He had barely freed his sword from the undead when the world froze and the hair on his neck stood on end as the voice sounded from above. His eyes shot up to find the source, looking for sign of Hysminai or Keres, but finding nothing there but empty blue sky. A voice behind him pulled his attention back that way, and there she was, standing nonchalantly on the mysterious wall that one of the aliens summoned. Fear battled with hatred in his chest as he looked at her - her, the source of all of this chaos and evil, the bringer of destruction, murderer of armies. He braced himself, his expression defiant as he stared up at her, listening but barely hearing as various ideas came to mind for catching her off guard and subduing her. His spear, maybe? His hand twitched towards one of the poles at his back - if he moved slow enough, she might not notice, and if he gripped and threw quickly enough, if his aim were true... 

The sound of her speaking about being busy combined with the caked blood on her extremities made his blood boil even more.  As she finished he was preparing to strike, ready to throw his spear; as words resounded in his head he was taking and leaving information at random - Enyalius was in love with one of them, she was corrupted by something, she was brave in putting another planet above her own -- she had made this decision?! She had chosen to sacrifice all of them to save some unknown planet?! Even if she weren't in control of herself, she must have made that choice soberly, which meant whether she 'intended' it or not, she was still completely responsible for what she had done here! 

She's physically stronger than all of us - 

True. She was. He'd probably die afterwards, but if it hit just the mark and she went down, he would live, and his people would have a chance again. Maybe those killed would stop rising. The others spoke of not fighting, and he stayed quiet; he could use that to help surprise Liera - if none of them expected it, none could inadvertently tell her what he was planning --

But his vision was partially blocked by Andromeda, who had stepped forward, he guessed, in an attempt to follow up on her promise to protect him. He frowned; she could interfere with his throw. Cautiously, he slowly sidestepped once to be clear of her.

In the moment's before Enya answered her, Enoch's voice bounced around in her head.  He had been so interested in whether or not she would kill Enya to stop her, questioning her every step of the way.  He had lied about who he was, he had even lied to her face about why he was there.  Now he's suddenly spouting do's and don'ts for how to handle Enya.  Why was he so intent on killing Enya, why were some of them so intent on this ending.  She felt betrayed, she wanted to do everything to save Enya. 

She wanted to be alone.  Achelois's eyes glared brighter, her knuckles turned white as she clenched her staff tight. She chastised herself for getting others involved, she should have come here alone, she shouldn't have allowed anyone else.  She especially should have sent this Enoch back to Leviathan if that's really who he was, he truly had no business being here. 

I'm not going to take the advice of someone who lied there way into this journey, I have no reason to trust anything you say.

She felt so many things, irritated, relieved, bitterness, regret, sadness, understanding.  She listened to the tones in Enya's voice, trying to figure out what to say next.  They couldn't last in a fight, she was very aware of this.  And she didn't want certain people hurt in the exchange.  She didn't want the murder of previous cared for friends on Enya's conscious.

Achelois found herself at a loss for words, what does one say to their corrupted beloved to convince them to turn back.  Was it even possible?  She hadn't exactly been able to figure it out even with the cryptic slight hope given to her by the crone. 

"While I do appreciate the offer, I would much rather we just go home."  She looked to eyes that no longer held the compassion she knew there, her own eyes still so full of love, hope, but now tinged with fear.  "Can't you stop this?  Leave this planet like you did before and we can go on our way?"

"Eh, I would," she replied in a mockery of a thoughtful tone, "but I'm not quite done here yet. People still alive, cities still standing, you know," she shrugged, leaning forward in a more natural sitting position, her bloodstained fingers tapping out an unknown beat on the edge of the wall. "So I still have work to do. But how about this? You can choose the next planet when  I leave. I've been given suggestions but I just can't choose which one, and you've always managed to find the most interesting of places."

"Tell you what," she said, pulling her legs up to stand once again on the wall. She dusted off her hands, "I'll finish up here quickly, then we'll talk about where to go next. It shouldn't take too long - I'll be back soon." 

Black wings appeared and unfurled behind her, and she made as though to jump, and then stopped and laughed. "Oh! Right!" she chuckled, "I almost forgot about him." She gestured lazily in Nikos's direction, and the nearest Androktsiai resumed fighting positions, their weapons setting their aim on his person. "They'd've never let me live that down."

