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Post by Richter Abend on Nov 13, 2009 17:22:34 GMT -6
After the soldiers had finished packing up their tents and equipment, Richter had given the order for them to move out. The army had been traveling for a few days when Richter looked up from his horse. He could see the Ostian mountains in the distance about a day's travel away. Their snow capped peaks stood out from the flat grasslands that they were currently traversing. The sky was dark and tempermental, the winds creating ripples and waves on the oceans of grass around them.
The soldiers were in relatively high spirits, excited for what lay ahead. What new mission did the Prophet have for them now? Richter remained solemn when he though of the battle ahead. Many good men would die, there was no doubt. He looked around at his soldiers. They were talking, laughing, telling stories of their normal lives to pass the time during the long trek across the Sacaen plains. Many of these good men wouldn't be able to return to their lives or children. Each of these men knew that. They knew of the perils that came with doing the Prophet's work.
That was the price of war. Only the blood of men and the clash of steel could change the course of history. It just probably wouldn't go as the Prophet intended. The army he had raised and given to Richter; that would be the army used against him. That would be his downfall.
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Nov 13, 2009 17:44:23 GMT -6
Valorian had kept his distance from the others in the troupe lately. He'd confided in Jya mostly, the only one who knew his true plan. He didn't want to get too close to the soldiers, since he knew most of them would just wind up dying in the coming battle, probably because of him.
But Richter, oh he paid attention to him. He didn't know much about him. But a simple sell sword, leading a section of the Inquisitional Army? It made no sense...There was something about him that was not right, and Valorian intended to find out what.
And he still needed to find a way to get this message to some Lycian nation that would be able to help...this was getting out of control.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Nov 14, 2009 21:34:42 GMT -6
"Well Commander, We've almost made it to Ostia's border. What should we do now?" Clair was with the commander, looking out at the dark skies contrasted by the peaks in the distance. She was fully armored and carried her slim lance, having learned the hard way to not be without her weapon, even in camp.
The army around them stretched across the plains. It was hard to grasp that she had become a part of this army, and that they were marching on Ostia.
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Post by Theian Geian Makarn on Nov 14, 2009 22:07:03 GMT -6
"No... no no no nononononNONONONONO! Where'd they go?! Nageb, Mange?! OH COME ON!"
Theian is in the middle of the grass, looking around, trying to find his friends. He had met Nageb, the archer, along with Mange, the cleric, while playing another card game at the inn(where he lost again.) They were from Eutrica and had taken the wrong turn into Ilia, and Theian decided to follow them as they went through a valley in the mountains to get to Bern.
"We must have gotten seperated at.... oh, we could have gotten lost anywhere! This entire place is FREAKIN' GRASS!" He kicks the ground in frustration. Man, first the winter wonderland, now the green ocean. Will luck ever come to him?
Maybe it has already come! Men were passing by in the distance. Mercenaries? No, too many people... might be an army. Either way, joining them means food, pay, and a chance to play with his sword. He runs, wondering what awaits him...
"Man, they're farther than I expected them to be! I hope I can reach them, or maybe... they'll see me..." He continues running, hoping they notice him...
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Post by Jya on Nov 14, 2009 22:48:53 GMT -6
Jya walked through the terrain with ease, but she was somewhat lost. Somehow, her wandering had made her lose track of Valorian. It was probably her own fault, constantly getting distracted from analyzing the area. She had been careful, keeping track of any noticeable land formation, just in case they needed to retrack their steps. At least there were soldiers around the area, making them hard to miss.
Trying her best, she tried to get the attention of one of them, but ended tripping on top of one.
"What!? Get off of me girl!" the soldier hollered, angry with her clumsiness.
"Sorry, sorry, I just wanted to ask if you've seen the small Bishop man..." she tried her best to dissolve his anger, but obviously failing.
(OOC: Anybody want to help her out?)
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Post by Kynlis on Nov 14, 2009 23:00:18 GMT -6
As they had marched toward the Ostian Pass, Kynlis had fallen into her role in the army. After a little 'convincing', she had managed to get placed as one of the scouts around the flanks to make sure nothing suprised them. It was thanks to this that her eyes, sharper than normal due to archery training, spotted a figure running toward the marching army.
