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Fantasy IC - Chapter 1A: "Blood On My Hands, Dirt On My Boots" (T'Odis)

King Ad Rock

Abednego
Roleplay Availability
The following was originally posted by @Lakita in the previous IC


@Lakita as

Traveler Maerwynn T'Iiosha​

_____​


Location: The road to the T'Odis Gate, T'Odis


Date: Month 6, day 15


Time: Between the first hour and second hour of morning (1:30 A.M.)

_____​


It had stopped snowing a while ago.


"It's the moon, Maerwynn. See how it shines?"


As the trading caravans trudged along the white path, Maerwynn T'Iiosha couldn't help but remember the old stories her father used to tell her.


"Squinting girl. Moon and Sun aren't that different, are they?"


"Good. You'll always be able to find your way home. Just follow the moon."


She sighed, letting a small cloud dissipate out her mouth. The jostling of the wagon kept her awake, but even if the ride had been smoother - sleep was a doubtful dream. Now that she was out of the woods, the world it seemed, was covered in white.


"I am on the moon, Father."


"Whudderya talkin' bout ova dere?"


Had she been so loud? Maerwynn pulled her furs closer to her body before grunting out a curt, "Nothing". That's right, she wasn't on the moon. The caravan had picked her up just on the outskirts of the forest - she'd had to trade her own-made snowshoes to earn passage. There were three other merchants - at least she assumed they were merchants - shacked up with her for the ride, not including their driver. A small oil lamp burned merrily, illuminating small pockets of light inside. Packed in-between furs, sacks, crates, and people, Maerwynn felt that it was as warm and as comfortable as a late-night caravan ride could be. All in all, it totaled to five people to share the night with. Five people and two horses to make it out of the country before the next snow-storm hit.


She glanced back inside to see the speaker pack in tobacco in his pipe with his thumb. A flick and spark of a match later, the acrid smell of smoke filled the air and made Maerwynn sneeze.


"Whurya frum, anyhow? Tis'aint everyday we gots a little gel all by her lonesome."


"I am not a little girl."


"Aye. Eyecanna see dat, cannasee dat." He gestured at her hidden figure.


"Lil' missus all grown up unda dose furs, eyebetcha." He took another puff on his pipe before chortling.


"Aim jess jokin', Ma'am, jess jokin'. Ugly as sin, Ol' Pyper may be, but ne'er leddit anything be sed oyf my honawh."


Maerwynn raised her brows slightly but put the issue to rest. Living in the North, especially in the Frozen Forest, didn't exactly raise men with the chivalrous attitudes she so often read of in her books. No, the Northerners were crude, hearty, and rough around the edges - fun for a quick tumble perhaps, but not exactly court material.


Not that she had ever been to one, of course. Besides the fairy-tales her father had bought her- she must've read the same one over a hundred times - Maerwynn had spent most of her life stuck in the woods. The concept of leaving, admittedly, filled her with as much dread as it did anticipation.


"It does look like the moon..."


Having had enough of the silent hills, she poked her head back into the warmth of the caravan. It was a rickety old thing and it smelt too much of the goods it carried. In this case, the slightly rancid smell of deer hide filled her nostrils.


"Cawld nigh', eesn't et? Yesure dat blanket's enuf?"


Well, deer hide and the tobacco of her new-found companion. Reminded of the rest of the "Caravanners", Maerwynn turned around to observe them. Besides "Ol' Pyper", who was as stout as a beer barrel, the rest of them seemed fairly ordinary. Dressed with fur cloaks and with wind chapped faces, these were definitely the merchants that she was associated with. A slight movement in the back suddenly alerted her to a sixth companion - one whom she had missed among all the goods and the dark.


He was tall for a man, even sitting down. Maerwynn estimated him to be about 6 feet four standing up, at the very least. Draped in a cloak with a mask, she couldn't make out much more of his face besides his eyes. His deep grey eyes, speckled with bright flecks of blue, were piercing in the dark. Worst of all, it meant that he had been awake and was acutely aware of her deep scrutiny.


Maerwynn turned her head abruptly, causing a small crick! to sound through the caravan. She hadn't even seen him at first, how had she missed such a strange man? He didn't look like a merchant, save for his clothes. He seemed too well fed (or perhaps, looking at Pyper, fed just enough) to be making a living off selling wares. But then again, there were stranger things than an in-shape merchant in the North.


Much stranger things.


Thoughts of her Father’s ill-gotten fate befell her again, and Maerwynn returned to brood in the shadows. It had been a week and a half or so since she had left her home - a feat only achievable with her beloved snow-shoes, of which lay stuffed deep amongst the other goods. She’d have to buy them back someday.


She'd never seen anything like the disease her father had succumbed to. A deadly thing which caused its victims to freeze up like blocks of ice and yet sustain them for days on what seemed to be nothing. If she didn't know better, Maerwynn would have claimed it to be magic. She touched her lips thoughtfully, still remembering how cold his forehead had felt.


“I wonder…”


She sighed, letting out another cloud of frosty air. Had she been let into the capital city, L'Aorn, this would have been so much easier. Regrettably, it seemed that it was under lock-down under some strange circumstances, and under the threat of death Maerwynn had set out to return empty-handed. It was a stroke of luck that had led the caravan to her. A stroke of luck that had given her the crazy idea of leaving the country to look for a cure – she hadn’t even checked to see if her father had frozen to death. A horrible feeling began to rise in her stomach, shadows of a selfish desire which she desperately kept at bay.


No. No. I did it for Father. I am not a coward.


Desperate for something, anything to divert her thoughts, Maerwynn resumed the conversation that Pyper had so rudely begun.


“Uhmm… you are a merchant, yes?”


Rousing from his slumber, the old man eagerly brought himself to speak (quite as if he had been waiting for this to happen, she observed).


“Oiyem, yessumm, Miss, quite right, quite right! I, why, aim be selling mayh wares for um, um, since I be a young lad meself, no dou-“


“Uhm, yes. Yes, I felt like you were going to say that.”


She used the silence used while he took another puff to carry on.


“So! You probably traveled all around the world, yes? Ha-“


“Ahhh, awcous, awcouse! Aimbeen awll ovuh, frum da mounteens o’Teeawdis to da deserts o’In… In… well, whuever ees cawled. Lemme tellyuh summin, wance I eve-“


“-sease, like it free-“


“-uwnd, lil’ gal like yaself ne’er e’er been owut en aboot, naow dee-“


“SHUT UP!”


With a start, Maerwynn and Pyper grew silent and stared at the outstretched hand. The now awoken merchant, skinny as he was, stretched out and pointed outside the caravan.


“Lookit that… the Night Eyes of T’Odis.”


Maerwynn craned her neck to see a black silhouette of a large tower contrasted against the moonlit sky. It seemed breathtaking and slightly ominous. The closer the horses got to the structure, the tighter the feeling in her chest became. For once, Pyper had shut his mouth and extinguished his pipe. As the smell of smoke faded away, the air seemed to grow much colder. The pointing man’s eyes grew wider to the point of popping before he let out a shaky breath. Whatever this “Night Eyes of T’Odis” was, Maerwynn was sure that it didn’t signal good fortune.


“What is it?” she whispered.


“The guard towers… they can see everything in the country that moves.”


“T’aint good ter pass by, lass, ‘specially annight. ‘Tis a bad omen for us merchants.”


Maerwynn shivered, though whether it was from the night air or the tower, she did not know. As they passed in relative silence, save for their heavy breathing and the nervous nickering of the horses, she saw the tower recede and grow smaller and smaller into the distance.


“Is it safe?”


“All’s waell. All’s waell. S’long as eet’s nawt on fire, all’s waell.”


“On fire?”


“S’course! ‘Ow else arryegonna usem?”


Maerwynn leant back against a particularly comfortable rucksack before letting tension she didn’t even know she had seep out of her back. Just around a week into her journey and she had already seen such amazing things. The ice mountain city of L’Aorn, and now this “Night Eyes of T’Odis” – she really was a country girl after all. She closed her eyes, trying to preserve the memory of the night.


A horse whinnied.


Then she saw them.


At first, Maerwynn assumed them to be trees in the horizon. As she squinted her eyes however, it became apparent to her that they were horsemen – rapidly arriving horsemen at that. And unless it was an urgent message, none of which she suspected would be delivered to the likes of her compatriots, they meant danger. She had seen enough bandit raids to sense malicious intent when she felt it and right now, the hairs on her neck were bristling.


“Wha-“


Before she could finish her sentence, Maerwynn saw her second greatest event of the night – the top of the tower which they had passed burst into flame. With a great whoosh and a crackle of firewood, the once black tower was crowned with light. The fire was so great that she could feel the heat on her face and she had to squint her eyes.


A sun, she thought. This is no fire. It is a sun.


“The Night Eyes! They are open!” The skinny merchant practically wailed before burying his face in the blankets.


“Ride! Ride! Git dose ‘orses a’movin’, dammit!” The distinctive voice of Pyper penetrated her ears and the incoming crack of the driver’s whip lurched the caravan ahead. Maerwynn gripped the wooden skeleton of the caravan as it made its way through the snow. If it had been a bumpy ride before, the ensuing chase had made it into a veritable earthquake. It was all she could do to not fall out and even at this breakneck speed – the mysterious horsemen were catching up.


“Oh, oh!” Maerwynn half whined, half groaned, as a crate fell on her head. “Hey! I think they’re catching up! Go faster, guys!” At this range, she could almost see the foam frothing at their steeds’ mouths.


They were tall men – impossibly tall men. The moonlight glinted off their strange armour and they carried a regal air about them. This was no bandit raid and these were no bandits. They seemed like those chess pieces she kept at home – emotionless, in sync, and unstoppable. One shouted a phrase in which she recognized as the T’Odis language – having learnt enough to communicate with customers – and the group splintered off into three assailants on each side of the caravan. Their spears were illuminated by the “Night Eyes” and were soon driven into the wooden stokes of the caravan.


“Arghh!” The caravan jostled about, almost veering off-course before the driver reined in the horses.


“Gettem off!” was his only response before he resumed his wrestle with his beasts of burden. Maerwynn grit her teeth before another jarring shock sent her tumbling around inside. Smashing into a pile of stinking hides, she spotted her crossbow jammed in a corner. The other merchants were cowering, even now unwilling to throw away their wares to delay the attackers. “What?! What?! Help me, you guys!”


Another shock.


This caravan will not last much longer, she thought grimly. “Fine, give me my crossbow!”


“Right ye’re, no prob-“


“Here, give it here, just give it!”


Snatching her weapon from someone’s – she couldn’t tell who, not in the commotion – hands, Maerwynn steadied herself by leaning against some crates. “Urgh!”


