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[Crimson Lego]

As the remainder of the Calatians finished getting supplies for the trip, Leo and his soldiers also returned. Half of them were carrying large wooden boxes in their arms, while the others were dragging bags along. The dwarf was merely tagging along behind with his axe shouldered, accompanied by another stranger. Once all the goods had been loaded onto the ship, the general turned to introduce his friend. “Guys, this is Erik. He’ll be joining us for this trip.”

The men of the Baker Team boarded the ship, leaving Leo with Erik and Lucas. Glancing at the kid standing about 10 feet away, the dwarf whispered something quickly to his companion. “Look, I know you’re not a member of Calatia, but I need you to help keep an eye out for that kid over there. Most of my men are pretty suspicious of him, so he’ll probably stay away from them. You’re not one of us, so you might be able to talk to him a bit. Could you do that?”

“Got it Boss,” replied Erik, crackling his knuckles. Clapping his friend on the shoulder, Leo turned and found Lucas staring off at the forests. “Buddy, you coming?” asked Leo, gesturing at the ship. Appearing to have snapped out of a trance, Lucas nodded and quickly boarded the ship; with a nod, Erik quickly followed.

Sighing, Leo put aside his axe while gazing around at the port and its environment. So peaceful an detached from the violence of the dorms. In the distance, he was sure he could hear his bear roaring as it was probably being fed. It would be rather useless to fit it onto the ship, and impossible to do as well. No, he would find another mount in Komitaa, hopefully one that he could ride on. Same for Khallos as well. Looking around, the dwarf wondered where the Calatian had gone. Shrugging, Leo boarded the ship, wondering if he was on there.

Climbing onto the top deck of the ship, Leo addressed the crew. “Calatians! Good job on getting this far. I only have a few things to say: all former Fortress and Alliance navy people will be in charge of the sailing and navigating, etc. The rest of us will man the cannons and keep a lookout for any Koridaian ships. Let’s go!”

Moving to their respective spots, a good number of sailors headed up to the mast and deck to ready the ship; the dwarf and others headed below deck to man the guns and cannons. Lighting one of the lanterns swinging from the ceiling, Leo was surprised to see lots of provisions already set in place. Why is there so much? Leaving the others to help themselves, he headed back to the upper deck.

The anchors and ropes were being thrown off as the ship, christened the Mjolnir prepared to set off on its journey; a few of the men were running back to get on before they were left behind. Crossing his arms and looking at the sea, Leo turned to see Lucas standing next to him. “I never got to ask you this before, but what dorm are you from?”

Edited by Leo Crimson, 04 December 2009 - 08:55 PM.

[Khallos]

Khallos reached the docks just as the ship was in its final moments of departure, slightly quickening his pace he strode up the gangplank with the last of the crew and Calatian Escort. He had the blood of mariners in his veins and perhaps it was for this reason he'd always been fairly comfortable on ships except in the roughest of weather. It didn't stop him from leaving boarding to the very last minute; as a former member of the Labyrinth, Death Mountain, Ikana and now Calatia his home was the peaks, in the cool, crisp air of mountains. He thought of his childhood now seeming so long ago thanks to some...side effects of being a member of the Labyrinth and Ikana. He was now much more of a whole man so to speak, the collapse of the Alliance had fixed that.

He was always nostalgic about the mountains though. Changing his thoughts to that of Yildun he trusted the man to be on board, he was an honourguard not a babysitter, as he heard Leo give a final command from somewhere above and checked for his belt. Money still there, that bear better be some use not a damned rug with the amount of training it had been given. He regretted the sale of his bear, but the extra coin could be useful and they didn't respond well to confined spaces.

Climbing up to the top deck to have a word with the General and Yildun, he found the Dwarf talking to the stranger. Khallos stayed to one side out of curiosity, eavesdropping wasn't the most honourable thing but finding out more about this unknown would do no harm. Leaning against the rail on one side of the ship, Khallos gazed at the horizon while Leo asked the blonde kid about his dorm.

[JRPomazon]

What dorm am I from? Well, the dwarf certainly knew how to ask awkward questions. He was having a hard enough time fitting it as it was. Maybe he should have taken Vale on her offer. Then again, this might be a good chance to show these guys he wasn't as suspicious as he looked.

"I don't have one of those anymore. Didn't bother to go for a new one after the Woods burned down, it didn't make sense to me. After everything got crazy, it was pretty much a dog eat dog world." Lucas replied.

"I saw a lot of people go mad or get killed trying to escape. I'd prefer not to go into it too much if you don't mind Master Dwarf, I had to . . err . . . nevermind."

Lucas adjusted his hood, having it cover his face and keep his head warm.

"Not everyone was lucky enough to survive in Verden after the rise of the goddess, it's a miracle anyone was able to get out there at all. Maybe I should have just left that continent like everyone else, but what's the sense in running away when the goddess could easily come around again and destroy another country?"

The process was inevitable. The goddess Chikara would just extend her reach, claiming the souls and resources of foreign powers only to magnify her own machine of chaos. The world would be like the lost woods, a pile of ash and charcoal where nothing could grow. But maybe there was a chance to change all that, something that could save a forsaken land. That's why Lucas stayed. For hope.

"So, how come you didn't leave the continent?" He asked the dwarf.

[Crimson Lego]

Nodding slightly to Lucas’ response, and even astonished by the fact he was from the Lost Woods as well, Leo listened furthermore to the man’s comments about Koridai. Damn right about that. In his eyes, the dwarf saw Chikara as a power-hungry woman that would always strive for power. Steel and Ransom’s attack on Calatia’s major supply route proved that, though Leo was pretty sure they were merely men following orders. Pretty high up in the ranks, though. When Lucas asked why he hadn’t left the continent either, he needed some time to find a good answer.

Gripping light onto the railing as the ship began moving away from the port, Leo spoke softly while gazing out at the horizon. “After the Battle of Olimandias, I headed straight back to Alsvard.” Pausing, the dwarf loogied over the side of the ship then continued with his story. “Finding no survivors, I left after gathering a few things and headed for the mountains; after a while, I met up with a group of Ikana and Labyrinth soldiers heading for the mountains.

Normally, in the circumstances, I would have stayed as long as possible in the Alsvard to try and round up for survivors; then head straight for Norrendir or even Andiel. But what I saw in the Lost Woods, or what was left of it, changed my mind. Once we got settled in Snowpeak, I volunteered to help lead patrols and make sure none of Chikara’s men even got near the capital.”

Standing up straight after a moment of silence, Leo clapped Lucas on the back. “That’s all I have to say for now, Lucas. Sit tight until we reach the continent; we’ll make a good change there with the ambassador’s help.”

Leaving the man to himself, the dwarf approached Yildun, who was on the other side of the deck, humming a tune to himself. Hearing him approach, Yildun turned around and nodded in greetings. “Thank you for helping get this far.”

“No problem,” said Leo, thinking back to the incident with the Koridaians in the early parts of the trip…and the strangely marked wolf. “However, I’d like to tell you that Mr Khallos will probably be your primary bodyguard for the remainder of this trip; I think he is a strong enough man to be taking on the job; do you agree?”

“Yes General. Thank you for your help,” replied the diplomat. Smiling, Leo shook hands and then left, this time heading for Khallos. From what position he was in, the dwarf estimated he was probably keeping an eye on Lucas or something. Good to see that. Approaching the man, Leo spoke quietly.

“Good to see you made it here before we left.” Sighing, he twiddled his thumbs while looking for something to say. “If you don’t mind me asking, Khallos, where did you live before the Cataclysm?” The dwarf wondered if any of this knowledge would be useful; the answer was yes. Even a Labyrinth member can help us, thought Leo, remembering the ruthless fighters from the assault.

In the distance, he could see a ship heading their way; the dwarf just hoped it wasn't a Koridaian one.

[JRPomazon]

The came closer and closer to Calatian vessel, the passengers becoming more and more nervous as it approached. Men tightened their grip on their weapons and tensions were high. As it finally got close enough to see close up, it turned out to be . . .

a fishing ship.

As the vikings of the kingdom looked across to the decks, they noticed that there was no crew aboard the ship. It seemed familiar to Lucas, who like everyone else was perplexed by what they were seeing. No passengers or crew, just an empty ship. But that seemed ridiculous, there had to be something . . . oh no.

