-Mitch Albom

Moira wasn't kidding when she said that the rendezvous would be little more than a drive-by to ensure that the Legion was on schedule. Only the thin, reinforced windows that were hardly more than slits even gave him a view of the Legion's vehicles nearby as they formed a convoy headed straight for Cabal territory. They never stopped, never even exchanged proper radio contact. They were following, and that was all that mattered.

John was getting a lot of déjà vu from their last voyage into enemy territory, but he had hope that things would go differently this time… like not nearly dying. Also having Sophia not get almost captured.

"Okay, no more thoughts about the negatives. Focus on the positives."

Things were looking up, no matter how much John's panic-driven mind wanted him to believe otherwise. Unless this all turned out to be a massive trap, something so convincing that none of the groups rallied against the Cabal could detect or predict it, there was no real reason to believe that things were going to go astray. And if that was the case… well, there was nothing to be done about it now. Moira believed that this was their best chance to win the war - and she believed so wholeheartedly in their ability to do so that she didn't think her father's assistance was necessary.

"Father, do you have any suggestions for us? As the leader of this flock, you must have learned something from our prior engagements."

"Uh… well, I- yeah, actually."

Though he was much less certain than he tried to sound, Sophia's words were exactly what John needed to break out of his self-imposed reflecting. Despite his own misgivings, the thought of instilling doubt and fear in others was not something that John could tolerate.

"Well, Moira says we're going to be in a Barrier conjured by other mages, which means we don't have to worry as much about any of us being pulled into a Barrier - forcibly or otherwise. At least I think so… Moira, is that right? Can there be a Barrier inside a Barrier?"

"Yes, but it's certainly no easy task," the redhead explained readily. "Generally doing so requires a highly skilled Barrier mage - the Albidians, for instance, might be capable of such a thing, but only very specific members and under ideal circumstances. The Fateweavers are known for stacking Barriers, but their assistance would be difficult to obtain in this instance. Not only would their prices deplete even our Order's treasury, but they generally abstain from most direct confrontations; their business and ability to survive relies largely on being seen as neutral and independent from more political organizations."

"Right, and so- hang on, who is making the Barriers then? You mentioned mercenaries earlier."

"We hired some mages less interested in neutrality and more **** for funds and protection… there are a few independent mages roaming about at any given time, rare as they may be. Springfield's area has been heavily contested for long enough that some people see it as a home where they are not at risk of being forcibly recruited. Some gold and promises of ignorance for their more **** activities means that we are allowed full **** and the ability to press our **** without worrying about sparing the manpower to maintain Barriers. In the worst case they abandon us and leave us to fight on open terms… the best case is that doing so not only prevents the mundane from being aware of our war and confronting us afterward for weaponry and damage caused to the city, but that it keeps as many of the Cabal as possible from escaping. While the mages we have hired are certainly no Fateweavers, it will take time and effort for them to escape these Barriers once they are erected."

"Great. So… lesson one is that it should hopefully be very difficult for us to be separated from each other," John noted, glancing toward the front of the vehicle. It was impossible to see through the metal divide, but all the same John felt as if the Cabal territory was bearing down upon them.

"Fantastic. What about other improvements we have made?"

"Well… we are all stronger and faster, but the Cabal have shown no ability to improve. We are also moving into hostile territory in a much more controlled manner. I know neither of you was around for my first experience battling them, but the Order works well in formation. Stay behind their shields and take what shots you can. Sophia, they most likely know who you are and what you can do. Do not hold yourself back or reign in your wings; instead, release them. Let's see what you can truly do."

"At last, I can prove my worth to you, Father. I hope that I am worthy; I will throw everything I am at these foes!"

"Well… I cannot agree with your disposition, John Newman, but you raise great loyalty. Sophia… Newman," Moira emphasized, quirking an eyebrow uncontrollably at the name, "you are a warrior worthy of merit. May the Lady watch over you."

"My only wish is that I not disappoint my Father. But… thank you."

That exchange gave John hope, a hope that he was not accustomed to having. The hope that, even after this war was over, something might bond his friends and his creations together without himself acting as some kind of referee/middleman. Sophia and Moira both seemed highly uncomfortable… but for the first time they were glancing at each other across the aisle without their usual hostility.

"Thanks, you two. I think that-" Moira held up her hand and silenced John, who cut himself off before he even fully realized what was happening. He was just about to ask the Warden to explain the sudden need for silence when she raised the radio to her lips again and began to proselytize her listeners.

