Chapter 38: The Lotus and Nuria

-Axel, did I mention that I hate you?

-Yes, Zeke, I heard you. And the previous 17 times too. Would you quit your whining? We're dispensing justice over here!

-Nobody that says that is ever truly just! This new wave of romance and guts is going to get you killed, but at least leave us out of it!

With that, Zeke's upper body slumped forward as he, Axel, Guy and Noah roamed the streets of a village named Aireen. It was located on the southwest part of the Karash continent, at the edge of the desert where Noah and company had gone to face Terri. The town functioned as a sort of oasis, a nearby lake serving as a source of water for the citizens and passing travelers. Northeast from it, where the terrain was more fertile, more around the center of the continent, there were many more villages with which it kept a relationship of friendship and trading partnership.

One of those villages was Guy's hometown. Before leaving Soula, Guy called home using the Guild's phone ("Payphone!" pointed Lucy), a small device with a Mistral Enchant stone at the top and a dial wheel, to call his parents. Luckily, no Order officials had been harassing them, but they still had to work the lands that were previously theirs under the Order's payroll, while having to move to the neighboring town for residence.

Upon hearing this, Guy let out a sigh of relief and after some discussing, as Lucy and the twins tried to dissuade them from going on the mission alone, they all left the city on the same airship that had gotten them out the tundra, the device being Sobek's property and his means of escaping with Terri during his invasion of Soula. After a few hours of travel, they had arrived at Aireen, the heat greeting them with as much gentleness as a slap on the face. The ship, piloted, by one of the Mercenaries, departed behind them, scheduled to return on the next day.

The houses of the village were made of white stone and most were cubic. That allowed them to stay cool even during that constant heat, but the streets were still filled with people wearing light flowing clothing, hoods over their heads, fanning their faces with paper fans or hats and many shops were open around, straw roofs over the small wooden stalls that sold everything from fruit, clothing and jewelry. A typical desert village, but everything seemed normal as the quartet perused the sandy streets checking out the counters like your everyday tourists.

Noah was in his usual green plaid shirt and brown pants but the others had switched out from the Academy uniform to the track suits they put on for morning training. They all bought it from the Moru brothers so they matched in design, with a black stripe going from the pants over and up the jacket, the only thing changing being the colors, Axel wearing a deep purple one, Guy a red one and Zeke a blue one, his jacket over his head as he was carried by Axel, revealing a light blue tank top underneath. A bit cheesy for them to be color-coordinated by their Elements, but Guy and Axel really liked the idea since it made them look like a super-hero team. On everybody's arms, though, was a black band with a black crow with angel wings behind it as a design. It signaled to everyone that they were representing the Angel's Crow mercenary guild without them having to wear the black uniform.

They finally reached a stall at the end of the street, a bunch of carpets with intricate designs being hung up on the back of it. Nobody was currently shopping there, so the owner was all alone, sitting behind the counter, arms crossed and half asleep, his thick black mustache on his tanned upper lip rising up with each huff he exhaled, a straw hat almost falling from his head.

-Excuse me!- Axel called, leaning over the counter, causing the carpet seller to jolt awake, almost falling over the chair, but the hat wasn't so lucky as it fell on the ground, the wind picking it up and blowing it away. Guy promptly ran after it and caught it before it got away, returning it to the seller after dusting it off.

-Ah, thank you very much. Are you boys looking to buy some carpets?- the seller asked, looking at the group.

-U-um, not really...- Axel replied with a shaky smile- We're actually looking for information about some Order tax collectors.

The seller shook his head, crossing his arms again.

-Sorry, but I don't know anything about that. Are you going to buy something or not?

Axel leaned over more.

-Come on! We know that the Order is around here taxing you dry, just gimme some-- -his words were cut off by the man shushing him, placing his index finger over his own mouth.

-Be quiet, boy..! Don't go mouthing off about the Order in a busy street! Villages like this are crawling with rats that will denounce you to them if you're not careful!- he whispered- Why do you all want to know about them?