"EVERYONE! GET DOWN!" Lucas cried out, ducking for cover as the fishing ship exploded. It was ridged to blow intentionally, a floating time bomb. Shards of wood and flames blew on to the Calatian vessel, impaling many of the people on deck. As Lucas got to his feet, he found himself unharmed but the deck was in rough shape.

[Crimson Lego]

Turning his attention to the ship, Leo was just as confused about the abandoned fishing vessel..but also rather suspicious. This looks familiar... When Lucas screamed, “Get down!”, the dwarf knew what it was. Shit. About to dive down, he immediately changed direction and ran at the diplomat. He was able to tackle Yildun to the ground just as the ship exploded. Feeling a piece slicing past his arm, the dwarf made sure the ambassador stayed down.

When the final shards had stopped flying around, Leo released Yildun and clambered up. More than a few of the vikings had been killed, while others were moaning in pain with shrapnel stuck in their bodies. Most of the deck was filled with pieces of wood that had damaged it badly; there were also some flames flickering on the wood. At last we're not sinking.

Taking charge in the chaos, Leo gave out swift orders. “Get some water to put out this fire, and move the wounded below!” he shouted, heading below deck to help out. Once that was done, the dwarf approached Yildun, whom was still in shock about the incident. “Are you okay, my friend?” he asked.

The ambassador nodded as Leo helped him up. “General, that was a brave thing to do. You do know you're bleeding right?”

Startled, Lo turned to look at his left arm, where a piece of wood had cut through the fabric and created a deep gash. “It's just a gash; I'll deal with it when we get to Komitaa.” After the ambassador left to check how many of his officers were still alive, the dwarf bandaged up the gash and tried swinging his arm around. Wincing, Leo put the issue aside and returned to the high deck.

Relieved to see that only 2 of his men had died, Leo gathered the remaining members of the Baker Team. “From hereon, boys, we are adopting a no-man's land policy. I want news the moment you see any approaching ship and the whole crew put on alert. If it's a Calatian ship, tell them that General Crimson, Mr Khallos, and Ambassador Yildun are onboard. If it's something from Koridai, blast it all the way back to the Arbiter's Grounds.”

After several “Yes, sir”s, Leo dismissed his men and went below deck to fill out paperwork. 9 dead and wounded. Entering his private room, the dwarf pulled up a chair, sat down, and dipped his quill into the ink. Beginning to write, Leo gazed out the window, cursing the bastard agent that had backstabbed his comrades. AFter a few moments, he tossed it aside and headed back up.

Approaching Khallos and Lucas, Leo murmured quietly, "You both okay?"

Edited by Leo Crimson, 09 December 2009 - 09:16 PM.

[Khallos]

OOC: slightly out of sync with work and end term celebrations. This continues from Leo questioning me on my dorm.

"Before the Cataclysm you say?" Khallos was surprised by the forwardness of the question in some ways yet had been expecting it for some time. "Well I used to live in Ikana Canyon before the Alliance's downfall, and several over places over the years before that. If you wish to know I rejoined my original Dorm, the Labyrinth during the war."

Khallos shot the Dwarf a wary glance, "some people have certain not too unfounded prejudices against my old Dorm. Do not worry my friend I am totally loyal to Calatia, Selena or not. Besides I can now operate at long range for long periods without...decaying."

Catching sight of a ship that Leo had been glancing at, Khallos continued "Whatever happens I am now here to do my duty, complete this mission. And now of all times in this confined environment I think we're most vunerable to a mutiny, I myself am keeping an eye on Lucas and that Corporal. Personally as an outsider we pose more of a threat to that stran..."

Khallos saw the flash of flame and span to see Leo running towards Yildun, then dived himself curling up behind the shield strapped to his back as the blast rocked the ship. Quickly rising and seeing that there was no apparent continued danger, Khallos looked at the Ambassador and saw Leo helping him to his feet. Much good was I then. As Leo barked orders then headed below decks, Khallos watched over the wounded and dead. Lucas was still alive, so Khallos gave him a nod of acknowledgment and shared a grim smile with Yildun then went to check on those Calatians who needed their wounds attended. This was truly a mess and smelt of treachery through and through.

Seeing the Dwarf approach, Khallos saluted as Leo asked him and Lucas "You both okay?"

"About as fine as a man can be after having a ship explode in their face, it's the injured that I'd rather worry about not me. If you could assign two of your trusted men to Yildun I'd appreciate it, my first aid skills might as well be used and I don't feel comfortable leaving the Ambassador alone at the moment. This situation is getting beyond worrying."

Edited by Khallos, 09 December 2009 - 09:47 PM.

[JRPomazon]

Lucas looked over the side of the deck, the exploded ship engulfed in flames. There were only two explanations for the explosion, it was either a timed blast or remotely detonated. He had a comrade who's specialty was explosives, she was always specific with details and would always share what she was doing if Lucas walked in on her working. She had a passion for it and wasn't afraid to share it with everyone. But the matter of hand was how this ship exploded, this was no time to be letting his thoughts wander. Damn it, if Leona was here she would be able to figure it out. It seemed that everyone just wanted to get moving, disregarding the sinking wreck. Maybe that was the best course of action now, getting out of here fast.

The ship would still sail, despite the damage. Getting across the sea was what mattered to these vikings, right?

"We need to get moving." Lucas said, his eyes still fixed on the sinking ship.

[Crimson Lego]

Nodding in acknowledgment to Khallos' request, Leo snapped his fingers and called 2 of his men. “Mellis, Jurgensen!” As they rushed over, the dwarf leaned forward. “I'm assigning you 2 to protect the ambassador,” he said quietly. “I suspect that the double agent's next target will be Yildun; make sure he stays away from Jenkins until Khallos returns.”As he finished, Leo saw Corporal Jenkins gazing away at the wreck while the ship sailed full power towards Komitaa.

'Yes, sir.” As they headed off to escort Ambassador Yildun below deck and into his cabin, Leo turned and watched Khallos. A Loddie, eh? The people of the veteran underground dorm were good at fighting, he knew; first aid skills were a surprise. He'll be useful if we run into trouble, thought the dwarf as he remembered the skilled and ruthless fighting of the Labyrinth warriors.

Unconsciously twiddling his thumbs, Leo approached the crew appointed captain of the ship, who was examining a bunch of charts. “How much longer until we get to Komitaa, Captain?”

“I can't say for certain, sir. Charts say that the region we're entering is much colder and more windy, which could blow us off our course. Plus,” he said, pausing. “There are pirates.”

Cursing under his breath, Leo resisted a shiver as a gust of cold wind blew past him. This might make it easier to catch the man. The dwarf's guess was that the spy would have spent a certain amount of time in Koridai before being assigned to this mission. I'll just look for somebody who'll have a hard time resisting the cold here or seems to be slacking off, or somebody that’s working too hard or not at all.

Essentially, somebody who stood out from the main crowd in some way or another.

Turning to walk off, the captain said one final thing. “I’d said at most a day or 2, General. It depends on if we run into…anything.”

Nodding in thanks, Leo descended the stairs of the top deck and walked over to where 2 doctors were tending to the wounded. After having a few quick words about making keeping it as clean as possible, the General descended below deck and into the supplies room. Lighting a lantern, he gazed around at the amount of weapons available. Time to get ready.

Once he had finished packing some other equipment, such as some medicine and a survival knife, Leo headed into his personal room and sat down at his desk. Picking up the quill and continuing on the paperwork, the dwarf continued writing out the mission log and the casualties the Calatian expedition had suffered. I sure hope Khallos can save a few of them.

ooc: I guess you guys can decide how long it takes to get to Komitaa; I've pretty much run out of ideas for now.

[JRPomazon]

The Kingdom of Calatia hailed the west of the continent of Verden. In order to make their way to the shores of Komitaa, they would have to sail around the Empire of Koridai and brave the island scattered seas to arrive at their destination of Vildmark, the first country of Komitaa that they would visit. However, Koridai was closer to the continent than Calatia and those who had started their voyage would have an advantage in distance. Not all was lost, for Komitaa was home to many countries. Although it might be a little out of the way, they could arrive on the shores of Andiel and take the diplomat by foot from there. It would be harder work, but there was a greater guarantee of a steady pace compared to that of the sea.

