159 replies to this topic

[Steel Samurai]

Steel turned to Jordan, away from the supply wagons being loaded. He squatted down and picked up a stick, and then began to draw a map in the sand.

"We're here" He made a small X next to the line representing the coast. "North of us, here" another x "is a port. There is a paved road that runs almost straight from the port to Olimandias itself, here." He drew a line from the second X and put a large X at its terminus. "I need you to scout the road and report back to me with troop levels for the first fifty miles or so, and then periodically throughout the trip. Up for it?"

[JRPomazon]

Jordan looked at the crude map carefully.

"I think I can do this. I'll investigate the port and the surrounding area and come back here."

Jordan turned around and walked off he stopped.

"If I take too long, expect the worse." He said as he leaped into the air, shooting off into the direction of the port. The other soldiers unfortunate enough to be near Jordan when he leaped into the air were knocked over by a blast of wind and looked on in amazement as Jordan became a greenish blur in the sky.

[Steel Samurai]

Steel nodded and watched as Jordan took off. Well. Time to depart. His ground scouts had already confirmed an absence of Alliance troops in the immediate area. He signaled to the only surviving LW trumpeter, who took his great horn and blew a mighty blast.

"TO OLIMANDIAS!"

[SL the Pyro]

The sound of the horn and Steel's prompt shout brought out excitement in Shadow. "About damn time." he muttered, having grown fed up with waiting. It looked like Steel was leading the charge... better the pirate than him, he wasn't much of a leader. As long as he didn't get bossed around too much... but he knew the song and dance of the battlefield and how to function in a group -- despite how much he hated it -- so it shouldn't be a problem.

As the Woods soldiers began their long and arduous march, Shadow decided to stick to the trees, hopping from branch to branch. If there were any surprise attacks happening, he wanted to make sure they weren't happening to his own men.

[Crimson Lego]

As Leo followed Steel's orders and began debriefing his troops, he soon heard a horn from one of his trumpeters. Glancing at him, the dwarf realized Steel was leading everyone else on the move. Standing up, he unlimbered his axe, grim.

"To the death of the Alliance!" he roared, raising his weapon. "To the destruction of Olimandias! To the death of Khuffie and his head on a plaet with icing, peanut butter and barbecue sauce!" The LW troops roared after him, all marching towards the city. The world shall be free soon...

[Goose]

Goose grinned as he thought about how he would torture Khuffie. He marched on. For Revenge.

[JRPomazon]

The wind blew Jordan's hair back as he traveled as fast as the wind could take him. It was a good thing the ground below was fairly clear, giving him the chance to land softly and leaped back into the air. He was already a good distance from the rest of the dorm forces, he would reach the 50 mile checkpoint in at least 15 minutes if he gave it everything. However, simple scouting would no require him to push himself that much. He cold take it easy for a little while. Jordan descended to the ground at a great speed but gracefully landed on the solid earth. Jumping and gliding was the best was to travel.

He inspected the immediate area around him, the trees were too dense to see anything. Did he venture off course? How could he, he was traveling straight. Jordan looked up and noticed a particularly large tree. Seems like a good place to start. He leaped into the air once again and landed on a larger branch of the tree in question. This was good, it gave him a view of the entire surrounding area. It seemed he did venture slightly off course, but the main road was only a leap away. He had ventured at least 20 miles in, so he was making good progress. But what the hell was that mass in the distance? He looked closely at the small grayish clod moving towards his direction. An Alliance legion? No, it seemed to be only a platoon. 30 men at the most. Jordan kept his eye on them, his green armor blended nicely with the tree's natural color. They were heading towards the direction of the dorm army.

Question here was why would a lone group of thirty or so men be off on their own?

[SL the Pyro]

With no real reason to hang around his own Woods forces since he knew they were protected and could fend for themselves, Shadow had decided to do some scouting of his own. It was always a good idea to keep an eye on a lone scout, and if Jordan got into a sticky stuation, he'd be there if he was needed. No reason to take chances in the endgame.

Shadow perched himself on the same tree as Jordan, using the shade of the tree to conceal himself from this approaching group of Alliance soldiers. It was too small to be any real threat... surely they weren't retreating, their home was the other way and they weren't heading for Ur'Almen. That only left one explanation: a diversion. These men were more than likely being used as scapegoats to buy the Alliance time to prepare for their coming demise, but whether they were only trying to weaken the coming force or stall for time was unknown.

"A force this small would easily be crushed by our own, which means the Alliance is trying to buy itself some time to mount a defensive plan." Shadow whispered, making sure the incoming soldiers wouldn't hear. "I'd rather not cut the Alliance any slack. I think we should get rid of them ourselves rather than get slowed down."

[Steel Samurai]

OoC: Just out of curiosity, SL, how did you catch up to Jordan when your magic boots were depleted and he was traveling at a rather quick pace?

Steel called a halt around mid-day. Judging by the mile markers, they had made good time. Half an hour. They would wait half an hour, and if Jordan wasn't back . . . well, Steel would cross that bridge when he came to it.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan looked down to find Shadow on the same tree.

"The hell? Shadow, how did you get here?"

Just then, a small gnome popped out of the tree next to Jordan.

"Who are you?" Jordan asked the small creature.

"I'm a plot device gnome." he replied.

"Plot device?"

"Yes, plot device. I'm a very convenient person you know."

