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[SL the Pyro]

"I still think he's a loose cannon, Sir."

"You could say the same about me."

"That's what worries me."

The discussion of the current situation between Shadow, Jakob and Nia had went on for a little while, now having turned to their attention to the three guests they had unwittingly been made to entertain. Jakob was worried that given their personalities and their current disagreement, that a conflict might break out.

"Don't worry about that." Shadow assures him. "He probably just has a lot on his mind right now... we don't know what he went through last night, after all. Much less the last two or three years."

"To be totally fair..." Nia butted in. "I'm surprised you were as harsh with him as you were. I've never seen you talk like that to anyone, not even Lord Solomon."

"...Let's just say he's not the only one who's had to do some thinking." The words could not be more true. A lot had happened to the ex-General in the past few days as well. Solomon seizing control of Koridai, meeting Gwen again, having to escape from their nation's capital... and now running into Jordan, whom he had not seen nor heard from for two years other than what he'd been able to piece together from Solomon's hatred of the Whirlwind Spear.

But the conversation they had just shared not too long ago had especially worried him. The figurative cogs in his mind had already began turning, with little text inscribed on them:

-Gwen is in Koridai and doesn't want to be found by Jordan, which she admitted to personally.
-Jordan alluded to make the choice between losing a few and losing everyone.
-Jordan and Gwen are not with each other right now like they should be.

He didn't like the implications of the imaginary train of thought these cogs were moving like wheels on a track. The two of them were close, yet they seemed to have a falling out for whatever reason. And if he remembered correctly, Gwen was incredibly stubborn, and probably would not have taken his advice to leave Koridai before Marshal Law was instated.

He possibly could've made Jordan's situation worse without even realizing it. Goddamnit, it was just too much. Why did survival and politics have to be so complicated at times?

"...But I'll admit I might've been a little hard on him..."

He turned to look at Jordan, who was speaking with Simon... and both were now looking at him.

"Maybe we should just get to mending fences already... I have a gut feeling we're going to have a few urgent matters to discuss."

Edited by SL the Pyro, 27 November 2011 - 01:44 AM.

[Sir Deimos]

OoC: Was given permission to borrow General Crimson for a bit.

Leo followed the trail into Koridian territory, but he didn't have to travel far. He was pushing his mount to move as fast as possible by now. A wall protecting the town obscured the view, but the flames flooded the sky above in an orange hue that was completely out of place at this time of day. Despite all his training, Leo couldn't help but let his anger take control. Whatever was happening in the Koridian border town... whomever was causing this commotion had slaughtered his men like cattle. And Leo was determined to make sure the criminal would be brought to justice. Within moments, he was strides away from the wooden gate. It refused to budge, and gave off a powerful heat. The General went about breaking his way in any way he could, and quickly started to hack into the gate as if his weapon were a fireman's axe.

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

The village inside was as a hell on earth. Flames devoured everything they could touch. The fires started at the gates, completely cutting off any attempt at escape. Some people were saying that a madman clad in black darker than pitch was walking amongst the flames, laughing. There were also reports that he was carrying a large blade. Never had anything like this happened, including during the days of the cursed. Evelyn couldn't think. All she could do was run. Even with nowhere to run to, she ran. The only other option was to burn. Her parents were unable to get out of the house in time. In the furthest reaches of her mind, Evelyn could still hear their tortured screams. They seemed to chase her down the alleys, through each twist and turn. Suddenly, Evelyn's blood went cold.

She was in the marketplace. This was the center of town. In front of her very eyes was a black cloaked figure with a twisted smile stretching from ear to ear. The hood of the cloak hid his every feature but that twisted smile.

"You're the stranger that's done this!" The figure gave no response. He but sat there, grinning. The smile made Evelyn sick to her stomach. "Why have you done this!? Why burn the entire village!?" The figure raised his hands, and Evelyn couldn't help but flinch in response. The man before her slowly pulled down the hood of his cloak, revealing a youthful face, and piercing green eyes. His flesh was as pale as death, and lent a strong contrast to his black clothing and hair. The stranger would have been handsome had it not been for the look in his eyes. His very presence felt unnatural. This thing she was staring at... it was of men, but was not human. Somehow, Evelyn managed to find the courage to scream at the figure before her. "ANSWER ME!?"

"Shhhhhhhh." The man put a finger up to his lips to emphasis a desire for silence, as he slowly closed his eyes. "Can't you hear that? It's beautiful. There is nothing like it."

"All I hear is the crackle of fire, and the screams of the dying."

"EXACTLY!" The stranger's eyes snapped wide open. There was something about his eyes. They made the hair on Evelyn's neck stand up. The blood in her veins felt like it had been replaced with ice. "Out of all the music made by humanity, this... this is the only true masterpiece. This is the music of chaos! The people moaning out for help. Their cries of pain. These people will never make another sound again. The sound of ones death only happens once. It is to be savored!"

"You're SICK!" Evelyn spat. "You would burn an entire village, just to hear their screams?"

"Hahahaha. No." The man slowly drew the sword that hung upon his back. It was a long curved blade. Just one look, and Evelyn could tell the blade was putrid in nature. The sword gave off an aura as twisted as the one wielding it. "No. Just fire... too bland. I can't listen to a song composed of just two notes, can I?" The man took slow, deliberate steps towards the girl. "A composer brings in each instrument as needed to create an overarching work of art. One can't create a true masterpiece any other way. And I can't deny... this is my favorite part."

The girl screamed in a mixture of terror and agony as the man took his sword to her flesh.

[Crimson Lego]

Finally breaking down the gate leading into the Koridaian village, Leo left his rifle on the goat’s saddle and made his way into the burning settlement. Almost immediately, he could see that whoever had lit the town on fire (likely the same person who had done the same to the Calatian camp) had been very efficient and thorough. This is not good, thought the dwarf as he listened to the screams of the people trapped by flames in all directions; he himself could barely walk past the gate. True, the victims were Koridaian citizens, but the majority of them were innocent civilians and not military. Making up his mind, Leo moved slowly around the burning houses in front of him, dodging and dashing through holes of untouched areas when he could. On one jump, he was burned on the left bicep by a flame, but managed to douse it out with a handful of snow. The good news was that the burn left no lingering pain, allowing the dwarf to move on without much delay.

It took quite some time, but finally Leo was able to get through the outskirts of the town and made his way towards the center square. He could see more than a few people being burned alive within their homes, but could do nothing because of the heavily-intense flames. Fortunately, he was able to save a few villagers by hacking down their locked door with his axe, allowing for escape.

Dousing out a burning man with snow, Leo literally shouted, over all the yelling in the vicinity, in his face, “Who did this? Where is he?!”

“A man, a man in black with a sword of death,” babbled the villager in between his screams of pain; piling on mounds of snow to ease the latter’s pain, the dwarf got up to his feet and made his way towards the town square. A man dressed in black with a sword? That’s not much to go on; could be anybody. Turning the corner into the square, Leo saw exactly what the man described bringing the sword onto a woman. As the latter raised his face, his identity became known almost right away.

This is impossible. Reacting instantly even as the girl Synile was about to kill screamed in pain and fear, Leo drew a throwing knife from his belt and hurled it at bullet speed towards the madman.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan finished what was left of his meal, placing the empty bowl to the side as he finally began to feel the blood coursing through his body again. He mused to himself how good food can be for someone. Despite the soreness of his muscles and the lightheaded feeling of being awake for the first time in days, the fact that his stomach was full was a simple joy to be had. He laughed softly, the sound catching Simon's ear.

"Something funny?" the Koridain asked.

Jordan looked up, surprised that he heard him.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that . . . well . . . logically speaking I shouldn't be alive right now. Or at least moving as much as I am." He said, slowly getting up on his feet.

"I suppose I see your point." Simon said, hiding his curiosity of how being alive would be funny.

Jordan walked towards the wagon, along with Shadow and his men discussing something or other. He didn't pay much attention to what they were saying. He got to the back of the wagon he was resting on and sat down, causing the vehicle to dip slightly down from his weight. The three others noticed him and looked over.

"So, I suppose now is as good a time as any to mention where I am going. But I got to be honest, you may not like the idea all that much." Jordan said.

"It couldn't be that bad." Nia remarked.

"Arbiter's Grounds." Jordan said.

"Oh . . . that is bad." Jakob replied.

[Egann]

Maybe--finally--with this new training regime Egann had just invented he'd finally start gaining some serious skill with a blade. It was so simple, really; one of the training drills he'd been taught since basic training for the Vanguard was to bounce a ball against a wall and smack it with a practice sword, bouncing it back and forth, seeing how fast you could make it go, how close you could get to the wall and still be able to respond.

But it was a dull exercise, really; once you knew how the ball bounces, you knew how the ball bounces, and that was that. It no longer became a trial of skill and reflexes if you knew exactly how the ball would bounce every time you hit it.

