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[color=537DAE][sub][h3]Mentions:[@Ambra][@vietmyke][/h3][/sub][/color][/center]
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Arton had trotted up to the front of the caravan after finishing speaking with Izayoi, his curiosity sated from their exchange. His ears barely managed to catch some parts of the conversations behind him, but he didn't care to eavesdrop even if wasn't an explicitly private conversation. Everyone seemed to be getting along well enough, and that was all that concerned him. That was until the motion of setting up camp came up. Arton was an experienced outdoorsman used, spending countless nights underneath the watchful gaze of the stars. He had used a tent for awhile but it was ruined after a night-time attack from a blight-beast. After that, he typically would set up shelter either on a cliff-side or in a tree. There's no one to keep watch when you're alone so extra steps are needed to hear something approaching.

Despite the rising danger of the blight-beasts, Arton found himself more at ease in the countryside. The common folk out here were more honest, for better or worse, and were just trying to survive. There was no need to pretend and you were less likely to get stabbed in the back when shaking another's hand. His lips turned up into a smile at thought of passing through villages he had helped out. There was a few folks that could probably help them out with lodging for a night if they needed it.

Exhaustion had yet to reach him as they entered the tall grass, but the features of his face grew tense. His left hand rose to his right shoulder, squeezing the pauldron as he felt old scars begin to ache. Arton let go of his shoulder and slowly reached for the hilt of sword next, eyes scanning the area in front of him while carefully listening for movement. The moment he heard the grass tearing up he turned back to the rest, but the experienced Goug had already made the call. Blight-beasts. 

[color=537DAE]"Neve!"[/color] He cried out as the beasts went directly for her and her chocobo. The swordsman had drifted farther than he intended from the caravan and was in no immediate position to protect Neve from the assault. Arton cursed under his breath at his mistake and had started to unmount when a larger one of the creatures leaped into the air, tackling him off the chocobo. The Sollan fell down a small embankment and disappeared into the tall grass. Arton fell into a patch of mud holding the creature by the neck that wasted no time trying to claw through his armor. His head twisted and turn avoiding razor-sharp teeth before he summoned his strength to roll the creature into the mud and position himself on top. One hand pressed against its neck into the mud as the other reached to a small hunting knife sheathed on his chestplate. He plunged the knife into the upper chest of the creature, just below where he was desperately holing it back. Pitch-like blood seeped from the wound and mixed with the watery mud, the gurgling growing muffled as its head sank completely.

Arton spit dirt back into the earth from whence it came as he stood up, leaving the dagger lodged in the beast. There was no time to retrieve it if he were to make it back to the rest in time. His slightly ringing ears could hear Galahad in the distance so he quickly oriented himself towards that direction. The grass was too thick and folded over to see through it. Lighting streaked across the sky as he heard Galahad's voice once more. However, he had no time to focus on the direction it came from this time. Arton's hands simultaneously took hold of his shield and sword, his feet tying to find solid ground as he glanced around him. Five lighting bolts had cracked in his immediate vicinity revealing five shadowy figures and five pairs of red eyes blocking off his routes of escape.

No fear shown in the swordsman's eyes as he stared down the beasts that closed in around him, even as his right shoulder began to burn. Five of the beasts here meant five that weren't after the caravan. Arton began to tunnel-vision on the enemy, lifting his shield close to his chest and drawing his sword back [color=537DAE]"WHAT ARE YOU WATING FOR?!?"[/color] Arton screamed into the night, taunting the creatures. Besides fighting better defensively, Arton did this to announce to his allies his position. The beasts, however, did not wish to wait and began to charge to answer his question with fang and claw.