Shiloh Rescue Arc
Abeo and his friends go to the Southern de Fleur Estate to save the kidnapped men and women being forced to work for Desmond de Fleur.
Structure
Exposition
In an attempt to rescue the enslaved villagers of Shiloh Village, Abeo, Elsie and Van move towards the Southern de Fleur Estate to confront Desmond de Fleur about their release. Despite the fact confronting Desmond could cause the De Fleur Family to act in retaliation against Shiloh Village, the trio decided to take the risk after talking with other residents.
Conflict
While sneaking through the estate, the trio is discovered by Gordon the Wildfire Mage, one of the mercenaries under the employ of Desmond de Fleur. Though his fire magic presented an initial problem, Elsie took it upon herself to confront him alone, Ifreet's grimoire in hand, to allow Abeo and Van to escape and continue their search. With the ring of the estate's alarm and their cover now blown, the trio now found themselves preparing for a fight.
Rising Action
Abeo and Van continued their exploration of the Southern de Fleur Estate for Desmond de Fleur and the captive villagers to no avail. Suddenly they find themselves attacked by Kitty, another hired guard of Desmond's and an accurate ranged weapon specialist, attacking from the shadows. His leg injury giving him trouble avoiding her attacks, Van found himself protecting the both of them, telling Abeo to go ahead and continue their search while he holds off their assailant.
Meanwhile, Elsie is fighting a downhill fight as she finds herself unable to summon Ifreet's power to combat Gordon's fire. Luckily before she finds herself scorched, Ifreet awakens and unleashes a taste of his power, knocking Gordon back temporarily before disappearing and scolding Elsie for bothering him. Quickly taking advantage of the situation, Elsie runs off to catch up with the others.
Abeo is continuing his search when he runs into a detachment of Ebon Blade mercenaries, a troupe hired to protect the Southern Estate grounds. Unable to run, he prepares for a fight when suddenly he is saved by Tobias and the members of Thunderclap. Thunderclap fights the Ebon Blade mercs to a standstill but Tobias's ferocity is able to turn the tides in their favor. Abeo and his new allies, Thunderclap, are now able to cover more ground with Abeo and Tobias searching one end of the estate and Biki and Jericho searching the other. During his search, Tobias is stopped in his tracks by an overwhelming sense of fear he received by an unknown force behind the door he was preparing to search. This presence was none other than Rodao, leader of Ebon Blade. Seeking to avoid him at all costs, Tobias takes Abeo in a different direction, which leads them to a series of cells holding some of the Shiloh Village captives.
Desmond de Fleur, aware that his estate is being raided, calls for his two elite bodyguards, Hahns and Camilla, to investigate the disturbances. At the same time, he has his two newest personal maids, Fresca and Cecily, led away to his chambers for their "protection" by his personal aide, Father Bennett, the previous head of the Shiloh Orphanage. As Father Bennett leads the two women away, one takes the chance to slip away.
Meanwhile, Elsie is fighting a downhill fight as she finds herself unable to summon Ifreet's power to combat Gordon's fire. Luckily before she finds herself scorched, Ifreet awakens and unleashes a taste of his power, knocking Gordon back temporarily before disappearing and scolding Elsie for bothering him. Quickly taking advantage of the situation, Elsie runs off to catch up with the others.
Abeo is continuing his search when he runs into a detachment of Ebon Blade mercenaries, a troupe hired to protect the Southern Estate grounds. Unable to run, he prepares for a fight when suddenly he is saved by Tobias and the members of Thunderclap. Thunderclap fights the Ebon Blade mercs to a standstill but Tobias's ferocity is able to turn the tides in their favor. Abeo and his new allies, Thunderclap, are now able to cover more ground with Abeo and Tobias searching one end of the estate and Biki and Jericho searching the other. During his search, Tobias is stopped in his tracks by an overwhelming sense of fear he received by an unknown force behind the door he was preparing to search. This presence was none other than Rodao, leader of Ebon Blade. Seeking to avoid him at all costs, Tobias takes Abeo in a different direction, which leads them to a series of cells holding some of the Shiloh Village captives.
Desmond de Fleur, aware that his estate is being raided, calls for his two elite bodyguards, Hahns and Camilla, to investigate the disturbances. At the same time, he has his two newest personal maids, Fresca and Cecily, led away to his chambers for their "protection" by his personal aide, Father Bennett, the previous head of the Shiloh Orphanage. As Father Bennett leads the two women away, one takes the chance to slip away.
