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 Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 10:21 pm
 Today was making her dislike the cold oh-so-very much! Snow was falling from the trees, and into her hair. Snow was all over the ground, and her feet got stuck, and then they got really, annoyingly cold. And not to mention, she was afraid to look back, in case the wyverns were following her or something.
In the woods outside Archesis, the Estarcian capital, Felicia was still running. Without warning, her feet caught on something, and she was soon falling directly into the cold, slightly frozen snow. She snarled, clearly irritated, before grabbing the Stiletto in one hand and turning to rend whatever made her trip, because really, she was her and what room would some random blasted stick have to come and make her day any more arduous than it already was? Seriously-
It was a little bunny nest! One of those stupid roots that went up over the ground near the trunk was housing a little family of bunnies, and Felicia just tampered with it! She let out a devastated whimper as she scurried over to it, brushing away some of the snow that she had kicked inside. "...come on, little bunnies, it's... okay... I'm... I'm sorry..." she said, in between stifled sniffles. They were all huddled into a little corner, shivering, too. But, they were alive, it seemed!
With a relieved sigh and a wipe of her face, Felicia returned to her feet, and ran once more towards the capital. It wasn't far now, so she had to stop wasting time, no matter how adorable the bunnies were!
...Of course, using the front gate, or anything of the sort, would take far too long. The stupid guards at those things would take so unnecessarily long to verify her identity that she would be just as well off using her own talents to make her way to the castle. A bit of acrobatics here, a tree to climb there, and Felicia was soon on the other side of the darn wall, inside the capital city.
Obviously, the guards for the castle were always far more competent. They knew the Generals by name and face, which was much, much more helpful than having to sneak around a wall. So, when they pretty much threw the doors open for her, Felicia couldn't help but smile. Being powerful had its perks, sometimes.
The throne room was, like always, slightly stuffy. Could be the fact that the king was a bit off, or maybe it was the stick-in-the-mud vibe she got from Cornelius, His Majesty's personal footstool. Really, she was surprised with what she'd heard the man was subjected to. Sure, it could just be hearsay, but she didn't want anywhere near that old man, especially if he was sick, or in an odd mood, or anything else that poor Cornelius would have to put up with.
But, odd thoughts aside, Felicia rushed up to the King, impulsively taking a bow as she got within a few feet away. Her face turned serious, like the manner of her arrival. She said she would be back sometime long ago, to give an actual report on Ezekiel's fort. But, complications always tended to get in the way, at the most inopportune of times.
"Your Majesty, I come with a message from Sir Cyric, regarding his current encounter..." She really, really didn't want to go too fast for the old man. He might have his hearing act up, or he might misinterpret her, or he might end up just missing it all together. So, she had to make sure that she had his attention, before continuing.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:03 am
My throne room's door flew open, in came a girl. I remembered her from somewhere, but I couldn't recall her name... Never was good with them. However, something seemed a little more urgent in this case. She spoke.
Her message gave me a exasperated feel, but I'll let the message go without bias. He's probably in trouble and wants more men... This is what I was afraid of. But, maybe not...
"Speak," I said.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 2:41 pm
For such a doddering old man, His Majesty sure was to the point. In a slight scramble, Felicia assumed a rigid posture, like a soldier standing at attention. She took a small breath, and then began to speak.
"Your Majesty. Sir Cyric is requesting assistance. The enemy is... more numerous than he seems to have expected. His force was under attack by a group of wyverns, when I was given the order to return to you." She couldn't help but look away, to one of the large windows that shed light on the room. "I'm not sure if he knows, but it's much, much more than just wyverns, Your Majesty..." Felicia returned her gaze on the King, a look of cautious uncertainty in her eyes. Would Cyric be okay? "...From what I saw at Vajeh, there are many more platoons of soldiers, enough to easily overtake Cyric's group, if they all meet."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 4:04 pm
Wonder. Cyric has gotten deep in this, he better get himself out... Wait.
Cyric was a good soldier, from what I recall, but he could have fallen for a trap, too. I thought it over for a brief moment, think about the options and outcomes.
I stopped, and asked, "How many men do you think will be necessary?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 4:21 pm
How many men would he need? How would she know that?! She was a spy, not a front line commander! But she couldn't show this frustration to His Majesty, that would make her look bad. She would look very bad. So, all she did was show a look of mild discomfort, rather than irritation. "W-well..." she stammered, still trying to prepare an answer to give.
"We're unsure what he'll actually run into, but we know that the enemy is larger than that one squad." Somehow, Felicia was sounding confident! On the inside, she was squealing with delight. Maybe she wasn't so bad at being a typical general, after all! "There are a lot of Wyverns, with odd tactics like dropping large rocks onto their foes. And I'd seen, at the fallen Fort Vajeh, that there were also a good amount of cavalry." She put a hand to her chin, pondering for an actual answer to the King's question.
"...I believe that, if we have a single squad capable of handling both wyverns and cavalry, then one will suffice." Felicia couldn't help but smile at how intellectual she was sounding. It really wasn't her thing, hatching up strategies and tactics and all that, but it was more entertaining than she thought it was, to say the least. "But if we have two fast squads that can cover Cyric, he might be better off, especially if he runs into more trouble." Felicia smiled, putting her arms behind her back. "So I think that we want to send... two squads, of your choosing, Your Majesty." By the looks of it, just because Felicia spent her time in the shadows didn't mean that she couldn't bask in the spotlight once in a while. Relishing her success in strategy, whether the King liked her idea or not, her mind began to slowly drift to how she should reward herself.
She really wanted a puppy...