"How so?" Jordan asked.

"Well, you see your friend down there?"

"Yeah."

"I brought him here."

"How did you manage that?"

"Plot device."

"Ah, I see where you are going with this."

The small gnome snapped his fingers.

"What did you just do?"

"Refueled your friend's magic and healed your wounds."

"Wow, that is convenient."

"I know right? Well, I must be going"

"Alright then, it was nice to meet you."

The small gnome left Jordan's company. No longer worried about his previous injuries, Jordan leaped down from his branch and on to Shadow's.

"Let's go back to the designated checkpoint where Steel and the others are waiting. I don't think we'll have to worry about those guys."

Just after he said those words, the screams of the Alliance soldiers echoed throughout the area. They had conveniently fallen into a large pitfall which just happened to have been in front of them.

No longer worried about the soldiers, Jordan grabbed Shadow and took to the sky, headed towards the checkpoint.

[SL the Pyro]

OoC: Just out of curiosity, SL, how did you catch up to Jordan when your magic boots were depleted and he was traveling at a rather quick pace?

OOC: GAH, I totally forgot. This is what happens when the RP dies for a week. Sorry. I'll keep my RP-mouth shut until the group reaches Olimandias.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

A wolf, possessing a fur of platinum sheen, and a red cloth tied about it's neck moved quickly and diligently through the ranks. Red and blue markings upon it's face, and the sword that hovered over it's back made clear that it was no mundane creature. When it spotted one of the pirates troops slowing, eventually to a collapse, it went over growling. The pirate curled up, beggig for his life.

Within a few moments, the wolf was replaced by a young man.

"Get up," he commanded.

"I can't."

"Get up," he continued more urgently.

"Please Lieutenant, just let me rest a moment..."

"If you cannot survive this simple march, then you will not survive what is to come," the rather intimidating young man spoke aloud.

The army continued on. The few people who stared as they walked by recieved a glare from the Lieutenant, a reminder to stick to their own affairs. Eventually as the army began to halt, the Lieutenant yanked the lesser pirate up to his feet.

"Please, we've all stopped now--"

"They stopped now. You stopped earliar. You shall make up for the time you wasted."

The Lieutenant supported the lesser pirate, practically dragging the poor man.

"Listen to me carefully," the Lieutenuit whispered, "I have shown you mercy compared to any other alternative. Another officer would have forced you to carry another load, or even downright killed you. You must not show weakness, even when it seems that you're legs are supported by pain rather than bones. You understand?"

"Yessir..."

"What is your name?"

The lesser pirate looked back with horror.

"I have no intention of reporting you," the Lieutenant spoke with a smirk, "What is your name?"

"Hoytle sir, Lucas Hoytle."

"Lucas Hoytle, eh? Sounds new."

The two eventually came to a stop, the Lieutenant dropping the lesser pirate to the ground.

"There, enjoy your rest while you can."

And just like that, there was soon a wolf where the Lieutenuit stood.

--------

The wolf brought itself close to the front of the army, eventually coming to sit by Steel while the halt lasted.

Ken felt more comfortable at the front anyway.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan and Shadow made their final landing near the horde of dorm troops, who ceased their march. Shadow, made his way back into the ranks of the Lost woods while Jordan made his way to Steel.

"The next couple of miles are clear. There was some activity by the Alliance, but nothing too massive. It seems they are sending their men out one platoon at a time, probably as scouts to find our main force. I'll try to see what I can do about them if I happen to run into another platoon, you make sure these guys have their guard up."

[Steel Samurai]

Steel nodded. He turned to Ken.

"Take one third of the entire force ahead and wipe out the platoon. Make sure that one or two soldiers escape to report your numbers. Do your best to make it seem as though yours is the entire force. Yelling something about my death within earshot would also be appropriate. Jordan, keep scouting ahead as you have been. Should they send a force large enough to defeat Ken's, head back as swiftly as possible and tell him, then me. Ken, when you get word of this, turn around and come back to the main force as quickly as possible. Both of you, go as soon as you're ready."

Steel now turned to the main body of the Coalition troops.

"If I catch any of you leaving the road or otherwise breaking off from the main body of troops, that man will be instantly killed as a spy. Dorm commanders, I leave that in your hands."

Things were beginning to heat up.

[Goose]

Things were begining to heat up.

Like a pot on a stove. Like a fire in a house. Like ants in your underwear while wearing armour and unable to do anything about them crawling over you and nawing on your insides.

Goose was in the rabble that were marching along, in the now aptly named, main party, and wasn't really in charge of anything. There were Ikana dorm commanders aplenty, but they were staying quiet because they didn't feel much like talking. So Goose just marched along with everyone, occasionally screaming to keep people awake and to keep the idea that he was as insane as a tree on fire tapdancing in a concert. He had a reputation to keep.

"All is fair in love and war. Oh look at that really big door."

People would just look at him, with his hat jingling and his spine looking rather sharp. The body didn't really have anything inside it, just an empty rib cage. Goose sometimes wondered how he existed, being alive yet clearly dead at the same time. He wasn't human, he wasn't alive, he wasn't dead, he was more like a memory of a person trapped in an empy shell, waiting for freedom to come, and that would come when his debt was settled.

"Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Fart. With these things combined I am a rabbit!"

He knew that one didn't make any sense at all, but that was part of the fun of it all. Fun was something hard to come by at the moment, with everyone being serious and what not.


