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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2014 22:57:25 GMT -6
The journey to Etruria had been a long one. Sure, traveling on horseback made the trip in its entirety seem much easier in retrospect, but during its course, it was one of harsh cold and exhausted movement. The rest of the mercenaries seemed to agree; around half of them were on foot, with Faros and Silvia being the only others aboard horses. They reached the mountains, passed a large forest, and where left in a flat plain that spanned for miles and miles. Faros stopped the group, pointing out a small fort. "There. That's their base. Only six or so men in there, including the rogue mage we're after." Alden nodded. He wasn't sure if he should stay back or not to avoid the carnage of the battle, but what use would he be if he wasn't on the front lines providing healing? He sighed, thinking of the grim but foreseeable future. This battle would be bloody either way; they were up against a powerful mage and five of his mercs. He would stay on the front lines, he had no choice in the matter, but he would be careful.
The rest of the caravan looked just as ready as he was, but Faros took out his bow. "I want one of you to cover me. I'm a great sniper, but without someone to protect me, I'll get massacred in close combat." he said, as he waited for someone to volunteer as his guard. Obviously, Alden couldn't well do it himself, and either Ethan, Orland, or Gavin seemed best fit for that job anyway. The group stood outside of the fort, waiting for the right moment to enter and attack. Best to ambush the enemy while they weren't expecting it, after all. Faros continued, trailing off from his previous talk of a bodyguard. "I'm not too sure what to expect inside; all I know for sure is that we are to take out the mage, who's named Detris. He's a supposed pro in the use of fire-based Anima magic, so be wary. Do your best to defend yourself and take out as many enemies as possible, and if needed, Alden is here to heal you. Don't do anything stupid. Anything else any of you would like to say before we enter? "
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Post by Eren on Mar 3, 2014 23:07:29 GMT -6
"Yeah, I've got a question." Eren said, standing resolutely by Mika. "Is the the top of the fort open? Because... I am a Dragon Knight, you know. And I doubt we'll be fitting Mika in a hallway. So... Do I have to solo this one on foot?
Anyway, IF the fort's open-top... I could take you on Mika. You don't look too heavy... If you can aim from the air, we can strafe, and once I get on the ground, Mika can circle so you can stay relatively clear.
But of course, if the fort's closed-top, disregard everything I've said."
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2014 23:17:12 GMT -6
"So you need somebody to defend you", spoke Orland. "You can count me out on that job. Nothing personal, but me trying to defend you would be counter productive. My massive size would only block your view. Sure I would deter the weaker members from attacking, but that bonus does not counter balance the weakness." Orland took another look at the fort. It seemed pretty stable. This mage had it good with a hide out made of stone.
"Besides", spoke Orland as a devilish grin crossed his face. "I am better at destroying than I am at protecting.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2014 23:39:44 GMT -6
Faros gave a nod toward Eren. "The fort seems to be roofless; it's pretty decrepit and run-down, by the looks of it, in fact. Maybe that could work as a territorial advantage for us. I'll take your suggestion of me riding on your wyvern, that will give me the best aerial advantage possible while fighting. In the meantime, as you said, Orland...if you're better at destroying, then by all means, do so. You, Gavin, and Ethan will be going in first. Silvia will guard Alden as they enter next. Eren and I will be taking a different route, of course, but we'll be in the fray as well. Good luck, everyone." Alden was getting nervous, but he didn't let it show. He simply took the staff from his back and held it tightly in his hand. He figured he may as well continue the battle from atop Lux, as it would allow him speed he needed if there was a necessity for escape.
Faros walked over to Eren and mounted Mika, ready for battle. Gavin and Ethan stood next to Orland. Alden made Lux take a few footsteps to the left until he was behind Silvia, who was carrying a thunder tome and a determined look in her eyes. Faros spoke again. "Whenever you're ready, Orland. You'll be leading us in, so you can call the shots."
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Post by Eren on Mar 4, 2014 17:13:49 GMT -6
"Hold on, bowman. I fly fast and hard."
