"Wasn't I watching everyone when Klein said dismissed??"
Xavier thinks as the question lingers just alittle longer than normal on his mind
"What's that supposed to mean… everyone pretty much left at the exact same--"
"…"
"Wait a minute…"
Xavier pauses mid-sentence as a new revelation may be upon him
"That's right."
Jimmy says smiling brightly
"Yeah… yeah he's right."
Xavier thinks opening his eyes as his mind rolls the tape back a few to remember the end of the short meeting once more.
"It may have looked like they all left at the same time but they didn't."
He thinks as the scenes become clearer
"What actually happened was--"
"What actually happened was one of the royals got out first and the rest immediately followed."
Jimmy says cutting off but also completing Xavier's mid-thought sentence
"… Cane"
"Cloud…"
Xavier mumbles aloud trying to piece everything together
"Mu…"
He thinks keeping that part to himself
"And finally."
"Yup."
"Raine!!!"
Xavier says running through the royals just as Jimmy pitches in and the pair draw on the green haired royal's name in sync!!!
"…"
-silence-
"…"
Silence befalls the pair as Xavier's mind is drawn back to the congratulatory meeting and the moment everyone left.
-A Short While Ago-
"Sure, hope I didn't miss anything important."
Xavier thinks staring at the rest of the participants who surprisingly hold extra attentive and serious facials.
"The Deadridge swamps are one of the trickiest places to navigate on the continent."
Klein says softly
"From the native beasts, to its illusory aesthetic… you'd be best served to keep in a straight-line while travelling through it lest you wanna get stuck here forever."
He says oddly unenthused
"Oh? Free tips huh?"
Xavier thinks at the gracious hint.
"… well, that's if you can find that straight-line that is."
Klein says giving off an ominous and almost sadistic grin.
"Erk."
Xavier exclaims in reaction to the grin.
"…"
"By the sounds of it this isn't going to be easy…"
He thinks as his eye's wonder the area, scanning for an early advantage.
"…"
(*sighs)
"Well, that's convenient, a short glance around and I already can't even figure out which way I came in from."
He thinks salty but objectively more serious as the dangers of this terrain are beginning to unveil themselves…
"… If that truly is your goal then you should be aiming for half a day for this terrain and your next utility officer will meet you at your next checkpoint."
"The Cobra's creek."
"…"
Klein says with Xavier's expression turning slightly cold and serious at the mention of the next checkpoint.
"With all that said and done, the rest is up to you."
He says gesturing away as Xavier turns his head and is met by a rather peculiar sight.
"…"
"Huh?"
Xavier exclaims in an audible gasp
"Isn't that…"
He thinks curiously his eyes fixing on the sight
"…Now I would wish you luck but Blades make their own luck."
Klein says grinning ominously
"It is…"
Xavier mumbles his tone somewhat stiffer
"THAT'S MU!!!!"
He thinks, a sudden rage beginning to boil in his gut as his crimsons meet the shiny mask of the Leader of the MFH, sitted, and back laid helplessly against the trunk of a tree for support.
"Her people have been a pain in the neck for me from the moment these trials begun!!!"
He thinks salty at his encounters with the MFH so far
"But what's she doing here?"
Xavier thinks drawing on memories from the sands.
"…"
"And those wounds…"
He thinks as it quickly becomes apparent to him that the mask wearing leader of the MFH is barely in a state to stand right now much less fight him.
"Did Jimmy maybe bring her with him after their fight?"
Xavier thinks, his emotions at a calm and ease. Could this be sympathy for the enemy?
"…Now I would wish you luck but blades make their own luck."
Klein says smiling ominously
"May the all-knowing grant you all his blessing."
"…"
(FWOOSH!!!)
"…"
"Hey wait a minute what's going on?!?"
A sudden rustle of the leaves on the trees that surround the fallen Mu and Xavier's eyes are drawn once more to Mu.
And to the secluded area she sits as figures he didn't expect to see so soon remerge once more!!!
"WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE!"
Xavier thinks as the blood in his body ramps back up to its volcanic boil.
"LUCIUS AND A.K!!!"
Their identities unveiled with Xavier's realization as the pair come out the shadows and hold their leader at each arm for support.
"I didn't think they make it here this fast!"
Xavier thinks in panic, tensing and preparing himself for a fight based off of recent encounters.
"…"
"Hmph?"
Lucius turns his head, coming eye to eye with Xavier.
"What are they planning to--"
"Heh."
Xavier's traveling mind, which floats in all directions, comes to a sudden halt when Lucius gives a sadistic that sends an unpleasant chill down his spine.
"…w-what…"
He thinks, emotions all seemingly frozen
"Wait… wait… wait… wait… wait."
"What are they doing?"
Xavier thinks as the pair begin to lift and take away their Leader
"They shouldn't be here… They can't be!"
He thinks at a loss for words
"Because if they are then what does that mean for--"
"No hold on!"
Xavier thinks beginning to prop himself up when…
"EHEH."
Just then, giving a sadistic chuckle, Lucius gestures out to his neck, crossing it out with the thumb of his hand in an indication of death!
"…"
Xavier's heart sinks to as all sounds beside him are drowned out
"…"
"TCH!"
He snaps.
"HEY M--"
"Dismissed."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BOOOOMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The air erupts in a sudden explosion as at just the sound of the word everyone departs at a ferocious speed in all directions!!!
(SHHHhhhhh!!!!)
Weighty dust particles make their way to the ground as the leaves on the trees shake from the sudden ghast of wind.
"…"
"…eh"
Xavier's jaw falls in an exclamation of obvious shock and confusion at his sudden abandonment.
-The Present-
"…"
"Well, that flashback didn't do much for me…"
Xavier thinks salty at the memory as he continues to stare at the sky.
"… however."
He thinks propping himself up and facing Jimmy.
"The moment Klein allowed us to carry on two things happened."
"Hmph."
Xavier says calm but focussed as Jimmy nods in agreement, allowing him to continue
"The first was that Klein was gone before any one of us."
Xavier says softly
"… Probably just goes to show the power of a commander …"
"…"
"But seeing that I caught a last-minute glimpse of him, does that mean he isn't as strong as I initially thought? …"
He thinks as Jimmy locks on a curious stare.
"… yes, that is indeed correct."
Jimmy says, watching on with a quiet smile on his face
"And the second thing was…"
Xavier pauses once more, looking out to Jimmy and then around him to where Mu and the rest of MFH stood
"Hold on…"
He thinks calmly
"This guy… could he be affiliated with Mu's group too?"
Xavier thinks, returning Jimmy's curious stare as a host of new questions and possibilities plague his mind.
"…"
"…"
-To Be Continued-