She pulled back on the heavy bowstring, using her feet and body for leverage. Struggling to fit in a bolt, she was unaware of what her comrades were doing – if they were even helping at all. Finally, impossibly, she was able to lift her crossbow up to her shoulder. She had no idea of how much time had passed but judging from the rattling of the caravan, it wouldn’t hold up for much longer. She took in a deep breath and held it, using her father’s teachings. A click of the trigger launched the steel bolt towards her assailants but another jolt caused her to fly sideways and fuck up her shot. It hit nothing but the snow.


“I can see the gates! Aren’t even closed yet!”


Amidst the gibbering praying of the merchants, the panicked whinnying of the horses, and the continuous crunching of the lances against wood, Maerwynn whooped out of triumph. By craning her neck, she could see the mountains quickly coming into view. Along with a monstrous gate, if it could even be called one. It was more of a huge chunk of rock outfitted with a great portcullis. If it wasn’t for the clearly man made turrets on top, Maerwynn would have thought it to be part of the mountains themselves.


Perhaps growing desperate by seeing that the gates were nowhere near closing, the horsemen redoubled their efforts and hacked away at the ropes connecting them to the horses. With a sudden schriiipp, Maerwynn watched as a steel blade cut through the fur clothed top and into the chest of a praying mercenary. A spurt of blood jetted out and stained her flushed face, causing her to blink.


Krakoom!


When next she opened her eyes, Maerwynn found herself slumped in the wreckage of what had been the caravan. She blearily blinked her eyes. Once. Twice. Everything hurt and there was the familiar metallic taste of blood in her mouth. A numb ringing made her deaf and every time she rolled her eyes spots of blackness threatened to extinguish her sight.


“Haaughh…” She fought to take in a breath. It felt as if Pyper, the fat merchant from earlier, had been sitting on her chest. It was also a struggle to move especially when her limbs felt like deadwood. For now, it was all she could do to catch her breath and watch the sky.


And watch.


And watch.


Until Maerwynn saw a black spiral come spiraling through the night sky, so black that it stood out even in the dark. It seemed to suck in all the stars’ lights in the sky before it lazily swallowed up the moon. Suddenly, Maerwynn couldn’t tell if she had opened her eyes or closed them. She opened her mouth and screamed. An unadulterated expression of pure frustration in the situation she found herself stuck in. A rumble shook the very land before a blinding blue bolt pierced through the darkness. The light showed off the black clouds, rolling and crashing about in the sky. It was a violent storm and it reminded her of the sea.


An ocean in the sky.


Maerwynn half laughed and half cried.


“A thunderstorm. I was scared of a thunderstorm.” As pain began to sear through her legs, she only grit her teeth in a crazed grimace. At the very least, it meant that feeling had begun to come back to her limbs. She wiggled her toes to test the theory, and although the blackness barred her from seeing them move, the jolting pains announced to her that her body was ready to go. Maerwynn began to crawl forwards, occasionally feeling with her hands the remains of her traveling companions.


Another flash of light briefly illuminated the background and in front of her, she saw the strange hooded man from earlier fighting with the horsemen. Though the image had lasted for a second, it was burned into her eyes. He had skin like the snow, and he seemed even taller than before. With every lightning bolt that shot through the skies, Maerwynn could see snapshots of their battle. From her prostate form on the ground, the men seemed like giants fighting in the mountains.


What had seemed like spears to her earlier were, on second impression, just swords. Huge bladed swords that seemed too heavy to lift, let alone swing around like they were doing. Sparks flew off their metal weapons as they ground against each other, the light of the metal shards giving more precious details to Maerwynn. With a final peal of thunder, the clouds dissipated to reveal a bloodstained canvas – the stranger remained standing tall and the nine horsemen lay dead, their blood darkening the white snow.


Just like that, silence and serenity returned to the battleground. The moon shone brightly once more, although it had set down lower in the sky. Maerwynn heaved for breath before leaning back against a broken wheel. The horses were long gone. The merchants lay dead or unconscious – she didn’t care which at the moment. And the storm… she had never seen anything like it. Even the mightiest blizzards gave some sort of warning before they struck – if you knew how to look for it. They followed a pattern.


But this thunderstorm? The darkness that had just swallowed them whole? Maerwynn had never seen anything like it. Perhaps she had had her eyes closed the entire time after all. Besides, the important thing was that she was alive. That meant hope for her quest still lingered.


“We lived.” She spoke to the air. “We lived.”


She took the moment to rest up and to fully appreciate the carnage. Besides the horsemen who lay dead, the caravan had been utterly smashed to pieces. The torn up body of the skinny merchant lay nearby. That could have been me.


She crawled through the wreckage, aiming to find her crossbow and perhaps pick up any useful items. Medicine was a wishful thought but perhaps not an impossible one. By the end of her crawl, Maerwynn had gathered up her crossbow (though it had a snapped string), a blowing horn, and three of her crossbow bolts. She strapped them around her shoulders with some string before a sudden cough alerted her to the prostate man a few feet away from her.


Pyper, it seemed, had not fared for the better in the caravan crash. A long splinter of wood penetrated from his belly and yellow bubbles of fat and gore trickled slowly out his wound. Maerwynn sat still and stared at him with a tight mouth. It seemed only right to let the dying man speak out first. Unfortunately, it seemed as if that was not going to happen. The fat merchant gasped for breath, his previous witticisms reduced to a gurgling wheeze. Maerwynn sighed before starting her arduous crawl over to him, taking only a moment to stop for breath. Her ribs still hurt. “I feel like you can’t make it.”


She rested a hand on the wooden spike, but even that small movement caused him to tremble furiously.


“No. You can’t make it. Not like this.” Maerwynn sniffed before reaching in her coat to grasp the familiar bone handle of her knife. She was glad to see it had not been lost or broken in the craziness that had occurred. Upon the sight of her knife however, Pyper’s eyes began to roll in their sockets. They whizzed from side to side, as if he were shaking his head, “no, no”. He began to froth at the mouth and blood spluttered from his throat. It was a disconcerting sight – one which felt strangely familiar to Maerwynn – and she ended by plunging the knife into his chest.


Maerwynn was certain that she had hit his heart, though it had been a bit more difficult due to his bulk and clothes. His body jerked and relieved itself and the blood from her knife wound matted his fur cloak. Pyper let out one last gasp before the light in his eyes dimmed and faded. Killing was a grisly business.


“Goodbye, Pyper.” She wiped off the blade on his clothes before sheathing it and stashing it in her coat again.


Just then, she heard the tinny sound of a trumpet calling. Obviously, reinforcements had arrived. Or something along those lines – they (or rather, the stranger) had just killed the men following them, after all. The grating noise of the portcullis caught her attention and she snapped her head back to look at the mountain gate to see it closing. The creaking and clinking of metal on stone sounded like her own despair.


“No, no. No.” She murmured before struggling to her feet.


Although the gate was only a few dozen feet away, with her shaky legs it felt like a million. She limped-hopped towards the gates only to have a sense of doom reach over her. There was simply no way to reach it in time. And as Maerwynn was only so certain of, once she gave up hope inside, there really was no way to succeeding. It was then she remembered the pale faced stranger and his skillful display. Surely a warrior like that would have no trouble dashing through the gate… perhaps with a certain gammy legged woman.


“Please,” she croaked out, “help me. Don't leave me! Help me!”
 
The following was originally posted by @Dirk Diggler in the previous IC


@Dirk Diggler as
Ex Justice Horde Knight Vanse D'Enishora​

_____

Location: The road to the T'Odis Gate, T'Odis


Date: Month 6, Day 15


Time: Between the first and second hour of morning (1:30 A.M.)

_____​


They had to be close by now. Patches of grass were beginning to reveal themselves from under all the T'Odis snow that blanketed the area. However, the crisp night air was still unforgivably cold. Working its way down a long dirt road, a simple trade caravan was approaching the massive T'Odis Gate. This small horse drawn carriage had definitely seen better days. Made of aging wood, the withered structure cracked and creaked with every bump. It's canopy was riddled with different rips and tears. Many of which were crudely stitched and patched. A small lantern hung from one the top beams and created a warm dim glow. Boxes and bags of spices and wares filled the cabin, and crowded together six passengers were resting. Each on their way to the border.


Vanse sat silently in the back where he found a small nook to plant himself in. He wanted to try and stay as hidden as possible. He long abandoned his knights armor he once felt so much pride in. Instead traded, for an old hooded cloak and mask. Underneath, he wore a small leather chest piece and a couple of gauntlets for added protection and insulation. The other merchants sat quietly minding their own. There wasn't anything too particular about them, except for a young Kildran woman and a rather large bellied man next to her. Vanse heard her make a small whisper, which caught his and the man's attention.


"Whudderya talkin' bout ova dere?" The man had a tiny sense of whimsy to his voice as he inquired the girl. His voice pitching slightly behind his sluggish words. She simply grabbed and pulled her furs tight and responded with an abrupt,


"Nothing."


Vanse's eyes drifted from them to the night sky just viewable from the carriage's rear opening. There wasn't a single cloud in site as millions of tiny lights that decorated the heavens. A wave of sadness slowly enveloped him. This was his home, he swore to protect it, but now he was leaving and he could never go back. His gaze went from star to star trying to make out the constellations he found as a boy. Suddenly, in the vast darkness, among all the tiny specks of light, another appeared. The star gazer's eyes widened. His heart began to race as his breathing became heavier. He quickly looked over and fixated on another spot of darkness in the sky. Every second felt like an eternity at this point . The smell of burning tobacco filled his nostrils with every long deep breath. The carriage made a small turn and the canopy's flaps obstructed his view. He pushed himself up slight with his hands and found the spot again. And in it, another light appeared. This time slightly brighter and almost flickering. Vanse dropped back down into his seat and just stared ahead in space silently.


It was over. They were so close but there was no way they could make it out now. It was only a matter of moments and all they could do was wait. He looked over at his fellow passengers once more. He knew what was going to happen and feared for their safety. It was clear they were completely unaware of their impending danger. His eyes fell on the Kildran woman who was now staring back at him. She was young , maybe in her early twenties. Her dark brown hair and a rosy complexion were hard to make out in the dim lighting. She quickly turned away after he noticed her and let out a small crack in her neck. Surprisingly, she began to speak again to the large man she shrugged off just moments before.


"Uhmm… you are a merchant, yes?" The merchant, falling asleep, stirred and quickly propped himself up when she spoke.


"Oiyem, yessumm, Miss, quite right, quite right! I, why, aim be selling mayh wares for um, um, since I be a young lad meself, no dou-"


"Uhm, yes. Yes, I felt like you were going to say that."


He took a long drag from his pipe before she continued. "So! You probably traveled all around the world, yes? Ha-"


"Ahhh, awcous, awcouse! Aimbeen awll ovuh, frum da mounteens o’Teeawdis to da deserts o’In… In… well, whuever ees cawled. Lemme tellyuh summin, wance I eve-"


"-sease, like it free-"


"-uwnd, lil’ gal like yaself ne’er e’er been owut en aboot, naow dee-"


"SHUT UP!" Another merchant Vanse thought was sleeping suddenly jumped up and held a skinny arm up at the two to silence them. He then used his other arm to point outside. "Lookit that… the Night Eyes of T’Odis." Vanse was already well aware of the 100 foot structure they were approaching.