If that's just how the ball bounces, why don't we bounce a dodecahedron? All sorts of crazy bounces, there.

Egann hung the lantern from the top of the empty winecellar's archway and threw the black rubberized polygon against the wall. Immediately it bounced at an odd angle before rebounding off the floor straight at him before meeting a firm parry.

Yes! It's working!

He slashed hard at the die, swooping after it's sudden lurches, blocking unforseen bounces, countering its vendettive attacks...until one of his parries sent it flying straight up into the lantern.

Maybe not, too. Really, you're quite lucky all you lost was an eyebrow.

Such was the highlight of an ordinary day for Egann, now. This neglected corner of Arbiter's Grounds was below the inquisitor's suspiscion, and was now flooded with prostitutes and usurers and heretics and all sorts of other undesirables. In fact, Solomon's little rampage had a curious effect on this neighborhood; a night with a painted face had once cost a week's wages, now the harlots--mostly courtesans and concubines cast out of their high places in the confusion--were pretty enough to not need paint, and desperate enough to pay for the pleasure. Pay for the distraction, really, seeing how most had money and everyone was still stuck here.

Egann was bored out of both of his minds.

Edited by Egann, 02 December 2011 - 01:01 AM.

[SL the Pyro]

Hearing from Jordan himself just what his destination was, Shadow felt like throwing his hat at the ground. But in the interest of remaining calm and composed - and because he really liked his hat and wouldn't like to dirty it - he did not.

Indeed, his theories on Jordan and Gwen were starting to look more and more true, and he did not like that. Since the disaster at the Arbiter's Grounds, Gwen's fate was unknown... and considering Jordan was surely smart enough not to go to Solomon's hometown unless he had a very good reason, he must be searching for her.

"Then there's something you should know... though I suspect you must already."

He hated to dishonour the woman's wishes, but... the situation had changed, and not for the better. He'd have to bite the bullet.

"I saw Gwen in the Arbiter's Grounds about a day before I left." he began to explain. "I told her to leave before things went to hell... I'm not sure whether or not she heeded my warning though."

He decided to withhold the part about Gwen saying she didn't want to be found. It wasn't important now, and it wouldn't help Jordan to hear it.

"Now before you start yelling at me, I'm positive she's alive no matter what she decided to do." he continued. "Think about it: she's resourceful enough to have lived in the same town as your current mortal enemy for two years now. If she can manage that, then she surely survived my brand of chaos. But before you ask, no, I didn't see her on my way out."

Edited by SL the Pyro, 05 December 2011 - 02:06 AM.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan nodded, taking a deep breath as the news settled in.

"I figured she would be. It's nice to hear it though. Thank you for confirming it for me."

Inside his tired mind was a sense of elation, a spark in his eyes that screamed all the excitement and joy he had been holding back because one outburst was enough for one day and frankly, he was still waking up. But his hands trembled, not from fear or weariness but from eagerness. He was going to the capital to find her, only following the words of the blind seer. But now he had proof. No promises and no conjectures. But from his happiness came a cloud of fear. Solomon had the city. If she remained like Shadow feared, she might be in serious danger. His shaking hands made fists, the man's determination was made. Now more than ever, he had to reach the center of the Goddess' empire. If by foot if they had to. But he looked at Ken, still recovering from his previous injuries and Eivor dealing with the aftermath of her previous shock and a rousing distaste for Jordan.

He couldn't expect them to travel with him anymore, he had asked too much already.

But to travel alone was suicide, he was in no condition to make the trek by himself.

A roadblock was suppressing him like a vice, his determination to go held together by his own physical limitations. He could only ask for help.

"How long till you think I'm good to go?" Jordan asked.

"You can't be serious!" Jakob loudly protested.

"You've been sleeping for the better part of two days and there is no way you'd be able to keep up any sort of pace as you are now! Not to mention that going that far into the empire is bloody suicide!"

Jordan fell down to his knees and lowered his head, bowing to Shadow.

"Then please help me." Jordan asked.

Everyone in the camp looked on at the scene, curious as to what Shadow would say next.

[SL the Pyro]

Jordan's request gave the former general a lot to think about. He had to do a lot of things in Koridai that would brand him a traitor, and after the haphazard escape that had nearly been the end of him and his soldiers, he didn't want to go back.

But at the same time... he did.

Try as he might, he just couldn't shake his own feelings of guilt of the state he'd left the Arbiter's Grounds in. Many people had likely died because they couldn't escape, not to mention many people probably did die just from the explosions that he had caused. This wasn't the way he wanted to leave his homeland, whether they wanted him or not. No... he had to make things right.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you..." he addressed his soldiers. "...But I don't think I can turn his request down."

"Sir?" Jakob said.

"...Jordan's not the only one with a guilty conscience here." Shadow clarified. "Am I right?"

The soldiers paused in whatever they were going to say.

"I can't speak for the rest of you... but I want to set things straight. I wanted to leave Koridai in a peaceful state, not wrecked like it is. I'm going to go with him."

Jordan must've been so happy to hear that. Surprised shouts came out of his soldiers though.

"...This is personal, you know. If you don't want to come with me, you don't have to. You can keep heading to Calatia. The trip isn't that much further from here."

"...I'll go with you."

All eyes fell on Nia.

"I can't just leave our home like that either... it's still home, even if the people there want our blood now."

And it seemed the other three were inspired by her words. They agreed, their statements echoing the sentiments of hers.

Shadow sighed and put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. It seemed their guilty consciences had gotten the better of them after all.

"Well... there's your answer, Jordan. But you owe me big for this."

[JRPomazon]

His head was lowered, but he was smiling. He didn't get up right away, slowly moving back up to his feet, it was clear to Shadow and his men that Jordan's face was the picture of gratitude.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to clear that up with you later." He said.

He had a thought at that moment. About friends. Companions. Loved ones. The people essential to one's life. And he remembered what it was like to have them when times were tough. When times were good. And when these people were taken away from one's life by time's cruel hand. Just how long had he been without proper fellowship? He pondered this, pondered his own feelings and the gratitude that he wasn't alone. Or perhaps he wasn't alone when he knew he could be alone. And with all these feeling reawakening in his heart, he only had one word to say to all of it.

"Thanks."

He looked over to the wagon.

"So, when do we set off?"

Edited by JRPomazon, 08 December 2011 - 05:54 PM.

[Sir Deimos]

OoC: WRITER'S BLOCK BE VANQUISHED!


The glint of metal caught Synile's attentions, and within a moment his momentum was diverted. What was intended to be a killing blow with the cursed nodachi instead fended off a throwing knife. The angle of the blow sent the knife skyward. Synile lazily snatched it out of the air before it could clatter to the ground. The twisted sense of joy that was visible in Synile's face was gone in an instant, and now his face bore a look of unparalleled rage.

"You! You've denied me my symphony, dwarf. You'll forgive me for being so curt, but I don't remember the names of the ones that look weak. Where I'm from, they never make the first month." The girl went to run, but Synile caught her by the arm and spun her as if the two were dancing. By the end of the twirl, Synile was again facing General Crimson, but now the girl was his hostage, with Leo's own throwing knife pressed firmly against the girl's neck.

"Noble intentions, I suppose. But all you've done is made me angry. Have you ever cut something, dwarf?" Synile was on a role, and certainly wasn't waiting for answers. "The axe says no. Sometimes they're sharp, but mostly it's a smash and bash sort of thing. Clumsy, really. With a blade... you really feel the cut. The edge is as a part of your body. Without even having to look, you can tell. The sensation is different. When the blade cuts into something, there's some resistance, ONLY AT FIRST, then it's smooooooth. It glides like butter. But you still feel it. The blade's constantly vibrating. What you cut naturally wants to stay solid. You can FEEL the substance separate, against it's will. Oh, god. There's no greater feeling in THE WORLD!" Synile was smiling again; his rage from early a forgotten memory, lost in the reflection of butchery.

"Sure, with the axe you can feel armor dent. Bones crush. People scream. But it lacks PRECISION. It's not ART without PRECISION! Don't you see? This girl is my canvas. But no. I'm not allowed what I WANT. So what is this about? Those troops I murdered? SELF DEFENSE. Prove otherwise." Synile's eyes gleamed in the reflection of the houses, burning all around him. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, and Synile's eyes were perfectly balanced by the cacophony of destruction surrounding the three of them.

The girl's throat was bleeding. Leo couldn't remain silent any longer. He hoped to save the girl, but she was still stuck in that madman's clutches. There were no options. Any attack aimed at Synile would have to go through the innocent bystander. "Synile..." Leo started.