Her tan skin paled as her blood ran cold at hearing Enya's plans.  However she still grasped at the little bit of light she could see.  So far it sounded like Enya wasn't intent on killing them, for now.  They needed to keep it that way.  Except it seemed they'd now have to keep her from killing Nikos, without making her angry.  Great, a challenge, just what she needed.

Her voice trembled, starting lower as a whisper but getting stronger, "Enya please, you don't have to needlessly kill or destroy." She brought the shield closer to her chest, almost taking refuge in its stoic protection.  Her eyes flicked over to Nikos, looking tense as usual.  The zombies could reanimate any second, but she still had a hold of the plants.  They were ready, but she needed the right moment.  "C'mon, you don't need to waste your time on him, or anyone really."

She watched in disbelief when the undead around them suddenly knelt before them, completely obedient to their puppet master. Was Enya seriously not going to kill them? Should they feel hopeful about this?

She had completely tuned Enoch out, so Achelois’ words made her wonder who she was talking to for a moment. She watched as the healer attempted to reason with her beloved, and for one moment Andromeda actually had hope that it might work.

But of course it wouldn’t be that easy.

Work to do. Killing more people, she meant?

Everything felt so wrong. And conquering other planets. That was what Enya would do if they let her keep going, wasn’t it? That was what The Crone meant. She’d go from planet to planet like before… but instead of saving them, this time she’d be spreading destruction.

Spreading Chaos.

She commanded herself to block all the horror and fear, tucked it into a little safety deposit box in her mind along with all her other unpleasant emotions that she hadn’t dealt with.

For a moment it seemed as if Enya was leaving. But then suddenly the soldiers near her moved once more, back to fighting positions with swords and weapons drawn toward one specific person. She turned to see the target; Nikos. Panic nearly threatened to overwhelm her.

Achelois was begging with Enya not to do it, and Andromeda stepped in front of him again—noticing how he’d managed to sidestep her somehow—what was he trying to do?! She planted herself firmly in front of the aimed weapons.

“I’m sorry, Enya, I kind of promised this one I would keep him safe. If you insist on killing him, I’m afraid you have to kill me first.” She stared the winged soldier in the eye, almost as if challenging her back.

Maybe this could also be some kind of test.

If Enya chose to kill her, then she supposed she’d die… but at least then the others would know their former leader was a lost cause.

Callisto tensed as the zombies turned on Nikos, awaiting orders to cut him down. Enyalius may have been willing to speak with her former friends, but it did not seem to sway her from murdering anyone else. They couldn't let her continue this. She watched in disbelief as Andromeda stepped in front of him, challenging Enyalius to relent or kill her instead. In this state, who knew what Enyalius was willing to do. It could very well get Andromeda murdered, and watching someone get slaughtered right next to her wasn't an option in Callisto's mind. 

Without saying a word, she readied herself to jump in front of both of them with a shield ready in case anyone lunged. She was 900 years old, and she refused to let a younger senshi just die as a test of faith.

Achelois nearly screamed as Andromeda bold faced challenged Enya.  For a second, she feared that what should be found only in the deepest nightmares would be a reality.  Her heart stopped as she watched Enya interact with their younger companion.  However it seemed that for now, the worst wasn't here.  Enya had decided to leave Andromeda without any wound.  Breathing slowly returned as she watched the figure, smattered with blood dance around their group, until-One of ours

And there was Enya, so close to her, and yet they had never been farther from each other.  Achelois quickly picked up what would happen next and dropped the shield, thinking as loudly and quickly as she could.

Andromeda! Take Enya's shield and keep Nocturnus safe!

She looked into the eyes that had once looked at her with so much love, now looked at her like she were an object, a prize.  As she felt the hands wrap around her waist, she waited until just before-

She felt the release of her energy as the plants raced upward, immobilizing the zombies and planting them to the spot.  Then she was gone.

She waited with baited breathe as she watched Andromeda stand up to Enyalius, only to sigh with relief when the corrupted senshi didn't kill her. Did this mean that she was redeemable, that somewhere deep down, she recognized her friends, those who cared about her?

Her relief didn't last very long however, once she realized that Enya had grabbed Achelois and had left with her. Their healer had left them a gift, managing to stop the zombies in their tracks with her magic. 

How long would it hold though?

Perhaps now would be a good time to move, we do not know how long Achelois' plants will keep the zombies at bay without her here. 


She felt panic beginning to set in. Their healer was gone, what would happen if they were injured? While Sedna could heal basic wounds, her fledgling healing ability couldn't possibly deal with the injuries they would surely face on this en devour. She was better at killing, and helping those who have died move on than she was at saving lives. 