Axel showed him the armband. The seller almost jumped from his chair.

-A-Angel's Crow..! You boys are mercenaries?! Took you guys long enough!- he said, his expression a bit annoyed at first, but it soon turned into a smile- But better late than never, I guess. I sure am glad you guys are here.

That caused Axel to puff his chest in pride, hands on his hips.

-Ayup, here we are! Now, can you help us...quietly?- he whispered.

The man turned around and took out a scarlet colored carpet from the pile, a lotus pattern on it, the edge of the petals being outlined in a golden color, each flower locked with each other as they seemed to float down the carpet like it was a river.

Guy shook his head.

-H-hey, we're mercenaries, we're not here to bu--

The seller shushed them again.

-Gotta keep up appearances, kid. You boys best hide those armbands too. The Angel's Crow insignia is easily recognizable and you boys don't want to get recognized by those snitches before you find those tax collectors, right?

Axel nodded to the seller and towards the rest of the group, the boys all taking off their armbands and placing them in their pockets. The seller kept feigning showing them the lotus carpet.

-We all know that almost half of the Karash continent is occupied by the Order's influence. The West half is almost all their turf, but from Soula forward, the East is still under the Kingdom's control. The only reason they can't advance further is because yer boss, Lucy, is blocking their path, so they can't outright conquer the East half. Maybe sneak in a few goons to the forests near the Capital, but that's it. No going closer for even those guys, as the Karashian Knights are no joke.

"But word around the street is that the Order doesn't want to keep just owning half the playground forever. They must be planning a big strike to move over to Soula. But for troops and their big fancy war vehicles, they need money, right? So the West regions of Karash have all been being assaulted by these tax collectors, drying the people out of their hard-earned cash, all for funding their little war machine. They've come to this village a few weeks ago and it's been really hard. Anyone that can't cough up their dough is sent by force to the Enchant Stone mines they own further south for forced labor. And if you refuse to pay them...boom. Yer dead, right then and there."

-Those tax collectors are that cruel and strong? I imagine that not many people just willingly give up their possessions...- Axel pointed.

-Nah, they don't come alone, boy. They always bring along their soldier posy. They are all incognito, too, so people can't run away ahead of time. When ya least expect, bam, yer cornered, being asked for money. If you guys want to stop the collectors, you'll also have to deal with the soldiers.

-You said they are in disguise, right?- Noah scratched his head- How do we recognize the soldiers and the collectors?

-Sounds like a real pain to play detective, honestly...-Zeke yawned.

The seller nodded.

-You just have to tough it out and wait for the right opportunity. Spot people surrounding others, dragging them to alleyways, shouting...anyone that looks overly aggressive to be a regular salesmen, that's probably the collectors. The soldiers' jobs are always silent, via knife in the back, so you'll have more luck catching their partners.

Axel nodded.

-OK, I think I get the picture...Anything else you think is important?

The seller pointed to the end of the street, that lead into a round plaza near the lake. There, a bunch of carriages were stopping by and a big tent was being put up by a large group of people.

-You want to go to a place where you can observe a bunch of people. Luckily, there's many traveling performing troupes that pass regularly by these remote villages and the people always gather up to see the shows. Go there, be on lookout and keep your identity hidden. The collectors incentivize people to snitch on anyone who is not willing to pay up their taxes in exchange for pardons and maybe a few coins in their pockets. Just imagine how much less...honest people would get if they found out a bunch of mercenaries were sniffing around. Just stay low.

The group nodded and thanked the seller, turning around and making their way towards the plaza when the seller cleared his throat.

-What did I say about keeping appearances? What salesman worth their salt passes so much time talking with the clients without making a sale?- he smirked.

*

-Well, at least Lucy is going to get her souvenir.- Axel said.

-Unless this thing can fly, I doubt she'd appreciate it.- Zeke groaned.

-Carpets can fly?!- Noah asked, his eyes shining and a broad smile on his face.

