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Post by Richter Abend on Jan 31, 2013 17:38:28 GMT -6
The wyverns that had been ordered to descend upon Captain Saint and his men dispersed at the sight and sound of their leader being consumed by the dying dragon's great, thunderous roar, and by now most of the rampaging audience members and tournament fighters had either fled at the sight of the now dead dragon, or had been routed by the various military forces, both rebel and not, that had arrived throughout the chaos.
And thus an odd sense of calm fell upon the arena, the same calm fell upon a battlefield after the killing was over: somber and still. Richter's mind was an emotional flurry of thoughts and feelings, and not one of them good. The whole reason he had come to Bern was to prevent chaos like this, and what had happened instead? The rebels had sacrificed Marcus, his own companion, as a means to sow death and chaos all throughout what should have otherwise been a grand and festive event. And what else? The love of his life, his deputy commander, the woman who had been at his side since all of this nonsense had started, had been grievously wounded, and Richter knew not her current condition.
But in the midst of his grieving, out of the corner of his eye, the Ilian spotted a small, glowing object. Moving closer, he got a closer look: it was a translucent rock or stone, golden with swirls of green running through its rough, uneven faces. Richter had seen this before. It was Marcus’s dragonstone, the source of all of his draconic power, or at least it had been while he was alive. With a small grunt, the disguised Ilian crouched down, and silently picked up the small, glowing object. It was still warm to the touch. Now that the dragon was dead, Richter imagined there wasn’t much of anything left in the stone, but he found some small comfort in the thought that some of his friend’s essence may indeed still be lingering on in the object, and thus pocketed it.
That comfort would have to do, for Richter knew there was no time to nurse the newly opened wounds. He wanted to go find Clair, to see if she was alright, but he couldn’t be sure of where the pegasus knights had taken her, and so any search for her might take awhile. Instead, he had more immediate concerns to address. Turning his head towards Marcus’s dead body, he noticed that it lay alone. His killers had run off. Richter took a moment to scan the arena, and in doing so he spotted Kenshin’s iconic red clothes and hair a ways off. The swordsman was kneeling down near what seemed to be an emergency medical camp, his shirt off. Not bothering to sheathe his sword, the black dyed haired warrior strode over to where his previous opponent now tended to himself.
“Please, sir, this is a place of healing. The fighting is over. Could you not sheathe your sword?”
Richter turned his head to see a healer, crouched next to and waving his glowing staff over a wounded man who seemed to be missing arm, looking at him. The woman’s eyes flickered with a sign of annoyance, but mostly her face was filled with pity for the wounded men and women currently littering the ground. Richter stared back at her, understanding that she probably saw him as nothing more than yet another violent brigand that had caused this whole mess. So with an accepting sigh, the Ilian sheathed his blade across his back before approaching Kenshin.
“You,” Richter began, with very little charity in his voice. “Was it not enough for you to protect the assassin? Could you not stop until you fed your blade the blood of a dragon?” The armored man clenched his fists. He may have sheathed his sword, but that did little to offset the violence that he wished upon Kenshin, violence that he repeatedly entertained in his mind. “I never thought that one of Hargus’s killers would throw himself in league with a force as underhanded as the Bernese rebels, but it seems I was wrong.” The Ilian paused as he inhaled sharply, restraining his anger behind gritted teeth. “Is it regret? Are you trying to atone for the sin of putting Bern in this position in the first place? Or is it some other source of twisted malcontent?”
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Post by Mana on Feb 2, 2013 19:22:57 GMT -6
"Oh...yeah...I would feel honored to have the chance to fight you..." she replied to Kenshin. Her reply however, didn't have any spirit or excitement in it. Normally, she would be very grateful for being offered the honor of fighting her idol, but now it was her least concern. Then, as the healer began his work, Mana completely ignored Kenshin and switched all her attention to her friend. He sounded in pain despite having healing magic used on him. She could feel his agony, Mana closed her eyes and covered her ears. Whatever the healer did, how painful the effect was, it was to heal the blacksmith's injuries. When the scream vanished and the patient seemed to lose consciousness, Mana saw her friend's sweaty and tired face. "Is it finished?" she thought as she opened her eyes. However, the healer gave her a vague hope. Wyatt might survive, but he might not. And she was worried that the damage was too great that it would hinder him from recovering completely. They knew the risk when they went to fight the dragon, but it seemed she wasn't prepared to face it. Anyway, the healer had done all he could so she could only hope and believe to her friend, believing he would survive this time. "You must wake up you know...I can't...I don't want to lose a friend...again," she said to Wyatt. There was no reply, of course. "Well, you seem like the type who won't die easily, anyway," she added, smiling weakly. After saying that, the girl then closed her eyes and started praying to her gods, her hands holding his hands. Wyatt wasn't a Sacaen but she hoped they would give him their blessing and protection.