With that, Eren, Mika, and Faros rose, circling low overhead and awaiting Orland's go-ahead signal.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2014 17:23:55 GMT -6
"Very well then", spoke Orland. It seemed that everybody wanted the big man to lead the charge. Well it was smart enought. His large body would provide cover for the rest of them if the enemy started to fire arrows, or hide the actual number of units. It would also do some psychological damage to see a giant rushing into your door in full plate armor. Still he figured one of the other would lead. Well it was a good chance to let lose and bust some heads so Orland could not complain
The giant took a deep breath and let out a roar he then charged forward towards the gate of the fortress. The most surprising thing about Orland was how fast he could move in that armor of his. He was not as fast as a myrmidon, not by a long shot, but he was way faster than he looked. The Knight rushed forward with his tower shield raised ready to block any incoming attack.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 5, 2014 0:50:41 GMT -6
Orland yelled the order and charged into the fort, with Ethan and Gavin following short behind. The latter two found their targets immediately and engaged them with weapons raised. The shadow of Mika was moving along the ground as were the shadows of Faros and Eren atop her. The scene was already a commotion; although caught off guard, the rogue mage's men weren't incapable. Far from it, in fact. They had a disadvantage but they did what they could to even out the situation and fight back against Faros' mercs. Alden watched, unnoticed by the masses, but still keeping a close eye on all of his allies. Silvia stood next to him, looking down at her tome. "I'm afraid. This is my first real battle as a mage...but...don't worry. I'm going to protect you," her birdlike voice chirped.
Alden gave her an endearing smile. "I understand, anyone in their right mind would be afraid. This is a violent battle, where death is expected and conflict is in the air. So, you do your job to protect me, yes, but I'll do my part to protect you. I'm the 'cleric' in this situation, after all." She sighed, before nodding slightly. She turned to him again as if to add something to her previous statement, but stopped herself and focused again on the clanging swords from the nearby skirmishes. Alden calmly watched the scene, keeping his own fear hidden, but he couldn't help but notice Silvia's frail hands trembling as she turned the pages in her Thunder tome slowly.
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Marric
Fighter
Oi there! Brigand! Let me axe you a question, eh?
Posts: 79
Profession: Mercenary / Fugitive
OoC Alias: Gus
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Post by Marric on Mar 5, 2014 15:04:43 GMT -6
Marric lay face down in a dank, cold stone room, the only light shined from a barred window smaller than marrics head and candles that were far beyond the bars of his cell. He had gone to Etruria following a lead on one of the mages who had participated in the fight that killed his father and many of his friends. He went alone, thinking he could handle one mage by himself. Unfortunately, there was more than just one mage within this fort. An ugly bald mercenary hung outside the cell door, holding Marric's beloved axe admiringly. Marric was out cold, bruised, cut up, and singed. But he was alive. The mercenary constantly spewed insults at him in hopes of him putting on another show of brute strength. Marric had nearly killed two of his men before the axefighter gave him a nasty cut on his arm, he wasn't about to let that be forgotten. However, the mage who'd hired his thugs wanted this young man alive, and the mercenary was obedient to his clients if anything at all.
"C'mon you runt, Get'p 'fore I get you up meself!" The mercenary hollered as Marric showed signs of waking up. The fighter rolled onto his back, the stench of the place immediately hitting him. Why wasn't he dead? Are those bones?... He was locked in the fort's cells... How could he have been so careless? As soon as he had heard the fire mage was a part of the band that had ambushed his old band Marric set out for the fort the snake was hiding in. He had found it easily enough, but the surprise came when a few sword wielding mercenaries barred his path to the Mage. That was the last thing he remembered, and now some ugly bald man was trying to egg him into a bout of anger.
"Poor lad, thought you was a tough one..." The mercenary hissed, "Last sod we threw in there was dead in days, how long you gonna last pretty boy?" Marric gritted his teeth and sat up shakily, his side hurt, his head hurt, everything hurt, but at least he wasn't dead.
"Ya sure did a number on me, an' me boys, too bad for you we gots ourselves a healer and some metal bars to keep yer hide from trying to tan ours again... This is a mighty fine axe ya brought with ya'. I think i'll keep it as a reminder of ya', lad. Everytime i kill i'll think of yer pretty lil' face, ain't it sweet of ya'?"
The bandit sneered and hopped over closer to the bars of the cell, smiling cruelly. "An' ain't it just a coincidence you gonna die jus' like yer daddie did!"
I'LL KILL YOU! MArric leaped from his position and slammed into the bars with such force that the mercenary stumbled back away, marric growled and his eyes looked set on murder.
