He Who Waits for She Who Dreams [Archive]

orphans

07-15-12, 08:35 PM

Eventually, when sunlight began to creep through the frosted panes of glass, I dragged myself up the creaky stairs. How many times have I passed through these halls? Hundreds of times perhaps, but each time, I kept hoping that someone I knew would step into the hallway. It was a foolish notion and even if they did appear, I wouldn't know what to say. I never thought that far ahead when chasing after ghosts.

I fumbled momentarily with the key that I kept on my left wrist before sliding it into the lock. A quick twist and the sound of a click later, I pushed open the door and stepped in. Familiarity greeted my eyes, but I felt no comfort. The bed was clean with new linen sheets beside the same worn out nightstand with a small chip on the edge. My armor stood in a corner on a stand while the sword and scabbard lay strewn upon the ground instead of being propped against the wall.

A frown crested my lips before I bent to pick up the blade. As much as I hated to admit it, the weight of it in my hands brought a slight solace to my mind. But those days are over. With a careless toss, it rejoined my armor in the corner before slapping onto the ground once more.

With some effort, my clothing ended up on the only chair in the room by a puttering fire as I hauled my tired body towards the bed. As I passed the mirror, however, I caught the sight of a long scar running down my left ribs. Shaking my head, I looked down to see the maze of scars that decorated my form. "War tokens," I remembered joking once. Now? Nothing except a reminder of all that I lost to this Goddess forsaken land.

Mahana, even if I still believed in your prophecy, you are a cruel bitch indeed.

The softness of the bed did little to ease my aching back. More than anything, it just reminded me of my solitude without the warmth of my wife beside me. A yawn passed from my lips as I continued to stare at the ever-brightening ceiling of my room. The sun had finally started to cast itself over Se'lutia once again after ten long months. Even then, the enchanted magic over this land keeps the sun in a partial veil at mid day.

It was an erratic but predictable cycle; just like how war worked in Se'lutia. It was constant, but always peppered with impromptu ceasefires. It was one of the many mysteries I never understood about this land, my home, and ultimately my grave.

I just wish I could have done things differently. If only I wasn't such a fool back then.

orphans

08-03-12, 02:51 PM

I awoke as I always did: drenched in sweat and grasping at fragmented nightmares of what was my supposed "finest hour." A million lives lost in the blink of an eye after the destruction of Old Pretalia Castle and the adjacent areas. There's nothing to describe that except for mass murder and yet people praise me as a hero. Worse still, I owe my life to my daughter who sacrificed herself at the tender age of twelve to protect her beloved parents.

And what an awful parent I was then... a time when the crown still meant everything to me and war was the only thing I knew. Perhaps what has destroyed me so completely these past twenty years is knowing that I was responsible for my daughter's death and suffering.

It was I who suggested her to school in magic due to her high potential at an early age.

It was I who pushed her along the path of a blood mage, a path of untold suffering, and yet she did so unquestioningly with a smile.

And it was I who she ultimately saved with her very essence.

I've tried to rationalize it - that we all would have died had my daughter not given her own life. However, I always wonder if there was another way.

A sudden knock at the door jostled the grip of guilt off my heart and had me look about numbly for a few seconds before I thought to answer. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Peters. There is a guest downstairs searching for you by name." My addled brain tried to make sense of the bartender's words for a long time as I sat upon my bed. Someone looking for me by name?

"Who is this person?"

"She wouldn't say, but if I had a guess, a soldier of some sorts bearing the crest of the Queen." Everything in my body told me to ignore the one searching for me. The Queen was the last person I ever wanted to hear from after what was supposed to be my final meeting with her. On the other hand, I knew the types of soldiers she would send to find me and she wouldn't have done so if there wasn't some great need.

"I suppose she won't just leave, will she?"

"I tried my best, but she's rather insistent."

A long sigh passed from my lungs as I fell back onto the bed for a moment longer. "Give me a few minutes to get dressed."

"I will relay the message to her," Peters said as his footsteps echoed further from the door.

Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, its hands pointed to sometime before noon. After an agitated groan with a few cracks from my back, I pushed myself up again to swing my legs over the side and inadvertently found myself staring at my armaments. There was only one reason the Queen would send an envoy to find me and resisting the call would get me nowhere. Still, every step I took towards my sword and armor was heavy.

orphans

08-04-12, 01:39 AM

I was told once that my presence demanded respect without my own effort...

Now that I'm nothing more than a forgotten, drunken relic of a generation passed, it surprised me that it still held true. At least for this young messenger it still does as I descended the stairs and came into her sight. When our eyes met, she stood quickly from the barstool and placed her fist within a palm, then bowed. The customary greeting one gave to elders of great repute and Mana Knights.

Peter was just as surprised, but from the looks of it, he was more so by my decision to don my armor once more. "Oswald, you don't mean-"

He was cut off quickly by the messenger as she strode forward with a scroll extended in both hands. "Sir Ironmane, it is an honor to finally meet you." There was purpose in her voice, but even now, I could see that she was nervous by a slight trembling of her frame. Or was it because she was excited?

Either way, I was in no hurry to accept. With the light filling the small tavern and without alcohol dulling my senses for once, I took my time studying the messenger before me. She was young, perhaps in her late teens or early twenties at most. Ceremonial silver plate armor covered most of her lithe figure and combined with a heavy arming sword, like my own, gave her an elegant yet dangerous air.

However, it was her eyes and hair that gave what she was away easily. The cerulean hair and sapphire eyes that held a strong glow were clear indicators that she was a grezick. I was lucky in my younger days that my hair had been a normal brown, but no grezick escapes the damning glow in their eyes. It was a mark that said we were less than human. Worse than the beastmen we fought to the west. Ironic how a large bulk of the Seoyruun military is comprised of those from the grezick domes searching for a better life.

With a heavy breath I reached for the scroll and unfurled it to read what I already knew was written.

Sir Oswald Ironmane,

By the Queen's request, the Country of Seoyruun humbly ask for your return to the Mana Knights. As your privilege of a Mana Knight, material services of your asking will be accommodated, without charge, in a timely manner. Your royal mana stone has also been reactivated and will be waiting for your pickup at Pretalia Castle.

As a final word, your new unit has already been assembled for your reinstatement and awaits your command, should you accept.

The last few words of the summon scrolls always made me chuckle. Of course I would accept. There was no way to really refuse a request scroll. It was just the formality of giving me a choice. At most, I could have delayed my reinstatement for another few days. Taking my eyes off the scroll, I looked up to see those of the woman peering at me anxiously. "What's your name?" I found myself asking, despite not really caring.

"Inta Aludor, commander of infantry company one nineteen of battalion forty seven."

"Aludor..." A familiar name. Now that I had a name to this woman's face, I could see the resemblance and my heart sank. It was never a good omen to see ghosts in the faces of the living.

"Yes sir."

"Your father... he was a good man."

"... Yes sir... he served our country well."

SirArtemis

08-04-12, 09:25 PM

"My mind... is full of fuck...

"Honestly, I can't even comprehend what is going on in this place. I've been here for a month, and I feel like I'm not even in the same world. I mean... I don't even know where to begin with this shit.

"For one, I never thought that I'd run from Corone in the hopes of escaping the trail of death that follows me only to find an island that has been at war for as long as anyone can remember. It's like even the damn history books have forgotten what peace is; the closest thing they get are short-term cease fires. It makes the Corone War look like a sparring match compared to the shit these people are going through.

"All day long, the announcement system sends public messages about news from the warfront, and it's just morbid. These people take news of death the way that people take their news on the weather the following day. It's unbelievable.

"Speaking of weather, what the hell!? If I leave the borders of the main city, I might as well be in Berevar! Hell, it makes the Salvar winter look like a hot vacation spot for people to go to get away. Even the magical gade suit that Daros made me, though it keeps me from freezing my ass off, can't do a damn thing against having me lifted straight from the ground by buffeting winds or buried beneath an avalanche here and there.

"And then there's this thing about 'grezicks.' I don't know what it is about me that makes everyone and their mother think I'm a grezick, but I've lost count of how many people have confused me for one. It happens so many times in a given day that I'm losing my patience. What the hell is the point of wearing a merc badge that identifies me as a merc if people completely ignore it and call me a grezick? Grezicks aren't mercs. I've asked people, and they have said so themselves.

"This is just ridiculous. All I hear is stuff about some Mahana deity and the Queen, whose name is just 'Queen' as far as I gather. And then the money too! I'm freaking broke! Gold is useless here! Gems I can understand, but they use shells here. Glowing shells! 'The more they glow, the more they're worth,’ they say. What the hell, how do you even make a shell glow? Hell, if I could find glowing salt or sugar it'd be worth more than the gold I'm lugging around.

"Speaking of, I'm sick and tired of the colors. It's just stupid. A country that has been at war longer than it can remember and has death announcements throughout the day shouldn't be so damn colorful. It's like I'm walking through a rainbow. And the singing too! 'Oh, dad died, let's sing. Yay!' I swear to you, the people of this city... they have some sort of mental disorder - maybe it's even a plague. This just can't be right."

Seconds passed in silence as Jackal just stared at me. "You done?" he asked me after my rant.

"Yeah," I said, letting out a sigh. "I guess I'm just not adjusting very well."

"No shit," Jackal said, tossing a throwing knife in the air playfully. It was a habit he had to pass the time. His jet-black hair matched his uniform, signifying his rank. We sat in a large room of steel and concrete, colorless and bland like the food served – it was a cafeteria after all. Dented steel tables lined the room with folding chairs scattered about wherever someone decided to pull one up. It was oddly precise yet chaotic, given that it was a military cafeteria. I'd tell you what it smelled like, but honestly, I'm not well-read enough to try to articulate exactly what was happening to my senses. The best I can tell you is that I've mostly suppressed that memory. Anyway, the men all had the same military haircut, trimmed short and kept neat; the women had slightly longer hair styles, adding a slightly feminine touch - though I'll be honest with you, not that feminine. Still, I hadn't realized my hair was fit for the military. Go figure.

"Okay, first off, the Queen has a name, we just don't say it. It's bad luck. Second, the grezick thing - it's because your eyes glow dude. And third, that suit of yours... you look so stupid. You know that right?" Jackal said, pausing the throwing of his knife to make eye contact.

"It's not stupid, Jackal. It serves its purpose. And you're not helping!"

"What purpose? If you're in the city, there's a temperature control. If you're out of the city, you are with a group of people who are protecting you from the blizzards anyways. The only purpose it serves is to make you look incredibly stupid and raise questions like how do you shit or piss in it."

"Ugh," I grunted, letting my head fall to the surface of the cafeteria table with a thud. It was lunch time and we had already finished eating, but we still had some time before we needed to go to our next assignment, so we lingered. The metal felt cold, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered to me over the past month. I got away from Corone, and that Callahan gunslinger, sure - but I just got myself into a deeper mess. Now I couldn't even leave if I wanted to. I was stuck, unable to do anything but wait it out before I could go home where my friends were waiting - including Jay. I couldn't even put into words how much I missed her.

"This sucks," was all I could muster.

__________________________________________________ ___

It wasn't that my feet were heavy. That's not why I was dragging them. I just lacked the enthusiasm to exist. That's not to say I wanted to die. I just didn't have that much motivation to live. It's more of a strange limbo between wanting to die and wanting to live that, well, makes you drag your feet I guess - among other things.

Jackal and I had left the cafeteria and gone to the barracks. We generally reported in for afternoon duties after lunch block, and so we did as we always did... reported in after lunch block.

The building was typical for barracks. The walls were gray brick with barely a handful of windows lining the walls and a single metal door at one end. Inside there were a score of incredibly uncomfortable bunk beds, split evenly among the two sides of the structure. At the foot of each bed were wooden trunks, stacked in pairs for whomever shared that particular uncomfortable patch of existence. Though these barracks were mostly empty.

The people who lived in this particular brick 'home' were myself, Jackal, the white-haired girl named Sophia, the eluvian engineer Erieai, the magic-specialist Maybel, and their acting team leader Pell - and today, they were all gathered and waiting.

"What's going on?" I asked Pell.

"They finally found our commander," he replied while sharpening his broadsword.

"So what does that mean?"

"It's time to actually do some work."

orphans

08-08-12, 07:51 PM

I had almost forgotten how it felt to breathe in the forever frozen air of Pretalia, pride and capital of Seoyruun. Crisp and clear but all too palpable with silent desperation of those who walked its streets. Even so, the songs that permeated the air told otherwise and filled whoever intended to listen with slivers of hope. At least it did for me in my younger days. Now? I'm not so sure.

"Sir Ironmane, may I ask for you to satisfy my curiosity?" The nervous voice of my companion lured me away from my thoughts. In reply, I offered a faintly interested glance in her direction as we walked through the winding streets. "What... was my father like?"

A simple question, yet a difficult one. Should I honor the power of legacy or tell her the bitter truth? With a sigh, I managed some semblance of a smile. "As I said before, he was a good man. What more do you want to know?"

Inta's eyes became crestfallen at my words as we both sidestepped an automatic wagon rolling past. "I wished to know him as a person. All I have are letters and words about him."

For a time, I said nothing in response as the two of us made our way in silence towards the Capital District to retrieve my mana stone. When we were finally stopped outside the gates of the castle, I offered what little I knew in the ways of consolation. "Sometimes, Inta, it's best to keep it that way. Besides, I can only offer more words."

She opened her lips to answer, but then stopped and saluted me with a hand instead. "I'll wait here and show you to the barracks after your meeting." It wasn't necessary of her, however I was thankful. In fact, I didn't realize how little I remembered of the streets until I tried to trace in my mind the way back.

