Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Dec 17, 2011 12:00:39 GMT -6
Thinking.... Thinking.... Thinking.... Garnet, you think to much. The redheaded swordsman kicked himself loose of his thoughts. The path wasn't getting any nicer. Neither was it getting any more sheltered. Truth be told, the trail wasn't that dangerous, but care would still need to be taken.
Garnet blew out a breath through chapped lips. "Fine...." He growled out, talking to himself. "Switchback trails on a rocky cliffside covered with an incessant frozen wind...."
Griping about the cold was a habit now. Truth be told, it didn't bother him nearly as much as it used to. The Illians were right. He must have developed a thick skin, like the inhabitants here.
"Alright. Watch your step." He called back to the Aleth, Caelica, and the others. Including himself, they numbered six. They wouldn't be the most stealthy unit of soldiers, but they had an advantage in that they had enough members to handle multiple tasks.
A few of the rocks crumbled under the merc hero's foot as he descended onto the trail, but he didn't even flinch. His uncle had taught him to "walk without falling" a long time ago. He simply replaced his foot and kept on moving down.
"I'd rather not have to inspect your pieces, if you go tumbling all the way down the cliffs."
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Caelica
Myrmidon
[M:0]
Sacaeans don't lie? I've just turned every Sacaean into a hypocrite then.
Posts: 36
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Post by Caelica on Dec 17, 2011 23:41:33 GMT -6
Caelica stopped at one of the turns in the path, looking out over the cliffs. "This sure is..." She stopped and quickly turned around when her gaze began to lower. "a nice view." Caelica saw that the others were already a ways ahead, running towards the group just as Garnet warned them to watch their steps.
Ignoring the warning at first, Caelica eventually slowed. She literally watched her steps when the path became narrower, not trusting herself to continue without doing so. However, as a result she was looking over the edge, directly at the bottom of the cliff. Her eyes widened. "G..Guys wait up!" Caelica yelled, scurrying awkwardly towards the others. "Gosh, we just had to take a long walk on a cliff, didn't we? Couldn't you guys get someone better suited for the job?" She murmured with small tears in her eyes, moving forward to grab on to Aleth's arm.
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Aleth
Hero
Everything you can do I can do one handed!
Posts: 247
Profession: NEET
Affinity: Ice
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Post by Aleth on Dec 20, 2011 22:59:23 GMT -6
Aleth stared at the path for a minute, trying to find the best spot for her...scuttle down such a ravaged terrain. She kept her sword sheathed, she didn't want any accident happening. Even than it was still a possibility. The way wasn't getting any better it seems. She had eventually gotten use to the pattern and changes. Good thing she had dealt with worse paths in the past. Experience always paid off and this wasn't an exception. Caelica grabbing onto her arm was a surprise but she quickly adjusted.
"Experience is always a good thing Caelica and you got my support," Aleth remarked, finding her encouragement a bit humorous.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Dec 21, 2011 20:26:04 GMT -6
Garnet continued down the trail, following the twists and bends as they went. The rocks hadn't crumbled any more since the first time, but the redhead was still cautious. He'd feel pathetic and stupid if he fell after providing a warning of the dangers to everyone.
"Calm down back there. It's just a little rough ground. Keep your head and we'll be out of it before you know it." Garnet's voice didn't so much carry a grouch, as it did a statement. Nevertheless, it was a very serious, very confident statement, besides being mostly faked bravado. They'd find a way down eventually after all, right?
"Besides," He continued. "We are the 'better suited'. We are the lightly armored. The quick footed. And I seem to remember you asking to join this trip, right Cael?"
He turned his head back for a moment, smirking. The cold breeze tossed his short hair back from his face as he looked forward again, nearly reaching the bottom of the trails. They were still somewhat high, but now it looked like the rest of the slope was decaying into a sparse pine forest on some less steep, but still rough terrain.
He hoped the young green-haired swordswoman wasn't going to lose her nerve completely. He thought very well of her, for having spent such little time around her. He'd thought he'd felt the spark of something exciting living in her. Perhaps coming from how new to the business she was, and how interesting things had seemed to her.
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Selibas
Hero
The Little Wolf
My Word is Iron.