Climax
As Abeo and Tobias work on freeing the captives they found, Biki and Jericho found the remaining captives and were working on freeing them. Just as Abeo and Tobias freed Gharoh, Emilio's father, Desmond and a small group of personal guards arrived outside the holding cells. Before Abeo and Tobias could confront the de Fleur man, Desmond de Fleur ordered Gharoh to seize the two men. To their surprise, Abeo narrowly avoided capture as Tobias was restrained by the giant Bijou man. Confused, the two men tried to plead with their captor to no avail as Desmond explained the debt Gharoh, as well as the other captive men and women, owed to the de Fleur family.
While Abeo and Tobias struggled against Desmond's influence, Elsie and Van found themselves on the losing side of their own respective fights. Elsie, still unable to summon Ifreet's magic was on the run. Van, unable to bring himself to harm a woman, found himself running as well, narrowly avoiding Kitty's throwing knives. Just as Gordon cornered Elsie, he found himself knocked back by sudden explosions behind him. At the same time, Kitty, effortlessly cornering Van with her ranged assault, found herself suddenly ambushed by the unexpected arrival of Calanae. Elsie's savior, revealed to be Nicolas, helps her to her feet, stating he will stand alongside her and fight to become a man Cecily can marry. Gorgon stumbles to his feet, now enraged, and prepares to summon the full extent of his fire magic as Elsie renews her resolve to master Ifreet's magic. Meanwhile, Calanae tells Van to go ahead, allowing him to head in Abeo and Tobias' direction preparing to help his friends. Filled with a second wind, Van thanks Calanae as she mutters under her breath, preparing to fight Kitty once more.
As Abeo is about to be captured by the villagers of Shiloh Village, the King of Shiloh Woods appears before him, letting out a mighty roar and frightening all before him. Behind him trails Emilio and Sacchi. Gharoh, at the sight of his son, drops Tobias and begins to weep, for failing to be the kind of man his son could look up to. Angered by the recent developments, Desmond orders his guards to attack the children, as well as Abeo, Tobias and the other villagers. Before the King of Shiloh Woods could retaliate however, Gharoh jumped into action, knocking aside the incoming guards and charging directly for Desmond. Frightened, Desmond began to run and trips, only to be saved last second by Hahns. Not only does he stop Gharoh's charge, but he manages to lift and throw the massive Bijou man down, knocking him unconscious immediately. After laughing and claiming this is the fate of all who oppose the de Fleur family name, Desmond attempts once again to flee, Hahns blocking anyone from following. As Tobias works his way back to his feet, prepared to face Hahns in combat, Van arrives on the scene. It is now a 2 vs. 1 of Van and Tobias against the powerful supersoldier, Hahns.
Sophita, whose charisma was enough to move the captive villagers' hearts enough to escape, grits her teeth as she watches Biki and Jericho get knocked back by Camilla. Camilla, also a supersoldier in Desmond de Fleur's employ, has more of a sadistic and hateful side as opposed to Hahns, taking pleasure in stepping on Jericho's back to taunt Sophita. Unsure what to do, she prepares for combat, telling the others she will hold off the supersoldier while they make their way back to the village. Just as Camilla prepares to attack, the masked woman arrives on the scene, ready to engage in battle against the supersoldier, Camilla, while the villagers escape, Biki and Jericho in tow. It's now the masked woman, against supersoldier Camilla and Van and Tobias against supersoldier Hahns.
While the fighting continues, Emilio and Sacchi assist the first group of villagers in retreating, Van and Tobias promising to return with Emilio's father. Nicolas and Elsie hold back the Wildfire Mage, Gordon, Calanae is engaged in a ranged weapon battle with Kitty and Abeo is in pursuit of Desmond de Fleur.