"What is it?" The girl whispered.


"The guard towers… they can see everything in the country that moves." He wasn't completely wrong. Each tower was equipped with a massive bonfire ready to be burned at a moments notice. When lit they light up the night and allow one to easily see for miles. With dozens of them lining the eastern and western borders to the lawless lands, there was no way anyone could pass without being seen right away. That's why the gate was his best bet. He had to get as far from T'Odis as possible. It was his only chance of survival.


"T’aint good ter pass by, lass, ‘specially annight. ‘Tis a bad omen for us merchants." This is especially true, since Vanse already saw two towers light up in the far distance. The cabin grew silent as they trudged passed the ominous construct. After a few eternal minutes you could feel the tension lift as it slowly began to fade off into the night.


"Is it safe?" She asked.


"All’s waell. All’s waell. S’long as eet’s nawt on fire, all’s waell."


"On fire?"


"S’course! ‘Ow else arryegonna usem?" He's right it wasn't on fire yet. Maybe they still had a chance. The tower's fires were also used as signals. When L'Aorn needs to close the gate in an emergency they light a giant tower in the capitol. From there the first border towers to see the flame are to light their towers. After which each tower begins lighting their fires in a dominoe effect down the borderlines until the T'Odis Gate guards see it and know to close the gate.


There was a brief moment of peace. Everyone began to settle down as the carriage continued its stride. But then, not far off, loud neighing broke the silence. Vanse almost jumped to his feet as every head turned to look outside. Somehow a horde tracked him down, and coming at them, at a breakneck pace, were nine horsemen. Each horse was a monster of a beast, twice the size of the two regular steeds that pulled them. They were specially breed for their riders, and like them, were fully decorated in glistening armor. Suddenly, the tower they had just passed burst into flames, and light filled almost everything in sight.


"The Night Eyes! They are open!" Yelled the man who pointed the tower out.


"Ride! Ride! Git dose ‘orses a’movin’, dammit!" Demanded the fat man, finally speaking some sense. The driver cracked his whip and the caravan burst forth with speed. Everyone held on as tight as they could to keep from falling out. Vanse was standing in the back. His left hand held firmly on one the canopy's support beams and his right on a nearby shelf.


"Hey! I think they’re catching up! Go faster, guys!" Yelled the girl. Boxes and wares were flying everywhere while the merchants held down what they could. Despite the scared cries of the passengers, the crashing and banging of the wagon, and all the flying merchandise. Vanse heard almost perfectly the horde captain yell out in T'Odis,


"Kyhh glan ehh (Kill them all)." Their pursuers, like a pack of organized wolves, divided into three groups of three. Two groups rode up to the caravan from both sides, while the third closed in from the rear. He didn't understand. These people were innocent, he was the one they were after. So why kill them also? Normally a horde should be trying to stop the carriage so they can arrest him. Not attack it and everyone in it. They began stabbing at the speeding structure in almost perfect synchronicity . Wooden splinters were flying everywhere while blade after blade pierced the carriage. One managing to nick ex-knight's shoulder before he could dodge it in time.


"Gettem off!" Yelled the driver as he jerked and pulled his reigns. The Kildran girl tumbled into some furs and called out to the terrified passengers.


"What?! What?! Help me, you guys!" Vanse tried to reach out a hand, but the carriage started to tilt on two wheels, and quickly slammed back down. Knocking everyone around once more. "Fine, give me my crossbow!" She called out again.


"Right ye’re, no prob-"


"Here, give it here, just give it!" With all their swords finally gone the horde must have pulled back on their assault, but Vanse was still worried about what they would do next. He watched the fat old merchant struggled to hand the girl her weapon. So he quickly grabbed the bow and passed it to her. He then watched, actually slightly impressed, as she managed to prop herself up and load it. She pulled it up to her shoulder and took aim. But, right when she pulled the trigger, a sudden shock knocked her over and sent the bolt flying way off course.


"I can see the gates! Aren’t even closed yet!" The driver cried out. The girl hollard proudly, but Vanse looked out of a tear and saw a knight advance to the front of the carriage. He knew what was coming next, and he quickly braced himself. A blade sunk into the canopy, killing a passenger before-


schwip


Like he predicted, they cut the carriages ties to the horses and they lost control. Veering off the road, they ran up a small hill and lifted into the air. Crashing straight into ground. The rickety caravan was no more. Wood, wares, and bodys were thrown everywhere. Vanse found himself hitting the ground at an angle, sliding across the snow. He tried picking himself back up, but a horseman bolted over, grabbed him by his hood, and dragged him across the ground. He was suddenly released and he tumbled to a stop. Battered and bruised, the Ex-knight somehow found the strength to slowly get to his feet. He looked around at the 9 horseman who Surrounded him, some getting off their horses and drawing their swords. His eyes quickly found the captain who stood ahead of him proudly mounted on his steed. His helmet hid most of his features, but Vanse recognized that crooked smile anywhere.


"Riktor A'sari," He muttered weakly between breathes. The captain's smile grew, as if gaining pleasure from hearing his name. He opened his mouth and began speaking in T'Odis.


"Vanse D'enishora," His voice was deep and raspy. He spoke his prey's name slow and condescendingly. As if he was about to give him a scolding. He looked over at the collossal gate, now almost halfway closed and laughed.


"Iuo ehnusg neba yg uug. Yg's e slena, dog pa puuhb lefa tuma uug uun vuumb iuo afamgoehhi. (You almost made it out. It's a shame, but we would have gone out and found you eventually.)" He drew his sword, the tip aimed at Vanse.


"Weym ym ni ess, gleg puohb da, ekoehhi, weym ym ni ess iuo eheis daam. Drymt iuo ym ehyfa, Y pes glymkymt. Dog kyhhymt iuo, pyhh segysvi na. (And that would have been a real pain in my ass. Come to think of it, you've always been a pain in my ass. I was thinking about turning you in alive, maybe get myself a nice promotion, but killing you would be so much more satisfying.)" Vanse drew his sword and shouted back.


"Peyg! Y banemb e kundeg gryeh! (Wait! I demand a trial by combat!)" Riktor burst out in laughter.


"Vyrsg, iuor rohas pa bumg whei. Y bumg kmup lup iuo kyhhab Xhane M'lam uun uglar kmytlgs.(First of all, we don't play by your rules. I don't know how you did it, but you killed Xhane M’Iam and your entire horde.)" Black ominous clouds began to fill the sky, and suddenly a darkness almost like no other creeped across the landscape. The captain continued, "pli puohb pa klemsa uma eteymsg uma? (What makes you think we would take any chances fighting you one on one?)" The darkness finally reached them and Riktor gave one last command before being overtaken by it.


"Eggekk, afariuma!(Everyone, attack!)"


And almost instantly Vanse and the other knights were swallowed by the darkness right as they began to charge at him. Using the storm to his advantage, he managed to duck past two of his attackers and quickly pierced a third in the chest. After kicking him away and pulling his sword out lightning struck and revealed two other knights he wasn't aware of simultaneously striking down at him. He lifted his sword at the last second and caught both blades. Their swords crossed against his, and sparks lit their faces as he struggled to hold them both back. He quickly pulled back, and rolled between the two. He then flipped his weapon upside down and stabbed backwards. Catching deep into the side of the man to his left. Pulling his blade out and spinning around, he swung down hard on the shoulder of his other attacker. Then, hearing footsteps rushing up from behind, the swordsman turned and swung upwards, feeling his metal connecting with jawbone. There was nothing but a loud gargle as he heard a body tumble pass him to the ground. Lightning struck again, revealing everyone's positions. Vanse grabbed an oblivious knight in front of him from behind and thrust his sword into his back. As he collapsed to the ground, a third strike showed the final four staring directly as him. They stood almost one behind the other with Riktor farthest to the back. At once they all charged at Vanse, and blackness returned. He kicked one knight back and swung his sword horizontally to cut her throat. Then slashed another's legs after ducking a swing. Still crouched, he rolled backwards, barely dodging another incoming strike. The sword hit the ground only a few inches in front of him, as he sprung to his feet, jumped forward, and cut down his semi-final opponent.


A final strike of lightning confirmed Riktor and Vanse to be the last one's standing. they lunged at each other and with incredible speed, sparks flew everywhere as their weapons repeatedly connected and knocked away. When he found the perfect chance, Vanse swung at the last second to the captain's elbow and cut off his arm mid swing. He screamed and stumbled backwards. His sword and ass hit the ground as he grabbed at his bloody stump, and without hesitating, Vanse ran forward and stabbed down into his chest.


The storm began to fade as quickly as it started. It was unlike anything Vanse had ever seen. The moon light shown off the wet crimson snow, revealing the bloody scene. He stood silently in a moment of shock. He wiped blood from his forehead and looked at it on his hand. Not knowing if it was his or theirs. The nine armored bodies were too hauntingly familiar. He began to remember his old horde and the night they tried to kill him, but trumpets in the distance snapped him back to the present. Reinforcements were coming. He turned to the gate and saw it was only three quarters closed. If he ran, he could possibly make it through. He took a step forward, but heard a voice.


"Please," it groaned, "help me. Don't leave me! Help me!" The Ex-knight looked over and saw the Kildran girl laying among the wreckage still alive. He ran over and noticed her holding her chest. She probably broke a rib, he thought. He knelt down in front of her and pulled her arms around his shoulders.


"Hold on!" He called back to her. She gripped him tightly as he grabbed her legs and sprinted forward to the gate. He ran as fast as he could, each step more desperate than the last. At this point the gate was almost completely closed. He ducked down as much as he could, ran underneath it and leapt, just barely clearing the massive gate before it slammed closed behind them. They did it. They actually made it out of T'Odis. Vanse was on his back trying to catch his breath, while the girl lay a few feet from him holding her ribs. He slowly got up, walked over to her, took a knee, and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?" She weakly nodded.


"I think so." She managed to utter. A horse whinnied, and both of their heads shot forward. In front of them, to their surprise, eating some grass only about ten feet away, was one of the caravan horses. They heard another trumpet, this time much closer.


