Wow...I've loved this story since first I watched over everyone's shoulder prior to inflicting New Kvatch upon you all...

But I can honestly say that this was by a country mile, my absolute fave chapter ever...

Yes, this made me laugh...

Nothing worse than hot sex gone wrong... ...Tonight on Living!!...

But the whole of the rest just made my jaw drop...

The whole Acadian/Buffy thing...I loved that absolutely...Sooo beautiful...Took me back many years to fun discussions I had with chums about stuff similar to that...

And then the talk at the end of the battle planning...

And for some reason...Not entirely sure what as yet...But I'm sure I'll figure it out...The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end when Salvian put the shield on his arm...

*Bows down*...I am absolutely in awe...

Fantastic mate...

Nice one!!... ...

*Applauds heartily*...

This post has been edited by McBadgere: Feb 11 2012, 04:36 AM

Wow. Just... wow.

What an amazing chapter! Touching, revealing, passionate and just unexplainably awesome!

From Buffy's pride to a successfull late night actvity with her Hero, to her preparing to enter Oblivia.

There isn't a single sentance i can specifcally point out to describe and single out what i loved the most as it was all incredible.

I could almost feel the subtle tension Buffy when as she was about to enter the Deadlands.

I'm SOO excited for the next chapter!

By the end of that piece, I had visions of them turning back to get a second copy of the check list. They appear to be almost as well prepared for what comes next as their author.

So now I'm expecting the unexpected.

Awesome, simply awesome.


This ^ just... works. I think it's a great ending to a great episode.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

In Episode 151, Buffy asked her paladin what would happen to him if she died. Acadian’s surprising revelations were interrupted as Savlian joined Buffy. The two made their way up to the city and finally entered the jaws of Oblivion.

mALX- I was quite nervous about Acadian’s reveal and so very much appreciate your warm endorsement!

Darkness Eternal- Thank you! I too love Pelena’s ‘little moaner’ potion because it helps to humorously show both an aspect of Buffy’s nature as well as the role a town alchemist (like Pelena’s father) would likely play in providing solutions to a host of routine concerns and conditions of daily life. Somewhat similar to Buffy’s tooth cleaning powder, hair care recipes or Falanu’s potions to ease menstrual cramping.

MyCat- Thank you for noting the teamwork that Savlian and Buffy are forging as they try to meld their disparate fighting styles and lives.

SubRosa- Thanks for noting our intentional use of dawn. Not only in the passage you cited but here as well: ’I was with you at the moment of sunrise that marked our entry into this life – and every moment after.’ Her role as a Slayer and Child of Dawn will someday (in a future book) come heavily into play. I’m so pleased that you liked Acadian’s revelations. I’m glad I previously kept things a little vague, as our views on the matter have gradually evolved into what you read.

Grits- Loved your acknowledgement that Buffy’s such a chatterbox - even when, well, you know. Now she’s even picked up Savlian’s bad habit of using the word ‘damn’! I’m also very relieved that you and others liked Acadian’s revelations.

KC- Thank you! I just couldn’t resist the possible threat of Buffy burning down their tent in a moment of passion! Whew! They have finally entered that Oblvion Gate!

McBadgere- I am so humbled by your kind words, my friend - on the episode overall as well as your support and understanding of the enduring and mystical relationship between elf and paladin.

Tábrasa- Thank you so much! I’m deeply gratified that you felt a little of what Buffy did when Savlian ominously drew Legion steel before they entered that gate.

ghastley- Thanks! I thought the ‘checklist’ would be a creative way of both summarizing some of their preparations as well as providing insights into the wise competence of both Lucilius and Sigrid.

TheBrume- Thank you for those kind words. I’m so enjoying Lucius’ adventures in your wonderful story of his journey to knighthood.

All- And so, as Book 1 passes a quarter million words, Buffy commences her effort to close that infernal gate – the first step in freeing Savlian’s city. She and her mate will spend several episodes in the attempt. As with everything Kvatch, the game’s depiction will be somewhat recognizable, but we are not wedded to its details.



No sooner had the heat of the Deadlands embraced us when a scamp slammed into Savlian’s shield. As the Daedra staggered back, it tasted two rapid slashes of Legion steel.

The dead creature had not yet hit the ground when Savlian commanded, “Split!” He stepped to his left while I slid to the right. Two fireballs passed close between us, feeding the flaming portal to our rear.