What were they going to do?

...but as the Androktsiai around him were suddenly entrapped by green vines and held in their kneeling position, he started to realize what, exactly, "Enyo" had done:

He could not die.

Laughter bubbled up from his chest as he strode to the nearest of the Androktsiai and neatly cut off its arms.

He would be the last man alive on Enyalius.

He laughed again, turning to the next and kicking it in the head as he strode across the street to the weapon-shop Liera's father had run, passing several of the aliens and giving none a second glance, so preoccupied in his train of thought and resulting quest.

So long as there was at least one other man alive on Enyalius, he could not be killed, by either "Enyo" or any of her creatures - it was what she had said, which is what they would obey, right? 

He laughed louder, unable to contain himself as he strode through the debris of the shop and picked his way through new, bright steel, having his choice of some of the best-made blades in the land. What to do, though? He mostly wanted to get back out there, find survivors and protect them - I mean, he couldn't die anymore, so what better protector? - but the time it would take to get out there would be enormous, as would the task of finding where survivors had held up. 

He hefted a shield onto his arm, testing the weight, looking around the shop in search of other armor but finding none - and then laughed again and dropped it. They couldn't hurt him. 

Putting a sword at either hip, he turned back to the aliens - he'd do what his command had set out to do: he would destroy the demon. His smile was wide. So long as there was one other man alive on Enyalius, she could not kill him.

'Let's go then; your choice - direct approach down the main street, or winding around like we have been? The main street is probably filled with Androktsiai, but, as we've seen here, that could be true of anywhere now.'

Oberians weren't religious people. They worshipped no gods or goddesses, but watching Achelois and EnyaliusEnyo interact, Oberon surprised himself to pray, in his own language, for his planet. It had been a while, he knew, but it comforted him, warmth filling him, a sign that Oberon was listening even if it could not do any more than that.

It was enough.

It all happened quickly. Enyo's wish to be rid of Nikos, Andromeda's intervention, Enyo's taunting them, Achelois disappearing...

Not without helping them. Always. He reckoned that despite the emotions he had felt, despite what this mission meant for her, her last action towards them hadn't been of fury, but of help. His eyes closed for mere seconds before Sedna's voice brought him back. When he opened them, it was the sight of horror standing in front of him, stuck in plants that shook him from his lethargy.

Then Nikos...
Nikos... well...
Nikos was the only guide left to Enyo, unstable as he was.
Oberon was exhausting himself more quickly than he thought he would, unsure if he would keep the willpower to go on. But then, what good were so many thousands of years alive if he couldn't keep with petulant children and broken hearts?

He didn't move.

We have to bound the defeated or those who killed will be hunted down. You said that. We do not need enemies who can follow some of us no matter where we go.

Enoch's heart sank when Sailor Achelois said that she would ignore any of his suggestions. He had made a horrible mistake in not revealing his true intentions to them from the start. How foolish was he to think he could get away with it all? To pretend he was Sailor Makemake for the entire duration of the mission? Was he crazy?

And here was Enyo, turning an already dramatic situation into a nuclear bomb of one by taking Sailor Achelois away from them. He wondered, was he like that when he was possessed by Chaos? From what he heard, he had the audacity to belittle and insult Neo Queen Serenity to her face. This was not the Sailor Enyalius of Sailor Leviathan's stories. This was not the "hard ass, stupid paladin piece of crap who's smarter than most of those losers" of her tales. This was a whole new entity and he hoped he would remember not to call her the name she had chosen for herself. He, and the real Sailor Enyalius he figured, would not give her that respect.

But he could at least respect her new power. He prayed that they wouldn't see the full force of it.

Let's pray that Sailor Achelois can save Sailor Enyalius's soul on her own. If not, I'm not sure we'll see her again.

He gulped as he went to assist Sailor Andromeda with Enyalius's shield if necessary. He spoke with his own voice mentally to the others, though still appeared to look like Sailor Oberon.

Sailor Andromeda! I have to talk to you later about that shield. I have a plan that might help save Sailor Enyalius's soul and it's absolutely necessary for it. Please take good care of it!

We should decide on a new leader as we go. I'm not sure if you all chose Sailor Achelois as your leader, but she seemed to be the choice after Sailor Enyalius. Who among us is detached enough from this situation emotionally to make quick, effective decisions? And Nikos, are you willing to continue on as our guide? I vote we travel side routes later. We won't get ambushed too terribly that way.

