Chapter 11: Battle at the Mountain Pass/Supports

* **Heroi**: Are you sure? You've lost the last three sparring matches. I'm telling you man, living the royal life has made you all flabby.

* **Chase**: Like hell! I've been keeping track and the record is still three hundred sixty to three hundred sixty-one in my favor.

* **Heroi**: Then let's tie that up, shall we?

* **Chase**: You wish.

* **Heroi**: En garde!

* **Chase**: So while we duel, can I ask you what you've been up to all these years? It's been a long time and I haven't had the time to ask in between all the royal shenanigans.

* **Heroi**: Just the normal stuff, you know. Taking jobs, killing people, the like. Hyah!

* **Chase**: Whoa! That was close.

* **Heroi**: Not as grand as joining the Shepherds and falling in love with a prince, surely.

* **Chase**: Ha ha, you'd be surprised at how not-glorious being in the Shepherds is. I guess you could call it gore-ious.

* **Heroi**: Ha! Good one...however...

* **Chase**: Whoa!!

* **Heroi**: You've been disarmed. Looks like the score's been all evened up, huh?

* **Chase**: Aw man. I'll get you next time.

* **Heroi**: Sure you will.

## Joanne and Signele

### C Support

* **Joanne**: What is this mess here?

* **Signele**: Whoa, hi there! W-what are you doing in my private quarters?

* **Joanne**: Wasn’t aware you had private quarters.

* **Signele**: …I don’t.

* **Joanne**: So then what’s with the mess? Surely this isn’t a thing that’s allowed.

* **Signele**: I’m writing a story!

* **Joanne**: A story, huh? I happen to be a fan of stories. What’s it about?

* **Signele**: It’s about little humans and Taguels and everything I like.

* **Joanne**: May I see it?

* **Signele**: Yeah! Here, take a look!

* **Joanne**: …This page is nothing but scratches and chewed corners. As is this one. Are you REALLY writing a story here?

* **Signele**: I am, I swear! Ugh, where’s the part where the little human climbs onto the brave rabbit’s back and rides to freedom?

* **Joanne**: I doubt it exists.

* **Signele**: HERE! Take it! Look at it!

* **Joanne**: Er, this is still scratches. Why don’t you collect your thoughts a bit better, and maybe I’ll ask again sometime.

## Jimmy and Josh

### C Support

* **Jimmy**: Just the mage I assumed I would find here.

* **Josh**: Pardon?

* **Jimmy**: Reading as usual. I like it.

* **Josh**: You do not usually approach me, so I find this odd. Why are you here?

* **Jimmy**: Only wanted to talk to one of the more loyal Shepherds, that’s all.

* **Josh**: More loyal? Oh, you kid.

* **Jimmy**: Someone with as much brains as you could easily leave for somewhere with more room for you to grow your mind. Yet you stay here.

* **Josh**: Because Waydrn is my home and I find what Knifez has given to us is adequate for my education, my well-being, and my life.

* **Jimmy**: You show your appreciation for that well.

* **Josh**: Indeed I do. Who else would pour over the books snuck in from the royal library?

* **Jimmy**: …Did you just say, snuck in?

* **Josh**: That I did. Knifez allowed it. He told me, I could read whatever I wanted, as long as it was not a family heirloom.

* **Jimmy**: I see. You, er, keep reading. I’m going to speak to Knifez about this.

* **Josh**: You will find everything is in accordance with what he told me I could do!

## Daniel and Grace

### C Support

* **Grace**: Hey there Daniel!

* **Daniel**: Oh, hi. What's up?

* **Grace**: I wanted to ask you something.

* **Daniel**: Oh sure thing. Go right on ahead.

* **Grace**: How do you know George?

* **Daniel**: Why do you ask?

* **Grace**: Because me and George are...very close and I'm curious.

* **Daniel**: I see. Well, George and I became friends shortly after May died. Florence and Knifez hired a bunch of new guards and I was one of them. George really like me really fast for some reason and decided I would be the perfect spy to send in.

* **Grace**: Oh, wow. How'd he figure that out so soon?

* **Daniel**: I'm not entirely sure myself...George works in mysterious ways.

* **Grace**: That he does.

* **Daniel**: Grace, you're checking out on me.

* **Grace**: Oh, heh. Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts.

* **Daniel**: I'm sure you did.

## Maggie and Sarah

### B Support

* **Maggie**: Is this your wyvern?

* **Sarah**: You’ve seen her in battle before. Yes, this is her.

* **Maggie**: Ha, right, I have seen her before. I’ve had good conversations with her.

* **Sarah**: You…have?

* **Maggie**: Dragon talk. It’s pretty awesome.

* **Sarah**: Like, on the battlefield?

* **Maggie**: There, here, anywhere. Before you got her, even.

* **Sarah**: You knew my wyvern before she was mine?

* **Maggie**: Yeah! I…think, anyway. I’ve known a lot of dragons across time.

* **Sarah**: I bet you have.

* **Maggie**: I like your wyvern though! She’s happy with being ridden into potential death all the time. She says it’s a lot like one of those adventure stories that everyone knows.

* **Sarah**: She wouldn’t know any adventure stories.

* **Maggie**: I may have added that myself.

* **Sarah**: Is this why you followed me out here? To tell me stories about my mount?

