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[Crimson Lego]

ooc: Sorry for the delay, I’ve been busy with volunteering and enchanting ruby amulets to level up my Magic.

Ok, whatever. Don’t tell me your name, thought Leo. I’ll just call you Charlie. Watching the man open the door leading to a secret bunker, he readied his rifle and watched as the apparent wall disappeared. Listening to the stranger’s warning about the bunker, the dwarf turned to the few men behind him. “You guys go ahead; Mitchell, you and I have got their six. Be careful; if Charlie’s right, this place could be dangerous. ”

“Yes, sir,” replied the men.

No sooner had the first private stepped into the bunker that a knife appeared out of thin air and embedded itself in the man’s head; he was clearly dead before his body hit the ground. “Holy shit,” whispered Mitchell as he looked horrifyingly at his former comrade; the other Calatians had similar expressions on their faces. Leo himself was almost literally shaking at the quickness of the death; his grip on his rifle tightened. “Therefore, continue being careful,” he said weakly.

Suddenly, voices came from the wall behind them: “Oi! What are you doing?” Whirling around to see an entire Alliance squad of soldiers bearing down on them, Leo immediately fired shots from his rifle, downing a couple of the men. “Go!” he shouted. “I’ll cover us down.” As the group hurried down the stairs, Leo moved slowly behind them, firing bullets at the Andielians to try and keep them at bay.

ooc: You can come up with the next booby trap, Turtlelot, since I’m out of ideas right now.

[Sir Turtlelot]

That didn't take long at all. Nikola thought to himself. Now we have to hurry before more come, and be careful for traps.

The group eventually came to the bottom of the dimly lit staircase, and walked into a very long open room, with many doorways along the walls. On the opposite side of the room was a single door, presumably the bunker. Nikola quickly turned back to the group "You two, stay at this entryway and hold off those guards, if nobody stays here to hold them they will shoot us before we make it to the bunker on the other side of the room. As for the rest of you, stay alert for anything out of the normal. Pressure plates, tripwires, anything that looks like it could trigger a trap."

As the small group moved as quickly as possible across through the long room, Nikola heard a click from behind him. He turned to see that one of the Calatians had stepped on a pressure plate. "Dammit, I told you to look out for those!" A good distance infront of the group, a loud, horrid grinding sound came from the walls and floor. A large section of the floor could be seen being pulled into the walls, leaving a large hole between them and bunker door. Nikola cautiously approached the hole, and peered into it. No bottom could be seen. The distance to the next section of flooring was far to great to attempt jumping across. "Well dwarf, it appears we are stuck. There has to be way around this, but we'll have to find it soon. Your men can only hold them off for so long."

Edited by Sir Turtlelot, 21 August 2011 - 11:31 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

Gazing at the newfound hole in front of them, Leo had to agree with the stranger, seeing as there were only 2 Snakeheads guarding the exit door. Sooner or later, they’re gonna toss down explosives and blow this place up. Shouldering his rifle and thinking of a way to bypass the new obstacle, the general looked around the room for other inspirations; he found none. The floors had literally pulled into the walls, leaving out the possibility of ledges to jump to, and even if they could find a secret passage through one of the other doors, Leo doubted that any of them could make the jump to the bunker door. Additionally, he could hear the shouts of Alliance soldiers coming down the stairs and the sounds of weaponry clashing together between his men and the enemy. I need to think much faster.

Frustrated once again with the problems, Leo inhaled deeply and looked around the room again; this time, he decided to try and view their current from a different point of view. If one of those Andielians accidentally hit the plate, how would they bypass this obstacle? The general was confident the Councilor would not risk killing any of his own citizens, considering their miniscule population in comparison to neighbouring countries, so there was probably a secret switch or method of getting across. All we have to do is find it.

“Everyone look around on the walls and floor as fast as you can!” shouted Leo, kneeling down and rubbing his hands across the ground. “There’s gotta be a way to get across, or soon enough we’ll all be dead.” Calatians not fighting against Andielian soldiers began assisting the dwarf in searching for hidden switches or such; Leo himself was nearly killed by a well-aimed arrow from one of the enemy.

“Found something!” shouted one of the soldiers; firing a few shots at the Andielians, Leo moved over quickly and looked at a hidden switch. Pulling it, a bridge extended from the opposite wall, allowing the Calatians passage to the door.