-Only the pretty ones like this one, Noah.- Guy said, munching on two meat skewers in his mouth he had gone off to buy. All four walked in a line, carrying the rolled out lotus carpet above their heads in order to shield them from the sun. After giving them the info, the seller forced them to buy the carpet after all. Luckily, Lucy had given them some funds for the mission, but one would think they'd spend it on food and water rather than something that would only barely fit in the guild base.

The group reached the tent which had been put up, people from the shops beginning to leave the busy streets and gathering around the scarlet tent, getting in a line in order to pay two gold coins to a man at the entrance, dressed in a flashy scarlet hood, oddly matching the carpet with its gold edges. He took the coins and placed them inside his big sleeve.

-Hey, isn't that a tax collector?- Noah pointed to the man as the group was still a ways along the line.

Axel shook his head.

-Nah, don't worry about him. If the troupe didn't charge people for the show, they'd be out of business. It's a service as legitimate as the shops back there.

-I meant to ask, though: what's a "trou-pe"?- Noah wondered.

Guy pipped up.

-Have you ever heard of a circus, Noah?

Noah's blank expression provided him with all the answer he needed.

-Well, basically there are various groups of artists and performers that travel the world, showing off their feats to people in shows like this. They are usually nomadic, so they're not always on the same place and can have shows anywhere people can gather.- Axel explained.

-Like mercenaries?- Noah asked, his eyes beginning to shine again.

Axel chuckled.

-Nothing like that. They do various tricks and performances to amaze people, like illusions, taming wild animals and comedy skits. Some other shows can include singing, dancing or even playing a musical instrument.

-But even so...traveling to warm places like this or the tundra seems pretty hard...don't they miss their families?- Noah wondered, placing his index finger on his chin.

Zeke snickered.

-After the BladeMaster War, families are a commodity, really.

-Zeke!- Guy and Axel exclaimed back at him. The auburn haired boy shrugged.

-C'mon, let's face it: most people Lucy's age or older are mostly orphan anyways. The BladeMaster War, like, killed a lot of people around the world. People like these performers probably only have each other to live with. They're their own family and the performance is their own house. Which is beautiful in its own way, I guess.

-You didn't have to say it like that, Zeke.- Axel said.

-You're literally the last person I know that can defend family, Axel.- he yawned.

-But still..! You have parents too, right? You can at least try to sympathize with those who don't.

-It's too tiring, really. I'm not the generous type that can make his heart bleed for everyone.- he said, rolling his eyes.

-Zeke, come on!- Axel turned around. Guy, who was between them, placed his hands on both their shoulders, the carpet drooping on his head -Hey, hey, hey! Let's stop fighting, OK? We should keep a lookout on the tax collectors, OK? The man that's letting people in might be a target, too!

Axel sighed and turned back. The quartet looked around the crowd, trying to make out any people looking for trouble. No shady characters so far, though...at least until Noah noticed another group over to his left, away from the line, just watching the crowd, just like them: they were four men, around their fourties, seeing by their beards and receding hairlines. Their chests, arms and legs had armor on and around their hips they carried Blades. They seemed more like security than tax collectors.

-How about those guys?- Noah pointed at them- They might be the soldiers the seller talked about!

Axel looked over at them.

-Didn't the seller say they were disguised as regular townsfolk? Not a very good disguise if you're carrying your Blade around...

-Didn't Lucy talk about this group of former Karashian Knights that were sniffing around for the tax collectors as well?

-Amazing! We can let them do all the work, then!- Zeke pointed out.

-I dunno...they're not doing much to be sneaky about it. If they're attacked by a group of, like, ten soldiers, we might have to help.- Axel said, causing Zeke to groan.

Eventually, the group of men got in the line as well and the boys reached the entrance. Axel gave eight golden coins to the performer and the quartet walked inside, the carpet now rolled up under Axel's arm. The inside the of the tent was packed with people, but the only lights were pointed to the wooden stage on the front, covered by curtains. The rest was pretty dark, so the boys couldn't quite spot any suspicious folk as they stood in the middle of the crowd.

