ReaperMelia
Junior Member
Azura
"Emblan forces are marching on the castle! All heroes, prepare for battle!" The call erupted from the entrance of Askr's castle as the roars of soldiers from countless realms echoed the rallying cry and hastily prepared their weapons. How did the Emblan army manage to sneak across the border to the castle? Why were they even attempting to invade in the first place? The nations had a fraught history, though they had managed to avoid conflict for a while. So what made them choose to advance now? The question was buzzing in every hero's head, though they didn't have time to ponder it. Everyone had to prepare for combat, and most of the soldiers stationed at the castle had grown a little too relaxed from the extended period of peace in the heart of Askr.
Amidst the panicked cries and confused shouts, a gentle song bubbled up above the clamor and streamed down the halls. The frantic banter died down as the heroes listened to a voice that would be familiar to some of them offer a soothing melody to pierce through the tension. The songstress, Azura, may have been the soft-spoken type normally, but she knew this was her time to shine. She'd have to sing as loudly and clearly as she could to prepare everyone for the coming threat. She'd played this role plenty of times back in her home world, and she still felt it was her greatest contribution to the Order of Heroes in Askr.
A wave of calm cascaded across the hall, and after a brief quiet, the surrounding forces cheered themselves on in unison before marching ahead towards the castle entrance. A quiet sigh escaped Azura's lips as she took a moment to glance around at the crowds that were now charging forward with renewed vigor. She managed to rally everyone before the fight... And now she had to do what she could to ensure morale remained high during the battle itself. The songstress' grip on her lance tightened as her mind raced through all of the ways she could support her allies. It didn't take long for her to decide upon the best course of action: finding Alfonse and sticking close to him. As the leader of the Order of Heroes, his morale affected that of every other soldier. She'd have to do her best to ensure he remained confident for the entire army's sake.
Once she made it outside, Azura scanned out into the distance. The Emblan vanguard was already marching down the road leading to the castle. A group of cavaliers headed up the Emblan forces, and a squadron of pegasus knights and wyvern riders moved forward to soar over the walls and directly into the castle grounds. Their infantry marched behind the cavalry, and Emblan mages were already hurling fireballs and bursts of winds at the Order of Heroes' front line. Askran snipers manned the castle ballistae and fired at the sky forces, thinning their numbers.
Azura steeled her resolve and pushed forward, sticking close to the Askran front line while keeping an eye out for the young prince. Steel crashed against steel as the ground forces of the two armies finally converged, and the princess knew this was when she'd really need to give it her all. She began to dance across the battlefield, finding any allies in need of support and giving them the melodic encouragement only a select few in the Order could offer. As the sounds of colliding metal and lightning bolts crackling towards their targets filled the air, she raised her tone and ensured her song was heard.
Her eyes darted to the side as she spotted an archer struggling to nock his next arrow a short distance away. She turned in a graceful swooping motion and hurried over to his side, offering up her favorite tune. The stress melted away from his face as he slowed down a moment to line his arrow up properly. He flashed a quick smile at the songstress before loosing his bow, striking an Emblan pegasus knight that had been swooping down towards an Askran assassin. "We must keep level heads. The Order of Heroes will prevail!" Her reassuring message helped the archer remain calm, and her work at his side was done. Now she only had to figure out where Alfonse went...
Triandra
The call for battle may have come to a surprise to those who had spent most of their time relaxing in the quiet castle, but for Triandra, the calm times had never truly felt peaceful. Not without Plumeria. Especially not without Lady Freyja. She couldn't afford to rest or let her guard down. A lingering effect from the time before she became a dökkálfr, she supposed. Not that her memories of that time were whole, but many of the few hazy fragments that she had managed to recall were memories of strife, danger, and pain. Of course, she couldn't regret the pain if it meant protecting someone dear to her. Even before she fought for Lady Freyja, conflict was a constant in her life. Still, fighting alongside Askr was a new sensation, and it made her feel a bit uneasy.
It hadn't been long since she made her way to the castle of her former enemies and asked to be taken in. She knew from the start there was no way that the Order would remember its time in the realm of dreams, though she'd been proven wrong. It seemed that Peony had managed to reconnect with the Askrans and filled them in on at least enough for Triandra to be recognized when she arrived. She prepared to be told to leave or perhaps even be attacked, but to her surprise, they were willing to hear her out. She told them that she wanted to stay at Askr and help the Order of Heroes, and they thankfully didn't push back with too many questions. Perhaps her goal was obvious. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe that cheery ljósálfr was the one who insisted the Order should give her a chance. Either way, her mission had brought her here, and she swore to fight alongside Askr for now.
