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 Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 7:27 pm
Thus, the last enemy by the group fell. They had all formed back up together and dealt with each others pursuers. All archers near them were gone. Archers still searched from other rooftops from far off buildings, but most had left the rooftops to search on foot. At the moment, the group was by themselves.
"No one down this way, only bodies!" the voice of a soldier called out from one street over. "They've already passed through here. Quick, they're probably heading towards the gate! You, send word to gather there! Let's go!"
The echoing voice stopped and the clanking footsteps of soldiers arose in its place. By what they said, they would be passing by, not going down the alleyway that the group was in. However, if the group remained in the open, and a soldier glanced into the street as he passed, there was a good chance they would be seen. The street they were in had doors to buildings. some were locked, sealed, or blocked, but one was open. Reason dictated that they hurry inside to avoid being caught. The man on the roof would find an opening that led him inside the house next door to the open one. Once inside, he would find that the two houses were connected and he could pass into the house that the group could get into.
The shadows of the soldiers started to become visible. The group would have to act fast if they were to conceal themselves.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:08 pm
ﻬ Horatio ﻬ
▫ ▪Altiplos Warrior▪ ▫  Things were looking up, as the enemies were falling! Even the smallest numbers made a difference! It was far too early to celebrate though. The enemy had come prepared, from what Horatio could see, with reinforcements to back up the lines that fell against the small group. They needed a place to hold out against another wave.
His eye caught the location. "Here, there's a house open!" Horatio announced, pointing in its general direction before leading the charge to what would be a safe location for now. If trouble ran into him now, it would find his hammer.⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹ My hammer forges new hope,
My bow strikes for glory.
May I bring you both,
My liege, my country!
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 3:46 pm
Ziaram  You may call me useless for the fact that I am learning swordsmanship with my left arm With the archers down, all that left was moving on towards the center to take out the remaining enemies residing in Arajudia. Now there are two solutions Ziaram could have taken. The first is to go along the roof tops on his own and try to be a hero. However the flaw with this plan is that he would be an easy target for whatever lies ahead.
A glance around the area showed an opening near him, which he went into. Following the path towards the house near the others, he noted that this would be the only way he could regroup with them unless he wanted to jump down towards them, and thus cause even more pain to the group. They didn't need to lose someone. They had already been ambushed, and thus had to flee. They didn't need to have to carry anyone out due to a bad injury.
After he passed over to the other house where the group was forming up, he waved at them. "So far this has gone well. As long as we remain hidden, we can have the element of surprise. If we need to, there is another route we can take though, but it would be risky." Of course, he was thinking about the route through the roofs. Since this house was connected with the one he had entered earlier, then they could have a chance to get to the enemies, albeit it would be detected easily should enemies look upwards. I say that this is just another challenge for me to overcome while my arm is recovering
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:02 pm
With the group hidden inside a house, the troop of soldiers passed by the opening of the street, with but a mere glance that showed only the fallen bodies of their comrades. They continued towards the main gate, which was quickly becoming heavily guarded. Escaping that way, though it never really was much of an option, had become nigh impossible.
The interior of the house that the group had entered was a mess. The very door was knocked off its hinges. Webs were at every nook and cranny of the room and a layer of dust covered every surface. Chairs and a table were knocked over and broken pieces to the decorations of a lower class family were scattered about. The room's odor was incredible. Aside from the obvious neglect for the up-keeping of the house, it was not a stretch to suspect that a scuffle had happened here.
Upon further inspection, something truly outstanding would be seen. A body laid against one of the walls, slumped over on its side. It was a man in a torn uniform that was most likely unrecognizable to any of the group. The emblem on his shirt would not even be of help in identifying him, unless one had a good knowledge of Learanian houses. The ground around him was covered in dried blood. A slender sword laid somewhat away from the body, stained in blood as well. The body itself was wreaking of decay as one should expect. The decomposition suggested that he likely died several months ago, to those knowledgeable.
The Estarcian commander had likely been informed about the lord of the city by his king. The lord had returned to his city under false information regarding safety. There were no other bodies, no other houses with broken doors. The body had only been dead perhaps a few months, not close to a year, the length of which Mordache had actually occupied the city. There was a strong chance that the body was none other than the lord, himself.
Finally, in the man's grip, were two pieces of worn parchment. The container of ink and quill pen, likely borrowed belongings of the house, were on the floor by one of the man's hands. The two notes were likely the only thing that could unveil what had happened to the deceased man.
