Welcome to Gaia! ::

She waited till The knight was out of sight and to speak like she has a chance of any, to protect this reborn. Her gaze went back up upon the Fea.
"Suppose I do have one in return, Still I don't think you are willing to make such deals."
Enduria then looked out.
"Go, And fight your war, but I won't leave the Reborn's side."

"I can... But would it really be safe for you to be right in the heart of the enemy lines?" asked Astalder. If the Prince were killed, it would likely have a similar effect for the King's death... only the army might still fight to kill off the rest of their group for siding with Kocerou. Even so, it would still decide the winner of this war.

"If we're going to try and dive bomb him or anything to that effect, it'd also put you real close to the King," added Blade as he thought this over, "But.. at that point if he hadn't detected us before he might find out too late anyway."

If the Prince were to accompany them, it would put extra pressure on the dragon and thief to make sure things were done well. They had to make sure he remained safe as well.

Location: Dragon Knights' Outpost
Active Players: Reborn Enduria, Ira/Bullseye, Champion Leverne, Reborn Ruscar, Commander Tumlar/Bantone, Squire Warden/Jace

"You arrive at a fortunate time, messengers. We are making preparations and will need word returned to the main force," Tumlar stated, listening to their introductions, the voice of his bound at the back of his mind asking if these two were who they claimed to be. With the rogue prince busy on new plans and short on numbers, chances were these two were genuine. Leverne could say otherwise. "But a request? Continue on," the dragon knight permitted.

With this information, Blade and Astalder had to wonder just what the King's plans were to defeat Kocerou. Did they plan on simply capturing the guy? But it did at least make things look better on their end. There were still some unknown factors, but they were getting a better feeling about this.

"Alright. We'll do it," nodded Blade.

With that said, Astalder moved closer to the rebel Prince so that the guy could climb on aboard.

"Just try to hang on. I'll try to come in around towards their side but things could easily get bumpy if we're spotted before we reach the King."

For a moment, Blade let out a soft chuckle while shaking his head.

"No. Not really the sorts of things for me. Or us really," he said with a grin, making sure he was set in the harness nicely. It was still kind of daunting really. They've gotten into dangerous situations but they've never had to go sneaking about a battlefield of all places. Hopefully they'll be able to pull this off.

<> Astalder asked, sensing some of the apprehension in his bound.

<>

While the Prince gave his rallying speech, the thief glanced around at the Fae that were on their side. Many of them would be dead by the end of this most likely, but in the long run their success was for the better.

Whenever everything was all set, the black dragon took to the skies.

Location: Battlefield - King's forces & Dragon Knights
(Reposting image - note this is pre-line up but the approximate location is about the same)

Red Squares = Dragon Knights
(in back as need more room to take off and not knock over fae troops)
Red Square/Blue Filling = group with Knight Tumlar & Bound Bantone
Red Square/Green Filling = group with the two Dragon Knight Healers
Blue X = ???



The King's army was a thundering crescent moon of metal, leather, and wood - a just as alive as the voices of the fae and their rides. Some of the more exotic armor and extraordinary weapons probably ~were~ alive if one could look more closely. Hand-sized brownies with nutcap helms, slender nymphs aglow in wisps of magic, elven beings in bark-scale stronger than steel, all had lines within the masses atop the rocky soil, all here for that of their king. All eyes waiting for the signal for their unit. All eyes watching across the expanse at the smaller rebellion in the distance.

And the Dragon Knights had a center stage view of it all from behind the Fae King's position. It had been a time since Tumlar had seen numbers quite like this. Not even the Fallen had quite found the unity yet to create a force that made this much din on a raid. There were not enough humans yet in the Border to echo the battle cries with the exception of maybe those beneath Lady Yvette's banner, but even then, mercenary men could only be paid so much to stand firm like this when there wasn't a need.