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Post by Kenshin on Feb 7, 2013 19:31:40 GMT -6
"Do you know how it feels to wake up one morning to a group of bandits attacking your village? Just because some asshole feels like your people has to die your home is wiped off the map. Only my cousin and myself made it out alive because we ran, people who supported our cause had died in battle. Those are the only people I seek atonement for." As Kenshin spoke he rose to his feet putting his shirt back on. Now turning to face Richter looking him in the eyes. "Bern had suffered a similar fate as my home but at the hand of a dragon. I wasn't going to allow that to happen once again, every dragon I had met had a strong dislike towards humans." Kenshin had began to raise his voice. "How is protecting people from the high levels of destruction of a dragon aiding anybody of ill intent? The conflict taking place in Bern is none of my concern. I only took up arms against Bern to protect my home and when I saw it was going to be a losing battle I sought out aid." Kenshin took a deep breath, he knew what he had to say would strike a nerve more so than he already has. "I helped the assassin because I know her, it's been many years since I saw her last. You shouldn't allow your anger and desire for revenge dictate your actions, it only leads to other mistakes."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 8, 2013 11:19:31 GMT -6
The odd calm which settled over the arena after the fighting didn't extend to William and his forces. The rebellion striking, a dragon attack, assassins and commanders: someone had dropped a piece of hell on his city today. And now, someone had to do what they could to clean it up.
A couple of quick steps and he was within grabbing distance of a couple soldiers. They were nearly heaved off their feet as he kept walking, gripping each by an the arm. "Go to the Castle! Inform the guard of what happened here. Tell them to send detachments to secure each of the guard towers in the city, and whatever medical supplies can be sent on short notice need to come here. Go!"
The Bernese Captain was clearly aggravated by events, and wasn't going to take the time to be patient. His attention moved on, as he scanned the forces around him, working to secure the area around the healers gathering. Others checked through the rubble and detritus for bodies, searching for survivors and those less fortunate.
Rebels slipping into his city, disguised as loyal wyvern riders of Bern. Someone had gotten them more than a disguise though. They'd been cleared to be here, but who could have done that?" Mage. Send up a red flare!" The teal haired soldier barked out to one of the troops gathered. A few moments later, a red streak shot skyward, exploding into a gout of red fury which seemed to linger high in the sky. It was a signal which translated to "enemies present". That'd bring out another detachment of wyverns. Hopefully, ones he could trust this time.
A moments peace finally granted him the time to go and look over the vanquished foe of his people: The Dragon. He had shrunk down to something much smaller and pathetic, and this piqued the Captain's interest. What was the true nature of this beast. As he neared though, his eyes widened in surprise. It was a man. Blond shaggy hair mussed on top of his head, with a scar crossing one of his eyes. He looked just like any other human. Then Saint's eyes narrowed and hardened in anger. Not like "any" other human. This was Abend's companion. The kid who'd talked big back when Abend had visited him in his office.
"...Mmmm." The soldier's gaze twisted around, zeroing in on the disguised commander. Shortly after, he began moving in a straight line towards the pair of warriors. Kenshin and his actions were a concern, as they might have some bearing on the entire situation. Right now though, there was something much more pressing on his mind.
"Abend, you have some explaining to do." Saint's tone wasn't loud, but there was a growling quality to it that brought the soldiers around them all a bit closer and more attentive. The shield and broadsword hung low in his grip, but he made no move to sheath his weapon or unfit his defense. What they chose to do next could completely alter the situation in Bern.
Where's your bodyguard now, Hero?
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Post by Tuatara 'Tut' Yamen on Feb 8, 2013 16:02:42 GMT -6
Tuatara lifted his head. Owowowowowow,he thought, brushing the dirt from his clothes. Well that hurt! He looked around to see where he was. The last thing he remembered was jumping ship when Marcus sent a giant ball of lightning at him. He looked at his clothes and felt his hair; they were singed. When I get my hands on Mar- And he caught sight of Marcus.