“Go, go, go!” shouted the dwarf; no sooner had he released the switch that the bridge began to move back; fortunately, those crossing the bridge were able to leap to the other side in time or move back. Goddamn, it’s a dead man’s switch, cursed the dwarf. He turned to see another one of his men fall to the Andielians, which were evidently piling up in number now. Looking around for a solution to hold the switch down, including holding down the switch himself and allowing the others to go forth, Leo felt a hand grasp his shoulder. Turning, he looked into the face of a Calatian soldier, one whose intestines were literally spilling out of his stomach as a result of a mortal wound.

“Sir, I am close to dying,” whispered the man. “Let me do this, and serve the Kingdom one last time.”

Realizing there was nothing he could do for the soldier Leo knelt down and clasped the man’s hand. “Godspeed,” he said quietly. Standing up, he fired again at the incoming Andielians. “Let’s go!” The bridge extended once again, and the remainder of the Calatians moved quickly across it, keeping the Andielians off their heels. The last the general saw of the soldiers that chose to stay behind was the man being hacked apart by the Alliance; with his death, the bridge closed again, and Leo slammed the door behind them.

For a moment, all was silent, until the dwarf opened his closed eyes and turned to the stranger. “How many traps next before we reach the councilor?” he said heavily.

[Sir Turtlelot]

That was too close. Nikola thought to himself. The small party had made it across trap and onto the other side of the door. The group faced a long narrow hallway, with a large iron door on the other end. On the other side of the that door was the Councilor.

“How many traps next before we reach the councilor?” the dwarf asked. Nikola was quiet for a moment, as he took a few steps down the long hallway. After a few moments of thought, he turned around and answered, "None, now all that must be done is find a way to open that door. Your soldiers need to stay on this end of the hall and make sure that door doesn't open."

Nikola and Leo moved quickly down the hallway to the large iron door that stood in their way. On the center of the door was a large circular combination lock, the same that would be used for bank vaults. Nikola turned to the dwarf "I need you to be ready to fire as soon as I open this door, he is certain to have a few guards with him." Nikola pressed his ear up against the door, and began to slowly turn the combination lock.

After a few mishaps, Nikola had the combination nearly figured out. As he was turning the lock to the last number, a loud thump nearly swung the other door open. The noise caused Nikola to pass the number and force him to start over. The Andielian soldiers had finally caught up with them. He looked over at the Calatian soldiers at the other end of the hall and yelled "Dammit! I said to make sure that door does NOT open!" Nikola moved the the combination lock as quickly as he could, while doing his best to ignore the constant banging on the other door. He finally managed to break the code and open the door.

On the other side of the door was the Councilor with three guards, all three aiming their rifles at the now open door. Leo managed to take down two of three guards before they could fire. The third one, however, managed to fire a shot, forcing Leo back down the hall a few steps. Nikola leaned over from behind the iron door and shot the guard.

The Councilor cowered behind his desk as the two entered the room. It was too late for him to use his emergency exit. He glared at Nikola "After I offer you a chance to rejoin the Alliance, this is what you do. Join them!" Nikola chuckled at the Councilor's remark. "I didn't join them, merely led them to you." Leo pointed his rifle at the Councilor, but before he could say anything Nikola spoke. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Leo looked at him with a confused look on his face. "He's you and your men's only way out of here alive. The only exit is right here" Nikola pointed "But, your men are stuck at the door. If they leave their position, then you all die." Nikola made a low laugh as he walked towards the emergency exit. "Just some food for thought, but now that I've held up my end of the deal, I'll think I'll be leaving now." Nikola smiled slyly as he made his way out the emergency exit.

"Nikola, wait! You can't just leave me with these barbarians!" the Councilor cried after him, but no avail. It wasn't long before he was gone. Now only the general remained, his decision determined who lived and who died.

[Crimson Lego]

ooc: I’ll probably end up finishing the story with this post; if there’s nothing else to add, I’ll write an epilogue or something to have our characters go up to Baumstadt and collect the reward.

Holding his weapon up against the Councilor of Andiel, Leo did the math under the frightened and frantic eyes of his men; he had an extremely difficult decision to make. The emergency exit leading out of the bunker was still open, but the majority of the Calatians were busy holding the door against the Alliance soldiers that were attempting to break in. If we make a run for it, that door’s gonna break down and more of us will die. Keeping the rifle aimed steadily, the dwarf turned to one of his men. “Is there anything here that can keep that door shut?”