Enoch's voice in his head made his hands twitched as he walked to the nearest inert bodies, cutting off their limbs without any more thoughts. He cared little about other's feelings right now about this. If it kept safe those who killed them without wasting hours, he would do whatever was necessary for it. Including disrespecting corpses apparently, Oberon save his soul.

He sighed, then went to another one when he was sure it couldn't crawl behind them.

Can their limbs grow back?
As for a leader, you would need to listen to her, whoever she would be, all of you. We need unity. The universe knows how some doubted Achelois and I would prefer she still stood by us.

He busied himself with a third one, calm and using no more strength than needed for the chore, trying to keep a minimum of respect for those who never asked to become this. Or perhaps they did. Who knew. Who knew what folly there was behind this whole thing? He glanced at the plants wondering how long they had still before needing to run for their lives. Fortunately, there weren't much undead they had killed, so they probably could leave soon enough.

If we go the direct route, what awaits us?

It turned out that Andromeda was the wrong person to be protecting after all. Before anyone could hope to react, Enyo "spared" Nikos and kidnapped Achelois instead. Though Achelois did leave them a parting gift with her final message: Tangling all the undead in plants to immobilize them. Callisto wasn't even sure what to say, and was momentarily silent as Nikos seemed to go off the deep end once more and grow almost cocky from his survival. She stayed quiet as Oberon and Makemake- no, Enoch, spoke on what to do, and the calculated slicing of bodies began.

It was sickening to watch the necessary act. This entire experience on Enyalius was less than ideal, and Callisto struggled with how to contribute. At first, she had agreed with Achelois having the right to lead them, but now that they were alone, she realized that she was one of the senshi on this mission who had less personal things at stake. Yes, she did like and respect Sailor Enyalius, but she had not known her too deeply. 

Her eyes fell on the shield left behind, the symbol of their determination to get Enyalius back. She was never meant to lead, not in this life when she hadn't earned the proud title of General, but she'd try for them.

"If you are willing to have me, I will act as leader," Callisto said, breaking the relative silence outside of everyone's heads. She did not want to hesitate or back out at the last moment, so she spoke out loud. The words felt more final that way.

She had to admit; she was scared when Enya suddenly appeared beside her and put that bloodied hand on her face. For one moment everything was cold, and she expected the cold bite of steel in her flesh, and her entire life flashed before her very eyes. Her very short life, filled with disappointments and anguish and hope when she found a new family.

Yet now one of them was taken from her. She made a promise at that moment to kill the person responsible for this—if indeed there was one person—and spend the rest of her life eradicating Chaos and every trace of it.

She didn’t immediately understand what Enya was saying about Nikos, but the undead backed off, and that was good for the moment, and by some miracle she was unharmed, either…

Then Enya took Achelois.

Achelois’ last words rang in her head, and she dove for Enya’s shield the next moment.

Several things happened at once after. Plants burst out from the ground to entrap the zombies, at least for the time being. Nikos was going crazy—again, what else was new. Enoch was saying something about Enya’s shield. Right now her instinct was to protect it at all costs and not let anyone touch it, let alone a liar, but she’d deal with that later. Take good care of it? What an insult that someone thought she had to be told that.

Some of the others were cutting limbs of the fallen to make sure they couldn’t follow.

Andromeda moved toward Nocturnus, intending to do everything Achelois told her if it was the last thing she did.

Enya wouldn’t kill Achelois. Of this, she was sure. They just needed to find her again.

She felt sickened that they were talking about replacing Achelois already. Voting a new leader even before they got through this latest crisis. For a brief moment she felt irritation and annoyance toward everyone.

Achelois is still the leader, she stated firmly. And she left me Enya’s shield. I will only do what she tells me. I am able to compartmentalize my emotions if necessary. I’ve shoved worse feelings aside before.

Worse? No, maybe not.

No offense, but we also need someone who knows her personally to know how she thinks. I do not believe an emotionless leader with no emotional ties is the best choice.

Maybe Enya was not Enya anymore, but she would still think like her.

Oberon, can you still hear Achelois? Nikos, let’s move out of here the moment all the fallen are disabled.

The orange dot in his mind was worryingly quiet, inactive, but at least it was there. Not that it would help them very much.

Achelois is alive, I have her, but communicating with her might not be possible until we find her.

He hesitated then looked at Andromeda from the ground.