(Anybody who wants to retrieve and read the notes aloud can, doesn't matter who, just post the images in your post)
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 7:09 pm
 Clara Risna
-----------------------------------------
Clara had to clear out a few more people out of her way. She looked around from her location from an alley that was not that far from the rest, though she didn't know that. She was in the clear for now.
She heard some voices. They were a little far away. There was a mentioning of a gate. She had thought about going there, but she was sure she was going to get caught if she went there. Clara had to find the others, but she had no idea where to go. The myrmidon would have to find a solution and fast. Her best bet was to just move quickly and not get caught.
Clara moved quickly and hope there would be a home she could find a way to enter them to get some sort of cover.
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Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2011 8:24 pm
 →→→→→→The hands I'd kept clean→→→→→→Now look dirty→→→→→→Before I can doubt my memories→→→→→→My memories are doubting me...Annis' grin never left her face, even as the soldiers began to notice their position in the streets. Sure enough, there was a single home on the street with an open door, and it would have to do as shelter against the investigating team for now. Annis said nothing as Horatio called to the others, booming voice somehow going unheard by their enemies, and simply followed him into the building. Ziaram was... somewhere up on the roof. He'd figure out a way into shelter. He wasn't an idiot, so Annis stopped worrying about him for now. Was useless, anyway. She could fly up to him, but she wouldn't be able to get him down easily, not with his weight combined to hers, as well as only becoming an easy target in the process.
Annis wiped her knives clean on the carpet, giving each an extra swipe to remove the dust, and put them in their scabbards. "Ugh... smells like someone's s**t died in here... or a wagon-stop restroom." She rubbed one hand under her nose and tried to focus on anything else. Trashed furniture, dust everywhere, spiders in the corners, a dead body... wait, a dead body? She approached, carefully looking over the ripped clothing. "Some kind of symbol... it looks like... eh, ******** it, I can't recognize the damned thing. Any of you guys do?" She carefully tore it clear of his clothing and held it out for them to see, gloved fingers pinching the fabric between her forefinger and thumb. She paused, though, as she noticed the worn paper in his hand. "Huh?"
Annis reached down and grasped the first note in her free hand, pulling it out of his grasp. The second note fell unnoticed and to the floor as she smoothed out the fabric against the wall, then held it up to read, still holding out the emblem in her other hand. "A trap... Mordacheans everywhere... Sounds about right," She murmured, then continued, voice gaining enough volume to be heard by the others, "'Milord attacked their leader, but he vanished. The soldiers broke in and Milord sliced through them with ease. He was magnificent. We escaped and are holding out in a homestead.'" She glanced back at the body. "So this unlucky b*****d had friends in here... was probably someone we'd have considered an ally. Where are his buddies, though?"
Annis paused, looked back at the note. "Oh, wait, there's more, um... no way out, trapped in the city, can't get out... 'I don't know if we'll last until the morning. I've never been so afraid. We should have never come back!'" She paused, still studying the note.
Finally, her green eyes lifted from the worn parchment to scan over the others. "...Please don't tell me we're going to end up like that sad sack over there. I'd rather not get filleted by those Mordachean pricks, thanks." She held out the note now for someone to take as well, should they desire to read it at their own pace. "So, people have already tried once to retake this city and utterly failed. And none of us knew about it. If they all died, that'd... probably explain it. But who directed them to retake Arajudia? They wouldn't have gone unless they thought they could win, or if it was safe. Someone has to know more about this, someone not here." Another pause. "Right? Or am I blowing smoke out of my a**? Seriously, this isn't exactly good, and I don't want to turn into a pincushion in here."  We're mirrors, both of us←←←←←←
Reflecting each other's karma←←←←←←
Our dirty hands will touch←←←←←←
And we'll know its shape...←←←←←←
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Posted: Sat Jul 09, 2011 3:50 pm
Ziaram You may call me useless for the fact that I am learning swordsmanship with my left arm Damn this place was a mess. The place looked like it really needed someone to clean it, but at this moment it would serve as a good hideout for the group. They couldn't be too picky about their shelter anyways, since the Mordacheans were still out there.
The first thing his eyes fell onto was the body against one of the walls. Well that helped for where the stench would be coming from. Dead blood and rotting flesh are two signs that add to stench. His eyes then fell on the sword near the man's body, so he went over and picked it up. It was a light, slender sword and could be put to good use. He figured it was a slim sword.
While Annis read the first note, Ziaram reached down and picked the second note up, reading it silently to himself.