"I dont know what I been told, I'm just marching cuz I am cold. No skin and flesh inside this jail, only hate though thinly veiled."


It made him think. He liked to think these days. He'd think about apples, and how they were cool. So much cooler than oranges. Oranges were the dorky fruit. Nothing rhymed with orange. Nobody wanted to be seen with an orange in their hands. Goose could understand if the orange felt jealous of the apple, and the pineapple, because though the pineapple looked even stranger than the orange, it had spikes and wasn't afraid to use them if anybody made fun of him. Kiwi fruits were just dickheads. They liked to root sheep.

"Horse manure is a good fertiliser, and you should use it with your veggies."

Maybe when this war was over Goose might settle down and become a farmer. He'd tend his little veggie patch, where he'd plant seeds and watch them grow, over time, and though the seasons would pass, Goose would just be standing there, as his own scaregrow, watching over his little seedling children and casting spells on crows that would attempt to eat his poor little children, but then find themselves turned into carrotts. He'd be the best scarecrow in the world being dead and all. No hay required either. Just himself and his seedlings for company. Goose could even start to sing and nobody bar the crows would mind. He'd like to be able to sing, or maybe even learn an instrument and play sweet music to his saplings, and as they grew, they'd dance in the wind like a dance crew of their own, and not have to worry about being eliminated once a week.

Goose didn't like to be eliminated. It had happened to him before. He'd entered the Canyons dance competition, and there were these horrible judges who told him that he reminded them of a rotten apple shrunken down to the size of a grape and thrown into a toilet bowl full of vomit. It had scarred him for life, and even though he was an incredibly talented dancer, he'd never danced since, and there were laws baring him from it after the horrible murders of the judges that took place. The thought of dead judges made him hungry. He might find an oven in somebody's house and put a pie inside it.

After all, things were starting to heat up.

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken considered the orders a little odd, but he felt that were merits to his commander's decisions.

Soon enough, Ken was marching with a small army behind him, almost in range of the enemy. In addition to relaying what was needed to follow by Steel to the troops, Ken ordered them to dirty themselves up as much as possible, providing the illusion of being much worse off than they were. Soon enough, Ken's army had positioned themselves and set off in a charge.

The Alliance platoon knew not the force they were dealing with.

"For Steel!"

[Crimson Lego]

OoC: Are the Chronicles fully medieval, or are their primitive guns, like rifles and muskets?

As the dirty looking group of dorm troops attacked, much of the Alliance group had been relaxing, chattering away about how Khuffie was doing in his palace, now that Natalie Portman was dead. As the small battalion bore down on them, the soldiers seemed to think it was a breakaway. However, they paid for that mistake, as the platoon realized the force was a lot larger than their's. Soon, they began to panic and the commanding officer tried to rally them, bellowing something out about the 'dirty, little rotten jerks are not as scary as you think'. His plea was in vain. Within a minute, the entire platoon was moving back towards Olimandias. Giving up, the officer followed them, the dorm army in pursuit.

Listening to the one known as Goose blabber about nonsense, Leo thought he could hear distant yells up ahead. Whether it was from Ken's army or the Alliance, he would not know without a pair of field glasses. Borrowing one from a corporal, the dwarf looked through them. What he saw was far from what he expected.

The Alliance troops were retreating. Without a fight. Smriking, Leo handed back the goggles. Cowards. Wait until their generals back in Olimandias find out what happened. Walking towards the Fortress section, Leo approached Steel, a grin on his face.

"Sir, I believe the platoon is...on the move," he said.

[Steel Samurai]

{There are guns, as primitive or advanced as you want, but they are very rare}

Steel nodded. Good. With luck his strategy would find success.

"Forward, MARCH!" He yelled.




* * *


2 1/2 days later

Tramp. Tramp. Tramp. The measured beat of the skeleton's march sounded throughout the valley, in stark contrast to the shuffling, rolling pace of the ragged pirates, and the light step of the woodlanders. The thirty-five hundred troops which had left the beach 3 days ago had dwindled to a mere three thousand. Three thousand plus whatever troops Selena had brought against a reported fifteen thousand Alliance troops. Steel raised his hand, and the troop halted. He turned, and surveyed the ragged soldiers, hollow eyes (literally in the case of the Ikana soldiers) giving testament to the amazing feat they had just accomplished. He knelt by the side of the road and picked up a handful of sand, then let it slowly trickle through his fingers. The grass beyond the small sandy patch waved in the wind. He sniffed the air. It smelled of ashes.

He rose, and spoke.

"Warriors of the Dorms. We have come here for one purpose, and one purpose alone: To end the reign of Khuffie, perhaps at the cost of our lives. We are almost at our objective. You have done incredible things already, to make it this far, but now your dorms ask you one thing more. Take this city, and do not rest until Khuffie's head rolls to the ground. Now, we go. Perhaps to our deaths. But whatever we go as, we shall fight as men." A couple of the skeletons looked somewhat nonplussed. Steel hastily added: "And women." A couple of the Woods troops looked at him rather angrily "And, err, androgynous hermaphroditic genderless beings!" There. Everyone was happy. Steel turned to the city of Olimandias, some distance away.

"Now, WE STRIKE!"

The battle for the fate of the world had begun.

