Astute Tactics

Talk Over Tea
After the Toveri Alliance meeting was over, Aldrich invited the wandering mage back to his home as they prepare for the ambush on Shattered Dusk in the coming morning. Ura and Aldrich enter the Edo style home located in the center of Crocus, for the Inari Family home is fairly close to the location of experimentation site that the duo is supposed to meet up at in the morning. Aldrich and Ura had been tasked with responsibility of taking out the guard squad in front of the facility so that the Alliance battle units can infiltrate the facility and rescue the test subjects that have been forcibly implanted with lacrima inside their chest to turn them into Second Generation Dragon Slayers.

As the two enter the home of Aldrich, they are greeted by an empty living room. The soft glow of the lanturns outside illuminate the common area and reveal a nicely decorated area with earthy tones and lavish adornments. The floorboards creaking is the only thing that breaks the silence between the two mages as Aldrich turns on the lights within the room. Ura notes that the room is rather empty aside from a few tables and cushions here or there, a small kitchenette, and many grand bookcases that occupy the spaces between the numerous windows.

"It seems that this meeting, as well as the upcoming events, is weighing heavily on both our minds. I feel that a good cup of team is a sure way to clear a clouded head. Care to join?" Aldrich says as he grabs a tea set off the shelf and puts in on a burner in the kitchenette.

"I would love some. Sorry for the silence, I was just thinking about what the guild masters said at the meeting... there will only be three of us there to take on the entire guard squad that Shattered Dusk has placed outside of their experimentation site... I know that we will have the wizard saint on our side, but the sheer number that may be waiting for us has me a bit worried for our three man team." Ura says, thinking of what is waiting for them tomorrow morning.

"I feel as if it may not be my place, for I am not your father, but may I impart some wisdom on what I've learned from my years as a mage? Maybe not as a father, but as a comrade; at least for the fight to come." Aldrich says as he prepares two cups of tea.

"Of course. And regardless of the fact that we are a team only for the time being, I will always consider you a comrade." Ura says with a warm smile.

Feeling a sense of joy within him at this new-found friend, Aldrich joins Ura who is sitting on a cushion at one of the tables in the center of the room. Taking a sip of his tea, Aldrich lets out a long sigh as he places his cup back on the table.

"From what I understand, you are afraid of the challenge we face tomorrow. Whether it be from size or power, let me ask you one thing first, before I continue. What is it you are fighting in this war for? Why did you chose to help the Alliance take on Shattered Dusk?"

Seeming to stare off into space for a short bit, Ura looks into Aldrich's eyes and replies,"Simple. Because they asked me to. I have no real motives other than helping out a friend."

"I must say that I find your answer admirable. Your bond with your friends seems to be something very precious to you. And I have learned that it is only when someone has something precious that they want to protect, that they become genuinely strong. You said before that you find comfort in having the alliance on our side, but I would like to share some honest opinion with you. During the meeting earlier, I noticed something funny. Some of the guild masters present kept boasting about how strong their guild is, and how they believe that they could stop the war that's about to happen all on their own." Ura nods his head, recalling the power battle between some of the mages present in the meeting room earlier in the day. "Now I am not saying that I do not recognize their strength, they possess great skill as mages, but they are naive and still have so much to learn about what it means to be truly strong."

Aldrich takes another sip of his tea, and takes on a serious expression as he continues. " What they focus on, what their reason for fighting is, is to test their own strength and abilities; and prove that they possess strength that is unmatched by any other. But the thing is, when you focus on the trivial, you lose sight of what is most important. Protecting those we hold dear, that is what we should fight for. That is what give us immeasurable strength and the will to beat down anything that stands in our way."

"Well I see where Samarra gets her wisdom from." Ura says and lets out a slight laugh. "You make a very eloquent argument. I must say I have no rebuttal."

Letting out a slight chuckle, Aldrich smiles at mercenary guild master. Letting out a deep breath, Aldrich says. "Yes, but you can't change the world with beautiful words. It is childish to think that you can protect everyone...It is war, people are going to get hurt. The thing is, pain is only temporary. It will subside and something will take its place. But is your own power that will decide what it is that takes the place of that pain. You can choose to be filled with a fighting spirit, and use that to carve your path to victory. Or you can choose to give up, and let that pain right back in. This war will not be easy, but you must believe in yourself and your power. Just continue to think of those that you wish to protect and they will give you the strength to win."