He then looked up to listen to what Annis had to say, then started to think about the note he just read. There was a way they could survive since the other group managed to live. "Well there is more to this than we think." He replied aloud to no one really as he started to read his note.
"The morning came and we were alive. The Mordachean leader said that he locked up all the Learanian soldiers...We scouted the prison. We almost got inside but they ambushed us..." He looked up to face them all. "The rest of this note is basically saying how he was gonna die here. But in the end, we know our objective here. If we can free the soldiers from the prison we will have a better chance to retake Arajudia. If King Cyric comes to our aid as well, then that furthers our chances."
Looking outside, there were the signs that night was coming. Some of them would have the edge to sneak around in the dark. "We need to find out where the prison is located. In these circumstances, we should split up. A couple of us could go scouting for the prison while the rest of us stay behind. There is one of us missing after all. We need to do our best to get her back as well. What do you guys say?" I say that this is just another challenge for me to overcome while my arm is recovering
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:27 am
Chince wanted to go, but she had snuck around long enough to know that bright red hair and a sword that sparked and burnt wasn't good for sneaking. On the other hand, she had just enough dumb luck to make it across town and to the groups rendezvous meeting only one enemy soldier along the way. She sheathed her blade and tied her hair in one of the tattered drapes. After a few seconds of preperation, she could probably fool others as being a beggar, not that it would matter here.
The lull had returned her accent, "I am ready for go"
She just hoped that her knowledge of city layouts would be up to par. Logic dictated a prison would be close to the barracks, far from civilians, in easy to reach/ hard to escape terrain that was far from the city gate. By following this, a prison breakout would easily be quelled. But it would make scouting and rescuing all the harder.
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Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:51 pm
ﻬ Horatio ﻬ
▫ ▪Altiplos Warrior▪ ▫ When he got inside the house, the sights were unbelievable. Despite the outside of Arajudia looking like there had been no signs of people, the inside of this very house told a different story. it was untidy, and looked like the place had been ransacked. The warror covered his nose when an unbearable stench also covered the shelter he had found. He knew that smell...
"Poor fellow, who knows how long he's been here..." Horatio muttered with a slight bit of sympathy. When Annis showed the symbol, even he couldn't recognize it. All he knew is that he agreed with the Raven. He would hate to meet the same fate as the unfortunate writer of the two letters.
"So, Ziaram, do you think the prisoners are even still alive after all this time?" asked Horatio. "Then again, maybe they are if the Mordacheans bothered guarding them so heavily." He now put his hand under his chin, trying to think out the situation.
"Splitting up will likely double our ground." he said, nodding. "But I suggest we at least go in pairs, when we do part ways. Being alone when we're in the teeth of the enemy's trap would be reckless."⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹⊹ My hammer forges new hope,
My bow strikes for glory.
May I bring you both,
My liege, my country!
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 7:02 pm
→→→→→→The hands I'd kept clean→→→→→→Now look dirty→→→→→→Before I can doubt my memories→→→→→→My memories are doubting me...Annis stretched her arms high above her head, dropping both the note and the emblem to the ground, on one of the few unsullied patches of carpet in the middle of their little ring of people. "Right, right, so. We're missing one person - I think that purple-haired sword girl. And if we can find the prisoners, bust 'em out... then we can either overpower Mordache from within, or we can do it from outside."
She stretched to either side, limbering up first her abdomen, then her back, touching her toes. "Hm. Well, if we need to find the prison, I can do that. Any of you guys will just slow me down. Most of the archers are gone now, and I can take a look around the city, then come right back. You guys can all stay here and try to wait for the two girls. I'll be back in... what, ten minutes? Can't be long. If it's more than half an hour, assume something happened and go lookin' for me, if you would? Thanks. Great help."
She looked cheerfully at her comrades. "I'll be fine. Just sit tight here and keep the stiff company." She then brushed her hair off of her face and quietly exited the house, trying to only open the door just wide enough to leave. The air was still.
Perfect for flying.
The raven grinned, spreading her wings wide. "Mmm... that's much better!" With a leap, she broke free of the earth's embrace and soared between the buildings. Find a prison, head right back. Look for the building near all the fresh corpses. Shouldn't be too hard to find again.We're mirrors, both of us←←←←←←Reflecting each other's karma←←←←←←Our dirty hands will touch←←←←←←And we'll know its shape...←←←←←←
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 5:04 am
Without knowing I'm alone underneath this moonlight
I've got a feeling that fragile things are being moved far off
By the power of always believing you'll be near me
I called out only your name
Inside this light...