"NO! That's HIS name, not mine! And now I'm sick of talking. You've delayed me much too long. Synile's threatened you in the past. I know. I WAS THERE. But that's not the point. He acts stupid, but I refuse. I know threats won't work against you. So what you need is an example." Synile removed Leo's throwing knife from the hostage's throat. "You've interrupted my fun, she should be dead. So now, she's worse than dead, and the blood is on YOUR hands." Synile stabbed the knife into the back of Evelyn's neck. She screamed so loud Leo thought his ears would rupture. The girl collapsed onto the ground in a heap with the knife still sticking from her neck.

Evelyn screamed, "Oh god! I can't feel my body! Help me!" Synile laughed at Leo.

"She's your responsibility now. So. What's more important, me, or her?" Synile spun on his heels and disappeared into the dark black smoke billowing from the further recesses of the town. Synile's malicious laughter could be heard throughout the entire village, and in the distance the screams of pain resumed.

Edited by Princess Spaghatta Nadle, 18 December 2011 - 11:33 AM.

[JRPomazon]

The arch-inquisitors had parted ways shortly after standing in amazement to the various works the “reborn goddess” was doing within the city. Lucien’s plans and plots had come to fruition, the demonization and removal of Solomon from power and a effective means to sway the masses. He remained overlooking the city, taking in the sounds and the sights of all he believed he had accomplished and thought it all out in his head.

The plans had to change a little bit when Solomon proclaimed himself “steward” of the empire, originally arranging to send him out into the wilderness by using the name of the Viridian Knight. He realized that he needed to create an alternative. So, he decided to let him do as he pleased. So came marshal law. The merge of the templars and military. Then, the Purge of the Arbiter’s Grounds and the days of hell that came shortly after. He didn’t expect the extend of the fallout and realized that he would need to act quickly in order to gain control of the situation from the shadows. And as luck would have it, Gervais found just the thing he needed. A lowly nurse in the cells of the inquisition and the power of the last gifts of the goddess.

Earlier

"Do you know why you are here, Ms. Gwen?" Lucien asked, folding his arms behind his back.

"No sir."

"Then I shall be the one to tell you why it is I have gone through the trouble of saving you from a dungeon cell. Ms. Gwen I need to ask something of you."

"What is your request?"

"I ask that you save this city."

Gwen said nothing.

“I realize this must be a lot to comprehend. And to say it in such a manner must seem . . . surprising.”

“More like insanity." She replied, no longer feigning respect. And why would she after hearing such a request. The arch-inquisitor did not expect her to be so frank and was caught off guard.

“I beg your pardon?”

“What exactly do you expect me to do to better this situation? I’m a nurse, I tend to the sick and rarely get thanked for it. I know there are things I am capable of but perhaps you should research your candidates for salvation a little closer. Besides, you are proposing treason against a man who knows killing as well as breathing."

Lucien smiled inwardly. No wonder Solomon wanted to break her so badly.

“I am aware of the current situation in our midst and I’m sure you know of what has begun to transpire here in the Arbiter’s Grounds. As we speak, people are being forced from their homes and driven into prisons or killed in the street. As a nurse, you must surely feel some sort of empathy towards the sorrows of the masses.”

Laying on the charms to guilt the soul, he knew he would have her after that.

“And as a nurse, I know there is only so much I can do. Besides, what have you done to prevent this Lord Lucien? I imagine a man in your position would have been able to do something about all this.”

She would be perfect. Gervais had chosen wisely.

“And yet here I am, speaking to you in hush as people die in the streets.” He replied.

“So you admit that you have done nothing to help the people?”

“My duty to the people is to convince you of taking on the task of saving this nation. What I am doing is enlisting your help because right now you are the only option left to us because you, Ms. Gwen, can save this nation by wielding the power left behind by the goddess.”

“Power of the goddess?”

Lucien looked around, preparing to speak of secrets usually brings the paranoia out of man, even one as collected as the arch-inquisitor. He took a deep breath and started.

“A power sealed within the Mirror of the Twilight, an artifact that predates almost everything within the borders of the empire. It’s origin is unknown but what is known about it has been kept secret since the inception of this nation. The goddess herself did seal a small portion of her power away within this mirror for reasons I do not know. Only the power of her ladyship the goddess can bring peace again to the Arbiter’s Grounds.”

“If something so powerful exists, why hasn’t Solomon used it for himself?”

“Solomon is loyal to the goddess to a fault. He would not easily defile any holy artifact within the empire unless he felt he had no choice. I am less reserved about using what little gifts we have left.”

Gwen pondered all he said, her mind torn with confusion and the stress of the situation. Her eyes looked away from Lucien, not able to make eye contact as she considered what she knew.

“I don’t understand why you have chosen me to do this. I am not the only person who can do this.”

“An individual who knows the pains of the people and the heart to burden yourself with their woes. I instructed Gervais to find a person such as yourself and from what he has told me, you fit the bill rather nicely. I’m afraid Ms. Gwen, that time runs short. I will need an answer. Will you help us?”

Between the lines of flattery and concern were the tiny details. The details that Lucien had forcibly received the information about the mirror and attempted with several people before hand to harness it’s power before. Each time was met with terrible misfortune. But he did not care to mention this because it was true that time was short. His failures lead to new discovers and those discoveries led to the progress which brought him to where he was now, watching miracles from the spire heights with a gross sense of contentment.

“Enjoying ourselves, are we Lord Lucien?” Gervais said, entering the room with a devious grin.

“Everything is proceeding as it should Inquisitor Gervais.” He replied to his younger subordinate, turning from the scene below.

“There is one thing that is bothering me though about all of this. This girl, she isn’t dumb. How do you plan to use her if she has all that power now?” The inquisitor asked.

“It is nothing to concern ourselves with now. She acts for the people as the goddess and to defy that role would be foolish. Yes, she is clever but she is burdened with a staggering handicap.” Lucien said.

“Handicap?” Gervais asked.

“Yes. Her kindness.” Lucien replied.

Gervais laughed softly, almost nervously. He never put into question just what kind of man his superior was but a single small glimpse was all he would need to be certain. And wary for his very life.

“So, it’s going to be your four arch-inquisitors pulling the strings around here now that Solomon is out of the picture?” Gervais asked.

Lucien said nothing as he turned back to the city below. In his eyes, a new plot began to form and mold itself together.

[Crimson Lego]

Now with a very big decision to make, mostly concerning ethics (Synile wasn’t too dangerous to be considered lethal to Calatia as a whole), Leo was rather confused as to the former’s behaviour. He had tried addressing the madman by name, but was rebutted almost immediately as Synile claimed it wasn’t his, but another’s. So first he’s a little stressed, somewhat bloodthirsty, and now it’s bipolar. Watching helplessly as Synile scrambled off into the direction of Koridai, Leo immediately tossed aside his weapons and sprinted over to the wounded girl, who was still bleeding profusely from her neck.

“Don’t move. At all,” he said in an urgent tone, searching for his pockets for anything that could help stop the bleeding. “I have to make sure you don’t bleed out before taking out the knife.” Managing to find a pouch of fabric, the dwarf wrapped it tightly around the woman’s neck and pressed firmly. As expected, she screamed in intense pain at the pressure, but Leo knew there was no other choice. Pulling out the knife could easily cause paralyzing damage for good; leaving it in there would keep the blow flow to a minimum. Why didn’t I bring any of those men along? They could be chasing Synile right now! Immediately after that thought, Leo was glad he had left the Calatian soldiers behind; 5th Snakeheads had been one of the more experienced divisions, and even they couldn’t fight against the madman. What chance did a bunch of novice infantry have?

“I don’t want to die,” whimpered the girl.

“You’re not gonna die,” said Leo back in a firm tone. “You’re not gonna die, you’re not gonna die; just repeat in your head. You’re going to go home to your family.”

“I’m not gonna die,” whispered the girl over and over. “I’m not gonna die, I’m not gonna die…”


Minutes passed, and Leo was finally able to fully bind the wound from the girl’s neck; numbness also seemed to have set in, relieving most of the pain. Unfortunately, she was also unconsciousness, giving the dwarf the uncomfortable notion that she would likely not survive. The cold of the Calatian environment wasn’t helping either; sooner or later she would have to be moved. Picking the girl up and getting to his feet, Leo tried to wake her up as he made his way back towards the entrance of the village.

“Hey, wake up,” he whispered, gripping her arm and shaking it. “Wake up, we’re almost back to your place.” There was no response. Beginning to fear the worst, Leo checked her neck for a pulse: there was none. Just great. Kneeling down and setting the body down, the dwarf extracted his throwing knife and wiped the girl’s blood off on his clothes. Instinctively, he wanted to chase after Synile, but knew assistance would be required in order to even have a chance. For one, Leo wasn’t a good enough fighter to take on Synile on his own; maybe there was another group of Calatians or outpost around. At this point, though, I guess I should probably head back to the village or Snowpeak. There’s nothing else I can accomplish here, he thought sadly, gazing around at the burning village and listening to the fainting screams of its burning inhabitants.

