◝♛ seaʟeᴅ*reaʟm ￤ ic

[caffye west]

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FORT MERENGUE
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after an intense... two weeks of planning thanks to several delays, we're back on track people!
you all know the house rules. the two teams have got some pretty intense plans cooked up so
let's see what they've got. it's like each team read each other's mind this time.


OTTIA'S PLAN

Ottia's decided to stick to second floor, rigging all the stairwells with alarm
systems. The positioning's in the map so kindly check that out Almeans! In
short, if the War Room's been breached, Ambra's going to set fire to the
plans! MOVE FAST ALMEA. After that it's a mad dash to defend the throne
room. Good luck guys, Serith can put out that flame -- if he can move fast
enough. Almeans, pray to the six heroes he'll make it in time.


ALMEA'S PLAN

Well, Ottia, Almeans got a very organized plan of attack. I have no idea how
to summarize it tbh. Well first thing's first, check the map. That's their start
positions. The teams to the West are throwing fire and lightning at the long
hall windows. As for the rest of the team, they'll be slowly making their way
to SW tower via east first floor, and focusing their attacks on the war room.
The West tag team will quickly make their way and climb up the second floor
via the balcony, with some details along the way. You'll see.


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[caffye west]

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• 
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  roll info will go here once we start rolling
  
  "If you don't transform, Serith's chance of dying jumps from 30% to 90%." Serith's eyes widened at Leo's revelation, although it wasn't visible in the dead of night. But still? Why did he even have a 30% chance of dying in the first place? His entire arm shook, his hand a death grip on Flux. Oh dear god what if the plan failed? What should they do? He needed time to think; he wasn't good at on the fly stuff. Calm down just sort everything out first, one thing at a time.
  
  "W-w-wait why do --"
  
  "If you transform, Serith will give you a hug everyday!" WAIT HE NEVER AGREED TO THAT. He shook his head in protest, but it went unnoticed as Nihal went into a daze at the prize. Ashl even drew in some of his own bribes, but the young shaman was too busy freaking out by himself to even hear them. Thirty percent chance without Nihal, having to hug the Dragon every single day. He couldn't help but have the image as he was about to hug him, he transforms and gobbles him up in one go.
  
  "Cerise, when did I ever --" Leo subtly pointed the the hilt of a hunting dagger at the small of his back, and Serith got the message. When the Red Dragon looked to him for confirmation, Serith nodded reluctantly. "Y-yes. But only starting tomorrow!" He needed his wits about him right now and hugging a scaly dragon wouldn't help him at all. In fact, it was likely to kill him before he could even do anything.
  
  The shaman turned his one good eye towards the rapidly setting sun. They would start the siege as soon as Fort Merengue switched on their lamps. For now, they quietly snuck into their positions, the aerial team heading west and the rest of them to the gatehouse. It was time to wait.
  
  tab tab tab - - - - tab TIME SKIP
  
  Fort Merengue was in chaos. The front gate had fallen and now random NPC soldiers were taking care of the front line soldiers. But none of them was from the main Ottia team, which worried the white-haired Paradon. A red eye scanned the surroundings, but he was quickly ushered into riding astride Grim's back. In the distance he could see bursts of lightning and fire, coming from Saren and Nihal respectively. He hoped that was enough to distract the ottians (if any) hanging out in the long hallway.
  
  He turned to the Gatehouse team. By now Cerise would be sneaking into the window on the NE Tower, so it was time for them to move. While Serith was no leader figure, he'd have to be the one to give the go signal to his team. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and called everyone close.
  
  "I-- Um, you all know the plan. Just keep an eye out for the Peg Knight and anyone riding with him." Without another word, their team silently but quickly made their way to the stairs going up the house apartments. Their team was tense and jumpy. In this scenario, they were obviously at a disadvantage, but Fort Merengue was an important base. If they didn't take it while they could, it would be easy to turn the castle into a retreat point, with its natural defenses and strategic position. "Up the stairs Grim, we'll meet Cerise on the second floor." At least, he hoped they'd meet Cerise. Hopefully the Ottians hadn't bothered to protect this place.
  
  
  
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[ohirushika]

• 
  Nihal Olsof was over the moon. Not only was he finally being useful to his favorite mage but he was going to get hugged for the rest of his days by said favorite mage. Granted Serith probably wouldn't outlive him (humans had such short lives, it was really sad but Nihal didn't want to think about that until it was necessary) but it was the thought and gesture that counted. Leo and Cerise were being very nice too, it was like a dream come true! Sure Grim was against him transforming because he was worried about the whole changing back to a human process but the red dragon was too happy to care about how painful and slow it would be. He was still pretty shy but there weren't other dragon kin to judge his ridiculously small stature, only him and his self-loathing of not being bigger than all the rest. But they needed him for now so it was okay!
  
  NIHAL TO THE RESCUE.
  
  He had transformed earlier on after the whole ordeal of convincing and now he was saddled up and ready to be be ridden. It was his first time having such a weird human contraption strapped on his back but he was told (in a very frightened voice, come on guys Nihal's not that scary) that it would help make the ride less uncomfortable. No matter how long it had been since his last transformation, he still felt more in his skin with his red scales than his human flesh. It was strange but at the same time comforting in its own way.
  
  The sun set signalling the start of the raid.
  
  Despite Cathal's figure (like father like son), he was light as a feather when he hopped on Nihal. He barely noticed him there, which might be a problem considering if he falls, he'd need to catch him and if he didn't notice him falling then... Well, Nihal was pretty good at catching people so he didn't need to worry too much. A weird sort of adrenaline started coursing through his system when he saw the rest of the army prepare. It wasn't his typical sugar rush and hyperactivity he had the first month he had come into contact with these people that he displayed even until now, but it was a more... carnal need, a desire to destroy- bloodlust.
  