"We are now entering Cabal territory. I will not lie to any of you - some of those gathered here will not exit it again, and there will be those of us who never see it as the free and just land it was meant to be. Fear neither the blade nor spell of the enemy, nor the corruption or damnation of that temptation which rises among each of you to flee. Every man, woman, and child that comes, every soldier that raises his banner for this once corrupted land, every innocent that dwells on the history of their forsaken homeland thanks you! From this day onward, let our enemy know that they are unwelcome in this land. From this moment forward, let those who would oppose us know that they are destined for failure. From here on out, let any foolish enough to stand against the righteousness of the Lady herself know that we are beyond mortal reprehension! We will do what is right, fight for what is just, and destroy those who would reap the benefits of unholy selfishness!"

"Seras, Sophia… no matter what happens, stay by my side. I love you both, and I will-"

John's last second plea was lost amidst a cacophony of steel upon rubber. Mixed in with the strange and very mortal noises were the inhuman sounds of a faint breeze, a magical turmoil, a certainly metaphysical wave washed over them in the form of pure mana. John was caught off-guard by the timing itself, but given Moira's warnings would have had to be a true fool to not expect the Barrier that they had just popped into.

Woven Barrier of Retribution Entered!
All allies of the Warden of the Golden Rose may exit at will.
No person trapped within this Barrier while a Warden of the Golden Rose is present may exit unless they expend Mana equal to 20 x (Warden's Level - Subject's Level), minimum 0, or utilize a Barrier Escaping technique subject to its own requirements.

"And thus, it begins."

"Rise, my Knights! Rise and banish this abomination from our lands!"

The doors to their vehicle popped open along with the words from their Warden, and John was greeted not by the sounds of gunfire or explosions, but by a strange silence. That didn't last long - the Barrier they had just entered shattered and reformed as they entered it, and with their entrance came the barrage of noises that John had been expecting - gunfire, screams, and metallic clanking from armor and weaponry alike.

"Wait, gunfire?"

As John stepped free of the van, he felt as if he should be uttering a battle cry, or commanding his allies to battle. Instead he found himself staring around, trying to discern the source of the strange noise. Aside from the sound of Seras' high-powered rifle, he was very much not used to hearing gunfire during confrontations of the magical variety; the sound simultaneously triggered his human survival instincts that screamed the danger of firearms and yet also brought out an intense curiosity.

John found one of the targets almost immediately; drawn by the sound of repeated firing, his eyes caught a man leaning out of a second-story window desperately clutching a handgun. The bullets were flying wildly as he shifted his aim in terror; eventually, after a few seconds of watching his panicked firing, John found himself the target of one.

-11 HP!

"That's… fucking OW," John shouted, diving behind the armored vehicle to put something between himself and the marksman. Before he fully vanished, John did one thing - he locked eyes with the man who had just shot him… and cast Observe.

Tristan Willstrom
Level 3 Cabal Intern
<The Cabal>
35 / 35 HP
Relationship: -127
Alignment: -18
Status Effects: N/A

"Moira, something here is really wrong!" John's warning echoed vainly off the buildings and vehicles around him as the man was sent flying from the window by a spell John did not fully perceive. With the immediate threat gone and Order Knights swarming into the buildings their targets had hidden away in, John was able to focus on locating the redheaded Warden.

John only paused briefly to pull the bullet from his shoulder; the slug had stopped less than an inch under his skin, and though pulling it out hurt immensely, Gamer's Body ensured neither the pain nor the wound lasted very long. The shell had only just hit the pavement when John found Moira amidst a cluster of soldiers pushing further down the street.

"Moira, why are they so weak? What Cabal would be using weapons like that?" John asked, confusion visible but not necessary. The situation explained itself. The only visible Cabal were firing with various weapons, ranging from small-caliber firearms to high-grade rifles, and all were met with similar reactions. Most bounced cleanly off the armor of the Knights gathered against them, magically reinforced steel proving superior to mundane lead; the few that found homes in flesh were shallow wounds and quickly healed off by Order support mages. If anything, the invasion of proper Cabal territory was starting off more smoothly and with fewer losses than their invasion of a single shipping depot.

"I don't know…"

John had expected to be brushed off or have something new thrust upon him that changed his views on Abyssal combat. Instead, Moira looked as torn as he was, though she still held a bold face for her men.

"This could be part of a trap to lull us into a steady ease in our conquering, or it might be a **** attempt to hold valuable defensive soldiers closer to their seat of power. Whatever the case, we have only one true option - continue onward until we have more evidence of an ambush or continue onward and pray that our foes have truly given up."

