Kyra
Myrmidon
A girl from Lucerne trying to find her place in the world.
Posts: 104
Profession: Wanderer/Mercenary
Affiliation: Bern
Affinity: Dark
Profile: ~Kyra~
|
Post by Kyra on Jun 12, 2017 11:03:54 GMT -6
Kyra and her four comrades had been riding through the forest for a few miles now, each one on a horse they'd rented before leaving, bar Lunie, who had fetched her own horse on the way out of Lucerne. She had opted to ride a little bit ahead of the group, alongside Devon, mainly so that he would have someone to talk to on the way to the bandit hideout, and everyone else seemed to be staying behind and avoiding him like the plague. "So, Devon, how close are we now? I kinda figured we'd be there already."
Devon, without looking away from the horizon he'd been staring at the whole night so far, simply said "Don't worry, we're almost there, Kyra. The entrance to Bonerock Cave is just over this hill up ahead." Devon seemed to be extremely on edge, more than he was when he met Alphonz, almost as if he was anticipating something... waiting for something. After she had taken a few more steps with her horse, rustling could be heard from behind, and before Kyra or any of the others could do anything, three bandits, all armed with axes, came walking out of the nearby bushes, approaching the group from both sides and the back, leaving the front where Devon and Kyra stood unusually open. While Kyra was initially confused by this amongst her surprise, she soon discovered why this was when she noticed Devon had hopped off his horse and drawn one of his daggers and had it pointed straight at Kyra.
"I'm sorry Kyra, but I'm afraid I can't let you inside Bonerock Cave. I made a deal with these bandits, and if I don't uphold my end of the bargain, then my family... Well, let's just say I'd rather not think about it, okay?" Devon seemed a bit shaky as he finished his sentence, but shook his head as he focused himself again, staring Kyra dead in the eyes. "Unfortunately for you, my end of the bargain entails taking out little kids like you that meddle too far in business that doesn't pertain to you. I know we're friends, Kyra, but business is business, I'm sure you understand, right? And besides, I'm protecting my family by doing this. What are you protecting? Now then, you always were the better fighter when we were a bit younger. Let's see if that's still the case!"
Kyra was stunned at what she was hearing, and she almost fell off her horse from how dizzy she was getting from the overload of anxiety she was feeling as all this information washed over her. She looked over at her other companions, wondering how they were reacting to this revelation. Maybe they weren't surprised at all. Maybe Kyra had just been too naive towards Devon's plan to get them in a secluded place. He was probably planning this from the moment they talked in the tavern back in Lucerne. She felt so ashamed, feeling like she'd just led them all into a trap. Weakly speaking up, she said, "This is about more than just one family, Devon. Are you saying you'd rather save your own family by joining these.. these.. murderers, when you could be helping us take them all down, and lift a burden off of all of Lucerne? I-I thought I knew you better, but I guess I was wrong in thinking you were different than other criminals in some way. I'm sure your parents would be horrified knowing you're doing this sort of thing to help them!"
We can't give up just yet.. They equal us in numbers. We can probably still take them, but we'll have to do it one on one, which means... I'm gonna need to fight Devon. Gods... my first real, human fight beyond sparring is going to be against my friend? Ex-friend, I should say...
Staring Devon down as she dismounted her horse, Kyra's courage building up as much as it feasibly could in this scenario, she drew her sword, holding it in a defensive position, preparing for Devon to strike first. "Well, Devon, if you wanna take us out, we're not going down without a fight." She breathed in and out slowly and heavily, trying to conceal any emotions for after the fight, lest they distract her and throw her off. Glancing at all her friends quickly, she shouted, "Everyone! I'll deal with Devon! All of you pick a bandit, and deal with them!"
As she looked back at Devon, she saw him starting to advance toward her, a dagger in each hand now. She braced herself, preparing to parry his attacks when they came. She hoped to be able to avoid killing him, but that would depend wholly on Devon's determination, which it seemed he had a good amount of. I'm sorry, Devon. Whatever happens to you, I hope you'll forgive me...