--------

Once inside the castle, however, I felt strangely at ease with the familiarity of my surroundings, but not comfortable. It was the first time I had been inside the new castle, but the structure was nearly identical to the old one. Hallways were still long and marbled, soft light filtered in from the windows regardless of how it actually was outside and guards patrolled everywhere. The only things that were missing were the ancient murals lining the walls. Instead, banners of the Queen hung in their place as if to hide this imperfection.

A dark chuckle passed my lips as I recalled the child who was forced to take the place of her assassinated mother. The very source of why this country even tore itself apart twenty years ago. She would be no child now and considering the country was still holding together, she must be doing something right. I shook the thought away as I stood before the doors to the throne.

Both guards flanking the ornate double doors saluted me and in return I gave a polite nod. One of them then cracked the door open and slipped inside. Goddess, how I hated the formalities. Thankfully, I only waited a few minutes before both doors opened to allow me inside.

What awaited me, on the other hand, would have taken my breath away had it not been for my current mood of general apathy. Nobles and commoners alike lined the sides to see my reinstatement. I could hear their excited whispers and feel their eyes upon me as I walked ever closer to the throne. An orchestra too, began to play the traditional song to returning "heroes" from campaign. It was an impressive celebration indeed and for what? Me returning to duty to carry out some heinous task no other Mana Knight could? If anything, I felt a tremendous amount of guilt. In this grand room where the high ceiling stretched to the heavens and the floor open enough to race horses, they honored the memory of a false man.

"Sir Oswald Ironmane, it is good to see you again," the Queen said with a smile as I neared. She rose from her seat to descend the few steps down, and remembering my manners, I took a knee and bowed my head. In an action that surprised both me and the crowd, she bent down herself and placed her hands on both my shoulders. "Please Oswald, stand in my presence. You did save my life, more than once, after all."

I did as she requested and stood before her. She was much shorter than I was, but held herself with great poise despite wearing an ornate set of armor that looked much too heavy for her. Her mother's armor, repaired of course. "It's been a long time, my Queen."

Her sea-green eyes misted as she maintained her smile with a bit of pain. "You as well, Oswald? Superstition will be the death of me at this point," she offered with a soft laugh as she combed a few loose strands of her midnight black hair behind an ear.

"My apologies, Mara."

"Accepted." Without further ado, she clapped her hands together once and an echo resounded throughout the room. Silence fell as Mara pulled her palms apart to reveal a dull amber stone. "Sir Oswald Ironmane," her voice suddenly boomed, "By your acceptance of reinstatement, you are hereby bound to follow the crown once more. In return for your services I bestow upon you the holy symbol of your esteemed station."

Just as her mother did before her, Mara offered the stone with both hands held out to me; as a sign of great reverence to the receiver. I took it and managed to give a grin as I turned to the crowd. In the customary fashion, I raised the stone overhead as it gave a bright burst of silver light upon reactivation. I had laughed when I was younger at my fated color. Now, it felt rather appropriate for an old man like me to bear such a color.

Those gathered about applauded and cheered, probably with the delusion that some impressive operation was about to commence with my return. I knew better and so did Mara, lest she forgot our conversation the day I left. Turning to face the Queen, I placed my mana stone over my heart and bowed. In turn, she bowed as well. "If you will excuse me, Mara, I will report to my assignment right away."

"Of course, Oswald, at your leisure. Just one more request before you leave, if I may." One of my brows peaked inquisitively as she gave a sugared smile. "The woman who searched for you, Inta Aludor, might you take her on as your aide? Or would it offend you to do so?"

"Not at all, Mara, I will do as you ask." She frowned, but as she made to reply I quickly added, "I will consider it as a personal gift from you."

"Safe journey then and may Mahana guide you." A traditional blessing and it was all I could do to not scoff at it. One last bow and I was on my way as the court guests began their business of... whatever the hell it was they did. Court life was never something I could stand. Still, it was good to see Mara in high spirits.

orphans

08-10-12, 06:22 PM

There was an odd feeling inside my chest when I finally stepped outside of the castle. One I couldn't quite place. It was somewhere between comfort and grief. Perhaps if I took the Queen aside and told her I've changed my mind... but no. That wouldn't do at all. I had given my word that I would only return should she request it personally. Whatever I am to do... my intuition tells me it'll be the last task I complete for this country.

Inta must have seen my hesitance in leaving as she gave an apprehensive cough. "I don't mean to rush you, Sir Oswald, but your unit is waiting." I gave one more look to the spiraling towers and flying buttresses of the castle before agreeing with a nod.

Reaching the barracks as most of the soldiers were returning from their noontime meals, Inta and I stopped at one far down the line near one of the end rows. A rather out-of-the-way placement, but it suited someone like me. "I suppose this is where we part," Inta suddenly said as she gave a salute and made to leave.

"Inta." She stopped and looked to me questioningly. "The Queen has requested that I take you as my aide. Does that suit you?"

The woman stared, conflicted it seemed, before she gave a single nod. "I'm surprised she would request such a thing from me. I'm sure there are those better suited, but if it is her command, I will gladly accept." Then with a wave to the door before me, she said quickly, "I will go gather my belongings and prepare to transfer them here. I'm sure your unit is eager to meet you." With that, she left with a bit more bounce in her step.

Yet somehow I doubted that they would be too eager. I knew well of my reputation and it has become a mixed blessing. Either people revered me as a champion or feared me as a cold blooded killer. Still, the assignment papers I received on the way out said two of those present in my unit would be mercenaries from overseas. A bitter sigh left my lips as I grasped the handle and opened the door.

What greeted me must have been the most disorganized group I've ever seen in my entire life. Perhaps the military of Seoyruun had become complacent with itself as discipline certainly seemed lax among the group gathered. That was until the one sharpening his broadsword looked up to see who had entered. Immediately, he sheathed the blade and stood at attention. At this movement, the others looked up and followed suit. Some did so a bit reluctantly and some in confusion. As they did, I took the time to give each a quick onceover.

First was the man who had been tending his sword. I could tell he was a serious man from the way he carried himself and the glow in his golden eyes marked him as a grezick.

Next was a man who had the air of absolute boredom as he thumbed the handle of a long knife at his side - a potential difficulty.

Across from him was a troubled looking man and as our eyes met briefly, I could tell I was the reason. The mark on his cheek confirmed it, as he was a sixth circle mage. An odd thing to have in a unit, however, his knowledge and support would be useful.

Beside him was an eluvian woman who, despite standing at attention, was still fiddling with some sort of contraption in her hands.

Across her, a man that looked like a grezick, but lacked the subtle glow in his eyes, appeared to be lost in his own thoughts.

Then a surprise made me narrow my eyes towards a figure beside the would-be grezick; a small figure barely gracing the height to be a convincing eluvian adult. As my gaze settled upon her features, more specifically her horns and wings, I finally understood why I had been called back. Confusion seemed to be her state of being as she glanced in my direction.

"Names and stations?"

First to respond was the grezick, "Pell Ringmar, acting unit leader."

"Jackal Shavuk," the one thumbing the knife began without much enthusiasm, dragging out each word as he continued, "I'm a scout, apparently."

The circle mage shook his head at Jackal's response and spoke clearly and quickly, "Maybel Wallsmore, magic support."

A frustrated groan came from the eluvian woman as she threw the device she was working with onto her cot and fluttered a hand in what I assumed was a greeting. "Erieai Ezraehie, engineer and heavy weapons platform expert."

Her reply made me raise a brow in speculation as to why I would ever need someone of her specialization in my unit as I looked to the next person. "Artemis Eburi. Uh... I guess... temporary employ?" Someone laughed at his reply as I merely continued on. A dim witted mercenary it seemed.

When it was the creature's turn to speak, she frowned. It suddenly dawned upon me that she might not even understand what was being discussed. The thought was driven away as she hesitantly said, "Sophia, mercenary from Corone."

The chances of the girl sharing the same name as my deceased daughter were improbable, and yet, she did. And to be a mercenary from the same land as my wife as well? If I didn't know better, I would have said Mahana herself was toying with me.

Banishing the thoughts away, I looked to each one more time before offering my own introduction. "I am Oswald Ironmane, a Mana Knight of Pretalia." Recalling the assignment sheet, I pulled it from a pocket and read it again quickly. "You all have one week to gather whatever it is you need. We're heading to the front. Until then, you are free to do whatever you please or say goodbye to whomever you need to."

It was the only thing I could offer them as I made my way towards the back of the barracks to the commander's quarters. Half way there, I remembered that there was one more member to join us still. Turning, I saw a few had already left and decided that Inta could handle introducing herself.

SirArtemis

08-14-12, 06:44 PM

He looked so miserable - this Oswold fellow. I already got the feeling he didn't like me very much, or at least didn't hold any exceptionally positive feelings toward me. But the way this guy carried himself, I don't think he had a sliver of optimism or positivity left in him. It might sound crazy, but I loved that about him! At least this guy was sane. I mean being at war for this long, depression seemed like the right course of action.

He went over to the back office - a small side room in the corner of the barracks that was normally used by Pell. I waited for a bit, thinking about what I would say to the guy. Whoever this guy was, he had a very meticulous nature to him. Eventually I went over to the room and gave a knock.

"Is there anything I can help you with or do for you?" I finally asked.

"No," he said curtly.

"Are you sure? Nothing?"

"I would worry more about yourself rather than me."

I tilted my head. "Not even some water or anything?"

"You do realize this may be your last week alive."

"Well that's morbid."

At that, the old man finally smiled. "Yeah, it is, but unfortunately it's the reality of this place. Welcome to Se'lutia."

I turned to leave, sighing and heading for the door out of the barracks. I found myself mumbling as I walked away. "I'm the luckiest man alive. Maybe I'll even have the privilege of getting lost in the wilderness and never make it to the warfront. Or an avalanche will bury me. Who knows?"

When I pushed the door out in frustration, I heard a quiet chirp come out of a woman. Apparently I had hit someone. I stepped around the door and saw an angry looking woman. For a moment, I remembered my luck. "Sorry," I said with a sigh. "I'm just in a bad mood. I shouldn't have opened the door so quickly."

"It's fine," she said as she rubbed her hand.

"Are you looking for someone?" I asked her, confused as to why she'd be heading to our barracks.

"No, I was bringing my things over to move in. I'm the newest member of the team." I was confused for a second, until I looked down and realized the trunk on the ground beneath her feet. I must have knocked it out of her hands when I shoved the door open. "I'm the personal aide to Sir Ironmane."

"He doesn't need anything. Don't worry, I checked."

She chuckled in response. "Well, I have to get my stuff inside either way, so I'll double check."

"Just don't let his morbidity bring you down. He might just remind you that there actually is a war going on, unlike all these choirs running around."

She smiled in response. "They sing for the dead, to remember them."

"As if you could forget..." I couldn't help but sigh again. She probably thought I had some kind of breathing defect. "I'm Artemis by the way, from Salvar."

"Ah, you're one of the mercenaries. You look sort of like a grezick, but slightly different."

I narrowed my eyes at her. A part of me wanted to yell at her saying that I'm not a grezick, but she had admitted that I was a bit different. "Yeah, I signed on thinking to get away from some of the violence going on in Corone, with the war and all. Who knew I'd end up in a bigger war."

"You sound like you have a bit of luck in you."

"You have no idea..."

"I'm Inta."

"Into what?"

She jabbed me in the ribs for that one. "That's my name. Inta Aludor."

"Of course..." I said through gritted teeth. "Seems I have luck with women too. Off to a bad start with everyone. Alright."

"No, we're even. The punch balanced things out. Anyway, mind holding the door for me? And don't hit me with it this time."

Holding my ribs with one hand and the door handle with another I opened it up for her and watched her carry her trunk inside. I let the door close and looked up at the sun, veiled as it was. Their weather controlling equipment seemed to have a strange distorting effect on the warm glow, and I found myself staring up at the orb with no trouble at all. I don't know why I stared at the sun. I suppose it just felt empowering, since I normally couldn't do it without excruciating pain. It was almost like a sort of victory, as though I had some power over it. At least I had some power in my life.

After finishing I saw Sophia off in the distance and decided to catch up with her and see what her plans were for the rest of the day. "Hey Sophia!" When she heard me call, she stopped and turned with a puzzled expression. "Hey, what are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

"Um..." she began, "I was going to go visit a library or some of the temples."

"Really?" I asked, confused as to why this young girl would do such a thing. It sounded more like what Maybel would do. "Alright, well, do you mind if I tag along? I had no plans really."

"Alright," she shrugged.

"Alright then!" I agreed, gesturing for her to lead the way. "So why libraries and temples?"

"I find them calming. Familiar even," Sophia mumbled as we began to walk. "And they tell me a lot of stories too - the keepers I mean. Legends mostly. A lot of grim things. But they always revolve around this... Mahana. Supposedly, she looks like... well... like me; or my kind at least."

"I've heard that name a few times - Mahana. I'm still not too sure about all of it. Nothing on this island is anything like what I'm used to. It's strange really, coming from a town I grew up in for most of my life, traveling all over Althanas, settling in Salvar - I've even been in a war before, though probably not of the scale of all of this."

Our steps were slow, casual. As though we weren't in much of a rush. Perhaps we weren't. After all, like Oswold said, this might be our last free week alive. Maybe we were just enjoying it without really thinking about it, taking the distraction away from what was to come. Or maybe we were just tired.

"I guess I really don't know nearly as much as I sometimes pretend to. But still, I hope everything turns out okay for all of us."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. I mean... from what I hear, we're in good hands." As Sophia finished, I just walked quietly beside her, lost in my thoughts and letting my reality drift. My brain had enough ability to keep her in my peripheral and stay by her side as I began to imagine all the things I had seen when I looked out past the bubble of reality that kept this city safe. I wasn't as sure as her about us being fine. But I didn't seem to have much choice in the matter either. It was do or die, and I wasn't keen on dying.