  Nihal just gave himself goosebumps.
  
  With the signal, the red dragon snapped his wings wide open and gave a mighty flap that produced a huge gust of wind underneath. He really loved flying and it was good to feel this way again after so long. A few more flaps and he was off, the strategy they had discussed hours ago still fresh in his mind. He just needed to follow Cabal and they were okay, yup.
  
  There was an electric feeling in the air, a telltale sign of the war brewing just below him as the siege began at the front gates. Their soldiers clashing with the soldiers of the other army, the humans they were supposed to beat. Nihal never understood why, but if Serith and the others didn't like these people then he wouldn't like them either. Leaning to the left, he made his way to the west side of the castle, just behind Cabal and Saren and waited for the his second favorite mage's signal to let a rip. Hot fire built up in his throat, and when he opened his mouth, a ball of flames erupted from the opening, its purpose distract the soldiers and hopefully injure any standing by the window. He spat out several more fireballs, just as Saren was casting her own magic. Oh yeah, tag team of the century!
  
  
  
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  xxxxxxxxDODGE RATE: 11

[Akai Papillon]

I WARNED YOU NOT TO DO THIS
what am i doing guysⅢ tab Ⅱ tab Ⅰ tab !!
So this ended up being too big▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
WELP HERE WE GO❝SHE GOT DOWN ⇣ ON HANDS AND KNEES ↘↘
THERE WILL BE NO COLOR IN THIS AT ALLoneHELLO THEREearHELLO THEREagainstHELLO THEREtheHELLO THEREground
Saren will buy you little jars, Serith. Will you feel better then?( HOLDING▬▬▬▬ ★❜
I don't like Nihal hugs...butIdo?ｈｅｒ ｂｒｅａｔｈ ｔｏ ｈｅａｒ ｓｏｍｅｔｈｉｎｇ( ♚ ) ｂｕｔ ｔｈｅ ｄｉｒｔ ｍａｄｅ ｎｏｔ ａ ｓｏｕｎｄ
ALL THE WAY TO THE CENTER YOU GO HURHUR▆ ▆ ▆ TONIGHT ▆ ▆ ▆

”...if I am expected to ride a dragon, I am not sitting on Nihal.”

Those were the only words that Saren had in regards to their plan when they had been creating it. The woman brushed her bangs out of her eyes as the review continued. They were going to need every ounce of willpower and strength they had to muster if they wanted the siege to succeed. A pair of dark green eyes darted up to the fort, taking note of the lanterns still showering light through the windows. The leader tightened her grip on the thunder tome that her grandparents had given her when her studies in magic had first started, her mind going to the Knolseak even as she did so. She couldn't use it, but the very fact that she possessed it gave her an unspoken power that didn't commonly go contested. The conversation continued, but the words didn't fully register in Saren's head.

The first charge was always one of the most important ones. If they took a loss here, morale would be low, and it could easily influence the following battles. Saren had already decided that long ago, and as the next figure of authority in Vestol, she couldn't accept a loss here. Even if being on the front lines was the perfect moment to prove herself, Saren couldn't keep her heart from thundering against her chest every time she thought about the upcoming battle. It wasn't her fault—for all her training and all the education that the Grand Sage had given to her, Saren had never been in a legitimate battle before. Anything she did was sparring. Practice that she was guaranteed her safety in. This? This was different.

This was war.

”It's almost time. Everyone, prepare for battle.” Without another word, the mage started moving west.

TIME SUKIPPU

The lanterns went out. Saren tightened her grip on the rider before her as the distance to the ground suddenly increased by tenfold. Instinct kept her hands on her thunder tome, the wind whipping her short hair into what must have resembled a rat's nest as they approached the castle with a speed that the mage wasn't accustomed to. Was this what it was like to be on a mount? Even the travel was...exhilarating, being so high off the ground. The woman shook her head to clear it from the thoughts.

'Think about it later, Saren. Right now, you have a job to do.' And it was an important one. Without the distraction the entire plan was likely to fall apart, and with Serith with another team, she couldn't be certain of his safety. The thought put a weight in her stomach, to be completely honest. Serith was someone of great importance, and while Saren was confident of her ability to defend herself (not to mention she had two dragons in close proximity that could defend her), she was infinitely less certain of her friend's. She'd known Serith since her childhood, and he'd never struck her as someone that should have been on the front lines of war. It was unfortunate that there was no choice in the matter. The only thing that Saren could do then was hope that the others were more than enough to protect Serith if the going got tough.

The target came into sight, and as if on cue, Saren's worries washed out of her body as if blown off by the winds. She raised a hand, warmth trickling up up her arm, through the tips of her fingers, and then sliding down into her core. This was the familiar feeling of magic—something that she, as a mage of Vestol, would never forget for as long as she lived. The sensation alone was more than enough to bring half a smile to her face even as the air began to stir. Something slammed into the wall just as Saren cast her first spell. A crack of thunder shattered the silence as a flash of lightning split the air, striking against the walls of For Merengue, the sound being louder than she expected. Saren didn't give herself a moment to hesitate in as she readied her next assault, bolstered by the balls of flame that Nihal released into the wall of the fort. A mixture of heat and might rained their strength upon the west side of the fort as Saren continued casting her magic. It was time for Almea to show their opponents just what they were made of.

[caffye west]

tab tab tab CODING IS FOR PEOPLE WHO PUT EFFORT AKA NOT ME



• He'd been tasked to lead the planning and strategy, but the kids were doing fine. If there was one thing Cathal appreciated, it was people who could take care of themselves. Serith didn't look like much on the combat scale, but he had a level head on his shoulders and managed to calm down conflicting opinions. The redhead didn't want to say anything about his actual leadership capabilities, but he was a great mediator. Maybe he'd gain the rest in time. Saren was the kind who inspired others; a born leader. Occasionally they'd turned to him for opinions, but they mostly ran the show. He was happy to stay in the background and brood on his thoughts.
  