On nights where it's like I can't catch hold of anything
There isn't a day I don't think about it -Cyric-
The hours have gone by long enough and neither Tanya nore Cecil could break through the wall. Cyric was growing impatient and even more worried that there were no words or any sign of Horatio or Learania's volunteers. He could only pray to all he knew that they were alive and all right. If they were dead....Oh goddess he didn't even want to think about that. Not a repeat of that. He had his men search countless times and not one returned with any way in. After the last hour, Cyric gave in, calling one of the soldiers to fetch his horse. Despite the soldiers arguing with him about how he should not go into battle himself, he immedietly silenced them. Should this be a different situation where only Estarcia's men were in Arajudia, then the King himself would not go. However, the fact stands that Learania's volunteeres were in there as well. He couldn't just simply sit back and allow them to die trapped in there.
Tanya stopped him, stepping in front of Ronan just as Cyric mounted. "Your Majesty, reconsider please..."
If Cyric had any other choice he would, the fact that everybody now was willing to put their life on the line for him because he was King....Stop making choices any harder than they must! "Tanya.." Cyric called, shaking his head. "Don't make this any harder then it already is, are you saying I should let Learania's volunteers die in there? Rath would never forgive me. No, I can not do that."
Before Tanya or Cecil could argue any further, Cyric had given the orders to ride toward the city.
___________
I've been searching for the future forever.
I've been searching for the future with you
You quietly gazed at me
Call out my name underneath this moonlight
I promise I'll go see you, no matter where
To your side
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:05 pm
My Dearest Baroness,
_____It is truly agonizing having to be away from you once more. Your very presence warms and chills my blood at your will. How I long for the day that I may return and fulfill myself to you.
_____Living at the Sentrian capital was horrid. The disgusting bandit filth have truly smeared every bit of beauty the city of Ardinia had. And this Serpent Fang... is an utterly revolting man. If he had referred to me as a woman one more time, I would have warped him into the sea! I know I have conveyed that to you before, but the memories still linger and boil my blood when my mind wanders to that time. Being in Arajudia is much more pleasant. Lord Sceptan's handiwork truly made the seizing of the city wonderfully simple. Without their commanders, the Learanian soldiers are so stupid.
_____Now that Estarcia has joined the war, Learania has a competent ally and I expect an attack anytime now. Sires has already been taken back, since Avery's forces were no longer there to keep it held. My city, however, will not be taken by these stupid Estarcian snobs. Reports indicate that the king is leading their force here. The very thought causes me to chuckle. How easy he has made this, for me. When he arrives, Baroness, Estarcia will not just be out of the war, they will be out one more king as well...
_____There are no problems to report. I have everything and everyone under my control. ...There are no lose ends. I remain and shall always be your never-failing, faithful servant. Once I am able to return to you... we shall-
The quill ceased moving, as the door to the office opened. Vern looked up, displeased about being interrupted in the middle of his letter. When he saw who had come, he gently set the quill down and laced his fingers together. "...Captain Garthal, do you have something to report?"
"Yes sir..." the Mordachean captain mumbled. He then took off his helmet and looked up at his commander with a face that clearly read of irritation at having to be where he was. "We're still looking for them. They didn't try going for the gate, so they're probably hiding out somewhere. We're scouring the city, but it will take a while. We don't have much sun left."
"...Forgive me, Captain, but my faith in the soldiers you've had search the city before is considerably low."
Captain Garthal narrowed his eyes slightly. "They covered the entire city multiple times and found no trace of him. He hasn't shown himself since the day he tried raiding the prison. With all due respect, he's probably dead in some house somewhere."
"If that were true, Captain... I would know it." Vern glared back at his officer, who rolled his eyes away. "Do not be fooled. He is still alive. Find him- and our other guests. Immediately."
"..." The officer gritted his teeth squeezed his helmet against his side. "Why is he such a big deal, anyway?! He's one man. I am more than capable of handling him, if he should ever reveal himself. He's not a threat."
Vern stared at his officer and then raised a brow. The remark was humorous and the commander let out a chuckled sigh to show it. "You are not a rookie, I give you that. You trained in sword combat in the academy, I presume; perhaps even excelled in it. Clearly you were good enough to become a captain in Her Benevolence's army." He paused for a minute or so and then pressed on to his point. "Do you know... who that man is?" he asked rhetorically. "He is the head of house Arajudia of Learania. And do you know what that house has produced?" He grinned slightly. "Your precious combat training? Those fighting styles you have learned? They were all... courtesy... of that house. As the head of that house, that man has mastered them all. I promise you, Captain, if you were to deal with him personally... he would know several ways to knock you down, cast your weapon away... and do it before you knew what was happening." He stared at his officer. "Do not underestimate him. It will be your undoing."