Tumlar looked back toward the center where the King and his entourage of royal guardsmen would be, the Silver Rose's champion currently within their midst conducting what last minute preparations he had to complete no doubt. It took a moment, but Tumlar could still see that the fae was still carrying the sword his bound had lent him before arrival at the field. Whether the champion had still reported the loss of his personal blade or not was no concern of his own - though he hoped regardless of the choice, that it did not affect Leverne's position. It did not look as if it had. At least not yet.

'You should stop thinking of his hide and think of ours. It better come back or Master Leirce will have us chained to the smithy's furnace until we roast or make up for all the ones we've lost.'

Tumlar chuckled. His bound was probably correct in that thinking there. Ranked knights they may be, but they did not have the best track record when it came to their own weapons, destroyed, lost, or otherwise. They were currently using one of the few spares from the outpost. It was not like their own, but it would do if they had need. Looking over the field it was obvious that there was need.

'Maybe I should have held him to a fae promise instead of just telling him to return it afterwards,' he pressed at his human counterpart, immediately sensing a grumbling silence. Something about 'no good coming out of that either' or some sort of nonsense. Bantone never was one for tempting fate. Then again, neither was he, and they let the brief moment of banter die away, their only disruption to the storm around them as dragon and rider turned around, back toward those few of their own kind waiting.

Two lines of five, once he joined the front line, with the one healer pair remaining behind the king's position to help fae and dragon alike. With them was the one additional unbound healer and as their personal defense one unbound tracker. Both were also any unfortunate dragon's second chance to regain flight should it be lost with their bound's demise. A viable possibility and one not wished upon, but it was just one more reason both the unbound had come.

"To attention, Knights!" Tumlar called out, standing full height before those dragons and riders before him. He wondered how many he would still count after seeing it all through. "Take heed! I come amongst you a fellow soldier, one who chose to be here, not for glory or riches, but duty and honor, for the sake of all dragonkind. Without us, how many would be caught in the crossfire that you see here? How many would be lost? Your place here ensures others' futures, ensures their protection. In this way we remember our calling, we have been brought here each by our individual reasons for becoming Knights, for becoming who we are today and it is with our lives and honor that we live up to that calling. We shall let them all know, ally and foe alike, here and today, what we stand for and that we are a force to be reckoned with! We ride as Dragon Knights!"

All manner of hoopla rang afterwards from the small group in the middle of the army, dragon bellows echoing across the surrounding rock louder than the calls of the hunting horns used by that of the surrounding fae. Had they been disturbed or bothered by the noise, Tumlar had no care for such trivialities. The Dragon Knights present would have their moment for they knew their first agreed plans for the battle could very well be the end of them...

Kocerou

"Get as high as you can," Kocerou urged Astalder, "We don't want to be close to the knights when they take wing."

And the Prince settled back on the dragon's back, gazing out towards the battlefield with a look of concern on his face. Below them his force was spreading out in their assigned positions, trying to stay where the terrain was uneven and the broken hills gave them some cover from being hit directly by the King's forces. Kocerou's prompt deployment had let them have some pick of terrain, but it wasn't ideal and their right flank would be too exposed for Kocerou's liking. Couldn't be helped. He could only hope to end this quickly.

"I've got one trick up my sleeve," Kocerou told both Blade and Astalder, "Look. Do you see there?"

A group of five fae, mounted on horses, were breaking out from the left flank of skirmishers and were racing across the front of Kocerou's line, drifting out into the no-man's land between the two armies. The one in the lead carried Thorn and his long, unbound hair was the same color as the Prince's.

"The sword is a conduit," Kocerou said, "for royal magic. Not only has that fae taken on my appearance with glamors, but I will be able to channel my power through that sword. Hopefully they'll take the bait and focus their attention on the false prince, brave soul that he is. Now we just wait and let them come to us and step within range of our archers..."