  Things had taken a rather grim turn; his only daughter had decided to side with the enemy, and in all likelihood they were going to find her within the four walls of Fort Merengue. He himself absolutely refused to hurt his daughter; the leader of the Mordices wasn't so sure about his son. Leonexis hadn't taken the betrayal well. Actually, none of the Mordices did, but Leo was a particularly terrible case. He'd learned to read the moods of his son. Whenever he was bothered by something, he'd throw himself at it with all the finesse of a bull. And it was a mix of angry and hurt this time, a combination that couldn't go well with Leo's already rather toxic temper. He'd have to make sure his --
  
  ”It's almost time. Everyone, prepare for battle.” His little monologue was abruptly cut short when Saren's curt words pierced the tense atmosphere. Someone's a bit tense. But he understood. He simply nodded to his son who briefly met his eyes to say good bye. As they cut their way through the mountainous forest and to the starting point, Cathal could feel the familiar rush of adrenaline in his veins. He hadn't had one for years now, and his hands lightly shook with the introduction of the chemical to his bloodstream. A grim smile made its way to his lips; his golden eyes, eerily similar to a cat's, seemed to glow in the dark. He'd never been suited for stealth; with his shock of red hair and aggressive fighting style, he was better off fighting in the front lines. Already he could imagine the unique thrill that could only be brought by skirting with death against a worthy opponent.
  
  Let the hunt begin.
  
  tab tab tab tab - - - -xxTIME SKIP
  
  The sun had set and tensions were high. The go signal was set, and he washed with disinterest as the main force charged the front gate. It fell rather quickly; the main team would move in soon. Cathal was used to riding on mounts. but this was his biggest one yet. As they rose up to the sky, he felt an exhilarating rush. Nihal was no newbie to flight and flowed in and out of currents and drags with ease, finally arriving at their destination. Now came the tricky part; they had no way of telling where any given person was, so their best bet was to randomly hit the windows.
  
  He pushed his bangs out of his face, instinctively rubbing the scar that ran down the right side of his face. He'd gained that during the battle where he'd lost his wife, but it wasn't the time to reminiscence.
  Cathal's eyes zeroed in on the window just before the War Room's west window: there.
  
  "Nihal!" His low baritone barely covered over the wind, but he was certain the dragon had heard it. He was a good lad, if a bit too affectionate. He'd have to forgive the lack of social graces; it wasn't as if he'd been raised with their customs. "Focus your power on that window!" He briskly tapped at the right side of the red dragon's neck until Nihal's eyesight focused on the right one. "Cut off their access to the War Room!" While the blasts of fire were far from impenetrable, it would considerably slow down anyone trying to use that route. Which was fine; their goal was to stall and distract. He wanted to be with the main team, but there weren't enough mounts to go around.
  
  "They better hurry." He was itching to use the axe strapped to his back. Ottia needed to get it hammered into their heads that they stood no match against them.
  
  
  

[ohirushika]

Millie had a bad feeling the entire day as she patrolled through the whole Fort Meringue. It was the usual quiet worry that whispered in her ear due to the war. She had no problem if she needed to protect herself when it came down to it; it was her charge she was concerned about. That woman tended to... leap before she looked and often times she had to follow alongside her to make sure she came out unscathed. It had been her job for a long time now and still she finds herself exasperated over it.

There were rumors flying all around that the Almean army was going to strike this fortress and although they had taken precaution and stationed troops in various strategic places, Millie couldn't help but still feel that it wasn't enough. Despite the building being designed to be a formidable defense, the enemy had something they weren't quite prepared for: dragons and taguels. She had heard about it from the discussions in the war room, but she had yet to see one herself. Wyverns were cousins to the fabled beast of the skies but actually being witness to one itself was a completely different experience. At that time she didn't realize her encounter with one would be sooner than she'd expect.

Night came and blackened the sky, causing the troops all over to be on high alert. Millie stared down from the west balcony, watching companies move from one place to another in their nightly rounds. She wasn't alone for Zoltar, Liv and of course the princess herself were nearby. She wouldn't let the pink haired heiress wander on her own. She gripped the lance in her hand, the warrior inside her anticipating for something she couldn't place and it was not disappointed when soldiers began suppressing the siege happening at the North Gate.

The battle had begun.

As predicted, the front soldiers could not keep the enemy at bay and the first floor turned into a battleground. Millie was eager to join in but stayed knowing full well if she left, Vivian would do something heroically stupid. She did not want that woman joining her down below, especially if the Almeans wanted her dead. The bodyguard didn't have a lot of time to ponder further when the west wall shook with onslaught of attacks from the outside. Millie braced herself just as a mix of fire and lightning jutted into the windows blindly seeking anything to hit. The violet haired soldier gritted her teeth. She couldn't do anything because she didn't have long range but she had two people who could. Regaining her balance she turned her attention to the mage and archer stationed with her and began barking orders.

"Zoltar, see if you can find an opening between the attacks at the window and return fire. Liv, snipe anyone you can on the first floor before they can reach the second. Shoot only if you're certain you won't miss and if they've breached, help Zoltar with the enemies outside. Vivian, keep away from the windows!" the latter part was probably obvious but Millie couldn't help but treat the girl like a child at times.
#915C83

[Kaynava]

• Great... Just great. Now he was going to have to buy and roast an entire pig when they got this done and over with. Wait, no, he had to buy two to shut Grim up about putting Nihal in danger during this mission (though if the Ottians did seriously hurt his babies charges.... it was enough to say that he wouldn’t have to buy pigs to spike and roast over a fire for meat anymore). Plus the giant furball would probably be a little disappointed about not getting any special treatment as well for all the work he would be doing today. Eugh he would think of buffing Nihal's scales and combing Grim's fur later. Did he have any catnip left?
  