While Abeo and Tobias struggled against Desmond's influence, Elsie and Van found themselves on the losing side of their own respective fights. Elsie, still unable to summon Ifreet's magic was on the run. Van, unable to bring himself to harm a woman, found himself running as well, narrowly avoiding Kitty's throwing knives. Just as Gordon cornered Elsie, he found himself knocked back by sudden explosions behind him. At the same time, Kitty, effortlessly cornering Van with her ranged assault, found herself suddenly ambushed by the unexpected arrival of Calanae. Elsie's savior, revealed to be Nicolas, helps her to her feet, stating he will stand alongside her and fight to become a man Cecily can marry. Gorgon stumbles to his feet, now enraged, and prepares to summon the full extent of his fire magic as Elsie renews her resolve to master Ifreet's magic. Meanwhile, Calanae tells Van to go ahead, allowing him to head in Abeo and Tobias' direction preparing to help his friends. Filled with a second wind, Van thanks Calanae as she mutters under her breath, preparing to fight Kitty once more.
As Abeo is about to be captured by the villagers of Shiloh Village, the King of Shiloh Woods appears before him, letting out a mighty roar and frightening all before him. Behind him trails Emilio and Sacchi. Gharoh, at the sight of his son, drops Tobias and begins to weep, for failing to be the kind of man his son could look up to. Angered by the recent developments, Desmond orders his guards to attack the children, as well as Abeo, Tobias and the other villagers. Before the King of Shiloh Woods could retaliate however, Gharoh jumped into action, knocking aside the incoming guards and charging directly for Desmond. Frightened, Desmond began to run and trips, only to be saved last second by Hahns. Not only does he stop Gharoh's charge, but he manages to lift and throw the massive Bijou man down, knocking him unconscious immediately. After laughing and claiming this is the fate of all who oppose the de Fleur family name, Desmond attempts once again to flee, Hahns blocking anyone from following. As Tobias works his way back to his feet, prepared to face Hahns in combat, Van arrives on the scene. It is now a 2 vs. 1 of Van and Tobias against the powerful supersoldier, Hahns.
Sophita, whose charisma was enough to move the captive villagers' hearts enough to escape, grits her teeth as she watches Biki and Jericho get knocked back by Camilla. Camilla, also a supersoldier in Desmond de Fleur's employ, has more of a sadistic and hateful side as opposed to Hahns, taking pleasure in stepping on Jericho's back to taunt Sophita. Unsure what to do, she prepares for combat, telling the others she will hold off the supersoldier while they make their way back to the village. Just as Camilla prepares to attack, the masked woman arrives on the scene, ready to engage in battle against the supersoldier, Camilla, while the villagers escape, Biki and Jericho in tow. It's now the masked woman, against supersoldier Camilla and Van and Tobias against supersoldier Hahns.
While the fighting continues, Emilio and Sacchi assist the first group of villagers in retreating, Van and Tobias promising to return with Emilio's father. Nicolas and Elsie hold back the Wildfire Mage, Gordon, Calanae is engaged in a ranged weapon battle with Kitty and Abeo is in pursuit of Desmond de Fleur.
Falling Action
As Gordon is finally going full out and unleashing every bit of fire magic he possesses, Nicolas and Elsie are effortlessly pushed back without the assistance from Ifreet. Needing to do this on her own, Elsie thanks Nicolas for his efforts but sends him ahead to help the others. Though he protests, Nicolas begrudgingly agrees and leaves. Just as Gordon shoots a giant fireball to stop Nicolas's escape, Elsie is finally able to summon Ifreet's power once more, overpowering Gordon's fire magic with her superior Faery fire magic. Ifreet, finally accepting Elsie's will to fight, accepts her as his master and the pair defeat Gordon with ease.
Meanwhile Calanae and Kitty's fight has hit a stalemate. Though Calanae's precision and various weaponry give her the edge to knock back Kitty's throwing knives, Kitty's agility made it impossible for her to land a deciding blow. Things make a turn for the worst as Kitty finally manages to land a blow, throwing a knife right into Calanae's thigh, forcing her to a knee. Sighing, Calanae reaches back for a different gun and immediately begins shooting in every direction, Kitty laughing at how she doesn't even have to try to dodge anymore. Calanae smiles, pulling back out her pellet guns and tells Kitty to inspect the battlefield again, claiming this fight is over. Kitty frowns, as she looks around and is shocked to find the floor covered in caltrops. As she looks back in Calanae's direction she's shocked to see the woman has quickly closed the gap between them, and with all of the caltrops severely limiting her mobility, Kitty has nowhere to run as Calanae pulls out a different type of gun, the Blastduster, fire one good shot from close range and causes a large explosion, defeating Kitty in one shot.