[JRPomazon]

He had been jumping from cliffs, trees and ledges for two days straight. Small clashes with Alliance troops forced him to keep on his toes. To be blunt, it was a rough time. But it was just as rough for everyone. Jordan was able to take a small break after his last shift as look out for an entire army.

But the hardship of frequent motion came to an end the day they reached the city. It was magnificent, a city of white just as described by travelers who wrote in journals for the masses. It was a shame it would burn today, ash would cloud the brilliant white decor on the towering structures. Soldiers said this battle would change the world, nothing would ever be the same. They said these dreamy words with such promise in their minds that everything would be better. No one seemed to realize that this day could bring about their destruction rather than their dreams.

Steel, Leo, Ken, Shadow, Goose, they would all have their role to play. The same could be said for Jordan. A chill ran down his spine, an eerie calm before the oncoming storm. There was a strong chance that by the time all was said and done, he would be dead.

"Now, WE STRIKE!"

As Steel shouted those words, Jordan abandoned his fears and regrets. He had noticed a horse that had been taken into the Dorm ranks after intercepting an Alliance platoon. It seemed experienced and had a healthy shine on it's brown coat. Jordan rushed over to the man holding the reigns and pushed him aside.

"I'll be taking this."

Without another word, Jordan was away as he unknowingly lead the first charge towards the capital of the Alliance. Truth be told, he was just tired of jumping around. Might as well have a beast of burden take over for a little bit.

[Goose]

Goose wondered what life would be like after this. Whether there would be life after this. What would become of him, once he'd accomplished his task. It was all consuming. All he lived for was to kill the General. To give him the pain that he'd caused all others. To show him the folly of power. How all those that sought it ended up being destroyed by the never ending reach for it, because no power was enough, there always had to be more.


He, rather than singing a silly song, got up atop a horse, and started to sing from what could be called his heart. Or whatever it was.


In the bleak midwinter I sing, when the storm is still to come.
I sing of a time where peace once was, and fear was overcome
A time a of joy and happiness, where little children played their games
and husbands kissed their wives for no reason around the camp fire

I sing of a time where the grass grew long, and days seemed to pass without a breath
And the sun would rise and fall and the moon would dance through the night sky
I sing of laughter, and beer, and Jigs that didn't mean anything, and love.
And most of all, I sing of her.

My love. My sweet love. The reason I awoke each day, and the reason for my smile.
She was buxom, beautiful and brave. She made the world brighter.
My Love. My forever.

So now we fight, so those days may soon return. My love may be a distant memory, but men, women and creatures of all races and gender, now we fight.

For Love we fight.
For Freedom we fight.
For Laughter and joy we fight.
But most of all, the reason I'm here today, is to fight for her.

For LOVE!

Edited by Goose, 22 April 2009 - 02:42 AM.

[Ransom]

(no one minds if i jump back in here? I know its been a while... but you know, final battle and all...)

A normal person would be tired after traveling for three days.
And how much ground would these regular citizens have covered? Oh lets say about 130-150 miles on foot if they were athletic. Or lucky.
Perseus, who wasn't normal at all, could fly somewhere between 800 and 1000 miles in a day if he didn't sleep. Living off the land in the rich Baumstadt colony however had made him lazy. extremely lazy. So lets change it to a pace of about 600 miles a day if he slept well the night before.


"Unfortunately," the drunken traveller burped loudly, "this big tussle of yours is over yonder at Oliman..." he stuttered, "Olimanderjigger, ya know the capitol."

A lot farther than 600 miles.
Perseus downed his drink as the conversation with the strange man continued.

"So you're positive all the dorms are assaulting the Capitol, in a joint effort to end Khuffie's empire?"

"Sure as me left nut mate. Saw them ships myself, a whole bloody fleet of them, flying the banners of all three dorms."

Perseus looked around the tavern. Nothing but bums and the occasional woodsman fell under his eye. How could this inebriated man have possibly obtained such information? And why hadn't this area of Baumstadt been informed of the struggle? The Woods were usually so good with informing their colonies of government activity.

A runner bearing the LW insignia burst through the door, looking panicked.
There was his answer.

All eyes were on the runner as he announced the Woods' declaration of war against Khuffie. All men wishing to join the army could register in Baumstadt or talk to the nearest military officer etcetera etcetera. A hubbub began, and it being almost midnight meant the usual drunken calls of "Long Live The Woods!" and "Woodies for everyone!" A group singsong began to form, barsongs, marching tunes and folk songs beginning to fly into the night sky above the tavern. A Pirate song also making an inexplicable appearance.

After his announcement the runner gave Perseus a glance of recognition and walked over, wading through crowds of dancing men.

"A special message for you Captain Perseus." he paused, clearly embarrassed, "It came by double super express pigeon."

Ah. Announcing something that stupid would be embarrassing.

he took the sealed note the runner handed him.

Get your ass down here.
-LW war counsel

Perseus sighed.

----------------------------------


A day and a night flying over the eastern ocean. (with a short rest on a merchant ship) a day's rest in Resden. wings already sore. another day across the Lalvican. rest stop in Hatena interrupted by hostile townsfolk. a days rest in the nearby woods. a day's nonstop flight across the continent. black out. awake on the ground 100 miles from Olimandias, severely bruised. find grove and sleep for almost two days. find Dorm encampment. Gather battle information from leftover soldiers. follow path of advancing army.