John couldn't justify Moira's words, which he doubted very much to be how she was truly thinking. All the same, it wasn’t worth confronting her over them - at the end of the day, she was placing her own men and women on the line. John had Seras and Sophia following him, of course, but… as much as it pained John to think of the possibility, he knew that World Shift was his own personal trump card. If things turned truly south and he knew all was lost, he could retreat to his own private world for as long as necessary. Not that the idea of abandoning the Order and Tricia was a particularly tasteful one, but still.

"Well, if you say so…"

Despite the very obvious hesitance behind his words, Moira took John's "assent" as an end to their conversation, turning and resuming her activities bolstering the Order's Knights as they pressed onward. John wanted to stay back, to avoid the immediate fray and contemplate the possibilities of what the Cabal were attempting with this **** and low-powered defense, but John rapidly found himself pressed forward by a multitude of soldiers, not all of whom belonged to the Order. While most bore the crest and familiar steel of the Warden's servants, many bore emblems he didn't understand. A select few were wearing armor and weapons with no insignias he’d seen before, but their stances and flowing cloth armor identified them just as well. The Moon Clan and its few members here were as difficult to forget and abandon as was the Order itself.

John could do nothing besides pour himself entirely into their offensive stratagem. John coordinated himself a bit, but mentally his focus was entirely on his allies. The only thing he paid attention to were the noises and the health bars of those he had added to his group - Seras, Sophia, and Moira. All of them were full at the beginning, but over time and distance they began to lose slivers to a rare lucky hit. They were few and far between though, thanks in part to various factors such as armor, and in part due to how few Cabal soldiers were actually attacking them. Most seemed surprised at first, but even after the initial shock wore off after the first block, they seemed completely disorganized.

Which was either a very good thing for the Order or a very good plan, because Moira was determined to see how far they could push the Cabal before their enemies began to push back. Eventually, after almost three blocks of nonstop marching broken up only by the occasional rogue mage who stood in their way or was caught attempting to flee, they met up with the Legion.

Julianna stood at the forefront of her men, a furrowed brow mirroring the distrust and suspicion on the faces of many Order Knights, and particularly John himself. On another day, in another place, the sight of an allied **** would have brought all of them great comfort. But John's relationship with the Forgotten Legion seemed no stronger than Moira's in spite of their far longer history. The two forces stood across from each other where their streets crossed, glancing hesitatingly, as if uncertain whether to embrace or charge in with weapons ready for bloodshed. Julianna's crimson gem glistened in its socket, and laid across her shoulders almost casually was a blade so massive John thought it must have surely been a joke. The sword was longer than Julianna herself, and as thick as both of John's thighs pressed together. Yet she seemed utterly unencumbered by it, holding it lightly in place with three fingers.

"The resistance of these foes is… pitiable at best. Even as broken and useless as they are in comparison to their former glory, this is nothing close to what we should be coming up against. Are you quite certain your information is not leading us into a trap, Lady Brighton?" Julianna's words were pointed, but her anger seemed as much directed at the world around them as at Moira herself.

"We were aware of soldiers leaving the area, but could we have missed so many? We were looking for intruders into our domain, not for escapees from theirs, but…" Moira trailed off uncertainly. This entire offensive seemed to have left her rather off-kilter, something John was not used to seeing. The headstrong and self-confident woman was showing doubt.

Something Julianna did not miss.

"If you doubt your own ability to lead, I will take full command until we are certain of the Cabal's-"

"The Order stands with me. The Order marches… and the Cabal will fall before us!"

Julianna seemed less than impressed, but the Legion fell in beside the Order. Both groups thinned their columns to allow not only the others beside them, but to keep a healthy distance between themselves and the other group. As John fell in line with the other Order Knights, keeping those with shields around his trio as cover from sudden attacks, he eyed the gap warily. Perhaps he was being overly paranoid… but it seemed to be about the distance one would need to avoid something. Say a blade being swung at one's neck.

John's participation in the battle had already been minimal, given the resistance they faced was so minimal and so easily quashed, but with the Legion beside them it reached an entirely new level. John had never seen the woman fight the last time they met - but the intensity of her fighting style and the ease with which she carried herself perfectly matched her personality, or what he knew of it.

Once, with Julianna leading them from the front, a cluster of Cabal soldiers erupted from a side alley. They were as disheveled as the others that had attacked them, but seemed even more ****. A wild hope filled their eyes as they dove into the front ranks of the Legion. John cast Observe on those he could get a clear sight on - unlike most of the others, these were at least soldiers, even though they were around half of John's level. Still, they held their weapons with a form of confidence and were clearly relishing the idea of drawing blood.