Mounting his goat, the general rode off on his goat, rifle at the ready in case anymore unexpected incidents happened to pop up.

[JRPomazon]

OoC: I know this story has been a little inactive. Ok, a lot of inactive. I waiting on some people to post, some people waited on people, some people have had crap thrown in their faces, etc. I'm hoping I can spur the story on again.

The fire was dosed with a bucket of water and the Koridain carriage was properly reloaded with the remaining supplies. It was a small vehicle to begin with, not counting for the space taken by the cargo they carried. It was able to fit the four ex-imperials but the addition of three more to their party was going to be an issue. The two horses that carried the carriage were strained enough as it was, if they were forced to tow more weight it could kill them. They all stood, thinking out ways to fit everyone evenly. After several minutes of talk, it was decided that some of their perishables would be left behind. A few wooden crates of mountain gear and survival packs were tossed aside to make room for the recovering Jordan and his companions. With their route altered from the peaks of Calatia to the imperial capital, they would no longer be needed.

Even without the crates, it was a tight fit for everyone on board the carriage. Two soldiers sat up front to drive the carriage while the remaining four squatted around the corners as they fought with Jordan's spear bundle, Ken's large swords and whatever weaponry Shadow decided to bring. No one said anything about how cramped it was because they all knew that from here on in the situation was going to be more difficult.

So they rode on for the entirety of the time they had daylight. The sun was a timer, telling the traveler just how long they had to progress through the mountainous terrain of Calatia. There where no notable stops during the first day and everyone presumed they were making good time. Jordan was forced to remain in the carriage when they stopped so that he could properly rest his body in hopes of a speedy recovery. He could see the new campfire roaring nearby, the smell of dinner cooking carried in the air and a moment of calm had come over these strangers from far off lands. Eventually, the meals would be eaten these people would rest. The night would come and go and the morning would once again. The beginning of a new day. The start of another leg in their journey.

* * *

It was a day of miracles within the repairing walls of the Arbiters Grounds, a day when the light finally started to shine after days of darkness. The goddess had returned, the mad murderer locked away until the time for his trial to come. It was as if everything in the empire was going to be alright again, just like it used to be. But to be true, things couldn't be any more different.

Surrounded by the templars and soldiers of Solomon's own Crimson Guard, the goddess Gwen had been returned to her new abode within the spire. It was not Chikara's dwellings, but almost as grand with the decorations of precious metals and fine draperies. She expected to see Lord Lucien or Lord Gervais after her return but surprisingly enough they did not disturb her. As she dismissed the soldiers, handmaidens had taken their cue to properly tend to the goddess after her scheduled day of miracles. Gwen objected to any additional services for the evening and dismissed them as well. Alone again in a prison of priceless luxuries, the new goddess walked to the mirror from where she stood by the night before. She looked at herself for the first time as the goddess, with her bright red eyes surprising her at first glance. Her slight expression of shock faded. This is who she was now. This was the only way to save everyone from Solomon, to become the goddess. Tears began to flood her eyes. Even though she knew the reasons and made her decision, she couldn't help but ask herself "why?"

* * *

A new day began. Dousing the camp fire, packing the carriage again and squeezing into the small vehicle the group of seven headed off once again. From morning to midday, there was nothing but the foliage and scenery. According to a map they acquired in Snowpeak, a mountain village was due up ahead. It would be a place to restock on some necessities and perhaps sell some of the items they had in tow that they no longer required. More importantly, to let Shadow and his men change from their uniforms into something that was be less suspicious. However, they did not reach the destination they were expecting. Charred black wooden walls, the smells of smoke and blood filled the air as the small carriage came into town. Everyone looked on in confusion and horror as they witnessed the remains of the village.

"What happened here?" Eivor asked as she looked out from behind the two driving the carriage. Eventually, they came to a stop. Or rather, they were forced to stop as several men pointed guns at their carriage and ordered them to halt.

"What happened here?" Jakob asked the Calatian soldier holding them up.

The soldier did not reply and inspected the carriage, noticing that it had passengers in the back.

"All of you, out now."

Jakob complied, helping everyone out of the carriage as they freed up space by unloading the cargo. The vikings looked them over. With Ken's mask and the number of matching cloaks on Shadow and his men, the guard grew suspicious of these wayward travelers.

"Please, can you tell us what is going on here? What happened to the village?" Eivor asked.

"It's a bit obvious, don't you think miss?" the viking soldier replied, directing them to the mass grave being dug within what used to be the center of town. The bodies had been gracefully covered up.

"By the goddess . . . " Jakob muttered.

The soldier quickly looked over to Jakob as Jordan and Shadow share an expression of shock.

"Say that again? I didn't catch that . . . " the viking replied, his voice agitated and his eyes wide.

Jordan looked down at his feet. Crap, one of Shadow's men slipped up.

"I said nothing." Jakob replied nervously.

The viking was not amused and quickly removed Jakob's cloak and revealed his imperial uniform. The viking raised his gun at Jakob.

"Imperials! Blasted spies trying to get back across the border!" He shouted.

The other vikings quickly surrounded them, pointing rifles and other weapons at party. With their weapons with the other cargo and with no means to defend themselves.

Edited by JRPomazon, 16 January 2012 - 03:46 AM.

[SL the Pyro]

OOC: I'm really sorry I couldn't reply to this sooner. Hectic life due to that seizure, not sure how to proceed with the plot, etc. etc. I'll fix the inactivity now.

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

If Shadow didn't have a multitude of rifles pointed at him right now, he would've facepalmed. Of all the times for that habit to rear its ugly head... Jakob would have to be sternly reminded later that he was no longer in the service of the Goddess.

He weighed his options. Trying to kill the problem with fire was currently out of the question: he could probably outmaneuver the gunmen, but there was no guarantee that the others would be as lucky. Moreover, these people were bad enough off as it was... they were desperate right now. But they couldn't simply allow themselves to be taken prisoner, not with Synile en route to Koridai; the ex-general was not happy to learn that Calatia's resident psychopath had turned his murderous rampage in the direction of his home. They couldn't waste their time here.

There was only one option left: negotiation. Preferably in a way that no one wound up hurting each other... he had an idea.

"Right now, I'm not sure it matters whether we're from Koridai or not."

The lead viking raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And why wouldn't it?"

"Another scuffle wouldn't do your village any good, for one thing." The viking scoffed. "And secondly, we aren't spies. We're refugees."

His aim readjusted - now the barrel of the musket was pointed at the ex-General's head. "The hell are you playing at? Refugees in full military armour?"

"They're former soldiers." Shadow clarified. "The keyword being 'former.' They used to be the Blazing General's before he deserted."

That made everyone's aim falter, if only for a moment; no doubt they weren't aware of that at all. Shadow's comrades looked at him, wondering what kind of scheme was going through his head this time.

"Killing these people would only put you in hotter water than you are now... no pun intended." he continued. "What's more important? The survival of whoever still lives in this village, or murdering a few soldiers who were just passing through that would spur the wrath of one of Koridai's meanest?"

They were quick to regain their composure though. "You wouldn't know that'd happen for sure..."

Slowly, calmly so as not to provoke them any more, he raised his hand.

A small red sigil appeared in his palm, and that sigil morphed into a fireball.

"Yes, I would."

Cue every viking screaming obscenities in their minds, and a couple of them even dropping their guns from terror. A smirk appeared on the ex-General's face; playing with fear was admittedly underhanded, but it was effective. And fun.

"Now, let's be rational about this." he said with confidence, now that they'd taken the bait. "I may be from the enemy nation, but if I have at least one redeeming quality, it's that I'm not a liar. I wasn't kidding when I said that we turned tail on Koridai and ran, so we literally have no reason to do you wrong. In fact, we probably would've been perfectly willing to help you until you pointed your muskets at us."

The lead viking was trying his best - and failing - to keep a straight face as he let those thoughts sink in.

"And we might still be able to help." he went on. "Or, I can detonate the black powder in your muskets and make them all backfire in your hands, leaving you worse off than you are now. Your choice."

If these vikings knew enough about Shadow, then they knew he was capable of that. In several battles where he'd been a participant, blowing up the Calatian's guns and leaving their hands useless was his most common tactic, to the point where they made it a point never to try to shoot him if they saw him. Of course there was no guarantee that he'd be able to get all of their guns at once... but they didn't need to know that. And even if they did, would they be willing to lose more of their men over it?

It was a tense few moments afterward, but eventually they did see reason. The lead Calatian lowered his gun slowly, and it was followed by the others.

The ex-General gave a mental sigh of relief, dispersing the fireball.

"That's better... now who needs medical attention?"

Edited by SL the Pyro, 16 January 2012 - 05:18 PM.

