Our troops, their uniforms eschew and kit haphazard, have been deployed to storm the walls of Ravenna as quickly as possible, so that we can protect as much of the city as possible from the monster of Steel. And as we approach the Samnian fortifications, we are met with musket fire. Not a great deal of musket fire, their defenses aren’t fully manned, but it’s still enough to utterly baffle me. The emissary of a bloodthirsty god is tearing their homes apart, how can they possibly think fighting their liberators is a priority?! It hardly matters though, our cannons have been dragged into position in good time, and they blast the soldiers who dared open fire upon us. There is no more opposing musket fire anymore, only abandoned walls marked with broken bodies and heavy steel balls. Xena is once again scarily effective in the right role.

Shame we can't bring her or her cannons inside the walls.

From now on, this is a job for the infantry, my specialty. At the head of my troops, I am the first to rappel over the now abandoned walls, followed soon after by Pasche. Katarina's priests are right behind us, cheering as their commander claws her way up the walls like a cat running up a tree, her halberd in her teeth. She gives a bow when she gets up, clearly expecting applause. And I can't help but indulge her, it’s just too precious. Pasche does the same, though with her chainmail gloves the sound is odd. Now we just have to wait for the rest of the infantry-

Or Katarina's troops could run off on their own, each one eager to butcher an agent of the divine. Being Serena is hard. I run after them, Pasche runs after me, and soon we find ourselves in the streets of Ravenna, forming ranks to face any possible resistance. We find none.

We find corpses.

The bodies of Samnian soldiers litter the streets, accompanied by the bodies of Samnian citizens. They clearly slaughtered one another... The dead citizens each have a blue armband, and are armed with muskets and bayonets, military issue just like the Samnian soldiery. What is going on here?

We hear another mighty shriek, and see the giant eagle barrel itself into a block of row houses, crushing them, and presumably their occupants along with them. I draw my pistol and fire at the beast... And the beast has absolutely no reaction whatsoever.

It doesn't even hear the sound. It merely moves on to its next target, apparently seeing us as beneath its notice... Looking at the ruined houses, some of the bodies amongst the rubble had blue armbands...

I put the pieces together pretty quickly after that. "That bird is hunting down the citizens of Samnia! It's killing people who are trying to resist the monarchy!"

"Guess the King wasn't as loved and protected as he thought." Pasche tries to cut the tension... And fails. "Are you sure we can fight that thing?"

"Won't know if we don't try, Pasche." I give her my best smile, but I certainly can't take away this atmosphere either. "First thing's first is to try to get that bird to pick on someone with an army. So we need to find where that thing is going next, and intercept it."

"... How're we supposed to do that?"

"Well, it's looking for the citizens, and the citizens are fighting the Samnian army..." I gesture to the bodies of Samnian troops and then trace a line to the next pile. "If we follow the fighting backward, we'll be able to see where the people of Ravenna started from. Presuming they're still holding that location, I'm sure that bird is looking for it."

"... You are almost scarily good at coming up with plans, has anyone ever told you that, Serena?" Pasche's eyes can't decide if they’re impressed or terrified.

"I absolutely have not been told that, no."

"Well... Something to keep in mind." Pasche manages a smile, clearly deciding she’s impressed, before giving a shout in German which seems to mean something to the Greenjackets.

Soon we’re following the trail of violence, a long and storied trail of violence... And we find ourselves at one of those 'churches' that the Samnians build. A church with steel decorations, with banners depicting swords and crowns. And with the Kingdom of Samnia flag replaced with a slapdash red flag, with a crude drawing of an impaled Eagle drawn upon it. Outside a fair few militia members stood guard, each with civilian clothing but with Samnian army kit. These were much better armed militia then I'd ever seen before. And despite that, they were terrified, jumping to attention upon seeing us approach... And being utterly confused at the sight of us.