"with what? yer words? Ain't you cute..." The mercenary spat, and began to laugh. "Just face it kiddo, you ain't gonna see tomorrow. My boss'll be here any minute now to burn you to ash." The mercenary walked away laughing, taking Marric's axe with him. A few mintues passed as Marric futilely attempted to rip the bars off of their lodging, he even tried using the previous occupants bones as a club to break the rusty things down. It was in vain however, he just couldn't get through.
Minutes later as he accepted he could not get out, he heard the sounds of fighting. Were the mercenaries squabbling? No... it sounded as if the fort was under attack... No, coould that have been the screech of a wyvern he heard?
What was going on?
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Samuali
Soldier
I am getting better and better, so you better watch out!
Posts: 106
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Wind
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Post by Samuali on Mar 5, 2014 17:53:39 GMT -6
Samuali urged his horse on. He did not like riding a whole lot but it was the fastest way to catch up. He had been told that a group off mercenaries were heading to clear out some bandit that was plaguing the land. He was also told that there would be good pay too. To Samuali it was a win-win-win. When he caught up he would join up, be able to see mercenaries fight and learn from it, get to help eradicate bandits, and get paid. His mind wandered to an accomplice he once fought along side with that introduced him to the mercenary trade.
The din of combat reached his ears. He dismounted and grabbed his gear. He ran over the small hill blocking his view and saw the situation. The mercenary group was advancing on a run down fort, lead by what looked to be a giant in armor. A wyvern was also in the air. Taking advantage of his light load and fresh legs he ran towards a mount that looked familiar... "Lance Samuali reporting!" He yelled as he neared.
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Post by Eren on Mar 5, 2014 19:23:29 GMT -6
"Hyah!" Eren urged as Mika soared skyward. Finding the parapet-like edge of the fort to be free of archers, Eren snickered at their lack of attention and dove like an arrow toward the center. Hopefully, by taking the courtyard, he’d intimidate the foe and cause their mark to emerge. Standard military tactics. If it failed… Well, he’d then have driven a wedge in between the forces, which would weaken both fronts. Standard military tactics. As he descended, Eren noticed that Mika’s shadow had alerted a mercenary and a mage, who were standing in the courtyard. Could it be the mark? As he approached, he drew and brandished his lance menacingly. Suddenly, he noticed a red blur coming toward him. Fire magic. But it was a sloppy shot. Too high… Spurring Mika down, Eren corkscrewed and then took a pass by the two, managing to impale the merc on his lance. However, the man was far from dead, and the wall of the courtyard was approaching fast… Eren made an executive decision and banked hard to the left and up, sending the poor swordsman sailing into the wall, where he hit with a wet-sounding thud. A few bricks from the wall dropped on his head, smashing his skull in. The fort really was run-down, it seemed.
"Faros, can you get that mage? I’m a little bit wary of his magic, to be honest, since we have such a large target area. If you can take him out, I’d really appreciate -- Wait. What the hell?”
Eren noticed another merc running toward the courtyard, sword drawn. But he had an axe on his belt. And that style of craftsmanship… That was an old Bern axe. Like the one he’d seen Oeniye’s son wielding not too long ago. What the hell was going on? Was Marric here, with the mercs? No, that wouldn’t explain the axe. He’d need to get the axe first, and find out what was going on later. He needed the bowman to take out the mage. And fast.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2014 11:46:38 GMT -6
Orland had forced his way into the court yard of the fortress, but every inch he and the others took form the Mage's forces was hard fought. To the giant great surprise he had not taken a single life of yet. He and the others pushed against the enemies, but though strategic retreats combined with men moving up to take old soldiers place they had manged to remain casualty less. This stalemate came crashing down as Orland pushed into the court yard.
"Kill the giant", shouted one of the mercenaries as he sent two of his men charging forward. Orland saw the incoming mercenaries and moved to counter their attacks. He thrusted forward with his lance causing the first man to jump backwards out of fear. The second rushed in and tried to attack on Orland's left flank. The knight blocked the blow with his shield and retaliated with a thrust of his lance. The lance cut into the man's face, but did not make a killing blow. The first soldier rushed back in and attacked slicing Orland's side. The blade cut into the straps and pierced into the chain mail inside Orland's armor. The sword did not go too far, but it went deep enough to draw out blood.