  He shook his head, his silky white mane flowing in the breeze (dammit it was getting too long, he'd have to chop it off sometime). Oh how the mighty have fallen. When did he become this domesticated? Or as domestic as being the protector of a dragon and a taguel was. Venett would have laughed at him if he had been here. Ashl grimaced. They certainly had parted ways on a sour note. Ashl was surprised that his best friend, or if Venett even considered them still friends, would be so closed minded. Sheca’s tits! Ashl himself had been born and tagged as a lowly slave. Venett had managed to see him as an equal, even a close friend. However, when presented with otherworldly beings he showed the same disgusted expression as all of the other freemen who had looked down upon him when he was nothing more than a pale-skinned beggar on the streets. The white thing. Dirty little freak. The childhood taunts resurfaced in his mind when Venett refused to see past initial appearances. That angered him more than anything his old friend had tried to say that day.
  
  Nonetheless, Venett was-or had been-the only family he had, even without any blood connection. He'd left a short letter regarding his plans and future whereabouts for his friend back at the cabin, but the hard-headed b*****d never bothered to contact him. He'd even disappeared off the face of the Earth when Ashl tried to send another letter to him. Ignoring him? The little s**t!
  
  Gods he was getting old, reminiscing right before they were to set off. He looked to the horizon and saw the sun had set. The lamps outside the fort winked on. Nihal, Cathal, N/A, and Saren set off at the sign. “Okay, time to go.” He patted Grim’s furry shoulder before hopping onto his own steed. He heard the crack of fire and lightning begin to hit the west of the fort. At Lucrame's stuttered command (Gods help them that a twiggy kid like this was one of the leaders of Altea), they quietly made it towards the Household Apartment stairs. Ashl would be taking the lead since unfortunately he was the most disadvantaged in this situation and had to get out of harms way as quickly as he could. He wanted to rail at that fact, but he knew it was true and he wasn't about to let his pride get Ernie or the others hurt. The other smartass Alteans would probably rub it in later. Assholes, the lot of them. Once they neared the front entrance, he sped up. The enemies would have likely spotted them already. Now it was a race to get up those stairs and meet with Cerise. He hoped she wasn’t gutted up there with armed forces waiting for them when they charged through the stairwell. That would put a kicker to their plans.
  
  The wind whipped against his face as Ernie clopped towards their destination. He heard his team following him closely. At last the stairwell entrance enlarged in his sights. He veered and shot through, clopping up the stone steps.
  
  

location // inside the household apartment stairwell that is closest to the front entrance
ooc // Tell me if I need to change anything or if I went ahead too quickly.

[Onelaughing]

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When sunset had arrived, the mercenary had long taken up his post in the throne room. Among all the Ottians, Venett was assigned to protect the location that ultimately decided who had command over the fortress. If the Almeans were moving in on any one point, this would be it. Since it had been decided and the plans had been mulled over countless times in the War Room, it was clear that he would need to keep control of it no matter what, and it meant that he was not posted there just to die. He would fend of any rivaling man with his life. After all, he no longer feared taking another man's life because he knew no one to trust. He would fight with no regrets.

Even Ashl, his former best friend, he could not confide in any longer, since there had been no trace of him since their last encounter in Yarish. Venett could even say, he had lost all trust in the man he once knew. And now, that man was surely dead under the arms of those winged beasts that he had trusted so much. So much as to sever the trust between them. That b*****d, did he really trusts those things to the points he would die for them? Venett should have stopped him, knowing what those beasts could do to him. Instead of walking out that door, he should grabbed that a*****e of a friend and done him in right then and there. He shouldn't have left him to walk right into their arms and allowed him to die by the hands or wings or claws or whatever the hell that those things had. Why Ashl had trusted those things, he never understood. He couldn't fathom the reason why his best friend would choose them... over him. That b*****d.

Keeping at his post, Venett barely had any visual on the playing field. He continually looked at one of the only direct routes into the throne room and watched for any kind of movement in the setting light. There had been no signs as of yet and nothing that caught his eye directly outside the windows, but he suspected that this would surely change near the fall of night. The cover of darkness would be their ally if the enemy didn't make any flashy moves. He did however catch a glimpse of lanterns that looked like specs of light from the window. Allied soldiers that were probably scouting just before nightfall. Almeans wouldn't be caught dead making light and attracting attention to themselves when the sun had started setting, right? The only light that he expected to see were those of magic tomes and flames of those wretched beasts.

No trip wires had sounded yet, although even if it did, it wasn't his first priority to go and look. He had no one that he wanted to look after either. Once again, he found no one worth dying for. Only the throne room. And through the throne room, he would likely meet some of those Almeans. He tapped at the hilt of his sword subconsciously, almost as if he were impatient for an encounter. Although, his role seemed vital and encountering any enemy would mean that they have come too close to their goal. That, he could not allow.

After taking one more glimpse out the windows and even circling the room at a slow pace, staying close to the walls, he saw nothing. It was silent as well, for now. He eyed the small room that was connected only to the throne room and saw that the door was still shut. No one should be in there, and it was always closed. When he first entered the room, he had left the door closed that way. The mercenary grunted in satisfaction with inspection complete for the time being.

Slowly, he pushed the door open while peaking into the hall. His hand was positioned at the hilt of his sword, prepared in case a strange or sudden situation were to occur. When all was quiet and secure and the same to Ottians occupied the hall, he called out to them. "All clear from my position." He looked to his fellow Rogue and then to the supposed potentially important fighter. His expression went didn't waver and he showed no concern. He had decided to routinely check up in the hall in case thieves came through the windows or a fight broke out in the courtyard or if their alarms didn't set off or something. He would only be eager to catch one of those winged things and see what they were all about.

