Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jan 1, 2011 23:32:16 GMT -6
Marle just couldn't help but chuckle at his guess. She wished she truly did deserve the honor that she brought with the rank, but really, there wasn't anything so glorifying as that. As her chuckle dwindled, she didn't avert her eyes as she prepared to speak, but still, she felt a touch intimidated by Richter. He had the legacy in his name afterall, hard to compare herself to him, but she tried.
"Nothing as grand as that, but yes, I did kill a wyvern, with aid of course, I could not kill such a large beast on my own."
Marle just sighed and remembered back, thinking of Saturos and Syana. She wondered how they were doing, were they still in Eturia? Hopefully not. That had been some good time. Still it bothered her, what the hell was a 'Snow Beast?'
"I don't know how I attained my position, but it's...a unique experience to say the least, jumping ranks so quickly. Perhaps I showed an able spirit to the General when I fought him, I'm not sure. Or perhaps it was my assignment in which I participated in which cemented it truly, I'm not sure...That was one of the worst days of my life, tell the truth."
Marle left it ambiguous, she was uncomfortable, talking about it, it was not something of glory, but of pure, rank death. Still it was unclear to her, if she was the cause of the totality of it, or was it just inevitable in the results? What a disaster...
"What about you, Commander?" Marle added with a slight muse, after being referred o her own rank. "How did you end up fighting for the Eturians?"
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Alaric Kyyneltya
Novice
Disregard Pegasi, Aquire Wealth
Posts: 64
Profession: Drunken Mercenary
Affinity: Wind
Profile: Alaric
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Post by Alaric Kyyneltya on Jan 2, 2011 2:02:00 GMT -6
Walking down the trail, Alaric was trying to manage to step in the footsteps of the men ahead of him in the thick snow. He was the second to last in the column, an archer behind him. He had no trouble keeping up with the rest of the group. Suddenly the column halted.
"Whazzhe hold up, bozz?" The man in front of him asked in a stumbling stupor. The broadsword-wielding drunk was holding a flask, probably thinking a drink would keep him warm.
"Shut up!" The archer exclaimed, reaching over Alaric to bop the drunk man in the head with his bow.
"Keep eet down, would yeh? I think I hear somthin' ahead." The leader sternly spoke, shaking his fist to the back of the seven man column. Alaric tried to listen closely, but the man in front of him was still grumbling and grimacing.
'What the hell is going on? Wild animals? Bandits? Cowardly Eturians fleeing from their country? Gah, it better be for a good reason, I want to keep mo-' Alaric started to think, but the leader turned around and started walking back. "What is it?" Alaric asked, laying a hand on the hilt of his unused blade. The man didn't reply, but looked upward to the mountain they were traveling on.
He looked back at his men. Alright, boys. There's somethin' headin' thisa way, let's find some hiding spots in these mountains here. Ya know what ta do. The others nodded and pushed through the snow-covered saplings on the side of the trail. The leader was escorting the horse-drawn cart to a small alcove. Alaric stood around as the men moved, bewildered.
"Wait, why hide? What's going on?" he asked, pulling his cloak around his shoulders and hanging on his collar to keep the chilled wind out.
The leader annoyingly replied, not bothering to look back at him. "Shut up and just follow the rest of the fellas. I swear kid, you're askin' way too many questions." The boss gave him a cold shoulder as he camouflaged the alcove.
The thin swordsman shook his head and climbed up the snow towards the rest of the men and hid from view of the pass. The leader did the same. As the sounds of hooves and footsteps grew louder, the sounds of voices joined in the chorus. How many were there? What was going on? Why were we hiding? These questions rang through Alaric's head without any outlet for a relief.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jan 2, 2011 23:45:47 GMT -6
Richter gave Marle a bewildering look when she asked about how he came to work for Etruria, as if he wasn't sure whether to lie, tell the truth, or both. As her older cousin, he wasn't sure if it would give the steadfast, loyal Marle the best impression.
"Politics, deceit, violence, and bloodshed, mostly," replied the rebel commander. A vague answer, but fitting. "I joined the Etrurian army with hopes of glory, with hopes of changing the world, but I found myself caught up in the evil I had sworn to change." Richter paused, closing his eyes. "I had little choice at that point but to rebel, though Etruria beat me to the punch and tried to have me executed along with my men before I could instigate anything. We escaped, obviously, and after a lot of fighting in Sacae, my men and I have made our way here."