Meanwhile the fight between the Masked Woman and Camilla is heating up, with Sophita staring in awe. The Masked Woman bluntly states she is in the way, causing an embarrassed Sophita to retreat, allowing the two combatants to finally stop holding back and go all out offscreen.
As Abeo closes in on Desmond de Fleur, Hahns is mercilessly beating down Van and Tobias simultaneously. Even a surprise assist attack with Gharoh isn't enough to put down the supersoldier and results in Gharoh receiving serious injuries and once again being knocked out cold. Intrigued by the commotion and rudely awoken from his nap, Rodao watches the fight from a distance, undetected. After some desperation attempts to take down Hahns, he finally is forced to take his first few steps back, triggering a flashback in Hahns' mind that send him into a wild frienzy, ending with him effortlessly beating Van and Tobias unconscious. Even in this state however, Tobias and Van stand up one more time, with Tobias even taking a step forward before both men lost complete consciousness and the will to fight. Still enraged, Hahns charges his defeated foes, only to be stopped by the leader of Ebon Blade, Rodao himself, stating the fight is over and if Hahns attempts to continue, Rodao will not hold back.
Desmond de Fleur escapes to his chambers where Father Bennett and Cecily are hiding from the fighting outside. Commanding Father Bennett send a request for assistance and ready an escape escort immediately, Desmond is more than irritated to find himself met with protests from Cecily. Bothered, Desmond reminds Cecily why she's here; to work off the debt she and Elliot owe his family. Cecily defensively snaps back, stating how she and Elliot paid what they owed to his family despite the current situation and how she was still taken. To Desmond's surprise, Father Bennett confirms this and reveals that many of the enslaved villagers were not indebted to the de Fleur Family and actually just kidnapped against their will and beaten into submission to work as free labor. Events not turning out how he foresaw, a shocked Desmond is unsure what to do, just as Abeo breaks in the door to his chambers and delivering a fierce punch straight into Desmond's jaw, knocking him out. Father Bennett commends Abeo for saving him, claiming innocence in all that was going on, lying about being an unwilling party in these ordeals himself. Cecily, unsure how to react, is frozen with panic on her face, but Abeo quickly assesses the situation. Father Bennett, picking up on this as well, drops his facade and commends Abeo's analytical abilities, claiming he was always too smart for his own good. Father Bennett then picks up a nearby grimoire and seals Abeo inside of a barrier. Father Bennett claims the man he truly works for makes Desmond seem like nothing more than an insignificant fly on the wall. Hearing this, Desmond grabs the nearby chair and bashes Father Bennett over the head with it, knocking him unconscious and freeing Abeo. Just then, Hahns storms into the room, prepared to attack Abeo and waiting for Desmond's command. Desmond clenches his fist, preparing to give his orders to everyone in the estate.
Meanwhile in the near the front gate of the de Fleur estate, an afro sporting man has rounded up a group of men to halt Emilio and Sacchi's escape. Ever persistent to fulfill his part in their mission, Emilio charges the mercenary and his men, even managing to defeat one of the soldiers before Swiftly being knocked to the floor by the afro warrior. The King of Shiloh Woods and Sacchi quickly rush to his side to prevent any further injury, but the two groups are at a standstill until Sophita, accompanied by Calanae, arrive leading the second group of captives. The man let's out a lazy yawn, stating they have no chance against him before a bell rings across the estate. Understanding his job is done, the afro warrior and the members of Ebon Blade step aside, stating they no longer have a reason to stop them. A surprised but grateful Sophita leads the the entire group out as the afro man looks back towards the main building, his face growing serious as he heads in the direction.
Meanwhile Calanae and Kitty's fight has hit a stalemate. Though Calanae's precision and various weaponry give her the edge to knock back Kitty's throwing knives, Kitty's agility made it impossible for her to land a deciding blow. Things make a turn for the worst as Kitty finally manages to land a blow, throwing a knife right into Calanae's thigh, forcing her to a knee. Sighing, Calanae reaches back for a different gun and immediately begins shooting in every direction, Kitty laughing at how she doesn't even have to try to dodge anymore. Calanae smiles, pulling back out her pellet guns and tells Kitty to inspect the battlefield again, claiming this fight is over. Kitty frowns, as she looks around and is shocked to find the floor covered in caltrops. As she looks back in Calanae's direction she's shocked to see the woman has quickly closed the gap between them, and with all of the caltrops severely limiting her mobility, Kitty has nowhere to run as Calanae pulls out a different type of gun, the Blastduster, fire one good shot from close range and causes a large explosion, defeating Kitty in one shot.