------------------------------------------
Leverne

The champion of the fae was silent as he rode at the head of the King's unit. His liege had said little of his report, only that he was pleased they would have the Dragon-Knights with them and that they would address the loss of Thorn later, when they knew how this day would unfold. Leverne was then dismissed from his King's presence. That told him enough. The King was displeased.

Still. His gaze flickered to the side, back to where the Queen rode at her husband's side, her horse adorned with armor and her dress exchanged for a suit of armor as fine as any fae could craft. She carried a spear and a sword at her waist. For a moment their eyes locked and he read her intent quite clearly: no matter what happened, he would remain champion. She would see to it. That comforted him.

Up ahead he saw a small group break away from the main force, with the lead rider carrying Thorn.

"There!" the King cried to his guard, "We fight our way to the traitor-prince. Leverne, you have your duty - kill him and take back Thorn."

Again, Leverne looked aside to the Queen and she gently shook her head from side to side. Well. He had his orders then. He held his sword up to signal the rest of the army.

"Advance!" he cried and the command was repeated across the line.

Location: Battlefield - King's forces & Dragon Knights

The king's sign was given.

The head of the small troop of Dragon Knights lifted his head to the sky, a brassy bugle rising above the din as his bound's raised his open hand, and like an ax, dropped it forward. Tumlar and the lead row leapt with wings strong, second following not far behind, the ground windstorm felt by even those fae troops still standing close.

The flight of the first row sailed over the king's army quickly, flight carrying them faster then the charge and into the forward mark like two wedges of migrating geese with a destiny other than the southlands. It was breaths before they came into enemy firing range from the flanks.

'Shields!' Knight Tumlar ordered of the formation as they crossed, knights immediately buckling down against their dragons, shielding the side closest to the volley that would be shot at them.

Not too much longer. A few more wingbeats. He was holding his breath.

And there ahead and below was the cavalry charge.

'Fire!' Tumlar shouted as he let forth a belch of roaring dragonfire drop through the air, and followed quickly by the other four it was a rain of molten stars crashing to the ground just in front of the fae riders and the one leading the charge. The alternating blast from the second line moments later rumbled before the explosion rocked the ground atop the fae cavalry.

It all happened just before the first rain of wood and metal came.

There was no time to review the damage below, knowing deep craters in the earth and rock would disrupt the charge where direct hits and secondary fire did not make their mark. The sounds of arrows were immediately all around, the slice of air, the thud and scrape on shield and armor. There was a scream of a dragon from the right while Tumlar's attention was briefly taken left by erratic wings. Already the dragon knight there was struggling to stay airborne, unbalanced as a quarter of the dragon's wing sail was shredded. Information from his bound confirmed that the dragon on the far right had dropped.

'Tell them to drop their carry!' Tumlar mentally called to his bound, throwing another glance to the wounded wing man just before something ricocheted off the bridge of his nose.

He felt more than saw the arrow that defected off the plate between his eyes as they began to rise higher into the air to make room for the second wedge and to return the first one to the landing. They would be flying straight shot over the battlefield, a far safer combination than trying to make a bulky turn in midair that would put them right over and in front of the archers on their return. This way their route would carry them past and behind the lines.

That was where the strapped bags the size of potato sacks came in. Inside was something that resembled that of giant bunches of grapes, each grape easily the size of a potato but round as a peach. Finding that the Dragon Knights would have plenty of unused airtime as they crossed the field, Tumlar had taken it upon himself to discuss more closely with Leverne and the fae tacticians other options of attack. Carrying a fae caster had been considered but even with the perks of additional defense or artillery fire they could provide, the extra weight plus larger target counteracted the benefits.

The bags, however, were not so heavy. The one already dropped by the struggling knight pair had probably already hit the ground and burst open, vines quickly crawling out with godlike speed grabbing what troops it had entangled in its reach as it spread. With how early it had been dropped though, at most it would catch stray cavalry or careless foot troops. Where the remaining knights planned to drop the rest of the bags, farther amongst the ground troops, would provide more than a simple distraction.