"Either that's a messenger with an important message for the commander," she mused, "Or an idiot. I mean who runs toward an army?" As the figure came closer, she was able to notice that his clothing didn't seem to match Etruria's colors. "An idiot it is," she chuckled to herself.
Now that the figure had been confirmed as an unknown, she drew a modified arrow - it had a long red cloth tied to it that billowed in the wind. These were used to signal the army that something had happened and to send a few men to the scout's location. A black cloth would have indicated hostile forces.
As the signal arrow flew into the sky, she nocked a regular arrow and took aim at the figure as he closed in on her position. "Halt, in the name the Prophet!"
She really hoped he stopped. While she wasn't too far from the army, it would still take a minute or so for them to get there.
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Post by Theian Geian Makarn on Nov 14, 2009 23:12:55 GMT -6
Theian stops, seeing the archer aim at him. Great, they noticed me... and they have an arrow with a flag... I have a bad feeling... He walks over, casually, slowly.
"Hello! In the name of the Prophet, huh? Odd how a prophet needs an army. Well, I must say... quite a group. Name's Theain, make a note of that. I've come here for a chance of some gold in my pocket and some food in my stomach. I'm from... well, my hair says it all. Parents are from Sacae, and I was born... 'round the border of Bern. Ah, I've been talking for too long. I have a sword and I'll join for cash." He brushes off some dirt on his clothes and leans back a little, waiting for a reply.
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Post by Kynlis on Nov 14, 2009 23:29:42 GMT -6
"I said halt!" Kynlis barked out to keep him from hearing the nervousness in her voice. "If you're looking for employment, just wait there. You'll be escorted to the commander soon enough."
"Dammit, where are those guys?" She kept her eyes on Theain ready to loose her arrow if he came any closer, her ears listening for the sound of soldiers.
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Post by Theian Geian Makarn on Nov 14, 2009 23:37:53 GMT -6
Theian stops leaning, and gets out a flask he filled with water before he left. "Man, relax. You don't have to be all tense like that. Loosen up." He takes a sip, and sighs.
The air is nice. Ah, how I missed the smell of Sacae. Reminds me of uncle Psoal. Theian sways a little, and closes his eyes, inhaling the deep air. I bet this girl thinks I'm a freak or something.
"Hey, let's talk. How's life been treating you? Not bad, not good? What battles have you gone to, who have you killed? Met any good swordsmen? Sacaens? I bet you met my cousin, Kabie! Really good nomad... Just talk, I'd love to know what I'm joining."
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Post by Richter Abend on Nov 15, 2009 0:42:33 GMT -6
Richter turned to Clair, slowly swaying back and forth with the gait of his mount. "Our destination is the Ostian Pass," said Richter coolly. "Border or no, I have been ordered to bring the army there. I doubt we'll have any issues with some sort of 'border patrol' army or what have you. If anything, Lycian forces would be at the Gap awaiting possible invasion. That's why the pass is the best place to enter Ostia..." Richter looked to his right and spotted Jya being harassed by a soldier, or was it the other way around? "Hold on..." he said to Clair, holding up a hand.
"Soldier!" shouted Richter, getting the soldier's attention. The man turned to Richter and saluted from a distance, he visibly angry and Jya visibly distraught. "Take the girl to the blond haired monk in the back! That's probably who she's looking for!" At Richter's words, the soldier cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, not knowing exactly which monk he was talking about. In response, Richter made a "small" gesture, at which the soldier instantly keyed in and nodded, motioning for Jya to follow him and saying something Richter couldn't hear.
Turning back to Clair, Richter paused. "Ah, where was I? Oh, right. The Ostian Pass is perfect for our approach because it's large enough for our force to move through, but not large enough for Lycian forces to expect any major assault. That's why we're a perfect reinforcement force."
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Valorian
Sage
[M:-1030]
Where there is life, there is hope.