|
|
Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
|
Post by Lunie on Jun 13, 2017 3:47:26 GMT -6
The quintet had rode into the night due north for a fair piece. The huntress had been unusually quiet thus far, following along as Devon had guided them. The mage had also not bothered speaking up, much to the relief of the others. He had, on occasion, peered off into the distance as if expecting something to emerge but nothing ever did. There seemed to be an eerie awkwardness hanging over the group, as if perhaps someone had broke wind and no one wanted to admit to it. It was Kyra that broke that silence, though only after herself and Devon had quickened their pace to ride ahead so the others wouldn’t hear. Devon himself had been unusually quiet as well, and though not all even wished to hear his voice, the way he nervously shifted his gaze and stance when he’d normally be cool and confident put the others on edge. It should have come as no surprise when a trio of bandits approached in ambush, but still no one seemed to have expected it aside from the thief. As the bandits flanked the team, the adventurers seemed to outnumber them. It somewhat dampened the tension of the encounter until Devon turned his blade on them as well. The sudden betrayal had cast them into confusion, their advantage in numbers now completely erased. The overall morale of the crew plummeted as the nature of the trap was revealed. Now, enemies on all sides, Selunae and Chase exchanged glances back at forth as they dismounted, the huntress’s eyes wide with fear and the mage’s teeth clenched in anger. While Selunae had trusted Devon somewhat through association with Kyra, the mage suspected that in a group such as this, not everyone could be trusted. Alphonz seemed to be of the same mindset of the mage, having not shown any faith in the rogue from first meeting him, so the pair converged on the young knight’s position as the brigands closed in on them. “Oh gods..! How.. how could he d-do this t-to us?! To Kyra..?” the huntress lamented, tears already rolling down her cheeks. “The rapscallion.. I should have discerned his malign intents through his sophistry. I hadn’t anticipated such desperation to resort to such a treachery. I have grown overconfident of my percipience, and I am acquiesced to concede blame for allowing this to transpire.” the mage’s reply carried little hint of the ire he felt, his delivery sounding more as if complaining of an inconvenience. “This is n-no time for b-big words I don’t understand!” Selunae’s flustered response, however, betrayed every ounce of anger and pain she felt. “Well, shall we..?” Chase gestured toward the bandits with a wide sweep of his arm. Selunae didn’t answer with words, instead sniffling and stifling her tears. She took her bow in hand and trained a nocked arrow on the bandit closing in from the west. The mage focused his attention on the southward ruffian, a sudden spiral updraft of wind fluttering his robes as he channeled his magical energies. That would leave the remaining man approaching from the east to Alphonz. The three brigands, now engaged, each employed their own method of approach. The bandit to the west, a man with a more slender frame than the others, seemed a little cockier after observing Selunae’s fears and tears but remained on guard nonetheless, ready to react to her shot. She too, was cautious and was biding her time as well. The huntress knew that if she missed, he would make her pay for it, and as she locked eyes with him her emotions continued to boil into anger and rage. It was the south bandit, the burliest of the three, sporting a long askew beard and stout muscular build that made the first move. Chase rolled his eyes as the bulky brigand charged into a sprint, axe raised. Of course, go for the intellectual one first. Raising his right arm in the direction of the bearded assailant, the mage allowed energy to surge forth, a swift gust of wind manifesting along the way. It wasn’t aimed at the muscled man though, instead impacting the earth numerous paces in front of him. The resulting cloud of dust burst forcefully into his face, blinding him before he could attack. It didn’t stop the bandit from taking a wild swing at Chase, though with a single graceful step to the side he was able to avoid harm. Adding injury to insult though, he hooked his foot across the bandit’s ankle as he passed, sending the blinded foe sprawling to the dirt. Chase scoffed at the result, taking a deep breath as he drew upon his stamina to prepare his next attack. “Take that, you uncivilized plebeian!” The muscular bandit’s brazenness had spurred the slender bandit to make a move as well, further closing the gap between himself and Selunae. She intended on making him pay for his brash decision, exhaling as she drew the bowstring further before releasing her shot. The arrow flew true to its intended path, sinking into the chest of the brigand. He exhaled in a ragged gasp but didn’t relent, instead retaliating with a diagonal swing of his axe. Selunae gripped her bow with both hands and blocked the swing. The brigand locked his axe blade against the bow, forcing the huntress back despite her greatest efforts. She strained against the bandit but it was no use, the blade kept inching closer to her until finally the slender foe threw a kick into her midsection. She doubled over in pain, crying out in shock. With pained determination, the bandit raised his axe to follow up. Before he could, the huntress raised her arm and grasped the arrow protruding his chest. The brigand screamed in pain, as she dug the arrow further into his chest, twisting the arrow as she did. The agony forcing the man to lower his axe, he instead reflexively threw a punch into Selunae’s still tear-streaked face, causing her to stagger backwards and release the arrow. The brigand collapsed to a kneel from his pain. “That hurt, d-did it? I’ll.. make you all pay for t-turning Devon against us and k-killing Master Flint!” Selunae glared at the wounded bandit, a fire in her eyes, her lips pursed in anger. It was then that this man would truly begin to feel fear, as the huntress removed an arrow from her quiver.
|
|
Alphonz
Recruit
A young boy who wants to live up to the expectations people have of him
Posts: 29
Profession: Knight-in-training
Affiliation: Bernese military
Guild: Silver Vanguard
Affinity: Ice
Profile: Alphonz
OoC Alias: Sigma
|
Post by Alphonz on Jun 13, 2017 22:18:26 GMT -6
As they were travelling towards the hideout, Alphonz felt a bit uneasy letting that knave ride in front with Kyra. He did not trust him and he did not mind at all if it showed. That man was going to feel the sting of his glaive if he tried to pull something funny. Deciding to keep a close eye on him, he only half listened to the other two next to him might have been saying, but it's not like it was a lot anyways. Socializing was better kept after all of this anyways. He needed to succeed to show that he could help Bern just like his father and not simply stay in his shadow. Not only that, but he personnaly felt that it was his duty to help these people. He'd probably still do it even if he didn't also want to show to his dad what he was made of.
Suddenly, his worries about Devon seemed to become reality as three bandits appeared... With Devon now joining them. Instantly getting off his horse and reaching for his glaive, the anger in Alphonz's entire being were easily perceivable. You dastard! One of your kind deserves nothing more than the tip of my spear! Not only are you betraying your country, but you're lying to the people you know and used to care about... Or was that all just an act to gain Kyra's trust only to pull the rug from under her? I don't care if you're trying to protect your family, your acts are still just as dirty and evil, no excuses will make them go away. You deplorable sack of filth, I'll make sure you get rightful punishment for the wrongs you have committed when we're done taking care of your little group of oafs."