Minutes passed in silence and muffled voices as we walked and even the comments about me being a grezick didn't bother me much. Eventually we came upon one of the largest structures I had ever seen - it rivaled the architecture of the Citadel back in Corone. The architecture, though I'm not a master of it by any means, looked pretty ancient; there was no metal, only stone - which was interesting given that the ship we had come in on was a massive vessel of steel. Countless spiraling towers reached toward the veiled sun, and the only thing I had ever seen bigger were the few grezick domes. Then again, those weren't architecturally impressive by any means - they were literally gigantic metallic domes - like a half-sphere - housing an entire community.

To be honest, I hadn't even noticed the transition from the typical beat up ground of the military area to massive open courtyard that surrounded the property of the temple. There were countless varieties of flowers lining the perimeter and even the fence could be described as beautiful, though oddly enough there was still no grass. Perhaps it was just too cold, even here. There were some families that were scattered throughout the open landscape - it seemed that this courtyard doubled as a park for many of the citizens. Couldn't blame them - there weren't very many pretty areas in Seoyruun, even with the vibrant colors.

"This is pretty impressive," I said to Sophia, who stood beside me with a smile.

"Mm!" she agreed with a nod, moving forward and up the steps into the temple. Of course, I followed.

Once we passed through the large archway into the structure, I felt like I was in a museum. There were countless murals and ornate designs scattered throughout the temple. It was definitely far more elegant than the Citadel, that's for sure. I recognized a few of the depictions, though not many. One seemed to be showing references to the Demon Wars, and another I assumed represented the founding of Se'lutia - this island. When I looked down to Sophia, her eyes seemed affixed to a particular mural, and as I followed her gaze, I could somewhat understand why.

It was a mural depicting a city situated right between two warring nations, when the land was still green and fertile. Hovering over the city was someone with similar features to this small girl - it had wings and horns much like hers. I turned and noticed that opposite that mural, upon another wall, was the exact same image, except now the land was more similar to what everyone knew today; there was frozen snow and storms, and part of the island was shown to have raging beasts of staggering size. In the middle where the city once was, it showed the figure from before, arms stretched to either side as if trying to pull the two together - but there was no longer a city.

I stopped a robed man passing by, who I thought might work at the temple. "Excuse me, may I ask who that figure is in these two portraits?"

"Ah," the aged man said as he lifted his tired arm to point at the figure in the center of the fertile mural. A raspy voice showing his age managed to force out a few softly spoken sounds. "That is Mahana," he began, "she who was the shepherd for our ancestors. Under her guidance, we prospered." Turning to the one that reflected Se'lutia today, he continued. "But unfortunately, our ancestors betrayed her trust and invoked her wrath in her one moment of weakness."

"Mahana, huh?" I asked, setting my hands upon my hips. "I hear that name a lot around here."

"Yes," he said through labored breaths. "Mahana is the dominant religion of this land. It is the worship of magical energies inside us and that Mahana will one day deliver her promise of salvation. Those who do not carry mana inside of them are deemed unworthy and sent to the domes." As he spoke, his gaze lingered elsewhere.

"Grezicks, right?" I asked, looking at him. I was surprised he hadn't confused me for one, but then again, his vision probably wasn't as good as it once was.

"Yes, that is correct, but not all grezicks are lacking in mana. In fact, you resemble a grezick; though you can't be, because you would know the answer to these questions if you were from around here."

"Fair enough," I said with a nod. "And you're correct, neither of us are from here. I come from Salvar, of Althanas. But thank you for being kind enough to answer my questions."

"You're quite welcome," he said with a slight bow. "Do be careful. You're a far way from home, and Se'lutia is not a forgiving island."

"I'll do my best, thank you," I said with a bow of my own. With that, the man shuffled away, and I turned back to give the two murals a long look. When I finally looked down to my side to Sophia, she was gone.

"Dang it!" I mumbled to myself, looking for where the girl had gone.

orphans

08-19-12, 08:17 PM

My first day back and already filling out a full detail report. Oddly enough, it gave me a strange sort of calm in the silent, empty barracks. A quick glance at the clock told me that it had only taken me a short ten minutes. A chuckle rose from me as I realized that either I forgot how to fill out a report correctly or that I simply no longer cared as much as I used to. In any case, there wasn't much to say about my new team. Sealing the envelope with the wax and seal I found inside the desk, I left the small package in my outbound basket and stood to leave my office.

Barely had I left my office, I was greeted by Inta's bright blue eyes as she gave a quick salute. "I've brought my things. Is there somewhere specific I should place them?"

I shook my head to her. "There are plenty of empty bunks around," I said and waved my arms about the empty barracks to emphasize my point. "Feel free to pick whichever one isn't occupied."

Hesitance strode about in her eyes before she finally gave a nod and moved off to unpack her things. "Sir," she began as she moved her single metal trunk about to an open bunk, "this Artemis fellow... is he one of the mercenaries?"

"He is," I replied. There wasn't much I could say about the man. He seemed like a cheerful fellow, though slightly lacking sanity. Or maybe completely oblivious to the world around him. The thought brought a grin to my face as I thought back to my original unit. They weren't oblivious, but the dreary atmosphere of Seoyruun never held them down.

Inta was rummaging through her trunk as she continued, "The man looks like a grezick though, doesn't he?"

"A bit, but you can tell he isn't if you look closely," I answered without much thought as I moved from each occupied bed to the next, checking them and the personal objects each person kept on their nightstands.

"I worry about his combat abilities." It was a very flat statement as she pulled out a small portrait of man and woman, both in military uniform, and child: her family most likely. Part of me wondered if my little girl would have followed in my footsteps if she were alive, just as Inta did with her father.

Driving the thoughts away, I asked with some interest, "Why?"

"I gave him a playful jab in the ribs and he acted as if I stabbed him." A soft laugh parted from her as she stood with a set of issued clothing and placed it on the bed. "I'm guessing his specialty isn't combat related, is it?"

My lips frowned at the lack of an answer. Artemis had only referred to himself as a temporary employee; civilian terms and a rather poor choice at that. If anything, the man seemed more suited to be a jester. "I'm not certain what he is."

Inta made a face somewhere between an amused smile and frown. "I see. Where are the others?"

"I allowed them free time for the week before we depart. From what I can tell, most of them are well versed in what we're to expect, except the two mercenaries." My thoughts shifted to the small girl as I reached her bunk. Perhaps that was the wrong way to describe the creature of legends. A Skalu Hudie in the flesh was certainly something I never would have dreamed of seeing. Yet her name, Sophia, brought back more painful memories than were needed. I suppose even after all these years of brooding I wasn't prepared to face something as simple as a name.

Then I noticed a length of blue ribbon resting on the girl's night stand and my heart nearly crumbled. How many times had I watched my wife use a blue ribbon to braid my daughter's hair? Temptation gripped me to reach for the ribbon, but I forced the impulse away. "Sir?" Inta's voice brought me back to reality as I turned to her. "I asked if you needed anything before I left. I would like to visit my family before we leave for the front."

Family. It seemed like such a foreign word now. "Of course, Inta." Yet, as I finished, she stood there indecisively, giving the impression that she wanted to say more. "I'm sure your family would like to see you once more before you leave for the front."

"Yes sir." She gave a firm salute and then made her way out. And just like that, the barracks was empty and desolate again.

With a sigh, I sat down on Sophia's bed and picked up the ribbon anyways. Studying it for what might as well have been eons, I placed it back onto the table and stood up. When I went to wipe my face with a hand, however, I caught the slight scent of lavender. My sudden laughter rang out in the empty building as I made for my office. A young girl appears from the continent of my wife's origins, with the same name as my deceased daughter, carrying a ribbon of the same color and scent that my wife always used to braid my little girl's hair. Somewhere in my mind, I convinced myself that this was all just coincidence.

SirArtemis

08-20-12, 10:30 PM

Oddly enough, it's not very hard to find someone you lost when they look different from everyone else. Go figure. So when I saw a small girl with long white hair, wings, and horns, I didn't have to worry about tapping her on the shoulder and being confronted by a stranger.

"Hey, why'd you walk off?" I asked Sophia.

She just looked at me funny, as though I had just asked the dumbest question in the world. In retrospect, it was pretty stupid to ask. Jackal would be proud. With a raised eyebrow, she pointed to the mural that she had been looking at. From what I could tell, it was just a giant explosion. Literally. Of the city that we were in. At least that's what it looked like. Granted... that... is an odd thought... to think that I was walking around in an explosion. "I don't get it," I said, raising the bar on stupid comments for the day. Soon I'd run out.

"Well, from what the priest told me, this has happened already to the city about twenty years ago."

"Wow, that's recent. They rebuilt FAST."

"We're not in that part of the city..." she said with a laugh.

"Of course not," I said joining in the laughter. "I was just kidding. So why are you looking at it?"

"It just seems like an odd mural, and out of place with the other murals."

'Artemis, find out what caused the explosion,' Judicis whispered into my thoughts. I could feel that he was both amused and embarrassed by my comments. It’s become normal for me to hear a voice in my head, and I suppose that’s what happens when you carry a sentient weapon for so long; that holds especially true when you develop some… indescribable link to your weapon that goes beyond anything I had ever even dreamed up or imagined. But yes, I could hear my bow’s thoughts, and could feel its feelings, whether it was in its offensive form or its current passive form: a white bracer upon my left wrist.

'Right,' I thought in reply. When I looked around, I noticed she was right. Everything surrounding us seemed to be related to ancient events - nothing as recent as this one. In fact, now that she had pointed it out, I could tell that the tiles that made up the mosaic murals were very fresh compared to the rest. "Hmm...do you know what caused the explosion?"

"Apparently, there was a civil war, and the Old Pretalia Castle was destroyed."

"But what caused the explosion?"

She shrugged at that. "They didn't tell me very much about what happened - like why it blew up. They just said it exploded."

"That seems ominous..." I mumbled.

"I'm just hoping it doesn't happen while we're around... I don't think I can live through that."

Part of me wanted to laugh. She seemed genuinely concerned by her inability to survive that size of an explosion. I thought about consoling her, telling her no one would likely survive, but I thought to let it go. Instead, I just put my hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"So why'd you come here? I mean... this place... not... here... here..."

"To this island?"

"Yes."

"Well, I pissed off a guy with a gun back in Radasanth. And I'm pretty sure he has some connection with the local militia. So even though I felt like I did the right thing, I also felt like I needed to leave and fast. Either that, or I might have ended up in jail or dead."

"Are you a criminal?"

"No, I just tried to be a good guy and help out in hunting down one of the main contributors to the Corone War. Problem was... the guy I chose to help was in it for personal reasons and was planning to hurt a woman who wasn't involved. So when I saved her, knocking him out in the process so that we could escape, I made an enemy in an emotional gunslinger. Needless to say, I was looking for a way out of Radasanth for a few days before this huge ship docked and I read a leaflet that said they were hiring mercenaries. Didn't need much more to get me onto to the ship, and so I applied. Didn't realize I'd be signing my death certificate at the same time as my employment slip."

She reached up and put her hand on my shoulder. "It'll be okay," she said with a grin.

orphans

08-25-12, 04:25 PM

I can still feel the heat on my skin through my armor as my unit continued to sprint down corridor after corridor. Clashing steel and fighting still sounded through the grounds as my blood pounded and rushed past my ears. The overwhelming smell of smoke and death engulfed us completely as we rounded a bend.

"LOOSE!"

Arrows hailed down from above only to be intercepted by a shimmering barrier of light.

"Keep going, I'll hold them here!"

Lucideaya... she was a hopeful grezick from my own home dome and a master of protection arts. "Don't be stupid Lucy. Shields up and keep moving!"

"We won't make it moving at that speed and you know it! Hurry up and get going damn it!" Those were her last words. True to the crown even till her last moment. True to those who had banished her father for doing what he believed.

All around us, brothers and sisters fought one another simply because of differing ideals. Loyalists and Heretics were the fated labels to be used in the aftermath. All over whether a child princess should succeed the throne or her uncle Grumond, brother to the murdered queen and the undisputed head of the artificer's guild.

"Unit one, fire! Reload. Unit two, fire!" The thunder of rifles was an oddly welcomed sound but in this symphony of hell, it was good to hear the trademark shouting of Seoyruun's first all eluvian weapons team. They, after all, owed their very livelihood to the late queen.

"Status!"

The officer gave a signal for an all out charge after the final volley. Eluvian soldiers obeyed without question and jumped the barricades with a spirited war cry as they rushed an oncoming wave of rebel fighters. The eluvian officer gave a quick salute before rattling off a report, "Grumond is fortified in the throne room. We've been trying to carve a path to him but there's no end to these bastards."

"Then we'll assist. Grumond is trying to use the device he found and we think he figured out how. The circle magi can feel the change in mana flow from the throne room. It's getting stronger."

"Then we'd better stop him, but it'd be quicker if you and a small team slip by while the rest of us keep them busy. Might be less pressure on your infiltration if their bulk is elsewhere."

It was a good plan, but in hindsight, ultimately futile. How many good people like this officer died that day? "Very well, my wife and daughter is all I need with me. Yuin, Siva, I'm counting on you two to lead the rest."

The pair of twin archers, originally mercenaries with my wife, now turned residents, gave their usual rain-like laughs and took up positions. "We'll take care of things. Just be safe with Holly and Sophia."

"Father, will we be enough?" Even though it was only a memory, seeing my daughter's bandaged form always tore at my heart. Strands of walnut brown hair stained with sweat and blood clung to her face as she gave a hesitant smile. "Or are you trying to compete with mother in kills, again?" she asked with her hazel green eyes starting up at me innocently - eyes that she had inherited from her mother.