One of them shouts something in Samnian, something that immediately makes me miss Xena. All I can do is step forward with my hands raised, and hope literally any of them know Avernian.

"We are the Avernian army!" I turn and notice that it’s literally only Pasche and I in Avernian colors, surrounded by greenjackets and a bear. "... And their allies! We have come to overthrow the King and liberate Ravenna-''

A surprisingly familiar face emerges from the church, that woman from yesterday. She too has a blue armband, it honestly suits her better than the finery I saw her in last. She shouts something, and the militia immediately stop pointing their muskets at us, the tension much diffused.

And mercifully, she speaks Avernian very well. "You are Serena Pollineux, right?"

I nod, letting my hands return to my sides now that the threat is gone. "That's correct. I remember you, you didn't seem especially happy-"

"Hehe... Let's perhaps commiserate some other time, signora." She laughs nervously, trying to force herself on topic as much as me. "I didn't want to let our dear sovereign get us all killed. I thought if I could establish a militia and seize the armories before anyone caught on to what we were doing, we could decapitate the Samnian monarchy without much bloodshed... I didn't count on that giant bird."

"Thankfully we're here to clip its wings." Gods I wish that I was dashing and gallant right now. "We'll take care of it."

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"I believe you." ... Does she actually believe that I’m dashing and gallant right now? "Yeah! I know you can do it!"

Pasche shifts uncomfortably, trying not to glare at this woman, which the well-dressed Samnian woman doesn’t notice. She’s too busy trying not to stare at me with bright, reverent eyes... Oh dear. Oh dear, I may have made my life a lot more complicated.

"It's more than just us of course, we just deployed here quickly because-" My explanation is cut off by another shriek, one that is getting closer. "Because of that! Soldiers, form up!"

The priests of Leather are less than interested in maintaining formation, even in the face of this titanic beast they are still utterly impetuous. One even charges the thing immediately, jumping up and trying to swing his leather bayonet upon it.

The bird shrieks at the brave man as he leaps at it. He is torn to pieces by the sheer power of the noise, the flesh being stripped from his bones and splattering on the ground before us. The rest of the priests aren't scared, but they are certainly a lot quicker to get into a firing line after that. Everyone gets in position, and the beast charges.

"Open fire!"

I gesture at the beast with my sword, and soon it is utterly peppered with gunfire. Its charge is halted by a wall of lead, and it flies up into the air to try and escape our gunfire and swoop us. It is immediately struck by a cannonball, and recoils from the impact, crashing back to the ground... It genuinely looks hurt. We can actually hurt it!

We just have to get it airborne. We just had to hit it with another volley... The priests are still reloading, apparently finding it awkward to do so around their Leather bayonets. The beast is almost upon us again, there isn't enough time!

... I have to make time. I charge.

I run towards it, then throw myself to the side when it opens its maw, confusing it and turning its head away from the Leather fanatics. I swing my sword at its maw as it turns, but my sword bounces off its feathers uselessly.. It’s facing me again, staring right at me with its beady eyes. I am nothing to it, and I will return to nothing when it strikes. It rears up to bite me.

And is punched right in its bizarre, fleshy neck stump by an airborne Pasche, like a cannonball with fists... Is Xena teaching her to fly too? I turn my head and see Katarina wink at me before returning to her troops. Did she throw Pasche? At a giant bird?! It certainly works, the bird's maw is successfully parried, and Pasche even lands beside me alive.

... And mostly unharmed, though her glove is busted and her hand is bleeding. And yet, she’s smiling. Smiling right at me. I expected her to be mad at me, charging this beast, but she’s smiling. I grab her hand and examine it carefully. She'll need a trip to Xena after this.

"... I just punched a giant bird." Pasche is such an idiot. Such a cute idiot.

"I saw." I can tell Pasche is in pain, and yet she keeps it out of her voice well.

"I'd do it again. I'd do anything to keep you safe. No matter what."

