he expects the truth from her and it is exactly what he receives, and for that he is thankful. he seeks counsel in those he trusts so he listens with genuine interest and curiosity, nodding at intervals as he does more than process her words; he accepts them. 

"keeping peace means quelling evil." 

out of all she says that particular sentence stands out the most to him. he sits on it for a moment, allows an air of silence to surround them; an air only disturbed by the battle in front of them.

viphi expects retaliation but not one this intense. her hold over fafnir buckles under the immense pressure, giving up in favor of his OUTRAGE. she reels back, hurt, and from that hurt stems an opportunity for fafnir to seize which he does without hesitation. she's hit by a strong FIRE PUNCH, the blow enough to disorientate her. she wildly swings her DRAGON CLAW and attempts to move back.

the damage that comes from calcifer's DRAGON RAGE is more than familiar. galahad must have taken a few dozen of those in his lifetime. he shrugs it off, stands his ground against the blue flames only to disperse the heat with a precise PSYCHO CUT. this time he follows the psychic-attack, closing the distance in no time. he swings one arm-blade forward but FEINTS at the last second and strikes calcifer with his other.

"you were honest with me so now it is my turn to return the same." he breathes. "evil exists within our ranks. it goes unnoticed by most but i believe evil stems from the desire for power. and who else desires it more than the man who sits next to you on the council."

silence envelops them once again.

"an opportunity has arisen for me to potentially quell that evil. i cannot do it alone, and so it will come at the cost of my future." 

he looks to her, his eyes almost pleading for some semblance of understanding. of sympathy.

"miss abbiati has asked for my hand in marriage."

freya morningstar

he keeps silent not because he has no words to say, but because he's listening. the more she speaks the more the tension in his shoulders start to release; her words only confirm his thoughts. they validate them. it acts as a reminder that he is not alone, and that the two of them are on a similar wavelength, both on and off the battlefield.

she shares her thoughts on olivia, the knowledgable foreign queen, and how her presence in the region is limited.

she shares her thoughts on fernando, the domineering councilman, and how he remains a savior in the eyes of the people.

and she shares her thoughts on stormy, the trusted gym leader, and how the people continue to trust and love her despite her mistakes.

he agrees with every single thing she says and it shows through the tender smile on his face when she's done speaking. he meets her eyes when she clasps his shoulder, smiling. it's enough of a tell for her to realize he's taken in her words and agrees with them without a single doubt.

"i appreciate you not proposing. it would have been the third one this week." 

a comment made in jest carries with it a hidden meaning that he knows she'd be able to decipher. stormy had proposed to him earlier in the week. olivia in the middle. and now they're at the tail end of the week, possibly the second longest week of his life. he takes a breath.

"soldier, counsel, friend. thank you, freya." 

galahad eyes his opponent almost without a shred of remorse as he looks to finish the battle with a final PSYCHO CUT. but just before he is able to complete the swing of his arm-blade, his peripherals see the oncoming ROCK SLIDE that threatens to squish him. 

an invisible barrier is immediately enacted as he swipes his arm across for a WIDE GUARD. he holds the shield, outlasting the rocks that pummel against and when it ends, he doesn't expect viphi to be there to greet him with a DRAGON CLAW. the impact sends him flying across, landing not too far away. viphi takes a moment to nuzzle her head against calcifer, checking up on her fire friend.

"it appears as though we are on the same page. though the road ahead may be daunting i am glad to not have to walk it alone. we must plan ahead and prepare for what is to come." 

a breath.

"war."

freya morningstar

the sadness that mars her face goes unnoticed but even if he had been perceptive enough it would not have mattered. though allies they each have their own secrets; he expects as much because it is only natural. thinking otherwise would be foolish. her secrets can stay secrets as long as they do not compromise him.