I warned, “Casting!” then did so. My first swirl of emerald magicka slowly trailed over the armored head of a charging clannfear – I had underestimated the beast’s stunning speed. A second cast of the same spell thankfully found its mark. The Daedra promptly whirled to turn upon two flame-wielding atronachs.

“Let the clannfear do our work,” I said, stepping behind the safety of Savlian. As I poisoned and nocked an arrow, one of the atronachs fell to the teeth and claws of our temporary ally. “Get down,” I said with an inner calm provided by the man in front of me.

Savlian dropped to one knee as I aimed over his shoulder and waited. When the second atronach fell, I loosed. The clannfear survived the impact of my arrow and, as the green tinge of my poison spread, lowered its head and charged.

Savlian rose to his feet, ready to meet the oncoming beast. At about ten paces from us, the battered and burned Daedra succumbed to my poison. Momentum carried the fallen clannfear almost to our feet.

After quickly scanning around us, I reported what my rings revealed, “We have a safe foothold for now. Welcome to the Deadlands.”

“Mystic archer is a good description for you.”

“And safe haven of steel is a fine one for you.”

We looked around. The black and red lightning-laced sky that growled ceaselessly with thunder was similar to that just outside the flaming gate. The feeling of being baked alive was not. I hadn’t experienced the oppressive heat since my time on the plains of Peryite, where I had learned to hunt and kill the minions of Daedra Lords. Every depression in this land seemed to spawn pools and streams of burning lava. Even the giant gray rocks hosted cracks oozing the orange stuff.

Straight ahead of us, and at good distance, we could make out the top of a large tower. A wide trail leading toward it was blocked by a massive set of what Savlian called war gates.

We soon discovered these gates were held closed by a mechanism of gears and chains that featured no evident controls. Peering through a crack between the enormous doors, we could see several corpses that had been reduced to bones and mail. Their equipment and remnants of charred surcoats identified them. Beyond the bodies was another set of closed war gates.

“This is the killing zone Ilend described,” growled Savlian through clenched teeth.

Augmenting my detect life range with a spell, I spied some distant pink glows well off to our right and angrily stabbed a finger in their direction. “Daedra.” I then stepped off toward them, only to be restrained by a strong hand on my shoulder.

“Whoa, my scout. We’re not here to explore or hunt the Deadlands. We’ve a job to do.”

“I want to kill every one of them for what they did to your soldiers,” I hissed. “I know the nightmares that the deaths of these brave soldiers have caused you.”

The hand on my shoulder moved to my cheek. “Getting to and removing the sigil stone is our objective here. Doing so will deliver our vengeance. I’m counting on you to help me do that. We need to find a way around these gates to that tower.”

“You’re right,” I admitted.

As we stood facing the impassable gates, the trail to our right appeared to drop into a sea of lava in the distance. We decided to go left in search of a way around the barricades of massive rocks, rivers of flame and broken structures that were sheared to impossible angles by upheavals of the land itself.

We soon encountered a small tower. After some debate we cleared it, dispatching several Daedra. Not surprisingly, this tower did not contain the sigil stone we sought. We did, however, locate a large set of gears with a lever that loudly set them in motion.

Optimistically returning to the war gates, we were disappointed to discover that our efforts had opened only the farther set of them. Access to the bodies of Savlian’s soldiers and the direct path to the large tower that we suspected contained the sigil stone still eluded us.

Frustrated, we retraced our steps to the small tower we had just cleared, then continued along a path that kept a sea of lava to our left and large rocks on our right. My rings and the distances involved allowed me to snipe off any Daedra that we could not bypass.

We lost track of time, but the rugged trek and oppressive heat soon rendered me exhausted. Under a rock overhang that we assessed as providing adequate cover and concealment, we took a break. I cast a spell to help counter my fatigue. Even without the heat, I wasn’t used to traveling such distances without Superian.

Savlian handed me a waterskin before wringing the sweat from of his headband and retying it. “I see now why we need so much water here. I’m thankful to you for the heat protection on my shield and ring. How’re you holding up, my elf?”