* **Maggie**: Maybe.

* **Sarah**: Could you maybe not?

* **Maggie**: Huh? I would have thought you’d enjoy them!

* **Sarah**: You’re just reminding me that, instead of getting to talk to her myself, I have to talk to you. Because you’re the one who’s the Manakete, not her.

* **Maggie**: I totally called it that you’re jealous about that, but okay. I’ll go.

* **Sarah**: Thank you.

* **Maggie**: …She’s not happy about this, by the way.

* **Sarah**: Likely story.

## Julius and Kate

### A Support

* **Julius**: Kate, there you are. Do you want to give dancing another shot?

* **Kate**: Hell no I don't!

* **Julius**: Oh, come on. You have nowhere to go but up.

* **Kate**: Oh trust me, I'm sure I could find a way down. My bad dancing will drag me into hell before I get any better.

* **Julius**: Don't think like that. Everyone has to start somewhere. You can't try something and expect to immediately be good at it. How long did it take you to be good with that lance?

* **Kate**: Years of dedication.

* **Julius**: Right, and now you can make Julius shish-kabob.

* **Kate**: Yes.

* **Julius**: So why did you expect dancing to be the same way? I didn't dance my way out of the womb this fabulous. Shit took lots of dedication and hard work.

* **Kate**: You don't get it! I've been trying to dance since I was little! There was about a year of my life where I practiced every day and nothing! I'll never be as good as you!

* **Julius**: Hey hey hey, calm down. I think I can see your problem. Self-teaching yourself something is a lot harder than you'd think. When you try to teach yourself how to do something, you have to take so much longer to learn the ropes and the basics. If you had gotten as good as me through that method, I'd have some serious respect for your talents.

* **Kate**: But I didn't.

* **Julius**: But I know how to solve your problem.

* **Kate**: You do?

* **Julius**: I'm going to enroll both of us with a dance instructor. That way I can brush up on my techniques while you learn the basics. It'll be just like working together in battle, but instead of killing people, we'll be bringing them joy. Sound like a plan?

* **Kate**: Would you really use your time to be in a class with me?

* **Julius**: Why not? We're friends, aren't we? Besides, I've been meaning to get a refresher anyway, and this is just the perfect opportunity.

* **Kate**: ...Alright, let's do it!

## Jimmy and Florence

### S Support

* **Florence**: I can’t believe you were right.

* **Jimmy**: About what? There are a lot of things I’ve said lately that I could be right about. Is it the proper technique to sharpen blades?

* **Florence**: Er, no.

* **Jimmy**: The need to stop rushing into every village and risk the lives of our royal members?

* **Florence**: Nope.

* **Jimmy**: Oh, you’re here because you spoke to Knifez.

* **Florence**: He’s been trying to find recruits who wouldn’t want to get with his sister! That’s low, even for him.

* **Jimmy**: It’s also logical, because we are here to fight, not to be part of your harem. He’s said that many times before. It’s basically part of the welcoming speech at this point.

* **Florence**: Doesn’t mean he can’t try to get people who would humor me and my “romantic” advances. Can’t anyone tell that I’m joking with my ass-grabbing and blatant flirting?

* **Jimmy**: Honestly? Not really. You’re insistent.

* **Florence**: How would you know? You’ve been around since the beginning. I don’t flirt with you.

* **Jimmy**: I know BECAUSE I’ve been around since the beginning.

* **Florence**: What?

* **Jimmy**: I’ve watched you try and bed every guy who’s come into our ranks since we started being the Shepherds, every guy except the ones who’ve been here since the beginning, anyway.

* **Florence**: …Are you bothered by that?

* **Jimmy**: I wasn’t, no, because it was nice seeing other guys subjected to your flirting and not have to worry about me being in their shoes.

* **Florence**: Ooo-kay, so what’s the issue here?

* **Jimmy**: Who said there was an issue?

* **Florence**: No one did, but you’re being pretty weird here.

* **Jimmy**: Since when did you care about how I’m being?

* **Florence**: Since I started coming to you for my problems, duh.

* **Jimmy**: You’re only here because you don’t flirt with me, and your choices on that front are pretty limited. I’m not sure why you chose me over some of the others, though.

* **Florence**: Well, honestly, you’re not going to jump to rash decisions when I tell you these problems. Last time I talked to someone else, he threatened to kill whoever was letting me down.

* **Jimmy**: So you came to me and made me realize that I, uh, envy those guys who get your attention when you don’t have problems.

* **Florence**: You want me to flirt with you?

* **Jimmy**: Not like you flirt with them, but…just think about it. We’ve known each other a long time, fighting this good fight side-by-side. Wouldn’t it be nice to be something more than just allies?

* **Florence**: Being a part of my harem is being more than just allies. \*wink\*

* **Jimmy**: Harem implies there’s going to be more than just me. I don’t think I want that. I just want it to be me and you.

* **Florence**: Is that really a ring? But Jimmy, we’ve never even gone out on a romantic night away from everyone.

* **Jimmy**: Don’t think of it as a proposal. Maybe more like a promise that you’ll give me a shot?

* **Florence**: As long as I still get to check out all the new recruits, I don’t see why not.

* **Jimmy**: Just no more wanting to get with them, got it?

* **Florence**: Loud and clear.