[h3]Artemisia de Chauret[/h3]

Well, as it turned out, whatever they were doing, it was working out. Somehow, the least reliable person in their party somehow held up against the entire imperial force and even caused them to rout in the face of her… impenetrable body. She was still quite confident that whatever the dragon girl had done, it was impossible, but the stuff still happened, so…

Regardless, they were all alive, although Artemisia still had the distinct feeling they were still well and truly boxed in for the moment, even if the coast was clear and they were hiding out in a ramshackle derelict for a shelter. In any case, they still had to make up a plan for escape…

As the group’s impromptu healer, there were some responsibilities here to take care of, but it turned out that most people were uninjured, aside from the lizardman. She didn’t have many fond opinions of lizardmen, though, and he seemed to be off his rocker and actively injuring himself by driving the weapons stuck in him further inside… so she just kept away from him and left him alone. 

“Absolutely not.” Artemisia’s answer was quick and decisive in response to Serafaye. “I’ve come all this way with it, and it’s carrying all my valuables. Unless you wish to carry all my belongings and reimburse me a horse afterwards, that plan is out of the question.” As if to show her resolve, she gripped its reins tighter and tugged the horse closer to her, making the beast snort in indignation. 

Still, she gave the matter some more thought. Since their force was small, it would be indeed advantageous if they could stick to small, enclosed spaces, where they could make use of chokepoints to hold their position. If Serafaye could maintain her ability to… resist the regulars, then she would be extremely effective as a spearhead, or battering ram to get out of the ruined city. 

“She’s right,” Artemisia finally responded. “If we stick to narrow or enclosed passages, it plays to our advantage as a small group. Instead of a diversion, we should rush their weakest point in the alleys and escape. If our strange dragon girl here can act as a spearhead, the plan doesn’t need to be much more complicated. I can protect our flank from attacks overhead with shield and healing magic, and I think we can keep that up until we reach the ruined walls.”