“Holy son of a lizard eating porcupine!” Tuatara cursed,jumping to his feet and running over to the nearby Marcus. “T-they killed him!”He stood there a moment in shock. They killed him… why did they do that?! What’d he do- WHERE IN THE BISCUITS IS HIS DRAGONSTONE?! He began frantically looking around. Where- how- who- why- And then he caught sight of Richter.
“Richter they killed him!” Tuatara shouted, running over to the disguised commander. “What in the dragon’s fire did they do that for? What, just see a dragon and automatically think kill it? What in the blazes were they thinking, he’s not a wyvern he’s a dragon!” He began pacing as he said this. “We’ve got to go after th- Oh no! What if they get a taste for dragon’s blood?! They’ll go after Aeros! We gotta go find him-” He babbled for a few moments and then stopped,a funny look on his face. “Where’s Clair? Oh no, they got Clair too!” He began pacing again, spouting off ideas and babbling.
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 9, 2013 5:19:38 GMT -6
Richter gritted his teeth Kenshin spoke. The red-haired swordsman's ridiculously pathetic, holier-than-thou response did little more than make the Ilian even more furious. "You...know...her?" he growled, placing a fist to his head in frustration. "YOU KNOW HER!? HOW IN GODDAMNED BARIGAN'S NAME DOES THAT JUSTIFY DEFENDING A MURDERER!?" Richter had to use all of his will power just to keep himself from drawing his sword and cutting Kenshin in half where he stood. He wasn't sure what he expected the man to say, but it definitely wasn't a statement as vapid as that. Not to mention the blatant hypocrisy in the rest of the man's words. He took a moment to breathe and collect himself, if just to continue the conversation without being a toe away from murder.
"Do not try and lecture me on anger and revenge, Kenshin. I have felt pain. I have felt loss. None of it justifies what you did. You idiots attacked Marcus! He was defending himself! Hell, I would have done the same damn thing if I was him, only I would have made sure I killed you first!" A small snarl escaped Richter's lips as he turned his stepped an inch closer to the Sacaen. "So who gives a bloody hell if every dragon you've met hates people? Is that how we justify it now? Personal experience? If that's the case I should kill you right now because all the Sacaen's I've met are bloodthirsty assholes!" Richter took another breath, but truly, it wasn't helping. He was infuriated right now, and it wasn't going away. Somebody would play blood for what happened to day, and you know what? It might as well be one of the men who helped.
"Tell me, how many dragons have you met? One? Maybe two? I can name three who have killed no more than you, two of which who have even risked their lives protecting my men, and now one of them is dead because someone had A BAD PAST EXPERIENCE!" The Ilian paused, really trying to hold it in, but he just couldn't anymore. Stilling the anger in his fists with all his might, he turned his head skyward and let out a primal, anguished roar. He cared not how he came across. He wasn't the Shadow Slayer right now. Nor was he the Winter Lion of Ilia. He was Richter Abend, a tired, wounded man dealing with his inability to protect his loved ones from the chaotic world around him, no matter how hard he tried.
Then, after a long pause, he gathered his breath and looked back at Kenshin. "I expected many things from the Demon of Sacae, many of them bad, but I never thought him one to toss out hypocritical platitudes to justify his shortcomings." But if that wasn't enough, Captain Saint, who had come straight for him after the fighting had stopped, marched over and demanded that he explain himself.
"I have explaining to do?" Richter replied, his voice dripping with the most acidic tone he could muster. "My deputy commander is attacked by an assassin, my bodyguard is butchered by a band of glory seeking nimrods and a horde of infiltrated rebels, I am assaulted by an Etrurian spy, masquerading as a rebel that has infiltrated your little operation here, and I have EXPLAINING TO DO!?"
It was then that the most inopportune time that Tuatara, as boisterous as ever, but actually voicing some pretty appropriate concerns. Unfortunately for him, though, Richter was less in the mood for his behavior than he ever was, which was typically not at all.
"NOT RIGHT NOW!" he barked, before turning back to Captain Saint.
"Instead of questioning me like a criminal, captain, you should be figuring out who in the city is ordering assassination attempts on my officers, and how this event was so incomprehensibly subverted by rebels," he spoke, choosing to adopt a slightly more civil demeanor than that with which he had first responded. "I have my suspicions, but the evidence is nothing more than circumstantial, and even if I'm right, I doubt the channels of communication were so direct."