Perseus was relieved that his week of traveling hell could be summed up so briefly in a series of incomplete sentences.
Or in one word. Tired.
He could feel the intense soreness of his back muscles and nerves while gliding over the endless wood and farmland that lead up to Olimandeas. He was gliding because that was all he could basically maintain. Even after being unconscious for two days, he wasn't able to completely recover from the majority of the muscle strain and possible injury he had inflicted on himself in the last week of heavy flight.
Why was he so keen to get to this battle that he would waste himself so? If he had taken his time, he would've arrived at the end of the battle. A strategically good time to arrive. If the dorms were losing, he could retreat as necessary. If they were kicking ass (which he was assuming would happen) he could jump in at the height of victory.
so why?

Then he remembered the feelings of shame and worthlessness that he had experienced after being imprisoned so early in the last dorm war.
So was he trying to prove himself?

Continuing to brood over his own motivations, Perseus sighted the army. Woodies, boners, and seamen, marching as one group, advancing towards the Capitol, and their likely deaths. A rare sight indeed.


He descended and swooped low over the company, spears and pykes passing next to him as he flew to the front.
He reared up and landed, skidding to a stop right next to Steel.

"So what did i miss?"

Edited by Ransom, 22 April 2009 - 09:28 AM.

[Kwicky Koala]

(completely infrequent poster but trying to get back into the groove)

"Uhm...hello?"

Catt stood amongst the multitude of warriors advancing towards the captial.

"Excuse me? Little help? Anyone care to tell me why we're doing this? I mean, doing t-this to Khuffie? Khuff, Khuffster, the Khuffmeister, the great-"

He stopped, not just because he was out of nicknames, but he had realised no-one was likely to reply to his query. Helmets and bandanas covering their eyes, they were rockin' the faceless grunt look with aplomb and taking no notice of Catt's dangerous call to independant thought.

"Hold it right there soldier! Don't you know who I am?"

The Ikana soldier grunted in a suprised fashion to his first command, and grunted and shook his head to the second.

"I'm part of the Ikana Army soldier, mighty big strategy man back in the day, and I command ye to tell me what's the purpose of this!"

The man grunted an apology and slid away.

"Well, I'm sure as buttons not going to fight in a battle no-one will explain to me, no matter how epically final it seems" he said to himself, though making a mental note to adopt a more serious attitude as he saw so many good men marching off to their probable graves. "I'll just stay here and look out for any Fortress-Woody tricks"

A Woods soldier turned his head and grunted bemusedly to this. "I'm on to you!!" Catt shouted back.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan rode his horse as fast as he could, unaware that dozens of dorms soldiers followed after him. He headed toward the front gates of Olimandias which grew larger and larger as he proceeded towards them. They were grand, if closed they would probably be impenetrable by normal means. Best to make sure that door stayed open for those who couldn't fly.

* * *

Around the city walls of the capital, a watchmen notices the oncoming charge. He squints his eyes, almost certain as to what it is he is seeing. He turns around to an officer of a higher rank and shouts:

"Sir, I believe we are under attack."

The older gentlemen just referred to ask "sir" looks up at the watchmen, somewhat confused.

"What is that? It must be one of our platoons returning."

The older officer climbs up to the post of the watchmen, planning to explain to sight he is beholding. He is however, humbled while maintaining his previous confusion.

"Wait a moment. . . those aren't ours. . . "

There is a moment of thought.

"CLOSE THE MAIN GATE! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! SEND WORD TO ALL SOLDIERS STATIONED HERE!"

The men within earshot look on to find the small charge of men coming after them, readying themselves for the oncoming attack. The massive gate began to fall as men from each side cranked levers and wheels with all their might in hopes of sealing the city. Jordan, noticing the rising gates leaps off his horse and into the air once again. He reaches a higher height than before, incorporating the horse's speed along with his own wind manipulation abilities. As he begins his descent from high above the city wall, he takes hold of both his spears and prepares his next move. Jumping over the watchmen and his superior officer, he lands behind the city walls. The men slowly cranking the large and formidable gate to a close take note of Jordan's presence.

Jordan swings both his spears horizontally, creating a gust of wind that sends each Alliance soldiers near the gate off in various directions. As they crash into walls and crates, the gate is stopped from closing further. It was half open after the efforts of the city guard, offering ample room for the dorm soldiers to invade. And sure enough, they came running in ready for a fight. However, the soldiers of the city had quickly assembled their defenses. The city was officially a battleground.

[Selena]

Selena walked through the northernmost section of the underground Hakubi Road, which stretched from the main part of the Labyrinth to the outskirts of Olimandias. Selena's army was comprised of 1,000 elite troops. She would have had more if it weren't for the factional warfare dividing the Labyrinth. The other half of her regular forces had abandoned their home to rendezvous with Chikara, wherever that damned woman was hiding. It was trouble, but it wasn't crippling. 1,000 elite Labyrinth troops were as good as nearly twice as many foreign soldiers. They were all expertly trained and had decades worth of raiding experience, the Labyrinth's powers having bestowed its residents with longevity and aggression. They moved up the Hakubi Road with the aid of strategically placed warp points, which, now that Selena thought about it, were probably a gift from Keel during the first era of the dorm. She was just going to have to get used to his presence.

"So, it seems as if there's a superpowered magician with the ability to blow holes through warships," Keel said pleasantly, walking beside her.