-Well, this is a fiasco...-Guy sighed.

-Let's just keep an ear out for any commotion that might come up during the show, I guess. If someone comes to drag out a villager, they should put up enough fight to call attention to the others.- Axel nodded to himself- Even so...I wonder what kind of show this troupe does...

-Maybe they have elephants! Or sabertooth tigers! Or monkeys!- Guy said, getting giddy, jumping in place and pumping his arms.

-Or they might have a boring magician...I'm going to sleep...-Zeke said, latching onto Noah's back and soon enough he snored on his shoulder.

Suddenly, the lights pointing to the stage turned off and a voice could be heard from the speakers.

-Ladies and gentlemen of Aireen! We, the Desert Rose Troupe, are proud to present the breeze that will refresh all of you in this warm desert town! Carrying on the soul and dancing feet of the famed dancer of ages past, Nuria, we are proud to give you a performance from our Desert Rose dance crew and their leader, the beautiful Fiery Rose: Ellia!

The lights began turning on again, the curtains opening and the lights shining down on the left side, a group of four women entering the stage from there. Their slender frames were covered by silken clothes of various bright colors, from blue, golden, purple to green. Their exposed skin was covered with shiny jewelry and their faces by thin veils,one covering from their mouths to their necks and the other starting from a crown on their heads and extending backwards down their locks. They were carrying tambourines on their hands, the soft sound of a guitar, flute and drums being heard from the back of the stage, accompanying the shaking sounds of the instruments.

The dancers divided themselves on each of the corners of the stage, swaying their hips to the beat of the music. They weren't moving a whole lot, like they were waiting for someone. Suddenly, the music began picking up and so began quickening the rhythm of the dancers' movements, their bodies spinning and the tambourines shaking faster, building a crescendo until it suddenly stopped and the dancers quickly sat on the wooden floor, the lights turning off.

A second passed in the darkness until a torrent of flames erupted from above the stage, startling everyone, gasps filling the crowd. The ball of fire landed on the wooden floor and stayed there. Weirdly enough, the stage wasn't getting burned, the ball gaining form, dividing itself into various curtain-like objects, huddling together like a cocoon, all in a bright orange color and still passing off an intense heat.

-Wasn't this supposed to be "refreshing"?!- Guy asked. His mouth was covered by Axel.

-There's...someone inside..!

The "cocoon" began unfurling, its petals beginning to fall over, one by one, hovering just above the wooden stage, until its contents were revealed: a tall, slender woman stood inside, dressed similarly to the other dancers, but her silken clothes were even shinier, her bra-like top was red with golden rims, giving out a deep cleavage of her bust, another piece of red silk going from around her neck, over her torso like an open jacket and finally around to her back and legs, functioning like a short skirt. See-through light red gloves covering her arms down from her shoulders, a bracelet of bells on each wrist and a long red silken band between both them, long enough to fall behind her tangled arms. Her exposed flat stomach had an intricate crown of bells and jewels around it, the unfurling of the fire ball causing them to shake and tingle lightly. Her baggy pants started with more jewelry hanging from the belt. The panty part was of a deep red as well and the pants part was more thin, showing off the form of her slender legs underneath,although they had a big cut around the middle, showing off her thighs and behind. The material was more of a softer red color. She wore dancer shoes and around her ankles was another silken red sash and bells. Finally, like the other dancers, she also wore a see-through veil around her mouth, her purple eyes having an orange eye-shadow around them and her veil-less long golden hair shone in the fire's light.

She untangled her arms, the petals dissipating, and suddenly the music exploded. Ellia began spinning around the around the stage with this speed and fury on her movements that completely betrayed how graceful and light her footsteps were. She seemed to glide across the wooden floor, the others dancers following her lead, shaking the tambourines more and more as they spun around the red dancer, huddling near her before jumping away in unison, creating her own private circle, where she moved up, down and to the sides in a single breath, her arm and leg movements causing the silken bands to dance alongside her, flowing through the air like a river's water, or more like a torrent of flames. She jumped, she spun, she shook her hips, tangling and untangling herself, the rustling of her bells matching the tambourines of the other dancers as they backed up her furious endeavor. They lifted each other up, threw one another at each other, slid under one another. It was an uninterrupted flow, the lights of the jewelry working with the music to create this haze of lights and sound.