Seeming to have been filled with a new fighting spirit, the two mages finish their tea with a warm smile, feeling more confident about the battle tomorrow. Ura taps the side of his cup, looking deep in thought, before he speaks up, "Aldrich, I was thinking of a plan for tomorrows fight." Aldrich raises his eyebrows as a gesture for Ura to continue.

"So I have become somewhat familiar with your families specialty with Lightning and Summoning Magic after conversing with Samarra a bit. And I was thinking about our role in the fight tomorrow as well." His tapping on the cup stops, as his plan become more clear. "Our job is to distract the guards and keep them occupied long enough for the Alliance forces to get into the compound, correct? Well because we have no idea how many soliders we will be facing, or if their are reinforcements elsewhere in the valley that we will be traveling to tomorrow, I believe that we should contain the fight to a specific area."

Aldrich, intrigued by the younger mages idea, asks; "And how do you suppose we do that?"

"I believe that we can combine my Energy Shield with your Electron Barrier to form a confined area to control the fighting. My Energy Shield is impermeable, so that we can keep possible reinforcements out; and with your Lightning Magic in the Electron Barrier, we can stun those who try to leave the barrier." Ura states.

"Well I must say that is quite a brilliant plan. Confining the enemy will definitely help give us an advantage." Aldrich smiles, quite impressed with Ura's strategic abilities. "Now what other spells do you possess? If we are going to be a team, we need to know how to utilize each others attacks to the best of their abilities."

"Well there is an attack that I think would work perfect, I call it Lightning Rain Dance..." Ura says eagerly.

They two mages continue to discuss battle tactics until the moon is beginning to creep up into the sky. Knowing that they have a long day tomorrow, Aldrich and Ura bid each other goodnight and wait until the dawn of tomorrow to set out for battle.

Everything's on the Line
The sun is barely peaking over the horizon as Aldrich and Ura finally make their way to their designated point for the attack. The experimentation site that they are ambushing is situated in a valley between two mountain ridges in central Fiore. Samarra Inari, otherwise known as The Flash Tactician, devised a plan where the Ambush Unit, which is what Aldrich and Ura were part of, would attack from the western side of the facility; thus drawing the dark guilds forces away from the other areas of the facility. The guild teams would be divided in two groups, one that would advance from the Southeast corner of the facility, and one that would advance on the Northeast corner of the facility. This assured that, even if the dark guilds forces were divided, the two diversion groups would be able to occupy their time long enough for the third group to make it inside the compound.

Aldrich and Ura waited up on a ridge overlooking the valley with their communication lacrimas around their neck, patiently awaiting the signal for their unit to attack. They could see from up on the ridge that there were guard units placed only at the southern point of the facility. This suggested that the entrance was there, considering that the valley was barren otherwise and offered no other forms of coverage beside the shrub covered building.

"You think they would have done a better job at camouflaging the building... Just placing some grass and leaves over a building does not make it any less suspicious." Ura says with a laugh.

"I agree. And there are no other visible guards besides the large barrack over there on the southern tip. Should make it easy to get their attention."Aldrich says as he points to another 'camouflaged' building that was drastically smaller than the actual compound itself.

"Yeah, my guess is about 30 to 40 people in the guard building?" Ura questions.

"Thirty-two based off of the electrical impulses I am sensing..." Aldrich says as he closes his eyes to concentrate.

Aldrich do you copy? They hear over the communication lacrima.

Go ahead Samarra. Aldrich replies, bringing the crystal up to his mouth to speak.

''Has Shojiro joined your unit? We are all almost in position, then I will give the signal.'' Samarra says over the lacrima.

Not yet, but I believe I sense him coming shor-- Aldrich begins to say, but is cut off by footsteps approaching their location. Aldrich and Ura turn to see the red headed wizard saint standing there with a sheepish smile.