"Are you jealous of this new person?" Selena asked him. "Does he have a cloak as well?"

"They're popular these days, aren't they?"

"Well, what's happening above ground? Did the landing party make it to the capital?"

"They're there," Keel answered. "The attack has commenced. Last I saw, they were faring well. Now is the time for you to strike."

"The end of the road is just ahead," she answered.

The Hakubi Road ended before Olimandias. They couldn't surprise Khuffie's troops in the same way they surprised the soldiers at Van'Duras. They were, however, in a position to quickly storm through the south gates of the city before they could close, as it would be a quick run to the walls. After they made it in, the Labyrinth warriors would reinforce the other dorms. Together, they would make a push toward Khuffie's palace and end it all. That would give Selena enough time to infiltrate the Temple of Diel and fulfill Keel's request, whatever it may be. At least it would get him to shut up and leave her alone. She tightened her grip on the Kanagida, her beloved spear, as she neared the exit of the long tunnel. Using her free hand, she deactivated the booby trap and unfastened the seal. She popped open the hatch and ran out, the light nearly blinding her for a moment.

They exited the road in a small patch of woods that lay just outside the walls. The south gate was still open, though shouting indicated that it was soon to close. She pointed toward the gate with her spear and waved her troops ahead. Her warriors began to sprint, Selena following along. The only stragglers were her few archers, who periodically halted to fire an arrow at the guards atop Olimandias's wall. Selena heard the shriek of returning arrows, but paid them no mind as she continued to run, her lightweight but sturdy armor doing little to slow her down. The gate was coming down faster than expected, but, after Keel vanished, they began to halt and then reverse. She looked up to one of the towers to see a man fall from a great height, missing an arm, Keel looking down at him from above. She hated that teleportation of his, but at least it came in handy.

Keel reappeared at her side as she stepped foot into the city. A collection of twenty Alliance soldiers rounded the cobblestone corner. Ten of them, armed with crossbows, fired upon the Labyrinth intruders. Selena ordered her men to raise shields, but it was unnecessary. Keel sucked all ten arrows into one of his trademark portals, then let opened a new one in the opposite direction. The arrows slammed into the bodies of their original owners, the tables turned. Selena pointed the tip of her spear at the remaining ten rapid response soldiers.

Her men and women raced forward, weapons at the ready, and promptly began to slice of various body parts. When they had finished their work against Khuffie's well trained but inexperienced troops, the cobblestones had been dyed a a delicious shade of red. The Labyrinth's favorite color, of course! With those soldiers out of the way, Selena listened for the sounds of distant struggle. The other dorms were at the eastern gate as planned, she heard. Best to go reinforce them. She began to run down the street, her soldiers following behind, focused enough to avoid the temptation of looting the civilian homes in the area. It was serious business this time, after all.

After a ten minute, mostly uninterrupted jog, she came upon a small town square filled with Alliance soldiers. They were setting up a front in order to take a stand against Steel and his men. Well, best to get that out of the way. Selena charged a bit of dark energy in her left hand and threw it forward. It connected with what she thought was the nearest Alliance officer, flinging him off his feet and burning a hole in his armor. He wasn't dead yet, but it was enough to get everyone's attention.

She smiled a devilish smile and began to run forward, screaming out over the roar of existing battle. "Attack!"

[Chikara Nadir]

In the great days of indecision that had come to pass, when Khuffie's rule had yet again grown strong enough to threaten taxation and near-slavery to any one of the lands of the canyons, forest, and pirate seas, a secret splitting of hairs and alliances had occurred far beneath the burning, traitorous sun. A single woman had fallen to her knees upon the lush carpets of Khuffie's court, mocked by the jester to his left side and offered a quick death by the general to his right. The merciless leader could have executed her on sight, and probably would have, had she not offered herself up and begged a personal audience with the man. That, and he loved to milk any opportunity at seeing a potential threat ask for mercy.

Yet mercy was not what she desired.

She had spread her whip upon the floor before her and her sword beside that, bowing her head to his feet with the promise of personal fealty and the offer of one thousand able-bodied and war-hungry soldiers to command. Her one request was that they not be put out on the front lines like so many meat-shields to be picked apart by lesser armies, but instead to keep them as a sentinel to his palace and city, members of the strongest, last-defense military in case any one army were able to make it so far as his gates. She could not destroy him or steal his treasures and then return back to a Labyrinth that would not accept her, the woman reminded him, so her people had no reason to betray him. Khuffie's conceited self-confidence was too strong, and he consented. His requests in turn as part of the agreement involved personal entertainment when he was not in the company of his Natalie and later Keira, and occasionally fetching or making midnight snacks. Being forced to wear the frilly apron was the most humiliating experience of her life.

Now she had finally met the day where the seeds of deception could be bountifully sowed. She had watched as the first assault left the armories with weak gear and strong beliefs in their ability to destroy both man and god, should the opportunity arise. They did not return. The stronger men were sent out, and as home-grown military thinned out and outside installments of soldiers set up tent villages along the city walls to prepare for some great, unknown battle, the sky on the horizon began to dim from dust and smoke. By now, on this great day, the earth had been painted crimson, as though the death gods had felt some artistic muse bubble up and force them to take an invisible paint brush to the hills, shoreline, and cracked grassless plains around the great walls. Even weeds had forsaken this land, knowing of what was to come.

