Dirk Karavalenge
Nomadic Trooper
Mr. Opportunist[M:-25]
A man of very few words
Posts: 224
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Post by Dirk Karavalenge on Jan 26, 2012 10:10:58 GMT -6
Dirk remained quiet, they didn't ask him any questions, so he wasn't obligated to speak. He was partially curious as to how Cleo already knew Farlus' name when the man hadn't spoken it earlier, but he figured they just knew each other from other mercenary jobs.
He sat down beside the tree, cross-legged. Rather than continue to use his eyes, he now closed them and listened to the wind. All around them was silent.
His eyes shot open, looking straight at Hoff. Maybe he could talk to someone for once. Dave would probably berate him if he didn't. "You here for the money then?" he said in his deep, monotonous voice.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Jan 29, 2012 18:01:52 GMT -6
Clair tested the weight of her weapon in her hand as she kept watch from behind the rainworn stone and leafy foliage, ignoring Hoff's comment, except for a slight smile forming. He didn't seem quite as worried now, and whether she'd had a part in that or not, it was a relief to see. A clear mind, quick reflexes, and iron nerve: that was what had gotten her through as much as she'd made it through.
Beware. Battle is a savage dance with with death and chance. It does not discriminate upon what it will eliminate. The young swordswoman's cheeks reddened slightly. She'd never caught herself making verses about battle before. She'd made very few rhymes overall, actually. Never had taken the time to really get into it. It seemed fitting somehow though. If there was one thing that she truly knew about, it was battles: fighting and surviving.
She reached out with her free hand and touched a patch of moss growing on the surface of the tree. There was more on the rock nearby. This was something she'd like to know more about. Something as innocent as the life that could grow in the southlands. In Ilia, little could grow besides the Ilian Pines, and various other needled trees.
She listened to Farlus' reply. Was he... mocking her choice in aliases? Or was he just letting himself be amused at the fact that she was using one.
Oh yes! I'll just use my real name. That won't cause any stir at all! Mercenary Clair Feldsky, Commander of the Anti-Prophet army, reporting for duty. And that was the reason she'd picked different name, and left her pegasus knight gear behind. Anyone that was anyone would put two and two together almost instantly. Even leaving the pegasi behind, there was still a chance she could cast suspicion on herself. She had to be careful to avoid what she could.
"I was in the area, and needed the job. What's an Ilian girl to do?! I'm just trying to keep afloat without ruining my neutral image.... Nobody likes bandits." That was the premise of her cover story, although "Cleo" was definitely in it for the glory and fame as well.... Come to think of it, Clair really wanted to build her own reputation as well. The more well known she was, the better her career would be in the future."
"I get enough nationality based flack from the common folk already." She griped quietly, finishing off her reasons. Hoff and Dirk seemed to have picked up a conversation as well now, which she turned an ear to as she watched for any tell-tale sign of forest movement.
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Hoff
Thief
[M:0]
You can get much farther with a kind word and a sword than you can with a kind word alone.
Posts: 79
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Post by Hoff on Jan 30, 2012 22:30:33 GMT -6
Hoff had calmed down a bit and was spacing off into the trees. Nothing had happened for a few minutes that had given the thief some time to gather his wits again and also regain his outward composure.
Suddenly the nomad spoke directly to him. Hoff was startled but tried thought he hid it fairly well
"Yeah, for the 200 gold" he choked a little at the sound. For such a pittance, he couldnt imagine any of them fighting were actually here for the money. Voicing his thoughts he replied. "Why, are you out here for some other reason?"
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Dirk Karavalenge
Nomadic Trooper
Mr. Opportunist[M:-25]
A man of very few words
Posts: 224
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Post by Dirk Karavalenge on Jan 30, 2012 22:46:43 GMT -6
Dirk thought about an answer for a second. Why was he here? Dave of course, but it wasn't like he had to always follow his younger brother's orders.
"... I need the exercise." he said simply. It was certainly true, the only real exercise he ever got nowadays was the hunting he occasionally did for fun.
Kabold also wasn't in any shape for running fast anymore. The old stallion had definitely seen better days. "I promise this will be our last adventure, friend." he said to the horse. Kabold stayed out of sight of the pass, as if it knew more than it really should. It had been with Dirk for so long, it knew exactly where it was needed at any time.
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Farlus
Mage
[M:0]
You had better hope I can make use of you.
Posts: 67
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Post by Farlus on Feb 1, 2012 16:59:16 GMT -6
"For once, that's an advantage I have over you. Not being Ilian, I mean." Farlus joked, looking down at his dark hand. Though it constantly pained him to not know where he was from, he still took pride in his appearance. He could even make it into a method of recognition if he wished. The mage turned his gaze to the thick tree line, looking for... something. He hadn't done scout work in decades. It felt uncomfortable, to say the least. Though the sounds of the forest were soothing to a point. Nature wasn't Farlus' favorite thing, but he would try to enjoy the leafy and furry things when he was surrounded by them.
"So I assume you won't be calling your friend today?" by "friend" he meant Clair's pegasus. It was an odd sight indeed to see her without the beast. Let alone without a lance in her hand and out of her armor. When had she picked up sword fighting, anyway?
