Round Two: (2) Sons of Terrinore v (10) Two Daggers and a Prayer

[Max Dirks]

Round two will begin Friday, May 19th at 12 AM EST. Good Luck!

[Max Dirks]

Following the Lornian civil war, a group of former political criminals settled in the foothills of the Lotho mountains. To them, Max Dirks was still considered “the liberator.” He was the one who had freed them from Terrinore and they never forgot that. It seemed natural for Dirks, then, to seek battle in a place where he felt welcomed.

Dirks sat on top of a rock overlooking Saros’ Gorge, tinkering with his guns. The once beautiful ravine was the site of one of the fiercest battles of the civil war. The sand-colored cliffs had rusted from the dried blood of hundreds of murdered Lornians. Vultures had eaten away at the bodies and heavy rains had pushed the remains into the river below. The stench of death was long departed from the ravine, but other evidence of the battle was still present. Since, the red cliffs of Saros’ Gorge had become an unofficial memorial to who died in the war.

“What are you doing?” asked Thoracis Rakarth, Dirks’ new partner. Dirks did not even gaze up from his work. Relations between the two were still awkward. Dirks barely talked. The thought of Starlynn being alive overjoyed him -overwhelmed him- but he could never shed his contempt for the ice mage. For Dirks, the only tangible benefit of joining the Lornius Corporate Challenge was that the monks had healed most of his wounds. Dirks was left only with a sore right leg, a result of the limping he had done since he arrived on the island. Thoracis, on the other hand, looked dashing. Beneath his powerful and influential visage, the ice mage reeked of excitement. Of course, he should. Thoracis had Dirks and the tournament in the palm of his hands.

“Making it so people like you can no longer use my guns.” Dirks finally responded after putting the finishing touches on his makeshift signaturization. Thoracis looked perplexed so Dirks continued, “Basically by sculpting the top of the grips to my hand, the guns’ kick will prevent anyone else with different sized hands from shooting them straight.” Thoracis mumbled something and then began to pace the area.

After a short time, Dirks spoke up. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and scout the other side of the gorge incase they arrived from the east?” Thoracis ignored him. Dirks shook his head and turned his attention to the sky. It was midday, but it was not hot. A cool breeze blew down from the mountains. Dirks wanted to fight. With each victory Dirks became one step closer to being reunited with Starlynn. Dirks too was growing irritated by the tardiness of their opponents.

“I think I’m going to check out the other side of the gorge.” Thoracis hissed as he started walking along the edge of the ravine. “Maybe they came in from the east.” Dirks frowned and sent him off with a flick of his wrist.

(Permission to bunny Thoracis granted by Thoracis for the duration of the battle)

[Thoracis]

Two years ago he had shocked Althanas with his victory over Legeliwyn Aeyl and Findelfin ap Fingolfin. Last year was one of the bloodiest battles he had ever been in as he was pushed to his limits by Logan McCloud and Adrian Kane. The second round of the Lornius Corporate Challenge had always been the most prolific of the tournament for Thoracis Rakarth. It didn’t seem that that would be the case this year.

All he could do was shake his head as he walked away, carefully navigating the steep edge of Saros’ Gorge. Asshole thinks he’s in charge already… Being stuck between the Lothos Mountains and that hell hole Lyridia with this god-forsaken, piss-poor excuse for a criminal, with no apparent signs of his opponents, was certainly a far cry from the glory of the previous two second rounds. At this point the eternal flames of the fires of Haidia would be more comfortable then this. Piece of shit island… Thoracis kicked a large stone over the cliff in frustration, causing a small rockslide. Wonder if I could get above Dirks somehow and do that… It was an entertaining thought, even if it wasn’t feasible.

At least there was some history here. A great battle had been fought in this area during the Lornian Civil War. Well, it was more like a massacre, but all the same. Though given the landscape it was near impossible for any battle here to not be one-sided. The land between Saros’ Gorge and the Lotho Mountains may have been the most defendable position in all of Althanas and certainly all of Lornius. The General in Thoracis came out as he wandered, the entire battle unfolding in his head. The gorge protected the western flank. Two or three divisions could hold the area north of the gorge. They’d have the advantage of superior position and higher ground. You’d be able to volley at the attackers before they were within a thousand yards of range of you easily. They’d be so weak a cavalry charge out of the hills would crush them. To the southeast a river ran from Lyridia to the mountains, closing the attackable space before the gorge. The attackers would be bottlenecked between the gorge and the mountains. A division or two could hold them while the north-western forces wheeled around between the gorge and the city, flanking and pinning the attackers in. You wouldn’t have to worry about anyone coming from the mountains in the east. It would be a massacre indeed.

Thoracis stopped suddenly in his tracks. “Why don’t you make yourself useful and scout the other side of the gorge in case they arrived from the east?” Dirks had said. But nobody would be coming from the east. Perhaps the furthest south-east of Lyridia, but that would be pointless instead of just heading north. He turned and ran back to where he had left Dirks. I know he’s not arrogant enough to leave me here. He needs Starlynn. He knows he can’t get her without us advancing. I know he’s not that stupid… Of course, Thoracis was more or less scolding himself for letting Dirks con him into leaving him alone. When he was close enough to see that the criminal had stayed put Thoracis slowed his pace and composed himself, breathing a bit of a sigh of relief.

“There’s nobody coming from that way.” Thoracis leaned back on a larger rock, laying his head in his up stretched arms as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Probably too scared since Max Dirks is my partner now,” he laughed sarcastically.

[Thoracis]

Sons of Terrinore advance!