[Crimson Lego]

Making his way out of the still burning village, and all the while seeing very few survivors, Leo retrieved his equipment and made his way back to the Calatian soldiers he had left behind. Untying his goat from the tree and shouldering his rifle, the general rode at a moderate pace in the direction he had come from. I can’t believe this, he fumed. Leo had always suspected there was something wrong with Synile (who would live in a hermit hut when there was a giant castle 200 ft away?), but the things he had done to the innocent villagers were most definitely over the line. Being a military man, Leo’s first impulse was to return immediately to Snowpeak, gather as many Snakeheads as he could, and then hunt for the man. While riding however, he began to have a feeling that particular plan wouldn’t work out so well. If he could take out an entire group of his own in open ground, he could probably do more in the mountains.

Now reaching the outskirts of the camp where the 5th Snakehead Division had been wiped out, Leo was juggling the possibilities at his disposal. The one he was favouring the most was keeping the Calatian soldiers out of his way, then leak the news that Synile was carrying some valuable treasure to the Koridaian government through his spy network in the Arbiter’s Grounds. With any luck, the delirious Lord Solomon would issue orders for the capture of the madman, and Leo’s work would be done for him.

After passing through the smoking ruins, Leo could see the Calatian squad surrounding what appeared to be a carriage and travelers trying to get past the border; as the Vikings lined up their prisoners, the dwarf caught a glimpse of a standard Koridaian military uniform. Shit. Snapping the reins on his goat, Leo came to a quick stop just beside the carriage.

“What’s going on?” he demanded.

“Sir, we caught these imperials trying to get back across,” reported the lead soldier. “Due to…a recently given demonstration, we have reason to believe that they’re refugees.”

Refugees? What kind of refugees come from the military? Besides that, every one of the Viking soldiers looked insanely frightened of something. Looking quickly over the group with suspicion, Leo paused as he came across some familiar figures that didn’t include the infantry. From numerous sketches, the dwarf knew for a fact that one of the ‘refugees’ was General Shadow, Koridai’s infamous Blazing General. Another was wearing a mask of some sort, but had a lean and stance he recognized somewhere from sometime ago. The other was…Well, he’s definitely not a threat. Without giving anything away, Leo dismounted his goat and pulled a handgun out of his belt holster.

“I’ll handle this,” said the general firmly. “The rest of you assemble in the camp square and await further instructions.”

Slightly bewildered, the Calatians said, “Yes, sir”, and moved out. Around Calatia, General Crimson’s strange orders usually had a good reason for them.



As for his part, Leo kept both his handgun and rifle raised in case one of the Koridaians tried to make a move for it and approached to speak to Jordan of the Whirlwind Spear.

“Good to see you out of Snowpeak and on the move,” said Leo casually. “Not to sound rude, since you probably have your reasons for doing so, but care to tell me why you’re traveling on the road in a carriage with one of Koridai’s leading military men and his young, strapping Imperial marines? My men seem to be too frightened of something to say anything accurately.”

[JRPomazon]

Jordan had taken a comfortable seat on the ash dusted ground, taking the opportunity to rest his body as much as he could as Eivor looked over at Jordan and rested her lowered head in her hand in embarrassment. He looked up to the dwarf general, whose height from this perspective seemed to tower over Jordan just by a few inches. It was a peculiar visual to say the least.

"Oh you know me and my friends here, we tend to offer warm greetings when we get the chance to meet new people." Jordan replied with a lazy half smile.

He directed towards Shadow and his men.

"These guys had been on the lam for a few days, apparently all isn't going so well in the land of the goddess. They just so happened to have succeeded in their flight from toil and hardship . . . until these outstanding viking folks decided to almost kill us. But it's weird, I don't remember that last time seeing you without an entourage of those Snakeheads of yours. Why are you going stag this time around?"

Leo was silent. In the way one might be when they know the answer to your question but are juggling words in their head to explain with. A pensive look, Jordan could see it on the dwarf's face. Jordan then looked behind the dwarf to the mass grave that was still being dug.

"I see. My condolences." Jordan replied, his wry tone giving way to sincere remorse.

"Might I ask what happened here? You seem to have a better gist of the situation."

Edited by JRPomazon, 18 January 2012 - 02:37 AM.

[Crimson Lego]

"It was Synile," said Leo painfully. "All of this was Synile; I'm assuming something in these villages or Snowpeak set him off, but I'm having second doubts about chasing him. A lot more lives could be lost that way."

Still having his own doubts about the Koridaians' 'flight from toil and hardship', Leo decided to let the matter drop and waited for Jordan's response, one he expected would be completely shocked and horrified.

[JRPomazon]

Eivor's pensive mood was shattered as the truth became evident to everyone, her face stained in shock. Even Ken, whose face was obscured by his mask showed some sense of surprise. In that moment, all Jordan could think about was Synile's deranged expression a few days before. That image kept popping up over and over, a red flag in his mind alerting him of a crisis long since arrived. It took every once of will he had not to clench his fist or his teeth or create any sort of strain on his body. He looked at Leo, hoping to see something in his face that might seem like this was all speculation. Some tell that he didn't have all the facts yet. But the dwarf wasn't lying and Jordan wasn't going to be able to kid himself that easily.

"Things . . . things just got a hell of a lot more complicated . . ." He muttered to himself.

Given how Synile was acting then, the words he said and the sight of this village, it was obvious to Jordan how this would all play out in the end.

He wasn't going to stop. He wasn't ever going to stop.

"You might have been smart to call off a search Leo. The man's a genuine beserker with a taste for blood."

Eivor looked over to Jordan, feeling a stronger sense of disdain for his character.

"But he's made his plans clear to us. He's headed to Koridai. There, I just saved you a great deal of effort trying to find him because now you know where he's going. And I . . . we're going after him."

Eivor was surprised to hear him say that. Shadow and his men seemed equally surprised.

"Hold on!" the former imperial soldier Simon exclaimed.

"You said we'd be going back to Koridai, you never mentioned going after a murderer!"

Jordan was surprised it wasn't Jakob arguing with him this time.

"General, he's changing things on us! This wasn't a part of the agreement!" Jakob chimed in. Ah, there's Jakob's input. Couldn't stand to stay silent, eh Jakob?

[SL the Pyro]

"Circumstances change, Jakob." Shadow told him sternly, having gotten over his earlier shock, not of Jordan's proclamation that he was pursuing Synile, but that he was planning to do so in his current state. He was bold if not crazy.

He was going to say something about his men not caring about Koridai afterwards, but... remembering the current destruction here, he decided to alter the deal in his own way.

"...And that's why you four are going to remain here to tend to the wounded."

The resulting complaints came all at once, and too fast for him to discern any of them clearly.

"I know, I know! This wasn't part of the deal and so forth! But if he's not caught, he'll do to Koridai what he did to this place! I can't in good conscience let that happen; it's still our home!"

"...Then why are we staying here!?"

"Because he'll you if you don't. Easily." All four of his comrades were promptly silent. Shadow very, very rarely spoke of their survivability in such a way. "Remember that Synile is an elite. Taking down whole regiments like this is his job. I don't mean to offend any of you, but you're not on his level yet." He stopped for a moment, wondering which of the people here actually were on Synile's level in his psychotic state. He was a handful when he was sane. "It's best if you leave him to someone like me who has experience with such crazies. You're better off helping the people here."

He looked to Eivor.

"And maybe you too, Eivor. Koridai is going to be a far cry from safe now."

[Egann]

OoC: Well, I've been taking my sweet time about this one. Sorry. Also, more herp de derp on spacing issues.


The first lesson for every Inquisitor; how to think of people as they really are.

People are nothing but an illusion.Take one to a dungeon or cut into one on the battlefield and you'llrealize a person is nothing but a butcher's block ready for carving.See the threads of emotion behind people, the thoughts, dreams, andnightmares they have learned to share with others, the substances from which their lives hang. The person others see are like papereffigies compared to the essence you see. Men are like ants,following trails of crumbs into oblivion. Never fix your vision onthe ant; the trail is all that matters.


Lucien sat at his desk, leafing through the bureaucratic wet dream that was on top of his desk. His place wasthe perfect place, as far as political power was concerned. The people saw only Solomon and Solomon saw only the new Goddess. Thatwas the trick, was it not? To get that one step of defense. Many eyes at court would see how Solomon bent for this Gwen and would see her as the true power of Koridai. How easily eyes take the limit of theirvision for the ends of the world. After seeing the first step, fromSolomon's blade to Gwen's lips, who would pursue and question the matter? They had seen the truth of how Koridai worked. None would notice that nameless red cloaks one step back and to the left, bowing at every command. Between himself and Gervais...Koridai still had its retainers in strange places.