The crowd cheered on the dancers and even Zeke had woken back up, looking at the show and then at the boys.

-Wow, this isn't bad at all, actually. They sure have money-makers to shake, especially this Fiery Rose gal.- he said.

-It almost reminds me of Lucy when she fights. There's no pausing, it's like a single movement that never stops.- Noah added.

-It makes me feel so...pumped up! All the lights, the rhythm...if lifts your spirits!- Guy grinned- What do you think, A...xel..?

Axel didn't reply. His eyes were widen open and his jaw almost hit the floor as he watched the show, the carpet falling down. He wasn't paying attention to anything else, completely lost, his stare focused solely on Ellia.

-She's...amazing...

-Axel? Gaia to Axel..!- Zeke called, moving his palm in front of the lilac-haired boy, but he didn't even blink even as the Aqua-born closed his mouth back up.

-So furious...so graceful...this is romance in its purest form...she's perfect.

-Oh gods, there we go. He's love-struck.- Zeke smacked his forehead- Dude, you have no chance with her. Even if she's older than you, therefore automatically your type, she's a traveling dancer..!

-I don't care...- he said, a dumb smile on his face- I want to keep watching her forever...

Zeke sighed but he was suddenly blinded by something on stage. Ellia...was on fire! The sashes behind her lit up in flames as she kept dancing, but she didn't seem alarmed at all and neither did the other dancers! She kept twisting her body around to the music, the dancers accompanying and huddling around her, deftly dodging her fire as the dance became more dangerous but also more fast paced. Another crescendo was coming and the dancers gave space to Ellia as she spun around herself, the fire curling up around her closer and closer as she spun faster and faster, until the bands completely wrapped around her, the audience gasping as this fire "mummy" suddenly stopped, as well as the music. She was back into her cocoon, but suddenly it exploded, a flash of light covering the tent, causing the crowd to scream.

But once the flash passed, Ellia stood once again on the stage, completely unscathed, her legs tangled around one another and her arms wrapped around her face. Her eyes shot this sultry stare at the audience as the fire kept burning behind her, this time in the form of lotus petals sprouting from her back, making it seem like Ellia had sprouted from the flower itself. The drums finally crashed down, ending the crescendo, leaving the dancers knelt down around the blonde, the light of the fire making them shine even more as the crowd erupted into clapping, Axel contributing to half the screaming.

-And that was Ellia and the Desert Rose Troupe! Thank you all for coming! The next show will be tomorrow at the same time! Please have a good day!- the announcer exclaimed.

*

-Axel Rhodes, stop. You're embarrassing yourself and most of all, me.- Zeke sighed.

But Axel wasn't hearing him. Upon the quartet leaving the tent, the Mistral-born began spinning and shaking around, humming the show's song to himself as he danced, the carpet still under his arm.

-Maybe I should ask Lucy or the twins to teach me the Angel's Dance. I can really see how useful it is for battles!- he said, smiling broadly at the guys.

-More like, how it's useful to dumb-ify people. Seriously, what are you, 12? Sure, she was pretty, but not enough to turn you from studious to Dancing Queen!- Zeke said.

-Aw shucks, Zeke! You don't have any sense of romance! Souls grow via emotion and I'm feeling so many now!- he said, giggling to himself as he skipped around.

-Ew. No.- Zeke shook his head, turning to the other guys- You better not start dancing too.

Guy laughed.

-I admit that it was pretty amazing, but I have two left feet. I'd trip over myself if I tried to copy those dancers!

-I'm more curious about the fire she created. It looked like a solid object, nothing like Guy's flames!- Noah said, arms crossed as he reflected on it.