The Calatian looked around, and shook his head. “I doubt it, sir; I bet the people on the other side have got something that could blow it up even if we barricaded the entrance.”

“Understood.” In that moment, Leo made his decision; he grabbed the Councilor, who was shorter than the average man, by the scruff of his collar. “Can you understand me?” he said.

The man nodded, his eyes closed in fear; evidently, he had heard stories of the ‘barbarianism’ of the Calatians and Koridaians on the other side of the world. The Councilor was not prepared for that type of scenario.

“Good, because when your men break through that door,” explained Leo, “You’re going to tell them to stand down and let my people out of here. Say anything else, and I will kill you.”

“I understand,” said the Councilor pitifully; Leo almost felt sorry for him. “Alright, then. Barricade the door!” he ordered. Those Calatians not busy with holding it shut moved furniture around the room to in front of the door, until there was a heavy mass of stuff in the way of the entry. Placing the Councilor in front of him as a human shield, Leo held up his rifle and waited. Anytime now would be good. He wasn’t even certain this gamble would pay off, but there were not other viable options if he was to save as many of his men’s lives as possible. The dwarf counted under his breath…1 minute…then 2…

The door finally exploded with a loud bang, sending debris flying in all directions; the Calatians dove for cover, but Leo held his ground. When the dust cleared, the Alliance forces charged in with their weapons at the ready, but were stopped in mid-stride at the sight of their leader being held prisoner by a dwarf. The commander of the squad, a lieutenant, was unprepared for this scenario either; hesitating for a moment he sheathed his blade and ordered his men to stand down.

“What are your demands?” he asked coolly.

In response, Leo lowered his rifle. “Let us out of here, and no one will be hurt.”

“You’ve already lost several of your men, and the palace guards are busy hunting the rest of your strike team. What makes you think that you have any chance of survival?”

“Because if you do not, the Kingdom of Calatia will realize we are missing, and then declare war on Andiel. Plus, our allies on Norrendir and in Virrat will realize that one of Calatia’s officers has been captured, and they will retaliate as such. Oh, and once Koridai realizes Calatia is moving over to Komitaa, how long do you think your precious nation will last?”

The lieutenant pondered his options, as the Councilor was pale and helpless to make any decision; to spur it on, Leo added, “One fact you may have overlooked is that Andiel is the last remnant of the Legends Alliance; I know, also for a fact, that lots of people in every nation today are not too happy about the dictatorship that Emperor Khuffie once exerted on Verden. I guarantee that will also be a motivation for attack.”

“What’s to stop you from doing all this even if I let you go?” blurted out the lieutenant in desperation; he knew that if the Councilor died, his military career and life would be over.

Leo mockingly spread out his arms. “My word; the question is, will that be good enough for you?”

After a few more moments of deliberation, the lieutenant finally nodded. “Let them through!”

Breathing in relief, the Calatian soldiers rose up and made their way towards the door; more than a few glances of loathing were exchanged between both sides. Releasing the Councilor, Leo followed his men but kept his weapon at the ready in case the deal was broken. Rubbing his throat, the Andielian leader pointed to the general. “This isn’t over,” he warned.

“No. No, it isn’t,” said Leo with a smile.



At the gates of Salledo, Leo turned to face the Councilor, who was now surrounded by a contingent of men. “By our agreement, I give you 24 hours of freedom before I send out expeditions in search of your ship. We have provided caskets for your dead; if anything, bury them with dignity.”

Leo nodded. “I take it this means you believe what I said earlier?” he asked.

The Councilor merely shrugged. “Who knows? I may choose to call your bluff in the future (Andiel does have a sizable navy), but for now, I’d rather keep our nation in one piece.”

“A wise choice.” Without a handshake or nod of acknowledgment, the dwarf turned and followed his men to the ship; picking up one side of Hans’ casket, the general brought up the rear of the Calatian force, not once looking back at Salledo. Leo was, however, curious about what had happened to Nikola, and where the man might be right now, and what kind of mischief he might be planning in Andiel or any other nation.