Posts: 455
Etruria Fame: -1
Bern Fame: 4
Illia Fame: -3
Profession: Khan
Guild: Tribe of Sacae
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Selibas
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Post by Selibas on Dec 23, 2011 20:37:59 GMT -6
Selibas nudged Lightning forward. He had no contract with these Illians, and he doubted he'd receive a coin for staying. He gathered his wits, and the little amount of provisions he had and prepared to leave. He'd have loved to test his might against one of those other four Mercenaries, but the Red haired one and Aleth would have defeated him, and the young Sacaen woman would have sadly, been little of a challenge. He decided Bern, and the rebellion fit his needs more. Selibas nudged Lightning forward.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Dec 29, 2011 9:38:37 GMT -6
[yellow]"I think you may have said something to upset them, Garnet."[/yellow] Jordan chimed in, laughing at Garnet. [yellow]"The more you talk at them, the more they seem to clam up."[/yellow]
With that, the spearman stopped and turned to the girls on the path, gesturing with a flair for the over dramatic. [yellow]"Lady Aleth, Lady Caelica, please do not hesitate to call on my assistance. Ever. For anything. It would be more than my pleasure to be known helpful to my fairer colleagues."[/yellow] He performed a half bow, about the only bow one ought to attempt on a cliffside, before smiling brightly, the effect reduced only by one of his teeth being made of wood.
It was great. Half an hour out, and they were already bantering away. The mercenary hero wondered what Captain Marle would be thinking as he stood, looking at Jordan in surprise.
"I'm impressed, Jordan. I didn't know you knew words that big."
Ahead, Garnet could see their target zone. Fragments of wood lay shattered on the ground, and as Garnet looked up, it wasn't hard to see why. Whatever had fallen had been splintered to bits on meeting the ground. A wheel lay here, a broken wheel there, barrel and crate pieces were everywhere. He also scanned the area for anyone alive. Or dead. Someone who might provide some answers.
"Keep your eyes peeled for anything interesting. Something that belongs. Something that doesn't belong. Or anything helpful. Maybe we can have a guess which way this was going when they fell. Or what they were doing."
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Caelica
Myrmidon
[M:0]
Sacaeans don't lie? I've just turned every Sacaean into a hypocrite then.
Posts: 36
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Post by Caelica on Dec 29, 2011 15:15:02 GMT -6
OOC: So this is the 'Fake the deaths and wreckage' plot thingy >.<
"Lady?" Caelica chuckled, easing her grip on Aleth's arm. She had been clining onto the mercenary for a while now, but all the joking and the sight of the ground coming closer and closer had calmed her mind. As she stepped out from behind Aleth to respond to Jordan's statement, Caelica's spotted Jordan's wooden tooth. "That kind of speech doesn't seem to suit your style." She chuckled again. "But, Sir Jordan, please, I tell the same to you. Do not hesitate to call on us if the need ever arises..." Then came the sound of a fake cough. "Looks like it doesn't suit me too well either."
Caelica exhaled upon reaching the bottom of the cliff. She took a look around her feet, making sure that she really was on the ground and not at danger of falling. On Garnet's order she began to examine the area. The destroyed wagon seemed the most out of place, thus that was where she decided to look. Caelica picked up part of a wheel, examined it, then with her other hand grabbed another piece of wood from what might have been the body of the wagon. "Hey guys..." She called, taking out her sword to cut the wood for whatever reason. "Take a look at this. Yeah, sure alot of it had been destroyed from a fall, but...If you look closely, quite a bit of this wreckage seems to have been destroyed on purpose with the use of weapons."
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Aleth
Hero
Everything you can do I can do one handed!
Posts: 247
Profession: NEET
Affinity: Ice
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Post by Aleth on Dec 29, 2011 16:32:45 GMT -6
Aleth didn't like the look of the broken wagon to begin with. As for the others' remarks, she couldn't think of an appropriate response. Jordan's wooden teeth could have been knocked out from a bar fight or something, she didn't feel right to push when she just joined the company.
She kept her distance away from the others, deciding it would be best for her to examine the area around the cart. When she heard Caelica's statement about it being purposely crushed and destroyed, it made her bit more tense. She swore she saw movement from the corner of her eyes now.
"Best be on our guard," she stated, inching closer to the rest of the group.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Dec 31, 2011 21:45:11 GMT -6
Garnet stopped his scattered searching of the scrap. He'd been looking for something like personal belongings, or some bodies. Anything to assist in identifying the nature of the broken heap. He'd found nothing notable though. He had just started to think that was something odd when he had heard Caelica.
He approached, looking at what she was holding up. Sure enough, the fragment she was holding looked much more like it'd been deliberately chopped or forced away before the wagon had fallen.
"That's weird." Garnet stated as he looked over the pieces. Someone had wanted into the wagon before it had fallen, but they didn't want it to look that way.
"Ok.... So, someone wanted inside the wagon. Think it was carrying something valuable? And what does this get us, anyway?"
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Caelica
Myrmidon
[M:0]
Sacaeans don't lie? I've just turned every Sacaean into a hypocrite then.
Posts: 36
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Post by Caelica on Jan 3, 2012 23:34:00 GMT -6
"Yeah, this does definitely look like a place where a homicidal maniac would run off to." Caelica said acknowledging Aleth's suggestion. She moved in closer towards the group too, after seeing Aleth do so. Now she was speaking to Garnet, not facing the man as she was watching her surroundings. "Maybe it was carrying a sacred sword. I have no idea why simple travelers would have something like that, but I wouldn't mind cutting up a few carts to take it." Caelica eased up a bit. "Then again, maybe that's what they want us to think."