"You filthy little rodent", shouted Orland as he turned and smashed his shield into the soldier. The second soldier saw this as an opportunity to attack himself and moved to copy his comrade. Orland counted with a thrust of his lance causing the man to move back. Seeing were this was going Orland stabbed his lance into the ground and drew his mace from his side. Thinking there was an opening the first soldier rushed forward trying to take advantage of Orland's weapon switch. The knight blocked the incoming strike with the head of his mace and redirected the blade to throw the man off balance causing his sword to stick into the ground. Orland then turned to his left. He knew the other would rush in as soon as he thought Orland was open. The knight blocked the blow with his shield and deflected the man's arm to his left. He then swung his mace and smashed into the man's skull killing him instantly.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 6, 2014 20:51:27 GMT -6
The commotion only intensified as the minutes passed. Alden and Silvia watched from their position as shouts and cries of anguish and fury and pain erupted from the fort, sounding through the grassy plains. Alden couldn't help but frown at the horror ahead of him, the bloodshed. Gavin's weapon met the torso of a mercenary, tearing into his flesh and shredding his organs. Blood painted the two a gory red as the mercenary fell to the ground, dead. Orland exhibited a similar style of murder, bringing his mace to the head of an opponent and smashing it into the skull, likely to that man's demise. Ethan had gone further into the fort and was no longer in Alden's line of sight. And what of Eren and Faros? He scanned the sky in search of them.
The wyvern was quite high, and Eren led it with cunning. Eren requested that Faros take out the mage, which Faros gave a quick nod to as he equipped his bow and prepared an arrow. The mage in question was in a perfect spot to get an arrow through his skull, but it didn't seem to be the mage that was leading the rogue group. No, Detris was a man described as hauntingly angelic, with vermilion eyes and dark, auburn hair. Faros would have seen the flames immediately if it was Detris and as he shot the arrow through the mage's skull, he couldn't help but wonder; where was Detris? That was their primary target, after all, so naturally he should have been the groups focus. Alas, since they couldn't help but get caught in his subordinate's wrath beforehand, so be it. Faros prepared another arrow for a hidden bandit carrying a dagger.
Alden continued his watch when a boy on horseback came into view and was soon right in front of him. Alden could easily distinguish exactly who it was by the kid's distinctly green hair. He let out a yell, "Lance Samuali, reporting!" to which Alden merely sighed. "You do realize that I offered to bring you, right, Samuali? How did you get the money to pay for this fine horse..." Alden eyed the horse, trying to discern the breed and thus the general value of it. It was a beautiful creature, though. He pushed that topic aside for now. "so you're here to help, but this battle is bloody. I don't think you should risk heading out onto the front lines, seeing as you're not equipped with any proper armor. Stay back here and help guard me. This is Silvia, she's a mage and she's also defending me." With the final word spoken, a cry reached Alden's ears. He scanned the area and noticed that Ethan, that same mercenary of Faros' that had gone further into the fort, was limping back out, clutching his stomach. Blood seemed to pour from the wound at a furious pace, despite his attempt to cover it. He wasn't carrying his weapon anymore, but Alden could see the weapon in the chest of a corpse nearby. Alden turned to Samuali and Silvia. "C'mon, I need to help Ethan. I can't let him die, but I can't go over there without safeguard." he commanded, as he urged his horse forward to the wounded man.
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Marric
Fighter
Oi there! Brigand! Let me axe you a question, eh?
Posts: 79
Profession: Mercenary / Fugitive
OoC Alias: Gus
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Post by Marric on Mar 7, 2014 14:26:56 GMT -6
The sounds of combat intensified and Marric only grew more infuriated. He kept kkicking the bars with no effect, and was beginning to grow tired as the door from the fort's underbelly opened. A pale, short mage in the green and yellow garb of the very same mages that nearly killed him. He was familiar, very familiar. The man was followed by four armed mercenaries. two had bows, the others wielded blades. The short mage approached marric's cell with a smug grin.
"Hoo... You were a feisty one, its too bad you weren't feisty enough..." The mage sighed as he checked his fingernails for dirt. "I knew you would come for me... after your father killed my mentor, I returned to find my lord without his left hand. He said this was your doing. Unfortunately... I cannot kill you, you see... That noble? He wants your head for himself." The mage laughed, his high-pitched, arrogant tone sent marric into a rage. He again tried to break the doors down with renewed vigor. His mark was in his sight.