-Well, must be a unique ability of hers. Maybe her Element is shaded in an unique way to make her fire seem solid. I wouldn't mind learning that kind of thing, though. I could make a fire shield or spawn fire swords!- Guy said, grinning.

-Yeah, yeah, we're all very happy, but can we go back to finishing up what we came to do? I can't believe I'm playing the sensitive guy here, but since you forced me to go on this adventure, I might as well try to wrap this up quickly.- Zeke said, scratching the back of his head- Don't you think so, Axel---Oh, for gods' sake!

Axel was nowhere to be seen. The Mistral-born was so lost in the performance that he accidentally circled around the tent, going towards the backside of the carriages.

-If we can stick around Aireen until tomorrow...I might see her again!- he muttered to himself as he moved around almost in a trance. He was so distracted that he didn't notice the person in front of him, bumping into them.- Oh...sorry! Huh?!

An hooded man turned around and glared over at Axel. Another one like him stood in front of him. Unlike the performer at the tent's entrance, both of them weren't wearing the troupe's colors and seemed more like bandits than anything. And in front of them was...Ellia! She looked at him with a worried look.

-Just a kid...get out of here!- the man told Axel, pushing him back. Axel, meanwhile, looked between the men and Ellia.

-What are you guys doing with her?- he asked.

The second man walked up to Axel.

-It's none of your godsdamned business, kid. Now beat it or else you won't live to see tomorrow.- he said, a dagger materializing on his hand.

-Please boy...- Ellia said, her voice low and anxious- You don't need to--

-Say no more.- Axel glared at the men and summoned Raiden, taking it out of its sheet and pointing it at them, the rolled-up carpet falling at his feet.

-What, you want to fight us?- the first man summoned his Blade too, a broadsword- Who do you think you are?!

Axel took out the armband from his pocket and showed it to the men, who were visibly shocked.

-A mercenary?!- the second man exclaimed- An Angel's Crow too?!

-Yeah, and I'm not going to let the Order harass anyone else in this village! I won't allow you to steal the villagers and troupe's hard-earned money!- he exclaimed and charged at them. The men tsked and ran up to him too.

-Boy, don't!- Ellia exclaimed as the two men split up and charged at Axel from both sides. Axel took notice of this and strangely enough, slashed forward!

The first bandit smirked.

-What a dumbass! Where did you learn to wield a sword?!

-Let's get hi--UGH!- the second man was suddenly blow back, a cut across his torso. The first man wasn't given too much time to react as he was also struck down. Sprouting from Axel's sides were two other copies of the boy, shining in a translucent light.

-Astral Split...It's done.- he said, sheeting Raiden. He walked up to Ellia- A-are you alright, Miss Ellia?

The dancer nodded, the veil around her mouth gone, revealing her soft pink lips.

-I-I...you shouldn't have...

-It's OK. It was my duty as a mercenary. Well, mercenary representative, at least. Were they asking you for money? I can't believe it! Have they no shame?!- he gritted his teeth.

Ellia gulped, looking to the side.

-I-It's fine...I'm alright now...

-Are you sure? You seem shook up...

She smiled gently at him.

-Y-yes, I really am. I just...detest violence. Makes me feel scared every time someone fights near me.

-Oh...-Axel looked down- I'm sorry...

She shook her head, her golden locks swaying from side to side.

-It's alright, really. I'm so thankful to you, Mister...

-Axel Rhodes!- he straightened himself up, saluting her- Just "Axel" is fine, though!

She giggled. Her voice was so soft and sweet, it really melted in your ear...

-Well, nice to meet you, Axel. My name is Ellia. I'm a dancer for the Desert Rose troupe and newly-indebted to you.

-Aw please, you don't need to feel like that towards me.- he blushed deeply, chuckling.

-No, I insist...I must reward you in some way.- she said, before leaning down and kissing him on the cheek, making Axel jolt, his face getting redder and redder and his whole body trembling. The whole thing made Ellia giggle.