The commander shook his head slowly. "I it's a longer story than that, but I'd rather not go into detail. Needless to say I'm no longer an ally of Etruria, and I plan to keep it that way." Obviously he had some qualms about his past, qualms that he'd rather keep confined to those who would know about them first hand. While he hadn't done anything he was particularly regretful for, in the wrong light, his early deeds could be used against him.
"But this wyvern you slew, tell me about it. That must have been quite the feat," said Richter, changing the subject. "Not everyone can pull off something like that."
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Post by Meredy Laplace on Jan 4, 2011 8:02:13 GMT -6
"Well, the commander seemed like an honorable enough man." Thamir stated as the trio took their leave of the commander Richter. He appeared to be busy with many things that were far over the heads of noblewoman. "All things considered, I'd say everything worked out for the better." The calm Thamir said with a sort of ease that made Meredy feel calm.
"I don't know if we can trust him." Max added, quite bluntly.
"Oh? What are you on about this time Max?" Thamir questioned his partner.
"You've heard of Richter haven't you?" Max spoke barely above a whisper, just enough that his group could hear him. He did stupid things sometimes, but even he knew when it was best to keep your head down.
"N-Not really..." Meredy looked at him with a quizzical look on her face. "Is... is it bad?"
"It's just propaganda spread by Etruria, nothing more nothing less. He isn't going to string you up and have you flogged Max." Thamir almost scolded the man. "Besides, this is what's best for Meredy. Your employer, if you call yourself a bodyguard you'd go along no matter what." His voice had a cool edge to it, he wasn't mad but rather pointing out the flaws in the Archer's logic.
"Alright alright... I'm just saying, be careful who you trust." Max finished with a shrug of the shoulders.
"Well, I'm glad it all worked out this way." Meredy giggled as she spoke, an upbeat smile on her face. "Now all we need to do is get to Edessa, and maybe buy some new laces for my shoes..." She went off with another laugh. Maybe once she got there she could buy new shoes all together, she was grateful for the ones she had and they kept the cold out... but they were big hunks of leather, unshapely and had no style. Good for travel, but not for looking pretty and sometimes you just wanted pretty feet.
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Alaric Kyyneltya
Novice
Disregard Pegasi, Aquire Wealth
Posts: 64
Profession: Drunken Mercenary
Affinity: Wind
Profile: Alaric
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Post by Alaric Kyyneltya on Jan 4, 2011 18:03:30 GMT -6
Alaric hid behind the cold and grimly dull rocks that jutted from the mountain's surface. He peeked over them to see what was passing by that had the leader so worried. The sight was spectacular and nothing he had ever seen in his entire life. Soldiers, mages, knights, pegasi, and horses. lances and bows. Axes and swords. An army. The young man was slightly stunned, but inquisitive. He turned to the archer next to him, who was also a little shocked. He was intimidated at the same time, though.
"Hey, who are those guys and why are we hiding again?" He asked, a little ticked off at the leader who was being so secretive earlier about a simple mercenary campaign.
The archer turned towards him, tucking his head behind cover and speaking softly. "I have no idea. They look foreign, though. An invading army? Careful, they may kill us on sight." he cautioned with quivering fingers from both the cold and the thought of facing the army.
"Don't be such a coward! You can stay here and freeze if you like, but I want to talk to them." Alaric stated, standing up. The archer's face turned to horror as the youngin' started his way down the face of the mountain. He reached out to swipe at Alaric's feet, perhaps the last chance of blowing their position. "Fool!" he exclaimed, but he was out of grasp.
The other eight men scrambled from their positions to flee up the mountain, but it was steep and icy. Their movements were awkward and nearly futile.
"Damn it, boy! Argh! I won't let these pathetic weaklings catch me and hang me in the villiage square! Attack!" The leader growled. The other eight men turned to their weapons and charged, not expecting to survive.
Alaric slid down the snowbank and fell into a couple soldiers. They strong-armed him, thinking he was one of the bandits. They shoved his face into the ground and tied his wrists together. "Bandits, bandits, bandits! I am sick of these filthy meat-heads! I can't wait to get out of these mountains!" A soldier exclaimed as he finished tying the boy up and leaning a knee on his back.
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Jan 4, 2011 18:39:03 GMT -6
The sound of an oncoming attack drew Mavicks attention, and he was quick to act. "We're under attack! Everyone, take positions!" he barked, bringing his pony around. "Circular formation! Pikemen outer circle, archers inner circle, NOW!" Despite his small stature, Mavick's voice carried rather well. "Archers, bows at the ready! We'll take them down with a single volley!" The shaman quickly spun his head towards Richter and Marle. "By your leave of course!" He didn't add a rank afterwards, because to be quite honest, even he wasn't entirely sure of who he needed to be asking. One was his employer, but the other outranked him. One was rather popular with the troops, but the other was the one who brought most of them! Where's the option that benefits Mavick!?