[Sir Turtlelot]

With all of the city's guards and soldiers busy trying to stop the Calatians, it was fairly easy for Nikola to make his way through Salledo, and to the city's port. With the Andielian officials knowing of his return, it would be best for him to leave. It wouldn't be long before they sent out search parties to look for him.

After paying his fair, Nikola boarded the Virrat-bound ship. He may have been forced to destroy the Alliance documents, but at least they weren't in hands of these fools.

* * *

Once the Calatian forces left the city, the Councilor immediately headed back to the capital building, with a scowl upon his face. "Come with me Lieutenant." The Councilor demanded to his Lieutenant. "Yes sir." replied the Lieutenant as the two headed back to the councilor's office.

Once the pair reached the office, the Councilor took to his chair as the officer stood at attention in the doorway. "Prepare all search teams immediately, Lieutenant." The officer replied in confusion "But sir, I thought we were allowing them 24 hours before searching for them?" The Councilor sat up in his chair in frustration "Not them, you buffoon! I want General Augustus found at once. That man is too dangerous to be allowed to freely roam our nation. Either he is going to join us, or I will have him killed myself." The Lieutenant saluted "Yes sir, right away sir. But I do have one question, how was he able to get through our defense system?" The councilor, now sipping on a glass of brandy, sat his glass down and replied "Because he designed them. Nobody was aware that he was still alive... And while you're at it, contact our associates in Vildmark and Virrat. Make sure they are on the look out for him as well." The councilor took another sip of his brandy. "Yes sir." the officer said on his way out of the office.

Once the officer had left, the councilor sat at his desk sipping his brandy, and asked "Just what are you planning anyways, Nikola...?"

[Crimson Lego]

ooc: Wrap this up for good, then.

Listening to the story, Newton gave a grave nod of acceptance. “There was nothing much you could have done,” he said, gesturing towards the large chest of wealth beside his desk.

Letting the other Calatians pick up the heavy trunk and hefting it back to the ship, Leo sat on his chair, arms crossed and a look of dissatisfaction on his face. “We may have stopped Andiel from launching any potential attacks from sea,” he admitted,” But we still have no idea what was in those documents. It could have been extremely valuable information that might have even helped up fight Koridai in some manner or another.”

The colonel merely waved his hand as though to toss away the matter. “Forget it, Leo. Even if you did find something, how many people do you think you could convince to go back into northern Verden for you? You, and maybe a couple other people, but I doubt there’ll be anyone else willing to volunteer. Anyways, even if they did go, I doubt they’d get very far, if the rumours are true.” Getting on his feet, Newton popped open a bottle of champagne and poured out two glasses of the

At that, Leo had to agree. “Still, it was a big opportunity we missed,” he said almost mournfully. “To think I lost 8 men on this mission and had nothing to come out of it with is rather…unbalanced.” To cool off a bit, he took a big gulp out of his glass and gladly welcomed the burning sensation in his throat. “This is good stuff,” said the dwarf without missing a step.

“Yeah; it’s the last of the year before,” replied Newton. “I think there are only a few bottles left; in any case, I’ve had enough drinking for the past few months anyways.” They then spent the next 15-20 minutes drinking and reminecsing of old times back when the Lost Woods still existed. After a few more glasses, a still-sober General Crimson rose to his feet to leave. He held out his hand for the leader of Baumstadt to shake.

“It’s been good seeing you again, Colonel. I hope your country does well in the future, and that we become good allies.”

“Likewise, General,” said Newton with a smile. “Good luck in all your future endeavours.”

Donning his cloak, Leo picked up his weapons and made his way out of the room.



Reaching the ship, the dwarf made his way up the plank, at which it was hoisted up by a few Calatians. Setting his rifle down against the mast, Leo walked up to the railing of the ship, gazing at the sunset on the horizon. “That is a beautiful sight,” he murmured, watching the red sun shining over the ocean. It reminded Leo of how fast time could pass, and of all the men that had died who would not be able to lay eyes upon the sun one last time. He thought of Hans, who had still been a young man, and of the soldier that had stayed behind so the rest of them could live. The dwarf often spent countless hours wondering what motivated a man to give himself up for others, but then decided that question could be left to the philosophers; for his part, he would make sure that, if possible, none of the Calatians under his command died.

Turning back towards the upper deck, Leo gave the crew members up there a firm nod. “Let’s go home,” he said, too softly for anyone else to hear.