat seem like it wasn't hopeless.
Perhaps that was the exact quality that led men to follow him.
But Y knew he should feel terrible because of this outcome.
And yet somehow he didn't. He felt exhilarated. He was mad with the joy of battle.
It felt like nothing he had ever felt before. Even fighting in Ishiene's Labyrinth hadn't been like this.
Y was truly alive for the first time ever. Perhaps that was a good way to die.
Knowing that he had been alive.

Alura shook her head. "They won't listen. They never have."

The clouds moved again and the sun disappeared.

Her voice grew quiet then, but still loud enough for those nearby to hear.
"When I went to see Hepertine he did not answer my prayers either."
"He came to meet Setsuna, but I was ignored," Alura said.
"I was the one who put my Faith in the Gods, who gave them my love."
"And in the end I was ignored. I'm not a chosen person."
"I have no close relationship with the Gods. That's just a lie I told myself to feel better."

Alura looked up at her husband. "The truth is that I'm nobody special."
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~* The <Stars> Protect Me ~*
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