"its too bad really... You would have made an excellent test subject for my new tome... I suppose the fools outside will have to do for now." The mage's lips curled into a sneer. He looked at Marric as if he were a subject for dissection.
When I get out-- And I WILL. Your head will be mine, Marric spit through the bars, the projectile landing on the mage's boots.
"And how will you do that without your Axe, son of Oeniye? I'm afraid my men's captain holds, it too bad really. He can use it, i'm sure, but he's not really much of a Hero." The mage laughed and barked orders for his archers and mercenaries to join the fray. "I'll be down here. Tell whoever it is attacking me that I am waiting for them with a grand surprise." The mage laughed, and returned to the fort's sub-level. Marric was furious. He looked for any way to get out so he could wring that little slime's neck. He spotted a small crack in the mortar developing on one end of the cage's bars. He couldn't bring the door down... But maybe he could break the wall down instead. He began work to free himself immediately, gaining instant results from more fractures developing on the wall.
IM COMING FOR YOU MAGE!
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Samuali
Soldier
I am getting better and better, so you better watch out!
Posts: 106
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Wind
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Post by Samuali on Mar 7, 2014 15:36:35 GMT -6
"You do realize that I offered to bring you, right, Samuali? How did you get the money to pay for this fine horse..."
Samuali recognized the voice of his friend, Alden. "Well, go to see you to, Alden". He glanced over to the horse that was grazing from a safe distance. "I will explain after we get through this."
Alden continued; "so you're here to help, but this battle is bloody. I don't think you should risk heading out onto the front lines, seeing as you're not equipped with any proper armor. Stay back here and help guard me. This is Silvia, she's a mage and she's also defending me."
"Just don't almost trample me this time, eh?" He looked at Silvia riding with him. "Silvia, I will act defensibly and keep them off us, I am leaving it up to you to hit them with magic for me." He shifted his grip on his lance lower to allow for more reach at the expense of power. He moved slightly in front of the horse as moved side to side keeping between the fighting and the two magic users. He noted some structural weakness in case he need to exploit them later. As he advanced with the mages toward a wounded man Samuali readied himself for an attack.
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Post by Eren on Mar 9, 2014 18:52:33 GMT -6
Eren leapt down off of Mika, lance pointed downwards like a spike. However, the lucky mercenary saw his shadow and sidestepped, leaving Eren's lance planted in the ground.
"Dammit, that was well done... Here I come!"
Drawing his axe, Eren engaged the mercenary, swinging a conservative diagonal slash, while keeping his back to the lance in the ground. Circling, the two exchanged strikes, parrying the other and warily watching. Suddenly, the mercenary lunged forward, skillfully unleashing a barrage of strikes. Eren countered, struggling to deflect the combination of strikes, and jumped backwards to evade a stab aimed at his neck.
As he moved back, Eren grabbed the lance and yanked, freeing it and sheathing his axe as he abruptly reversed direction, impaling the charging mercenary on the lance. As the two slid face-to-face, Eren smiled and ripped the lance out, laughing.
However, the mercenary cast his sword aside and grabbed the axe, swinging it menacingly in spite of the large amount of blood he was losing through the puncture. Eren, undeterred, danced around the man, ducking and dodging swings as the man became increasingly unsteady and faltering in his attacks.
Seizing the opportunity, Eren threw his full weight behind a thrust, smashing the steel of the lance through the man's skull, and shattering the head completely. Putting his lance away, Eren pried the fingers of the mercenary off of the axe.
"Thank you, good sir," he mocked, turning and inspecting the axe. It WAS Marric's axe... Where was he?
"Faros, I'll be back!" Eren yelled. "Mika, keep him safe!"
The wyvern let out a screech in return as Eren, axe now readied, charged toward a bank of interior cells. Hiding behind a column, Eren heard commotion and saw a cell, where Marric, guarded now by only one axe-wielding, clumsy brigand, was attacking the wall. Quietly, Eren walked up behind the guard and cleanly swung a horizontal stroke, lofting the unfortunate guard's head off and sending it rolling down the hall.
"Marric! What the HELL are you doing here?" Eren said, holding the axe out to him through the bars. "And hey, you might want this. Come on, there's a battle going on out here. We need your support!"
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