Posts: 484
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Post by Valorian on Nov 15, 2009 4:31:22 GMT -6
Valorian had been lost in thought when a soldier had called to him. He looked up from his thoughts to see the soldier practically dragging Jya, and he smiled knowingly.
"Ah. I'm sorry Jya, were you looking for me? Thank you for assisting her." He said, saying a small prayer for the soldier. "To assist those in need is to bestow the gift of the Saintess herself." He then turned to Jya with a wry smile.
"What's the matter? Causing trouble are we? Or did you get distracted? At any event, you should stay here just in case...See, I'm not the best fighter, and if someone were to attack me, I'd need an ally. So would you be so kind as to be my 'bodyguard'?" He asked her.
He knew that Jya was good enough to hold her own, but she wasn't a soldier. At any rate, there were some ulterior motives behind his request...
And then the march seemed to stop. Valorian arched and eyebrow in confusion. "Is there something going on up front?"
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Nov 17, 2009 16:35:45 GMT -6
Clair rode on Corona, his wings tucked tightly so as to not be overly buffeted by the winds. She looked over and noticed the black haired girl that assisted Valorian, as she had heard the young bishop's name was. She watched as the a soldier led her away, back towards where the clergyman marched.
Richter turned back to her, and continued. "Ah, where was I? Oh, right. The Ostian Pass is perfect for our approach because it's large enough for our force to move through, but not large enough for Lycian forces to expect any major assault. That's why we're a perfect reinforcement force."
Clair nodded in understanding. "We'll catch them blindsided then. While they're busy with another force." The breeze was gusting occasionally, showing itself capable of fairly stiff winds. Flying in this would be doable, but her and Corona's inexperience would severely hamper their usefulness.
The wind shifted and blew some of her light colored hair across her face. Turning her head slightly to aid in clearing her face, she noticed a long, red, billowing cloth launched into the air on the side of the army. It was a prearranged signal from their scouts. They had located someone.
Clair pointed to the signal flag in the distance. "Commander! Look!"
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Post by Theian Geian Makarn on Nov 17, 2009 23:17:50 GMT -6
Theian notices that the army had stopped now. If I was the one that caused this army to stop.... That would either be awesome, or the worst thing that could have happened to me ever since the poker games...
"Um... Why did everyone stop? Is there something ahead?" He turns and looks toward the front, wondering what had happened... or, more importantly, what will happen to him.
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Post by Richter Abend on Nov 18, 2009 1:19:03 GMT -6
Richter nodded towards Clair, but stopped his horse, holding up his hand up as a signal to stop the half of the army behind him. "Does it have anything to do with why we've stopped marching?" asked Richter, annoyed. "I haven't given the order to stop." Richter pointed towards the signal. "Clair, you go scout it out. I can't just leave the soldiers here."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Nov 18, 2009 17:47:15 GMT -6
The army behind them started rippling to a halt as Richter signaled. Soldiers called out his command farther back, their voices echoing in along the stretch.
Clair listened to the Commander's order and offered a quick "Yes Sir." She moved Corona off to a safe distance, near a clearing in the soldiers. She leaned forward and whispered into her pegasus' ear, stroking him softly as the wind continued to buffet. "Ok boy, let's get up there. We've done this before."
Corona gathered himself and tried to launch into the air, but was forced back down by the wind, having to run a few steps along to stop his movement. A few soldiers looked like they were ready to bolt out of the path of the flying horse before he managed to stop. Clair was a little embarrassed at the failed launch. Now she knew why her mother had always said she hated sacaen winds.
Moving back to their first position, She felt Corona ready to leap and prompted him into the sky. This time, they managed to catch the wind right, and were immediately hoisted into the air. The two sailed toward where they saw the signal flying from. Upon approaching, Clair saw that the scout was Kynlis, and that she was holding a man at arrow tip. He looked to be a swordsman.
They touched down, a little rougher than usual due to the weather, and Clair dropped off of Corona. "Hail Kynlis! What's happened? Who's this?" She stepped up next to Kynlis and looked at the stranger.
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