Not to mention the fact that the ship was damaged and would be best suited for shorter travel in it's condition. There was no choice, they would have to take the land route as soon as they landed in Andiel. But that didn't make the issue of traveling through Imperial waters go away. They would either have to be fast or sneaky during the days of sailing in that part of the world. After the first day of sailing, they had passed through the waters of Calatia and were well into enemy territory. Everyone on the ship was tense, Vikings and hired help alike. The Empire was ruthless when it came to matters of finding foreigners in their lands, especially that of Calatia. Lucky for them, the ship was faster than expected and the winds were strong. It would be less time to the other continent.

Everyone was a little stir crazy during those days, but the ambassador had such peace when in the face of this uncertainty. Lucas, who had kept mostly to himself during this time noticed Yildun watching the ocean roll on one morning on the trip. He decided that it might be best to not speak, his lack of social skills were quite obvious to everyone by now. However, this did not stop the ambassador.

"You're Lucas, right?" He asked the boy in gray. Lucas turned quickly, surprised he was being addressed.

"T-that's right sir." He replied sheepishly.

"I have a question to ask you that I've been waiting to get the chance to say. You are not of the Kingdom and yet you aid us now. You had numerous chances to escape and here you are still. Why do you aid us in our journey?"

Well, partly because a group of rowdy vikings threatened the pummel him and the fact that he couldn't fight them directly or talk his way out of a paper bag.

"It . . . it just seemed like the right thing to do, to help out like this." Lucas said.

"The right thing?" The ambassador asked.

"Yeah."

Yildun smiled after hearing Lucas' reasoning.

"I see. It might be simple but you are quite sincere. I hope you never lose that side of you."

The ambassador made his way back to the interior of the ship, leaving Lucas with his words. Sincere? He never would have guessed he would hear anyone call him that again.

The ship made it past the Empire's waters without a hitch, call it fate or luck. A week had past since they left for Komitaa and it was estimated that it would be a few more days till they reached the continent. It was decided that they would land in Andiel before making their way to the other countries, the ship was breaking down more and more as they days went on. There would be no way it would last if they dared to travel all the way to Vildmark or Virrat. Sacrifices had already been made, it was only common sense that there would be more.

ooc: looks like we land on the next post.

[Khallos]

Khallos rummaged through his equipment now strapped beneath his hammock due to his refusal to make the Midshipman abandon his small cabin. Not that he liked sleeping in a hammock but chucking out the kid would be more than selfish. Finding his peacetied sabre, he dislodged it from his backpack and took it up on to the deck to show an enthusiastic crowd of vikings.

"Where did you get it from again?" asked a woman perhaps a few years younger.

"It's a Labyrinth blade. I had it custom made, wonderfully balanced and deadly sharp. Due to several...processes used during the forging the blade never dulls, always wickedly sharp. It has a decent amount of weight to it so although a prefer my third sword against Crusaders, it can still rend armour if used with proper force."

"Also using one of those zealous bastards' 'shieldbreaker' swords to kill them is worth the irony," got a laugh out the crowd. "And it avoids it being identified for what it and I are."

Unsheathing it, he held the weapon up to the crowd. "This blade has saved my life more times than I can remember. And while some of you may dislike a 'Loddie', do not forget we are all one now. To remember the old dorms is to remember former friends, family and loved ones who now fight to expand the tyranny of Koridai. We oppose the theocracy's rule and whatever loyalties you may have we owe it all now to Snowpeak."

Seeing Jenkins in the crowd, Khallos continued, "Both I and High Command demands loyalty, everyone here knows what sort of war we were entering when you chose to fight for Calatia. I expect every viking to do their duty."

Jenkins then took a step forward, and called out to Khallos.

"You say this, and you also know this is total war. There can be no mercy for the merciless. If we play some game of honour with Koridai they will butcher us like pigs, it's what they see us as! If we simply destroyed any ship not bearing the flag of Calatia or her allies, or any that approached too close without hailing we'd never have had that run in with the bomb ship!"

Several Calatians at the back of the crowd jeered and gave their support for Jenkins while others sat grimly or argued with those nearby.

Khallos retorted sharply, "You think that the death of innocents in the name of caution will aid our cause!? We are a diplomatic mission, it is bad enough we have a reputation for indiscriminate raiding as it is. We're trying to make allies here, not find us more enemies."

Yildun walked up to Khallos, and for almost lost his neck as the irritated man span quickly to see who came from behind unannounced.

"I believe Champion your mission was to allow me to complete mine," Yildun smoothly said. "But I admire your diplomacy." Turning towards the crowd, Yildun elaborated, "Mr Khallos is right, unthinking killing is not even officially approved by Queen Selena. And let us remind ourselves, this is Selena. We should of course be ever prepared to fight in the name of Calatia, but at the moment we could do with every friend we can. If some pirates do decide to have a run in with us however, I fully support all brutality unleashed on the foolish scum"

Appearing to reach a satisfying conclusion with the warmongering vikings, Yildun smiled. I suppose that's why he's an Ambassador and I'm a warrior.

Suddenly the cry of "Land Ho!" was heard from the crow's nest above and all on deck looked towards the horizon.

Edited by Khallos, 11 December 2009 - 07:58 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

ooc: Slightly edited my description of the axe. It looks somewhat like this but a bit longer and with dark red blades.

Smiling at the sight of the ambassador quelling the conflict and restoring order to the obviously divided expedition, the dwarf thought about what Khallos had said of loyalty. The man’s definitely got it right. The old domains were now gone forever, which made Calatia the only home these vikings had. Nothing could change that now.

Leo’s eyes narrowed as he watched Corporal Jenkins slink back to his position below deck. Perhaps he is the suspect. If the corporal was working for the empire, he’d sure want to blow out any ship that could hinder the Koridaian negotiators’ trip. His friends probably rigged that ship too.

Getting ready for the landing, Leo examined his own weapon to make sure it was ready to fight. Sure brings back memories before the Cataclysm, he grinned, trying to recall its properties.

The handle was built out of a fine, grey metal found somewhere in Verden, durable yet light enough to wield with one hand. The handle was long as the distance from the dwarf’s feet to his upper chest, but could be easily used by just about anybody (except for gnomes). The blades of the battleaxe were made of a dark red metal, strong enough to cut through hauberks and other types of leather armour. It could slay a man dressed in full body armour in a matter of hits. Though it was quite old, Leo was sure it would become an heirloom of some sort. It’ll come in handy if we run into trouble, he thought, ascending the deck.

Heading back up, he hefted it onto his shoulder and headed back up to the deck. Most of the vikings were preparing to head out, strapping on backpacks and picking up their weapons. Snatching up a horn, Leo blew it hard as they sailed into the port, the sound echoing to the shores.

At last, the barely floating Calatian vessel that had left one of the realm’s southern ports made it to the country of Andiel. The leftovers of the once invincible Legends Alliance had become a country in its own right; it mainly defending itself with what was left of Khuffie’s navy, still considered one of the only major naval powers left since the Forsaken Fortress had…disappeared in the Cataclysm. Perhaps we can charter one here, thought Leo.

Sailing into a port and docking, the Calatian ship had finally com to the end of her journey. And she won’t be going back. Throwing down the plank, Leo shouldered his battleaxe and descended onto the docks. He was immediately followed by Messner, 3 others, Yildun, Mellish, and Jurgensen. Lucas seemed to have kept his hood on for most of the trip, and was armed with a sword, a bow, and a full quiver of arrows. Slowly, the rest of the Calatian crew followed out, glad to have reached land again.

Heading into the core of the port, Leo turned to have a word with his men. “Okay boys, we made it to Komitaa; a bit far from our primary destination, but it is Komitaa nonetheless.” Pulling out a rough hand copied map, the dwarf spoke quickly, his eyes scanning the chart.

“From what I know, the capital of Salledo is either very near here or this port is just an extension of it.” Rolling it up, Leo turned to Yildun. “Anything to say, Ambassador?”

“That I do, General.” Clearing his throat, Yildun addressed the vikings. “Calatians, I know that this has been a difficult trip, and more work lies ahead. But do not fear, for when we return to Calatia, it will be with a handful of treaties that will give us new allies to fight against the Empire. Fight like a Viking, and show those Koridaians that free will is better than fighting for a goddess.”

Smiling as the men applauded the diplomat’s speech, Leo clapped his friend on the back. “Stay close to Khallos now,” he said jokingly. Yildun merely smiled back then drew his knife. “I’ll be ready in case he isn’t.”