Her army was still standing at her ready in full force, safe behind the castle walls. The other soldiers under Khuffie's command, however, were not so lucky. The foolish masses of them were still being sent gung-ho into battle to save their kingdom and specifically their horrible leader. He was the one that the enemies wanted dead, the tin soldiers were just fodder in the way that had to be mown down to get to him. Their superior officers, however? Those who could be coerced were kept alive under the premise that their petty lives would be spared for behaving, forced to continue to write out orders to the soldiers telling them the best way to get themselves slaughtered. Those who would not keep quiet, or who were a waste of oxygen, were being cooked for stew for the infantry's dinner tonight. Perhaps they should have felt so lucky to not have to partake on that meal, as the battle might be long over before then.

Her whip now hung coiled and limp at her waste, her blade used as an unnecessary crutch with which to lean on as she stood upon the edge of the inner wall, eyes half-opened as she stared out at the battle raging just outside. It sounded literally like hell out there, shouts of murder and screams of despair melding together with the screech of clashing and slicing metals and bones, cannons blasting and arrows buzzing like airborne demons out for blood. Yet a smile was upon her red lips, an expression of peace-- no, intoxication apparent on the pale face kept safe from the sun beneath hooded cloak. Her faithful hid themselves strategically, ready to secretly execute any of Khuffie's men who got in their way, but otherwise she would not force them to fight in a meaningless battle for the honor of a worthless man. Her true enemies, Khuffie's men, were being slaughtered by both the inhabitants of the nearby lands who she had always generally ignored, and also by her previous kin. The men and women of the Labyrinth were out there, those who had chosen alliance with Selena rather than to destroy that usurper and remain with their rightful queen. Surely few of her death-loving family would be executed out in the fields; they were far more apt fighters than Khuffie's military could ever pretend to be. If some should fall, they were weak to begin with. The rest would continue to murder the city's military while she and her faithful stood and waited for the traitor to come. She would have her chance to meet face to face again with Selena, the glorious rebel herself. Chikara would have her revenge.

[Goose]

Chaos was about. Much chaos. Goose needn't worry about what would happen to those troops he was with anymore. They would be fine under their own commanders. Surely they would enjoy the relief from the scary magician. Any anyway, he was needed elsewhere, he had a personal appointment.

There was blood everywhere. The Bard started to chant.

"Hot dogs, get your Hot dogs, Get em here, nice and warm."

He walked through a line of soldiers who attempted to kill him. He said something under his breath and they turned into childrens performers who wore different coloured clothes. They all started to sing songs so horrible that they found swords and murdered eachother. Mercy Killings were fun.

Heads were flying as swords clashed together and people lost their lives. Goose didn't particularly care about who's head it was anymore, because now the dorms and the alliance were losing meaning. There was only revenge.

Goose started to walk towards the Castle, where the General was sure to be. He would get his task completed, and then deal with the others later.

[Steel Samurai]

"So what did i miss?"

A broad grin spread across Steel's face under his mask. He stifled it and adopted a deadpan expression.

"Most of the war. A bigass explosion. The normal." He looked forward to Jordan's charge to the gate. "Let's get going. You want to miss the rest of it or what? If you want to see some action, stick with me." He looked back to Goose. "Goose! You want to kill Khuffie? Come with us."

Selena could handle the actual tactical decisions for now. Steel's blood was growing hot at the thought of the slaughter before them. He leapt onto a nearby horse and drove his heels into the beast's sides. It was a great warhorse, bred for this sort of charge. Its hooves thundered on the wooden planking that now served as a road, straight towards the Eastern Gate of Olimandias, where Jordan had entered not moments before. He drew the Dualist Blade and his Odachi and swung them down beside him, slashing at any Alliance soldier who approached him, with fatal results.

"FOR THE FORSAKEN FORTRESS AND ADMIRAL JUNO!!!!"

The pirates behind him yelled, a long, loud "ARRRGGHHHHH!"

It was the last time that battlecry would ever be sounded.



* * * *



An Alliance officer fell to the ground in front of Steel, a dark hole burnt into his armor. Steel pulled his blades from the torso of the grunt in front of him, blood spraying from the man's aorta, coating Steel's black armor a sort've extremely dark red. He wiped the blood from his face and hair, and gave the soldier a solid kick. The limp corpse fell against the side of a nearby building. He turned to the group in front of him, now not sure which way to look. Steel smiled, and leapt towards the frightened soldiers.

Thirty seconds later, the square was awash in the blood of the Alliance. Despite being outnumbered more than three to one, the Coalition troops were gaining ground. Steel turned to Selena and wiped the blood from his face.

"I take it you heard what happened to most of the transports . . . Command of the troops is yours. We're going to push through to the palace. Goose has a score to settle, but not before I get in my own revenge. Fare thee well, Selena. When next we meet, it may not be under such . . . amicable circumstances."




* * * *



Two hours. Two hours of heavy fighting had brought Steel and those who followed him almost to the wall of the Citadel of Olimandias, Khuffie's private sanctuary, wherein was the Palace complex. Steel stopped for a moment, on the top of a flat-roofed house to catch his breath. He shook his blades free of blood and sheathed them for the first time in what seemed like an age. He checked his wounds. A slash on his cheek, the sole legacy of an Alliance grunt who got lucky. A few other small scratches. He pulled a vial of red liquid from his belt and poured just a drop on a miraculously clean piece of cloth. He dabbed his cheek gently, and winced as the medicine began to heal the wound. In a matter of seconds there was no trace of the wound.