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jan 4, 2011 22:01:44 GMT -6
"To be frank, it was a monster."
Atleast, that's how Marle had been told, she was told later, that the wyvern that was slain was far larger than any other previously seen, so that to her, was pretty beastly, though Arthis' was pretty fearsome as well, if not a touch smaller. Licking her lips, she smiled and tried to explain the best she could.
"It would have been a bigger feat if I had done it on my own. it had taken a friend of mine, Saturos. Myself, Perrie and a girl from Ilia named Syana went after it, and we slew it together. Honestly, I had never been in so much pain before that. It was strong.."
Marle ended with a dumb grin on her face, still feeling a bit silly in her own explanation of things. If she had done more, maybe she would feel more proud of herself. There was still honor in what she had done though. Trudging along slowly, Marle went silent, and as soon as she had, the alarm was raised. Lifting her head, Marle grabbed for her steel lance with a light curse on her tongue as she muttered it out.
"Ready Arms!"
Marle rose her arm and lance and began motioning down the line. Her own troops did as they were told, and began to make close encircling of their respective formations, It would be ready should an attack take place, though it seemed unlikely. No group of bandits would attack while so clearly out numbered, nor Could Marle see any attack, but caution was advised. Marle glanced to Mavick with a nod. If there was anyone attacking, Mavick could well see it done that the archers under her command would see it done on his orders. Marle, however, went to the source of where the alarm was raised.
Coming up to the soldier who had raised his voice of attack, and was now bracing himself on the back of a boy, Marle just gave a flat stare. This was the bandit? He was much too well dressed. Still, if there was a threat posed if he was one. Bringing the tip of her thick bladed lance just under Alaric's chin, point teasing along his neckline, with a quick move, she could end his life.
"What have we here, soldier, is this one of the bandits you saw?"
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Alaric Kyyneltya
Novice
Disregard Pegasi, Aquire Wealth
Posts: 64
Profession: Drunken Mercenary
Affinity: Wind
Profile: Alaric
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Post by Alaric Kyyneltya on Jan 4, 2011 22:58:03 GMT -6
The soldier nodded his head, "Yes ma'am, he was with the bandits."
Alaric looked up at the knight trying to not look scared. "Bandits? I'm not a bandit, I'm a mercenary! My employer's over there! I just came down here to get warm and say... well... where are you going? He smiled up to the knight, still being held down by the soldier. "Well, could you untie me now?"
The soldier looked up for orders, not trusting the kid at all.
((OOC: My brother taking a shot at roleplaying. Give him a big hand, haha.))
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Jan 5, 2011 0:04:08 GMT -6
When she heard the alarm go up, Clair was glad she'd stayed seated on Corona. With a leap into the air, and a powerful downward thrust of his wings, the mighty winged horse hurled himself into the air, climbing up into the freezing winds of Illia again, before being forced back down to a lower altitude.
They were only about fifty feet up in the air, but it was enough to get Corona's blood flowing again. He could smell the sudden tension in the air, even with the bitter cold. Down on the ground, he saw many small forms. Most were traveling with him and his rider, so they were friends, but a few were charging down the hill at the army.... I know! I'll land on one of them! was a close approximation of the pegasus' thoughts, but just as he started to head that way, he felt the guiding hand of his rider steer him away. With a disapointed huff and snort, he let himself be turned, catching much of the swift breeze and using it to slingshot himself into a rapid orbit of the army.
What was his rider doing? Could she actually be listening to all those strange noises that the two-legs made? Sometimes it seemed like she did, but he could never be sure.
"Easy, Corona." If they don't stop, our archers will cut them to pieces. She pitied these bandits, but attacking this army was a mistake that no one should make. She certainly wasn't going to risk her life trying to convince this rabble to turn aside.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jan 5, 2011 0:11:55 GMT -6
"Saturos?" the rebel commander managed to ask, ready to inquire of Marle further. His thoughts, however, were quickly interrupted as Mavick's rally cry sounded and the soldiers began forming up around them.
There was little time to debate the situation at hand. While only a few, they were still attackers, and more bandits could be on the way.
"Fire at will men," he said coolly, waving his hand at the attackers. With that, a spurt of feathered shafts came spitting from the crowd of soldiers, lodging their heads in the heads and bodies of the attacking men. One by one, the bandits fell into the snow, staining it red with their blood.