Shaking hands, Leo put away his axe and turned back to the vikings. “Now the question of the journey awaits us. Would you guys rather charter an Alliance ship and sail to Vildmark, or head south by foot and try to cross the Dradicen Barrier?"

Edited by Leo Crimson, 16 December 2009 - 07:02 PM.

[JRPomazon]

"Actually, why don't we go for Virrat first?"

The vikings looked back at Lucas like he was some sort of freakish monster. Not good for his self esteem. His stomach was . . . yep, in knots. Not good.

"I'm intrigued, why Virrat first?" asked the ambassador?

"Well . . . umm . . . from former Alliance reports that were made available to the Woods before the Cataclysm said that Virrat was a more civil country than it's neighbor Vildmark, seeing as the latter h-has a terrible slave trade that we don't want to get involved with. S-so . . . umm . . . it seems that we might want to avoid all the hassle . . .y-you know?"

The expressions on the vikings faces were not all completely that of disapproval. This was a good thing.

"But what do you all think?"

[Crimson Lego]

Stroking his beard, Leo watched Lucas aimlessly as he thought about the young man's suggestion. Muttering had sprung up among the Calatians, but instead of forwarding resentment, they were expressing admiration at the young man's thinking. The dwarf had to admit that Lucas had come up with a good idea; that is, if these Alliance documents were to be believed.

Seeing no open objection to the suggestion, Leo gave a swift nod to the ambassador. “Alright then, we'll make first for Virrat. Right now, I have no idea where the Koridaians are, but I'm sure we'll find out soon.” Pausing to take a breath, the dwarf turned to where Yildun was standing. “What do you say Ambassador? Foot or water?”

Shrugging, Yildun glanced back at the docks they had just left. “In my opinion, I’d go for traveling down the coast of Komitaa. I haven’t heard any news of anybody that has been able to cross the Barrier unscathed or alive, so I think that chartering an Alliance ship might be the best method. Besides, we could probably get through to Virrat before the Koridaians even reach this continent.”

Nodding in approval, Leo gestured to his men. “Everyone gather at the docks while I go charter a ship! Baker Team, fall in.” Trudging down with his 5 remaining men, the dwarf had some time to do some hardcore thinking for the trip once they reached the capital of the eastern nation. For one thing, how are we even going to get through without getting shot at or killed? Leo knew that the ambassador would have to protected at the highest costs, as he was the only one that could even help form an alliance; Khallos would definitely be able to do his job. No doubt about it.

And what of Lucas? Lucas could do whatever he wanted as long as it didn’t hurt the expedition, but if the kid had friends in the region, the General could use them now. Nothing annoyed him more than venturing into unknown territory without more than a few scraps of information other than the name and its capital city.

Virrat. Vatenbaer. At war with Vildmark. Big cities.

Pushing open the door of an outhouse, Leo found a man standing at the window, humming to himself. Clearing his throat and causing the man to turn around, the General spoke quickly. “Good day, sir. My friends and I were wondering if we could charter one of your ships.”

The shipmaster was obviously not frightened by the dwarf and his cronies, even with the odds of survival presented to him. “Sir, we are closed to foreigners; unless you have a passport or any documentation signed by an Andielian official, I cannot-“

At that, the dwarf snapped his fingers; 2 of his men lunged forward and tackled him to the ground. Pulling out a combat knife, Leo knelt down and held it to the man’s throat. “You see this?” he whispered, gesturing to the sharp and shiny blade of the knife. “In a few moments, it’s going to be covered in your blood; however, we’re just going to cut you enough to make sure the blood seeps slowly out of your neck. If by some miracle you survive, I’ll send one of my pals here to personally repeat the process.” Standing up, Leo sheathed the knife and ordered the man to be released.

Climbing shakily to his feet, the man moved to his right, where a bunch of keys laid hanging on the wall. Picking one, he limped back over to the Calatians and held it out. “Dock 3. Have a nice day,” he said stiffly.

Nodding in thanks, Leo led the Baker Team back out and towards the docks. There, Yildun and the others were waiting for them.

“You got one?” asked the ambassador anxiously. Nodding, the dwarf escorted the diplomat towards the dock with ‘their’ ship anchored. Walking up the plank, Leo waited for the others to board before pulling the wood up. This is the 2nd ship we’ve borrowed on this trip, he grimaced. He had a feeling he was going to get fired for the aggression, but the mission always came first.

Opening up the door leading below deck with the key, Leo pocketed it and watched as the ship began leaving Andiel for the southern nations of Komitaa. Crossing his arms, the dwarf noticed a ship in the distance. No, make that 2 ships. Grabbing a pair of binoculars, Leo gazed through the eye-enhancing device.

There was no doubt about it: they had run into pirates.

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

2 days later

The Calatian controlled Alliance vessel was nearing the coast of Virrat; it was a long trip, as they had to navigate past several small islands on the southern coast. Luckily, no imperial or other foreign ships passed them save for a few pirates. Having sailed past the nation to its west, Vildmark, the crew of 45, now increased by a fair number of anti-Koridaian pirates, prepared to land their ship at the shores of the continent. Ambassador Yildun was preparing his speech for the leader of Virrat, while Lucas was refilling his quiver with arrows and sharpening his sword.

Bumping into the land, the anchor was thrown down to secure the ship in place. Leaping off, Leo gave orders to the pirates. “Keep the ship here, but feel free to blast away any Koridaian vessels that come into sight,” he had said.

Unpacking all of the supplies, Leo shouldered his axe and led the expedition deeper into foreign territory. Everybody was careful to be on their guard, as the Vikings were all completely aware that the power of Lazu probably controlled these lands. We better not have another Eagle’s Talons again, thought the dwarf. That was bad enough.

Edited by Leo Crimson, 20 December 2009 - 10:24 AM.

[JRPomazon]

Lucas made his way off the ship, carrying his bow and quiver tightly around his shoulder. The scenery was calm, the shores to the ocean almost familiar to a place he currently called home. From where they were, it was only a matter of time before they reached the capital of this country and then, it was the march to Vildmark. But if these countries were at war with each other then allowing the Kingdom to become both their allies might not be so wise. Well, it didn't involve him right now. After all this was done, it was free supplies for him and a kick to the stomach for the empire. No harm and either of those things.

[Khallos]

Khallos was impressed with the progress so far, all hindrances and misfortune taken into account. Grabbing his belongings, he hauled them onto his shoulder and made his way to Yildun on the deck.

"Ambassador, I hope you are doing well today, our hopes lie with you and time grows short before we meet with the Virrat leadership. Mind me asking your professional opinion of all this while we can still consider ourselves safe?"

Yildun looked up from his notes, "Well I'm sure you've heard various rumours, both are allies of Koridai, Vildmark has already been won over to them by a similar Diplomatic expedition or that both Nations banded together temporarily to destroy the Imperial trespassers. Who knows? We know very little of Virrat, in fact the only reason we vaguely know where it is and we can get there is because the capital Vatenbaer is on lake Vat, fortunately connected to the sea by the likewise named river."

Interrupting, Khallos said, "but we too are very close to the Vildmark border, even here we are at risk from Vildmark aggressors. This country may have order, but outside towns it still remains pretty lawless. Is it so wise to travel in the open?"

Yildun continued, "I don't think we have much choice. We have had repeated delays, if we don't press on now by the most direct route now, all may be lost. I can accept the Koridaians having one ally, we still have hope then if we can claim the more advanced Virrat. But two? Calatia maybe doomed, with no friendly presence on this continent, and we this small mission will certainly be. No, we go as fast as we can and hope the large size of our force keeps any ne’er-do-wells at bay."

“Come, Khallos, my former wounds are now no more than scars, yet someone to guard my back even in the most dignified of throne rooms is always a relief.”

Descending the gangplank together, Khallos and Yildun watched as the rest of the Vikings prepared to march.

[Crimson Lego]

Traveling rather swiftly across the grounds of Virrat, but with minimal supplies, the Calatians were untouched for the beginning part of their journey. Having left their vessel nearly half an hour ago, the Vikings had only run into more than a few farmers on the fields; they eyed the foreigners with suspicion. Returning the look while not trying to open hostilities, Leo gazed up and saw the outline of a moderately large town. “It’s not the capital, but it’s better than nothing,” he murmured. From what he had read about the Komitaa nations, Virrat was full of cities dotted around its land. They would be able to pick up some supplies there before heading off to Virrat’s capital in the east: Vatenbaer.