"Kuna um. (Come on.)" Vanse whispered as he helped her back up and brought her to the horse. He put her on the back, climbed on himself, and they took off.


~~~
Back on the other side of the gate. Not too long after their escape. A second justice horde arrived and were instantly shocked by the destruction around them. Their captain removed her helmet and revealed herself to be a beautiful young woman. Her long white hair pulled back tightly, her frost white complexion complimented her cold and emotionless face.


"Kewgeym! (Captain!)" A female knight called out. She rode up next to her leader.


"symtha sag uv grekks Y vuomb, glai haeb gu tega. Y en surri askewa la nosg. (I found a single set of tracks leading to the gate. I'm sorry to say he must of escaped.)" The captain grit her teeth, and squeezed her reigns tightly.


"I pemg iuo gu qouasgyum toerbs. Vymb pleh lewwamab lara axekghi. (I want you to question the guards. Find out exactly what happened here.)" She ordered. "Uun sunauma tag gu guw uv tega. Tag glys benm tega uund tag glys uwam mup! (And someone get to the top of that gate and get this damn thing open now!)"
 
The following was originally posted by Gradous13 Gradous13 in the previous C


Gradous13 Gradous13 as

Artyom Okra'nev

_____
The howl of the morning wind softly echos down the man made hallway of a mine that seems to go on forever. Just fifty feet from the entrance is a room which has been lived in for quite sometime as one could tell by the amount of renovations that had been put in. The walls where comprised of several different types of wood, two large pieces of wood spanned across the ceiling each being partially buried into where the walls and ceiling met allowing fo more structural support. The floor was comprised of flat stones that had been carefully placed so there wouldn't be large gaps between them, looking closely at the grout like system between the stones, it was easy to an attempted uniformity of space between the stone. within the room was a table with three chairs in the middle with a large bear skin rug under neath it. The rug was made mainly from black bear hide but there was brown hide that had been stitched around the edges. A couple dressers sat to the right of the entrance, and a large desk to the left. On the wall next to the desk hung a large sword, Armour sat on a bench that had specialized posts to hang said Armour on. A round, wooden shield with a steel outer ring along with a simple steel shield boss in the middle was leaned against the bench at an angle. There was also a medium sized bed with different animal hides atop the bed that had been made into blankets, a heavy gust of wind suddenly went through the mine shaft, rattling the heavy door of the room...


The hide covers began to move subtly at first before being gently thrown off by a tall, well built man in his late thirties who sat up on the bed, his face was worn with a handful of scars, a thick bearded engulfed the lower area of his jaw and neck, his posture was hunched over with his fore arms propping his torso up by resting on his thighs. He sat up and grabbed the lantern off the side table and lit it with some flint and steel, bringing the dark room to life. Once more the covers began to shift, a large snow leopard had poked her head out of the covers from the foot of the bed. The man placed the lantern on the side table before addressing the white, gray and black spotted feline.


"Good morning, Seria...sleep more, if you want, we wont head out for a little while." He said with a low scratchy voice, turning back and placing his left hand on the large cat's head and giving a quick rub from his palm. The man grumbled as he got up and gave a large stretch. There was a large, black book on the desk that he went over to after he picked the lantern back up only to place in back down, this time on the desk. "Artyom Okra'nev" was written across the hard, front cover in a gold colored font. After pulling a chair up he sat down and opened the book and read over his last entry. "Hmm, nothing of significance...I guess I will check the mines to the east, I haven't been there in about a month. No,two weeks and six days would be more correct" Was Artyoms thoughts on the entry from two days prior.

Artyom relaxed in the chair and began packing a wooden pipe with some tobacco, he took a wooden stick from the corner of the desk, where he also kept the pipe, and stuck it into the lantern. Artyom gently pulled out the stick which was now lit with a small flame at the tip and bought it to the tobacco filled bowl. His breath was smooth and soft with each inhale and exhale as he made the leaf burn. He whisked the stick a couple time to kill the flame the burned and placed it back down. Now was when Artyom began preparing himself a mental list for today's events and where to execute such tasks...
 
The following was originally posted by Gradous13 Gradous13 in the original previous IC


Gradous13 Gradous13 as

Artyom Okra'nev

_____​



...Artyom stood up quickly, put out his pipe and set it on the desk in the same manner. He briskly walked over to the dressers to change into a warmer set of clothing as well as a few more layers. After this he would go to his gear and suit up in his armour, Artyom would quickly put on every piece, starting at his feet and work his way up as he found this to be the most efficient way to get his kit on. "Seria, we're leaving to the east soon, so be ready for a long trip." The cat would yawn and stretch with a soft and almost quiet growl before she hopped down from the bed as Artyom grabbed his sword and shield. Artyom fastened the sword, sheath and belt around his waist. He kept the shield in his hand as it would be counter productive to put it on his back. The last piece of equipment was his helm which would be put on just before leaving his home...


...As the man moved quickly, he would end up in a room down the hall on the left side, away from the tunnel entrance. A large bag with a single opening at the top hung from the wall in the hall just outside the doorway. Artyom set down the shield which would lean against the wall and grabbed the bag. It was cold in the room so it was perfect for storing meat inside. There was several shelves with various meats on them, each organized by type. Artyom grabbed several large packaged dried deer shreds each weighing around two pounds. One had a grey blue cloth used to package the meat and the other was a white colored cloth. The Latter of which was Artyom's. Before he left the room, Artyom grabbed on more bundle of dried meat, this one was small and weighed only a pound which he would put in a side pocket for a light snack. The room was quite large and also contained many rare stones and gems which were kept in multiple wooden chests, most of which were empty except for one. Artyom opened the one chest which contained the items he was going to sell. The precious stones were sorted by color into individual leather purses. Artyom took all the items out and placed them into his pack that contained the meat. With approximately twelve pounds of meat in the bag as well as four pounds of stones, Artyom sealed the bag by pulling the strings at the opening of the bag away from it, closing the top, he then folded the top over itself and wrapped the long strings around it a couple times to make a seal....

...Artyom threw the bag onto his back which was secured by a heavy duty leather strap that went diagonally across his chest. After securing the door behind him , Artyom grabbed his shield, putting his left arm through the enarmes, he rotated the strap until the shield covered his back. Appearing halfway out the doorway of his room, Seria looked at Artytom eagerly as she knew they were about to go on a long awaited trip to the T'odis east coast line. Artyom walked up to her and knelt down "Hehe, you've been waiting for this for sometime haven't you?" He asked with a soft laugh while he caressed the top of her head to which Seria quite enjoyed. Artyom stood, "Let's get going shall we?" the two exited the comfort of home once more to embrace the harsh mountain weather which they have long grown adapt too...

...The wind howled and pushed against their bodies, Artyom quickly pushed his head into his helm which now protected his face. The helm was a unique design as it covered everything except the eyes and was designed to give almost normal eyesight, the helm also had a soft fur liner for keeping warm in the winter. Step by step Artyom and Seria made their way east in the dark morning. it would be about a five day trip as they wouldn't stop except for a few hours here and there or if they encountered another person or an animal...
 
The following was originally posted by Opaque Artifex Opaque Artifex in the previous IC

Opaque Artifex Opaque Artifex
as

Zal N'Arodh

_____​



Location:
The road to the T’Odis Gate, T’Odis


Date: Month 6, Day 15


Time: Between the third and fourth hour of the morning (3:30 AM)

_____

A bitter chill hung in the air as the first inklings of sunlight began to pierce the horizon. Bursts of colour erupted across the dawn sky, painting the lapis canvas with rose tipped flames. In the distance the black peaks flanking the T’Odis gate loomed from behind the dunes of snow, smeared heavily with thick patches of ghost white and the occasional spit of coniferous greenery.


The gate itself a tall bastion of grey stone and brutal T’Odis architecture hung in a valley; lined with the vast fortifications colloquially known as ‘the Night Eyes of T’Odis’. Thick plumes of dark smoke rose from the tops of each tower as daylight slowly drowned out the brilliant blaze of the beacon fires.


Zal N’Arodh’s pale blue eyes traced the sooty tendrils across the skyline. Peering through the icy glass of the carriage windows he grit his teeth firmly, parting his pale lips and narrowing his eyes as he clutched the onyx-dyed upholstery of his seat. After a moment of carefully observing the land; he leaned forward and pulled the black velvet curtain across the window with a sharp movement.


“Glys ys warvakg edsuhogahi.”


(This is absolutely perfect.)


He thought sarcastically as he ran a hand through his short black hair stopping at the base of his neck to gently massage it.


“Y lefa mug afam raeslab durbar korsab uun ehraebi glara ys gruudha.”


(I have not even reached the cursed border and already there is trouble.)


Sinking back into the comfortable embrace of the padded seat, he contemplated his predicament as his fingers traced the cold leather of his armrests.


“Qoasgyum ys, byb glai mugysa sunadubi egganwgymt gu ymgroba ur askewa? Warlews glai para eggakkab? Yv su, pes yg e reyb synwha ur ys umhi tegapei gu G’Ubys mup ukkowyab di ettrassurs? Mup, terrysum nytlg lefa daam edha gu vamb glan uvv, dog sgyhh wiras dormymt gahh na gleg glai ayglar veyhab gu bu su ur raqoyrab raymvursanamgs.”


(The question is, did they notice somebody attempting to intrude or escape? Perhaps they were attacked? If so, was it a simple raid or is the only gateway to T’Odis now occupied by aggressors? Now, the garrison might have been able to fend them off, but the still burning pyres tell me that they either failed to do so or required reinforcements.)


Turning his gaze back to the opposite side of his ebonized compartment, he sat brooding as the ornate carriage trundled along the stone paved road from L’Aorn. Although it made little difference in the dim interior of the passenger compartment Zal closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.


“Glam eteym, warlews glys ehh les sunaglymt gu bu pygl gleg sgurn vraek lehv em luur etu. Uma pei ur emuglar glys ys tuymt gu da e weym es ver es nyssyum ys kumsarmab.”


(Then again, perhaps this all has something to do with that freak storm half an hour ago. One way or another, this is going to be a pain as far as the mission is concerned.)


He could feel every irregularity in the surface of the roadway as he listened acutely to his surroundings. Over the noise of the carriage shuddering from time to time he could hear sound of countless hooves against rock and the steady clatter of armour accompanying it. He could even make out the distant gushing of water accompanied by faint shouting which echoed off of the steep cliffs bordering the valley.


