[color=A0A0A0][h2]Fleuri Jodeau[/h2][/color]

It was easy to forget the humanity of one's foes, especially during the heat of an intense fight.  It was ordinarily quite unwise to consider such nuances in battle, because even a brief moment of hesitation or distraction could get a knight killed.  Just like with Sir Rickard.  Even so it was a melancholy sight to see a dying opponent overcoming the fear of the end, the excruciating pain of a fatal wound, and any grudge against his killer to face his end with dignity and use his last living moments to plead for the life of another.  It wasn't a common thing, that was for sure.

[color=A0A0A0]"I'll do what I can, you have my word,"[/color] Fleuri assured the dying warrior, raising the visor of his borrowed helmet, as to allow his foe to see his face and to give the man some assurance that his words weren't being received by a a heartless sheet of steel.  There wasn't much else he could do there- there was no patching up this wound, and even if he could somehow save the warrior, to a northern warrior like him, it might even be considered a grave trespass to deny him a worthy death like this.

Fleuri was so distracted by the warrior's death, so caught up in not wanting the warrior to breathe his last alone, that when he looked up, he realized he was the only one left in the upper chamber.  All the others had descended to continue their mission.  After sheathing Candlestick and recovering his greatsword, he hustled down the stairs and deeper into the tomb.  He could not allow himself to fail his fellow knights by falling behind.

When Fleuri reached where the others had congregrated, following the sound of the clash of metal and the cracking of lightning, he took a second to assess what what was going on.  The first thing he noticed was that none of the Iron Roses had fallen.  This was good- he didn't want them to have a repeat with Sir Rickard.  The second thing was the foes they faced- several undead, a necromancer- no doubt the leader that the Nem mentioned, and near him, the Nem hostage.  There was a female mage- presumably the mage woman mentioned by both the Nem and Alfrid- and an armored warrior battling the knights.  The second warrior in the Nem's description of the conspirators, perhaps?

It took another moment for Fleuri register the warrior's armor.

Erich Cazt, the Demonbreaker.

Fleuri desperately hoped that he was a mindless undead controlled by the necromancer, and not a willing undead participant in this treasonous conspiracy.  Part of his hope was because Erich was a formidable warrior in life and would be very difficult to take down if he was still in his prime, but most of it was because Fleuri desperately didn't want to believe that such a great hero could fall so far.

What followed upon his arrival would quickly answer that question.  An arrow shot by Dame Cecilia sliced the necromancer's arm off, releasing his hold on the hostage.  At this point, Fleuri watched as the armored figure of Erich grabbing Gerard and throwing him towards the necromancer, before ceasing his movements.  Having fought necromancers himself, he was able to recognize the sight of a one's control over a minion slip, but the sight of an undead momentarily regaining its wits to turn upon its controller was something he had not previously witnessed.

Fleuri saw little need to mop up the remaining undead.  Any that remained should fall once the former mercenary brought Armand Jodeau's morningstar down upon the necromancer.

It looked like another victory for the Iron Roses.

Just then, he noticed [i]another[/i] figure in the room- a shadowy figure leaning against the wall, sarcastically congratulating them and mentioning a certain Damon who according to her had somehow weaved his own plans into this.  Fleuri had no idea what she meant, however.  Before he or any other could ask, the shadowy woman vanished.

[i][color=A0A0A0]What was that about?[/color][/i]

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