He pulled out a document from the stack. An Inquisatae Memorandum booking a former Vanguard sergeant under suspicion of involvement with Shadow in the Arbiter GroundBombings. A former general with his own personal retainers like Shadow? Associating with some sellsword the Vanguard dropped come Drake's stunt because he was a discipline problem? The idea of an association was laughable. Solomon's Inquisitors were far too thorough in their habits. Digging for worms in a frozen lake wasthe expression. Lucien would need to use the recent fusion with the military as an excuse to water down Inquisition methods to something a little more practical. More economic, anyway.

The memorandum listed a list of the names of Inquisitors as one of his possessions. Fascinating. Strange thing for a sellsword to possess. At the bottom was an amendment;subject missing from captivity after Arbiter Spire Bombings, along with sword and the list. No other personal effects were missing.Theory: the list of names were intended victims for the Arbiter Spire Bombings.

Perhaps Shadow had hired a sellsword after all. An employer relationship would make sense, but there wastoo much information missing. Whose names had been on that list? Whywould Shadow want some The next instant Lucien's pen was writing amemo, ordering Gervais to locate this Egann immediately. The roads into and out of Arbiter's Grounds which had been repaired were stillheavily scrutinized and for official use only. He had to still be inthis city. The question was where. In the meantime, Lucien had to gopamper his pretty pet Goddess with company for supper while Solomon was "busy." She would relish the change of company.




Gwen pushed the appetizer plate aside, two bites cleaved through the layered pastry dough and sauce layers and no more.

"Not hungry again?" Lucien asked.

Gwen shook her head. "I won't be hungry as long as you aren't telling me what Solomon's up to. It upsets my stomach to think of what he might be doing."

"You know, you should be grateful for the food. Children starve every day even herein Arbiter's Grounds."

"Then perhaps you can do me a favor and give my portion to those starving childrenrather than letting them die while those monsters in your kennel growfat on pastries."

Lucien waved his hand, like he was giving up the point. This was the part when Lucien would lie to try to make Gwen feel better. Usually on whatever subject immediately came to mind. "If you must know," he said, "Solomon is investigating a possible conspiracy. He thinks someone may want to kill some of our inquisitors. Just before the Arbiter Spire Bombings we detained a suspicious person carrying a list of names."

"Whose on the list?"

"We don't know. The list and the man both disappeared during the bombing."

"The list didn't disappear; Gervais has it. I saw it when I was taking care of some of the wounded just after the explosion. Oh, and your name was on it."

Lucien's eyes widened as they receded into his head. "If you'll excuse me."




Lucien stepped out of the dining hall and snapped his fingers at the nearest guard. Gervais was part of the conspiracy, too, and he picked up the note to cover for his buddies Shadow and Egann. That was the only explanation. Shadow was gone, and Lucien would find Egann soon enough without that mole Gervais' help.

"The Inquisitor Gervais is part of a conspiracy to kill his fellow inquisitors. Handle this situationimmediately. Expediency is more important than discreteness."

[Crimson Lego]

ooc: My character needs more personality. :/

Immediately from hearing Jordan’s statement, Leo knew that the spearman knew exactly what they were dealing with. Undoubtedly he’s had a lot more experience dealing with people like Synile than I have. The dwarf also agreed with the Blazing General’s decision to leave his four men behind in Calatia (and once again, his mind was brought back to the matter of the massacred Snakehead division). He also recognized the woman as one of the few living around the Calatian capital, and was also wondering what the hell she was doing with the group. Eh; no big deal. She can go back with the soldiers too.

Clearing his throat, Leo addressed the four Koridaian soldiers. “I can promise you people that if you do stay behind, I can grant you temporary asylum in Snowpeak Ruins until your commanding officer returns.”

The first Koridaian that had spoken out after hearing Jordan’s intentions to chase Synile was also the first to complain about heading into the heart of Calatia. “How do we know we won’t be killed right when we get there?” he asked suspiciously.

“Because you have my word on that, and that’s as close as you’re going to get to a promise,” replied Leo firmly. “Our nations might be mortal enemies, but I’d like to think I have a sense of honour to follow. Me personally, I don’t kill unarmed villagers and soldiers like Synile did; if I did, Jordan here probably would have killed me by now. At the same time, I am a five-star general in the Kingdom of Calatia, so I can’t exactly welcome you with open arms either. The best I can do is give you food and shelter, but you probably won’t be able to socialize with any of my people, assuming you want to.”

The man still had his doubts, but chose to hold his silence. Walking over to one of the Calatian soldiers nearby, Leo murmured, “Have them help you bury the dead, and then bring them back to the castle. Once they’re all fed and washed, see if you can get some information out of them about Koridai.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Under no circumstances are they to be harmed”, said Leo abruptly. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Slapping the man on the arm, Leo made his way back to the group. “I trust you’re alright with your men going with mine back to Snowpeak?” he said to General Shadow. “Not that’s there really any other place safe for them to go, assuming your leaders know you’ve left Koridai.”

[Ken the Wandering Soul]

Ken followed Jordan seeking to do something other than wander aimlessly in search of that other soul. A painful memory came to mind of that other soul...

Spoiler

What do you think will happen when we reach the other side?"

Ken looked to the source of the question. A young woman, barely more than a girl.

"I don't know, Hina. I havn't really thought about it." he answered.

They were two people out of a small caravan that was making its way through the Taj-Nar mountains. One group of the many people fleeing the cursed lands that had been born of what would be known as the Cataclysm.

"Well... I was thinking. It's basically going to be a whole new world, right?" Hina continued to ask.

"I suppose."

"Maybe we could find our own spot of land. Found a city of our own," the young lady stared up at the starlit sky, "Everything may be wiped out by the curse up north, but this will give us a chance at a fresh start. There will be no nations, no allegiences to get in the way of this new world. And our homes that were already dead... Vanadiel..."

"Taiyo..." Ken spoke softly, thinking of his village.

"They don't need to haunt us anymore."

Ken looked at Hina. A woman who had discarded the royal clothes she once prized for the common garb of a hunter.

"You really believe it can be done, don't you?" Ken asked.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't say that if I didn't think so!"

Ken stared at the heavy blade he carried in his hands, a reminder of his family and everything he had lost. He was meant to inherit the duties of a guardian, to be like Raiyu the Silver Wolf before him and become a guardian spirit. He might not have any family left, but...

"Hina, I swear on my immortal soul that I will protect you, and protect whatever city you chose to make."

... And now he did not even know where she was. How long had it been? How many years? Time had lost meaning for the masked man. All he had left to live for was to wander and hope he would someday find her. Finding Jordan had been a miracle for the wanderer, a friendly face at long last. He still needed to find that lady he pledged his soul to though... And hopefully he would find her while he travelled with Jordan. It was better than wandering alone in any case.

 

Ken stood by silently and listened carefully. As a man who had trouble with words, it was what he did best. He leered at the men who had pointed their guns at him, but he maintained his calm and avoided doing anything drastic. He drew quite a few looks, his mask being especially suspicious. Regardless, he maintained a stoic posture, his arms folded in front of him and tucked into the spacious sleeves of the robes he wore.

Ken barely understood poltics back before the Cataclysm, and his lack of knowledge on current events did not make his understanding of what was happening between the Calatians and Koridians any better. What he did pick on though was that they needed to go to Koridai. Jordan seemed to know where to go, Ken would simply follow him.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan got on his feet and took a few steps in front of Eivor.

"No. The miss stays with us."

Another development that made everyone look over to Jordan. Simon was beginning to understand Jakob's opinion on Jordan.

"Wait, we have to go but she stays? Why on earth-"

"Because I damn well said so." Jordan interrupted.

He looked over to Eivor, who wasn't sure what to make of all of this.

"Unless you have other ideas. You're free to go wherever you want, just say the word. But if you do want to stay . . . well you can. Simple as that and no questions asked."

She wasn't sure what to do or say. She knew the situation as well as anyone and her life on this journey was more or less forfeit if she made the slightest mistake. But more than anything, she wanted to leave and find a place of her own. A place to belong. She nodded.

"I'll stay." She said softly.

"Well alright then. The matter is settled." He said, turning over to the cargo.

"We need to reload our supplies and get a move on. He has a few days lead on us and we aren't doing any good wasting daylight."

Two Calatian soldiers came to the aid of the traveling group, reloading the various supplies back onto the carriage. Most likely Leo's silent directing of hand motions and eye stares to thank for this. Jordan began to think of Synile again with more attentive detail. He had already deduced that he had at least two days ahead of them and probably didn't stop for much rest if need be. The only time he would stop for anything would be to commit another massacre. That would perhaps take up half a day if they were lucky and Synile decided to be indulgent. Jordan snapped his fingers.

"I need a hard surface and a map." He asked.

Leo directed another soldier to acquire these things and shortly after the man arrived with a Bar Stool he recovered from one of the scorched buildings and a local map. Jordan looked at the chart and quickly dismissed it.

"No, something bigger. I need something that will incorporate the empire's land as well." He said.