Richter shot a glance at Kenshin, thinking of if there was really anything else to say, but turned back to Captain Saint when he concluded that the only thing to satisfy him right would be the Sacaen's head served to him on a silver platter. "I'll be more than happy to help hunt down the bastards, but right now I need to make sure if Clair is even still breathing, so if you'll excuse me..."
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Post by Kenshin on Feb 10, 2013 11:40:00 GMT -6
"She wasn't like this the last time I saw her, she was a girl living in poverty because assholes such as yourself deem yourself too great to help a child in need. People like you made her into the 'murderer', ignoring those in need for some ego trip of righteousness." A man in armor came telling Richter he had to explain himself shortly before a nutcase came bursting into the scene shouting nonsense. Kenshin turned his head to him "Kid, the grown ups are talking. Go frolic among the dead." Kenshin returned his gaze towards Richter and Saint "Don't you dare put the blame for your friend's death on anybody you son of a bitch," Kenshin's breathing began deepen, his tone showed even more anger now. "these people know what a dragon can do firsthand. I had set off to slay a man named Aerious for attacking a Bernnese town near here, the entire town set ablaze because he blamed Bern for what Hargus had done. I had almost killed one of my best comrades protecting an 'innocent' dragon before she started to spew the same garbage as him, then there was the one that attacked my wife's people after they took him in. Three god damn demons betrayed the trust of those who sought to protect them." If he's so eager to see that woman than I should send him to see her faster. Before Richter was out of arm's reach Kenshin had grabbed him by the shoulder pulled to make Richter face him all while he threw a haymaker with his right fist.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 10, 2013 19:53:10 GMT -6
Abend's response brought a flash of anger from the Captain's eyes. Yes. Someone here had slipped in rebels. Assassins had made it into the city. Someone had even led a dragon right past his ranks. And he would be damned if he let these threats to his city continue. So when Kenshin started his little rant, and that's what it seemed like to Saint after seeing things play out the way they were, he jammed the broadsword into the ground with a growl and began unfitting his shield from his left arm. He'd dealt with big shots before, and these two had actually been fighting earlier. It was only a matter of time before something happened.
And it did. It was Kenshin that made the first move, gliding in and slinging his arm up into the Commander's face. It was William that made the next, hoisting the steel slab that was his tower shield and hurling it with bone crushing force into the space where Kenshin had gone. Armor clanked as William surged in and grabbed the Commander's armor harness with his right hand and heaved him abrubtly in the other direction. There was nothing gentle about it though. Just a brutish jerk as Saint's armored gauntlet forcefully separated the two, then let Richter go, freely on his path.
"Listen up here! I know full well what this strike means! I know what I think of working with a murderer!" An angry glare at the red haired sacaen graced his voice as it shouted out, utterly without empathy. "And I certainly know what I think of dragons!" The teal haired Captain's glare wheeled over to Richter as he stood between the two, scowl fixed on his face. Fury radiated memories of destruction and hatred. Here Richter was supposed to be reinforcements, and he worked with the beasts which had attacked his home years before. And the celebrated defender of Sacae protected assassins who struck against those who were meant to help him?! What was this world coming to?
Unfortunately, he had to work with Richter. "Get him out of the city!" Saint pointed over to a few of the guardsman looking on and the straightened up, looking uncomfortable as they came over. "I know where to find you, Richter. I'll deal with you after this catastrophe is over."The armored captain turned away from the disguised commander and focused his attention back on the Sacaen.
"You are a problem. Not as much as that dragon, but still a nuisance that I now find it within my responsibilities to deal with."
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Post by Richter Abend on Feb 11, 2013 1:21:58 GMT -6
Whatever self-righteous, pompous dribble that had come out of Kenshin's mouth in response, Richter heard not. After getting a first hand taste of the Sacaen's self-important attitude, the Ilian cared even less now what the man had to say than he had when he had first walked up. But it was hard to ignore the punch.
As he felt Kenshin's grip on his shoulder, Richter grabbed for his sword, tightening his fingers around the grip and drawing it from its scabbard in an angry flourish. If not for Captain Saint's rapid action, the enraged Ilian would have brought black steel zweihander down upon the red-headed Sacaen's head, fist or no. Instead, however, Richter felt himself torn out of the way, stumbling off a ways at the Captain's forceful pulling before regaining his balance.