Turning towards who he had decided was going to be his opponent, he had almost forgotten that this was going to be his first fight all on his own, no Silver Vanguard to protect him. This was his time to show what he was made of. Remembering what his father taught him, he held his glaive diagonally, ready to blovk just in case. His opponent seemed about his height, with maybe a bit more mass from more time doing physical labor. He was the first to move, axe to the side held with both hands. Alphonz however, was not scared of using his weapon's reach to stop the man dead in his track as he pushed his polearm all the way forward to stab the bandit's shoulder. Backing off by pulling away his glaive, he saw the bandit get visibly angrier, shouting obsceneties and overall looking very pissed at him. Not wanting to be caught again by his weapon, he started to walk slowly around him probably waiting for an opportunity.
At the same time, Alphonz noticed Lunie being attacked by another of these scoundrels. She seemed to be losing as the man's axe was pushing away her bow and kicked her midsection, resulting in much pain for the girl. "Lunie! Don't lose foc-GAH!" Ironically, he had forgotten to keep watching his opponent as he felt the axe's blade dig into a small slit in his plate mail around his right lung. At least the armor stopped it from breaking a few ribs, but blood was definitely spilling and the pain was very much so there. As the bandit pulled out the weapon from the now dented armor, Alphonz tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably as pain was starting to be the only thing he felt. In an act of desperation, he pushed away the bandit by bringing the other end up to the enemy's face to smack him good and make him stunned for a few moments to catch his breath.
"Alright, time to get serious.
|
|
Kyra
Myrmidon
A girl from Lucerne trying to find her place in the world.
Posts: 104
Profession: Wanderer/Mercenary
Affiliation: Bern
Affinity: Dark
Profile: ~Kyra~
|
Post by Kyra on Jun 13, 2017 23:30:16 GMT -6
Kyra had to think fast as Devon rushed her with a flurry of dagger attacks, slashing with one hand and stabbing with the other with a blurring speed that could barely be kept up with, and Kyra was carrying out a mixture of dodges and parries, mostly avoiding every hit as if they were in a choreographed dance of deadly blades, but still getting scratched up from a few hits that got through, causing her to bleed a bit on her lower arm and on her side, very near where the wolf had bitten her the day before, wincing in pain with each one. It was almost exhilarating, in a strange way, as Kyra experienced the natural progression of their sparring sessions they'd carried out in her backyard a few years ago with simple wooden weapons and basic protective gear that made both of them look like comedic parodies of actual soldiers. It was almost serene reminiscing about those days. That is, until she was reminded again that she was in the middle of battling the origin those memories for real. Both combatants were breathing heavily now, and their eyes remained locked, unwavering in their mutual determination.
Devon finally spoke up after Alphonz launched his flurry of insults, which he did his best to ignore. "So, Kyra, what's it gonna take to just get you to surrender? This doesn't have to keep going, you know. I don't necessarily need to kill you. You'd just have to join our little... family." As he finished, he went to go for another stab, recoiling reflexively as he realized Kyra was more aware of it than he'd thought. Damn, Kyra... When did you get so good at this? We at least used to be mostly equal... Guess I spent too much time talking up the tavern wenches, and not enough time practicing with weapons... Really wish I'd done the latter now.
Kyra responded almost instantly, "You really think you can persuade me to join you that easily, Devon? You're not the person I knew anymore. Any trust I may have had in you before has just been thrown off a ledge and swallowed up by a starving wyvern! You're just as much of a heartless criminal as the rest of these thugs, and I can't believe I had put my trust in you all this time..." As tears began to well up in Kyra's eyes, she clenched her fists around the hilt of her sword. Allowing the tears to flow, she channeled her grief and anger into her sword arm, lunging at her traitorous friend with a fury she hadn't shown before in any battle, practice or not, leading up to that point. Because of this, Devon was caught extremely off guard, doing his best to sidestep and otherwise dodge Kyra's blows, as his daggers were far too fragile and small to block the larger blade that she possessed.
Shaking now, Devon went wide eyed as he started to slip up a bit, and he went to uselessly block a slash that was aimed for his right leg, causing the simple dagger blade to be knocked a few feet from his hand from the force of the blow, and the slash still carried through to the side of his leg, just not quite as hard as it would've been. Crying out in agony, he backed up, getting on one knee, putting his other dagger up to block any more blows that might come his way. Kyra drew closer, intending to bat aside the dagger and leave Devon defenseless. Instead, something else overtook her. Not some demon or other kind of otherworldly entity, but another part of her mind, the part the pat was, at this moment, only pure rage and lust for vengeance, for the betrayal, for the possible jeopardization of the entire mission, for... for... everything. In that moment, all of Kyra's anger from any possible thing was slipping uncontrollably into the rest of her mind, causing her to adjust her swing slightly, causing the blade to not only knock the blade out of Devon's hand, but to also use the momentum to keep going straight through his wrist.
The next moment was a bit of a blur to Kyra, as she heard Devon screaming uncontrollably and shouting profanities at her. Looking over, she saw blood spilling for where his left hand once was, and she felt herself getting a bit dizzy. "D-Devon... I-I..." She could barely speak, instead only approaching him slowly as he held onto his bleeding arm while lying know his side in agony, wincing every few seconds. Devon shouted out, "I don't need your damn help! You've done enough harm! Just leave me the hell alone!"
Stunned by his sharp harshness and the realization of what she had done to him, Kyra simply started backing away, staring blankly at nothing in particular. It was this that be made her totally unaware that Devon was getting back up, limping over as quickly as he could, picking up the dagger closest to him, and rushing Kyra. The next moment, all Kyra felt was the feeling of a sharp blade inside her upper left arm. She didn't even remember screaming or making any noise. She didn't even remember reflexively raising her blade, plunging it straight into Devon's gut. She faintly heard Devon say something, as if he was speaking to her from far away through a chamber of water. "Well... guess I was in way over my head, huh, Kyra? Heh... Like I said... you always were... the better fighter..." Seeing Kyra making no effort to hold the blade in him, Devon backed off of the sword a couple steps, standing there with blood flowing from not only his leg and arm, but now also his gut. "I.. I'm scared, Kyra... I... I don't..." Devon's eyes stared straight through Kyra as he uttered his last words, stumbling backwards onto the ground as the life left his eyes.