"We got something." the ex-imperial soldier Ryu mentioned and quickly went into the wagon's luggage. He pulled out a fine looking map and placed it over the first, the two large documents unevenly placed on the small stool seat.

"Well, I go to hand it to the spies of the empire. They really got a lot of this all down." Jordan commented. The viking soldier did not take kindly to Jordan's comment, the green clad warrior taking the hint from the viking's leering.

"Right, so what was the name of this town?"

"Legrande." The viking said.

Jordan scanned the map and found Legrande on the Koridai map. Jordan scanned for other towns nearby. He quickly turned back to the first map, which included certain military positions that the Koridains might not have known about. Jordan made sure to study each map. Synile wasn't going to be going in a perfectly straight line so it would be folly to attempt to track him that way. He folded the maps and removed them from the stool.

"We'll be needing these."

He looked around the charred town once again and realized that the chances of getting more supplies where very slim. There was nothing left here, so he made his move to the front of the carriage. He gave the maps to Eivor.

"You know how to use a map?" He asked.

"Yes. I do." She replied.

"Well good." Jordan said.

"Because you're navigator now.

[SL the Pyro]

"Well good. Because you're navigator now."

Shadow groaned inwardly, unable to decide whether or not to smack his own forehead or Jordan's, and he was having trouble resisting the urge to do both; exactly how much trouble was made evident by the fervent shaking of his left hand. Eivor had no magic that he could sense, nor any weapons with which she could defend herself. She was defenseless. You'd have to be a moron not to target the defenseless person first, and Synile was not a moron. The potential for disaster was blatantly evident to the ex-general.

...Unfortunately, it was also blatantly evident that arguing with Jordan over this would be pointless, given that he was still stubborn as a mule after three years. That and it was Eivor's own decision to tag along. She had better not make anyone regret it.

To that end, he kept his mouth shut on the matter, instead choosing to try and get the show back on the road. He hopped into the pilot seat of the carriage. He had to handle it now that his soldiers were staying here to provide aid; they had already taken what they needed from the carriage upon the order to stay. Always pack extras, you never know what you might need it for.

"Well, what're we waiting for then? I highly doubt Synile is going to stop to take a nap knowing there are elites after him. Besides, I'd hate to take supplies from a place that obviously needs them more than we do right now." he said to rouse those going on the manhunt.

Edited by SL the Pyro, 26 January 2012 - 06:24 PM.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan looked over to the cargo being placed back on the carriage. There was a certain amount of excess that they had been carrying around for emergencies and given the recent state of this place it seemed selfish to take all of it.

"Right. We leave what we don't need then."

Shadow's instinct to ask his men to stay behind was surprising but it began to make sense. Not only had the general estimated the threat they would be facing in relation to his men's skill but he also considered the amount of supplies that would be necessary. A few years ago, the Shadow he knew wouldn't consider this. Jordan smiled inwardly, musing about just how much time had truly gone by since the two of them had been together like this. And with Ken as well . . .

Jordan laughed. Everyone looked over to him, curious as to why he decided to laugh out loud.

"It's just like the first time we went on an journey. All that time ago, when we were heading towards Sornaiid . . ."

He stopped talking then but in his mind, he continued to say something like "has it really been that long?" Because although he could keep his own secrets, he didn't want to be seen as the reminiscent type. He wasn't an old man yet. There was too much to do before then.

But in a way, he felt that Ken and Shadow knew what he was thinking, at least had an inkling to what it might be. As the last the cargo was divided up and placed back on the carriage, Jordan helped Eivor onto the carriage despite his weakened state. Ken followed shortly and Shadow took the front to steer the horses. During the break, the vikings managed to feed them as things were settled so they would be alright for now. Before Jordan could take his place, he turned back the the Dwarven General. Another who had unknowingly became a companion on yet another adventure. He too seemed to have done well for himself.

"What do you suppose you'll do now Leo?" Jordan asked.

[Crimson Lego]

Replacing his handgun in its holster on his belt, Leo climbed back onto his goat and grabbed the reins tightly; he then turned to answer Jordan’s question with a shrug. “Probably just tag along with the four of you and chase after Synile. From my point of view, there’s a whole bunch of innocent villagers, albeit Koridaian ones, whose deaths need to be avenged.”

Cocking his rifle, Leo took a good look at what seemed to be a quickly put together group of warriors. A high-ranking imperial general, some guy I might have seen at Olimandias, a master of spears, a dwarven general, and an ordinary Calatian woman with no other responsibility but to ‘navigate’. Thinking his situation over for a moment, Leo gave it a quick shrug. He had seen worse before in his short military career.

Shouldering his rifle with one hand while turning his goat with the other, the dwarf gazed at his newfound companions with a determined look while watching the Calatian and Koridaian soldiers finish burying the bodies. “Good to go, I guess,” murmured Leo. He personally had doubts about the group’s ability to take Synile alive or kill him, but Leo was willing to try at any cost.

ooc: Not sure what plans you have in mind, JR, so I’ll just leave the job of navigation to you.

[Egann]

Egann situated his feet in the narrow alleyway's back corner and readied himself to begin training with the polygon again. No lantern this time; this deserted alleyway was illuminated by early morning light, and it's confined space meant the ball had few places to go. What could possibly go wrong?

As if to answer on cue, just as Egann moved to throw the polygon against the wall the third story window flew open and a maid flung the contents of a bedpan into the alleyway, slamming the window shut as quickly as she'd opened it. Confined alleyway also meant the maid had nowhere to miss. And he hadn't even thrown the bloody thing. It was like the universe conspired to keep Egann perpetually pathetic with his sword.

Good morning to you, too, Miss. Hooray for needing to wash my face and change into my other shirt before nine in the morning.


Gervais wandered the streets of the southern part of Arbiter's Grounds. The southern part. Wonderful place for riffraff and trouble-makers to hide. Nightmare for Inquisitors. Everybody knew everybody else, had ulterior motives, kept stiff upper lips about everything and couldn't tell you anything useful even if they were interested in helping. One great anthill of trouble-makers who resented you getting in the way of them trying to eek out a living.

And somewhere in this mess was that dude Egann. Or was it Eggman? Or Egran? It was so hard to remember names with the riffraffs, they all sort of blurred together. Every time he asked he got the same response, too. "EhWhoDat? UrghINotSeenAnyoneLikeThatHere." At this point they would invariably point him in the direction of the nearest wild goose chase. "Maybe that old guy on Dresdreck who likes to say 'Poncdiliocious' all the time knows." Half an hour later, all Gervais would have found was a street named Drekdrez and a little orphan kid who only said "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." Pshh. Little kids. Don't they know Mary Poppins doesn't exist in this universe? Santa Christ was real, though.

His assassin, however, had no problems finding the only red coat in the crowd, doing a bad job of asking for directions. The knife slid in and out, the victim none the wiser until he was on the ground, dead. And everybody in the neighborhood knew exactly who he'd been asking about.

[JRPomazon]

Jordan looked down at the dwarf and his goat. Were they going to be able to keep up with a carriage drawn by two horses? Shrugging, he figured Leo knew what he was doing. He turned around and slowly climbed onto the carriage, passing Shadow who had taken the reigns of the horses in the front and moving to a comfortable position in the back. Without the four extra bodies, the carriage was much roomier than before. A change that everyone would enjoy. Leo took off soon after, most likely to accommodate for the horses and to everyone's surprise watched him speed off on his little mount. The four soldiers from Koridai came to the carriage and began speaking with Shadow, most likely saying their goodbyes before parting ways. Jordan didn't figure that Shadow would part with his company so abruptly but it was most likely for the best.

After all was said and done, the ex-general got the horses moving and soon were at a furious pace to meet up with Leo and the intercept Synile.

* * *

The sun crept into Solomon's dwellings, the new day creeping through his only window and reaching out from all sides to encompass the stone walls and their large gashes Solomon had carved in various fits of rage and frustration. In his bed he remained stationary, not having even changed from his clothes from the previous day after he had been placed her under guarded watch. Hunched over on his bed and his long gray hair fallen over his face he tried to make sense of himself. He had seen some of the things that happened yesterday with the new goddess performing mass miracles in the streets and the smoke stained blemishes and ruin had mostly been washed away and repaired. The city was beginning to shine again, much as it did before he returned to Koridai. But his head was a sea of discord and his mind completely overwhelmed to the point where even his deep seeded rage was being suppressed by his own internal conflicting thoughts. In short, he was far from his usual self.

He had been defeated by the very power he had hoped to return back to the nation, the power of the goddess was too great from him to combat and control. And now a new goddess had truly usurped the empire. And even though his rage boiled inside his chest it was quickly subdued by the overwhelming dread and doubt that now plagued him like a swarm of locusts. His doubt in the goddess had been seeded and grew beyond his control. He could no longer serve her in the manner he did in the past. And as he thought about this he fell into further despair. It was a sort of spiritual death and with it his will to fight could no longer be mustered.