A sudden clamour of hooves and the hurried knock of an armoured fist against the windowpane disrupted his concentration. Zal glared at the curtain for a moment, hesitating to respond before his decision was made for him by a slightly frantic voice.


“Syr, glara ewwaers gu da gruudha eg tega, Mytlg Aias lefa daam hyg uun pa’fa swuggab raymvursanamgs nufymt ymgu erae. Warnyssyum gu samb e rybar elaeb gu essass sygoegyum?”


(Sir, there appears to be trouble at the gate, the Night Eyes have been lit and we’ve spotted reinforcements moving into the area. Permission to send a rider ahead to assess the situation?)


Pulling back the shroud of silky material, Zal briefly examined the source of his disturbance. The serious face of a middle aged man clad head to toe in the armour of a T’Odis officer stared back at him. His gaunt features were rough and well-worn with a grey stubble to mark his age, though he bore few facial scars for a man of his station.


“Pa era werg uv e tamaregyum eg ver pygl ygsahv uun iag muma uv os leva kmupm emiglymt dog waesa.”


(We are part of a generation at war with itself and yet none of us have known anything but peace.)


Zal mused bitterly while running his thumb and index finger along his jet black circle beard. After contemplating his response for a moment, he courteously addressed the man in a calm and eloquent fashion.


“Warnyssyum bamyab kewgeym; wrawera ni lursa emdb e bageslnamg uv glraa toerbs.”


(Permission denied captain; prepare my horse and a detachment of three guards.)


“Glys kerryeta umhi sarfas gu shup na bupm uun buas hyggha gu kaaw uot kuhb emipei.”


(This carriage only serves to slow me down and does little to keep out the cold anyway)


“Ias syr.”


(Yes sir.)


The captain replied, nodding without changing his expression and kicking his heels into his powerful grey courser. As the man galloped to the tail of the party, Zal gathered up his black fur cloak and thick woollen gloves of the same colour from the seat opposite him. Between donning his attire he hammered against the side of the carriage which ground to a halt as the driver dutifully responded. The heavy clank of sollerets hitting the stonework signalled the dismounting of a pair of guards who approached the carriage door and subsequently held it open.


As Zal stepped out into the bleak white wilderness, he felt the freezing touch of the gentle morning breeze upon his exposed skin. Without hesitation he drew the hood of his black surcoat over his head and hurriedly pulled his facecloth of the same colour up from under his chin. Climbing silently down from the carriage he waved away the two guards, one of whom shut the door before returning to their horse, and made his way over to the captain who approached flanked by three other mounted guards.


“Glasa glraa era lembwykkab syr, glai uotlg gu bu omgyh iuo raesl durbar.”


(These three are handpicked sir, they ought to do until you reach the border.)


The captain’s tone was as dull as his expressionless face, though his eyes betrayed his stern nature.


“Y pumbar lup nemi nymur degghas iuo lefa gu vytlg davura iuo sguw qoasgyumymt yg plam e sowaryur bysnyssas lys askurg davura ewwrueslymt gruudha. La kmups gleg glusa glraa era es tuub es baeb yv pa era pehkymt ymgu bemtar saryuus uun iag. Glasa nam maab gu saa pervera raeh, mug glys versa pa kehh ‘kaawymt waesa’.”


(I wonder how many minor battles you have to fight before you stop questioning it when a superior dismisses his escort before approaching trouble. He knows that those three are as good as dead if we are walking into serious danger and yet. These men need to see real warfare, not this farce we call ‘keeping the peace’.)


“Fari tuub, umsa pa raesl tega uun vymb uog pleg ys tuymt um bupm glara, glay pyhh ryba dekk uun naag iuo eg uugwusg maerasg.”


(Very good, once we reach the gate and find out what is going on down there, they will ride back and meet you at the nearest outpost.)


“Ombarsguub, syr.”


(Understood, sir.)


With the captain’s response, Zal skilfully mounted his powerful black destrier and gestured for the three guards to follow him. The four of them set off at a gallop riding hard for the border along the relatively straight roadway, crossing over an icy river via a partially fortified stone bridge. Crenellated walls flanked the bridge’s sides connected to a round guard turret at either end, both guarded by a single crossbowman at the top and a couple of spearmen outside. All bore the blue and grey colours of T’Odis, flying the crossed sword banner which flapped gracefully in the wind. Each guard stood at attention as the group cantered swiftly across and although the crossbowmen kept a keen eye on each rider as they thundered through, they made no move to take aim.


Eventually they reached they reached the edge of the valley as the morning sun hung low in the sky. Standing a short distance away was the immense fortress that was the T’Odis gate. It towered above them as they slowed their approach to a light trot approaching the garrison with caution. The courtyard surrounding the closed portcullis was littered with soldiers whose armour glistened in the light of dawn. As Zal and his companions approached the stable and handed over their reigns, two parties stood facing off just under the main arch of the gateway. On one side, a squad of exactly nine stood facing as though they were trying to leave, they bore the characteristic colours and attire of a T’Odis justice horde. The other group consisted of five soldiers in heavy armour akin to that of the other members of the garrison; they stood defiantly cordoning off the sealed exit. At the head of the justice horde stood a female captain barking at the others to stand aside.


Zal dismounted pulling down his hood and lowering his facecloth. Striding authoritatively towards the commotion, his guards followed at his flanks without a word. The justice horde captain broke off her tirade mid-sentence when she saw his approach, eyeing the emblem on his surcoat and standing to attention. Her cold expression dampened slightly as he met her icy blue eyes with his own in an uncompromising stare. She opened her mouth to address him but closed it again hesitantly, breaking away from his stare to glance back at her comrades. She was fairly young for her station, pale and fair with barely a scratch to diminish her wild beauty. While she was not particularly imposing in stature, Zal could tell from her figure that she probably grew up in the harsh wilderness of the ‘Lawless Lands’.


“Pleg kymb uv anwyra era pa yv pa veyh gu drymt josgysa gu hembs uv uor emsasgurs. Waesa les neba os suvg uun Daymt Plyga les vursekam uor anwarur ewusgega.”


(What kind of empire are we if we fail to bring justice to the lands of our ancestors. Peace has made us soft and the White Being has forsaken our apostate emperor.)


The thought of it made him grind his teeth for a brief moment as a tense silence hung over the crowd. Just as it looked as though the captain was about to try to speak again Zal addressed them curtly.


“Uma uv iuo leb daggar lefa e axwhemegyum tuub vur na.”


(One of you had better have a good explanation for me.)


After taking a moment to compose herself the captain answered respectfully, brushing her white locks aside as the breeze began to pick up again.


“Eia syr, terrysum rawurg gleg e kerefem sparfab uvv rueb e slurg bysgemsa epei vrun lara. Yg ewwaers gleg e josgysa lurba kunnembab di e ‘Riktor A’sari’ leb daam ym worsoyg uv glan dog pes sodsaqoamghi kyhhab di pluafar glai para slesymt. Safareh uv toerbs vrun pehhs rawurgab e sgurn rutoa plysl ewwaerab uun bysewwaerab borymt kunnugyum evgar glai hyg Mytlg AiAs su nusg uv glan lefa hyggha gu mu ybae pleg lewwamab.”


(Aye sir, the garrison report that a caravan swerved off the road a short distance away from here. It appears that a justice horde commanded by a ‘Riktor A’sari’ had been in pursuit of them but was subsequently killed by whoever they were chasing. Several of the guards from the walls reported a rogue storm which appeared and disappeared during the commotion after they lit the Night Eyes so most of them have little to no idea what happened.)


Zal took a moment to process all of this, ponderously running his gloved fingers through his facial hair.


“E rutoa sgurn uun e josgysa lorda kewgeym baeb di mena uv Riktor A’sari, glys huuks hyka yg ys tuymt gu da mu urbymeri gesk. Warlews mena pyhh iyahb suna emspars ym humt rom.”


(A rogue storm and a dead justice horde captain by the name of Riktor A’sari, this looks like it is going to be no ordinary task. Perhaps the name will yield some answers in the long run)


“Bu pa kmup plu kerefem upmars para? Pli josgysa lurba pes slesymt glan? Pleg glai para buymt laebab gu tega?”


(Do we know who the caravan owners were? Why the justice horde was chasing them? What they were doing headed to the gate?)


“Pahh syr, vrun huuks uv glayr peras glai para narslemgs uun ehh uv mondar uv menas hysgab um nemyvasg pa ragryafab vrun prakketa negslas gleg uv dubi kuumg um glayr syba. Lupafar, uma uv nym vuumb e sag uv grekks haebymt uug uv tega naemymt gleg sunadubi pes lara gleg pesm’g sowwusab gu da. Es gu pli glai para daymt slesab uun pli glai era mup vhaaymt suogl, pa para purkymt um gleg plam glasa-“


(Well sir, from the looks of their wares they were merchants and all of the number of names listed on the manifest we retrieved from the wreckage matches that of the body count on their side. However, one of mine found a set of tracks leading out of the gate meaning that somebody was here that wasn’t supposed to be. As to why they were being chased and why they are now fleeing south, we were working on that when these-)


“Yg huuks es gluutl glys narslemg kerefem pes egganwgymt gu snottha ahiysgt tuubs uug uv T’Odis. Es ver es iuu era kumsarmab, kewgeym, afariuma lara byab borymt kresl ur es e rasohg uv sgurn. Glys amgyra ymsybamg pes synwhi em eksybamg um em rueb ysi neba pursa di e megoreh lezerb. Es var grekks, Y sluulb hyka gu lefa e huuk eg glan uun kresl syga davura dugl saesa gu axysg.”


(It looks as though this merchant caravan was attempting to smuggle elicit goods out of T’Odis. As far as you are concerned, captain, everyone here died during the crash or as a result of the storm. This entire incident was simply an accident on an icy road made worse by a natural hazard. As for the tracks, I should like to have a look at them and the crash site before both cease to exist.)


Looking somewhat taken aback the captain nodded hesitantly, responding in a polite if uncertain manner.


“Uv kuursa syr, ni vursas unn Y pyhh sgemb bupm unn essyst pygl kaerymgt ow glys nass.”


(Of course sir, my forces and I will stand down and assist with clearing up this mess.)


Zal nodded back although his eyes still tore into her even as he addressed the soldiers guarding the portcullis.


“Fari tuub, mup y maab gu lefa e purb pygl pluafar ys ym klerta uv terrysum lara.”


(Very good, now I need to have a word with whoever is in charge of the garrison here.)


"Glys ys tuymt gu da em ymgarasgymt essytmnamg.”


(This is going to be an interesting assignment.)


He thought as he dismissed both parties with a gesture and turned to his own guards.


“Uma uv iuu pyhh hukega kunnembymt uvvysar uv glys terrysum uun ymvurn glan gleg glai era maabab. Uglar gpu pyhh neka sora glys wurgkogys ys uwamab di gyna Y ragorm uun pyhh ensora gleg josgysa lurba bu glayr jud uv khaemymt ow. Ys gleg khaer?”


(you will locate the commanding officer of this garrison and inform them that they are needed. The other two will make sure this portculis is opened by the time I return and will ensure that the justice horde do their job of cleaning up. Is that clear?”)


“Ombarsguub syr.”


(Understood sir.)


The three of them answered in unison, their gruff voices sounding eerily similar.


“Bysnyssab.”


(Dismissed.)


Zal responded tersely as each of them nodded and performed the T’Odis equivalent of a salute. As they turned to march away he spotted the captain out of the corner of his eye. She appeared to have started arguing profusely with one of her subordinates.