My wife only chuckled and gave our daughter a small pat on her head. "Don't worry sweetie, I always kill more," was all she offered as she brushed past me quickly towards the fray.

"Let's just move quickly," I remember saying in irritation as I chased after her with my daughter in tow.

With the combined unit forces, we were able to fight back the rebel line enough that my wife, daughter and I slipped down a side corridor. It was supposed to be a dead end passage, but being a Mana Knight close to the late queen meant I had been privy to the knowledge of secret passages. It had been the sole reason of how we rescued Mara and now, it was the defining reason of how my family reached the throne room relatively unopposed.

What assailed us instead were the scars of battle when the civil war broke out. Blood still stained much of the halls leading to the throne room and aside from several guards, there was hardly any activity. Yet, when we arrived at the throne room, it was completely empty save for the slumped form of Grumond on the throne. In front of him, a small pale blue pendant pulsed upon the ground.

"Holly, can you hear anything?" A small shake of my wife's head told me all I needed to know as we approached the throne slowly.

"Wait father," my daughter suddenly said as we stood before the throne, "Mahana... I sense her essence..."

"Why would the Goddess Mahana be here?" I remember my wife asking as she stepped forward cautiously to inspect Grumond while avoiding the pendant.

"It's not actually Mahana, mother, it's the necklace. I can hear her whispers. It's... her memories, I think," was what my daughter offered as an explanation as she continued to glance about us. At the time, I had only thought of the importance in recovering such a holy relic with no consideration to the danger. If it truly held the memories of Mahana it might also hold the key to the salvation promised by her.

How wrong I was to have believed Mahana to be a benevolent Goddess.

The moment my hand touched the pendant, a voice boomed and echoed through the chamber. A female voice, and although it sounded pleasing to the ear, rage saturated her tone. "Child to the Landbound I shepherded in years long past, know that this Oracle's Grace was meant to be lost in the sea of time. Yet, even now in the never ending greed of your kind, you seek to unlock the secrets of my failures."

"Father we're surrounded!" The sound of my daughter's cry and the clash of steel had me turn suddenly to see my wife engaging with dozens of soldiers all emanating a cerulean glow.

"Oswald, you have to destroy the pendant!" Turning, I saw Grumond struggling to stand as his eyes burned with the same pale blue light. "It's controlling our souls, Oswald. Mahana never meant to save us. She means to destroy us all!"

I could hear the plea in Grumond's voice as his body fought itself from striking with his blade. In that brief moment I did the only thing I knew to do. Drawing my blade and channeling all my energy, I struck the pendant. How was I to know it would seal the fates of millions that day instead of just our own?

"You dare strike me with my own gift? The very reason this barren land is able to know life?! Then perish, children of the Landbound!" Blistering heat radiated suddenly from the pendant and the last thing I remember was my daughter screaming our names in an evocation and my wife begging for my daughter to stop and save herself, instead of us.

______________________

Light filtered into my room between the frost on the windows and onto my face. My eyelids clenched tighter even though they were already shut. Today was the last day of the free week with the majority of my unit returning from making peace with whatever family they had left, or whatever it was they chose. I never asked them. Private matters were just that.

A scant few had stuck around the barracks, namely the mercenary Sophia and Inta. The two got along strangely well, or perhaps it was just my imagination. Sophia was far too kind for a Skalu Hudie and Inta too curious for a former Royal Guard. Though, to be fair, I didn't know much about the Royal Guards. They were a new order formed in the wake of rebuilding under Mara's reign. From what I've seen though, her training mirrors mine. As such, I had expected her to be just as well versed on our country's history as I was.

She wasn't.

Prying my lids open, I stared at the ceiling for what seemed like hours as the light crept higher on the walls of my room. It's sad to say, but this past week I felt like I became a new man. I was more energetic and more aware of my world. It felt... good, to do something familiar once more. I suppose not drowning in spirits might have something to do with it. Still, the dreams that plague me tempted me to reach for the bottle.

Eventually, I rose, cleaned myself and then dressed for the coming day. As I left my office and entered the barracks proper, I saw that a few had already risen while others still had sleep clinging to their eyes. Pell, the two mercenaries and Inta had already awoken and were preparing their gear while Erieai, Maybel and Jackal were just rising. The sight nearly made me chuckle as I thought back to the olden days and the old mercenary crew I had lead. All of them dead, except my wife.

"We're moving out in twenty minutes," I began as Inta approached me with a letter in her hand. Taking it, I skimmed it quickly and instantly frowned. "Seems like we've been assigned a guide to lead us to the front."

"A guide?" Jackal yawned while he pulled a shirt over his head. "The hell do we need a guide for?"

An equally hearty yawn erupted from the eluvian as she blinked her eyes in my direction. "Looks like the Queen's making us." Pointing at the paper in my hand, she continued without much enthusiasm, "That's her seal."

I turned the letter over and saw that there was indeed Mara's personal seal on the back: a winged figure clutching a sword bathed in fire. I never understood the significance of the noble seals, especially the one that Mara's family used. Somehow, I doubted anyone knew with how fragile our history is. My guess was as good as any.

"In any case, the guide is meeting us at the city gate. Everyone meet outside in twenty minutes."

"Sir, a moment?" Looking to Pell, I nodded my head and stepped outside with the man.

The air outside held the usual chill of this year and nipped lightly at whatever skin we had exposed. "Something you need?"

For a time, Pell said nothing as the two of us made our way closer to the gates to town. "This whole mission, sir. What is it really for?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." My reply made the man grimace as he looked towards the barracks.

"A group of seasoned soldiers and experts all consolidated under one unit doesn't seem suspicious, sir?"

I laughed. "Of course it's suspicious, but it isn't my place to second guess our Queen." One by one, members of my unit filtered out and made their way towards us. "If I had to guess, Pell, I'd say it has something to do with the Skalu Hudie."

"I figure that much. But if that's true, do you believe the legends then?"

Looking towards Sophia's form as she walked with the rest of the group, I offered a sigh and grumbled more to myself, "I'm just here to make sure history doesn't repeat itself. It's what fossils like me are supposed to do."

Pell chuckled at my words and offered in what I suppose was his way of consolation, "Well, if it is going to repeat, mind telling us before hand?"

SirArtemis

09-05-12, 12:24 AM

The week passed more quickly than I had expected it to. I guess having a deadline finally in place for something to happen made my perspective change - especially since I was supposedly going to die. Talk about having something to look forward to. Nothing better to make you want to crawl out of bed in the morning than feeling like you're walking to your death sentence.

Needless to say, I lingered around Jackal for most of the week when I wasn't following Sophia as a walking and talking history lesson. Jackal seemed to not take anything seriously, though my intuition told me otherwise. Still, it helped keep me occupied. Lots of liquor, women - mostly yelling at them, laughter, more liquor, spinning knives in the air, more liquor, passing out. I didn't really have any of the liquor, but plenty laughs, especially when he would fumble the knife. Happened once or twice, given the quantity of booze.

With the morning of departure upon us, we all shuffled to get ready. Pell had already stepped outside with Oswald and I helped Sophia pack up her things. "Got everything?" I asked her, worrying about her like a sibling I never had. And let's be fair, none of my siblings would have had wings.

"I think so, yeah," she said as she grabbed her pack and set her sword on her back, perfectly set between her wings.

"Perfect. Let's go catch up with them."

"Okay," she said, as Erieai stepped up beside us also ready and following us out the door.

After everyone had met up at the gates that connected the main area of the city to the military and noble district (where we had been staying), we began to head for the outer gates where the guide waited for us. The architecture still astounded me. Most was gray or burgundy brick, structurally focused on practicality, but there were endless frivolous designs added on to add a custom touch for families. As long as the basic design was followed, it appeared that whatever the residents decided was fair game.

Some etched designs on the brick face of the building walls, others hung or attached metal shapes and ornaments all over the place. Some were even vandalized and didn't care enough to do anything about it, though there were very few such cases. And to be honest, maybe it just appeared to be vandalism, and was actually intentional. I just can't imagine why someone would have a bunch of animals burning alive etched into their home.

The veil overhead was the same as it had been since I had arrived, shimmering with a slight violet tint, making the world appear to perpetually be experiencing dusk - though it was obviously morning. I was excited to leave, for no better reason than to see the sun as I had grown accustomed to it throughout my life. There was something eerie about the veil, and it had been haunting me since we had arrived in the harbor.

The people were definitely the most interesting, and mostly because I couldn't quite figure out what they were made out of. Most appeared human with a good amount of eluvians as well, but there was also a sprinkling of the most absurd variety of races; there were very few, and they appeared almost as hybrids of animals and humans, such as cat-people and wolf-people. I constantly had to wear my gade suit to help me handle the temperature, as it was incredibly cold even despite the temperature regulation. Yet what people wore varied from bundling up in furs to walking around as though it were a typical Corone summer. I'll be honest, the extreme contrast really messed with my head, since it's bizarre to see both standing side by side and appearing comfortable.

The air was the only thing that felt like home, as the chilly bite as I filled my lungs and the foggy wisps that escaped me with every breath reminded me of home. The breeze was mild and whistled as it cut through the cobblestone streets and wound between the endless brick buildings, most were thirty to forty feet high and some up to fifty or sixty. It was truly a bizarre place, and like nothing I had ever seen outside of this land.

"You're taking note of all this, right Judicis?" I mumbled to myself, letting the wind catch my words and carry them off before anyone else could hear.

'Much has changed from what my collection of memories tells, Artemis. I won't be of much help it seems - at least not within the walls. Perhaps once we begin our travels I will have more to offer you.' Judicis' response was full of intrigue and excitement. Of course it was. He was on an adventure. He wouldn't die. I would die. Someone else would eventually find him. That's the thing with sentient items - no real comprehension of time, as with all long-lived things.

Eventually our steps brought us to the main gate of Pretalia, leading us into the rest of the country of Seoyruun and the island of Se'lutia. The only way to really describe the wall that surrounded Pretalia... is intimidating. I hadn't ventured this far during my time here, as it would have served no purpose and I guess it wasn't so interesting to those who were used to it. But it appeared that Sophia shared my thoughts, as her jaw just hung open and her maroon eyes gazed up at the massive structure. The wall itself that the doorway made its home in was roughly double the size of the biggest buildings of the city - aside from the castle of course. A hundred feet of massive blocks of stone, reinforced with steel, guarded the city from any outside intervention - though it may have been to keep people in just as much to keep people out. Right ahead was the gate, roughly thirty feet tall and raised up into the wall roughly a third of the way to allow us to pass through.

Standing just past the doorway was what I could only guess to be a man bundled up in a bunch of fur, and I imagined they'd be rather heavy; didn't seem like they were heavy to him. The figure stood about my height and wore a very strange porcelain mask shaped like a wolf's face. Attached to the mask was a long mane that ran over the top of the head and down the back, hiding the figure's features; it appeared to be made mostly of white furs and feathers, some dyed red.

I couldn't hide a smile, as a strange and unexpected thought popped into my head at the sight of the man: 'I wonder if Jackal things he looks stupid too.'

orphans

10-06-12, 02:11 AM

Our guide was not what I expected. Truth be told, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but certainly not a masked figure covered in clothing that obscured all identifying traits. I couldn't even tell what gender our guide was. Then again, that hardly mattered. All I was concerned with was whether or not the guide would be useful. As we approached, I could feel the eyes of our guide examining each of us, lingering a bit longer on me and Sophia. No one else seemed to notice and I couldn't quite be sure as the guide immediately waved to the team of heavy tundra horses, but said nothing.

"You know, Artemis, our guide looks pretty stupid too. Still looks better than you though." Jackal's ribbing of the mercenary brought the shadow of a grin to my lips as I selected a horse for my own use. Artemis said something in reply to Jackal, but his words were carried away by the trademark gusts near the city gates. The others began to select horses as well while our guide approached me and then presented a piece of paper to me abruptly.

I took the note and read it quickly before tucking it away in a pocket. "I was expecting this journey to be much longer. Care to explain this teleportation gate?" The guide simply stared at me and then shrugged. The only offered explanation was the guide pointing to his or her throat and then a shake of the head. "You're mute then?" The guide made no motion to answer for a long while before giving a firm nod. "Ezraehie!" Looking over my shoulder as I shouted, I caught sight of the eluvian woman securing a spare rifle on her horse.

She turned her head to me with a perplexed look in her eyes as she started making her way towards me. "What is it? And call me Erieai." Her reply was terse as she looked to the guide and then me again.

"We're going to make our way to a teleportation network, apparently. Mind giving me a quick explanation?"

"Why can't the guide? He should know what it is."

I looked over the guide and figured it was a safe assumption that it was a man beneath the coverings. "The guide's mute and informed me by paper."

Annoyance crossed the eluvian's features as she folded her arms across her chest. "And command didn't explain to you before what the teleportation network is?"

Part of me wanted to reach out and knock some sense into the eluvian. Then again, I couldn't help but grin at her crass behavior. It was strangely comforting to know this crew would have a similar feel to my old one. "Catching up with twenty years of change in a week is difficult. An explanation, if you would please."

To my surprise, a smirk curved onto her features as she gave a shrug. "I guess it can't be helped since you're only human, after all." The look I gave must have told her I wanted to waste no more time as she began quickly after, "The teleportation network is relatively new - within the last two years actually. We have one of the main gates about a day's travel from here and from there, it connects to other beacons."

"I'm guessing the beacons take us to the front or outer domes, correct?"

Erieai's brow furrowed a little as she gave a disgusted reply, "All of them take us to the front actually. Caravans still make the journeys to outer domes. They weren't considered high enough priority."

"I see..." It made sense, tactically. The outer domes consist mostly of non-human grezick communities that supplemented frivolous supplies to the front and to Pretalia. Added bonuses to morale, but ultimately, not considered important enough.

