I didn't know you could do that
PG-13
Summary: Focus is everything on the battlefield, especially during an ambush.

[Set after Paralogue Eighteen; related to Chapter Twenty-Eight "stirring memories" and such extras.]

.

"Your left!"

Gaius dipped below the Risen's swing, getting dangerously close in order to sink his dagger into its chest. He grabbed the axe's handle before kicking his enemy away, yanking the weapon out of its fingers. Tossing his new find to Vaike, who eagerly accepted it, the thief turned to Maygen.

"Relax, Bookworm." He took a moment to pull the sucker out of his mouth with a loud smack. The confidence oozing from him wasn't as reassuring as he meant it to be. "Do you really think I'd let myself be surprised by these dead amateurs?"

"What you let them do isn't the issue," she muttered, gaze sweeping across the road they'd been ambushed on. Their caravan was halted around a bend, obscuring the front half from the back and vice versa; she had no idea how the others fared, heightening her anxiety.

Suddenly, Gaius slid into her comfort zone, arm wrapping around her stomach. Her alarm skyrocketed at the sound of clanging swords just above her head, and the thief's grunt of exertion in her ear.

Spinning her around to face the Risen that had almost claimed her life, he taunted good-naturedly, "Perhaps you should keep an eye on your own skin."

"Goetia," Maygen replied, satisfied when the dark lightning struck the monster. She'd show the redhead just how good she was at keeping them both safe from harm.

Her plan was cut off at the knees - as was the Risen - by a large pair of wyvern jaws. Its attempts to crawl toward her were similarly ended by a reptilian foot crushing its torso. The purple mist evaporated with the body in the eerie fashion they all did.

Maygen glanced up at the dracoknight that had protected them both, but her gratitude was blatantly ignored. She tried not to take it personally. Cherche did say he was a bit... distant.

"Archers, southeast!"

Gaius immediately moved to become a shield despite her protests. But the warning went up too late for the arrows slicing through a delicate wing membrane.

"Minerva!"

The wyvern stumbled back with a pained shriek, causing another Shepherd to give a sharp, fearful cry. Valri fumbled with the staff in her hands and bumped into Kjelle while trying to get away.

"Watch it," shouted the knight.

With not a small amount of panic, Maygen scrambled beneath the furious Minerva to race to her daughter's side. She grabbed the young girl's shoulders.

"M-Mama," Valri stammered. "Mama, I..."

Her trembling was more obvious when being held.

I have to calm her down.

"Listen to me," Maygen ordered, briefly watching Kjelle ward off another Risen before returning her gaze to the frightened girl. "I understand. I know. But Valri, you have to focus."

"I..."

Steel sang behind her.

She released the troubadour to whirl around and scream the first spell that came to mind. An icy wind staggered the Risen, barely giving her the time to shove her daughter further back.

"Mama!"

"Val -"

Something sunk into her thigh, throwing her off balance. One deliberate moment later, the explosion of pain erased the world for a time.

She recognized she was swearing at every deity of the realms when she came around again, clutching her leg as the injury wept. Trying to wrap her cape around it and apply pressure proved difficult. The Risen that had attacked her wasn't readily visible anymore, but that was the least of her problems.

"Shepherd down!"

"Cover her!"

Every nerve in her leg screamed that the sword had struck bone. She was barely able to shift her position without exponentially increasing her agony. A battlefield was not the place to sit down and rest a spell. The unrelenting chaos of battle swam around her, and she had no idea where her daughter was.

Thoroughly fed up with everything, Maygen tilted her head back to shout to the sky, as if Grima would hear her, "Choke on corpses, you overgrown leech!"

The effort's reward was a spike of nausea, making her retch.

Where's Valri?

"- stop your dramatics, worm!"

Eyes shutting momentarily, she jerked away from the fingers snatching at her head only to immediately regret the action. Gasping, she rapidly blinked away tears as she tried to place the shade of red hair kneeling over her. Gaius... Valri... Anna?

"Pathetic, the whole lot of you!"

The voice startled her, being so close. She squinted until an unexpected face came into focus. "...G-Gangrel?" What was he doing with that staff?

The Plegian glowered at her, commanding, "Shut your trap. I'm not here to babysit anyone, least of all you." When she went to move, his fingers dug into her shoulder as he hissed, "Hold still."

She didn't expect the splash of magic, or its numbing effect as it sunk into the deep gash. But gods, if it wasn't a blessed sensation. Gradually losing feeling in her leg as the staff did its work, echoes of Frederick's combat tips convinced the brunette to focus on the present. Don't pass out.

So she accused through gritted teeth, "I didn't think you w... were capable of healing. You're more of the... hurting type."

He barked at that. "Bleeding out on the ground, and still she tries to insult me! Well, it's definitely not my style to play "hero," Mayfly. Don't plan on making it a habit." A finger jabbed into her throbbing temple emphasized his words.

"Ow."

"Get up!"

Thoroughly tangled in her cape, her slowness evidently ticked Gangrel off further as he forcefully yanked her to her feet. He scoffed when she stumbled against him.

"Shut up, Gangrene," she finally managed, retrieving the tome she'd dropped earlier in the chaos. I hope the pages didn't soak up all of my blood. "Why do you have my daughter's staff?"

"And what good was she using it for, mouth open like a fish waiting for a chef?"

"Give it back when we're done."

Because they would be soon. The purple wisps creeping into the edges of her vision proved she was going to make sure of it.

"Ha! So confident for a runt," Gangrel taunted.

Temper rising once more, Maygen took a few unsteady steps towards the surrounding forest. She waited a breath for the glint of metal that would confirm the location of her target before her arm jutted out violently. "Mire!"

Out of the trees fell a Risen archer, half of its body missing after the explosion of green slime. It dissolved into nothingness, returning to the abyss it came from.

Eyes flashing, she turned around and watched as another shout produced those destructive blobs on a shambling corpse's arms, disrupting the swing of its axe. Sully swore as she urged her horse away from the spell.

"Brutal," the Plegian crowed. "I love it!" Truly, he had a lust for carnage. He brought up his levin sword with a mad grin, charging into the fray once more.

Later, she would thank him for his assistance, as surprising as it was. But her priority was cutting through these reeking bodies to find her family.

.

Prompt: Dramatics
Word Count: 1174

It's been a while since I've updated this fic. My apologies! I've been working on my newer FE fanfic, as some readers might have noticed. "Journey of Awakening: Magically Delirious" is another fun romp in Awakening World, and another SI fic, but it's totally separate from this one. Maybe check it out, if you want more of my FE shenanigans?

Also, yes, this was another Gangrel scene. I was going to post something else as the next chapter, but the muse works as it wants to. *dramatic pose* I am simply a victim to its whims!

But hopefully next chapter will be another pre-Maygen/Ricken scene of cuteness. (Or of angst. Bwa ha ha!)

(...no I'm not avoiding writing a full action scene what are you talking about what do you mean I'm lying no YOU'RE lying)

-Dragon