Meanwhile the fight between the Masked Woman and Camilla is heating up, with Sophita staring in awe. The Masked Woman bluntly states she is in the way, causing an embarrassed Sophita to retreat, allowing the two combatants to finally stop holding back and go all out offscreen.
As Abeo closes in on Desmond de Fleur, Hahns is mercilessly beating down Van and Tobias simultaneously. Even a surprise assist attack with Gharoh isn't enough to put down the supersoldier and results in Gharoh receiving serious injuries and once again being knocked out cold. Intrigued by the commotion and rudely awoken from his nap, Rodao watches the fight from a distance, undetected. After some desperation attempts to take down Hahns, he finally is forced to take his first few steps back, triggering a flashback in Hahns' mind that send him into a wild frienzy, ending with him effortlessly beating Van and Tobias unconscious. Even in this state however, Tobias and Van stand up one more time, with Tobias even taking a step forward before both men lost complete consciousness and the will to fight. Still enraged, Hahns charges his defeated foes, only to be stopped by the leader of Ebon Blade, Rodao himself, stating the fight is over and if Hahns attempts to continue, Rodao will not hold back.
Desmond de Fleur escapes to his chambers where Father Bennett and Cecily are hiding from the fighting outside. Commanding Father Bennett send a request for assistance and ready an escape escort immediately, Desmond is more than irritated to find himself met with protests from Cecily. Bothered, Desmond reminds Cecily why she's here; to work off the debt she and Elliot owe his family. Cecily defensively snaps back, stating how she and Elliot paid what they owed to his family despite the current situation and how she was still taken. To Desmond's surprise, Father Bennett confirms this and reveals that many of the enslaved villagers were not indebted to the de Fleur Family and actually just kidnapped against their will and beaten into submission to work as free labor. Events not turning out how he foresaw, a shocked Desmond is unsure what to do, just as Abeo breaks in the door to his chambers and delivering a fierce punch straight into Desmond's jaw, knocking him out. Father Bennett commends Abeo for saving him, claiming innocence in all that was going on, lying about being an unwilling party in these ordeals himself. Cecily, unsure how to react, is frozen with panic on her face, but Abeo quickly assesses the situation. Father Bennett, picking up on this as well, drops his facade and commends Abeo's analytical abilities, claiming he was always too smart for his own good. Father Bennett then picks up a nearby grimoire and seals Abeo inside of a barrier. Father Bennett claims the man he truly works for makes Desmond seem like nothing more than an insignificant fly on the wall. Hearing this, Desmond grabs the nearby chair and bashes Father Bennett over the head with it, knocking him unconscious and freeing Abeo. Just then, Hahns storms into the room, prepared to attack Abeo and waiting for Desmond's command. Desmond clenches his fist, preparing to give his orders to everyone in the estate.
Meanwhile in the near the front gate of the de Fleur estate, an afro sporting man has rounded up a group of men to halt Emilio and Sacchi's escape. Ever persistent to fulfill his part in their mission, Emilio charges the mercenary and his men, even managing to defeat one of the soldiers before Swiftly being knocked to the floor by the afro warrior. The King of Shiloh Woods and Sacchi quickly rush to his side to prevent any further injury, but the two groups are at a standstill until Sophita, accompanied by Calanae, arrive leading the second group of captives. The man let's out a lazy yawn, stating they have no chance against him before a bell rings across the estate. Understanding his job is done, the afro warrior and the members of Ebon Blade step aside, stating they no longer have a reason to stop them. A surprised but grateful Sophita leads the the entire group out as the afro man looks back towards the main building, his face growing serious as he heads in the direction.
Resolution
Abeo, confused at Desmond's decision, asks why the man saved him and stopped the fighting. Desmond de Fleur, 3rd son of the de Fleur name, simply replies that he may not be the best man, but he refuses to accept slave labor from the undeserving. Though Abeo prepares to mention no one deserves to be enslaved, he lets it go, calling this a victory nonetheless.
Elsewhere, a defeated Gordon begrudgingly accepts help from Elsie as the pair sits aside listening to the bells call for the end of the fighting as Calanae arrives at the main building, carrying a defeated Kitty.