Fury in his eyes, the disguised Ilian stared down the Sacaen, his sword now pulsating with it's familiar nether magic. And as Richter's arm began to tingle with the sword's power, his anger began to grow, and in response the dark magic manifested itself into writhing tendrils, tendrils which looked to be reaching for Kenshin, almost as if the black weapon could sense its master's desire. There was a moment, a moment in which Richter debated letting that fell word escape from his lips, but in a fleeting moment of clarity, decided against it. The weapon played with his emotions, that much he had been able to figure out. He wasn't going to let himself gut the red haired bastard, no matter how much he really wanted to, as long as his judgement was clouded like this.
Thus Richter, with great personal difficulty, sheathed his sword and quietly stormed off to find Clair.
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Post by Tuatara 'Tut' Yamen on Feb 16, 2013 11:23:06 GMT -6
Tuatara stopped his rambling when Richter yelled at him. Oh ya, now is not the time to panic! he thought as he stopped and turned toward the group. And then Kenshin called him a kid. I can see why Richter doesn’t like this guy… He continued to listen and caught Aerious’ name. Wait he tried to kill Aerious? I would have loved to see th- And wait just cause the few dragon’s he’s met ended up causing problems doesn’t mean they all do. And it doesn’t mean they had a choice in the matter either. People can be stu- hey what is he doing?
Kenshin had grabbed Richter and was pulling his fist back. Tuatara reached for his dagger but Saint seemed to have everything in control. He kept his hand on his dagger when he saw some funky magic coming from Richter. Hey is that- he began to think before Richter started off.
“Wait for me!” Tuatara called out, taking his hand off his dagger. Yes,the chase begins! Here we come dragon slayers! Oh wait, we gotta find Clair. Here we come Clair, and then dragon slayers, you WILL FEAR MY NAME! He stopped a moment as he passed Kenshin. “You have issues.” And he raced after Richter.
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Yaen
Swordmaster
Prince of Blades Mad Swordsman
Now let's play the Song of Swords.
Posts: 305
Sacae Fame: 2
Bern Fame: 3
Lycia Fame: 1
Profession: Vagabond
Affinity: Thunder
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Post by Yaen on Feb 17, 2013 8:46:53 GMT -6
A firm, though still somewhat shakey, hand rested on Mana's shoulder. "Don't fret too much." Yaen insisted softly. "He has a strong spirit. There are others his age without half of his determination who have survived more fatal wounds." He assured her with a light smile. The color had returned to his face, and apart from the soreness one would get after being slugged straight in the solar plexus by a burly Ilian mercenary, he wasn't feeling any worse for the wear.
“Is it regret? Are you trying to atone for the sin of putting Bern in this position in the first place? Or is it some other source of twisted malcontent?”
"Bern had suffered a similar fate as my home but at the hand of a dragon. I wasn't going to allow that to happen once again, every dragon I had met had a strong dislike towards humans."
A small look of annoyance crossed the Sword Master's face as he slightly turned his head to glance over to the pair. Were they seriously doing this right now? Right here? The Ilian man was clearly angry, but to start an argument in a place being used for the wounded? And, of course, Kenshin was spewing more of the candy coated, sugar filled trash that he'd come to expect from the man. Kenshin was a beautiful, flawless swordsman, but every other part of him left Yaen with the desire to beat him to death, starting at the elbows and kneecaps.
"I noticed you have a certain fondness for our redheaded countryman." He commented softly, as not to interrupt the oh so 'important' arguement. "I can understand the attraction, I've been captivated by his skill many a time, but a word of sound advice? That is the only part of him to be admired." The words came out, admittedly with a small degree of spite.
"Tell me, how many dragons have you met? One? Maybe two? I can name three who have killed no more than you, two of which who have even risked their lives protecting my men, and now one of them is dead because someone had A BAD PAST EXPERIENCE!"
Was he shouting now!? He did realize that people were in pain around him, correct!?
"How is protecting people from the high levels of destruction of a dragon aiding anybody of ill intent? The conflict taking place in Bern is none of my concern. I only took up arms against Bern to protect my home and when I saw it was going to be a losing battle I sought out aid. I helped the assassin because I know her, it's been many years since I saw her last. You shouldn't allow your anger and desire for revenge dictate your actions, it only leads to other mistakes."
And of course, his old 'friend' Kenshin, ever the self righteous hypocrite, painting his own life story on everyone around him. And, as most might expect, the fight started. Had it not been for the quick intervention of the other man, Yaen would have stepped in, and unlike the other man, he would not have spared them the blade.
"Get him out of the city!"