“Bosmer hail from warm climes and my armor is lighter than yours, but I too am grateful for the extra ring I’m wearing to help dissipate heat.” After brushing a hand filled with chilling magic over the precious reservoir, I lifted my face and squeezed several seconds of the cool liquid down my throat. Here.” I passed the waterskin to him, then sat down to rest. After checking Slayer’s bowstring, I produced Azura’s Star and recharged the weapon. “Assuming we survive closing this gate, do you think retaking Kvatch will prove difficult?”

After a long pull of water, Savlian sat beside me and replied, “I’m not sure what to expect behind the city’s walls. Do you really think there could be survivors in the chapel after all this time?”

“I hope so, Savlian.” My body welcomed the break, but my head remained on a swivel, continuously verifying that no approaching pink glows threatened our respite. “I do not question Akatosh’s power to purge Daedra from his house though; as I explained to you and Lucilius, I saw him dispel my own summoned scamp inside his priory at Gottlesfont. What of Kvatch’s rulers? Is there a small chapel to Akatosh in the royal quarters? Or perhaps a secret underground escape like the Emperor used in his attempt to leave The Imperial City?”

Savlian shook his head. “No, and both Count Ormellius and Countess Odalys were in the castle during the attack, along with Morandor.”

“You mean Sigrid’s predecessor?”

“Yes, the Altmeri guildmagister also served as court mage. If there was any hope for the Count and Countess, it would have been with Kvatch’s gold reserves in the castle’s vault near the royal chambers. It was not provisioned to withstand a siege though.”

I took his hand and pressed it to my lips. “What a terrible night that must have been.”

“Aye. The guards on royal detail at the time, along with Morandor, would have defended the Goldwines to their deaths. I focused the rest of my force’s effort on killing Daedra and trying to save children, not nobles. I’m sure there are those who would second guess my priorities.”

“I’ll bet the orphans in Tavia’s guild are not among them,” I said.

Frowning, he concluded, “I don’t harbor much hope for the royal family, but the city must still be freed and rebuilt.”

“I know, Savlian. Together, we’ll create a home for ourselves, even as the bear and eagle return to your mountain.” My smile faded. “Thank you for letting me rest; I’m ready to continue now.”

We resumed our trek between rocks and lava, navigating by occasional glimpses of our objective. There were several Daedra scattered along our way, but we were able to bypass or pick them off before being seen. Finally, the rocks yielded to a large open area and we stared up at not one, but three towers. The two smaller spires were connected to the larger by narrow sky bridges perhaps half way up their height. Atop each, a handful of curved spikes rose up as if to claw the lightning-filled sky. A bright light struggled to escape from the summit of the largest structure.

After dispatching several Daedra guarding the approach, we discovered the only entrance was at the base of the large tower.

As we neared, Savlian said, “I take it this is likely one of those doors your detect life can’t penetrate?”

I nodded. “We won’t know what’s beyond until we pass through it.” With me safely tucked behind Savlian, we slipped inside.

Love the teamwork here! B&S are putting those hard-earned lessons from Fort Agar-whatsis to good use here. That was some welcome!

“I want to kill every one of them for what they did to your soldiers,”
That is our Buffy, cuddly as a... well, you know.

I enjoyed your descriptions of the heat of the Deadlands. It is an oppressive shroud hanging over our heroes. No surprise from a writer who lives in the New Vegas desert!

A nice discussion between B&S about the night of the attack, and some good world-building as we learned more of the Countess, the former guild leader/court wizard, etc...

Now we get to the meat of it! I am sure all of use OB players remember those 3 towers well. B&S are in for a tough grind.

What I liked about this episode was the way you had Savlian tell Buffy about Kvatch, rather than describe it yourself. That way we see more of Savlian, and his viewpoint, and decisions, and not just what went on. And of course, Buffy's reactions to that.

Not to mention the detailed description of the first Daedra encounter for the team, so you could just write "snipe off any Daedra we could not bypass" and we don't miss the action.

Then a nice mini-cliffhanger for the Tower entrance. That detail of not being able to detect through the door just adds to the tension.

Brilliant!!...And yes, it's making me want to do the MQ again... ...

Loving all the descriptions of Kvatch, I can picture the scene of the defenders fighting to the death...Brilliantly done...

Looking forward to the next part to see what comes next for the duo...

Nice one!!...

*Applauds heartily*...

Loved the synchronistic fighting technique between Buffy and Matias! Like a well oiled machine together!

Very impressive view of the deadlands, your descriptions left a clear visual image even had I not been so familiar with them !! Awesome Write !!