On the final battlefield however, the Masked Woman and Camilla's fight is just increasing in intensity as neither sees the bell as reason to stop their now personal battle. Suddenly however, the sound of Hahns voice can be heard, calling for all forces to return immediately to Desmond de Fleur's side. Despite not caring for the orders, hearing her beloved call for her to return to him was enough to beckon Camilla's swift exit from the fight. A tired Masked Woman simple sighed and removed her mask, revealing herself to be Fresca. This revelation is also seen by Nicolas, who just happened to be watching the fight from a safe distance away before slipping away to the main gate to rejoin the others.
Abeo, now joined by a tired Elsie, Calanae, Van and Tobias, confront Desmond and his 3 powerful guards, Hahns, Camilla and Rodao, the afro warrior. Rodao laughs at hearing the resolution of the situation, stating how lucky it is for the entire group that none of the 3 head guards took this threat as serious as they could have; If they had fought seriously, the group would be dead within moments. The aura emanating from Rodao reminded Tobias of that terrifying presence he felt while they were searching for the villagers, though he said nothing of this. Just then Sophita approached the group, seeking to speak to Desmond about the continued relationship between Shiloh Village and the de Fleur family when she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Hahns. The two were childhood friends, he too, grew up in Shiloh Village, before being shipped off at a young age by his parents to Stasis in exchange for money. There, children such as he and Camilla were turned into the supersoldiers they are today. Hahns however remembers none of this, though he does admit to getting an unusual feeling being close to Sophita. Hearing this upsets Camilla, who prepares to kill Sophita immediately for her beloved to return to normal, but he quickly states he would kill Camilla should harm come to the woman, shutting all of that down.
Awkward moments aside, Abeo, Sophita and Desmond come to an agreement that he will not inform his family of what just happened due to the manipulation behind the scenes of Father Bennett and would work from this day forward to build a stronger relationship with the citizens of Shiloh Village, though he refuses to address the group as anything more than commoners. Abeo and Sophita, though sarcastic in tone, accept this proposal, call it even, for now.
On their trip home, the group reflect on their powerlessness as they faced the members of Ebon Blade and Desmond's elite guard. If not for luck, none of what happened would have been possible. Van and Tobias especially, are taking their personal losses hard, desiring to get stronger moving forward, as Elsie resolves to fully control Ifreet. Calanae gives the other's a blank face, stating she handled her fight just fine, causing them to grimace at her while Abeo thinks on how he too, can be more useful next time.
Back on the estate grounds, Rodao speaks with Kitty and Gordon on their respective fights with the children of Shiloh Village. While Kitty was unimpressed, Gordon laughs, reminding her how handily she was beaten and spoke greatly on the magic potential Elsie has. Rodao agreed, stating he too felt great potential from the children, expressing the possibility of even a great swordsman being among them. Kitty laughs at this, stating how honored they would be to get training lessons from one of the four strongest swordsmen in Freesia. Rodao simply smiles, the visage of a Black Panther slowly appearing behind him. "Who knows what the future will bring?" he says.
End Arc
Elsewhere, a defeated Gordon begrudgingly accepts help from Elsie as the pair sits aside listening to the bells call for the end of the fighting as Calanae arrives at the main building, carrying a defeated Kitty.
On the final battlefield however, the Masked Woman and Camilla's fight is just increasing in intensity as neither sees the bell as reason to stop their now personal battle. Suddenly however, the sound of Hahns voice can be heard, calling for all forces to return immediately to Desmond de Fleur's side. Despite not caring for the orders, hearing her beloved call for her to return to him was enough to beckon Camilla's swift exit from the fight. A tired Masked Woman simple sighed and removed her mask, revealing herself to be Fresca. This revelation is also seen by Nicolas, who just happened to be watching the fight from a safe distance away before slipping away to the main gate to rejoin the others.