"that option is no longer on the table, sadly." 

he doesn't say much more than that. she can interpret what she wants to from his words. he places his attention to the battle instead, no matter how short it might hold.

viphi and calcifer stand back to back, her eyes glaring at her opponents as they start to surround them. she hisses and slashes her DRAGON CLAW into the ground for a ROCK SLIDE. huge chunks of rock scatter across, looking to crush the gallade and dragonite.

TELEPORT is what saves galahad but unfortunately his reach does not extend to fafnir. the chubby dragon will be forced to fend for himself. galahad appears closer to calcifer and viphi, not close enough for CLOSE COMBAT but close enough to send precise PSYCHO CUTS towards fafnir.

the battle is not engaging enough to hold alexander's attention, so he shifts it back to freya. his eyebrows arc slightly at the mention of seventeen dragons. he should not have been surprised but he is.

"we have some time. not a lot, but enough." his foot shifts against the ground as he speaks. "have you seen him recently?" he asks, turning to look at her.

"the councilman."

freya morningstar

running away has never been an option for him. this is his home. where would he even run to? the thought has crossed his mind but not once has he even considered it. he had made the decision long ago, even before accepting the role of gym leader, that if the region were to fall, then he'd fall with it. 

the FLAMETHROWER that meets galahad licks away at his skin. he stands his ground, withstanding through the pain that's so familiar. the fires of calcifer may be strong but they are not that of a dragon. he's faced far worse and lived through them all.

but at the sight of viphi moving towards him, galahad instinctively reacts with a sudden WIDE GUARD that enacts just in time to block her DRAGON CLAW. it dissipates moment after, leaving the dragon in vulnerable spot to be hit by a powerful CLOSE COMBAT. each punch weakens her, each kick sends her closer to the brink of exhaustion. galahad stops eventually, then takes a step back. viphi almost drops.

"ah. i have given my nomination to dahlia goode but my choice should come as no surprise. he is my gym trainer, after all." he clicks his tongue, correcting himself. "was." might as well get used to saying it now. the loss of kyle lopez is saddening but the future holds exciting possibilities. 

"give my regards to both of them. it has been a while since i last saw them."

freya morningstar

the battle draws to an abrupt end; that much is clear now as calcifer comes to viphi's aid. he licks the deep cut on her shoulder and the response she gives is involuntary; she refuses to cry and instead leans into him, nuzzling into crook of his neck to say thank you.

the black on galahad's skin does little to mar his appearance. he stands strong, proud, as one might expect from a gallade. he steps out of his stance, shoulders relaxing, and walks back over to his trainer. he gives fafnir a small nod of approval on the way.

"i doubt they will." one of them underestimates him and the other is too concerned with other things. still, it would be foolish for him to believe that. he sighs, speaking. 

"share what you think you must. but i would prefer my opinions on him to stay between us."

he leaves her with a vague answer because in truth he himself does not know the answer to her question. he trusts her and her judgement enough to feel confident in her discretion.

"looks like they are done battling. i must apologize for galahad. he is not exactly used to lightly sparring." galahad stands strong, unwavering even at the comment.

freya morningstar

minds linked, the gallade knows that his trainer calls for him. so he walks forward and stops right before alexander, eyes meeting his. the champion reaches a hand forward to feel the burn on galahad's arm, his fingers tracing over gently. 

"does that hurt?"

galahad shakes his head. alexander gives a simple nod and instructs his partner to rest. it was a harsh battle despite being a friendly. 

"i am glad to hear."

development of her arrows have taken a backseat in favor of lyune's harness but now that things are starting to settle, he'll find more time to invest in both projects.

"i developed earpieces that should be beneficial for us. but we should still practice different forms of communication. so i agree. we will  certainly spar again soon." 

the pause in her voice is what makes him look at her, uncertain of the change. her face betrays her.

"i am both ally and friend. you can trust me with anything and i assure you it will stay between us." 

even so, a small knot of worry grows inside the pit of his stomach, anxious at the various possibilities of what she might have to say next. he eyes her cautiously, not because he doesn't trust her, but perhaps because he's afraid.

"what is it?"

freya morningstar