"You are a problem. Not as much as that dragon, but still a nuisance that I now find it within my responsibilities to deal with."
"Stay strong for him." He told Mana, giving her shoulder a squeeze. "I shall see you again soon. And if not, I shall see you again later. Oh, and tell Wyatt, he fought well. In the arena, and against the dragon. Releasing her shoulder, the Sacaen swordsman approached the man presumably in charge and Kenshin. "If you'll pardon me, Ser," he interrupted, his waist slightly bending in a bow, "If you would please, allow me to relieve you of the responsibility of my countryman. I give you my word, Ser, if there be any more trouble within this place, it will not be from us."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 19, 2013 11:42:08 GMT -6
As Richter stormed off, the captain noticed the smaller figure trailing behind, and spared a moment to cast a glare after the it. He was tempted to do something about the man, as he did not appear to have been dealt with satisfactorily, but there were too many more important things going on right.
Kenshin had protected an assassin which had struck in the city, which made him party to the crime. That had probably been the Emerald Wraith which some of the city folk spoke of from time to time. Now he had to wonder what sort of connection actually was there between the red-maned swordsman and this assassin.
Rebels, Etrurians, Ilians, assassins, and Sacaens. And one of the despised wyrms. Good riddance of it. He still believed that the Ilians who had arrived meant to secure the city from danger. Grudgingly, he admitted that it was now "their" city, but that was better than the chaos that the rebel attacks were causing in outlying areas. As for the other pieces, they were more difficult to read. He couldn't see the whole picture, but the Etrurians who had come here had targeted the Ilians specifically. As had the assassin. Which left him tossing the Rebels in with the Etrurians and assassin. The assassin who the Sacaen hero had protected....
Someone else came up offering to take Kenshin out of the city and "Relieve him of the responsibility". This interupted the teal haired man from his musings as he looked down to meet this new figures eyes.
"I bet you would like to get him out of here, Sacaen. Unfortunately for you, that's not an option. Step back please." There wasn't much empathy in the low growl of the Captain's voice. Just a steely anger at what had happened. What he had failed to prevent.
Wyverns began circling down from above at this point, responding to the flare he'd had the mage send up earlier, at the conclusion of the battle with the dragon. Their eyes immediately went to the wreckage around where it had fought, but the dragon's carcass was not there to inform them of events. They'd still be in the dark about what was going on. He'd deal with them momentarily.
"Kenshin, consider yourself under arrest." Saint took a step closer as the soldiers all around tensed slightly. Everyone here was familiar with Kenshin's legend. Battling the leaders of the last war got you some reputation, it seemed.
"...I have some questions for you."
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Post by Kenshin on Feb 28, 2013 19:42:48 GMT -6
The kid who showed up shouting gibberish said he had issues, guess he didn't watch himself flail around the arena like a wounded duck. Knowing he left with... Richter? Who really is this man? Not that did it matter now, Yaen had shown up offering to take him out of the city. "Yaen, I do not need your help. It seems as if offering aid here only gets you in trouble. Make sure nothing happens to this." Kenshin removed the bow as he walked towards Yaen and shoved it to his chest. Now turning towards Saint "I'm assuming this place isn't going to be a good spot to talk?"
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Mar 6, 2013 6:54:19 GMT -6
"Oh, is that what you were doing?" William groused out. Somehow, aiding the Emerald Wraith, and taking a swing at Richter was helping now. The armored captain waved down the wyverns landing in the arena, looking up at the one that glided to a stop on a perch several feet above him on a damaged portion of the stands. He wasn't the first to speak though. The rider took that claim.
"What happened here, Saint? Where's the battle?" Only the lower half of the rider's face could be distinguished under his helm. The face guard covered the top portion well enough to make it nigh impossible to see past it. One thing that could be seen was a long scar dragging down the face from some point further up under the helm.
"Bigger story than we have time for now. Part of it is some of your riders turning traitor right here." There was vociferous swearing from under the helm suddenly, and the great winged beast the rider sat on opened its mouth in a short roar in response to its rider's sudden agitation.
"They're still getting away right now! Get after them! You have permission to engage. Bring me them." William yelled up at the scarred rider. Quiet didn't appear to be one of Saint's strengths.
"I'll ring them in. Then we'll talk about this story you mentioned. The rider appeared undaunted by the Captain's forceful nature.He leaned back in his seat, giving commands in hand signals to the other riders still above as the winged lizard leaned back and used its wings to throw itself into the air. William watched them for less than the time it took to get them in the air before turning back from the sight. He eyed the bow which Kenshin had just handed off for a moment, not bothering to hide his scrutiny of it, but said nothing and ignored it as though itvhad never happened a moment later.