** Edit: Never mind, I read it again without the puppy distraction and he had a very good explanation, lol. Sorry, told you it was probably me !!! Great Write !!

This post has been edited by mALX: Feb 17 2012, 07:57 PM

The whole opening sequence was a wonderful display of skill and teamwork, as well as a testament to the sturdiness of the clannfear. This is not a walk in the woods.

Augmenting my detect life range with a spell, I spied some distant pink glows well off to our right and angrily stabbed a finger in their direction. “Daedra.” I then stepped off toward them, only to be restrained by a strong hand on my shoulder.

This and the passage that followed were a sharp reminder that Buffy is a predator with a vengeful streak, it’s not all matching boots and hair glop. Savlian captured the butterfly, and now he deals with the dragon. And he was awesome!! No sign of hands on hips at all.

Then Buffy shows her stuff, calmly explaining that she bypassed or sniped off all of the other Daedra. They arrived at the big tower ready to meet what’s inside, not staggering from fight after fight. What a team!

The talk during the water break has me already excited for the next battle, and even thinking about what challenges they will face afterward. It finally clicked in my head that Buffy’s status as a minor noble might be helpful once Kvatch is free. But first, the tower!

Buffy and Savlian have enemies waiting for them!

Oh I like how Buffy stands behind Savlian and shoots the clannfear at the beginning. Let his steel protect her. Aravi does the same with Kharjo at times.

As always, Buffy acts on her passions. I’m glad Savlian was able to grab her and keep her on task.

I’m happy that you included the descriptions of the heat of the deadlands and the effects of the heat on Buffy. Their talk of the night of the attack and a little bit of the future was nice.

With me safely tucked behind Savlian
Just where a little elf should be!

The Deadlands...

The only place that'll clear your sinuses, then give you "Dust Pneumonia".

Anyways, I did enjoy this chapter

During Episode 152, Buffy and Savlian discovered twin sets of war gates blocking the direct path to a tower they believed held the sigil stone powering the Kvatch Oblivion Gate. Only able to open one set of the massive gates, they were forced to take a more circuitous route toward their objective. They finally arrived at what they discovered was a complex of not one, but three towers. After clearing the approach, they entered the largest.

SubRosa- Thank you. B&S do seem to have developed some effective teamwork. We indeed hoped to let Savlian fill in a bit about Kvatch, even as Buffy subtly expressed the beginning of concerns about how her skills could possibly help in a large scale assault to retake the city. I think Bethesda did a good job with the Deadlands. I can almost feel the heat coming from the lava and rocks when in Dagon’s realm.

ghastley- I’m glad you liked that Savlian helped fill in some of the background from the night of the invasion. I also appreciate what I’ll take as an endorsement of how we’re doing at trying to balance combat, romance, background and story while slogging through the Deadlands. Thanks!

McBadgere- Well that seals it! I’m really glad we paused briefly for Savlian to reflect on the night of the invasion.

mALX- Thanks for noting how well Savlian and his scout are working together. I think their training and recent inseparableness have helped greatly. I’m so glad you approved of how we tried to ‘paint’ the look and feel of the Deadlands.

Grits- Thank you! I was hoping to display that while quite a bit of Buffy’s fighting is elegant unseen death from afar, it is certainly punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Every time she passes through a loading screen door, her heart is in her throat. Thanks for pointing out that despite her nurturing nature, she is still a predator. Thanks even more for mentioning the duality of her butterfly/dragon spirit.

KC- Thank you! That is why I love seeing the protectiveness that Kharjo provides for Aravi. We can so readily identify with the comfort it provides. Yes, Savlian seems effective at gently keeping the distractible Buffy on task.

Zalphon- Yes, the Deadlands is a harsh place. It was the Plains of Peryite where Buffy learned that water limits how long you can stay. That is why they are nearly sloshing with full waterskins. Thank you!



Loud screeching announced our presence upon entering this largest of three towers. The two clannfears then charged. A ball of flame billowed our way from across the large circular chamber.

“Dodge left!” barked Savlian. We danced aside in unison as the fireball passed close by on our right and impacted the door behind us.