"That all you need from me? I need to pack a few things still," Erieai rattled off quickly as she jerked a thumb behind her.

"That is all, thank you Erieai."

The woman rolled her eyes at my thanks and began to walk off. "Yeah yeah, just don't get us killed."

When I turned back, I saw that the guide had left my side to help Sophia. Despite having only a single pack, the girl was oblivious in how to strap her things to the horse, much less on how to use a stirrup to mount a horse. I suppressed a laugh as the girl fell on her first attempt and landed on the slushy road. Jackal didn't. In spite of that, I was taken aback by his decision to lend a hand and with his help, Sophia succeeded the second time.

SirArtemis

10-27-12, 03:04 PM

It was a very quiet walk to our destination. I had tried to initiate some conversation as we walked but quickly found that the absurd speed of the wind literally stole your words, sending them somewhere far away from their intended listener. I had donned my mask and gloves, covering myself head to toe, knowing that at least I would be comfortable. Still, I could tell it was cold. With every breath that I pushed through my mask, I could only catch quick glimpses before the wind took that away as well.

The landscape was as desolate as I had ever seen; everything was flat and open with an occasional frozen and long dead tree peppering the landscape. I'd have asked how the trees could ever have survived at all, but I assumed it had to do with the history of the island long ago. After all, what was left of the life that once called this place home was now, in effect, mummified in cold and ice. It was unbelievable how strong the wind was.

As we walked, Oswald, Inta, and Maybel kept up some sort of magical barrier - the one that I had been told about earlier by Jackal. He could have said whatever he wanted about my appearance then, but I wouldn't have heard his snide comments anyway. It wasn't just the wind that protected me, but my thoughts as well. They drifted. I drifted.

Silence is a dangerous thing for many reasons, but for one who has seen, done, or felt things he wished he hadn't, silence sounded as a call for these memories. The perpetual whistling of endless gusts of wind coupled with the hours of walking allowed my past to spread through my mind like weeds and vines, tugging on my very consciousness. Images of dead men laying upon the floor from Victor Callahan's blind fury flashed against the barren landscape. The wind morphed into the sounds of all those who fell fighting at my side in Vardta protecting their home. The warmth of Tanya's touch pulling me inside of her the night before she died trying to save me.

It felt like a flurry. The storm within my mind was infinitely harder to cope with than any the natural world could throw at me, and yet it refused to end. The fight with my father those years ago, and the time wasted thereafter holding an unfounded grudge. The trickle of warm blood as my blade struck through the first man I had ever killed. The suffering of a cursed fae whose very being had made my gade suit even possible. All of it. My entire life. It all flashed before my eyes, but not in the brief moment that some claim occurs the moment before you die. It was long and drawn out through an entire day, only filtered by the occasional intrusions of Judicis into my thoughts to help soothe my aching heart.

How many more would die by my hand? Who would I kill while visiting this island - a place I didn't even know existed - yet fled to only to find myself walking toward a battlefield? It's a strange feeling when one questions their own life, unsure whether the world around them would be better off with them alive or dead. Am I making a difference in the world at all? Are any of my choices making a change, and if so, are they for the better or worse? My blades are sharp, my bow well aimed, and my eyes as keen as any edge in the realm - but is that enough? However much I try to live by virtue, questioning all my actions not just for what they are, but the intentions beneath, am I simply a naive child wandering a world that has and will continue to exist long after I am gone? I am but a speck of dust in the timeline of Althanas, a fleeting existence that is so miniscule that in the grand scheme of all that is, I am nothing.

We didn't stop at any point during the trip, though I had expected we would - I hoped we would, if only to stop my mind for a moment, just long enough to hold a conversation. I assumed it was probably due to the inability to drop the barrier and nowhere to really make camp given the open flatlands.

With a steady pace we made it to what appeared as a metal dome - similar to the grezick domes, but much smaller. Oddly enough this gate had its own protective barrier, and so I waited. When we arrived, an eluvian greeted us, though I had a hard time discerning whether it was a male or female. The voice could have fallen somewhere in between and the outfit covered any discerning features anyway.

"Sir Oswald?" the eluvian asked.

"Yes," he answered, with not a hint of surprise.

"We've been expecting you. However, we also have news from the front. A skirmish has broken out on the other side of the beacon where you are headed. I leave it up to you to decide the next course of action." When the eluvian finished, Oswald gave a nod as Pell approached, as though to discuss what the group would do.

Meanwhile, I took off my mask and gloves and only a single thought lingered in my mind:

I do not want to kill any more, but will I ever be allowed to live if I do not?

orphans

12-16-12, 08:10 PM

"Should I ready the unit?" There was no hesitance in Pell's question, but I could tell from his glance that there was no desire to do as he asked. The long journey with only the sound of the howling wind is a dangerous thing, especially for those with too much to carry upon their minds - for all of us. Even Sophia looked deeper in thought than usual as she toted her satchel of belongings into a nearby shelter.

"Let everyone sleep. I'm sure our forces on the other side can hold for another day." A quick roll of my shoulders told me just how sore and stiff they were from the cold, despite the barrier. "Besides, we'd be of no use without rest."

Pell gave a salute and walked off towards the others to relay the orders, I assumed. Whether or not he did didn't matter as they were all bright enough to figure it out eventually.

"Sir Oswald, may I ask something?" Turning, I looked over to the eluvian that had greeted me and nodded my head once. "Is it true what they say?" I perked an eyebrow at the eluvian to signify that I had no idea what the reference was towards. "The Skalu Hudie, sir. Was that girl the one?"

Looking to the emblem on his shoulder, I managed a half hearted smile. "Captain, sometimes things aren't as they always seem. As for the girl, I don't know. I'm charged with protecting her and bringing her to the front. What she's to do there is beyond me."

"I see," was what the captain managed as he quickly adjusted his cap. "I'll have the gate warmed up on standby while your soldiers rest." Then with a quick salute the eluvian was off again, barking commands. All the while I could feel the unmistakable crawl up one's spine while being watched. It only took a moment to see that it was the guide watching me from behind a cooking fire. He still had the mask on and as I approached, I wondered if he would take it off to eat. It was a stupid thought; of course he would.

Twenty minutes later, my assumption was proven wrong as the guide took his portion of stew into one of the shelters while I was joined by Sophia, Erieai, and Jackal. The four of us sat in silence, save for Jackal's loud slurping of soup. Erieai shot occasional glances of irritation towards the man while Sophia retained a small hesitant smile.

As I looked to all three of them, I imagined which of them I would have to bury. My mission was to keep Sophia alive, but against what odds? I had been told I was assigned the best the kingdom had to offer, and yet, why such a small group? Mara had been rather cryptic in her letter, and then for her to have assigned a guide at the last moment to the group? It didn't make sense.

"Hey, Oswald, you even there?" The sound of someone calling my name jerked me away from my train of thought. Casting my eyes over to Jackal, I gave a grunt of acknowledgement. "Wondering if you had any stories for us."

Erieai rolled her eyes at the man and quickly corrected, "Advice is what he means."

"Pfft, screw that. I want stories! It's what we're supposed to do around campfires, right Sophia?"

The young girl looked surprised and fumbled for a moment with what to say. In the end, she gave an awkwardly lopsided smile. "Stories are nice."

"See? Even Sophia agrees!" Jackal said with a victorious pump of his arm while Erieai rolled her eyes again and mumbled something.

I managed a chuckle as I considered Sophia's words. They didn't exactly answer the question, yet, they didn't avoid it either - at least not completely. Another chuckle rose from me as I nodded slowly. "Stories from an old man like me, huh? What exactly do you want to hear about then?"

When posed with the actual possibility of a story from me, Jackal brought a hand to rub the back of his neck while a frown spread across his features. "Well, when you put it like that..." Looking to Erieai, the woman just shrugged.

"Well, how about your first unit? There aren't many public records about who you are, you know?"

"As there shouldn't be about me." It was a coarse reply and one I didn't mean. My face must have told differently as Erieai mumbled something resembling an apology. "It's better that not much is known about me."

"Why is that?" All eyes looked to Sophia as she asked the simple question. Shrinking back as if she had done something wrong, she added quickly, "If, you don't mind me asking, that is."

A few uncomfortable glances exchanged between Erieai and Jackal while Sophia kept her gaze on mine, despite having shrunk back against the blankets around her shoulders. A tired sigh wilted out of my lungs as I relented. A story was, after all, a story. Might even do me well to tell one. "I'll tell a story about my younger days then. After, I'm ordering everyone to rest."

orphans

03-09-13, 09:50 PM

Everyone here has probably heard of the stories about the first band of mercenaries ever to grace Seoyruun, correct? Of course you all have. Half the time when I'm just walking around the city I hear songs still being sung about their exploits. I'm just glad that no one recognizes me very often or remembers that I was their commander. Everyone knows me as the one who ended the second civil war.

Well, what if I was to tell you all that I never really did lead them? That I was more of a glorified translator to keep them in line? And that our first assignment was what set the second civil war in motion? I bet none of you would have guessed that. That's fine. It's why I'm telling you all now.

They came nearly forty years ago. Each of them bore identical tattoos to signify themselves as the Empire's Guard, Corone's finest few in a new foreign land. That was their official name. They called themselves the Crimson Sands and were only supposed to serve as front line fodder. We underestimated their abilities and found ourselves quickly indebted to them.

For the first time in years after our first civil war, we were able to drive back the beastmen of Roncoro away from the walls of Pretalia until they were back west across the twin Ankor Rivers. However, I won't lie to any of you. The fighting wasn't glorious nor was it an overwhelming victory, as they tell in the songs. Both sides suffered heavy losses and despite that fact, we continued to push without well established supply lines. I understood why.

The general of the Seoyruun main army, at the time, was nothing more than a novice forced to fill the shoes of his murdered father while the rest of the noble families squabbled with indecision amongst themselves in the capital. He was brilliant, but young, brash and inexperienced. Sure enough, that inexperience nearly got us all killed as he forced the enemy to fortify themselves around Arfezeria, the Ancient City.

I still remember the day too. Fresh snow had just dusted the ground and we were still recovering from a recent night attack. Dawn had barely broken when the camp's alarms sounded again and by the looks of it, the beastmen were throwing everything they had at us. They were becoming desperate, but so were we. Our numbers were barely half of what we started with and those that we had left wore the faces of starvation. When we finally drove them off, it was quite obvious that we would have to turn back or be wiped out in the next attack. Our general had lost a leg and was barely breathing when he finally issued the order to fallback.

The mercenary captain and her group, however, had other ideas. They refused to retreat and instead offered themselves to hold the position while everyone else retreated. It was a fool's errand to buy just a bit more time, yet despite that, I was drawn to her confidence and our general was in no condition to argue. In the end, I found myself staying by their side as I watched the army march away.

We were only eleven strong with no hope of holding for long. Imagine my surprise when she gave the order to skin our enemies and wear their hides and armor over our clothing. Needless to say, it was grotesque and although I was against such desecration of our enemies, my curiosity of her plan kept me silent. The enemy wouldn't be fooled so easily by such disguises. Regardless, we marched towards where they were fortified.

I eventually noticed as we walked on that my disguise seemed to have fused around me. Naturally, I was alarmed and began to pick at where I had sown it closed. As I did, a hand quickly stopped me and I found myself staring into the face of a grinning wulven. I recognized the voice as the mercenary captain as she simply just asked, "Surprised?" A moment later someone from their group wearing a skegull - a lizard skin - decided to inform me that it was his specialty to weave disguises. As long as I moved about in a natural manner, my "borrowed" skin will follow along. "Just try to ignore the memories that come along with it."

By nightfall, we made it to the outskirts of Arfezeria and we could easily see the fires and shelters of our enemies.

------

"How come they didn't camp in the city?" Everyone's attention snapped to Sophia as her form wilted under the blanket. "Never mind..."

The question made me laugh though as I grinned. "That was the same question the mercenary captain asked me as we neared. Like them, you're from offshore and wouldn't know about the legends we hold here."

------

"It's haunted," was all I could offer and it earned quite a few laughs from the mercenaries.

As we passed through the enemy's gates, however, I was surprised that the guards didn't even suspect a thing. Other groups were also arriving so they must have figured we were another scouting crew or stragglers that managed to group up. Whatever the case, the mercenaries didn't waste any time and all of them dispersed quickly once we were inside, leaving me alone with the captain. It was painfully obvious that I wasn't privy to their plans and when I finally decided to ask when we were secluded enough, her borrowed wolf skin just smiled at me and said, "Wait for it."

The two of us must have wandered the camp for another hour or so, but always roving around near the largest structure in the heart of their encampment. The several guards at the entrance marked it as something important and I figured we were going to take out whoever they were guarding.

I was only partially right.

Several explosions suddenly rocked the ground as screams and the sound of fighting filled the air. Even though I was inexperienced then, I could tell from the noise that it sounded more than the few of us fighting. Fire began to spread quickly as the beastmen used mostly wood and hides in their constructions. Luckily for us, it gave me and the captain an easy path into the main building.

Inside were stores of food, water, supplies and what I figured to be medicine - everything an army needed to stay alive. Before I could ask what the point was, she tossed me a pouch with several vials as she began to spread powder of some kind into several sacks. "Poison their water and supplies. It'll give us more than enough time. An army of this size will have to turn around."

As we finished, several beastmen slipped in and closed the door quickly. The mercenary members, I figured, as they quickly waved a signal to their captain. "That's that. Now we escape."

The very thought confused me. Escape? How? Where to? We were surrounded by enemies and anyone leaving the camp would be marked with suspicion. Regardless, I followed them and soon realized they intended to escape into Arfezeria. Both options were equally risky to me and as we slipped out in the confusion towards the ancient city, I noticed two were missing. The captain didn't even comment on it and I figured they must have already tested that theory. I never did bother to ask.