Kyra stumbled down to the ground herself, yanking the dagger from her arm, giving no concern for the moderate bleeding it was causing. She kneeled down over Devon's body, not saying a word, and started crying. Considering it was someone as reprehensible and selfish as Devon who she'd just killed, it astonished her that her tears almost matched those from the day she was told her father wasn't coming home.
|
|
Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
|
Post by Lunie on Jun 15, 2017 5:16:27 GMT -6
The arrow left her bow, the projectile of death arcing slightly as it flew. The slender bandit it was intended for hastened to his feet, twisting his stance as his unsteady legs buckled beneath him. The upward momentum left him careening sideways, the arrow grazing his shoulder as he struggled to regain his balance. Reeling from the pain of his chest wound still, he managed to direct his momentum back forward again, intending to make the huntress suffer for his injury. Before the brigand could even turn this clumsy advance into an attack, several bladed shards of ice pierced through the air, a few stabbing into his torso while others simply whizzed by and evaporated back into the atmosphere. With a final gasp of pain, the bandit tumbled forward to the ground, losing consciousness immediately.
The huntress instantly flinched, as if the Chase’s spell was also going to turn her into frog.. or something. She still wasn’t used to magic, and that ice had entered her comfort bubble. Selunae did not like magic in her comfort bubble. Nooo sir. She turned to give the mage an earful, but as she did, she was met with that smug grin on his face that irritated her so much. “One might suggest that he received ‘the cold shoulder,’ hmm?”
The mage’s attempt at humor was wasted on the huntress, Selunae instead turning her attention to Alphonz. She had heard the young knight’s yell of pain, and was ready to back him up if he needed it. Even with the fresh wound, the silver recruit seemed to be handling himself well. “Alphonz..! Are you okay..?” The burly brigand was back on his feet though, and seemed to have recovered enough of his vision to continue his assault. The mage didn’t seem to be aware of it yet, as he was also diverting his attention to the condition of his wounded companion. The sound of the aggressor’s heavy footsteps took priority over the distraction though, Chase conjuring his sorcery once more. Moisture once again coalesced from the air and formed numerous jagged dagger blades of ice. The ice spikes pelted the bandit as he reached the mage, but unlike the slender victim of his previous casting, the stout fellow had no substantial wounds and was barely slowed by the spell, forcing Chase to leap back as the brigand’s axe was hefted in a deadly horizontal arc.
The spectacle had drawn Selunae’s attention as well, and she had repositioned herself further to the mage’s right, training an arrow on the man and releasing from a full draw on the bowstring. The bandit must have known what she was doing, as just before the arrow left the bow, he ducked and shifted to the side, leaving the arrow to sail harmlessly by him. The huntress muttered a curse under her breath and stepped away quickly, reaching for her next arrow.
The bearded brigand had other ideas though, turning his focus to her. Kyra was too far away, Chase was a little winded from the spells he’d cast and was taking longer to gather the mana for his next casting, and Alphonz still had his hands full with the other bandit, so the huntress was going to have to fend for herself. Fumbling carelessly as she rushed to get a shot off before the man could reach her, it was both too late and just in the nick of time when the three-quarter draw shot struck the brigand. It had caught the wrist of his raised axe hand, causing him to lose the axe, but it also caused him to stagger into her, effectively tackling her to the ground. She grunted from the impact of the man colliding with her and accentuated it with a sharp whimper and groan as her back slammed into the ground with the bandit landing on top of her. It knocked the breath out of her briefly, and it was her assailant that struck first with a punch to her face. It was followed by another before the huntress threw one of her own. The burly man grinned at Selunae, her punch had barely affected him. Her own face seemed to drain of color, the huntress now fearing for her life with the realization there was little she could do against him. “Chase..!” she cried, having just enough time to get his name out before being silenced with another blow to the face.
The bandit seized Selunae by the throat, intending to finish her off quickly before the mage could interfere. Arms flailing, the huntress managed to get her fingers on her hunting knife, attempting to bring it to bear on her assailant. Before she could introduce it to his flesh though, she felt his strong hand grasp her wrist, overpowering her and slamming her hand into the ground. Selunae struggled to resist the man’s strength, but once again her hand pounded into the earth beside her. Suddenly the bandit’s weight shifted to the side, the mage’s boot digging into his ribcage. In that moment she wrestled her wrist free from the brigand’s grip and drove her hunting knife into his back, not once, not twice, but three times in rapid succession. The bandit’s grip on her neck went slack, and Chase shoved the man off of her. Selunae began gasping for breath, coughing and choking as air surged into her oxygen-starved lungs. She didn’t have the strength to get up, so she just laid there to recover. As tears and blood ran down her face, she hoped the others were faring well.
|
|
Alphonz
Recruit
A young boy who wants to live up to the expectations people have of him
Posts: 29
Profession: Knight-in-training
Affiliation: Bernese military
Guild: Silver Vanguard
Affinity: Ice
Profile: Alphonz
OoC Alias: Sigma
|
Post by Alphonz on Jun 15, 2017 15:45:56 GMT -6
Kyra was fighting Devon, Lunie and Chase were doing pretty well. Guess it was time for him to focus on his own battle before getting hit a second time due to attention deficit. His opponent was now no longer stunned, but at least he was extremely pissed off at the young man.