Abeo, now joined by a tired Elsie, Calanae, Van and Tobias, confront Desmond and his 3 powerful guards, Hahns, Camilla and Rodao, the afro warrior. Rodao laughs at hearing the resolution of the situation, stating how lucky it is for the entire group that none of the 3 head guards took this threat as serious as they could have; If they had fought seriously, the group would be dead within moments. The aura emanating from Rodao reminded Tobias of that terrifying presence he felt while they were searching for the villagers, though he said nothing of this. Just then Sophita approached the group, seeking to speak to Desmond about the continued relationship between Shiloh Village and the de Fleur family when she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Hahns. The two were childhood friends, he too, grew up in Shiloh Village, before being shipped off at a young age by his parents to Stasis in exchange for money. There, children such as he and Camilla were turned into the supersoldiers they are today. Hahns however remembers none of this, though he does admit to getting an unusual feeling being close to Sophita. Hearing this upsets Camilla, who prepares to kill Sophita immediately for her beloved to return to normal, but he quickly states he would kill Camilla should harm come to the woman, shutting all of that down.
Awkward moments aside, Abeo, Sophita and Desmond come to an agreement that he will not inform his family of what just happened due to the manipulation behind the scenes of Father Bennett and would work from this day forward to build a stronger relationship with the citizens of Shiloh Village, though he refuses to address the group as anything more than commoners. Abeo and Sophita, though sarcastic in tone, accept this proposal, call it even, for now.
On their trip home, the group reflect on their powerlessness as they faced the members of Ebon Blade and Desmond's elite guard. If not for luck, none of what happened would have been possible. Van and Tobias especially, are taking their personal losses hard, desiring to get stronger moving forward, as Elsie resolves to fully control Ifreet. Calanae gives the other's a blank face, stating she handled her fight just fine, causing them to grimace at her while Abeo thinks on how he too, can be more useful next time.
Back on the estate grounds, Rodao speaks with Kitty and Gordon on their respective fights with the children of Shiloh Village. While Kitty was unimpressed, Gordon laughs, reminding her how handily she was beaten and spoke greatly on the magic potential Elsie has. Rodao agreed, stating he too felt great potential from the children, expressing the possibility of even a great swordsman being among them. Kitty laughs at this, stating how honored they would be to get training lessons from one of the four strongest swordsmen in Freesia. Rodao simply smiles, the visage of a Black Panther slowly appearing behind him. "Who knows what the future will bring?" he says.
End Arc
Components
Goals
To free Cecily and the other unjustly enslaved villagers of Shiloh Village from working off their debts to the de Fleur Family under cruel conditions.
Relations
Protagonists
Allies
Nicolas: Shiloh Village's local inventor. Helps Anton to save Cecily and prove to himself he can be a man.
Calanae: A member of the Shiloh Militia and the best sharpshooter in her village.
Emilio: A young Bijoutaurus boy striving to save his father.
Sacchi: A young Yuxie girl hoping to help Emilio save his father.
Sophita: Niece of the mayor of Shiloh Village, hoping to save the captive men and women of the village and prove she can do things for herself.
Cecily: One of the captive girls from Shiloh Village and a close friend to Nicolas.
Neutrals/Bystanders
Fresca: One of the captive maidens held in the Western de Fleur Estate.
Birdie: One of the captive maidens held in the Western de Fleur Estate.
Gharoh: One of the captive slaves working off a debt in the Western de Fleur Estate.
Rodao: Leader of Ebon Blade, mercenaries currently employed by Desmond de Fleur. Asleep during the majority of the arc.
Birdie: One of the captive maidens held in the Western de Fleur Estate.
Gharoh: One of the captive slaves working off a debt in the Western de Fleur Estate.
Rodao: Leader of Ebon Blade, mercenaries currently employed by Desmond de Fleur. Asleep during the majority of the arc.
Adversaries
Desmond de Fleur: Owner of the Western de Fleur Estate.
Hahns: A Stasis soldier sold to Desmond de Fleur as a personal guard. Stoic.
Gordon: A mercenary working for Desmond de Fleur. A magus using fire magic.
Kitty: A traveling mercenary working for Desmond de Fleur. A Xinglander warrior who excels in ranged weaponry.
Camilla: A Stasis soldier sold to Desmond de Fleur as a personal guard. Obsessed with Hahns.
Hahns: A Stasis soldier sold to Desmond de Fleur as a personal guard. Stoic.
Gordon: A mercenary working for Desmond de Fleur. A magus using fire magic.
Kitty: A traveling mercenary working for Desmond de Fleur. A Xinglander warrior who excels in ranged weaponry.
Camilla: A Stasis soldier sold to Desmond de Fleur as a personal guard. Obsessed with Hahns.
Backdrops
Encounters
Plot type
Story Arc
Parent Plot
Related Characters
Related Organizations
Related Locations
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