Which was, perhaps, all the more terrifying when the frontmost man fell into two separate pieces with Julianna's first movement. The sound of wind whistling from a rapid divide and the sheen in the air from glistening steel were the only indicators of the blow that had been struck, but the horrid mess that was left behind was easy for all to see. The Cabal soldier's body made two digusting slapping noises, as both halves hit the ground at very distinctly different moments. He had been severed just below the shoulders with his arms raised in mid-strike - his lungs were so cleanly separated he could not draw breath to scream.

The same could not be said of his former companions. Though Julianna made no movements to approach them, they were descended upon by the entire **** around her, surging past their Imperial Legate to surround and destroy the remaining three soldiers. Their howls echoed as the Legion decimated them over the course of just a few seconds, blades repeatedly piercing and hacking at flesh until their foes no longer moved. John was sure the Cabal had struck out, but no Legion soldier showed any sign of a wound.

"That… that was intense. How have the Cabal survived so long making enemies out of people like the Legion and the Order?" John asked Moira when he caught up to her, the progress of the soldiers resuming. Moira snorted once, shaking her head.

"How did you nearly die while fighting Cabal soldiers of only marginally higher power?" Moira posed, but didn't offer John a chance to defend himself. "This is war. A single strike might fell a soldier in an impressive way, or frighten a novice, but there is no point at which Julianna could have marched into this territory so boldly without the Order at her side. The Cabal should not be underestimated… and yet…"

Moira trailed off and never bothered to finish that thought. Indeed, despite the ease with which they all were progressing and the lack of casualties on their side, the melancholic atmosphere settling in persevered. It only worsened the fewer and further between their battles became, as Cabal were visibly seen fleeing in all directions that led away from the advancing soldiers. A few shots were exchanged, Seras scoring her own set of kills when her marksmanship proved far superior to a multitude of fleeing riflemen, but for the most part the Cabal seemed to have abandoned outright confrontation. Despite Moira's words, John couldn't help but think that was at least in part due to the combination of Order steadfast advancement and Legion merciless brutality.

The streets of Springfield, or rather the Barrier mimicking them, were something John had not memorized nearly well enough on the map to know what the buildings they were passing were. The pattern of Order Knights breaking off to invade and secure buildings, usually followed by the sounds of brief combat, became so routine that he didn't realize how far they had actually travelled until Moira raised her hand in a gesture for them to stop.

"This is it. This is the location we've identified as their stronghold… there are either hundreds of Cabal inside or they have already fled. They maintain a Barrier over this location to prevent the kind of intrusion we've been forcing on the rest of their lands, as well as to hide their activities from the mundanes that own and work in this location; from here on out, we will be in hostile territory. Our best will be working to neutralize any hostile effects on the Barrier, but we must still be prepared. If they have set a trap, they will likely have woven something into the Barrier. If not, then they will still be aware the second we enter."

The building was nothing of particular note from the outside. It was a large three-story hotel building, with an attached restaurant and water park. It was actually one of the few bits of Cabal territory in a nicer part of town; John remembered staying here often during his early teenage years, when his mother wanted to take him somewhere during the summer but could not afford to travel on a single income. The idea that they had secretly been sharing their four-star retreat with a gang of ****-dealers, kidnappers, and murderers… well, it didn't bear thinking about. John gave a silent thanks to Moira for helping to free one of his favorite childhood memories from such unthinkable company.

"Which do you think is more likely at this point?" John had not seen or heard Kim Moon's approach, but the Moon Clan warrior found her way to their sides all the same. Her blade was bloodied, and her face as well, but she made no move to clean her face or re-sheath her sword.

"The Cabal do not have the numbers or the callousness to sacrifice so many men for such a pitiable defense, if their only goal was to make us lower our defenses. But there may be some **** survivors, or those attempting to seize power in the chaos."

"So, what's the plan?"

"If there is a trap, we will not fall for it." Moira slammed her hammer into her shield once, the metallic clang echoing through the subdued streets. "If there are soldiers waiting, we will not fall to them. We are the Order, the Moon Clan, and the Legion! Together, nothing can stand in our way. We fight!"

"For the Lady!"

"Barritus! Barritus! Barritus!"

The measured and steady march of nearly two hundred warriors turned into a half-charge, jogging and striding in great bounds toward the building. John had just set his leading foot onto the sidewalk outside the building when he felt an invisible wall divide him, only for an instant.

Cabal HQ Barrier Entered!
Effects: Entropic Collapse (87%)