Snippet #1595032

"Hmm..." Alistair didn't like what that indicated, not one bit. Still, he didn't really have the rank to complain, and so he would not. At Sid's comment about her dwarvish, he smiled grimly. "On the contrary, Captain, you're doing us all a civic duty by keeping a dead language alive." Her orders were clear enough, and he nodded sharply, crossing one taloned forearm over his armored chest and bowing, not in the fashion of the Legion or most armies, but as he had been taught to respect his clan leader. In the absence of a clan, that loyalty did need somewhere to go, after all.

"Of course. They say it's unwise to speak of death on a battlefield, but if I do die, I want you to know that it has been an honor serving under your command, Captain Grimsmirk." Another nod, and Alistair was off. Gathering up several harpies and even a few winged nightmarians who were not otherwise occupied, he flew to an altitude that should be out-of-range of most attacks from the ground. Spotting Beelzes and Faera engaged with three dragons total, he decided that was where his newly-formed troop (as many from outside the Black Guard as from within it) would be best put to use.

"Ranged weapons." Without anyone really questioning why they were taking orders from him, everyone drew bows or readied spells, and Alistair held a hand up. "Focus on the three engaged dragons, but shoot to save Legionnaires." With that, he swept his arm forward, and the first volley of fire was loosed onto the white beasts on the ground. Unslinging his own bow from his back, the harpy fired along with the second volley, them moved his team into a different formation before letting loose another round of arrows, magic, and magically-enhanced arrows, depending on preference, and moved again.

they stayed never in one location for long, to make themselves harder targets, and save for the occasional spoken command from Alistair, they make no noise but the twang of a bowstring or the whistle of projectiles through the air. From the sky, it was easily-discernible how grim a scene this really was, but that did not stop them from continuing to fire into the chaos, accuracy and speed the hallmarks of their presence before they'd move again, aiming for eyes, throats, the inside of a dragon's maw.

---

"You think they have enough soldiers for the both of us?" Talae smirked humorlessly as Caine sidled up beside her. She'd just pulled her steel from yet another man's chest, and was feeling none too pleased with the reinforcements she was seeing.

"It seems they have enough for more than just you and I, friend." Even so, she was glad of the reinforcement. Fae had disappeared, and Talae could just see her a ways off, tangling with nothing less than a bloody dragon. Her protective instinct demanded that she do something about this, but her logical side was facing the rationale that her baby sister was probably a great deal stronger and more capable than Talae herself could hope to be, and that she'd be of very little use in such a situation.

It looked like those three at least were somewhat in hand, considering the copious ranged support Fae and Beelzes were getting. Talae herself spotted two more dragons a short way off. Her own area cleared for the moment, she looked to Caine. "You thinking what I'm thinking?" This area had been largely cleared, and there were a number of Legionnaires without a commander who seemed to want to charge the dragons without really knowing if they should.

"If you've courage and limb left to give, follow me!" she shouted to them, then shrugged at Caine. "I'm guessing you want one?" If he didn't, she'd happily divert half her ten new allies to help him, but he had that look he got sometimes now. He probably wouldn't take any help if he could avoid it. Looking up to the rooftops, Talae made eye contact with Lily in the dark, and jerked her head towards Caine. If she chose to interpret that correctly and cover the berserker, all the better. If not... well Caine had a tendency to survive things that should have put him under.

She and her ten made their way over to one of the two dragons and drew it away from the other. This was going to be a long day. Talae wondered for a moment how Kisikoni was, but then internally berated herself for getting distracted. She'd have to trust that he was fine, just as she had to trust that Fae was fine and Caine would be fine. She'd go half-mad if she didn't.