Eyeing each other now, both of them were carefully circling each other. The anger was palpable as the bandit was gritting his teeth and Alphonz's stare seethed with anger thinking about Devon and his betrayal. Being the first to attack, Alphonz went in to try and slash at his torso with the blade of the glaive instead of the tip. Shouting at the top of his lungs to add more power to his swing. The bandit easily deflected the polearm with only one arm as it easy to get leverage on a pole extended that far. Pulling on the lance, he bringed Alphonz closer to bring his elbow down on his back. The boy was easily overpowered, finding his face in the dirt and grass quite quickly. Rolling over, he only a few seconds to hold his lance put as the bandit tried to finish him off with the axe. At the very least, only being able to use one arm made it so the glaive hadn't been cut in half. Struggling a bit due to his wound on his chest, he tried to push through the pain as more blood could be felt leaking out his ribcage. He finally pushed off the bandit, getting back up despite his legs shaking a bit after that painful ordeal.
He was also able to catch a glimpse of Lunie being rescued by Chase as her enemy had almost choked her to death. Ugh, I can't even help them when they need it. Guess I still need a lot of training. Calming down a bit, he held his spear with the tip pointed down, waiting for the axeman to attack. "Oi, you really think you can beat me eh? Stubborn little brat, I'll show you what pain really is!" The following seconds almost seemed to go by at a deccelarated rate as Alphonz got a shot of adrenaline, his mind clearing as he saw the man dash towards him with his axe raised. As he brought it down, the recruit quickly side-stepped out of the way, bringing down the spear on the shaft of the axe, throwing it onto the ground. Raising the glaive, he quickly stabbed the man through the heart, ending him rightly. Realising he had made his first kill, he quickly pulled out the weapon, breathing heavily for multiple reasons. Feeling tired, woozy and a bit shaken by his first kill, he looked around to notice the two girls. Kyra was on her knees, completely still as Devon's lifeless body laid on the ground. Lunie was trying to catch her breath after almost being choked to death and honestly, Alphonz felt as if he could pass out at any moment right now as he was realising the gravity of his injury. No! Not now you idiot! You've gotta hang in there until everybody is safe!" Walking over to Lunie which seemed to be in trouble considering she still hadn't gotten up, he offered her his hand as he leaned over her to look at her face. "Think you can get up?"
After helping and offering her to lean on his shoulder if needed, he looked over to Kyra. He realised that killing what used to be her friend must've been hitting her pretty hard. Despite not knowing what to say, he still approached her to show some support by being there.
|
|
Kyra
Myrmidon
A girl from Lucerne trying to find her place in the world.
Posts: 104
Profession: Wanderer/Mercenary
Affiliation: Bern
Affinity: Dark
Profile: ~Kyra~
|
Post by Kyra on Jun 15, 2017 17:27:18 GMT -6
3 Years Ago... Kyra swung her makeshift sword at Devon, the wood clacking loudly against his own wooden blade as he stumbled back a couple steps. When she went to make an advance to press him further backwards, he sprinted away, running across the backyard of her house. Kyra ran off in pursuit, starting to smile a bit. "Devon, you coward! Get over here, or I'll tell everyone how much of a big old chicken you are!" After she said this, she made some mock chicken noises to add to her playful insult. After a bit of chasing, Devon had run around the side of the house, and naturally, Kyra tried to keep up, but when she rounded to the front of the house, she didn't see Devon anywhere. Suddenly, she was tackled by someone who had been hiding in the bushes nearby the house, and both her and her attacker fell to the ground, rolling a few feet as Kyra tried to wrestle her way free. "No fair, Devon! You used dirty tricks! That wasn't a fair fight at all, and you know it!"Devon did something that he hardly ever did. He started laughing. Not a lot, but a short chuckle from Devon was more than enough to get Kyra's attention. "Oh, Kyra, isn't it obvious? You far outmatch me in partial prowess. Probably always will, now that I think about it. Dirty tricks is the only way I could ever hope to have any edge over you in a battle, real or practice."Kyra came a bit closer to Devon, looking at the bruises she'd caused him during the sparring match. "R-real? Devon, you make it sound like we'll have to fight to the death someday. We're best friends.. Why would we ever need do that?"Devon simply looked at the ground, smiling a bit less now. "Not sayin' we will, Ky. I just like to consider all the possibilities, you know? I hope we never have to kill each other over something, but this is a dangerous world we live in, so you never know..."Kyra, trying to brighten Devon and herself up, simply poked his chest, saying, "Well, I for one don't think it'll ever come to that!"Present Day... Kyra couldn't stop crying as memories kept flooding back to her of when her and Devon had still been the closest of friends. She became aware that Alphonz and Lunie were okay and we're walking over just by listening, but her face never diverted from Devon, completely ignoring their presence, but still listening for anything they might be saying to her. "I-I killed him... H-He didn't deserve to.. to die... Especially not like that... Oh gods... I'm a murderer..." As Kyra continued to cry, her tears became mixed with the light raindrops that began to fall from overhead.
|
|
Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
|
Post by Lunie on Jun 16, 2017 9:25:51 GMT -6
Still taking in gasping breaths, the huntress opened her eyes to find Chase on one side of her and Alphonz on the other. She wasn’t sure if she could get up, or rather, not sure if she wanted to was more the case. Still, the young knight had extended a hand to her and with her strength failing her as it was, she’d most likely need his assistance unless she intended to stay here on her back the rest of the night. She gratefully accepted his proffered hand, relying more on his strength than her own to return to her feet. Unable to keep her legs steady, her weight shifted to the side and she stumbled into Alphonz, the weight of his armor offsetting the collision just enough to prevent both of them from toppling over.