This was not about replacing anyone, Andromeda. It was about who takes the lead in the absence of the leader. It is a common strategy. Achelois cannot lead us right now, we have to do on our own. Entertaining negative feelings for one another will only serve as a feast on which Chaos can treat itself.

He didn't care who led as long as everyone stopped acting like children. Which, he reckoned, they were. Perhaps should he be the one to adjust his words, but Andromeda proved herself to be extremely emotional and though he didn't doubt she was the closest to the duo, her attitude was barely one of a leader. Her determination, however, was.

He dealt with the body, barely feeling anything about it anymore.

If you are to take the lead, in which case I will obey you through what awaits us, give those who follow you tolerance. We are all tested in this, whether we know Achelois and Enyalius or not. Your allies, some of them friends, are risking their lives as much as you.

These words concern everyone else, as well. We are in this together.

He closed his eyes, nodded apologetically towards her as if speaking his mind was forbidden and he had just disobeyed. When he opened them, there was nothing else but unshaken serenity, no matter how poorly it actually reflected how he felt.

Please, do not invade too deeply into my mind. You do not know how my feelings work. It will give you the wrong impression about me.

She wasn’t entertaining negative feelings. She never did. She felt them—because she was a human being—but she had an advanced degree in shoving them aside when they threatened her well-being and prioritizing what was important.

Even as she harbored negative feelings for her parents, she still went back to save her kingdom and their lives time and time again. She knew better than anyone how to not let emotions take over or cloud her judgment when it came to what mattered.

You seem to have the idea that I do not tolerate some of you. Again, you are wrong. But I also do not force anyone to be here. If they don’t want to be, then they should leave before they are forced to die. Especially now that we have lost our main healer.

She clutched Enya’s shield tighter and put one hand on Nocturnus’ shoulder.

You also seem to have the wrong idea about what a leader is. It is not someone who feels no strong emotion. It is someone who does and yet soldiers on anyway. A leader needs to care, and care deeply. Now, Achelois left me with this shield. It is up to you whether or not you think I deserve it.

Enya had led them all this time in that stoic manner of hers, but her downfall had been precisely because of that; because she was keeping secrets, because for some reason she didn’t trust them enough to let them in and tell them the whole story (that part especially hurt), because she didn’t just tuck her emotions away when it came to her home planet but also denied them.

Andromeda wasn’t going to make that mistake.

Sailor Nocturnus stared at the spot where Achelois had been, the spot where the woman who used to be Sailor Enyalius wrapped an arm around the blonde's waist and spirited her away. She saw that moment replay in her mind, the way the healer seemed to anticipate something was about to happen—there was a change in her stance—and then the sheen in her eyes as she realized what the dark one's action would be... and then the shield was falling, tumbling down, like a massive coin mid-toss to determine some game of chance. It reflected endlessly in Nocturnus's dark and fathomless eyes.

As the conversation broke out around her, other members worrying about a leader, freed momentarily from the threat of the zombies thanks to Achelois' parting gift, the dark-clad sailor soldier-in-training paid it little attention. It didn't really matter what the others were thinking, or who was leading or "in charge": she was going to find Sailor Achelois and she was going to help save Sailor Enyalius. That's what they came here to do, and that was still exactly what she planned to accomplish.

She looked up at Sailor Andromeda, feeling the stability of the woman's hand on her shoulder, and gave a barely perceptible nod. Nocturnus knew that the oceanic soldier shared her convictions, at least mostly, hearing them eloquently expressed to the group.

But the child kept her thoughts and her feelings to herself.

Panzer folded her arms across her chest, silent and waiting for the group. She didn't necessarily regret getting herself involved in this, but once again she felt very much like an outsider—both as far as relationships went and in terms of cultural expectations. Better to wait. Sailor Panzer had no strong feelings either way. When the others finished their discussions, she would determine how she might be of the most help and proceed accordingly. She certainly was not going to volunteer to lead or suggest who may be a better leader. Even if she had opinions, this was not the right opportunity to share them.

Hand of Panzer, she thought to herself, may we all get through this.

He pushed his swords in the last thing he would be cutting right now. There shouldn't be too much left and he had done his fair share. He finally stood. He didn't feel like saying it was about respect, not about whether or not some of them would want to leave.

Your mind did not give me this impression, your words did, but it was not a judgement, it was an advice, for everyone. We are what we have until this is over. I am, however, not the one who said a leader should not feel.

A leader sometimes felt too much, he knew all too well. And there were more important things to worry about that who would call the shots. He didn't care. He didn't know them enough to say who would be a better leader.