Triandra silently shook her head to try to forget that sense of unease. She had work to do. The fairy's wings began flapping as she rose over the surge of heroes to get a better idea of what they were facing. The Emblan vanguard was drawing frighteningly close already, and she could see additional platoons further beyond coming down from the nearby mountains. One thing struck her a little odd: if Embla really was plotting a full-scale invasion, the forces they were sending thus far seemed miniscule compared to what she'd expect from a massive nation. Maybe this was just the first skirmish before Embla sent most of its troops, but Askr would be better prepared for the next attack in that case. It seemed odd, but Triandra didn't have time to linger on the thought too much, anyway.
Being so new to the Order of Heroes, Triandra hadn't really had the opportunity to find a place where she really fit in as a combatant. She'd done a few training exercises to show what she was capable of, but there hadn't been time for her to be assigned to any particular group or partnered with any specific heroes. This left her in a difficult position where she wasn't sure where to go. She could take on the Emblan sky knights given her own ability to fly, though the snipers seemed better suited to that task at the moment. After a short internal debate, Triandra chose to entrust the fliers to the snipers before pushing forward, soaring over the other heroes to reach the Emblan cavaliers. Fighting on the front lines would help her prove her own abilities and gain the trust of the Order, which was something she desperately needed if she wanted to accomplish her own mission.
By the time she touched down and regrouped with the Askran front line, they were already engaged in combat. Horse hooves pounded against the earth as the enemy cavaliers charged ahead and slashed at Askran troops, and a few pegasus knights diverted from the castle and tried to divebomb unsuspecting heroes. An axe-wielder charged at Triandra, hefting his colossal weapon overhead before bringing it crashing down. Triandra's wings fluttered as she darted off to the side. The axe smashed into the ground and was left lodged in the soil. Triandra held her palm forward to face her foe, the Flower of Sorrow levitating just in front of her hand. "You'll wish this was only a nightmare." Spears of dark energy surged forth from the flower, barraging the axe-wielder. The Emblan's grip on his axe loosened before he collapsed. One foe down, many more to go. She took a moment to observe her surroundings and determine what her next course of action should be.
"Emblan forces are marching on the castle! All heroes, prepare for battle!" The call erupted from the entrance of Askr's castle as the roars of soldiers from countless realms echoed the rallying cry and hastily prepared their weapons. How did the Emblan army manage to sneak across the border to the castle? Why were they even attempting to invade in the first place? The nations had a fraught history, though they had managed to avoid conflict for a while. So what made them choose to advance now? The question was buzzing in every hero's head, though they didn't have time to ponder it. Everyone had to prepare for combat, and most of the soldiers stationed at the castle had grown a little too relaxed from the extended period of peace in the heart of Askr.
Amidst the panicked cries and confused shouts, a gentle song bubbled up above the clamor and streamed down the halls. The frantic banter died down as the heroes listened to a voice that would be familiar to some of them offer a soothing melody to pierce through the tension. The songstress, Azura, may have been the soft-spoken type normally, but she knew this was her time to shine. She'd have to sing as loudly and clearly as she could to prepare everyone for the coming threat. She'd played this role plenty of times back in her home world, and she still felt it was her greatest contribution to the Order of Heroes in Askr.
A wave of calm cascaded across the hall, and after a brief quiet, the surrounding forces cheered themselves on in unison before marching ahead towards the castle entrance. A quiet sigh escaped Azura's lips as she took a moment to glance around at the crowds that were now charging forward with renewed vigor. She managed to rally everyone before the fight... And now she had to do what she could to ensure morale remained high during the battle itself. The songstress' grip on her lance tightened as her mind raced through all of the ways she could support her allies. It didn't take long for her to decide upon the best course of action: finding Alfonse and sticking close to him. As the leader of the Order of Heroes, his morale affected that of every other soldier. She'd have to do her best to ensure he remained confident for the entire army's sake.
Once she made it outside, Azura scanned out into the distance. The Emblan vanguard was already marching down the road leading to the castle. A group of cavaliers headed up the Emblan forces, and a squadron of pegasus knights and wyvern riders moved forward to soar over the walls and directly into the castle grounds. Their infantry marched behind the cavalry, and Emblan mages were already hurling fireballs and bursts of winds at the Order of Heroes' front line. Askran snipers manned the castle ballistae and fired at the sky forces, thinning their numbers.
