Paragon

Remnants of the Great War [32]

PARAGON

Remnants of the Great War Arc [32]

Chapter 41 : Fated Failure

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Land of Rota - South of Cameran Palace

"Get back, Sarah!"

A burly Guardian wrapped in a tight-fitting indigo tunic and bandages lunged forward, Aura blazing in his palm, which he thrust into the face of an approaching acolyte. The acolyte yelped and recoiled, but the Guardian didn't stop to admire his handiwork. His cloak swished behind him as he wheeled back on his young compatriot. "You're supposed to be assisting with the injured! What're you doing here?"

"The Queen is evacuating the Palace!" Sarah bit out, her Lucario standing beside her protectively.

Rain fell in sheets from the darkened sky, a cloying mist bathing all the combatants in its humid oppression. Despite being right next to each other, the two Guardians could scarcely hear each other over the din of the war and the storm.

"What?! Why? We haven't fallen yet!"

His Machamp caught up a Golem barreling toward them in its arms with a grunt, and its feet sunk into the ground as it held the massive boulder back. Its master took a quick glance at the situation, but turned back to Sarah.

"AZ made it to the palace, but King Aaron stopped him and has engaged him to the east!"

"Then the battle is as good as won!" the Guardian growled.

"No, it's the opposite! It means he won't be able to help us repel their army!"

The older Guardian stopped to think for a moment, frowning. He glanced back up at the quarrel between Machamp and Golem, and the Aura on his hand flared. An azure shroud fell over Machamp, and it began to push the fearsome rock-type back.

The Guardian surveyed the chaos around them. AZ's men outnumbered them two to one right now, but more kept pouring from the forest and soon it would be three to one. Slowly but surely, they were being pushed back onto the bridge connecting Cameran Palace to the mainland.

Suddenly, electricity crackled to life around the Golem's fists, and it shoved Machamp back with a baleful screech. The fighting-type buckled as the rock-type slammed its Thunder Punch into its chin, sending it flying across the grass. Poised to deliver another blow, the Golem hunkered down and charged.

Sarah's Lucario leapt forward and kicked the rock-type back, wincing slightly as Golem tried to claw at her foot. It flew back, and though its trainer tried to dodge, its rotund body clipped him, sending him flying to the ground in an awkward heap.

"Thanks," the Guardian grunted. "Alright, I gotcha. I'll tell the others. Just promise me you'll stick more to the evacuation than the fighting! Your mother...no, Sir Riley will kill me if anything happens to you!"

Sarah bowed curtly. "I'll try! Thank you, Master!" she called, zipping back toward the bridge to assist with the injured. Cameran Palace's twin bridges were an invaluable defensive feature, but it also increased the difficulty of the evacuation tenfold. There were only two ways in and out of the palace. They were sending as many as they could out of the northern entrance, but that meant having to circle back south around the perimeter of the lake to get to the evacuation point in the west. It'd be much faster if they could secure a route out of this entrance too...

Her master was a strong Guardian, but even he had sustained injuries against this force, though, refusing to stay down, he'd taken back to the battlefield.