All attempts to exercise caution were then abandoned as light reflected off the tip of a sword and caught Caelica's attention. "Oh hey, I think I see something." She ran to the sword, the handle resting in an open, gloved hand. The hand itself was connected to a rough looking man who was propped up against a rock wall. Rather, his frame looked rough as a large rock nearby had cast a shadow over his entirety, most notably his face from which Caelica could only see closed eyes. He wasn't sleeping--from that perspective he appeared to be dead. As Caelica leaned in closer to get a better look, the eyes shot open and Caelica in surprise moved back. However a hand grabbed onto her collar and pulled her back. The man stood up, showing himself to be quite a bit taller than Caelica. He began to lift her up by the collar, and in a matter of moments they were face to face.
"Aren't you supposed to be playing dead?" Caelica said. She was now lifted above the man, looking down on him.
The man looked away. "Shut yer mouth or else you will be in a few seconds." He lifted his hand and cupped it around his mouth. "Alright boys! Come and get em!" At moment, from above them, and all around them, people started appearing. They all seemed to emerge from random crevices in the rock walls, all hidden perfectly due to the lighting.
"Your show out there wasn't very convincing. Two stars out of five at the most."
"I told you to shut yer mouth!" The man yelled, pulling out a knife and placing the tip dangerously close to Caelica's throat.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jan 8, 2012 17:39:23 GMT -6
"Caelica! Slow down!" Garnet called after the girl. She was definitely excited to be on the mission, but perhaps a bit to quick to jump into things. Running off alone wasn't a good approach.
He stopped short from following her, as he saw the body she found. Huh.... Well, how about that. The kid has good eyes, I'll give her that much. Finding a body at the site of a wreck was to be expected, but it was hidden down behind a rock, in some shadows. Not the easiest place to spot.
"He have anything on-" The body moved, grabbing the myrmidon, and swiftly lifting her up in the air. Clearly not friendly. "Caelica!"
He couldn't help butbe a bit amused at her lip, despite the gravity of the situation. His concern was more taken when the group of brigands and raiders came out of cover.
"Stick together and group up, people! Let's keep things tight!" Garnet called out to the others as he drew his heavy two-hander off his back. Jordan had his back to Garnet's, and the other two of Marle's forces were nearby too, weapons out.
"So these are the infamous Illian bandits. I have to say,... I'm a bit disappointed. You should have seen what I had to deal with back in Sacae!" He said, motioning back over his shoulder with a head toss as the group around them closed in.
"At least they knew how to properly intimidate!" If he ciuld bait them into talking, rather than merely charging in on them, maybe a better option would become available. And by better, he meant better for Caelica.
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Aleth
Hero
Everything you can do I can do one handed!
Posts: 247
Profession: NEET
Affinity: Ice
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Post by Aleth on Jan 13, 2012 20:57:13 GMT -6
Aleth kept her head, as the ambush began to go into full swing. She narrowed her eyes, trying to pick out what was the best course of action. She clenched her sword until her knuckles were white. She was frustrated to say the least. There was no way for her to go full out after the injury of hers and she didn't want to become anymore crippled than she already was.
As one man took a step forward, she took one back. With an experienced ease, she balanced her sword to face her foe. However before she could react or strike at the man, she felt that something was wrong. Soon a shadow seemed to stretch over her. Soon enough she was in a strangle hold and in the process her sword fell. she reached with the little strength she had but soon a sack was over her head. Great, this couldn't get any worse.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Jan 27, 2012 20:13:22 GMT -6
Apparently, these weren't the jaw-flapping kinds of bandits, because they moved straight in for the fight, rather than taking the time to reply to Garnet. Great! Since when do hill brigands act as disciplined as soldiers?!
A pair of fighters charged in at him, and Garnet whirled his greatsword forward to meet them. One raised is weapon to block the blow, bracing it with both hands, but the red headed hero's sword broke straight through the guard, leaving a dent in the shaoe of forged iron where the unlucky brigand's head used to be. The second bandit tried to make use of the first as a distraction, but Garnet was already moving out of the path of the attack. As he stepped sideways, his momentum pulled the heavy blade with him, and he was able to deflect the bandit's strike with only a little added power from his arms.
Even a terrifying and formidable heavy weapons fighter is not invulnerable to mistakes though. He realized too late, that his step to the side had put him into the path of another of the bandit scums' attacks. A swordsman rushing the little group was letting loose with a swing, only a timely thrust from Jordan's lance spared the red-head a nasty slice.