Azura steeled her resolve and pushed forward, sticking close to the Askran front line while keeping an eye out for the young prince. Steel crashed against steel as the ground forces of the two armies finally converged, and the princess knew this was when she'd really need to give it her all. She began to dance across the battlefield, finding any allies in need of support and giving them the melodic encouragement only a select few in the Order could offer. As the sounds of colliding metal and lightning bolts crackling towards their targets filled the air, she raised her tone and ensured her song was heard.
Her eyes darted to the side as she spotted an archer struggling to nock his next arrow a short distance away. She turned in a graceful swooping motion and hurried over to his side, offering up her favorite tune. The stress melted away from his face as he slowed down a moment to line his arrow up properly. He flashed a quick smile at the songstress before loosing his bow, striking an Emblan pegasus knight that had been swooping down towards an Askran assassin. "We must keep level heads. The Order of Heroes will prevail!" Her reassuring message helped the archer remain calm, and her work at his side was done. Now she only had to figure out where Alfonse went...
Triandra
The call for battle may have come to a surprise to those who had spent most of their time relaxing in the quiet castle, but for Triandra, the calm times had never truly felt peaceful. Not without Plumeria. Especially not without Lady Freyja. She couldn't afford to rest or let her guard down. A lingering effect from the time before she became a dökkálfr, she supposed. Not that her memories of that time were whole, but many of the few hazy fragments that she had managed to recall were memories of strife, danger, and pain. Of course, she couldn't regret the pain if it meant protecting someone dear to her. Even before she fought for Lady Freyja, conflict was a constant in her life. Still, fighting alongside Askr was a new sensation, and it made her feel a bit uneasy.
It hadn't been long since she made her way to the castle of her former enemies and asked to be taken in. She knew from the start there was no way that the Order would remember its time in the realm of dreams, though she'd been proven wrong. It seemed that Peony had managed to reconnect with the Askrans and filled them in on at least enough for Triandra to be recognized when she arrived. She prepared to be told to leave or perhaps even be attacked, but to her surprise, they were willing to hear her out. She told them that she wanted to stay at Askr and help the Order of Heroes, and they thankfully didn't push back with too many questions. Perhaps her goal was obvious. Maybe they didn't care. Maybe that cheery ljósálfr was the one who insisted the Order should give her a chance. Either way, her mission had brought her here, and she swore to fight alongside Askr for now.
Triandra silently shook her head to try to forget that sense of unease. She had work to do. The fairy's wings began flapping as she rose over the surge of heroes to get a better idea of what they were facing. The Emblan vanguard was drawing frighteningly close already, and she could see additional platoons further beyond coming down from the nearby mountains. One thing struck her a little odd: if Embla really was plotting a full-scale invasion, the forces they were sending thus far seemed miniscule compared to what she'd expect from a massive nation. Maybe this was just the first skirmish before Embla sent most of its troops, but Askr would be better prepared for the next attack in that case. It seemed odd, but Triandra didn't have time to linger on the thought too much, anyway.
Being so new to the Order of Heroes, Triandra hadn't really had the opportunity to find a place where she really fit in as a combatant. She'd done a few training exercises to show what she was capable of, but there hadn't been time for her to be assigned to any particular group or partnered with any specific heroes. This left her in a difficult position where she wasn't sure where to go. She could take on the Emblan sky knights given her own ability to fly, though the snipers seemed better suited to that task at the moment. After a short internal debate, Triandra chose to entrust the fliers to the snipers before pushing forward, soaring over the other heroes to reach the Emblan cavaliers. Fighting on the front lines would help her prove her own abilities and gain the trust of the Order, which was something she desperately needed if she wanted to accomplish her own mission.
By the time she touched down and regrouped with the Askran front line, they were already engaged in combat. Horse hooves pounded against the earth as the enemy cavaliers charged ahead and slashed at Askran troops, and a few pegasus knights diverted from the castle and tried to divebomb unsuspecting heroes. An axe-wielder charged at Triandra, hefting his colossal weapon overhead before bringing it crashing down. Triandra's wings fluttered as she darted off to the side. The axe smashed into the ground and was left lodged in the soil. Triandra held her palm forward to face her foe, the Flower of Sorrow levitating just in front of her hand. "You'll wish this was only a nightmare." Spears of dark energy surged forth from the flower, barraging the axe-wielder. The Emblan's grip on his axe loosened before he collapsed. One foe down, many more to go. She took a moment to observe her surroundings and determine what her next course of action should be.