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IT WAS YOU OR I, AND I THOUGHT YOU DIED. tab tab tab VENETT DAI NAESOU

[bitsu bi]

• If there was anything more troublesome than the fact they had to cater to Nihal and Grim’s needs, it was that they had to do it on the battlefield too. It was ridiculous that they had to haul around people who didn’t belong on the battlefield, and most shamefully, one of the three, aside from Nihal and Grim, was Serith, the future leader of Paradon. If Grim and Nihal’s blatant naiveté was not discouraging enough, it was that Serith, who holds future Paradon in his hands, was so... disappointing. Okay, that was a little cruel, she understood he was trudging along the best he could; however, he was just... trudging much slower than Cerise expected. At least he’s not an incompetent mage. Cerise thought despondently, directing her attention to the current problem at hand... That is, convincing Nihal to transform into a dragon for their mission to take Fort Merengue. She hopped on to what Leo was saying about the likelihood of Serith’s death rising, should Nihal not transform, curtly interrupting “his highness” as she did so.
  
  “If you transform, Serith will give you a hug everyday!” Cerise’s face and tone were the opposite of the concern that was running through her mind five seconds ago, but if she wanted to make the future seige any less worrisome, then she’d have to focus on convincing Nihal to transform, since it would make their mission easier. Fortunately, while his naiveté was troublesome, it also made convincing him easier. Nihal was just curious and affectionate, so they’ll give him something to focus his attention or excitement on. A hug was a simple enough bribe, at least, for Cerise, because the person hugging Nihal was Serith. Paradon would fall before Cerise offered herself up as a bribe. I mean, what? Oh, the seige, yeah.
  
  Eventually, the time for the real thing began. Almea was moving in the middle of the night, using the darkness as their cover. Now this is more my style. Becoming Almea’s top assassin was not something Cerise achieved in her sleep, and as you’d guess, most of the work that got her that name was done at night. At least, there was something familiar about this mission compared to her previous ones. Cooperating with a group was unusual for Cerise, but the leaders of Paradon told her to roll with it, so she did. Cerise treaded with careful silence, until she reached the Northeast Tower of the fort. It seemed poorly guarded, or less than what she’d expected, but considering its disadvantageous position, that was to be expected (and it was the very reason they chose for her to head for that tower compared to the others).
  
  Not wanting to risk being caught so early in the game (and how pathetic would that be, someone who specialized in sneaking around and being one of the first to be caught), she proceeded with caution as she climbed into the tower via the window. Doesn’t sound like anyone’s here. Cerise remarked when she entered, but that didn’t matter. First impressions were hardly ever accurate, so she continued on like someone might pop out at any given moment (and that could still happen, so). The plan was for her to proceed separately through the tower, get the treasure waiting on top, and then wait for Ashl to show up. At least on her part, everything went A-OK, from her entering the tower unseen by any of the foot soldiers, to getting the treasure waiting on the top of the tower. All she had left to do was to wait and hope everyone didn’t have some bout of misfortune and get themselves killed already.

[bitsu bi]

• 
  This was it. The mission she’d been informed of beforehand and spent time planning was finally here. To say Yulia was nervous about it now that it was actually happening was accurate. She’d thought time and time about it before, and it wasn’t the first time she felt unnerved over it, but they say the value of first-hand experience is what it is because thinking about it will never be the same as feeling it. Whatever anxiousness she may have experienced before was not like what it was now... but, mind you, she’s not having a panic attack over here. At first glance, she looked totally composed. It’s not like Yulia signed up for this war without knowing what it meant. Even as a healer, who took a backseat role in all the conflict, unexpected things could happen on the battlefield. The possibility of dying never escaped her for a second, but if she was so afraid of that that she couldn’t move, then clearly, she never should have become a participant. Of course, that wasn’t the case, so here she was now.
  
  That’s a metaphor, by the way, because right now, Yulia technically wasn’t moving. She was a troubadour; in other words, a healer on a mount. At that moment, there was less walking and more being stationary on a horse, but Yulia didn’t mind that. Rather, it was preferable; horseback riding was far from unfamiliar to her. If she was going to get any sense of familiarity in this mission, then she’d gladly take it, because this whole thing was entirely out of her range of comfort right now. With one hand on the reigns (not that she found it necessary, Iris was usually a well-mannered horse) and the other on her staff, she proceeded in silence. The groups had separated by now, divided up into three teams. Cabal, Saren, Cathal, and Nihal were going to pose a distraction on the West, while Cerise would enter through the Northeast Tower on her own. That left the rest of them in the final team, storming through the front entrance... Well, at least, the rest of them would be doing the storming. Yulia was completely support-based until she mastered Anima Magic, so she’d take a backseat and watch them do all the work... and occasionally heal, if needed, but that was mostly reserved for when they meet up with the team stationed at the West.
  
  Compared to the rest of her group, Yulia was a little behind, but not unreasonably so and not without reason. That was in case anyone (and she’d hoped not, for the success of the mission) on the West side needed to be healed. So far, so good, but it was only the beginning. If anything, when she does meet up with them, they’ll probably be all beat up. Apparently we’re the deadweight of any team, Yulia thought, But if we’re the deadweight, why are we given the work only we can do? Because only we can do it, and it’s important. She used plural because she was talking about healers as a whole. Well, we do need someone else to fight for us, which I guess can overshadow any kind of usefulness healing provides. Yulia thought, thinking back to Leo, who was sitting behind her. He was probably bored out of his mind with any limbs to hack away at (do you think he’s some sort of sadist, Yulia?), especially since they were a bit farther back and away from any potential fighting. It wouldn’t be long before everyone was exchanging blows, though; they were going straight for the second floor, and without a doubt, a large number of people will be there. She’d like to say she’d wish they were careful about not getting hurt, but what do you think the point of a battle is? Yulia was here for a reason, and that was it.