------

"Wait," Jackal quickly said as he leaned forward, "You mean to tell me you guys were the ones to awaken Arfezeria?"

I sighed with a shrug. 'Truthfully, I have no idea. We must have had a hand in it. The city was empty when we entered. Rodents and wildlife didn't even attempt to walk its ground and what vegetation there was, was sparse and dead. It wasn't until we entered one of temples did the ghosts appear. "

"Real ghosts?" It was hard to tell if Sophia really meant that question. The innocence in her voice suggested she knew nothing, and yet, I found that hard to believe. She was a Skalu Hudie, supposedly.

"The ancestral spirits really - I read about them in a few reports from excavation teams there. Mostly harmless if you leave them alone," Erieai said before I could answer. Turning to me though, she frowned. "It doesn't make sense, how did your group awaken anything? Even the artificer's guild has trouble making the simplest thing work there."

"Like I said, I don't know. As soon as we entered one of the temples, we were attacked by the ghosts and we fought them off for about ten minutes. Then, they just stopped and when I looked, one of them was bowing to us. When it was safe, I asked if anyone knew what happened. Instead, the captain was hoping I could tell them."

Disappointment was written all over Jackal's face as he leaned back with a few pops. "So let me get this straight. A small group of mercenaries and you managed to sneak into a Roncoro army, cause a lot of havoc, then escape into Arfezeria and then have the ancestral spirits apologize for you guys stepping into their homes uninvited?"

"Yes."

At the bluntness of my reply, Jackal began laughing. Trying to pick himself up, he slipped and fell over, still laughing. "I never figured you to have jokes, Oswald! Mahana strike me down, but, damn. You really had me there for a second." Finally getting up, he brushed himself off and began walking towards one of the shelters. "Hells, I don't even know what to make of you anymore!"

Erieai, on the other hand, seemed to have a hard time figuring out what she wanted to say. "Sir, why tell us this?"

With a small smile, I looked to Erieai and chuckled. "I thought I'd just share some history, that's all."

"I see." It was easy to see that Erieai was still troubled by what I said. Even so, she got up and respectfully bid me and Sophia a good rest. Politeness really didn't suit the eluvian woman. It was rather unnerving to experience.

"Oswald?" My eyes turned to Sophia before I gave her a nod to continue. "How did you end up escaping the city?"

"We didn't. The captain's plan worked and the enemy had to withdraw. Like I said, it was nothing glorious like in the songs. We just walked back with whatever supplies we could find so that we didn't die from hunger."

The girl opened her lips to ask another question, but then stopped. Part of me wished she'd just speak her mind. Instead, she got up and bid me a good rest as well. Left alone at the fire, I watched the flame fade to embers before I too got up.

SirArtemis

04-13-13, 06:49 PM

When Pell had come over to tell us that we were to rest for the night, I felt a sigh slip from my lungs as I rubbed the bridge of my nose from exhaustion. The strain from the brightness of the day had exhausted my vision and so I sauntered off looking for a place to sit. The others would need to eat, but my ring sustained me.

I found a soft patch of ground and just laid down, giving my body a bit of reprieve while my mind continued to race. Judicis seemed to recognize my desire to sort through my thoughts alone and kept silent. Yet it wasn't long before the familiar sound of voices, carried by a lingering breeze, took me out of my mind. It was Jackal at first, soon followed by Erieai and Oswald, and even Sophia. I didn't say anything, but decided to listen in. The story that ensued was hard to understand, as I wasn't from this land. Mentions of a haunted city and other legends of old were difficult to piece together, just leaving me feeling more detached from this strange world I was lingering in.

I felt as though I had jumped through time and space into a place that shouldn't have existed - a place that didn't exist. It felt surreal in its own way, and the unfamiliarity made me wonder if I were trapped in a magical dream like the ones I'd read about as a child in storybooks. I unsheathed Virtue and rested it on my stomach along with my hands, facing the small ventilation hole at the top of the dome that exposed the veiled sky. Slowly, I ran my thumb along the blade's engraved name.

Oswald mentioned battling ghosts, and given the context, it seemed they were literal ghosts. Yet day in and day out, I was battling my own ghosts; unlike Oswald, I didn't quite know how to fight them off. Certainly it wasn't with a blade of some kind, though that'd have been preferred.

How does one ever truly accept their past? At what point can we look back on that which was and let it go, rather than carrying it with us with every passing step like a weight chained to our soul? Had I been raised surrounded by an endless war like those of Seoyruun, perhaps death wouldn't sting me as harshly as it did now. Did my sheltered childhood, isolated from the typical activities of life, only end up hurting me more in the end?

I don't know. There really isn't a way to know for certain. What did matter to me was the reality of the moment, and that I had to find a way to not dwell on the past. After all, what good would it do to live in the past when there was the present all around me? I needed to change. And though I felt like an adult, I was gently reminded by the reality of the day that I was but a boy with a beard.

The fire finally died and the last sounds of rustling as whoever had remained, likely Oswald, turned in for the night. I closed my eyes and let my dreams take hold; at least for a short while, I could find reprieve. A shame that my ring, though meant to help, would leave me with only two hours of rest rather than eight; magic can be a funny thing at times.

_____________________________________________

When I woke, I was surprised to hear rustling by the fire, as I had expected everyone else to be asleep still. However, the embers were renewed with life and roaring again as Maybel sat nearby, stoking the coals as various vials hung over the flames. Beside the mage was a big bag full of empty shell casings and a knife stuck in the ground that he pulled out as he saw me coming.

"You're up early," he said as I strode over toward the fire pit.

"I feel I should say the same to you. My ring only lets me sleep two hours - what's your excuse?"

He shrugged at the question. "I don't really sleep much."

"Any particular reason?"

"Uh... just never have. I guess thinking too much. Just thinking"

I left it at that, knowing full well what he was talking about and that I wouldn't want to be prodded either. "So what are you doing exactly?"

"Making sure we have enough specialized ammunition for what's to come - at least for our group. I'd make more if I had time but I do what I can."

"Any way I can help?"

"Sure," he said, handing me a box full of the small casings. "Take off the caps of the shells and dump the powder into here," he said, giving a small demonstration with his knife. "Be careful with the shells obviously as they're going to be reused." He gestured to hand me a spare knife but I just smiled, showing him Virtue and he shrugged with a grin.

We sat quietly by the flames as I uncapped and emptied the shells one by one. The warm fire didn't bother me much as I still had my ever-useful gade undersuit. I glanced up once in a while to watch Maybel work with his alchemical ingredients. The dreariness of the dome after just a few hours was already beginning to weigh on me, but the bright bubbly colors of Maybel's munitions mixes made managing much easier. The random patches of grass and the slow brightening of the day almost made everything seem normal for a moment. Night slowly moved toward day and Maybel making breakfast over the coals made me feel almost at ease.

And as though the Thaynes didn't want me to enjoy even a moment, an extremely loud, shrill, obnoxious, unpleasant, and unbearable shriek filled the air. It was obviously not a sound of anything pleasant coming, and given Maybel's abrupt change in demeanor and the expression he wore, I could only deduce that this was an alarm.

SirArtemis

05-05-13, 04:28 PM

Everything beneath the dome suddenly accelerated with urgency I had only once seen before in my life, and it only meant one thing: battle was about to commence. Maybel’s expression said the same, and with a shout and a pointed finger, I knew my role. “Head through the beacon! I’ll catch up with you on the other side!” He ran off, and so did I – though in separate directions. Just as I sped off, I noticed Oswald out of the corner of my eye, and given the flash of anger on his face, I could only imagine how horrible the news could be.

The shouts all around me - orders, worries, battle cries even – showed quite plainly that everyone here had some sense of what to expect, even if they weren’t battle-hardened warriors. As I jogged on toward the beacon, my heart began to race as the anxieties of bloodshed and death swarmed over me, and the faces of my past cluttered my thoughts. For a moment, I lost myself, forgetting where I was or what I was even meant to do as my legs carried me onward while my thoughts held me back.

However, as my steps brought me unwittingly past two of the four pillars that marked the designated area of the beacon, I felt as though a spear had been struck through to my very core, strung with a rope and tugged upon as it pulled me forth to a place Thaynes only know how far from where I had stood a moment before. It was not the same sort of teleportation magic that I had been accustomed to, but I knew it to serve the same function.

When I stepped out and gathered myself, I could hear the cries of hundreds, thousands even, carried along the cold winds that swam past my ears like a symphony of agony and suffering. Men, women, beasts, and all sorts of other creatures and sounds unknown to me reminded me of the reality of my circumstances. What began as an exhausted escape onto a ship to flee from the harsh realities of war and wasted life brought me to the largest scale battle I had ever experienced, and may ever experience.

I wasn’t left to my thoughts long as before I knew it, Maybel pulled at my arm. “Come on, follow me! We have to get to the front! The others will already be there!”

I wasn’t given a choice really, and so I followed, letting my body carry me on instinct alone. We jogged quickly among a crowd, like a swarm of sheep being herded by the dogs of war.

“You four, break off and cover the left flank!” an officer yelled at Maybel and myself, as well as a pair running just ahead of us. With that, Maybel turned off the road behind the pair and into some alleys of the many buildings that surrounded us that must have been homes, similar to those in Pretalia. Steel and concrete formed these domiciles, and yet even still, many gave off a glow as fires burned in most as the contents were scorched to ash.

We ran along the muddy land, though sparse and small patches of grass, soon to be bathed red in blood, gave contrast to the dark and dismal surroundings. I quickly willed the magic within my boots to grow some studs upon the sole to help me with traction on the soft ground. As we turned around a bend, a trio of reptilian looking humanoids were running in our direction, flanked by a pair of feline companions with bows running along the rooftops.

Before we could even react, the felines let their arrows fly and struck the pair ahead of us. Instinctively, Maybel’s hand went to his holster and he drew his weapon, firing a shot quickly at the feline on the roof to our right and letting his other hand launch a fireball forth at the one across. Within a moment, both erupted in flames as I strained my legs to push me forward toward the trio of lizardmen ahead.

As I passed Maybel, I felt a rush of energy surge through my legs, urging me onward and giving me an ease of movement I hadn’t felt before. I could only assume some magic had been cast upon me, and as I came upon the three beasts I unsheathed my twin blades and leapt up to my left. As my left foot landed upon the surface of one of the many burning homes, the magic of my boots provided me with the traction I needed to push off and leap over the monsters.

As I turned in my flip, I saw the tips of their polearms raise up toward me in defense. I extended my arm out, flattening the edge of my blade and allowing the enchanted edge to cut the leading warrior just under the chin, slicing his head cleanly off with the ease of a warm knife through fresh butter. The pair who stood beside him and a step back managed to both clip me as I descended, leaving me with a slight cut on the right of my torso and my left shoulder.

Landing in a crouch, I turned quickly and so did the pair I had leapt over. My eyes looked past to Maybel and the two who had been struck. The one who had been hit in the chest lay still upon the ground, while the other broke off the shaft of the arrow that had found its way into his thigh. In that moment, Maybel sent forth a spear of ice out of his hand, bursting out of the chest of the monster to my right and dimming the light in his eyes. The other let his right hand fall off his spear and began casting a spell.

As he did, the magic still lingering in my legs helped me push forward fast enough to use the flat end of my blade to push his right arm out wide and drive Virtue deep into the beast’s chest. I felt the vampiric magic of the blade pull at the beast’s life-force as I held on, quickly repairing the cuts that had been left upon me and feeling its last breath as the body fell limp. I held the weapon in place as the weight of the body falling caused the blade to cut up and out through the rest of the creature’s body, slicing him apart. Blood spilled everywhere as the mud and grass beneath my feet was bathed in crimson, and as the corpse fell away, an interesting look spread across Maybel’s face.

I imagine he didn’t know I could do that.

orphans

05-20-13, 01:15 AM

"Oswald, from behind!"

It was good to know that my reactions hadn't dulled with disuse, but age certainly told me that I was being pushed to the limit. Whirling around, I reached out and snatched the ioaii blinking towards me. Surprise practically oozed from his eyes as I sent a shock of mana down my arm, causing his entire body to spasm. Another pulse of mana released him from my hand and away the mouse-like creature went before detonating in a fiery mess. "Tell me that was the last of them."

Pell laughed as he tugged an arrow from his left shoulder. "That seems so for now, the other ioaii pulled back." Grunting as he helped another nearby soldier up, he added, "Along with that wulven."

A quick glance around showed me just how much damage both sides took. Twelve soldiers at least were wounded badly while seven others lay motionless. One was in several pieces. Thankfully, from just body count alone, I could see that we came through with the upper hand.

"For an ambush, that went better than expected." Dusting himself off, Jackal approached me and jerked a thumb towards the wounded being treated by the magic support we had with us. "They're going to slow us, but we can't exactly run into another one of these without their help."

I shook my head. "We'll be fine. Inta!"

"Here, sir." The sight of the woman's cerulean hair matted with crimson had me momentarily worried, until I realized most of it wasn't her own.

"Take the wounded back with Jackal. The rest of us will push on towards our objective." The woman opened her mouth as if to argue, but then stopped and saluted quickly with a grimace. Reaching and rescuing the other Mana Knight on the field was paramount in reinforcing the beacon, or so we were told. "Yes sir."

As she moved off to assist the wounded, Jackal spoke up quickly, "With all due respect, Oswald, I'm a much better fighter than babysitter."

"And that is precisely why Inta and you are taking the wounded. The path back should be mostly clear, but just in case it isn't, you'll be there to make sure it is."

There was a perplexed smirk on the Jackal's face as he gave one of his usual, careless shrugs. "Man, you sure know how to sweet talk a guy into following orders. Fine, fine, I'll play shepherd boy."

