[right][color=1462ba][i][h2]Mariette[/h2][/i][/color][color=57a345][h3][i]and Eli[/i][/h3][/color][/right] Eli was told by Amber to follow her. [color=57a345]‘Eh?’[/color] Eli made a noise in the midst of being emotionally perturbed, suddenly called to action. Mariette, still in the midst of making Caroline’s life a living bullet-hell, made her opinion known. [color=077ae6]‘Go!’[/color] Mariette told her, irritation in her tone, startling Eli. [color=077ae6]‘You are a scout. Upon encountering new enemies, they will have need of your eyes. Get back on the ship, leave Caroline to me. Staying will simply force me to protect you.’[/color] [color=57a345]‘Ah…’[/color] Eli stumbled back to her feet, her spirit having taken a shock. Her mistress had told her she wasn’t needed here. A sense of disappointment went through her, a regret at her uselessness. [color=57a345]‘Yes, mistress…’[/color] With regret in her eyes, the liquid harpy spun to get back on the ship. That’s right, they needed her eyes… Briefly the vision of Libby’s eyes crossed her mind and made her wince, remembering what she had seen in those eyes… [color=57a345]‘… Huh?’[/color] Eyes…? Eli froze, realizing something. [color=077ae6]‘Tsk.’[/color] Meanwhile, Mariette clicked her tongue in annoyance when Caroline showed off her ability to make items pass through her body. Deni and Eli’s greatest achievements in Dark-magic, their last resorts to saving themselves, the ability to make them intangible for just a moment… Caroline had used it to make herself even more untouchable than she already was. In the case of Deni and Eli, the counter was simply to press the attack, they couldn’t do that twice in a row. For Caroline… Mariette knew it was the same, she just needed to press the attack, but it just got a whole lot harder, and a whole lot more taxing on her powers. Mariette would have prepared to portal herself away when flown at, but their new flashy ally stepped up to her defense. Nice to have proof she’s at least partially on their side. Mariette definitely had numerous portals on the side gazing at her just in case she went for the backstab, but turns out she was of use. Meanwhile, the sound of the Bastion driving away quickly became apparent, splashing into the water and engaging the castle, the sound of battle starting elsewhere could be heard in the distance… [color=077ae6]‘Disobeying my orders, are we?’[/color] Mariette commented in annoyance. Eli stood behind her mistress, her slime body’s posture tense as she stared ahead at Caroline, a new conviction in her eyes. An additional conviction to overcome the guilt knowing she had been selfish. But if she ran now… then she’d be running forever, never able to properly face the truth. And with her earlier realization… [color=57a345]‘I got a bead on her bane when I looked into her eyes,’[/color] Eli shared with her allies. [color=57a345]‘It has to do with emotions. If you let me stare into her eyes additionally, I’m confident I can find out more. Way more.’[/color] So Eli told, not sounding particularly confident, but she certainly looked like she had made her choice. Mariette raised an eyebrow, gazing at their enemy. If it’s Caroline’s bane, it could be Justine’s bane, too. Just that it had to do with emotions was too vague to be of use without putting themselves at considerable risk… [color=077ae6]‘Very well. I just need to keep your eyes locked to hers, then?’[/color] Mariette commented. [color=077ae6]‘Suwako, keep firing, we need to keep her busy. New girl, do as you please, but close combat with the likes of her is very dangerous if she can form herself into a pool of blood, which she might. If you attack, I can support you with portals. Watch out for any blood, it is bad news whenever a Visceral is nearby. Go.’[/color] With that, the assault continued, but with a considerable change. She surviving Shadows gathered in a circle around the battlefield, continuing to throw attacks through portals and Mariette continued rerouting the attacks as well as Suwako’s arrows at the target, but in addition she created portals from Eli’s eyes to in front of Caroline on something of a distance, opening and closing (in that order) new portals with Caronile’s every move to keep their eyes locked. On a distance for the safety of Eli’s eyes at first, but moved closer if Eli says she needs them closer, at any angle needed, while spending considerable awareness trying to keep these portals safe, make them vanish in time should they be attacked. And if Caroline hid her eyes, well. Then they’d be dealing with a blinded opponent. If Shade engaged, Mariette could attempt to create portals to make Caroline’s attacks go through and hit nothing some distance away, or open portals for missed attacks to try to hit the enemy again, or open portals to potentially let her attack from behind or the side or other unpredictable angles if she so wished, trying to close them fast if Caroline tried to take advantage. Attacking blood with blood would probably be counterproductive, so any of Caroline’s attacks Mariette could intercept would be sent just as far away as she could cheaply handle, assuming Caroline needed a fairly short range to make use of it. On the other side of those portals, Eli’d be staring focused but scared, trying to delve into Caroline’s eyes with conviction, and would say so if she needed to be closer or more from the front. Emotions was a troublesome bane in that they didn’t have an empath, but on there was an advantage of availability. After all, Mariette smirked the slightest, all emotions came from within.