[caffye west]

b

wow this is the laziest post style I have ever seen someone help me i suck cry r o c k tab o f tab s t a b i l i t y

"If you don't transform, Serith's chance of dying jumps from 30% to 90%." As usual, Serith Lucrame was afraid of everything that moved and it brought joy to Leonexis' black heart to terrify him even more. Seems like he's been taking lessons from the queen sadist, Cerise. Highly unlikely, but with the way there were tagteaming on the poor shaman, it honestly looked like they were even... friends? ... Rest in peace, because someone just randomly died thanks to that utter lie. He'd gone as pale as a ghost and Leo had a brief flash of worry he was about to collapse, but he spoke soon enough.

"W-w-wait why do --"

"If you transform, Serith will give you a hug everyday!" A grin formed on Leo's face at the shaman's expression; it was priceless. The setting sun's light was just enough to illuminate his features. He wanted a bit of fun before the siege tonight; he was legitimately excited, but at the same time too much was riding on it for him to take lightly. He needed to take the edge off and if terrorizing Serith could help guarantee the mercenary's success, then it was a small price to pay.

Instead of playing along, however, Serith had the gall to protest. That was when Leo knew it was time to stop playing nice. He snuck up behind the white-haired boy and subtly brought out the dagger he hid somewhere in his clothes. When Nihal looked to the oracle for confirmation, he pressed the weight of it against the small of his back. Of course, Leo had absolutely no intention of hurting Serith: that was a lot like shooting yourself in the foot. But they needed him to go along with the plan if Almea was to succeed. And Mordices never let a someone's trust down. It was sad to think his own sister forgot that rule.

Saren's curt final words brought an end to the last minute plan session, and Leonexis' brown eyes met his father's; it was time to get serious.

tab tab tab tab - - - - TIME SKIP

He could hear the panicked wails of distraught Ottians when they realized there was a dragon in their midst. Some even gave up entirely without putting up a fight; he saw one Ottian put down their weapon as they saw that the dragon really did exist. Leonexis snorted. If they actually knew the dragon, they'd probably be too busy gaping at how his appearance didn't match his personality. He'd spent the better part of their journey to Ottia trying to associate that the kid was actually the creature of legends. Grim was still somewhat believable with his size; yeah, he could lack in social graces but that was expected of either of them. Leo didn't have the right to judge; what with pointing an oversized knife at their "leader" he highly doubted that counted as social norms.

Still, he grinned in misplaced pride as the said cowardly leader casted a spell just as they turned left into the staircase. It missed the intended target, but the sheer power of it was enough to knock anyone nearby off-balance. To be honest in terms of fighting power, Serith was probably the strongest of all of them. Just keep him within a stone wall because he'd probably fall over the moment something hit him.

Soon enough he and Yulia entered the stairwell. He stayed alert for anyone who wanted to follow them up, but no Ottian came. He kept his hand on the hilt of his sword though; he'd rather not be caught unaware by anyone. Five minutes had passed; they still had a lot of time before Grim started to return to his human form. But not a minute should be wasted since if they dallied too long, otherwise they'd be pinned by both the Ottians already in the fort as well as the reinforcements coming. If they were taking Fort Merengue, they'd have to do it now. Once they gained control of Fort Merengue, the reinforcements wouldn't bother attacking anymore.

His brown eyes continued to watch the fight from the two dingy windows inside the sparsely decorated apartments. It was the servant's quarters so Leo hadn't expected much in the first place. In fact it was a stroke of luck they even knew there was a way through here without having to force themselves through the courtyard. They could be say from any arrows if they stayed outside the courtyard.

The mercenary finally turned to the thief they'd brought along to ease the path some. One could practically hear the sarcasm and animosity dripping from his next words. "Well Cerise, you didn't get gutted and you got the treasure. Good job! Now hop onto Panty-wearing Ashl." A grim yet almost happy smile formed on his lips.

"And let the real siege begin."




xxxxxxxx

[VASTASSA]

♙xxxNyx Mavros

↳ WYVERN RIDERx!xxxSTAR OF VIGILANCE


HP┃████████████████
xVERN'S HP┃████████████████

xxx"So knock me down, tear me up
xxxbut I would bear it all broken just to fill my cup."

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

[oops sorry if this is riddled with typos c': ]

Today would not be a brilliant day to mess with a certain long haired wyvern rider, who was already burning in an internal rage brighter than her crimson colored eyes. Almea had a problem of being on par of the collective intelligence of an unruly daycare for toddlers. On top of that, it's members probably belonged in a daycare on top of it all. Serith was as far from reliable as could be (not that she'd say outloud, that could cause more trouble than it was worth), and then there was Nihal who was a complete disgrace to all of his species. While the group went about trying to convince him into transforming, Nyx couldn't help but wonder if Vern would be as obnoxious if he could turn into a human. For her own sake she assumed he would be the male version of herself.

Long story short, Nyx's temper had been slowly bubbling with every minute that passed where someone had to take longer than she'd like. And trust me, there was always a lot of that.

After watching time pass by slower than mollasses, they were finally allowed to head out. She just thanked her god that she had been rewarded with someone who wasn't completely insufferable to ride with her; not that it meant she'd be exchanging pleasantries with her because of it.

No matter how many times Nyx witnessed someone using magic, regardless of type, she couldn't help but feel a bit awestruck and jealous. Being able to summon the elements to your own need was, well, incredible to say the least. As much as she internally wished to have something flashy (haha that's kind of a pun) like Saren had, she still had her own prowess in things others didn't. Take Vern for example; not a whole lot of people could say they were the leader of a city's wyvern unit, could they?