A hand on my shoulder had me twist and look at Pell, who then pointed towards Sophia. "Might need to go talk to her, sir." My eyes turned to the young girl and something inside me nearly broke. There, beside the bodies of two ioaii, stood Sophia still with her sword held at the ready. The quick and steady rise of her shoulders told me that adrenaline was still coursing through her veins. Giving Pell a nod, he returned with what I supposed was an encouraging grimace before moving to rally those still able bodied.

As I neared Sophia, I saw blood trickling down her sword and dripping onto the sodden ground. Closer still, I could hear her ragged breathing. Her wings, while never fully colored, now looked to be bathed in crimson. "Sophia? Are you hurt?"

My voice made her jerk and turn to face me with her sword. Seeing who it was made her lower her blade, and with it, her eyes followed to rest where a dagger had been driven into her right side through her chainmail. "I think so..." Not only that, but a constant flow of red from her left arm indicated a gash of some sort. "It doesn't feel too bad though."

I wasn't sure if it was blind optimism or if she really couldn't feel it - either way, I chuckled. "Hold still, this might sting a little."

As I came closer, the girl held out her hand to stop me as she shook her head. "I - I'll do it." Worry etched itself upon my face, but I knew better than to stop someone with her sort of determination. Her very pride was at stake and destroying that would do me no favors. With one hand, she handed me her sword to hold. When I did she grabbed the handle of the dagger with both her hands.

The first experimental tug had the small girl gritting her teeth before taking in a few deep and quick breaths. "Do it quickly, it won't be as bad." A look of acknowledgement in her eyes met mine as she steeled her nerves. Bracing herself, she pulled fast and gave a scream of pain as the dagger left her body and fell into the mud at our feet. Without a word I offered her sword. She took it after wiping a bit of blood away from her lips. "Come on, let's get you patched up so you can join those heading back."

To my surprise, she shook her head. "I can't - I need to push on." Something about the way she said those words had me staring at her. They were familiar words - words that my own daughter had said to me her on final day. Simple words, and yet they sent a shudder through my very being. Something was very wrong with this attack.

orphans

05-27-13, 02:58 AM

It didn't take as long as I thought for Sophia to get bandaged up as our magic support was still treating the wounded infantry. What astounded me, however, was that the person who patched Sophia up was none other than our mute guide. Pell kept watch with a few of those who weren't injured as badly, and while we waited, the field commander's voice came through via my mana stone along with the shouting of orders being relayed in the beacon area.

Despite the fact that he was a fellow Mana Knight of my age, he had always gravitated towards planning of combat rather than the grisly bits. Nevertheless, when it came to battlefield strategy, having a man like Reginald Masters was a boon. The only issue you ever had to wonder about was whether or not you'd be able to live with the actions required of you, earning him the title of The Grim Tactician.

Regrettably what he said gave little comfort. "Oswald, we have reports of several dozen tulartars heading towards Sylvia's location. Her unit is pulling back slowly, but at the rate they're going they'll be overrun."

A grimace made its way to my lips as I replied quickly, "We're moving out as soon as we have our wounded treated."

"Sylvia should be your primary concern." Sylvia - the Mana Knight we were seeking, but one I did not personally know. From what I had heard, she was much younger than I was, perhaps the same generation as those of my unit. Regardless, even I had heard about her exploits in my years of drunken solitude. The woman had become a legend in her own time and was often referred to as The Maiden of War.

"My soldiers are my primary concern."

"About that - I've reassigned the mage and blacksmith attached to your group with auxiliary. They're making good progress in moving to recapture supplies. The eluvian you had is making her way towards your position with a combat squad of her own." A tired sigh passed from him as his voice came through with some irritation, "So as I've said, Sylvia is your main concern. Follow your orders and let me worry about providing the support where needed."

"Consider the orders done then." As Reginald's voice faded, I turned to the soldiers that still remained with a dark grimace upon my face. Tulartars were never good news but several dozen? If anything it confirmed my suspicions that there was something else at stake in this battle. Was the enemy making a desperate push or were they after something? In any case, there was no reason to alarm or panic those still with me. "Pell, we're moving out. Miss Ezraehie is bringing an eluvian squad to cover our rear and flank. I'm told that they'll also pick up our wounded." At the mention of Erieai, I caught a grin on Pell's face as he moved off to round up those able with no disagreement.

Soon enough, we were on the move again with a much smaller force now and after what the group had experienced, I couldn't blame them for being uneasy - I was like them once. It didn't help that the farther away we marched from the beacon, the more buildings were set aflame. If I didn't know any better, I could have sworn we were marching straight into the jaws of Hadia itself as the narrow, winding streets meant that every corner could be a trap or ambush. Even so, time was of the essence as I did not relish the thought of taking on multiple tulartars if we didn't have to - hells, it was difficult for most combat groups to even take down one of the giant bovine creatures.

Sounds of clashing steel, lights from magical discharges and yelling of soldiers ahead signaled we were close. Yet, before we could even react, a building to our right flank practically erupted as an armored tulartar charged out with a bestial roar, immediately goring a soldier badly while cleaving another in two with its oversized claymore. A swift hail of arrows from overhead sealed the fates of a few more soldiers as ioaiis, wulvens and skegulls surrounded us in force.

First thing was first: the feline archers - the cattyans - needed to be removed from the fight and I didn't have the time to just simply wipe them off the roofs above. As the few soldiers with me engaged, I raised my left hand and clenched a fist quickly. At once, a shimmering barrier glowed over us and I felt it quickly being amplified by the magic support.

Rushing a tulartar was never a bright thing to do and yet that was exactly what I did. It was what I had to do to draw its attention from the rest of my soldiers. The tulartar, armored in full plate, nine feet in height and half that in how broad its shoulders were resembled a wall of steel rather than something I could kill - well, easily. As I charged with a roar of my own, it swung. A blast of energy shot down my right sword arm as I deflected his blade just in time. There was momentary surprise in its movements as it parried several swings from my broadsword before it was able to keep me at bay with his reach.

Without warning, strong gusts billowed through the street and stirred the ashes into the air as a haze of blinding and suffocating debris. A glint of metal honing in quickly warned me to defend myself and as I threw up a barrier, I felt my greaves leave the ground before being hurled several feet away. Sharp, pained breath told of a broken rib or two as I forced myself to stand and focused myself to see through the ether of mana. What I saw had me questioning whether or not I was dreaming.

Soldiers on both sides were hindered as the unexpected storm swirled about while a single figure dashed from beast to beast, dispatching them quickly and efficiently. A familiar metal ring and the sound of arching electricity from the figure's blade had me whisper a single name: "Holly..." For the briefest second, I could have sworn the figure looked in my direction as it continued its rampage.

An ear shattering bellow from the tulartar reminded me of my duties as the winds died down. Seeing the creature shaking its helmeted head violently in an attempt to expel the dust and ash, I took my chances and charged once more. A blind swing came in wide from my left and was easily avoided as I slid along the ground. Surges of strength poured through my limbs as I swiftly rose and thrust my broadsword through the armored bovine's abdomen. Seconds later, a burst of light exploded from the beast's back and sure enough, I saw its eyes dim through the crevice of its great helm as I withdrew my blade.

Almost immediately after, a sword crushed against my left shoulder and would have sunk in deeply if not for my plated armor. Turning, I gave a thrust with my sword, but was unable to get a good angle at the snarling wulven. An abrupt spray of blood onto my face and a sword grinding through the wulven's back and out its chest had me sigh in relief. I shoved the creature off of me quickly and as I did, I caught sight of Sophia as my savior before she rushed off the rejoin Pell and the others holding the line.

Frantic shouts and screams approaching us from the direction we were headed warned me that our objective was approaching us instead. With it, it would mean more enemies as well and from the sounds of it, our side was losing. With the tulartar dead, however, my unit was able to regroup and thankfully just in time as the barrier above began to weaken. "Support, take out those archers!" There was little hesitance in our mages as they stopped their augmentations and began suppression with magic and gunfire at the archers above. Arrows rained back in response. I knew we would take casualties; however, it wasn't a careless gamble.

Within moments, I spotted the unmistakable form of our guide moving quickly above on the rooftops in a whirlwind of slashes as he... or she severed limbs and heads from the enemy archers above, effectively drawing their attention away from those on the street. It would be no reprieve from the rest of the battle though as the distinctive roars of more tulartars charged towards us, pushing back what remained of Sylvia's unit before them. The Maiden of War herself was doing her best to buy her men more time even though the heavy injuries she sustained slowed her retreat to a crawl. Nevertheless, it was impressive to see the woman keep three tulartars at bay by herself.

Running towards the incoming tide of beastmen, I could see it was obvious that we were losing this battle. I gritted my teeth knowing that sacrifices would have to be made in order to secure Sylvia, but I hesitated to give the order. As I cleaved and burned a path through flesh and fur to reach Pell and Sophia, one thought continued to play in my head: was that Holly? The gusts of wind and technique - even the weapon, all pointed to her, yet I couldn't be sure. Not until I could see her face.

"This isn't looking good, Oswald!" Pell shouted as he parried a skegull's spear. "Is there an actual plan or are we all just supposed to die here?"

I didn't answer him right away as I deflected another wulven soldier's scimitar and lunged with my broadsword to pierce its breastplate and heart. Casting a quick glance at the battle on the street, it certainly did look as if all of us would be dead soon. "Fight our way to Sylvia and her unit, then we fall back."

A sudden shriek of pain snapped my attention to Sophia as an ioaii stabbed a dagger into the girl's side. Before I could move to help, however, the girl drew a knife from her hip and began stabbing the rodent repeatedly as her free hand grappled and held the creature against the ground. Certain that it was dead she quickly retrieved her long sword and readied herself, back to back with a fellow soldier. "And protect Sophia."

Without warning, the body of a cattyan plummeted to the ground with our guide landing a second later to sever its head. It was then that I noted the mask was missing and so was the white and red mane attached to it. For the first time, I could see the faded brown hair streaked with grey and when our guide turned, I saw the unmistakable hazel eyes of my wife. A streak of crimson ran down from her head and dripped periodically from her chin as she stared back at me.

At that moment, I forgot myself and where I was. Nothing seemed to matter - the burning buildings, enemies trying to cut me down, my mission... none of it. Questions by the thousands clouded my mind as well as anguish, anger, and regret.

"More archers from above!" Pell's voice jerked me out of my daze and from the looks of it, Holly too. Arrows hailed down with a vengeance upon those still alive and before I could raise a barrier, two hit dangerously close to my heart. None of those around me were left unscathed.

"Mother Holly!" Sophia's shout seemed to echo through the air as she defended my wife and apparently, her mother.

It was then that I watched with horror as an archer on the roof lined its sight on the pair. With whatever strength I could muster, I surged a ball of fire towards the feline, but not before the arrow had loosed from its weapon.

The arrow struck true into the back of Sophia's head and at the moment, silence rang in my ears. It was as if my nightmares were manifesting themselves before me. Once more I would have to bear witness to a child die while protecting her parent. And as I watched her body fall and lie still in the blood-soaked mud of the street I felt the fight in my body beginning to ebb. Not only had I failed my mission, I failed the only woman who had mattered to me, again.

"Azza...? Azza no... AZZA!" I could only assume the name my wife screamed was Sophia's true name as she cradled the dead girl to her chest.

As I continued to watch while the battle still raged around us, the body of Holly and Sophia began to glow white, softly at first, and continued to grow in intensity. Arrows that continued to fall on the two clattered harmlessly to their sides. Something about the sight made me recall when I destroyed the pendant all those years ago. There was no malice though in the aura that radiated and as it spread along the ground, I came to the realization that perhaps all the legends were true.

There was no longer any doubt in my mind that the girl slain before me was a Skalu Hudie, and as the white glow moved to engulf my consciousness, I prayed for the first time in decades that those still alive here wouldn't meet a fate similar to Old Pretalia Castle.

SirArtemis

05-27-13, 06:01 PM

“Damn it, there’s no end to them!” Maybel yelled, and I found it hard to disagree. We had regrouped with nearly two dozen soldiers and given the command to recover supplies, and though we had arrived at the destination, it seemed as though we’d be over-run. It felt like I was being swarmed by a zoo outbreak. Beastmen…beastpeople…beasties…? Hell, they were just like people, but all merged with something or other – mice, wolves, cats, lizards, bulls (big-ass bulls). I suppose it would be all rather fun if it were in the Citadel… but it wasn’t… and I could actually die.

“Good thing my blades are made for this!” I yelled, pushing forward and slicing up more of the creatures as I sprinted about, cutting tight corners and dismembering any who got in my way. The studs of my boots kicked out chunks of mud as I made my way through their ranks, magic filling my body as the few support mages surrounding me saw I was the best target for their attention. Needless to say, I lost count of how many I’d struck or what I was doing and simply went with instinct.

“Mahana be damned, good thing he’s on our side,” Maybel mumbled before firing a bolt of ice from the palm of his hand. “Wait ‘til Oswald hears about this!”

Just a brief few minutes passed and we had dispatched what was left of their group, half the unit storming the supply buildings and beginning to collect what we had been ordered to. They came out with crates full of weapons and munitions. Meanwhile, I walked back over to Maybel, giving a quick flick of my daggers to clear them of blood. He simply shook his head at me as I approached.

“Blacksmith, huh?” he said with a smirk. I just shrugged at the question, not bothering to answer. Suddenly his smirk fell away as he looked up and behind me. I turned and followed his gaze, seeing a bright white beam of light pierce the sky not too far off. “It’s expanding…” Maybel said under his breath. “That definitely can’t be good.”

“Really?!” was all I could manage, sarcastically of course, before the light accelerated outward with such pace that there was nothing I could do but squint my eyes at the brightness. And just as quickly, all went dark.