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Feb 5, 2012 0:27:57 GMT -6
She laughed softly at Farlus' comment about his "advantage". Honestly, she wouldn't give up her Ilian heritage for anything. The magnitude of the value she attached to her nation came as a bit of a shock to her. She was proud of the tough nature, and skillful reputation that her people had forged, even if they had also gathered a reputation as "just troublemakers and sellswords" to other countries. That reputation could be gathered by any nation which was known primarily by swords for hire though. They were so much more than the greedy warmongers some of the world painted them as.
Friend? She really didn't know what he was talking about just now, He could mean about anything with that. Richter leapt to the forefront of her mind as she tried to figure, but something saved her from having to work out the issue.
A strange shriek of a sound echoed through the trees suddenly. It was so loud and so distinct that the Ilian swordswoman had no doubt that that was the signal of one of the groups. She listened for a moment more as silence resumed, before standing straighter and speaking up.
"Looks like someone decided to get the show started without us." The gloved fist gripping the sword hanging at her side tightened on the handle.
"Double time it! And keep your eyes open for anyone dangerous looking!" She called back to the others, starting off at an easy pace, and slowly working up to a decent jog. It was foolish to take off at a dash. It only wore you out, and made it difficult to spot things.
She adjusted her path to take her around a cluster of thickets she'd rather not pass through. The whistle couldn't have been too far away, or the noise wouldn't have carried to them. Still, it was surprisingly far for such a gadget. She slowed her pace as she started hearing the sounds of battle. Within moments, they entered within sight of several men wearing similar armor to Commander Dubracy's engaged with a large collection of ragtag axemen and other close range fighters in mismatched armor.
Others could be seen circling the fray, apparently using bows. It was too hard for Clair to tell which side they were a part of though. She looked for a spot to leap into the fray and cause maximum damage, but that decision was taken from her as several bandits appeared from the woods near them and ran towards her, ready to attempt hacking her to bits.
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Hoff
Thief
[M:0]
You can get much farther with a kind word and a sword than you can with a kind word alone.
Posts: 79
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Post by Hoff on Feb 5, 2012 9:02:05 GMT -6
"Looks like someone decided to get the show started without us."
Hoff grimaced as he took off after Cleo, then quickly slowed his step. He thought they would be sprinting right into the fray - instead he slowed behind her jog, taking up the same pace a few feet behind and to the side. He kept right along the edge of the ticket, it would be a great place to hide if the need came up.
Right ahead of her the brigands appeared, Hoff readied his sword and sped up for the nearest axeman. The large man was charging in a berserk fashion, weapon raised high above his head. Hoff took off past Cleo into a short sprint and then jumped the next few feet appearing just in-front of the man. The surprised axeman tried to bring his axe down quickly - sooner than he was ready for and almost stumbled behind his momentum. The clumsy swing was nothing and Hoff easily dodged to the side bringing his sword around in a short arc slashed at the man's shoulder.
He took a few steps back trying to distance himself from the group - keeping his attention on the recovering bandit who, now enraged lifted his axe using his other arm and charged towards the thief once again.
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Farlus
Mage
[M:0]
You had better hope I can make use of you.
Posts: 67
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Post by Farlus on Feb 5, 2012 14:25:16 GMT -6
Farlus was relieved to hear that their honestly boring job of just sitting and waiting for a fight was at an end. Clair pushed forward in the direction of the noise and Farlus followed, the others not too far behind. As the group made their way to the battlefield, several spells were run through his head. Having had time to train in the days he spent away from the main army, he already had many diagrams memorized and the movements he channeled them through. He had an answer to every possible attack he could think of.
The mage didn't have to wait long to see combat. As they reached a clearing, several bandits sprung from the trees. Many brandished axes, a garish weapon choice, but a well known favorite of brigands everywhere. Good. Farlus knew how to deal with fighters like that. In fact, he'd bet his entire share that the man who trained him to fight men like that was ten times stronger than any of them.
The tactician rushed into a pair of the bandits. Most mages wouldn't dream of actually entering the fray, but Farlus was different. The cocky grins on the axe-wielding thieves at being rushed by such a thin man only served to give the mage greater joy in taking them down. The two mountains of meat swung their weapons at Farlus, but they were far too slow to catch one such as him. He deftly dodged each swing before hopping over one bandit, using his shoulder as a springboard, and assumed a wide-legged stance after landing behind him. He held his hand like a bear's claw and reeled back, sparks of electricity crackling about his palm. The mage thrust his "claw" into the man's back and twisted. The sparks erupted into bolts of blue lightning that ran along the assailant's body. The large man went stiff as a board before falling forward, singed skin still smoking.
The other bandit looked in disbelief for a moment, but regained his resolve and came in with a downward swipe. Farlus spun out of the way, but was unlucky enough to be grasped by the collar and thrown a good five feet away. The rough Bernese ground made for a painful landing, but it didn't matter. A little pain wasn't going to stop the mage. Farlus placed his palms over his head and flat against the ground and swung his legs skyward. With a great push, he swung his body forward and landed back on his feet, assuming the wide-legged stance once more. The tactician then made a motion as if drawing a blade. From his hand snaked a long stream of flame that behaved like a whip.
"You shouldn't have done that!" he yelled as he leaped into the air, spinning in a sideways barrel roll. The whip seemed to form a wheel of flame for the second he was in the air. As he landed, the whip was brought sideways across the bandit's side, exploding upon impact. The giant was sent reeling and held his side. Farlus was confident the force from the explosion broke the man's ribs at the very least. It was commendable that he was still able to attempt another swipe at the mage. What more, the other bandit was beginning to strong arm his way back to his feet.
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