“I’ll disappear and get the caster,” I said urgently as my right fist spiked upward. While I slipped out to the side, Savlian shield-bashed one clannfear into its comrade. After a glance to see that I was safely invisible, he quickly sidestepped a short distance along the wall until able to back into a small alcove where he could face only one Daedra at a time. I ran toward the source of the fireball.

As I touched the back of my foe, a spell building in fiery hands fizzled. Paralyzed, the Daedric woman of flame began to fall. Slayer and my arms became visible as some of the atronach’s life force traveled up a slender orange beam to augment my own. One hand shot into my quiver. As my prey began to recover, Slayer propelled her right back to the floor. A second arrow extinguished both pink glow and flame. The song of Azura’s Star was still echoing in my big ears as I sprinted back to Savlian.

One of the clannfears lay dead. The other was locked in a battle of teeth and claw versus steel. I managed to briefly grasp the whipping tail, paralyzing the beast and absorbing some of its life. Savlian exploited the opening by viciously thrusting his blade into the junction of scaly throat and upper chest, killing the Daedra.

After a panicky scan, I panted, “It’s clear of nearby threats.” I then cast a spell on each of us to accelerate catching our breath.

“Are you all right?” Savlian’s eyes swept over me. “That was quite the welcome.”

Looking at the deep gash on one side of his face, I replied, “I’m not injured, but you are. Let me heal you.”

He wiped his blade on the claw-shredded tatters of his surcoat. “It’s only some cuts.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I admonished. “I need you in perfect health if you’re going to keep me alive. Now hold still.” I tried not to wince as the white magic from my hands explored. Besides the cut on his face, one rib was cracked and his chest and arms were battered. I was not surprised, given that he had been cornered by two clannfears! Satisfied that I could fully heal him, I began the process of mending bone, knitting flesh and easing the bruising. I proceeded slowly so I could control the rate at which I willingly – no, lovingly - absorbed his pain. I feared that if I whimpered or cried out, Savlian would put a stop to my healing. When I finally allowed the bond to fade, he helped me to the floor so I could rest.

Sitting beside me, he said, “Although you try to hide it, I can tell that your healing causes you some pain.”

“Only a little bit,” I lied. “Not nearly as much as you endure when defending me.”

“I don’t question your authority as a healer, Buffy, but why do you not simply give me a potion?”

“They take up space I prefer devoting to poisons – dead foes can’t hurt us. We can also run out of them but, more importantly, potions cannot diagnose or assess injuries. They apply their healing indiscriminately throughout the body, wasting much of their effect.”

“Your healing is different?”

I nodded. “By laying on of hands, my magic is focused much more efficiently to fully heal the areas that I can tell actually need it. A potion would not have known to concentrate on your broken rib. Nor could it have fully closed that fresh cut on your cheek without a trace, as I have done. You have enough scars, my brave man.”

“I’m grateful for your magical skill and nurturing nature, my elf.” He then produced one of our waterskins. “The air is just as hot in here as outside.” As I started to rise into a casting position to chill the water for him, he gently restrained me. “Rest, and let your magic replenish. It doesn’t need to be cold, just wet. Open your mouth.”

Even while drinking our fill, I maintained my vigil for pink glows. Once feeling better, I rose to one knee and lifted a glowing fist. My fingers opened, spilling conjuration magic, then quickly closed to grasp the handle of a repair hammer. Presenting my handiwork to Savlian, I said, “It should last long enough to do some field repairs.”

“We make a good pair,” he said while tapping out the larger dents on his shield.

I smiled as I transferred the magic from Azura’s Star to Slayer. “Perhaps you will keep me then?” We shared a welcome laugh as I refilled my quiver from his.

We then navigated ramps and stairs that led upward, encountering a small number of Daedra along our way; most of them fell to Slayer without ever seeing us. Several levels up, we came to a chamber dominated by a central column that appeared to be of pure magical energy, the color of flame. “We must be headed the right way,” said Savlian as his eyes followed the burning pillar until it disappeared into the upper recesses of the tower.

“I bet our sigil stone’s up there somewhere,” I replied. “Which of these three doors do you think we should try?”

“I don’t see any differences among them,” said Savlian. “Stay behind me until we sort out what’s on the other side.” He then led me to one of the doors and tried the handle. “Damn.” He shook it vigorously, then stepped back. “Can you unlock it?”

Casting my spell failed to do so. “It must require a special key. Maybe one of the other doors is not locked?”

The next one proved just as unyielding.