"Everyone alright?"

[Crimson Lego]

Having crushed down almost every Alliance soldier in his way, Leo and the members of the Lost Woods had their own mission. While Steel and his dorm charged up towards the Citadel, the Woods Dominion had taken the charge upon themself to destroy remaining survivors of the onslaught. Driving a sword into the stomach of an Alliance officer, the dwarf wiped his brow and turned towards the surviving members of his group.

"I think that's the last of them. Let's find the Forsakeners and the Canyon Boys," he said. The LW soldiers mumbled their agreement and they staggerd up the road towards the studio. As they joined the rest of the Dominions, Leo approached Steel. Saluting, he took a deep breath and gave the pirate a summary of his dorm.

"We lost many, sir, but kept at least more than we lost," said the dwarf. "All the Alliance soldiers from here to the entrance of the city is either dead or under guard."

[JRPomazon]

The gate was only the first of Jordan's victories that day. As the dorm soldiers and Alliance forces clashed on the streets, certain areas of the city had to be compromised in order to assure victory. Khuffie's men were rather ignorant to the small fact that calling out what was important and needed defense more than anything else in the middle of a battle was a poor decision. All Jordan needed to do was listen carefully and follow the sheep to the rest of the heard.

"Protect the Warehouse!"

An unfortunate blast of wind knocks it over.

"Get the archers to the Towers, we'll stop them from there!"

An unexpected fire breaks out and burns it down.

It went on like this for a time. Jordan, who had leaped to the higher levels of the capital took in the gruesome city. The white city had been stained red and black. It all seemed so . . . wasteful. By now the Labyrinth must have taken action, joining the battle from another location. Then Goose was probably out there trying to get to Khuffie. Which one to follow?

As much as he hated the prospect of leaving the Labyrinth to it's own devices, he headed towards the grand palace where Khuffie resided.

* * *

He arrived nearby where Steel and the rest had ventured to, watching from the first of many walls that guarded the emperor of men. Rather than joining them right away, it seemed best to remain as a backup. At a glance, the citadel was an impressive structure. He could easily hop around from the roofs and tops of the various walls and watchtowers and make his way up from there. Not to mention indirectly aiding the other forces waiting outside by killing the archers that sat so comfortably on their posts. Like Pigeons.

Edited by JRPomazon, 23 April 2009 - 02:22 PM.

[Selena]

Selena had assigned her men to various chokepoints around the city to hinder Khuffie's troops from forming up and launching a counterattack. It gave the united dorm army a chance to push through toward the Citadel. As glorious as it would have been to join in, Selena's troops were raiders - unskilled at taking fortified structures and far more adept at launching devastating assaults on soldiers. It was best for the Labyrinth forces to remain at their positions. As things seemed to be going well, Selena decided it was time to run her errand. She patted her executive officer on the shoulder and left things under his command. Selena then sprinted down one of Olimandias's many streets, heading in the general direction of the Citadel. She kept low and moved quickly, not wanting anyone to notice. The other soldiers were likely much too busy to care. They had bigger things to worry about.

After some time, she came upon a great white cathedral - one of the only peaceful places left in the city. It was the Temple of Diel, an ancient building that Khuffie had seized during his invasions many years ago. Followers of Diel, god of light and order, had built it ages ago. She'd seen it when she was just a young girl, but had rightly stayed away. Even now she was not eager to step foot into the holy building. It offended the senses. But she'd made a promise, and Keel had certainly been a help in all her efforts to overthrow Khuffie and the Alliance. She didn't rigidly keep promises, but apart from being a bit uncomfortable, there was no harm in going to the Temple to fulfill his request. She walked up the stone steps and place a hand against the oak doors.

Keel appeared at her side, dropping out from one of his portals. He was grinning in amusement, as he often was. "It's a simple matter," he said. "There is an obsidian tablet within the inner chamber of the temple. Get it and bring it out here. That is all. Easy as pie, isn't it?"

"Is it going to try and kill me in some way?" Selena asked.

"Obsidian - the most vicious of volcanic glasses. A whole mob of them once mugged my cousin in Ur'Almen."

Selena made a face. "Shut up. I'll go get your stupid tablet."

"Very good."

She pushed both doors open, Keel waiting on the steps. There were dozens of people hiding from the fighting inside, a lone priest in the aisle that would take her to the inner chamber. The priest held up his hands to plead with her, but Selena struck him with her spear, piercing one of his lungs. He fell to the red carpet below, his blood mixing with the fibers. Selena then stared at the cowering civilians for five seconds. At that point, they stood and began to flood out of the Temple of Diel, nearly trampling each other in the process. When they were gone and things were silent once more, Selena continued up the carpet, beyond the seating, and beyond the altar. No temple guardians. That was odd. Oh well. She continued on. There was another set of large wooden doors. She blasted them open with dark energy, tearing the lock right off. Inside was a mostly empty stone room, a lone window providing light from outside. There were four glass display cases, each holding a different relic. The obsidian, rune covered tablet that Keel referred to was in the display case on the far wall. Selena marched over, smashed the glass with her gauntlet covered hand, and removed it.

Easy as pie, sure.

--

ooc: Bring it, hobbit.