... If that giant bird wasn't getting back up I'd probably have kissed Pasche right there and then, and I cannot be certain I would stop, even in front of the Greenjackets and the Samnian militia. But that giant bird is getting back up, and I have to get myself to my feet, drag Pasche to hers, and run! I can hear it behind us, preparing for another scream.

But Katarina screams her order first, and there is another volley of musket fire which slams into the side of the beast. It shrieks in frustration and flies up again, determined to crash down upon us... And once again, it faces a cannonball, slamming into its body and making it wail with pain. On unsteady wings, it flies back towards the Royal Palace of Samnia, perhaps looking for respite, room to recover.

Which we can't allow it to do. We'll have to chase it right to the palace. It has to die for this to be over.

The Greenjackets are celebrating their victory, cheering and shouting, while a few unfortunates among them get to the task of picking up the flesh of their shredded comrade. Katarina gave a mighty scream to the heavens, as if taunting Steel himself in the name of her goddess. I am beyond convinced that her voice can shred a man as easily as that bird had, her screams are something else entirely. But she's earned that horrifying revelry as far as I’m concerned.

Which is no comfort to the woman in the blue armband, who looks almost as terrified of Katarina as she is utterly enchanted by me. Still, she manages to ignore my bear friend to return her full attention to me. She rushes over with a beaming smile, and takes my hand with the grace of a gentleman.

"You... You're amazing!" Her eyes are so full of stars I have no idea how she’s managing to see me right in front of her. "You really did save us!"

I can feel Pasche grab my other hand and squeeze it, but her attention is entirely on the Samnian.

We have no time for this, I need to cut this focus on me short. "Well, it was the effort of the Avernian Army. And we're not done just yet! We still have to take the palace!"

"Right! I'll get the men organized and-"

"Hang on just a minute, madam!" Pasche speaks up, apparently needing to speak her mind to this interloper. "You should stay here! You and yours have work to do securing the city, and honestly, I don't think you're quite up to fighting this giant fucking bird. So maybe you should leave this to the professionals, that way me and my girl can liberate your country for you, yeah?"

The woman holding my other hand is briefly taken aback, before looking at me, begging me to contradict Pasche. And I am about to... But not in any way either of them would like.

"Pasche, your hand is broken. I need you to stay here and recover-"

"Oh come on!" Pasche steps forward, trying to stand between me and the new girl while still holding my hand. "I'm fine! It's not as bad as it looks!"

The new girl reaches out and gently pokes Pasche's wounded hand, getting a girlish scream of pain out of her. Which is appreciated in terms of convincing Pasche to not fling herself into an eagle's mouth but less so in hurting my comrade.

"See? She's injured. You should take me with you instead!"

"Bullshit, I'm fine-"

I cast my magic over both of them almost out of impulse... This was the first time I’ve been in Pasche's heart for a while now. "Pasche, you're hurt. Please, for my sake, keep yourself safe until Xena can treat your hand?"

Pasche’s eyes are wide and her pupils, the sensation is so stark that she’s rendered unable to speak, merely nodding her head in approval to my request.

I give her a smile by way of reward, before turning my attention to the Samnian Gentlewoman. "Mademoiselle, I wish to entrust Pasche to your care. She's very precious to me, but I know you can be trusted with her. I believe in you."

She produces a high-pitched squeak, her whole body wracked by a shudder. She, like Pasche, cannot produce any words, she simply nods her approval as well, while squealing. Slowly I let both of their hands go, and allow the new girl to escort Pasche into the church. Hopefully someone in there could treat Pasche's wounds... I keep my heart open to them until the distance makes it sting, leaving me hoping that the two of them will be okay in my absence.

Katarina approaches me and salutes... I don't speak German, this is going to be hard... But we have a bird to kill.

"Want to eat the servant of a god, Katarina?"

The bear woman grinned, she might've even understood a word or two of what she was agreeing to. It sounded exactly like something Katarina would agree to.