"Pa ehh lefa gu neka byvvykohg sluysas plam raswumsydha vur uglars.”


(We all have to make difficult choices when responsible for others.)


He turned to face her and shouted the first word of his address to get both of their attention.


“Kewgeym! Warlews iuu sluuhb ekkunwemi na gu kresl syga, e sakumb weyr uv aias plysl era ehraebi venyhyer pygl ssama pyhh ombuudgabhi wrufa ymfehoedha.”


(Captain! Perhaps you should accompany me to the crash site? A second pair of eyes which are already familiar with the scene will undoubtedly prove invaluable.)


Startled by the sudden interruption, she cut herself off mid-sentence and both of them stood to attention glancing uncertainly at one another. Tentatively she dismissed her comrade and paced over to where Zal was standing.


“Uv kuursa syr, glys pei yv iuu whaesa.”


(Of course sir, this way if you please.)


“Eg haesg sla les lar wryurygyas ym hyma.”


(At least she has her priorities in line.)



He thought as she led him through the courtyard and out into the snowy hills of the surrounding countryside. Very soon they reached the clearing where the remains caravan lay, lodged partially in the ankle deep snow which the pair had to trudge through. Clearly enough were the stains of red in the field of white surrounding felled horses and corpses strewn about amongst various items of luggage. A set of footprints stood out from the countless others, leading back the way they came.


“Koryuus.”


(Curious.)


He thought as he examined them closely, kneeling down to analyse their pattern and rough measurements.


“Vrun huuks uv glasa uur vryamb pes sgrotthmt pygl sunaglymt laefi, warlews glai para snotthymt sunaglymt evgar ehh.”


(From the looks of these our friend was struggling with something heavy, perhaps they were smuggling something after all.)


“Pahh, lara pa era syr, es iuu kem saa yg huuks hyka umi uma uv glan sorfyfab glys ymsybamg.”


(Well, here we are sir, as you can see it looks like only one of them survived this incident.)


“Mudubi sorfyfab glys ymsybamg kewgeym; neka iuursahv osavoh uun datym khaerymt ow grekks.”


(Nobody survived this incident captain; make yourself useful and begin clearing up the tracks.)


“Ombarsguub syr.”


(Understood sir.)


She turned and began carefully sweeping away the tracks with her boots.


“Warlews sla kmups guu nosl ehraebi, glam eteym sla pyhh kaaw qoyag yv sla kmups pleg ys tuub vur lar.”


(Perhaps she knows too much already, then again she will keep quiet if she knows what is good for her.)


He stood up and approached the wreckage, inspecting the bodies one by one and examining their condition as well as the manner in which they died. He mentally noted everything: the way the caravan was smashed to pieces, the cargo it previously held, whether anything was missing. Slowly but surely, he painted a rough mental picture of the pursuit in his mind.


“Uma glymt sgyhh buas mug ebb ow, lup para glasa josgysa lurba suhbyars kyhhab? Gleg nosg da plara uur sorfyfymt vryamb uun sgurn dugl kuna ym, ymgarasgymt.”


(One thing still does not add up, how were these justice horde soldiers killed? That must be where our surviving friend and the storm both come in, interesting.)


Zal turned his gaze towards the captain, eyeing her as she trudged away from him footprint by footprint.


“E huusa amb, dog ehsu e naems gu em amb yv glys sorfyfur ys plu I glymk yg ys.”


(A loose end, but also a means to an end if this survivor is who I think it is.)


After a moment of contemplation Zal strolled over to her side and addressed her more gently than previously.


“Pleg ys iuur mena, kewgeym?”


(What is your name, captain?)


He asked as she glanced over her shoulder at him while continuing to clear away the tracks.


“Ashtad X’Asmaxin syr, uun Y’n toassymt gleg Y bum’g tag gu kmup iuur mena?”


(Ashtad X’Asmaxin sir, and I’m guessing that I don’t get to know your name?)


“Gleg bawambs um lup humt iuu pemg gu hyfa.”


(That depends on how long you want to live.)


“Omvurgomegahi iuu bu mug, dog mup Y lefa e mena gu ebbrass iuu di plam pa grefa suugl pygl iuur josgysa lurba.”


(Unfortunately you do not, but now I have a name to address you by when we travel south with your justice horde.)


Just like that her eyes lit up with excitement although the rest of her face made every attempt to mask her feelings behind a veil of ice.


“Ombarsguub syr, pyhh pa da bawergymtes suum es ssama les daam khaerab epei ur bu iuu lefa uglar dosymass gu eggamb gu davura pa sag uvv?”


(Understood sir, will we be departing as soon as the scene has been cleared away or do you have other business to attend to before we set off?)


“Pa pyhh da bawergymtes suum es wussydha dog vyrsg Y maab gu lefa e purb pygl laeb uv terrysum kunnembar. Ym naem gyna iuu pyhh ruumb ow iuur lurba uun emi suhbyar plu les pygmassab glys ssama. Pa pyhh maab afari kaam weyr uv aias pa kem tag yv pa era gu grekk bupm glys mum-axysgamg soswakg. Ys gleg khaer?”


(We will be departing as soon as possible but first I need to have a word with the head of the garrison commander. In the mean time you will round up your horde and any soldier who has witnessed this scene. We will need every keen pair of eyes we can get if we are to track down this non-existent suspect. Is that clear?)


“Ias syr, warnyssyum gu ragorm gu tega uun tag sgergab rytlg epei?”


(Yes sir, permission to return to the gate and get started right away?)


“Tremgb, pa maab gu haefa lara es suum es wussydha. Y pyhh ehsu maab iuu gu drymt na nemyvasg plysl iuu rakufarab vrun prakketa, Y kmup gleg iuu sgyhh lefa yg uun pyhh maab gu ymswakg yg vur emi vorglar khoas es gu pleg lewwamab lara.”


(Granted, we need to leave here as soon as possible. I will also need you to bring me the manifest which you recovered from the wreckage, I know that you still have it and will need to inspect it for any further clues as to what happened here.)


“Uv kuursa syr, Y’hh lefa uma uv ni sodurbymegas wess yg gu iuu umsa Y gahh glan pleg whem ys.”


(Of course sir, I’ll have one of my subordinates pass it to you once I tell them what the plan is.)


“Fari tuub kewgeym X’Asmaxin, iuu era bysnyssab.”


(Very good captain X’Asmaxin, you are dismissed.)


She saluted respectfully in the T’Odis fashion and took off at a jog for the gate leaving him alone with the tracks. Zal returned at his own pace to find the gate open and one of his guards waiting for him beside the entrance to the fortress. Next to the guards stood a hardy looking man dressed head to toe in expensive looking plate armour his face lined with emerging wrinkles and hard lines of weathering. His steely blue eyes met Zal’s in a hard unblinking stare which lasted for a few moments before Zal broke the silence.


“Y maab iuu gu kaaw T’Odis durbar um hukkbupm, muglymt ys gu wess glruutl lara pygluug daymt gluruutlhi saerslab omhass glai lefa e perremg vrun Anwarur lynsahv. Kem iuu warvurn glys krosyeh gesk vur na, kunnembar?”


(I need you to keep the T’Odis border on lockdown, nothing is to pass through here without being thoroughly searched unless they have a warrant from the Emperor himself. Can you perform this crucial task for me, commander?)


The garrison commander eyed Zal’s imperial seal and nodded maintaining his expressionless temperament.


“Y kem syr.”


(I can sir.)


“Tuub, mup Y pyhh maab iuu gu kaaw na ymvurned uv afariuma uun afarilymt gleg wessas glruutl lara. Yg ys edsuhogahi assamgyeh gleg iuu wess es nosl ymvurnegyum es iuu kem gu ni uvvysa ym L’Aorn. Vorglanura, iuu era gu efuyb osymt emi surg uv nassamtar ur omuvvysyeh kuuryar, emiglymt plysl kuuhb da ymgarsawgab. Glys amgyra terrysum ys mug ombar ynwaryeh ymfasgytegyum su Y sottasg iuu laab ni purbs pysahi.”


(Good, now I will need you to keep me informed of everyone and everything that passes through here. It is absolutely essential that you pass as much information as you can to my office in L’Aorn. Furthermore, you are to avoid using any sort of messenger or unofficial courier, anything which could be intercepted. This entire garrison is not under imperial investigation so I suggest you heed my words wisely.)


The commander’s eyed Zal up and down as if measuring up an opponent before a fight but his tone of voice betrayed his acquiescence.


“Y pyhh neka sora uv yg syr.”


(I will make sure of it sir.)


He paused, hesitating to continue his thought.


“Bera Y esk plaglar ur mug glys les emiglymt gu bu pygl gleg sgurn dhesgab, syr?”


(Dare I ask whether or not this has anything to do with that blasted storm, sir?)


“Tuub qoasgyum, Y pyhh da saggymt uvv pyglym luur uun josgysa lurba pyhh da ekkunwemiing na suugl ehumt pygl emi nandars uv iuu terrysum plu bore pygmass gu afamg. Lefa uur lursas raebi es suum es wussydha, pa lefa mu gyna gu swera.”


(Good question, I will be setting off within the hour and the justice horde will be accompanying me south along with any members of your garrison who bore witness to the event. Have our horses ready as soon as possible, we have no time to spare.)


The commander nodded reluctantly, his eyes burning with questions which he clearly knew better than to ask.


Ombarsguub, syr.”


(Understood, sir)


With that Zal turned and wandered over to the open gateway eyeing the horizon south of the T’Odis gate keenly. Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye and he looked down at the earthen track leading away from the fortress.


“Luuv wrymgs uun e sakumb sag uv vuugwrymgs. Yg huuks hyka uur vryamb leb lahw.”


(Hoof prints and a second set of footprints. It looks like our friend had help.)


Zal pivoted and waved one of his guards over addressing him in a hushed tone.


“Y pyhh maab iuu gu kaaw em aia um glymts lara plyha uglar gpu ragorm gu rambazfuus pygl ni amguureta. Y glymk glara nytlg da sunaglymt tuymt um lara uun Y maab gu kmup yv afariglymt ys ombar kumgruh. Kaaw iuur aias uun ears elarg eg ehh gynas. Ys gleg ombarsguub?”


(I will need you to keep an eye on things here while the other two return to rendezvous with my entourage. I think there might be something going on here and I need to know if everything is under control. Keep your eyes and ears alert at all times. Is that understood?)


The guard nodded respectfully and saluted.


“Ias syr.”


(Yes sir.)


“Iuu era bysnyssab vur mup, suhbyar.”


(You are dismissed for now, soldier.)


Zal waved him away and returned his gaze to the horizon as the others clamoured to prepare behind him.


“Yg saans gleg glara ys nura gu glys glem naags aia.”


(It seems there is more to this than meets the eye.)
 
The following was originally posted by Kayso Kayso in the previous IC

Kayso Kayso as

Hanen and Sumai Uduliadej
_____​

Location: Parshum/Outlaw's Cove

Date: Month 6, Day 15

Time: 8:30am

_____​


“All he said is that it’s called the ‘Posho Bob’.”


“Odd name for a boat.”


“Odd man who happens to own a boat.”


“Too astute, sister.”


“I know, brother.”


Hanen and Sumai walked briskly through the tangled docks of the twilit harbor of Ka Ja Ta, searching for a man who owed them. They had given him their assistance three years previously when he had been accused of selling stolen fish at market and they already knew from the discussions of previous clients that he was being set up by a competitor. They righted the wrong and he had professed to owe them whenever they needed him. They happened to need him now, and he agreed to take them to the mainland upon his very own vessel as it left for a major fishing excursion. He would drop them off and continue on his merry way, fishing the sea back to Parshum. That is, if they could find him.


The moon was high and wisps of clouds framed it on all sides like smoke from the mouth of the Calar after a good meal. The smoky haze fluttered down to surround the boats on the docks, letting them know they would be lost out on the water if they tried. This kind of weather didn’t usually deter the fishers of Parshum, however. They were always up for a challenge out in the smoking seas, it seemed. Many boats were already out or were preparing to leave, but after a good half hour of searching, they found the boat that hadn’t left yet - not without them.