“So uhh.., did we.. did we win?” Selunae took a slow sweeping glance around her, noticing that everything was quiet. Without warning, she turned urgently to face Chase. “Don’t you dare start talking! My head already hurts and I doubt anybody ever knows what yer sayin’ anyway.”
The mage turned to face the huntress, indignation painted across his face. “Well, I never…!”
“Oh yes you do! Every time ya open your mouth!” Selunae interrupted. Truthfully, she was irritated with him more for not handling his own fight earlier than for his vastly superior vocabulary, but she still didn’t have the energy to listen to him right now. For the moment, she was still relying on Alphonz just to keep her on her feet. She needed to find Kyra, though. The novice had just been betrayed by her childhood friend, and by now it would seem that one or even both of them might be dead. Such a thought made the huntress panic again, desperate eyes locking onto the sight of the tearful novice a little ways ahead. Breaking away from the young knight despite him heading that direction as well, Selunae ran ahead, stumbling along the way.
“Kyra!!” the huntress shouted as her pace quickened her to her friend. Laying before the distraught girl was Devon, who until recently had allegedly been a friend. So, this was how it ended.. The huntress moved between Kyra and the corpse of Devon. Kneeling, Selunae silently drew her friend close into a tight hug, wondering if anything the thief had told them had been true in the first place or merely a ruse to lure them into this trap. There was only one way of knowing, and that would be to move on and find this cave they sought. For now, she shared an embrace with the novice, her mind wandering to the moment she had shared with Devon shortly after meeting him. It filled her with disgust now to have trusted him then. She would never speak of it to anyone, not even Kyra, that moment that now proved her to be so gullible. Had they arrived without Alphonz and Chase, they’d certainly not have had the means to withstand this ambush. Truly their arrival had saved the female duo.
Selunae’s wordless consolation continued, the only sounds between the girls were of tears and grief. The huntress could find no words of comfort, only bitter words of anger and disgust at the actions of the supposed friend whose life had ebbed away on the ground beside them. Approaching footsteps told of Alphonz’s arrival, and near him was Chase. It went without saying that the four of them couldn’t afford to linger here, but the huntress couldn’t bear to say so. Someone else did though.
“Chin up, girl. If we linger about, the area will certainly become swarmed with undesirables. We must continue onward.” Chase was nervously scanning the horizon, anxious to get moving.
“Chase!” the huntress protested, “She just..” Selunae sighed at his interruption but she agreed with him. The sooner they moved on, the better.
|
|
Alphonz
Recruit
A young boy who wants to live up to the expectations people have of him
Posts: 29
Profession: Knight-in-training
Affiliation: Bernese military
Guild: Silver Vanguard
Affinity: Ice
Profile: Alphonz
OoC Alias: Sigma
|
Post by Alphonz on Jun 17, 2017 0:33:18 GMT -6
As they approached the sobbing girl, Lunie broke from Alphonz's shoulder as she went to hug her friend to try and comfort her. The scene was pretty gruesome. Devon's severed hand could be seen a few feet away from his body as blood was tainting the earth everywhere. Kyra also seemed to be injured but it didn't like she herself had taken notice. Letting the two girls in their own world for a few moments, Alphonz started looking around while holding his side... Damn, putting pressure wouldn't work thanks to his armor. Sitting down, he felt tiredness take him over as his adrenaline was running out. Quickly, he tried to remove the armor or at least the top part of it. As he was taking multiple straps off, he could feel the bent metal digging in and moving his cut flesh around which made him flinch. Finally removing the chestplate, he got a better look at his wound. A bit of blood had seeped through the armor, but seeing the real wound made him panic a little. You could very easily see the long slash dripping blood. The only thing stopping it from having it cut deeper was his ribcage. His linen shirt had almost turned entirely red around the wound.
Taking out a vulnerary he had strapped to his belt, he decided to give up trying to be precise and simply meared the ointment all over the wound, just happy that it would stop bleeding. He was starting to feel woozy and that usually meant bad things... Still sat on the ground, he noticed Chase acting nervous as he told Kyra to "chin up"... Wow, he knew he himself wasn't one for comfort, but those words were just mean... Losing a friend was hard, despite the fact he was a knave or not. Getting up, he walked over to the two girls with more balance now that he didn't have as much armor weighing him down in his weaker state. Getting on one knee to look at Kyra who was being held by Lunie, he said: "Kyra, we'll come back for him later. For now it's too dangerous to stay here. I'm in no condition to keep fighting at this very moment, Lunie almost got choked to death and you have a stab wound that needs some medical attention. When things will quiet down, if you want, I can come with you to help bringing back his body so he can have a proper burial, that's a promise. But right now you need to stay focused, otherwise we might all end up just like him. We don't know how many there are of how close they are to us. With our condition, we need to fall back and recuperate before eventhinking about continuing."
He truly hoped she'd liste nto reason. If she started to act irrationally because of the stress caused by all of this, it could be extremely dangerous. All he could hope was that Kyra was strong enough to keep pushng through it until they'd be able to properly send him into the afterlife.
|
|
Ito
Myrmidon
But it's only me, and I walk alone.