Richter was not so quick to address the boy, now secured under one of Marle's soldiers. His attention was more securely locked onto the approaching, now dead, bandits. The commander's eyes darted around, looking for more. Hopefully Marle would have the better judgment to not untie the boy so quickly, seeing his obvious and self declared connection to the marauders, though even if she did, there was little the captive could do now.
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Jan 5, 2011 2:17:25 GMT -6
Marle's attention was fully on the boy on the ground. Well, her eyes were at the very least, she was listening as the arrows loosed, and could hear the iron headed shafts pierce leather armor and sink into bodies, and hitting the snow behind them from those that missed. She wasn't far away from it, but that was their mistake. This army was massive compared to them, they had no chance, their end came swiftly.
Once the ordeal was over, as quickly as it began, Marle just shook her head, and chuckled a bit, shaking her head. How foolish. Marle moved the tip of her away from his neck, but crouched down next to him, putting her fingers under his chin. it would have seemed almost intimate, the way she did so, but her demeanor suggested otherwise, as were her subtle anger.
"Boy, you should have chosen your employer more carefully. As you were hired by those men, you have openly attacked the army of Ilia through association with those bandits. I'm afraid your bonds will have to remain."
Marle gave a click of her tongue as she pushed the soldier off his back, but instead, took charge of the mercenary herself, and grabbed at his clothed, and hoisted him with her own strength to his feet. Once there, she slid her lance back into the strap behind her back, between her shield and her body armor, and was quick to remove the man's weapon.
He was a prisoner, for the time being.
"It appears that was all of the, Richter. The boy claimed that one of those charging men was his 'employer.' Marle stressed the word, sounding a bit condescending with her emphasis.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jan 5, 2011 15:28:52 GMT -6
"A mercenary is no better than the man who he sells his services to. Especially when you're selling your sword to bandits."
Richter moved his gaze from Marle back to the mercenary boy, a look of scorn on his face. In his time, he had sold his services to some types many would consider unsavory, but never bandits. That just made you a bandit yourself.
"Marle, we should get going," continued Richter, his eyes carefully scanning the icy horizon. "No point in sticking around for more," continued Richter, nodding to his cousin who was holding the strung up boy. "If you want to carry him, you can, but I'd be more than happy to come up with better arrangements for our..." He paused, staring the black haired kid in the face. "...prisoner." There was nothing subtle about the way he said the word. He wanted to make dead sure the youth knew exactly what he had gotten himself into. Or what he could be getting himself into if he did anything else stupid.
The commander then turned his horse back to the front of the line, addressing his purple tactician as he did. A frown was engraved into his visage as he whipped his messy ponytail over his shoulder. "Let's go Mavick, I'm getting sick of this place."
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David Krisby
Mercenary
DEAD
"Where is MY path to redemption?"
Posts: 81
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Post by David Krisby on Jan 5, 2011 16:20:16 GMT -6
David laughed loudly, he was surely on the right side for a battle as simple as that. "I suppose it's too bad that they were killed so quickly that I didn't get a cut of the action." Perhaps his job was in fact to join those bandits. If that had been the case, then alcohol had yet again saved his life. "Now that my spirits are up," he said to no one in particular, "It's time to 'down' some spirits! Heh heh." He laughed at his witty pun and pulled out his flask of whiskey, taking a long drink from it.
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Jan 5, 2011 17:58:11 GMT -6
Mavick stuck out a hand and grabbed Richter's horse. "Stop." he stated bluntly, not even looking at the commander. "You're getting ahead of yourself. I said we were under attack. I never said who was attacking us. Just what sort of omnisciency do you have that enables you to automatically assume these are bandits? How many bandits have you heard of that attack an entire army with such few numbers, in a head on assault?" he asked, gazing off towards the arrow-riddled corpses. "For all we know, this was a horrible misunderstanding, and we just shot down eight Illian mercenaries thinking to hinder an advancing Erturian army." He pointed out. He released the Commanders horse. "We search the bodies." he stated, directing his pony towards the corpses.
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Post by Richter Abend on Jan 5, 2011 18:33:13 GMT -6
Richter harrumphed. Mavick had a good point, as per usual, but also as usual, Richter didn't like to be corrected. Nevertheless, there was no harm done in checking the bodies save for a potential hit to Richter's ego.
"Misunderstanding or no, those men attacked us on sight," grumbled Richter, slowly dismounting his horse. "I would have killed them if even if they had had Ilian crests on their chests." His feet crunching in the snow as he landed, Richter bristled and walked over the bodies. "I made the order, I'll check them myself."
OoC: Since I actually have no idea who the bandits were, I'm counting on Alaric to fill in here.
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