“Vavos’s Tail, you two! You didn’t have the good sense to come out here at least a little inconspicuously?”


The siblings looked at each other, examining the clothing the other had worn, from the embroidered collars to silk shoes.


“Well, indeed my dear brother, that is a beautiful ensemble you’re wearing. Have I not seen it before?”


“Oh sister, this is nothing compared to that exquisite wrap you have about your shoulders. What an excellent choice for our journey!”


The old fisherman just shook his head and continued to coil his rope. “No reason.” he muttered as he waved them aboard.


“We have no reason to disguise ourselves, Shim.” Sumai replied, laughter in her eyes. “We have nothing to hide.”


“And no one to care if we come or go.” Hanen added. “We can take care of ourselves. And we do.”


“Yes, I suppose you’re right.” Shim whistled. I still worry about you sometimes. You kids get yourselves into a lot of slimy buckets, so to speak. Though I guess you’ve never been able to not get out of one. Either way, stay alert, you two. T’Odis is a lot different than Parshum, and there’s a lot of hatred and anger still aimed at our people over there. Much as our people still harbor some resentment of them, I’d wager. Remember that girl from a few years back? Terrible things. Come now, we’d best be off.”


Shim was an excellent captain, and his boat, though small, was sturdy and outfitted well. After it was discovered that Shim’s honor as a fisherman had been tampered with in an effort to shut down some competition, he had, instead, became quite popular, which in turn made him somewhat wealthy. He was no noble, but he had a successful company, put food on the table, and stayed out of trouble. He was a good connection to have. Because of his decent equipment he had little need for a lot of help, and only kept a few necessary men aboard his ship. They were able to slip silently out of the harbor and into the open seas with no trouble and no questions asked.


Days had passed, and they were nearing their destination. Shim walked up beside the brother and sister, who were gazing out at the looming white stretch of mountains in the distance, talking about their youngest sister.


“Why did you two want to come to a place like this anyway?” he asked after placing his hands on the bow’s railing and lacing his fingers.


“We have our reasons.” Hanen answered.” Just know you have done us a great service here and go on your way once we have left.”


Shim didn’t reply. They stood in silence for a moment before Sumai spoke. “We have answered a question, Shim. Now it is us who get to ask.”


“What’s on your mind then?” Shim answered gruffly.


“Why do you call it the ‘Posho Bob,’ for Vavos’ sake?” She laughed.


Shim laughed in reply and began to set up their dinghy. “Posho… That’s a name I knew a long time ago. And Bob? Well…” he gestured to the water surrounding them. “Bobbing is what a boat does best, i’n’t it? Ha ha ha!”


Shim went on laughing while the siblings rolled their eyes and began to help.


“An odd man…” Sumai muttered.


“...Who happens to own a boat.” Hanen finished.



The siblings might have loved their clothing and wealth, but they certainly didn’t mind getting wet and dirty when necessary. And those were the exact words used to describe Outlaw’s Cove: wet and dirty. It was barren as for human presence, but filled with snow, ragged boulders and refuse that left it in a permanent state of soggy disarray. The next step was to travel north until they could cross the river west into the Lawful Lands of T’Odis. Their next mark was a long way away still.
 
Arthric Lorgar
---
Location: T'Odris borders, nearby the town of Fehhailuhb.

Date: Month 6, Day 15

Time: 6:00 AM
---​
A singular jangle of scabbard slapping against armored thigh as the tall pale figure ran down the ratways of Fehhailuhb. Unluckily for the jingling armor, there was a rush of footsteps not far behind. So, he ran faster, ignoring the stench, the cramped tunnels, and the lack of light. He just kept running, running towards the light, and away from the light somewhere behind him. If he looked, it would waste precious seconds of his time, and he needs as much as that as he can carry. The suit was met with a set of stairs, which it climbed up two steps at a time. Left, skip, right, skip, left, skip, right, skip. Throwing open the hatch, he was out of the stinking sewers. The scent of fresh air reminded him of the stench that was previously burning his nose, causing him to bolt out of the sewer entrance, and fling the hatch closed. The marketplace he burst into was mostly empty. But soon it was filling up with the sound of angry feet smashing the ground.


Darting through the city streets, he was only able to barely make it past the half asleep guards before he was out into the barren lands outside of the castle. The air was brisk and cold, the freezing temperature biting into his skin as it slid through his armor. He spared a brief glance behind his back, civilians were coming out of their homes to try and guide the Horde. Fantastic. The best way to get away from the horde, he had heard from a little birdie, was to get into the forest. Much to his dismay, it was mostly a barren tundra, with leafless trees, and hidden forest creatures. The calls to arms and alarm bells that rang only got louder, as he ran faster. He could only go so far.


The snow crunched under his feet as he kept running, his minimal plate providing just as much warmth as there was armor. "Vokk, vokk, vokk, vokk.” He cursed under his breath.

“Nuomgeyms para tuuv gu husa Lurba la seyb, iuo’hh husa glan ym vurasgs la seyb. Pahh PLARA EN Y MUP?!”


(“The mountains were good to lose the Horde he said, you’ll lose them in the forests he said. Well WHERE AM I NOW?!)


He shouted to the air. A few voices in the distance became louder and more excited at the prospect at capturing their quarry. “Slyt, vokk, slyt, vokk, slyt-” Stumbling on a wayward root, he tried to regained his balance not before overcorrecting and landing on his hands. He pushed himself up, and then continued on his mad dash upwards. The snow became thicker and denser as he crept up the mountain pass, the path growing harder as the winds blew him back, the chill beginning to condensate, and freeze on his armor.


It was then that the horde had a clear sight on him. One particularly skilled archer that had been part of the chase shot an arrow perfectly, the broadhead against all odds making it into his calf. Pain seared up his leg as he was forced to a knee. Snapping the shaft off, he limped on, a blanket of snow covering his retreat.

Gradous13 Gradous13
 
Artyom stopped for a moment and looked towards the horizon and stretched out his right hand, flattening it along the horizon. With his other hand he would place it atop his right and then his right over his left, resting to top hand upon the bottom each time until one of the hands touched the sun, this would give him an estimate as to what time it is. "Syx u'khukk, glam Y nyhh sguw erumb aytlg vur e slurg rasg" ("Six o'clock, then I will stop around eight for a short rest") As Artyom and Seria kept moving, Seria's ears perked up and her her body lowered slightly to the ground as she looked north towards the area of the forest that stretched away from the mountain towards one of the many cities that Artyom loathed, especially Fehhailuhb.

"Pleg ys yg? Pleg byb iuo laer?" ("What is it? What did you hear?") Artyom questioned, studying Seria's body language, her eas twitched a bit and the tip of her tail flicked back and forth, "E Daesg ur e lonem?" (A beast or a human?")

Seria stood a little higher than before indicating whatever she heard, was human."hag's tu clakk yg uog" ("Let's go check it out.") The snowfall was still heavy, though it seemed to have lightened up a bit since this morning.

It was about twenty-five minutes before Seria stopped Artyom again, this time he could see figures through the dense snowfall in the thick forest. Artyom looked at Seria and gave he the command to search for anyone else in the area.When Seria left, He moved quickly and silently towards their flanks and soon enough he was no more than fifteen meters away. It was clear they were Horde, low ranking Horde at that and they were arguing over which way their prey had gone to and that they should have been given more back up, one man was rather quiet and seemed to be level headed compared to the others. Only one of them was Artyom's height, one was taller and the third was shorter. Artyom stepped through the foliage and caught them by surprise...

"Plu avar iuu era huukymt vur, Iuu pum'g vymb glan, Iuu sluuhb haeva mup"
("Who ever you are looking for, you wont find them, you should leave now")

The man Taller than Artyom drew his weapon
"Iuu bera gahh e lurba kmytl pleg gu bu?!"
("You dare tell a Horde Knight what to do?!")

The shorter one looked at the tall one and followed suit by drawing his sword

"E purb uv ebvysa vur iuu glraa, saaymt es iuu era qoyga map eg glys, umhi reysa iuur pauwum yv iuu kmup kem bavaeg iuur uwwumamg" ("A word of advice for you two, seeing as you are quite new at this, only raise your weapon if you know you can defeat your opponent.") Artyom drew his longsword with his right hand and donned his shield with his left and took ten paces back.

"Seis gla toi ragraegymt!" ("Says the guy retreating!") the taller man said with a now nervous voice.

"Lal, Plu seyb Y pes ragraegymt?! Vytlg na ehraebi yv iuu era su kumvybamg!" ("Who said i was retreating?! Fight me already if you are so confident!")

The tall man lunged at Artyom and swung downwards, the attack was easily blocked with his shield, Artyom pushed into the man's poor footing and pinned him against a tree. Artyom kicked out the man's feet, knocked the sword out of his opponent's hand and drove his knee into the mans upper chest, a quick series of loud cracks indicated several broken ribs. The shorter man ran up behind his for an attack, Artyom brought his sword up and blocked the strike that was aimed for his back, using the energy with the block he was able to regain his footing and go on the offensive. Artyom swung his sword diagonally from right to left at a sharp angle, an attempt was made by the short man to block his attack but Artyom's strength, height and weapon overwhelmed the man smashing the man's sword right into his own chest with Artyom's blade cutting deep into the man's left shoulder.

Seria left Artyom as he commanded it, she sniffed around and found the scent of blood. She took a moment to memorize the scent and the moved south east following the trail. The snow made sure no tracks could be followed from whoever was bleeding but eventually Seria found the abnormal foot prints in the snow. She followed them carefully, constantly keeping her senses at their peak capability. Seria stopped and looked upon the man who had been wounded, he was holding himself up on a tree to catch his breath. She had mad no sound as she approached him, keeping her distance at ten or so feet. Looking down at a dried twig she stepped on it to make her presence known to the man and continued to sit in a very calm and non aggressive manner...

Artyom turned to the last man who was very calm about what just happened "Y saa iuu juusa iuur degghas , omhyka glasa gpu vuuhs, gahh na, era iuu guu tuymt iuur hyva epei?" ("I see you choose your battles, unlike these two fools, tell me, are you too going to throw your life away?")

"Mu, na deggha ys mug pygl iuu... hyaogamgemg Okra'nev, Bumg da sorwrysab, emiuma plu les e dreym kmups plu hyfas ym glasa puubs uun poumgeyms suogl uv lara, geka yg asai." ("No, my battle is not with you... Lieutenant Okra'nev, don't be surprised, everyone who has a brain knows who lives in these woods and the mountains south of here, take it easy.") the man said and began walking back north. Artyom wiped his blade of then returned it to its sheath but kept his shield at the ready and followed the fading paw prints of Seria....

archur archur
 
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Mai Kotone Uduliadej

Ka Ja Ta
Parshum

~~