Posts: 82
Affinity: Anima
Profile: -Link-
OoC Alias: Killtec
|
Post by Ito on Jun 17, 2017 10:21:36 GMT -6
Oh, gosh. I'm too late, aren't I? The swordsman silently observed the scene from the tree line, listening carefully as the group dealt with the aftermath of what appeared to be an ambush. What particularly stuck out to him was the young swordswoman's anguished tears. He didn't know enough to discern whether she was indeed a murderer or a victim of combat's woes, yet he knew he needed to address what she had said directly, something everyone else was avoiding.
He had approached in step with Chase to disguise the sounds of his already soft footsteps, and came to a stop just behind the mage. All of these comments about needing to leave, while relevant and correct, were the last thing the poor girl needed to hear. Lunie was on the right track, Ito thought, though he felt more needed to be said. It was certainly risky, but what did it matter? Kyra didn't know him, so no matter what impression he gave her at first was of little importance.
"Pardon my words, young miss, but can I ask you something?" The swordswoman was taking this, which Ito assumed to be her first human kill, much harder than Lunie had. Ito wasn't surprised she took it difficultly, as the first kill was always the hardest; killing only gets easier from there, and that worried Ito. Would these children be able to understand the importance of staying their hand and extending an arm of mercy?
"Who was that, that you and the young huntress weep over? How come he didn't deserve to have fate take him the way it did? You call yourself a murderer, but all I see is a young person who did very well in defending herself from the near certainty of death. Am I wrong in seeing that?"
|
|
Kyra
Myrmidon
A girl from Lucerne trying to find her place in the world.
Posts: 104
Profession: Wanderer/Mercenary
Affiliation: Bern
Affinity: Dark
Profile: ~Kyra~
|
Post by Kyra on Jun 17, 2017 11:03:49 GMT -6
Kyra jumped slightly as she was startled by a new voice that she hadn't heard before, one that sounded a bit older than her friends. He seemed friendly enough, and must have been watching for a bit, as he started to ask questions regarding Devon and what had transpired here in the clearing. "T-that was my friend Devon.. er, ex-friend, I suppose. See, he was going to guide us to Bonerock Cave, just over that hill, but he betrayed us by leading us into this ambush. My friends fought the other three, and I had to.. well, kill Devon. I-I'm not some cold-blooded killer, sir, I-I swear! I was defending myself! I-I didn't wanna kill him, but he wouldn't stop attacking, and.. and.." Kyra didn't know how to finish the sentence, and when she realized she was breathing very quickly now, she simply leaned into Lunie so that she could cry into her shoulder. "I didn't realize it would hurt this much! Why did I have to be the one to kill him? Why did he even need to die?" At this point, Kyra was just spouting out question after question in between bursts or tears.
"I-I know we gotta get moving, l-like Alphonz said, b-but... It's so hard... I feel like I wanna just curl up in a ball and stay here... I killed my friend..." Kyra let out a heavy sigh to try and calm herself down a bit as best as she could. "Let's just go..." she said, getting up slowly and without any purpose. "Can someone else please lead the way though? I just wanna stay behind with Lunie, if that's okay..."
I know it wasn't true murder, but it sure feels like it... Is this how it'll always be..? How did father do this kind of thing on a regular basis..?
|
|
Lunie
Nomad
A Bernese hunter that always seems to get in over her head.
Posts: 141
Profession: Wanderer
Affiliation: Bern
Guild: Order of the Bear
Affinity: Fire
Profile: ║ Selunae ♦ Journal ║
OoC Alias: Edgewind/Lunie
|
Post by Lunie on Jun 18, 2017 8:16:22 GMT -6
After Chase’s rude interruption, Selunae disregarded everyone's voices until a voice she couldn’t ignore was heard, and when Kyra had finally shed enough tears and rose to her feet, the huntress stood as well and confirmed that a certain myrmidon had indeed found his way to the group. Her face still wet from tears, she ran wildly to the newcomer.
“Ito!!” Selunae exclaimed, and suddenly tripped as her legs carried her to the swordsman, arms wide open. It turned a heartwarming reunion into what was more of a comical tackle. Her lithe frame collapsing harshly into Ito’s chest wasn’t enough to knock him down, but it certainly made for an amusing sight. Her face had lit up at his arrival, excitement growing within her even in light of the carnage around them. “How, how didja find us? You were s’posed to meet me in Lucerne! I waited..! I thought that something bad mighta happened to ya, silly oaf!”
The huntress tightened her arms around the stoic myrmidon excitedly and finally pulled away. “So, uhh, everyone.. this is Ito! He saved me from bandits before and is a good friend.” She turned to gesture towards the novice. “So, umm Ito, that is Kyra, she’s from Lucerne, like me. She’s one of my closest friends now! (I bet you could beat’er in a sword fight but I’d have to hurt ya if you did!) Oh, and that is Alphonz! (His armor is so fancy, why don’t you have fancy armor like that, Ito?)” Selunae pointed to the young knight, as if the process of elimination couldn’t tell Ito which of the three she was talking about. “And you already know Chase. (Yes, he still uses those big words all the time.)”
