(19.1) Gashadokuro
"He's doing fine," says the medic to Aki and Mirra. "He's merely unconscious but isn't in any danger."
The medic scoots out of the way to allow Aki and Mirra to step closer to the unconscious Dent. Barring the blackened marks blotching his skin, Dent looks to be asleep. Angry, but asleep.
"Even after all that miasma? I thought it would be more dangerous." Mirra squeezes Dent's wrist, her eyes passing over his body with concern.
"He's pretty lucky," Aki remarks. "His wind magic?"
The medic nods, affirming Aki's guess. "Most likely. Now if you'll excuse me, I have more people to check."
The medic, a sapien by the look of his eyes, bows to the pair of them and hurries to other injured people in the plaza.
"I'm going to let everyone else know," Mirra tells Aki offhandedly, although her eyes haven't left Dent's face.
Aki nods in response as Mirra goes to the rest of the Silver Sword who are currently helping around the plaza, leaving her alone by the medical area and her own thoughts.
Fire spouts in the distance engulf a crumbling tower. The smell of blood and ash fills her nose and the pained sounds of the injured fill her ears alongside the hammering of a group of gnomes building something or other.
Her body feels heavy but not at all tired thanks to the regeneration of HP and MP she'd had from potions. Of course, the extent of the potions is only physical, doing nothing for her mental state nor the effects of skill points.
Aki pinches the bridge of her nose and tentatively touches her sore eyelids. She no longer has bloody tears flooding out of her eyes but the phantom pain still lingers.
Three armoured guards with Vadi and Nidor Digger in tow approach Aki now that she is alone.
"Lady Acolyte!" says the one in front.
His commanding voice is familiar, combined with his bucket helm and the pink and silver sash draped across his chest, Aki remembers him as the platoon leader that joined her in the catacombs previously. The other two soldiers flanking him are also familiar. One is the lightly armoured swordsman that had slashed the gashuku's neck and the other one wearing a sallet helmet holds their spear in a self-soothing fashion. She recalls hearing their names before but couldn't remember, thus dubbing them Bucket, Scarf, and Needles respectively.
"Oh, I remember you guys - er, I mean, you three." Aki meets them halfway, sparing one last look at Dent before leaving him to be looked over by the medics and healers.
"We're honoured," Bucket bows quickly before unfolding a hand drawn battle map annotated with a detailed plan.
"An advanced scout team was dispatched earlier to find a safe route to the lord's manor. We plan on evacuating the injured as soon as a scout returns with a route in hand." Bucket summarises.
"Y-yes? Wait, why are you telling me?" Aki looks over the map and the plans with wide eyes, partly amazed by how clean the lines are.
Bucket clears his throat. "There are a great many tales of the Acolytes of Mune and their awesome skill for battle tactics. Since we are also going against the Dead, we were hoping to hear a second opinion from one with such a background."
The other two soldiers nod in agreement, with the Digger couple behind them nodding as well.
By the looks of it, the soldiers of New Pinacca had already consulted the necromancer couple but wanted the assurance of an Acolyte, Aki reasons.
"W-well…"
------------
(Tactician Lv. 2 - Insight granted)
------------
She recalls how the city looked when she was on higher ground. Many of the roads and buildings were destroyed, altering the layout significantly.
The main road leading from Polaris Plaza is a straight shot to the lord's manor but it is designed to be serpentine with lots of things in the way to prevent enemies from attacking. At present, much of it is blocked and was put into account in Bucket's map. Meanwhile the seaside area is open and easily passed as it curves around from the plaza to the manor's opposite shore. However, it is full of craters and holes from constant fighting. So the best option would be heading to the city wall and going around to reach the manor.
"It's likely the scouts have already figured this out and are currently forming a safe path." Aki finishes explaining her thoughts. "I don't know if we'll be attacked here again but since there's a lull in battle, we should take advantage of it and start evacuating now. Meet the scouts halfway with everyone we can spare escorting the injured."
"Wouldn't it be safer if we all retreated?" The spearman, Needles, tentatively offers.
"Sounds safer," The other soldier, Scarf, agrees.
Aki shakes her head. "Dead are attracted to higher vitality. Unless they're being actively directed by someone, they would come here rather than the retreating injured. Right?"
Aki looks to the Digger couple who readily agree with her assessment.
"Thank you for your insight, Lady Acolyte. We'll do as you recommend." Bucket bows again to take his leave and calls out the order.
"And our son? Where's Winter?" questions Vadi.
"He wasn't at the manor. Last we heard, he made his way out." Nidor explains. "We were hoping he was with you."
Aki shakes her head, briefly explaining that they separated after Winter resolutely stated he had to see the necromancer.
"Foolish boy." Nidor angrily states.
Suddenly, a pillar of spirits roared skywards off in the distance.
"Winter!"
Together the couple races off, making a turn and leaping over a barricade with ease.
"Wait!" Aki calls out but it's too late. However, seeing the couple turn down another street instead of heading straight for the source sends a shiver down her back.
She doesn't allow herself to linger on the pair because more immediate things require her attention even now.
In the background, the gnomes that had been piecing together a cart from any usable materials they could gather from within the plaza had finished and immediately set about leading the injured and unconscious onto it. Those that know levitation spells cast them while others simply lift bodies and carry them to the gnome's cart. Aki and the remaining members of Silver Sword do their part and carry those nearby, while the medic that was tending to Dent previously uses his wand to levitate him over.
Within a few minutes, those that can't move are loaded onto the cart in some way or other and are flanked by a small group of city guards and the gnomes. It's ramshackle but sturdy for such a rushed job. Still, it is able to roll out without issue.
As the cart begins to move out, a pillar of fire shoots up from the same area the spirits had surged up from, urging the evacuation to increase their speed and the remaining defenders to hunker down.
The sound of running draws Aki's and a few others' attention back down to ground level. A skeleton carrying a struggling bundle in its arms is sprinting toward the plaza at full speed. The skeleton skids to a halt, raising a hand to display it means no harm. Suddenly, shadows engulf the skeleton, leaving the bundle it was carrying to fall onto the flagstones with a thump.
Looking closer, Aki notices the bundle is actually Winter wrapped up in a partial cocoon of vines.
"Winter!" she rushes over to him. The three guardsmen; Bucket, Scarf, and Needles, fall in step right behind her as she exits the boundary of the defended plaza. "What happened? Where are Mr. and Mrs. Digger? Why are you covered in vines?"
Needles quickly cuts open vines with their spearhead and extracts him from the cocoon. Once free, Scarf pats him down, their serious eyes and focused movements a sign of reliability as they inspect Winter for injuries.
"Clear. Just drained. No signs of permanent damage, Lady Acolyte." Scarf tells Aki.
Needles helps Winter stand while Scarf goes back to stand behind Aki and next to Bucket.
Winter seems unsteady at first but his eyes focus as he looks them over. Aki frowns in concern. Winter is covered in bruises, his clothes are shredded, and he stands rather unsteadily on his own. As if some weight is pulling him down.
Even more worryingly, one of his arms looks extremely dark with lines detailing it, but she can't tell if it's merely bruised or something worse.
She had been expecting Winter to be perfectly fine since he has an owrou under his control. Did it not fight or simply leave him to fend for himself? But if that was the case, what summoned all those spirits before?
Aki notices the drained look in his eyes and realises he has a lighter air around him. He burned through all his mana, so even if his owrou had returned to his side, he lacked the power to keep it under control.
Winter's eyes refocus after a moment. "Vira was at Wish Park. She… she is but isn't Kokone."