Another one of Nihal's firey attacks snapped herself out of her own arrogance and she gripped onto Vern tighter. "I suggest you make sure you hold on as well as you're able to right now," She reminded Saren, "Under the event that you fall off, it's unlikely I'll be able to catch you." Vern was already a bit spooked by the carnage going on around him, having to do sudden commands like that wouldn't turn out pretty for anyone.

[sin delicious]

[******** everything.

Ambra paced the inside of the War Room with her lance clenched tightly in a single fist as her mind raced. They'd been waiting nearly all day for the Almean's to launch their attack and just as they'd switched over from day to night she couldn't stop the almost giddy feeling of excitement coursing through her. Currently they were bombarding the west wall nearest to her and she waited for a group of sheep to come charging up the stairs at her ready for slaughter. As the first fire ball hurled the window though their strategy became apparent. Shock and awe on the west while maintaining an uncomfortable silence on the east.

As much as she'd like to think they'd decided the War Room was the greater asset and that the team assembled on the other end of the fort was doing fine something told her something was up. The amount of force being levied against them was distracting, but it was also destructive. They didn't seem to care if the War Room was lost as collateral damage as long as they killed the Ottian forces within. Not a bad strategy but certainly not a good one. Merengue wouldn't be any good to them if half of it was left exposed in the wake of these attacks. Children's tactics- if they couldn't have it, no one could. Well, two could play at that game.

Gathering a sheaf of papers she rolled them tightly together and set them aflame in the fireplace. The strategist in her wept at the loss of intelligence but the tactician in her recognized the viability of her plan. Scattering the pages throughout the room the fire caught on the stacks of aged paper and roared to life quickly, eating through all of their hard work in seconds.

Opening the door to escape the hellish pit of death awaiting any poor soul unfortunate enough to climb the south west tower Ambra was met with a near steady stream of flame barreling through the window closest to her. Lightning also lanced throughout the hallway at random intervals and Ambra could see the logistical nightmare threatening to unfold as a very real and very dangerous dragon hovered outside their walls. The only time she could imagine mounting a dragon involved its head on a plaque hanging above her fireplace. There was time for her Martha Stewart moment later though, right now she had people to organize. As always time seemed to slow itself around her as her mind raced and reacted to the situation until it snapped back into place at full volume and she just barely ducked another stream of flame. A rock and a hard place would have been preferred to the wall of fire behind and before her.

This was going to hurt.

Dismantling her heavy chest plate in favor of the lighter mail beneath Ambra tucked her hair into her tunic and braced herself against the door before running forward at the next gap. It was like running into a wall of heat and she rolled along the carpet as she felt another wave of flame wash over her. It suffocated her for an instant and she caught the distinct scent of burning hair before she emerged on the other side relatively unscathed. Short of breath certainly and a little singed at the edges but on the whole it could have been much worse. Ignoring the scratchy cough lodged in the back of her throat she did her best to project her voice within the hall. "Zoltar, focus on taking out the lightning mage. Liv, you handle the other b***h. When the fire starts to spread from the War Room just retreat down the stairwell and make your way up to the East Tower where we'll back up the other team. Ringles will cover us from the air," she instructed, working her way down the hall towards the north-west tower in order to cover Vivian on her other side in case anyone decided to come storming up the stairs. The path had to be clear in order for them to evacuate after all.


tab tab AMBRA - HP 106/120

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
ＳＴＲＥＮＧＴＨＣＥ: ██████████ 7/10
ＤＥＦＥＮＳＥＮＣＥ: ██████████ 7/10
ＲＥＳＩＳＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 2/10
ＳＫＩＬＬＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 4/10
ＬＵＣＫＳＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 1/10
xxxxxxxxDODGE RATE: 8moveover
Sin rolled a die with 20 sides. The die showed: 3 19:27
Sin: yep woulda been hit 19:27
Sin: *out of curiosity* 19:31
Sin asked Chatzy to choose between fire and lightning. Chatzy chose: fire 19:31
Sin: omfg chatzy you troll 19:31
Sin: *curious* o mo 19:33
Sin rolled a die with 10 sides. The die showed: 8 19:33
Sin: ;throws all the furniture 19:35
Sin: ******** it im just going to use these anyways 19:38

[NeverAging]

l ◝♕ ::x WINGS OF HASTE >> R I N G E L S
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
xl ＳＴＲＥＮＧＴＨＣＥ: ██████████ 4 tab ＭＡＧＩＣＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 1
xl ＤＥＦＥＮＳＥＮＣＥ: ██████████ 2 tab ＲＥＳＩＳＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 6
xl ＨＩＴＩＰＯＩＮＴＳSTI: ██████████ 2 tab :ＳＫＩＬＬＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 6
xl ＳＰＥＥＤＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 6 tab ＬＵＣＫＳＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 3


Rings HP: ██████████ 90/90
Paula HP: ██████████






The back barrier had been crossed, the last levee had broken, and the final gates had fallen. There was a short silence before the enemy charged; a split second where the two sides just stared at each other, muscles tensed with anticipation. Just enough time for a quick prayer and maybe a passing thought about joining the Peace Corps. Then the Almeans rushed the castle, declaring that Ottia should be destroyed and other unpleasant and borderline offensive gander. Swords clashed, lances pierced, and axes severed through flesh and bone. Blood splattered the battlefield. The invasion had begun.

His brown eyes glazed over the raging chaos below him, barely able to hear his own thoughts over the sounds of war on the ground. "Well." The words rolled over his chapped lips like tumbleweed in the desert. "This looks messy." His hands slowly released their tense clench on the reins, slowing his airborne advance. Diving right in didn't look so appetizing. Paula the Pegasus slowed, neighing or whatever it is flying horses say. The soldiers below him wailed, but the pegasus knight steadied his steed. He surveyed the area, looking for anyone of enemy leadership in the scrimmage. Considering
he was an enclosed space and royally sucked on foot, he could man up and fight or yanno, he could be strategic. Ringels shook out his off-colored golden brown hair, and nodded to himself. Being strategic sounded more up his alley.