He still nodded. 

I said I would obey. I meant it.

He couldn't answer for the others, but he hoped for a quick resolution. Andromeda would lead, though, in truth, Nikos was more of the one in charge considering how much knowledgeable of this place he was compared to them. He looked at his blades, then looked away, refusing to entertain the turmoil inside. He hated war with a passion and yet seemed to find himself on battlefields more often than not.

Panicking would do her no good right now and she needed to concentrate if she was to become the groups healer. She turned her attention to the group just as Callisto offered to be leader only to raise her eyebrow with Andromeda's comment about Callisto being emotionless. 

While I agree that having someone as a leader who knows Enyalius personally would be beneficial, calling someone emotionless is out of line Andromeda, Eshana chastised gently. I understand that you have been through a lot with her and that most of our group hasn't had much rest as of late, but we need to keep clear heads if we are to rescue Achelois and save Enyalius. 


Eshana kept a wary eye on Nikos. Since Enya had spared him, he seemed unhinged and reckless. He may very well get us killed, she thought to herself. 

Oberon, are you able to tell what direction Achelois is in via the link? 

She frowned; wondering how everyone was reading her words so completely wrong.

I did not call anyone emotionless. It was suggested to pick a leader that has no emotional attachment. I was saying that was wrong. That wasn’t in reference to Callisto.

It was ironic that they kept saying to keep a clear head.

Her head had never been clearer, neither had her objective.

If every fallen is taken care of, please let us move.

My apologies Andromeda, Eshana said through the link. I agree, it is time to move, but which way? 

Enoch sighed as the group began to argue over the correct qualities of a leader. He knew they were upset for a very good reason but he couldn’t help but wonder if all of their missions were handled in this manner. Just what had his princess been learning from these people? How in the world did she develop into the person she was today with all of this tension and strife?

I should clarify, he began carefully. I never meant that we should pick someone with zero emotional attachment. I only think we should choose someone who can distance themselves if necessary to make tough decisions. I would trust, for instance, that you wouldn’t choose to make me a leader if my princess… I mean, if Sailor Leviathan were the one corrupted. I think that Sailor Callisto would be a fantastic choice, given her previous experience in missions and that she would well enough understand Sailor Enyalius in strength and character. I hope that you all will continue to consider my advice no matter what the decision. I’ve been possessed by Chaos before, though not as severely. I understand some things about that awful force that could prove useful.

I apologize for my actions before but I have good reason for hiding the reason I am here to all of you. I can only say that I am here to understand something about Sailor Enyalius’s corruption. It’s something that I must know to protect Sailor Leviathan. It’s something that she and Guardian Leviathan don’t even know I’m here for. It’s bad enough that I have to tell you here I’m here for Sailor Leviathan but I know you understandably can’t trust me otherwise.

He smiled meekly at Andromeda. There was a certain kindness that showed even through his Sailor Oberon disguise.

Sailor Andromeda, you deserve that shield, leader or not. Your love for your friends will inevitably help in the end.

'It seems any path is fair game,' Nikos replied, weathering through the vie for leadership quietly. It was necessary to have a leader, but while he knew the city, he did not know anything about Enyo, or "Enya" or "Enyalius" or whatever they called her, and he agreed, silently, that they needed someone who knew her to lead them forward. If they knew how she thought, they could anticipate her movements and attempt to catch her off guard when it was time to strike. He supported Andromeda, but admittedly how she had treated him factored greatly in that favor; that she knew the demon personally only helped him feel validated about it. Now that they were ready to move - all Androktsiai that they had defeated being unarmed, he chuckled, he felt it was his place to speak up again. 'I don't know how they found us in the square, but it would be stupid to assume they couldn't do it again. The faster path is straight down this main street,' he said, gesturing down the path leading from the towered entrance, 'It will take us right to the center of the city, and from there it will be a short distance to the palace; however, if we take that path, if and when these other Androktsiai are freed it would be easy for them to follow, wheres continuing on the zig-zag path would make that harder.'

'If we wanted to get there fast, the main path is faster, but if we are chased we will arrive worn out from evading the chasers, and anything else we might find on that street. I think the better route would be to continue on the side-streets, unless someone would be able to permanently seal the square from the road.'

Sailor Panzer nodded at Nikos' comment, in full agreement.

"Yes, the side streets have a tactical advantage," she replied telepathically to the others. That would be her vote, if voting were involved.

At least this was better than all of the "choose a leader" back-and-forth.