-Yesterday-

"Idiot!" Lucien replied as his calm demeanor was broken by Solomon's protest.

"To attack the goddess herself? That is in itself the greatest act of heresy! Have you abandoned reason to quell your own thirst for power?!"

"My will IS the will intrusted to me by her ladyship the goddess Chikara Nadir! I will not suffer to serve the will of an imitation!" Solomon replied.

"Enough." Gwen said, breaking her silence as she stepped past Lucien straight towards Solomon. Before either man could realize what was happening she had taken hold of Solomon's wrist, forcing the hand that held his saber down. Solomon was astonished as Gwen forced him to lower his weapon without so much of an effort from her part. This strength was abnormal at best. He attempted to force his hand back up and cut her down but his strength could not be gathered.

"I was helpless last time, now things are different."

Gwen released Solomon, the grand marshal stepping back to distance himself from her.

"Speak no more, for you are nothing but a shade and a lie!" Solomon replied.

"I asked you if you thought the goddess would ever return and you said yes. Did you mean the goddess of this nation or Chikara Nadir?"

"They were one in the same!"

"Were?"

Solomon stopped himself, realizing what it was he just said. Past tense. Why did he said were instead of are? His mind was quickly overcome with confusion, dropping his sword on the sand dusted chamber floor and clenched his head with his hands.

Gwen simply watched him, her eyes locked on him like an eagle on it's prey. She knew that in order to stop Solomon she would need to do more than just use brute force. In her mind she calculated several ways of breaking him as darker impulses began to form. She knew what he had done. He had hurt many people, he had killed even more. He took hold of this nation and even in the brief time he did there was already so much he was to be accounted for. For each act she could hurt him. Ruin him. And for a moment, that is all she wanted to do.

But she stopped. Right there in the mirror chamber she quickly stopped herself and shook away these terrible thoughts. Held them back. She got closer to Solomon, still in control of the situation. Or so she thought. No longer clenching his head as his mind seemed to split in two, Solomon lunged at Gwen and attempted to throttle her and crush her neck. He shouted as he reached over and took hold of her neck only to find Gwen holding his own. His voice was silenced as her hand held firm to his throat. She looked at him coldly with her new found crimson eyes and stared straight into his, as the rage became blind fear. Then she whispered to him.

"Heretic."

That word. That word that he had used so freely so many times before to the people he had imprisoned and killed finally returned to its master. And no matter how much he hated and fumed and raged, that word was planted deep inside his heart and damned everything inside. So Solomon sulked as the daylight came in, knowing only the bitterness of his new reality. A world without the goddess. Or rather, his goddess.

* * *

The carriage had managed to catch up with Leo on his "sporting" mountain goat through the rocky mountain trails that lead to the flatter lands and eventually to the borders of the nations. They took the fastest roots the maps had, ignoring the busiest roads to avoid the traffic of commerce. There were signs left behind by Synile that were noticed from time to time. Felled trees, slaughtered animals and the occasional carved corpse. They couldn't stop to observe the scenes they passed. Jordan had wanted to sit up front with Shadow driving the horses forward, hoping to enjoy the wind blowing against his face as the weather became less and less frigid and more temperate. However, he was subjected to the back of the carriage in hopes of slowly recovering his strength.

The trip had been a silent one, no one speaking very much since they left the charred remains of that town. There was some talk about directions and routes to take but with limited conversation topics and the fact that Ken was a mute for a majority of the time, not much was spoken. As the days had passed since the night Jara died, Eivor was able to tolerate Jordan more. At least enough to not hate him entirely.

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" She asked Jordan abruptly.

Jordan, who was half asleep from the dead silence suddenly shook himself awake.

"Uhh . . . yeah . . . what is it?" He responded, rubbing his eyes.

"Why did you let me come along?" The general is right, I can't fight and I'd be a distraction if you four had to worry about protecting me."

Jordan cleared his throat and shifted his body from his slumped position.

"Didn't you want to leave Snowpeak? Find a new place to live?" Jordan asked.

"Yes, but I could have continued on my own." Eivor said.

"But you decided to stay. And I think we both know why." Jordan replied.

Eivor looked a little surprised when Jordan said that, suspecting that Jordan hadn't read too far into her actions.

"I don't know why he did what he did. I don't know what he's going to do now or later down the road and I don't know if I can stop him without killing him. But I will try and that's all I can offer you."

"Did you offer your best when Jara died?" She thought aloud. Realizing that her voice was audible, she quickly covered her mouth. Jordan didn't expect to hear her say that, but suspected that she was thinking it and grew somewhat disheartened. Quickly assessing the damages, Eivor attempted damage control.

"I'm sorry, that was-"

"It's fine." Jordan interrupted, turning over and tried to return to resting. They both attempted to forget that just happened by resigning to their respected spots in the carriage. The horses continued their pace across the wilderness routes of the vikings and eventually a loud thud could be heard as it shook the entire vehicle. Everyone looked over to Shadow, who turned back and waved to them that it was nothing. Little did they know that they had just exited the mountain route and were now on level ground. Their next stop was the borders of the empire. But before that was the aftermath of the Empire's last battle with Calatia and the remains of the men and monstrosities that died there.

Edited by JRPomazon, 05 February 2012 - 12:05 AM.

[Sir Turtlelot]

It had been weeks since Turtlelot left Snowpeak to return to the Cursed Lands. He found Winston right where he had left him, before heading into that cave in which they had met Juvenal. Turtlelot's group of two had grown significantly, as they continued to find survivors of the curse. Towns and settlements in Verden had been abandoned, and most of the surviving people had become nomads. Most groups had agreed to come without hesitation, since the promise of a new home was something that those in that situation would not want to pass up.

Though his time on this expedition was running short, Turtlelot had decided to make one last stop before returning to Snowpeak. Turtlelot had led the group to last battle of the two empires. The field was covered with bodies and the air was filled with death.

While most were too disgusted to look, Turtlelot looked on at the horrendous site. This war is pointless... the metal man thought to himself, remembering back to what Selena had said back in the Labyrinth. All along, it had been started by a stupid rivalry between two people, and now hundreds, if not thousands of lives have paid for. Before able to anger himself any further, Turtlelot's thoughts shifted to a carriage off in the distance.

[SL the Pyro]

KER-THUNK.

"Bloody hell..." Shadow muttered to himself as he drove over another corpse, shaking the carriage again. "Things haven't been cleaned up here yet, so it's gonna be bumpy for the next little while, guys." He did his best to maneuver the vehicle and the horses that pulled it along around the sea of dead bodies that still littered the battlefield after all this time. It wasn't as if the carriage would fall apart - thank God he'd kept those mountain-climbing modifications done back at Almirante - but the random bumps in the road were going to be a nuisance.

And being forced to keep his eyes on the path ahead of him, he couldn't avoid seeing the end result of the land that housed the final decisive battle between Calatia and Koridai. It was here that Selena and Chikara clashed for the final time, when the latter disappeared without a trace... the only thing he knew about this battle was that Calatia had been the victor; it was obvious, otherwise Chikara would probably be back at the Arbiter's Grounds cackling like a hyena. Oh, how he wished he had been there that day, if not to change the end result, then at least to see what had taken place... if only he hadn't been out on another mission at the time! The ex-General wondered if Steel had chosen that blatantly inopportune time to send him elsewhere specifically so he wouldn't throw a monkey wrench into anything on D-Day... damn those two old fossils to hell. The deceased here and the family and friends of those deceased didn't deserve to suffer like this just because they couldn't get along.

Shadow huffed. As much as he wanted to ask the present Calatian elite if he knew anything about what happened here that day, he decided it best to keep the questions to himself for now. Leo had many viable reasons not to trust him, and now wasn't the best time to bring it up anyway. He'd have to wait until Synile was dealt with, maybe gain his former Woodie warrior's trust that way...

The snorting of the two horses snapped him out of his reverie. They, and by extension the carriage, had stopped moving. Something was in the way... a person. A person brimming with... light energy. Huh, that was rare nowadays. He was clad in a red and black armour from head-to-toe, and had a large sword and larger lance strapped to his back... he'd almost have mistaken him for one of Solomon's Imperial Templars if it weren't for 1) that they didn't use magic, and 2) that this man's armour was sleeker and less bulky. He didn't have the emblem of Koridai on him either... in fact he could've sworn that was a Calatian emblem on his chestplate.

Wonderful. Probably another Calatian who had no idea what was going on. Possibly a part of the clean-up committee. And he was in the road. Hopefully he wasn't looking to cause trouble. "Can I help you?"

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

OOC: Sorry if I got your character's appearance wrong, Turtlelot; I can't find the blasted bio, so I had to go with your signature.

Edited by SL the Pyro, 15 February 2012 - 01:09 AM.