"You're right. This isn't the place for what I had in mind. I'll need your weapons. And I'll need you to follow me."
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Apr 5, 2013 22:12:50 GMT -6
They turned and left, a small contingent of soldiers following William after he set the situation in the arena in order. He honestly didn't trust Kenshin, so he was keeping his eye on that one, but no trouble came from him. They moved off from the Arena, William always watching for rebels or anyone looking to take advantage of the chaos set loose on the city. No one touched them. They reached one of the guard stations in the area, and William turned half an eye back towards the Sacaen. No trouble had come to them in all of this.
"Get him his own room. I'll be along in a minute." Saint growled out to the soldiers following. He turned and glared at Kenshin, somehow looking as though he found fault in the Sacaen for all of this. From his reputation, Captain Saint seemed to take on that appearance alot. As the red haired man was moved, William followed part of the way, stopping in a room with a desk and chairs on the way.
Kenshin was taken inside and put in a holding cell behind several doors. Kenshin had been involved with the Emerald Wraith some how. He'd helped slay the dragon, which the armored captain appreciated, but the Etrurians... or rebels (he really didn't know which), had done the same. And they'd all targeted the same people. People who were supposed to be assisting him in securing Bern from danger. Yet they'd brought one of the foul wyrms right into his city. Damn! No one could be trusted here. The teal haired captain stroked his beard, growing angrier as he did so until he forced himself to stop and sit down in a chair. He'd let Kenshin sit in the back for awhile. Let time eat away at him. Then go and see what the man had to say....
Quiet. It was eating away at him about as much as he wanted it to affect Kenshin. Bah! He stood and paced a few steps, letting his legs wander around the room as he brooded over what had happened. Where to send soldiers to secure first. What would need to be done....
There was a sudden click of the door behind him, and William whirled to find one of the guardsman pushing the door open. He was about to snap at the soldier, but didn't get the chance. "Sir! Someone is releasing the prisoner!" The teal haired Captain froze for a moment, letting the words sink in, before surging forward and shoving through the door, nearly squashing the soldier into the frame as he heedlessly pushed through.
William pushed out and towards where Kenshin had been taken, only to see another man in armor like his, accompanied by a small honor guard. He was everything that William was not. His armor was spotless, where Saint's was obviously used. He kept himself meticulously groomed, while the teal haired Captain would always be called scruffy. Kenan Caralon: Captain of Bern. Only if you used the rank very loosely though, as far as William was concerned.
"What are you doing here, Caralon? Get tired of preening for the nobles in the upper city? What are you doing in my sector?" William sounded ready to spit nails as he saw Kenshin coming out from the door where he'd been put.
"My my.... Always so grumpy!... You know, William, when I was told that you'd been bullying famous foreign personalities, I didn't want to believe it. I truly didn't! And yet here we are...." The man's practially purred out through his voice, twisting a long curl of a mustache over his lip. He was clearly enjoying whatever it was he was about. He looked to Kenshin, and said only a simple couple of sentences.
"You're free to go. I wouldn't linger if I were you."
"This man is to be questioned about events in the arena today! You can't release him."
"I'm not trying to, Captain. Someone else is...." The highborn accent Kenan sported was really beginning to wear on Saint as he watched Caralon produce a paper from a pouch attached to his belt and show it forth. The design and seal of the paper only served to bring a bitter scowl to William's face. It was his own superiors'.
"These orders say Kenshin is to be released immediately, no questions asked. I'm also to remove you of your command if you prove... uncooperative. Would you like to say something, Will?
William only growled, and glared at Kenshin. He made no move to speak or block their passage though. He had to question his loyalty to his own rulers now. Kenshin leaving early, before he could have an interrogation.... There was plenty of evidence to suggest that this was all an inside job. There was a tie pulling rebels, Etruria, and his government together now. Targeting Richter and Clair, who were supposedly his allies. They'd brought the damned dragon with them though. And where did the Sacaen fit into all of this.... He had too many strikes against him in the past to move too aggressively. He would need to activate some assets he'd acquired. And as much as he hated dragons, he would need to contact Richter.... Because as of now, he was alone in this city.
He turned quietly and stalked out the door, moving back to the armory, and the top of the watch tower.
/end
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