Captain Garthal held back a scowl as he looked away, his self-worth shot to hell. Vern noticed this and sighed. "Do you... know why I chose you as part of my army?" The captain glanced back at his commander. "Because you are unique. You were born with naturally higher resistance to magic and yet did not go on to study the dark arts. You don your armor and ride your steed into battle with no true disadvantage against magic or steel. Your intelligence is a cut above the rest. You are a worthy addition to my forces. ...You too, are a man who should not be underestimated."
Captain Garthal took the compliment in stride. "...Thank you, sir. I have but one more thing to report. You were right that Estarcia would move, outside. They have tried forcing their way in at the main gate, unsuccessfully. The king will likely search for another way in. ...Should we set up the trap again?"
"No, that won't be necessary." Vern cooed. "I doubt he's actually that stupid. He knows we're here, now." Vern pulled out a blank paper and bean to write upon it. "I have thought of this moment, however. ...Instead, we shall send a messenger. I will give him a... compelling offer. And I would like..." Vern put down the quill, rolled up the note, and handed it out to Garthal. "...you to relay it."
The captain finally grinned as he took the note. "Yes, sir!" Garthal, enthused about his task, then left the room, allowing Vern to get back to his letter.
-----
Not long after the officer left the town center, Captain Garthal had retrieved his horse and mounted it. He rode for the eastern gate.. and waited. The archers in the watchtowers scanned the area and caught sight of a small group coming close. One of them used a scope and noted the formation of the escort and all the regal trimmings that dictated the king's identity.
"It's him, sir! He's coming."
"...Good." He grinned devilishly.
As the Estarcian king rode closer to the gate, while staying out of the archers' range, the eastern gate began to open. At its entryway was one rider. Captain Garthal slowly trotted out and then began riding up to meet the king, personally. His weapon was not drawn.
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:58 pm
Without knowing I'm alone underneath this moonlight
I've got a feeling that fragile things are being moved far off
By the power of always believing you'll be near me
I called out only your name
Inside this light...
On nights where it's like I can't catch hold of anything
There isn't a day I don't think about it -Cyric-
The closer they got to Arajudia, the more Cyric felt like it was doomsday to all. He couldn't help this uneasy feeling in this gut, telling him that something was wrong and he shouldn't be marching himself. However, the other part of him told him that if he didn't do anything, then everybody would die. Cyric couldn't risk it not even for a second. He had ignored all pleas from his commanding officers as well as soldiers who were worried about his well being.
"The gate!"
One of the soldiers pointed out, breaking Cyric out of his thoughts as he tilted his head to look up. From the gate was a figure riding toward them...however he seemed unarmed. Just when his other units were about to attack, Cyric held his arm up, signaling his men to cease fire for a moment. Either this man had guts to come out without a weapon...or he came to negotiate, warn them..something ominious that Cyric can't possibly think of at the moment.
However, he was unarmed which meant talk. He looked back behind him, then turned his head forward again before commanding Ronan to ride toward the unknown rider, meeting him half-way. As they got closer to each other, Cyric tugged the reigns, allowing his horse to stop before addressing the person. "....Identify yourself."
___________
I've been searching for the future forever.
I've been searching for the future with you
You quietly gazed at me
Call out my name underneath this moonlight
I promise I'll go see you, no matter where
To your side
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Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:24 pm
As he approached the king, the captain looked him over in detail. He was an impressive looking man, appearing far more competent than the his old, cowardly predecessor. He also seemed strong, and annoyingly fair. His attendants, cautious buggers, were also inspected. The captain took note of their weapons and positions for in case they tried something, though he doubted they would. If they did, it would give him an excuse to engage them.
"Captain Garthal of the Mordachean army. I serve under Commander Vern, close... 'attendant' of Baroness Charolais." He slowly lifted both hands and then moved one to a pouch on the side of his horse. The reflexes of the Estarcians kicked in and Garthal smirked. "I did not come out without my sword drawn to try and attack you. I have..." He slowly pulled out the note from the pouch and lifted it for all to see as he brought his hand back in front of him. "...a message." He unrolled the note. "It's from my commander. Would you care to hear what he has to say... Your Highness?"
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