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:02 pm
 It was rather surprising when the doors to the throne room suddenly opened again. It had not been too long since Cyric had come and gone. Sudden disruptions were not this common. As Cornelius looked at who came in, he was able to recognize that it was Felicia. This was the spy who had delivered the message about Fort Vajeh.
As the girl spoke, Cornelius recognized that something very wrong. From she start, she was saying that Cyric was requesting aid. This meant that she met up with him. And her news of wyverns was indeed most troubling. And even more battalions than the one attacking Cyric now? What was this army that is suddenly appeared like this out of nowhere?
The report continued with a suggestion that more troops be sent to Cyric. An obvious request, really. Cornelius was somewhat surprised that the king seemed to be thinking of sending out more. However, even if his highness was going for the idea of doing that, there was a big hindrance to the notion. "Unfortunately, Your Highness, there are not many we can send out. Our commanders are spread out amongst the cities, oblivious to the current happenings. They are too far away to help, and getting news to them will take too long. The troops left within the capital are few. It may be enough to ensure Cyric is rescued, but only that. They cannot hope to defeat an enemy of the size that has been reported." Cornelius looked at Felicia, then back at the king. He did not like having to admit their lack of preparation, but it was true. And now even their attempt to fight back was failing. Something had to be done. "We must send out what is available to rescue Cyric... but we cannot win this conflict in our current condition. We must call for aid."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 6:51 pm
It was rather obvious that she wasn't good with this type of thing, but she didn't do terribly. I need to think more on this, though, we really don't have much to lend Cyric, and it's not so great to lose someone that valuable.
Two squads are more than we have, but I don't think we have any other option. I switched positions in my chair and sighed.
Cornelius spoke, and I tuned into what he was saying. He spoke truth, of the troops and cities. What to do...
"Call for aid? Hmph." I scoffed at his suggestion. "From whom, might I ask, Cornelius?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:33 pm
"Well..." Cornelius started, after hearing his king's question. He was honestly hesitant to answer. With the idea he had, it would surely be denied. The king might think that he was suggesting to ask help from Mordache. But Cornelius knew better than to ask for that. Recently, King Chanticlier had shown excessive caution when it came to matters about Mordache. The king had even called back a majority of the border guard, leaving only those by the mountain, due to monster issues. As for why exactly the king showed fear for that country, not even Cornelius could say.
Perhaps the suggestion would be for Adliana or Sentria. Heavens no, Estarcia refused to socialize with natives or brigands. Though Cornelius felt differently, the people of high social status within the country speak out strongly against ties with others, especially ones they consider nothing more than scum. The nomadic peoples would never come. As for Sentria, though it did used to be a thriving country, all it is now is a desert full of thieves. There is nobody to call there.
No, there was only one reasonable option. If the king was too scared to be indebted to Mordache, then they would have to risk the other option. It was a bit of a stretch, for they were not openly friendly with the country, but... "What about Learania, Sire?" It was surely worth a try.
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:48 pm
I'm glad he didn't suggest Mordache, but Learania? I can't remember where that is. It would look silly if I had asked, but I at least remember who they are.
"Learania?" I said. "Do you think they'll just say yes in our time of need?" If we're asking for help, it better be good help. Everyone knows that. Just then, I had a bad chill. "Do you think Mordache will think ill of us for being too friendly with Learania? It's feet in hot water if they do think so."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:27 pm
Cornelius blinked. "...Sire?" He was uncertain what the comment the king made had meant. This sudden fear of Mordache... Certainly, it was a country of mysteries and shiftiness, but what did the king know that he did not? Cornelius could not help but wonder about it. "I.. realize that you practice caution with Mordache, but we really have no choice in the matter. It is very questionable whether Learania will help or not, but..."
Cornelius paused for a moment and sighed. His speech was much too informal to be speaking to his king, and yet he could not help but feel that speaking loosely was all the king deserved at times. He tried his best to bury these thoughts in the back of his mind and forget about them. It was his job to do His Majesty's wishes, not coerce him. To convince himself that he was in the right for not speaking up to the king, Cornelius would even tell himself that he was simply a soldier; a man of service. It was not a soldier's job to question their orders.
However, in this case, Cornelius could not believe what he told himself and instead his buried thoughts prevailed. If nothing was done, it would mean devastation, and Cyric was not here to plea as he usually did. The general realized that it could only be him who could make something happen, now. "...Would you rather call upon Mordache and be in their debt?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:33 pm
"I suppose we don't have another choice." Mordache was not one I wanted to get aide from. It was bad enough that I must even be on the same continent with them.
"Inform Learania, then, tell them we need help and would repay them on rational terms. And do it quickly."
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 9:03 pm
A smile came over the face of the general, as the king agreed to ask for Learania's help. He could only pray that this new hope would not be in vain. "Yes, Your Majesty... thank you."
Cornelius turned to Felicia, who was still in the room. It was evident that she was waiting for an order of some kind. She did not really seem the type to just leave without given something to do. Well, now there was something. "Felicia, depart to Learania at once! Relay to them the message our king has said. Inform them of our troubles, and see if they will indeed help us. It will take you longer than most of your journeys, but please do show us the meaning of the word haste. Send your hawk back with Learania's reply, be it good, or... bad."
The general turned back to King Chanticlier. "As for me, Sire, I do believe my constant presence within the castle has perhaps caused my skill to become lax. Nevertheless, I will round up all the men available and set out. I will meet the enemy... and I shall return with Cyric. This, I promise you." Cornelius bowed his head to his king, then made his way out of the room. Estarcia was not out of moves, yet.
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