So like the knight in shining armor he was, Rings avoided the fight altogether and flew across along the upper walls of the courtyard. He could hear commotion brewing on the West side, probably from wyvern attack. Paula neighed again, hinting that she'd rather be headbutting someone than circling the parameter, but Rings kept her from being distracted. That was the trick with defending against a castle siege: you couldn't let yourself be distracted. Don't send all your troops to where all the action is. Keep your eyes on everything and have your ears open. Rings just so happened to be the eyes and ears here.

There seemed to be a lot of fire from the west hallway, which could have been either from the dragons or someone's terrible cooking again, but whatever the reason, Rings flew in the opposite direction, specifically to an east hall window where he pounded on the glass until Lucretia saw him and opened it (pardon the godmod). "Hey, there's something going down on the other side, wyverns and fire and elemental crap. Stay sharp, they might be trying one of those strategy things where the attack on both sides." Ringels didn't know proper wording for war tactics. "I'll be back if/when I need ya." It was still quiet on this end, so they would probably be fine for a while. Though, he should go let Crux know what's up. They might not be able to salvage as much as they originally thought they could.

Ringels checked the ground once again for any obvious Almean officers, and when he didn't see any, he flew to the south end of the castle. It did make him a little weary though...where could they be? They couldn't have concentrated everyone on the west side, could they? Were they all just hiding out in the stables or something? Paula scoffed in the northern direction, but Rings didn't really have the manpower to take on a bunch of ground troops in a crowded castle by himself. "Crux!" Rings banged on the window. "How ya doin' in there buddy?"

[Teacup Wings]

X
l ◝♕ ::x FLAG OF PRIDExxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
v i v i a n x g u i l d e a n

tab tab ＨＰ: ████████████ 120/120

xl ＳＴＲＥＮＧＴＨＣＥ: ██████████ 5/10 tab ＭＡＧＩＣＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 1/10
xl ＤＥＦＥＮＳＥＮＣＥ: ██████████ 4/10 tab ＲＥＳＩＳＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 4/10
xl ＨＩＴＩＰＯＩＮＴＳ: ██████████ 5/10 tab ＳＫＩＬＬＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 5/10
xl ＳＰＥＥＤＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 4/10 tab ＬＵＣＫＳＴＡＮＣＥ: ██████████ 1/10
xxxxxxxxDODGE RATE: 7

Vivian tried to suppress the irritation tugging at her mouth. The other officers were crowded around the central table, gesturing expressly to the large map that they had been drawing up plans to defend Fort Merengue. Even the meek-looking boy with his tagalong sister was participating. Vivian wanted to participate too, but everyone was talking, offering intelligent ideas about tactical defenses and what not. She felt out of place in the room of hardened veterans. Surely, they should allow her a moment to speak. The princess had been studying war tactics for at least four years. Vivian huffed softly as she listened in on their battle plans. She didn’t really want anyone to hear her, but if someone did, they would know her frustration. Alright, huffing and puffing didn’t get anyone’s attention. Unable to contain herself another minute, Vivian strode to the center table with princess-like dignity, also slightly stomping.

“Sir Ringles can evacuate Crux,” the cherry-blossom-tressed girl nodded to the boy across the table, “after he retrieves the chest in the main bedroom, before Almea’s attack drives too far into us.”

Vivian wasn’t sure how to take the silence in the room after her interruption, but she was certain she delivered her thoughts clearly, confidently, and decisively. Like a leader, as was her natural birthright. Staying only long enough to catch Ambra’s thoughtful nod and triumphant half-smile, the princess promptly strode out of the room, satisfied with her contribution.

Millie might have something to say about it later though. That’s alright. Vivian held her head high as she made her was toward her post with Harold, her trusty steed.

As dusk fell over the fort, Vivian could hear the misleadingly distant sounds of battle starting at the northern gate. Behind the stone walls of the second level of the fort, the noises of battle were muffled. It was a strange sensation – feeling the battle so close, yet not quiet in her reach. With reports of Almea’s barbaric forces, she expected things to be more.. chaotic?

The princess directed her steed to look over the western balcony to get a better view of the battle raging on the level below. Her delicate mouth pouted in disappointment at the lack of any visual. She pulled on Harold’s reigns to take a peek from the window when a sudden eruption of thunder and fire shocked away her recent disappointment. The western walls of Fort Merengue shook with the magic onslaught coming from the outside.

After regaining control of her mount, Vivian saw the source of the attacks. A mage casting atop a wyvern, and a… a dragon! Breathing fire! For a moment, the princess was lost in awe of the creature she’d only heard of in legends standing, no, flying right before her. She would have to admit she would have been entranced for longer if it wasn’t for Millie snapping out orders as usual.

Some stuff to the people around her and then: “Vivian, keep away from the windows!"

Obviously. She wasn’t stupid.

Just to make sure Millie had nothing to complain about, Vivian hovered closer to the balcony, away from the windows, and allowed the two ranged soldiers to do their shooting thing. While she was there, she looked over the balcony again. Ringles was still the only one in the courtyard, flitting here and there. Except for the western wall, all seemed eerily peaceful. Not in the good kind of eerily peaceful either. Vivian gripped her lance tighter, and steeled herself for anything that could happen. She would be ready.

A burst of flames and Ambra rolled out of the war room, shouting out more orders. Well, that was slightly unexpected, but she would be ready for the next thing that happened. For sure.




- - c a v a l i e rxxx{

LOCATION: really long hall