Trudging to the outskirts of the town, guards patrolling the farms aimed their bows and weapons at the strangers, making hand gestures and babbling away in a strange language; shrugging, Leo put his axe away in his sash and put his hands up. “We come in peace from Verden!” he said loudly.

Shrugging, one of the guards turned to the other and began conversing in their own language about whether to let the strangers in or not. Seeing as most of them were weakened and exhausted, they finally came to a decision. “Go in!” shouted the brawny one. “Have a nice day!”

Trying not to chuckle at the man’s accent, the General addressed the Vikings. “Boys, we’ll meet back here in, let’s say, 20-30 minutes; get what you need, supplies, food, anything, and meet back here ASAP.” Leading the Baker Team, Yildun, Khallos, and Lucas to a side street, Leo gathered them around and spoke softly.

“You would all do well to remember that this is a foreign country that we have no roots in; you would do well to blend in and not to make trouble. Khallos, make sure the ambassador stays alive and untouched. Baker Team, fall out.” Lucas chose to follow the General for undisclosed reasons.

Heading off, Leo decided on 1 thing to purchase: a caravan of some sort to Vatenbaer. If we’re going to beat Koridai to a treaty, we’d better stop trying to get to the capital on foot. Dismissing his men, the dwarf paced through the small town until he found a transportation building. This will do, he grimaced, hoping they would at least be able to get a horse for Yildun.

Getting transportation was starting to become a habit.

Venturing into another shop, Leo and Lucas were amazed at the technology inside the shop. A steam generator was humming in the middle of the room, providing heat and light to those working. Other machines were vibrating away, cutting wood into various shapes to be used in construction of miscellaneous products. Casting his eyes away, the dwarf was approached by a man in an apron, whom immediately began babbling away. “Ont surch fargur?” he asked.

“Uh, sorry?” said Leo confusedly.

Laughing out, the man then responded in the common tongue, although with an accent. “My apologies, friend. I thought you come from port.” Leading the 2 of them to his counter, the man continued on rearranging his products. “What you need?” he asked.

“A few friends and myself are planning a trip to Vatenbaer; we were wondering if there were any transporation caravans around,” replied Leo, crossing his fingers. “Large enough to hold about 30 people.”

Stroking his beard, the Virratian storekeeper nodded. “My brother have 5 carriages and 2 horses. Good enough?” he shrugged.

“That will be good,” exclaimed the dwarf in relief. “When can we borrow it?”

“In 1-2 hours,” said the man. “Meet outside town fields.”

“Thank you very much,” said Leo, bowing and handing the man some gold. Exiting the shop, he and Lucas silently walked down the street. Finally, our luck has gotten us through. However, they would need to take some rest before heading out; it was clear Yildun and everybody else were exhausted.

“What now?” said Lucas softly. “When are you planning to leave for the capital?”

Shrugging, Leo gestured to a weapons shop “Let’s find some supplies first, then we’ll meet up with everybody else to check out our convoy. I can’t guarantee it will get us to Vatenbaer extremely fast, since we’ll get pulled over more than once for customs and all the formalities, but it’ll be a lot better than walking.” Entering the shop, the dwarf certainly hoped he wasn’t going to be douped. You can never trust the locals outside of Verden; half of them are usually imperial spies. Chikara's arm was long, but Leo was going to make sure it didn't touch Virrat before Calatia did.

[JRPomazon]

It was unlikely that the Empire would prove to be a threat at this point. They were far from the reaches of their enemies, as they made their way to the heart of Vildmark. It was almost as though the Kingdom of Calatia gave up on the country as they tried to claim another. But sacrifices were common in this day and age. Two hours seemed rather fishy for preparing transport though, could those men truly prepare that much in such a sort amount of time?

Lucas took a look around, marveling the advanced technology that this country had to offer. Would Calatia be able to use it for their war against the goddess when the treaty was signed? That was probably the main reason the envoys of the kingdom were out this far. More tools for making a bigger mess of things. It all felt wrong in his gut, one side having this much power despite the fact that it was aimed at the empire. What would happen if the Vikings conquered the zealots of Koridai? It made sense to Lucas then why it was his comrades and him didn't pick sides.

"General, what happens after the capital? You still planning on going to Vildmark, even though the empire probably got their first by now?" Lucas asked.

[Crimson Lego]

Grabbing a few throwing knives and placing them on the counter, Leo merely shrugged in response to Lucas’s question while rummaging through his pockets for gold. “From my point of view, Vildmark is only our secondary objective. Yes, 2 foreign allies are much better than 1, but our main goal is to achieve an alliance with Vatenbaer.” Pulling out a few pieces, Leo took the knives and continued looking around the shop. “Furthermore, since Vildmark and Virrat are at war, it might be unwise to sign treaties with both; it would be pretty useless having 2 armies wipe each other out while the Koridaians continue their attack on us.”

“What if Koridai has already reached the Vildmarkian capital?” asked Lucas. “Wouldn’t they immediately tell them that we’re planning a treaty here and send invaders?”

The dwarf shook his head, leading out of the store; glancing around, he pulled the man closer. “If they do send an army, we’ll know first,” he whispered. “When I was assigned this mission, I sent 1 of my men to Koridai in case the empire sent out a similar mission. If they did not, I ordered him to meet us at the port; since he didn’t, I assume he’ll meet us in Vatenbaer once he’s finished sabotaging the mission.” Falling silent, Leo headed outside of the town to the fields. Then again, he may have been discovered after all. Austin had never been one of the brightest soldiers, and he frequently made small mistakes that gave the Calatians away on guerilla attacks.

Crossing his arms, Leo watched as the farmers finished bringing back the day’s pick on wagons. “The most important thing on this mission right now is to protect the ambassador for the rest of the journey; I suspect the road to Vatenbaer will be a tough one with loads of dangers,” he said, more to himself than to Lucas. There was an advantage here though: since there was no slave trade, Virrat would probably be more orderly than Vildmark, and with better rights for their citizens.

Kicking aside a rock, Leo turned back to Lucas. “I’m gonna walk around a little bit on my own; please excuse me.” Heading off into the fields, the dwarf had some thinking to do before he could even think of this mission as a success; his top priority was to draw out the Koridaian rat and kill him. General Crimson silently vowed in the name of the Kingdom of Calatia to do that and protect the Ambassador before they reached Vatenbaer. If not, he would sure be stripped of his rank and everybody else would be dead.

[JRPomazon]

Lucas walked off as General Leo decided to go on his merry way. Despite the time they had now being somewhat peaceful, he was on edge. Perhaps everyone was. The sooner they left this place and arrived to the capital the better. Perhaps it would serve them better if they went through the wilderness instead of hopping from town to town. This country was a wonder, everything was different although it reminded him of home in small ways. He kept tugging on his hood, making sure his face was obscured. Maybe he was more nervous than the vikings after all.

Hours passed by and not much was seen of either the Ambassador, his envoy Khallos and the General. As Lucas waited by the other vikings, he received a good amount of dirty looks. Everyone save for that Jenkins fellow. Lucas noticed him examining him, like some sort of merchant judging the value of goods. It was annoying to see him stare at him like that and to make matters worse, he approached him. What could he possibly want?

"You seem to be able to handle yourself well for someone your age. But don't get too confident, try anything and we'll be sure to make you regret it." The Corporal said smugly.

Lucas remained silent. He had nothing he wanted to say as it was.

"Not much of talker, eh? Well what about a schemer?"

Jenkins captured Lucas' attention.

"That ship that tried to ram us, how did you know it was set to explode?"

"I didn't. I . . . I just figured it would be good to hit the deck when getting hit by something big." Lucas replied softly.

"Really now? I find a hard time believing some punk whose wearing red underneath that cheap cloak of yours."

"W-what? I'm not with Koridai!" Lucas exclaimed.

"I wouldn't be caught dead with those-"

He felt Jenkins tug on his clothes, bringing him close.

"If you aren't one of us, you're one of them. Just because the Dwarf and the Ambassador like you doesn't mean a damn thing." the Corporal whispered, the eyes of the other vikings noticing the growing situation.

[Crimson Lego]

“Oh yes it does, Jenkins,” whispered a voice. A moment later, Leo Crimson stepped out from behind the group of vikings, his eyes blazing with anger; his axe was rested on his shoulder, but the dwarf looked like he wanted to use it badly. The members of the Baker Team didn’t look very happy either with the corporal’s insubordination, and they were well known in Calatia for their unyielding disciplinary methods.