It was the third door that willingly granted passage. We found ourselves on one of the narrow sky bridges we had noticed from the ground. At this height, we could see all the way along the wide trail that was blocked by the one set of war gates we had been unable to open. Beyond the gates was the flaming portal back to Kvatch. In fact, the view revealed that this realm appeared to be a large rocky island surrounded by a sea of burning . . . .

“Perhaps that tower ahead will yield some help toward our upward progress.” Savlian’s words brought me out of my academic ruminations.

We proceeded across the aerial span. As soon as we entered the smaller spire, I warned, “Casting,” then reached around Savlian and loosed an emerald swirl into the scamp that had declared our presence. The Daedra then stood calmly while a mighty slash of Legion steel separated head from body.

We were standing on a narrow sloping ramp that ringed the inner wall from the ground to the top of the tower. “There are no life signs below us, but I see two above. And Savlian, they appear humanoid.”

“Dremora?”

“That would be my guess,” I replied.

The band of black linen under which Savlian slipped a finger to scratch his head was rusty and white now from dried blood and sweat. “We need to find a way to unlock those other doors back inside the large tower. Let’s check below first. If we’re lucky, we may find a key and be able to bypass the Dremora above.”

Our quick descent and check below proved futile. We began a stealthy spiral climb up the narrow ramp toward the top of this smaller tower. Our ascent was stopped cold by a deep voice that sounded like steel cutting glass:

“You should not be here, mortal. Your blood is forfeit, your flesh is mine!”

This post has been edited by Acadian: Mar 1 2012, 03:56 PM

I play this game too much. I'm thinking "two clannfears and a flame atronach means level ..." and working out what kind of Dremora is waiting in the Rending Halls.

I need to sit back and let you tell this version. You're doing it much better than the software does.

Like the conjured repair hammer. Is that a real mod or a virtual one?

As ever, you write Buffy's lethal efficiency as it were poetry, accompanied by the song of Azura's Star no less. You give us everything we expected from the long fight through the sigil towers. Monsters galore, and our intrepid heroes showing all of their hard-won skills to win the day. So far...


nits:
In fact, the view revealed that this realm appeared to be a large rocky island surrounded by a sea of burning-
I think the Marooned Dragon ate the rest of your sentence!

I read this as Savlian's interruption eating the rest of the sentence. Maybe the hyphen's not enough and an ellipsis would be better?

Savlian’s used to fighting on with injuries, judging just by the number of scars Buffy saw on him. I really like Buffy’s explanation of why she prefers magic over potions. That’s awesome! I do hope Buffy packed a few emergency potions when there simply is not time to do a thorough and proper healing with magic.

Good Sav, making sure Buffy doesn’t expend magic for something as frivolous as chilled water.

Nice description of the Dremora’s voice. I wonder what the other life sign is?

That was a tense and exciting close quarters fight in the base of the tower! Buffy really got to use her spells. She and Savlian were both very impressive, and then during the healing we got to see the physical cost. I so much admire the beautiful economy of words here. I also found the potion vs. spell discussion interesting, and a nice breather before they tackled the rest of the tower.

Our ascent was stopped cold by a deep voice that sounded like steel cutting glass:

“You should not be here, mortal. Your blood is forfeit, your flesh is mine!”

What a chilling moment. I’m already full of dreadful anticipation for the next episode!!

It's that dude in the cage isn't it?...The one that tells you you need the sigil keeper's key...

Aaamywho...

Absolutely loved it...Brilliantly done...The fight against the Clanfears was ace!!...

Loving the paralysis/absorb health magicks...Nicely done...

And yet again, the way Buffy heals by seeing the wounds is so beautifully done...

I'm really excited to see this whole 'going into the gate' section play out...

Absolutely wonderful mate...

Nice one!!... ...

*Applauds heartily*...

*

Only halfway down the page, and I have found so many places I'd like to quote. This was such a well written glimpse inside an Oblivion gate that every scene can be clearly envisioned, Buffy's fear for Matias is tangible to the reader.

This line I have to quote for its sheer Buffiness:



If anyone doesn't know Buffy and is reading her for the first time, that line is her personified, and at her most endearing.

Once again the sychronistic fighting is amazingly written, easily pictured.

I have to say, this is one of my top favorite chapters written to date. AWESOME job on this chapter, Acadian !!!

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