-C-consider the debt payed..!- he stuttered, clutching his cheek.

-You're adorable. What brings you to Aireen?- she asked, hands behind her back.

-W-well...- Axel scratched the back of his head- We're looking for some Order tax collectors that have been harassing the townspeople...bring them to justice, ya know?

Ellia nodded.

-Yes, I've heard such rumors in the West region of the continent. Truly deplorable.

-But don't worry! We'll soon defeat the Order and you can dance in peace! B-by the way, me and my friends went to see you dance and I must say, it was absolutely divine!- he said, looking up at her.

That caused the dancer to blush slightly and giggle again.

-Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much! I work hard every day on my dance to be able to bring smiles at everyone!

-And you really did! The crowd loved you!

-Yes...to dazzle the audience and bring smiles to everybody's faces. That is the will of Nuria I want to spread.

-Nuria?- Axel tilted his head.

Ellia nodded and began pacing around.

-Yes, Nuria, the Lotus. Many years ago, during the war against the Darkness, the newly-formed BladeMasters were struggling to adapt to their new powers and we suffered many losses. Morale was low and the gods' grace couldn't reach everywhere at the same time...That was until Nuria appeared. Hailing from the desert regions of Gnottus, she traveled across Gaia, to help the BladeMasters in need. She wasn't much of a fighter, but she was a superb dancer. Her moves were so inspiring that she earned the nickname of "Lotus" and reinvigorated the warriors to continue the fight. The gods, in order to reward her, made sure to turn her dancing spirit into a Blade after her death, so that she could watch over humanity forever.

-A spirit...into a Blade?

-Hehe, I think it's a metaphor, really. Like, her legends power our Blades much like her dance did back then! So, I became a dancer in order to follow in her footsteps, so I too can make people happy!

Axel nodded quickly.

-I'd say it's working, really! I felt so pumped up seeing you and your troupe dance. It really was an experience like no other!

-I'm glad you think that. Will you be attending tomorrow's show?

-I-If I had my way, I'd attend your shows every day!- he said, sweating buckets. That caused Ellia to laugh.

-You're really set on making me blush even more, aren't you Axel? I appreciate your words, but I think you should focus on your mission. I'm alright now. I'll call my friends over to tie these soldiers up.

-I-If you're sure...- he said, before noticing the carpet on the floor. He picked it up, dusted it off and ran over to Ellia, presenting it to her.

-Here! Please accept this!- he said, red as a bellpepper. She unfurled the carpet and smiled at the design.

-Did you pick this out specifically for me? A lotus pattern, after all...

Axel laughed.

-Pure coincidence, really!- he said, before she kissed his forehead now.

-You're a star, Axel Rhodes. Run along, now. I'll be alright. And thank you very much.- she said. Axel nodded and turned back. He took just a few steps before Zeke, Guy and Noah turned the corner.

-There you are, Axel! Come quick!- Guy said.

Axel blinked.

-W-what's wrong?

Noah pointed to the front of the tent.

-We were looking for you near the shops when some men in hoods came in after us! Like those!- he pointed to the knocked out soldiers.

-What?! But how did they know?!- Axel asked.

-Well, wouldn't you know it: we noticed the carpet seller talking with one of them, a sack of coins in his hands! He ratted us out!- Zeke exclaimed- We really can't trust retail workers!

-Oh for crying out loud...Looks like we'll have to fight!- Axel grunted, readying Raiden. He looked back at Ellia- Please hide! We'll handle them!

Ellia nodded, her eyes wide in shock, before she saw Axel and the rest of the group run off.

Once they reached the front of the tent, the villagers were running away as a group of around twenty hooded men spotted the quartet and began running at them.

-This many?!- Axel exclaimed, the boys huddling together, Blades pointed at the enemy group.

-I swear it was just five on the street!- Guy answered, legs shaking.

-They're like rats, ugh! I'm never going on a mission like this again!- Zeke grunted and charged at them.