________________________________________________

“Artemis!” I heard a voice, and it was familiar, but everything was still foggy. It didn’t help that I was being shaken, which people seem to think makes waking someone up better. It doesn’t. “Artemis, wake up, we have orders to move out and regroup at command.” Then I realized who was talking. The mention of orders meant it was Maybel.

“Five more minutes…” I mumbled, my head lolling from one side to the next.

“Ah forget it, I’ll come back for you.” With that, the shaking thankfully stopped and I was able to sort through my thoughts. I opened my eyes to see that the dust had figuratively settled. The battle was over. Somehow the wounds of those still alive had healed, but those dead were still dead. The fires that were raging all around us had all died out as well and charred skeletons were all that remained. As I stood, though still slightly stiff from the shockwave of white light that had struck, I began helping everyone up as we all dragged ourselves across the quiet battlefield and to command. It was an eerie walk, with barely a word spoken between anyone aside from orders.

When we had finally arrived at command and entered the large dome structure, like the many others I’d seen in the past month, Maybel and I found our unit, who were thankfully all there – except for Sophia. They were all beat up, at least externally, but all seemed in good health regardless. Oswald was off to the side, speaking to a woman who I believe had been our guide earlier, but had taken off the mask. Go figure, I had thought it was a man too. It was odd to see the old man with so much emotion upon his face. I figured it had something to do with Sophia missing, and I couldn’t help but worry about the girl.

Nearby a beautiful woman with blonde hair began to approach Oswald, and given how she carried herself, I could only imagine she was of some sort of importance. I noticed her carrying a kopesh, given its distinctive shape, as well as a shortsword sheathed by her side. A few quick words were exchanged between herself and the old man before he and the guide followed. Maybel gave me a nudge and the entire unit all crowded around a relatively large table with an enchanted map upon its surface.

Standing at the table waiting for us all was a man with black hair, cut like the rest, but peppered with stray grays. His hands were tucked into the small of his back and his face showed many years of experience and difficult decisions. His stern and stoic gaze examined every one of us from head to toe as he waited for us to approach. Surrounding him and a few steps off from the table were nearly a dozen other officers, all watching our approach as our unit surrounded the table and joined the man.

“Reginald,” the woman began, “I was able to recover some mission orders off one of the Tulartar’s bodies.” She pulled a scroll from her pocket, swinging her kopesh over her shoulder, and reading aloud. “The orders state: The World Ender must be killed at all costs and cannot be allowed to reach the City of Old.”

“Thank you Sylvia. However, this changes nothing – we proceed as planned.” The man’s response held a level of authority that signified his rank, and the grainy voice that strained to make the words come out showed a history of drinking that rivaled even a dwarf’s from the mainland.

“Yes sir,” she responded curtly.

“I’m going after the World Ender,” the guide said, which genuinely confused the hell out of me. The guide? Really? As she spoke, she turned and went toward what looked like a pile of supplies.

“I’m going with her,” Oswald added. “It was my duty to ensure her safety in the first place, by the Queen’s orders. I will not fail my mission.”

Reginald stared at the pair with an obvious look of disapproval. “Some things never change,” he mumbled, further leaving me confused as hell. “This is a suicide mission. Do not expect me to provide you any more support than the supplies in that box you’re rummaging through.”

“I didn’t ask for any,” the woman said, her back facing the man but not diminishing the command in her voice as well.

“You don’t even know where to begin to look,” Reginald added, though his comment was ignored. However, at that moment an eluvian scouting squad radioed in to command: there was a strange trail of vegetation leading in the direction of Arfezeria, the Ancient city. The guide stood, turning to Reginald and giving him a condescending smirk.

“I’ll be joining them,” Pell added, and when Reginald turned a surprised look at him, the man could only shrug.

“As will I,” Maybel added. “I consider it a privilege and opportunity.” He saluted quickly, and turned to join the guide by the crate.

“My reasons are my own, but I’m going as well,” the eluvian woman added, crossing her arms across her chest.

“Yeah, what Erieai said.” Jackal pulled out his knife and began tossing it in the air, a smirk spreading across his face.

“My orders are to stay by Oswald’s side, as his aide, and I will not betray our Queen,” Inta added with a salute of her own.

I shook my head and lowered my gaze. I was so exhausted. I was so tired of everything. I just wanted to go home. I wanted to be away from all of this. But my unit had already spoken. With a sigh, I mumbled two words that encompassed how I had felt since the day the ship had made port on this bizarre island.

“Fuck it.”

Otto

06-15-13, 06:50 AM

Plot: 20/30

Storytelling: 8/10
The overarching story has been very well partitioned, with this current instalment standing up wonderfully by its self yet also fitting smoothly into the larger work. Orphans, your ability to cycle through the perspective of all these different characters really helps to bring them alive, and is done without any sort of jarring. Artemis, your character’s summary of their arrival at Seoyruun told me, in colourful terms, both what had happened since the end of the last thread, and how Artemis has perceived events; very efficient, very good. The story developed enough to stay interesting throughout, and I must applaud you for the ending, both of you. It was a hell of cliffhanger, epic in scope, but also strikingly personal.
Now, Inta’s back story was brought up early on, and quickly dropped. Despite the early promise of some development of the relationship between her and Ironmane, this wasn’t really followed through, and her part shifted slowly towards insignificance. Also, there was something insincere about the intra-military dynamics, even parts of Oswald’s meeting with the queen; for people holding such auspicious positions, there was a remarkable lack of discipline and etiquette.

Setting: 5/10
This area definitely needed work, although, to be fair, Artemis frequently did a decent job of describing the setting. Your writing, though, orphans, would have benefitted greatly from describing the environment in greater detail than you often did, or by describing it at all. The tavern at the start was decently envisioned, although including sounds and light levels to the mix would have enriched things. However, much that occurred afterwards, up to the finale battle, was lacking.
Although you generally did a better job in that regard, Artemis, both of you seemed unwilling to really utilise the environment around you. Picture the burning city: how is the heat affecting the characters, the smoke, the ash flying in their eyes? Do streets flanked by blazing houses make passage down some a slow, agonising and certain death? The closest you got was during Holly’s sudden appearance - the exception, not the norm.

Pacing: 7/10
You both did a fine job in pacing this story out. Although there was much to tell, both past and present, exposition was clear and unobtrusive (probably as it was used sparingly), and back stories coalesced from titbits given throughout the thread, rather than having them forcibly crammed in. And overall, the pacing suited the slower, plodding intrigue and introspection of the early parts of the thread, then jolted awake to meet the demands of a hectic battle.
You’ve both shown skill in layering your writing with meaning and techniques, but you missed the opportunity to let this area bring your setting score up, too. In those long, drawn-out moments when Oswald is reflecting on the damage left by war, why not have him see it in the marks left upon the city? This occurred somewhat in Artemis’ posts (see the trip to the temple), but your writing would have really benefitted from something like this, orphans. Use the activity of the setting to speed up and slow down the world around you.

Character: 20/30

Communication: 7/10
There were a few things which did not fit, or could have been improved upon. As mentioned above, the dialogue between a) Oswald and his subordinates and b) between Oswald and Mara was informal to the point of incredulity. I could understand such occurring between Oswald and subordinates he had a long service history with, and with whom he was on very good terms – but not the squad of personnel he had never met. As for the casual nature of the exchange between Mara and Oswald, well, again, it might be likely in private, but in the middle of court, and surrounded by nobles?
By and large, though, dialogue was sincere, expressive, and seemed to come naturally. Each character was distinct. It was only slightly impacted by poor grammar within characters’ speech, which can cause it to deviate from natural rhythms and come off as a little jarring – see post 7, for example, when the queen says “Please Oswald, stand in my presence”; something as simple as inserting a comma to give “Please, Oswald...” immediately conjures up a sense of the flow and inflection given to it.

Action: 6/10
I was struck by how easily Oswald gave up drinking. Seriously. As I understand it, the man has developed a severe dependence – an addiction – to the stuff to cope with both the loss of his family and the aimlessness in his life. Yet, he just gave it up, with hardly any mention of how difficult it was. Not only is this unrealistic, but you also missed out on an opportunity to probe Oswald's character a bit deeper and flesh him out.
A less important instance of uncharacteristic action would be how Jackal and Erieai left just before Oswald concluded his story in post 17; it clearly wasn’t over (or it was, in which case, it was just confusing), so why couldn’t they wait another 10 seconds?
The combat scenes were fairly well written, though a little confusing at times. Example: in post 19, how could Artemis reach past his enemies’ polearms with a dagger? Whether they were moving too slowly, or if Artemis slipped between them, isn’t stated. Apart from this, things were usually pretty clear.
The thread had some powerful moments in it – ranging from Oswald’s understated laughter when he finds the scented ribbon, to the scene in which the arrow flies into Sophia’s skull. The latter actually surprised me, and those such as the former, though littered through the thread, weren’t enough to bring the score up. Still, good job.

Persona: 7/10
Developing your character’s persona was not limited to action and dialogue - both of you write expressively, which, given the first-person perspective, really helped flesh out each person’s persona. I should like to point to the first paragraph of pot #9 as one particularly fine example, which also repeated and reinforced Artemis’ sentiments given earlier in the thread.
As for the dialogue and action-driven stuff, that also worked fairly well except for one thing, and this was Holly and Sophia’s (dead Sophia, that is) persona. Given how important they are for fuelling our sympathy towards Oswald’s tragic past, this came off as a glaring mishap. I refer to the following:

"Father, will we be enough?" Even though it was only a memory, seeing my daughter's bandaged form always tore at my heart. Strands of walnut brown hair stained with sweat and blood clung to her face as she gave a hesitant smile. "Or are you trying to compete with mother in kills, again?" she asked with her hazel green eyes starting up at me innocently - eyes that she had inherited from her mother.

My wife only chuckled and gave our daughter a small pat on her head. "Don't worry sweetie, I always kill more," was all she offered as she brushed past me quickly towards the fray.

Is this what we are supposed to feel sympathy towards? Oswald himself recognised that the men and women he fought against as simply being those of his countrymen who had the misfortune of being on the wrong side of the lines when they were drawn. I’m afraid that, after this point, the tragedy in Oswald’s past becomes noticeably less tragic.

Prose: 20/30

Mechanics: 6/10
Commas seemed to give both of you a lot of trouble. They were frequently missing from conjunctions (example: “... as Erieai stepped up beside us also ready and following us out the door”, post 13; a comma after ‘beside us’ would prevent the clumsy-looking run-on sentence), but while this was very frequent, it was not a major issue. The same goes for the commas which were regularly absent after interjections, transitional phrases and such. A bit more serious were the ambiguous sentences arising from missing commas, e.g. “Turning, I saw a few had already left and decided that Inta could handle introducing herself” (post 8), infers that the squad, not Oswald, decided that Inta could introduce herself. You needed a comma after ‘left’ to clarify.
A few sentences lacked ‘objects’, and/or needed to be linked to the preceding sentence (through formation of a compound sentence, perhaps, or by beginning with a transitional phrase) – consider the following (post 5): “The customary greeting one gave to elders of great repute and Mana Knights”. That was a standalone sentence, and means nothing by itself. There were also a few outright awkwardly worded passages, as in post 9: “... taking the distraction away from what was to come”. This referred to the free week (I think) that the squad had before the mission, and it is – when read in context – meant to say that their leisure time distracted them from their fate, but the wording actually means that this distraction was removed by their free time, so in fact, their looming fate loomed clearer in their minds.
Apart from that, there were a couple of typos (calling Oswald ‘Oswold’, for one), some awkward redundancy/repetition (post 13: “added on to add”), and slight misuse of punctuation other than commas (overuse of ellipses, and question marks lacking from rhetorical questions – they’re still questions). Also, mind your tenses! Getting them mixed up makes you sound like a Lutece.

Clarity: 8/10
I have mentioned a few things which impacted negatively on the thread’s clarity; when Jackal and Erieai leave the campfire early (made me think the story was finished, and re-read it a couple of times to see if I missed anything), a bit of the combat, and poor grammar/sentence structure. Post 21 was a little jarring, in that there was no indication of the passage of time, and yet all of a sudden, Artemis had met up with Reginald (or his subordinates) and was carrying out his orders.
And yet, all the mystery and intrigue that you wove in to the story was done well enough to lure me onwards, without causing me to stop in bafflement. The vast majority of your writing was crystal clear, hindered only by the odd hiccup rather than any glaring plot holes or spates of muddled prose. It’s an impressive feat, given that you were expanding the narrative in a number of directions at the same time. Just focus on making your sentence structure a bit clearer, and ensuring the credibility of your characters’ actions, and I can see you getting a 9 or 10 here.

Technique: 6/10
There was a smattering of simile and metaphor (“amber colored bottle of anesthesia”, post 2 – though it was a little strange that Oswald thought of it in those exact words in his own head; “... allowed my past to spread through my mind like weeds and vines...”, post 15), some effective use of repetition (Sophia telling Artemis “It’ll be okay” in post 11; “They drifted. I drifted”, post 15). Unfortunately, it was a little sparse.
There was also some good use of layered writing – telling two stories at once. I’m thinking of the trip to the museum, which elaborates on the explosion at the castle, while developing Artemis and Sophia’s relationship and also pondering the significance of the latter. As above, though, it was a little underutilised, and you could have afforded to continue with this towards the end, to add some more depth to the conclusion.

Wildcard: 7/10
This is a fun, intriguing, touching, and let’s not forget epic story. That you’ve written something with this breadth of experience is fantastic. Just polish up on your structure, give your character’s actions a little bit more thought and really focus on the setting, and I can imagine that your final instalment will be exceptional.

Total: 67/100

SirArtemis receives 1150 experience and 160 gold.

orphans receives 1740 experience and 260 gold.