“Sir, excuse me,” stammered Jenkins, realizing how much damage he had done with this; he quickly let go of the man and bowed his head. “I-I don't know what I was thinking-”

“You know exactly the reason we've come here, Corporal,” said Leo coldly. “I assume you know what we are trying to achieve?”

“Yes sir. A treaty with Virrat so that we will not attack each other,” replied the soldier in a bored tone. “But sir, how will a treaty help us against Koridai? We can hardly fight them face to face.”

“Not just any/i] treaty,” said Leo, lowering his weapon. “If this succeeds, we can get the Virratians to take down Vildmark, and then launch an all-out assault on Koridai with those combined forces. Chikara will be defeated at last. And considering your hate towards the imperials, I'm surprised you're being this uncooperative at the current moment.”

“Pardon me, sir, but how is questioning this foreigner uncooperative?” answered Jenkins angrily. “We have no idea where he came from, he's obviously unwilling to show his face, and he knew exactly when that boat was going to go off!”

“That means nothing, Corporal; we know exactly when Koridai can perform their little hocus pocus,” countered the General. “Just because Lucas suspected something doesn’t mean he’s a Koridaian; in fact, if he was an imperial, he should have kept silent and headed below deck casually.”

Gazing around at the silent Calatians, Leo finished the argument off with a last sentence. “We would all be under equal suspicion. Now get your gear and [i]fall in,” he snarled, walking off; the Baker Team and Lucas followed him silently. The remainder of the vikings followed after the General, leaving Corporal Jenkins alone in the field with his weapons and gear.

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

“This is our transport?” asked Yildun amazedly. “You must have been very lucky.”

The 5 caravans, each of them massive enough to carry almost a dozen each, were lined up at the outside of the town. 4 horses were snorting and pawing the ground as Leo gripped the reins of the horses tightly. “Hop on!” he said cheerfully. “The guy said his brother didn’t know this anymore, so we got it for free.”

The Viking expedition cheered and clambered on, easily spreading out through the transports. Yildun and Lucas got up to the very front of the carriage, the former approaching the General. “I need to have a talk with you later about Jenkins,” whispered the ambassador.

Merely nodding in reply to the request but not speaking out loud, Leo snapped the reins of the horses, sending them neighing and moving forward. “Hyah!” With that, the Calatians went on their way to the capital of Virrat.

[Khallos]

ooc: I have been overcome with work for the past 2 weeks so sorry about the lack of response.


Khallos had stocked up with food and supplies, had his shield repaired and enjoyed his short time in the Virratian town. Foreign lands and cultures always interested him although he couldn't speak the local tongue and many here struggled with Common. Still it was a marvelous land with technology that would be priceless or uncommon back in Snowpeak. Sitting with the other Officers, dignitaries and the like, Khallos glanced up at a strange system of contraptions the locals had all over the town, and one over a gate. It was a pillar with mirrored wings, suddenly realising what it was, Khallos realised Virrat had mechanised semaphore. Hardly the greatest leap of imagination, but considering magic was the only means of long range communication in Calatia other than signal beacons, he approved. Those without the gift of magic could communicate effectively over far greater and longer distances than with using a man waving flags.

He would certainly bring up the idea when and if he returned home. Getting up and standing by Yildun and Lucas, Khallos nodded at the Ambassador and asked,

"How long until we arrive at the capital Ambassador?"

"Hm? Well you'd better ask General Crimson not me, I can give you the distance but am not driving. With these caravans we can act far more independently and bring supplies but I fear we may make a wholesome target for any outlaws." Yildun replied.

Saluting a goodbye, Khallos moved up next to Leo and then posed the question again,

"So General, what pace do you hope we achieve and long until we reach Vatenbaer? I've already posted some men to take shifts marching along side the column to discourage ambushes, but any delay is further opportunity for us to fail and Koridai to succeed."

[Crimson Lego]

The massive Virratian convoy equipped with fresh horses and the latest technology was quickly moving the Viking expedition on its way to Vatenbaer; they had traveled through the southern regions much more quickly than Leo could have imagined. The vikings had encountered no troubles or Koridaian sabotage; it seemed that the agent, most likely Jenkins, in their ranks was laying low until they reached the capital in the center of Virrat. The only things they ran into were Virratian officers that questioned them of their destination and trip; fortunately, a few of the Calatians were fluent in their language and were able to answer both questions easily. Once they realized this, the officers waved them off encouragingly.

A few days had passed since they had left the town, and the caravan was now approaching the city of Vatenbaer just as dawn was breaking. Humming a childhood song as the caravan drew nearer towards the outline of the capital city, Leo thought about the power that Calatia would gain if this treaty managed to work. It all depends on Yildun's choice of wording.

"So General, what pace do you hope we achieve and long until we reach Vatenbaer?” said a voice. The dwarf immediately recognized it as Khallos and turned around. The man also spoke some more about assigning vikings to man the sides of the convoy.

“We've entering the Greater Region of Virrat right now, according to my map,” he replied. “The technology and these rather strong horses have enabled us to travel across the plains much faster than what our ordinary technology would have achieved. Which means we should be there in a matter of minutes” Pausing, Leo then smiled at the sight of Calatians in front of the caravans.

“I also want to thank you for taking these precautions,” he added, gesturing at the sentries. “We can't be too careful, especially with a spy in our ranks,” he finished, his expression darkening. Suddenly, a horn could be heard in the distance, echoing across the land. Turning back to the front, Leo smiled as he saw a metropolis growing larger. So we have finally arrived.

Nearing the gates of Vatenbaer, the General was surprised to see the guards take a quick glance at the caravan and immediately let htem through. Assuming that the Virratian officials knew they were coming, Leo's suspicions were confirmed when the caravan was met by 2 official looking soldier on horses.

One of them rode forward, raising his hand in a token of friendship. “Greetings, friends of Verden. Our commanding officer has requested you in the presidential palace.”

“Yes, of course,” responded Leo quickly. Snapping the reigns, he guided the caravan down the now empty streets of Vatenbaer, the soldiers guiding them. The Calatians patrolling the flanks of the convoy now fell back and climbed into any caravan, afraid of this strange land. Leo could see many of the technologies that the expedition saw in the town they had stopped by duplicated and used even more in the capital.

Stopping at the heart of the city, the dwarf leapt off his spot at the front, keeping his hood up. Making sure his axe was contained within the sling on his back, Leo, the Ambassador, Lucas, and Khallos walked up, where a muscular man in uniform stood waiting for them with his hands clasped behind his back. Unfortunately, he stood about 6 feet tall, making him seem like a giant to the 4”7’ general.

However, it seemed that, judging by his kind expression and gentle eyes, that the man did not care about the height of his counterpart. He was also fluent in Common dialect. “My name is Moloch,” he introduced. “Captain of the Royal Guard of Virrat.”

Leo nodded, shaking hands with the Virratian. “I am Leo Crimson, general of the Kingdom of Calatia. An honour to meet you, Captain Moloch.”

Yildun then introduced himself. “I am Yildun, ambassador of the Kingdom. These 2 are Sir Khallos and Sir Lucas, both escorts of the expedition.”

The captain nodded, then turned and gestured to the presidential palace. “Our president is currently out-of-town, but I have full discretion to negotiate in the fullest terms with you. Please come.”

Smiling, Leo followed after Moloch, wondering if these talks would be easy as he hoped. Don’t count on it, he thought. However, he couldn’t help but smile. His first assignment off Verden was progressing well so far with no major interference.

Behind the others, the Koridaian spy kept his eye on the General, wondering how he would put his plan into motion...

[JRPomazon]

As the talks would soon begin, Lucas decided it was not his place to be a part of the diplomatic process. After all, he wasn't a viking like the others. It seemed that the other men finally grew accustomed to the cloaked stranger, actually calling him by his name instead of the standard profanity. Still, he kept his hood over his face. Despite the fact that there was no longer any stealth aspect to his mission, it was something he just did as a second nature. He reached back and grabbed his quiver of arrows, he hadn't had the chance to use a single one so far. As he placed his quiver back, he felt relieved that even through all this chaos there was still no need for him to defend himself . . . too much.