The gravity of the situation quickly reined in the huntress’s excitement, though, especially the despair of the novice slaying her childhood friend. It really had driven the point home of how bad the bandit situation had always been. How could she have been this blind to think she’d truly not been affected? Ignorance such as hers was what allowed such villainy to go unchecked in the first place. The recent losses, Master Flint and now Devon as well, were a direct result of her actions. Selunae silently bore the shame, observing the pain in Kyra’s distressed eyes and accepting completely the fault for what the novice had went through. The huntress grew visibly despondent within moments of her sudden excitement, and whether she had become depressed from the weight of her self-reproach or simply from coming down from the adrenal rush of struggling for her life, the only sound from her was a single plaintive sigh.
|
|
Alphonz
Recruit
A young boy who wants to live up to the expectations people have of him
Posts: 29
Profession: Knight-in-training
Affiliation: Bernese military
Guild: Silver Vanguard
Affinity: Ice
Profile: Alphonz
OoC Alias: Sigma
|
Post by Alphonz on Jun 18, 2017 19:10:45 GMT -6
Suddenly, a new face appeared. The man had been able to somewhat dry Kyra's tears on top of bringing a smile back on Lunie's face as she quite litteraly jumped in his arms. Huh, that girl definitely could jump in and in out of different emotional states... One minute she's bawling her eyes out and the next she's in nirvana as an old friend shows up. This Ito definitely seemed to be a capable fighter... Much more experienced than them if he had to guess. Wished he could've been here sooner before this debacle took place...
Feeling the blood stopping to flow out of his side as the vulnerary started to have its effect, Alphonz slowly got up to store the chestpiece and armguards in his backpack. He sure as hell wasn't gonna put it back on now that it was broken. All he wore now were his greaves as taking them off would be too much of a hassle. Trying to clean his hand by rubbing it in the dirt to remove the blood, he decided to give up considering his entire torso had been soaked in a pint of his own blood. Looking at this new companion with sleepy eyes he said: "I think we bit off more than we could chew here. Think you could escort us out of here? I've had enough battle for a couple of days and I'm too tired to effectively do anything i think..."
Walking over to the corpse of Devon, he took one of the sheated daggers on him to bring it to Kyra. Taking her hand he put the weapon in it while saying: "Nobody here thinks you're a heartless killer Kyra. You had no choice but to defend yourself, the same way I bet Devon had no choice but to fight you. You were both in situations you couldn't get out off. It's unfair and it's awful. However, despite the fact he fought, I think I can safely say he'd want you to live and be happy. Take this with you, this is something my father does whenever one of his men falls in battle. Keep it with you to never forget that person, and make sure he lives on with you." He personally still felt anger towards Devon, but he could understand her pain at least. Was this what it meant to show understanding?
|
|
Ito
Myrmidon
But it's only me, and I walk alone.
Posts: 82
Affinity: Anima
Profile: -Link-
OoC Alias: Killtec
|
Post by Ito on Jun 20, 2017 22:47:54 GMT -6
So he was a friend, then. Even just a kind acquaintance would be harder to get over; I understand now. Ito watched silently, listening carefully as Kyra told what happened, Lunie introduced him and them, and as Alphonz went about his odd ritualesque dagger thing for the novice. "I believe you, Kyra."
It's strange, to see such young people out here on their own. Even with Chase, I think they're too ambitious.
"Bonerock Cave, eh? That's a little too much for three kids and their babysitter mage, wouldn't you think? I haven't been able to dig up much information on the place, but from what I've heard the place is... well, swarming, with banditry. Even if I had a group of professionally trained warriors, I would be slightly hesitant to head in." Ito hoped he could dissuade them from entering the caves. Or, at least get them to back off for a while. I wouldn't even chance the caves on my own, let alone with three kids and a talkative spell caster in tow.
Why would they even want to go there in the first place? Of all the caves that children can choose to explore, why Bonerock Cave? "What would take you to Bonerock, anyways? Aren't there friendly enough places to explore closer to Lucerne?" Ito sighed, looking down at the ground with his near-constant, statuesque expression. When he completed the long and drawn out exhale, he looked up again, glancing back and forth between each of the three trainees.
"Whether you listen to me or not, though, we ought to get you all stitched up before you can go anywhere. We should move from here, I'm sure they'll notice when they're missing three guys again. Four, I guess, should you choose to count the Devon kid among their ranks. Last time they caught up to me for offing three men, things didn't go too well for me."
|
|
Kyra
Myrmidon
A girl from Lucerne trying to find her place in the world.
Posts: 104
Profession: Wanderer/Mercenary
Affiliation: Bern
Affinity: Dark
Profile: ~Kyra~
|
Post by Kyra on Jun 21, 2017 0:23:17 GMT -6
Looking to Alphonz, Kyra cautiously accepted the dagger that he was handing to her, tears welling up in her eyes yet again. "Thank you, Alphonz. Y-you're right.. I'll take this with me to r-remember him by.. I-I know you didn't really seem to like Devon from the beginning, which i guess now was justified, but it means a lot that you wanna help me like this." With that, she went over and gave him a quick hug, being careful to mind his wound. As she moved away, she winced in pain, shooting her hand up to hold her left shoulder, the deep stab wound that Devon had inflicted finally setting in more, and she started to cry, this time from sheer pain rather than sadness.
Ito's words, combined with the event that had just transpired, were making Kyra seriously reconsider why they were even here in the first place. With a sigh, she said, "Honestly? I hadn't intended to take down a large group of bandits when I left Lucerne on my own. But then I met Lunie, along with her parents, and I found out these bandits had been harassing the outskirts of the city, so it became personal for Lunie. But... honestly, you're right. Were not cut out for this. Were all far too weak right now, and we have to focus on recovery and training." Turning primarily to Alphonz and Lunie, she said, "I hope you can both forgive me, but I don't think I have the strength.. or the spirit.. to keep going against these bandits. I think it would do me best to wait for my shoulder and arm to get better, and then figure out something else to do, maybe somewhere else to go, like I'd originally intended."
I hope they don't see me as a coward... I just... I don't see any other option right now...
|
|