The next scene was a man with chiseled features visiting the injured soldier in the army hospital.
"Glad to see you pulled through, Ash," the officer nodded with a dark mop of hair. His onyx eyes were filled with concern.
The young man on the bed brandished a winso smile.
"Thanks, Captain, but I cannot take the credit. There was a man out there, no, not a man. A devil! He single-handedly took out the horde!" The actor's pale face beca even paler.
"Take it easy, soldier. You've been through a lot." The Captain patted his shoulder.
'Ash?' Noble sat up a little straighter. Of course, the na could be a coincidence, but it was nicer to think that the young man she had t years ago was alive and well.
"Isn't that the actor who played Sunny in Song of Light and Darkness?" Fort leaned over and whispered.
Indeed it was. The pallid soldier was the sa actor as the lovable goofball from the Forgotten Shore flick. And the man playing the Captain was a familiar face as well.
Because his hair was a different color, it was hard for Noble to place him at first. Then her eyes went wide.
'Ah! He played Caster in that sa movie! He looks better with dark hair.'
Both actors had been thrust into fa by their roles in that iconic movie. Everyone in the NQSC knew them these days.
Those were the only two big nas in the film though. Everyone else was a newcor hoping to be discovered. It made for an energetic and electric cast.
As the plot progressed, the soldier nad Ash beca the plucky sidekick of the Captain, who was of course revealed to be the mysterious Devil.
The combination of stalwart leader and innocent follower made for an endearing duo.
The unlikely pair of the mundane soldier and mighty Ascended were then brought into headquarters where they and their team were assigned a dangerous mission: to escort the people of Erebus Field through the wilds of Antarctica all the way to Falcon Scott.
"Are you crazy?!" Ash asked, earning a chuckle from the audience.
Not that it was a laughing matter. It was a suicide mission, yet the Captain did not hesitate.
"It's only a few Nightmare Creatures," he scoffed with a dashing grin.
A small band of Awakened and mundane soldiers went out with their fearless leader, but the journey was grueling. They were assaulted by Nightmare Creatures by day and bitter cold by night. The odds were against them, yet they persevered.
Noble wondered at the sweeping shots of nothing but mountains and ice. Is that really what the wilds of Antarctica looked like?
Tohnee, the film's director, seed to have done extensive research on the matter. Either the shots were legitimate or the special effects were top-notch.
A terminal battle at the top of a ridge nearly brought the party to their breaking point. They fought against so Fallen abomination with a head like a crocodile and human ears. The cara shook violently with each massive step.
An Awakened with hard eyes and a stern expression ran at the monster only to be thrown aside like a ragdoll. The cara zood in on his empty eyes looking toward the grey sky.
The Captain dug into so unseen strength and rallied his n. "We are nearly there!"
With a final push, the battered group brought down the mammoth creature. Ice flew in every direction, pushing back the Awakened and Mundane alike.
Yet, they had overco. They had reached Erebus Field.
The grim Devil led the charge, pushing his n with the promise of dical care when they reached their destination.
But when they crested the final hill, it all seed to be for naught. The city was destroyed.
Ash fell to his knees and gave out a mournful howl. His lips trembled from both the cold and his devastation.
The other soldiers likewise mourned the loss. Somber music enhanced the emotion of the scene.
Only the Captain stayed strong, looking at the molten ruins of the city with quiet indifference.
"They will pay," he vowed. "Every last one."
Noble found herself caught up in the action. The musical score was enthralling. The professor did not need to guess who wrote it.
The actors were convincing as well, though their pale skin made the Captain and his sidekick look like relatives. That was a little strange.
But the rousing music more than made up for the actors' skin tone. It carried her along in its mournful lody, making her feel hosick.
Noble felt a tear form in her eye.
The song ended, giving way to somber silence. Erebus Field was gone, covered in molten lava from so hideous creature that none there could even begin to fathom.
Their mission was a failure. They were failures.
All that was left was to tend to the wounded and try and make the perilous journey back to Falcon Scott to explain.
The Captain sighed.
"Captain!" A female Awakened had turned away from the city and was kneeling in the snow.
The fearless leader pulled his eyes away from the catastrophe to attend to his injured comrade.
Only she wasn't injured. She was studying the ground. "Look!"
In the frozen tundra, deep scrapes marred the pristine surface.
"A Nightmare Creature?" Ash asked, coming alongside the others.
"No," the Captain answered, a small hint of acknowledgnt glistening in his unreadable face. "People."
With the female tracker, the remaining soldiers chased after the vain hope that all might not be lost. Tense scenes of running, pausing to get bearings, and more running led to a gaping maw of a cave.
The Captain shut his eyes. When he opened them, they were full of conviction. He dismissed his sword and brought his hands to his lips.
"We co in peace! We are here to help!"
A long pause drew out.
Then, slowly, a lone Awakened ca to the entrance with an enchanted blade in her hand. Her white flowing gown lded almost seamlessly with the snow like she was covered in ice. Her pale skin and golden hair gave her an ethereal countenance.
"Are you refugees?" She asked tentatively, sweat glistening on her pale brow.
"No," the Captain answered sternly.
The woman raised the sword higher, wisps of dark smoke wafting through the air.
The Captain chuckled, smiling for the first ti since being introduced. It was disarming. "We aren't Nightmare Creatures either," he answered, reading her thoughts.
Her beautiful face changed slightly as it zood in on her bright eyes.
"Then, who are you?"
The woman in white and the man in black locked eyes, the images on the screen growing close until their faces were nearly touching.
"Who is he?" Ash scoffed. "Why, he's the Captain! The Devil of Antarctica!"
The woman's perfectly ford mouth opened slightly. But before she could answer, many dirty refugees ca out from the darkness to stand behind the beautiful warrior. They eyed the rescue team warily.
One shouted at the Captain.
"We don't need a Devil! We already have an angel!"
"I saw that coming," Fort whispered.
Noble froze.
Not because of the action on the screen, but because she felt a familiar presence entering the theater.
And the young lady coming toward them… wasn't alone.
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