The kingdom had outdid the empire, that was good news. However, things were far from settled. Only a few minutes away, a small caravan had proceeded to make record distance from the capital city of Riddari from the neighboring country of Vildmark. It was a miracle it was able to cross over the country's boundaries. As the horseless carriage entered the city, it's bright red banners waved in the wind. On it's side was the mark of the empire. The diplomats of Koridai had arrived too late, but whether or not the day had been won by Calatia was another question entirely.

Edited by JRPomazon, 20 January 2010 - 03:16 AM.

[Khallos]

Khallos stood at Yildun's side throughout the proceedings, guarding the Ambassador with nothing more than chain, shield and sword. The Guard here had been most picky about weapons in the Royal Palace, further more Khallos expected that this Moloch was just a ruse with the leader of this country merely lurking in the shadows for protection. Either way Moloch was an intelligent man, one sometimes so rarely found within the echelons of a nation's security force.

Suddenly an unarmed and out of place Private Walker appeared at Khallos's side.

"Sir, I don't wish to interrupt, but I believe some Koridaian diplomats have arrived."

Khallos kept facing forward while replying,


"Corporal Walker you keep an eye on Jenkins for me. And the Koridaian bastards. Neither will dare do anything now, hell they can disrupt the negotiations but any drawn swords would be suicide. Not that the Red Tabards aren't stupid enough for that. Dismissed Corporal."

"As you wish sir, and thank you!", the pleased Walker scurried off.

Khallos grinned as the discussion between Nations moved onto diplomatic gifts Khallos moved forward.

"Excuse me Captain, Ambassador, I bring from Snowpeak this," Khallos drew what appeared to be a glass and wire worked pendant set with a single sapphire from a pouch on his tunic. "It is enchanted at a simple touch to draw on the fury of a Calatian winter, and will descend into freezing temperatures. In a pleasant and warm country such as yours my Ladies and Lords believed that it would be most beneficial for the keeping of food. Alternatively with your most impressive technology it could be used in all manner of ways for your people. I thank you with Winter's Heart for your openness towards us."

Giving the pendant to the Captain, Khallos saluted and backed away.

Moloch glanced at his counterpart then at Yildun.

"A fine gift indeed, we will greatly treasure it, I hope in turn our technology will be of use to you and Calatia."

Khallos grinned at the flash of surprise across Yildun's face, and nodded at General Leo. Moloch certainly seemed even more amicable now.

[JRPomazon]

There were two sides in front of the building that the ambassador and the men of Virrat were talking in. The red banners of the empire fluttered in the wind as imperial soldiers poured out and set up a perimeter. The vikings appeared to be itching for a fight as well. However, the two of them realized that they were guests here. Lucas remained out of sight as the two factions began to stare each other down. He couldn't be seen by them no matter what the cost. He needed to escape, but that was impossible at this point. What to do, what to do?

The sky was beginning to darken and the air was growing colder as the warmth of the sun diminished. A precursor to what was to come or freak weather? No viking could make a move now, but leave Koridai alone long enough and the worse was bound to happen. Lucas looked over. He wasn't a viking and he couldn't be seen. And last time he checked, no other viking carried a bow and arrow. He could do this. No, he had to do this.

As he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do, he noticed a Calatian leave the ranks.

"Jenkins?" Lucas murmured as the corporal took leave of the others.

[Crimson Lego]

It seemed this whole journey, though racked with wasted time, mutinies, and casualties, was finally working out. At least, that was what Leo thought. Giving Khallos a quick thumbs-up, he crossed his arms and turned to watch the Virratians’ reactions.

After handing the pendant to 1 of his fellow Guard soldiers, Captain Moloch questioned Yildun more about the location of Calatia; soon, he also stated that the caravan the Vikings had used to travel all the way to Vatenbaer would be equipped with more even technology; the expedition would also be given a state-of-the-art vessel to return back to Verden. After both sides gave their thanks and compliments, the true diplomacy began.

Doing his best to stay awake despite his exhaustion from the long journey, Leo was glad to hear that both Moloch and Yildun were discovering that Calatia and Virrat had much to benefit from each other. Unfortunately, they were not at all his taste, so he stayed out of the conversation while the ambassador did his work. That was his job after all. Luckily, the Virratians finally came to a topic that interested the General, and it had nothing to do with the treaty.

After a slight hesitation, Moloch spoke his mind. “Ambassador, along with your Calatia, I have heard news of your neighbouring country; Koridai, correct?” Pausing, the captain focused his gaze on the diplomat. “What do you believe are the main differences between you and them?”

At this, Leo glanced at Yildun and turned to Moloch to answer the question. “Captain, as you may also know, the 'goddess' known as Chikara is the supreme leader of Koridai.
That's also the whole point,” he added.

“How is it bad, General?” questioned Moloch. “Certainly, a person of such stature and power would bring hope and courage to her people.”

“Exactly,” responded the dwarf firmly.”Let us say that one day...Chikara was captured and killed by enemy forces. Who would be the new leader of the empire then? There are 4 of her lieutenants, but the competition would be too great. Would the Pope, with his powers in religion, take over, or perhaps one of the 3 other militants? Koridai would be put into chaos.”

“How is the Kingdom different?” asked the curious Moloch. “Surely, your system must be similar to theirs in some way.”

Smiling, Leo took a sip from his glass and set it down. “That's right, Captain.

Calatia was built as a rebel group, then slowly expanded in the past 2 years to become another realm. Unlike the empire, our society is not built a single person or religion. Instead, our people do our best to fight against what we believe is the oppressive force of the empire, and will do anything to rid Verden of their goddess.”

The Virratian diplomats seemed impressed by the dwarf's speech, and many of them seemed rather eager to bring up the terms for a treaty. Just before Moloch was about to speak, a Calatian soldier quickly entered in. Excusing himself, he walked over and whispered some words into Leo's ears.

Eyes widening, Leo was able to not show any change in facial expression at the news. Getting up, he hefted his battleaxe, excused himself from the discussions, and left the conference room. Only Yildun paid attention to the general as he left, wondering what the situation could be.

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

Outside, the dwarf was surprised to find several Vikings assembled at the front of the palace, gazing at some target. What’s the matter? Then he saw it: imperial crusaders, armed to the last man. The tense peace between the 2 sides seemed to be stressing out. Shit, he thought, walking faster towards the conflict. “What’s the situation here, Sergeant?”

The private spoke quickly. “We count at least 40 Koridaians, sir, most of them around the palace. Most of our guys are ready, but we can’t lash out at them without incriminating ourselves for recklessness.” Stroking his beard, Leo decided on a defensive strategy. If they attack, we’ll be screwed over.

“Simple formation, soldier,” ordered the dwarf, gripping his axe tightly with both hands. “Pikes and swords in front, archers in back. Do NOT open fire unless they do first.”

“Yes, sir.” As the officer ran off, Leo replaced his axe in his sash, and then crossed his arms again. No point in fighting yet. He noticed that Lucas seemed to be fingering his bow oddly, as if he was itching to use it. The dwarf also saw another strange event: a Calatian soldier was breaking from the ranks of the other Vikings. Jenkins? He wasn’t certain, but it looked like the dwarf had found the spy; his suspicions were supported when Lucas called out the corporal’s name, but he made no response.

Walking over to Lucas, Leo quickly whispered a few words. “You think you’d be able to rain some fire on the Koridaians with incriminating yourself?”

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


Faraway, but close to the palace, the Koridaian spy quietly slipped out of the ranks of the other vikings and casually began strolling around town. Agent K, as he liked to call himself, felt this mission was coming to an end. Once he was out of sight of the Virratian guards, he sprinted straight down an alley, where 2 men in armour and red cloaks were waiting. Panting, the spy held out his hand, receiving a quiver of Virratian arrows. “What’s going on to the west?”

“Freakin’ guys in gray, that’s what happened,” muttered one of the men. “Lord Solomon killed 1 of them, which caused the embassy to blow up.”

“Yeah, well, at least Lord Steel was there to stop him,” said the other softly. “Who knew what the empire would have lost?”

Quickly nodding, the agent glanced back in the direction of the palace. “Treaty’s done though, right? All that’s left to do is to wait for Chikara to sign it?”

The imperial nodded. “Yep. All you have to do now is take out one of the high guys. Yildun, Khallos, Crimson, take your pick.” Pausing, the Koridaian glanced back along the alleyway. “I’ll give you a 20 minute window; after that, I’m sending in some guys to try and take out the Virratian diplomat. If all’s good, we pull out for a few days, then return to sign another treaty.”