The rest followed suit as the boys charged at the soldiers. Thankfully, Terri's training was paying off. The soldiers couldn't keep up with them, the Academics deftly dodging their attacks and countering right away.

From Noah's perspective, it reminded him of when he fought Angus the Centaur: he felt fast, powerful and no headaches! Even if he couldn't use his Element properly yet, Astral Soul was sufficient, as he dodged a soldier's chop, circled around him and slashed him on the back, causing him to topple over. He was getting back in the groove!

But the sheer number of them seemed to be working against the quartet. Three soldiers circled around Guy as he dealt with a fourth one in front of him, clashing Blades with him. As they charged at the Pyre-born, though, three bubbles materialized in front of them and splashed them across the face, blowing them away. Zeke joined up with Guy as he smacked the remaining soldier away.

-Thank you Zeke!- Guy exclaimed.

-Yeah, yeah, thank me later! Just blast these guys!- he said as those three got up, joined up with the fourth and charged at both Zeke and Guy. Guy pointed the Dragonic Blade at them and shot a torrent of flames at them, blowing them back again, two of them tearing through the tent's walls and landing inside.

-W-we'll pay you back later!- Guy screamed at no one.

-Guys, look at Axel!- Noah exclaimed as he ran past Guy and Zeke. Axel was dealing with another three soldiers, who had circled up on him. He was too busy blocking their attacks with Raiden, so he didn't have time to use Astral Split or his Element! The rest of the guys ran over to help Axel, but they were barred by three more!

But before they could attack, someone tackled one of the soldiers into remaining two. It was one of the four suspicious men from before! He was pretty tall and buff, his defined chin and long black goatee being his defining features, due to bordering on ridiculous in terms of size and pointy-ness.

-Don't worry, kids! We're here to help!- he said, smirking. On Axel's side, the remaining three men charged and defeated the soldiers, saving the Mistral-born.

The quartet regrouped along with the four new allies.

-Are you the former Karashian Knights?- Axel asked.

The man that had saved Zeke, Guy and Noah smirked.

-You can call us the Night Owls! We're here to defend Karash from the Order's efforts! It seems that our fame precedes us! Name's Jack, leader of this merry band!- he said, shaking each of the quartet's hands with a bit too much force.

-That is textbook vigilante group name. Can't ya'll be more creative?- Zeke asked, clutching his hand, before using more water balls to blast away the soldiers that Jack had knocked over and were getting up to attack them again.

-When it comes to justice, sometimes simple is best!- he said in a resounding voice, causing Axel to nod quickly, eyes shining.

-So rom-- -his words were cut off by Zeke smacking him behind his head.

They didn't have more time to chat as more and more soldiers invaded the plaza. Around thirty trapped the quartet and the Night Owls between them and the tent and carriages.

-Why are there so many?!- Guy exclaimed.

-You'd think such a large group wouldn't go unnoticed...-Jack commented- Reinforcements, perhaps?

-And from where would they have gotten so many extra guys?- Noah asked- We would have noticed if such a large group suddenly entered the...village...

His words fell out as he began connecting the dots.

Axel looked at him, his face getting pale.

-No...ah..?

Suddenly, there was movement in the soldiers' group. From between them a figure emerged, walking towards the quartet and ex-Knights. She was tall and slender. The bells and jewelry were gone, as well as the red bands on her wrists and ankles. But the revealing red silk outfit and the blonde hair made her easily recognizable.

-Ellia...?- Axel called out, his eyes wide.

She wiped off her eye shadow with her thumb, a look of resignation on her face.

-I'm sorry it had to come to this, Axel Rhodes.- she said, reaching for her head and grabbing her own hair. She lifted it up, revealing that it was a wig. Underneath there was short bobbed deep lilac hair, which she shook free. She pointed her free hand at them, a long thin single edged straight saber appearing and was pointed at them. She clutched the red grip, a loop guard above her fingers.

-My name is Allie. I am the 5th echelon Order Elite, the Lotus....

"And I'm not letting the Alpha escape."