The battle was in full swing, enemies and allies alike caught up in the bloody life of the battle. Jordan struck his lance through a bandit's shoulder, and Garnet brought his weapon down on the collar bone to finish the job. Sheer numbers were overwhelming the other two members of the troop, the ambushing raiders bearing them to the ground and leaving them dead or injured from the myriad strikes being delivered to them. Aleth was nowhere to be seen in the fracas. Caelica was likely still being held prisoner by the ringleader....
Garnet was back to back with Jordan when he felt a man make it in and grab onto his right left arm. The fight was getting more intense, and he realized that unless he could break the circle, it was all over. With this realization came a sense of fury that he hadn't felt since the burning of his home more than three years ago.
"rrrrRAHHH!" With a primal bellow roaring from his lungs, the mercenary hero layed the two hander up alongside his right arm, resting the blade next to the bandits head, and crashed a step forward. As he did, the blade began to fall forward, draggin across, and through the bandit's neck until the truncated form fell. He stepped forward again, using the motion of the blade to begin windmilling it around him, first on the right, then on the left, and again on the right. It was a maelstrom of shaped iron. It didn't make a difference whether it was a clean cut or if he was simply dragging the chipped blade across a body, because the sheer speed and force was enough to break, crack, or dent whatever it connected with.
And it was in this adrwnaline steeped moment, after the bandits began to fall backand decide whether it was really worth pushing on after this one, that the Scarlet Brand turned eyes like Elfire on the man still holding Caelica, drew his single handed sword with his right hand, tossed it up to get a better grip, and hurled it like a spear, blade aimed to plunge straight through the head of his target.
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Caelica
Myrmidon
[M:0]
Sacaeans don't lie? I've just turned every Sacaean into a hypocrite then.
Posts: 36
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Post by Caelica on Jan 28, 2012 4:21:00 GMT -6
Caelica heard a whooshing noise and in the next second her face was covered with blood. The hand around her neck lost its grip, and the pressure of the knife against her throat dissapeared. She fell, eyes wide open as the headless corpse opposite her fell too. A simultaneous thud came from Caelica and the corpse as Caelica landed on her bottom--the corpse on his back.
As she wiped her hand across her face, she felt little pieces of something pushing against her hand. Caelica turned her hand over--smeared on it was a chunky painting of different reds. Through the red, white pieces of bone stood out. Not only blood was on her face, but the remains of an entire head.
Caelica looked to the general direction of the flying sword that had destroyed her captor. Garnet and Jordan stood, with an unknown third man behind them, seemingly out of place. Her sword drawn, Caelica began to sprint toward them. She ran through a gap between the two, plunging her sword into the third man's head and quickly pulling it out. "Great aim Garnet! Though it was a bit messy..." Caelica put her hand on Garnet's shoulder, not realizing that in doing so, she was wiping all the blood off on the mercenary's clothes. . "Once again, that was beautiful aim!" She clapped her hands together, which were now twice as clean.
The bandits had now all grouped up, and one of them had stepped forward. Their commander was now lying headless on the floor, and the man who had stepped forward only did as none of his comrades would. "Everybody fall back!" He glanced nervously at Garnet, Caelica and Jordan, unsure of what to say. "We have one of your troops!" The man yelled, pointing to a female figure with a sack over her head. "I suppose you know how this whole ordeal goes? We'll have you set up the time and location of any negotions right now, if any!"
"Well, at least someone knows how to speak." Caelica sighed. "But they've got Aleth...So Garnet what's the plan?"
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Feb 4, 2012 9:17:00 GMT -6
Unsurprisingly, the brigands decided to back off after Garnet's rampage. He was left breathing hard, and far from uninjured himself... but you should see the other guys. He dropped the point of his blade to the ground as Caelica ran back to them, and scanned the scene.
The sounds of bandit face breaking from behind him came as a surprise to the crimson haired swordsman. He turned in time to recieve a compliment from Caelica, and be used as a hand wipe. Not that it made too much difference at this point. There were patches of red running up and down all over him.
The swordsman forced himself to settle. The brutes had Aleth, and as much as he'd love to run them all back to their little hole, charging in right now would endanger the platinum haired young woman.... Probably get himself killed too.
She was injured. I knew she was injured, and I still invited her.... and now this happens. Garnet silently berated himself. He couldn't have known that the area had been turned into an ambush place by the raiders, but if he hadn't brought Aleth, she wouldn't be in this danger now and he wouldn't be scrambling to pick up the pieces.
He'd not negotiated much in his time with his Uncle's guard force. Most of that time, he'd just been another body out on patrol, or watching the gates. The occasional hunt or storming a bandit fortress. Though he'd been encouraged to use diplomacy, he'd never gotten much chance to practice it in a serious situation, so he was at a loss for the moment. He racked his mind, trying to come up with a solution, but if he was going to keep Aleth intact, the only option seemed to be to buy them off.
He growned inwardly. "Aleth, are you alright?"
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