Chuckling, the agent turned around and sprinted off back towards the Royal Palace. Time to exterminate those bastards, he grinned.

None could oppose the goddess and live; that was the motto he had stood by for the past 2 years.

[Steel Samurai]

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The rounded end of a gnarled oak staff, smoothed by age and long use, hit the cobblestones of the square, each strike ringing out solidly across the air. Every man on the square stopped what he was doing as his eyes were inexorably drawn to the crooked, wrinkled hand clutching the staff with a firm grip. Dirty wisps of grey hair stuck out from under a black skull cap, which only heightened the skeletal look of the old woman's face. One sightless eye roamed aimlessly around the courtyard, seeming to seek something it could not find. The other side of the woman's face was covered by a black bandage from forehead to cheek, fluid seeping through the encrusted bandages. Dark thunderclouds rolled in, cutting off the light of the sun and blanketing the city in a hazy twilight.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. The woman stopped, mid step, and a raspy, dry croak of a whisper issued from her throat, audible to all standing there despite its volume.

"Where is the dwarf?"

A former pirate in the ranks of Koridai screamed involuntarily "The Witch of Voodoo Isle!"

The ancient woman turned her head this way and that, her sightless eye rolling crazily in her head, and then she stopped, eerily staring straight at Leo.

"You! You are the one . . ." She was suddenly, somehow right beside Leo, though none could tell how she had gotten there.

She looked at him, her hunched, stooped figure on eye level with the dwarf.

"I sense ye wish to defeat Ahrem . . . powerful though ye may be, none of ye are even in league with her lieutenants, much less th' goddess herself . . . But . . . There be a way . . . a secret, forbidden way t' defeat the one whose power be unmatchable . . . But th' cost may be too high fer one such as ye . . . T' the south of your land ye shall find me . . . on the continent of Korento, on the southern tip . . . Come, if ye wish to know th' truth . . . "

Lightning arced down from the clouds above, and when the eyes of the men had returned to normal, the woman was gone.

[JRPomazon]

Lucas stood in awe as he tried to piece together what happened. Crazy woman. This Ahrem. Killing. Southern tips. Old lady face puss. Just . . . eww.

"Master Dwarf, this is where we have to part ways. I hope you honor the agreement we made back in the Kingdom. Leave the supplies at the bar in that town we met in, we'll pick them up from there. It was an honor to meet you sir, Master Tiresias spoke highly of you when he told me the story of the Eagle's Talons."

With that, Lucas blended into his surrounding swiftly. Not by means of magic, but his skills of being hidden in plan sight. He dodged between the alleyways, sprinting at full speed around the foreign building. He needed to get away. Get high. Hide. Lucas jumped up, leaping from the large pipes and balconies on the larger buildings and finally reached the zenith of a building looking down at the side Koridai had settled in. He was somewhere between their side and their backs. Decent enough angle. He didn't bother to hide himself, he was going to draw more than just their attention. Their scorn. Their hatred. He was to take the gaze of the empire on himself for the vikings. The words of the ambassador rang in his head, encouragement to maintain his sincerity. How was killing anyone sincere?

Without another thought, he drew his bow and pulled the arrow back. He found a soldier in a group of three. It was going to be him first. He released the string and the arrow flew. A direct strike to the side of his neck, the soldier's blood mixed with his armor. He fell to the ground, his comrades began to hastily put up their guard. Another shot to someone who moved too slow.

"Up there! It's another bastard in gray!"

"An enemy of the goddess!"

Did they just say, another? Not time to think about that now, he needed to continue. He got an arrow from his quiver and fired another shot. Despite their defenses, Lucas' arrows were able to pierce even their armor. As the vikings watched Lucas' solo attack, they could only hold themselves back.

"Damn kid, he's showing us up." One of them muttered quietly.

"Are we not going to help him?" Another asked.

"We can't you moron. We make a scene then the treaty might get scrapped in the process. Then everything we worked for goes with it."

"DAMN POLITICS! TO HELL WITH IT ALL!" Another chimed in.

The imperial soldiers began to move, firing their own arrows back at Lucas.

[Crimson Lego]

From the moment the strange witch from Voodoo Isle (the Koridaian had yelled rather loudly so that everyone in the vicinity heard him) to the point where Lucas was engaging the Koridaians in open combat, Leo’s mind tried to process everything he had witnessed in the past few minutes. Deciding that he would think about following the witch’s instructions later and dealing with the current situation, the dwarf took charge of the Calatians, many of whom were itching to charge in.

“Stand down, soldiers! Stand down!” shouted the general, striding down a flight of stairs and towards his men. “Let Lucas do his job while we get the treaty done.” Unfortunately, Leo could easily tell that the youth would not hold out for long until he was reinforced. If we can’t help, who can?, he pondered. Then it hit him, the simplest and least complicated answer of all.

The Virratian Guard.

Sprinting back up the stairs and into the palace, Leo burst into the conference room, breathing heavily. Captain Moloch looked startled to see the dwarf break up the talks suddenly. “General, what is the matter?” he asked. “Is there something wrong outside?”

Leo nodded meekly, stealing a quick glance at the ambassador. “Captain, I don’t mean to interrupt the talks, but I thought there was something you might want to see.”

Frowning, Moloch got up and walked out of the palace. A few moments later, he could be heard screaming in anger; sprinting back, the captain looked livid as he addressed the dwarf. “Who are these insurgents in red?” he demanded.

“They are the ones of Koridai we have been talking of, Captain,” responded Leo calmly. “As you can see, their treacheries extend to even engaging in a battle in a civilian area, where innocent Virratians could get hurt.”

Taking a deep breath to calm down, the captain turned to one of his men. “I want the entire Guard to spread out and create a perimeter around the area,” he said in Virratian. “Then call in as many troops in the region as possible; when that’s done, send them in to strike down these Koridaians.”

“Yes, sir,” replied the soldier, running off. Sighing, Moloch drew his blade and turned to the dwarf. “General, this may be the first test between our 2 respective nations to work together. I know almost nothing about these imperials, but if they are threatening my people, I will do anything to protect them. Don’t you agree?”

“Completely, Captain,” responded Leo, drawing his axe. “Perhaps our 2 forces should work together?”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” replied the smiling Moloch. He then turned to the Virratian diplomats in the room, signaling for them to take up their posts on…the roof.

As the officer walked out with his men, the dwarf turned back to the Ambassador. “Yildun, will you be alright staying here?”

The diplomat nodded. “I’ll be fine, Leo. If I was out there, there’d be a large chance of me getting hit by an arrow,” he replied, smiling weakly.

Nodding, Leo turned to the man’s bodyguard. “Khallos, I know you have strict orders to guard the Ambassador, but I’m giving you a choice. Stay here, or you can come out and help us against Koridai.” With that, the dwarf gave a quick nod and sprinted out of the doors to join his soldiers.

As it was, some of the Calatians had already engaged the Koridaians in combat once they realized the Royal Guard were on their side. However, they were still outnumbered, but had 1 advantage: the imperials could not risk pissing off the soldiers of Virrat. Captain Moloch seemed determined on routing the Koridaians completely, so that before attacking the perimeter was complete.

Hurling a rock at a crusader, Leo was glad to see that the Virratians had the palace entrances secure. I just hope Lucas survives this, thought the dwarf with a pang of guilt as he ran into the heat of battle.

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

Agent K could hear the sounds of battle near the palace, but he was completely concentrated on something else. This should be interesting.

After he had picked up the weapons given to him by his contacts arriving from Vildmark, K heard the Koridaians firing at what sounded like Lucas and fell back to a hiding spot. Realizing how complicated it would be to get to the ambassador with his weapons, the agent had figured out another way.

Buying 2 bottles of wine, K had ripped out pieces of cloth and stuffed them into the bottles. Pulling out a few matches, he lit one of the bottles and stood up. Walking slowly towards the center of Vatenbaer, he calculated that he was merely only a block away from the building being shot at by Koridaians.

Praying to the goddess for blessing and strength, Agent K opened his eyes and heaved the now-flaming bottle of alcohol. It sailed swiftly and graciously through the air, towards the building Lucas was on.

It shattered.

Hearing the sounds of glass breaking, K picked up the 2nd one and sprinted towards the palace. 1 loose end to tie up.