She sat by the window, one hand lifting the curtain slightly so as to get a glimpse of the country side as the wooden horse carriage rattled along the road. A stream of dappled sunlight lit up the silken fabric of the lengthy skirt covering her legs so that the dark interior of the carriage was just barely illuminated in a pink glow. Beside her on the seat was a bundle wrapped up in embroidered cloth; a little something she had prepared for the visit.

After a few moments, the carriage came to a stop outside the large gate of a familiar high-walled family villa. Two guards were stationed on each side, diligently doing their duties of safeguarding the family home. Upon seeing the carriage pull to a stop before them, one guard immediately approached the driver and demanded for the identity of the visitor while also explaining that their master was not at home.

“Fortunately, it is not your master whom I seek,” she spoke softly from the shadows of the carriage before stepping out into the light of day. The driver immediately offered his hand to assist the young mistress down to the ground. She in turn handed him a jade ornament engraved with her insignia which promptly passed to the soldier for inspection. “Sem Mai Kotone Uduliadej,” she introduced herself with a calm smile on her face, “I am here to see my sister, your Mistress.”

At this the guard fell to one knee with head dipped low, followed by the other soldier still at his post. “My apologies for my rudeness, Sem Uduliadej,” he spoke in a low voice, holding the jade up for the driver to retrieve, “please go right through.”

~~

“Right this way, Sem Mai. Our mistress is currently resting in her chambers… would you like us to announce your arrival?” asked the head servant as she led Mai through the villa.

“No need, I can wait for her to wake,” the young lady said softly as they reached the doors of the bedroom. Outside, two hand maidens were standing in silence and they promptly curtsied at her arrival. At the gestures of the head servant, they quietly drew aside the beaded curtains so that Mai could glide in seamlessly.

The room was dim, lit only by a few candles and the glow of the day behind the curtains of the windows. Silently, she walked over and drew back the fabric ever so slightly so as to let some sunlight into the room. Now with sufficient light, she could see the large bed at the darker side of the bedchambers in which a thin figure lay resting under the silken covers. Mai slowly made her way over to the bed, eyes already studying her sister’s sleeping face as she sat down at the edge of the bed. The movement, though small, seemed to have woken Malee as the older woman stirred in her sleep before slowly opening her eyes. “….Mai?”

“My apologies, sister. I did not mean to wake you,” the younger one said softly while gently taking her sister’s hand in hers. Malee breathed a soft sigh, shook her head and smiled, gently squeezing her hand back. How thin she looked… so frail and pale in the dim light. Even though she smiled, Mai could read the fatigue in the darkness of her eyes and could easily feel the bones of her delicate hands. “You have worked hard, Malee,” she murmured, instantly feeling a pang of guilt at the news she was to bring of their little sister Boonsri.

“It is a battle that every mother must fight,” her sister replied in a hushed voice, one that was barely a whisper, “A very hard… and long battle.”

“And one that you have won,” Mai said and both sisters shared smiles with one another for a moment. It had been a while since they last saw each other. “Where is the little one?” she asked to which Malee weakly raised a hand, pointing in the direction of a baby cot a little way away from the bed. Rising, the younger sister swiftly made her way around and approached the cot in which a small pink baby lay wrapped up in silken blankets, fast asleep. For a moment, she stood awestruck and in adoration of the little gift of life before regaining her composure. She leaned forward and gently picked up the baby, bringing it back over to where Malee lay, also in adoration of the beautiful child.

As the mother received the baby into her arms, Mai unwrapped the bundle she had brought with her and took out a jade ornament that had been engraved with a phoenix. This, she handed over to her sister who held the stone up to the light, marveling at the workmanship. “This is for the little baby. May he grow and rise like the phoenix over the land and sky,” she explained, watching as the child took hold of the ornament, immediately squealing in delight at the shiny and cool jade.

“Thank you, sister. It is truly a beautiful gift…Bai yi will treasure it greatly,” Malee said softly as the baby played in her arms, bringing on warm smiles from both mother and aunt. For a moment, they sat without speaking, just admiring the new born child in peace. However, the older woman seemed to notice something and broke the quiet with a question, “Mai, is something troubling you?” No doubt that Malee had seen something in her younger sister’s expression, try as she might to hide her inner feelings.

In truth, Mai had also come in the hopes of consulting her sister for advice and help with regards to their dear Boonsri’s troubling situation. However, seeing Malee as she was now, Mai couldn’t bring herself to be so selfish as to burden her who now had a family of her own to look after, with the bad news and problems. Even as she looked on her sister’s frail body and thin face, she felt her heart ache. There was no way she could do such a thing.

Gently, Mai squeezed her sister’s hand affectionately and put on a reassuring smile. “You worry too much, dear sister. It is nothing.”
 
Hanen & Sumai Uduliadej
Month 6, Day 22

Outlaw’s Cove was unsavory. Aside from that it was destitute, rambunctious and filthy, but the best word Hanen and Sumai could produce to describe it was simply unsavory. Dilapidated shanties were scattered across the soggy earth, but became more and more numerous and collective as the pair came closer to the central section of civilization, simply called the Dekka. The Dekka was as lofty as a town here could be, sitting upon a hill with the bandits’ dens sprawling around and down its sloping edges, many of them attached to one another on all sides, even the tops, so that they looked like boxes stacked upon one another in the warehouses back home. Hanen and Sumai had expected the lawless lands to be rough and tumble, but this was excessive.

A contact of theirs had offered them lodging on the edge of V’Arxas, but was unable to travel as escort due to other responsibilities. Instead, he had given them the name of a friend of his who would be able to transport them for a small fee, if they were interested. Not wanting to travel too uncomfortably, as they would likely do on their own, they had agreed. The man was a bandit, their contact had said, but he was a good guide and had no reason to cheat them if he was promised some coin. He was a bit restless and liked the travel. And he was usually in the Dekka.

As Hanen and Sumai wandered the sloping streets of town, they considered calling in a favor from another contact a little farther into T’Odis. It would have been preferable to searching the box-crate bandit dens and rough-cut caves of the Dekka, but it would have put them out another two weeks in their travels, and time was of the essence. They decided to press on, shaking off the diabolical stares, asking everyone they saw for the whereabouts of a man named “Vorrebar.”

“Uhb Vorre?" (Old Vorre?) One man exclaimed, leering at Sumai. “I’ll tell ye, for a price. Maybe the price of that fine shawl, followed by them silky drawers, whatever’s unner’neath…” Sumai had already walked away, the man laughing as Hanen caught up to her.

“Maybe Shim was right. We should not have dressed in such finery, especially coming to bandit country. We may be skilled, sister, but I don’t think we can take on every-”

“That man will be nothing once we are out of here.” Sumai interrupted. “Do not dwell on it. We have a mark, and it will be ours.”

The pair continued through the mangled streets, their weapons clearly visible, their words short. They were not approached, but everyone kept a wary eye on them as they made their way through. Not one of the men and women they spoke to would give away the location of the one called Vorrebar, but after an hour or two they were approached by a small man covered in rabbit furs and grease stains. A strange look crossed his smudged face as he looked up to them, his white hair nearly black with soot. He shook it off and produced a gritty voice from his cracked lips. “You the scalies?” was all he asked. Hanen and Sumai only glared at him, refusing to respond to the insult. “Over here then.” he gruffly added, waving them to a door frame covered with yiptik hide. They followed him into the musty room, keeping close to the opening. Hanen spoke first.

“You are the friend of Akros, yes?”

“Show me the coin.” he mumbled.

Sumai dislocated a small satchel from under her belt, shaking it in her hand so the gold inside jingled cheerfully. She did not hand it over, but closed a fist around it. “Once we are safely in V’Arxas.” she smiled. “And perhaps if you excel at this job, we will remember you in the future.”

Vorre scowled, grunting in a tone that matched his voice. “No need to remember me. Just hurry on out so we can be off.” He walked further in, leading them past a small sleeping roll and table, to a door that led to the back of the house. A live yiptik was camped in a rudimentary corral, a sled already outfitted and waiting. It was still broad daylight, and they would be able to make good time before stopping for the night. Vorre gestured to the yiptik and grunted again.

“Wait right here and I’ll be back with his outfitting.” the man stamped back through the door without waiting for a response.

“Are we to meet every strange man in the country, brother?” Sumai asked, laughing. She crossed to the yiptik pen, stepping upon its lowest beam in order to raise her head above the fence and observe the stirring animal. Hanen joined her, pulling his coat around him tighter.

“If we must, then it will be so.” he replied. “Our youngest sister had better appreciate all we’ve been through.” he added, smiling.

Their sour mood had lifted upon their finding themselves closer to their destination. They joked about their trip so far: Shim and his boat, the disappointment upon arriving at Outlaw’s Cove, the uncomfortable encounter with the lecherous man in the streets. They shared several laughs and made plans for their upcoming journey when they heard the footsteps of the returning Vorre. As they turned to acknowledge him, their smiles slowly faded as they noticed not one rigid old man, but four large, sneering bandits, weapons drawn, creeping upon them. Instinct told them to draw their own weapons, but experience told them they would have to find some other way. They stepped away from the pen, eyes cold, ready for what may come.

They awoke a few hours later, tied to the sled, the wind blowing in their faces. Their vision was slightly blurred, but they were able to tell that they were moving, and moving quickly. Sumai was the first to notice Vorre standing at the foot of the sled, his hands holding tight to the handles as the yiptik pulled them across snowdrifts and mud pockets. Above the rushing wind Hanen heard a course “Vyt T’Odis!” (T’Odis pig!) escape her lips.

Vorre laughed. “I know, I know.” he shouted back. “Akros prob’ly told yeh I’m nay much of a double-crosser, fer sure, but the T’Odis Royal Guard’ll pay a lot more fer yeh than what yeh promised me. Yg’s josg toob dosymass!” (It’s just good business!)

“Why would the Royal Guard pay anything for us?” Hanen called out to him as he laughed again. “We’re nothing to them!”

The old man’s smile faded as he contemplated his answer. “You see,” he said, matter-of-factly. “I knew who yeh were when I saw yeh back in the Dekka. I didn’t know who yeh were when Akros told me to be yer guide, but I knew when I saw yeh. That Boonsri’s yer family, in’t she? I was at the weddin’, so I saw. Things prob’ly aren’t what you think they are here in the Great White T’Odis, but yeh’ll see soon enough, I suppose. Sorry to disappoint yeh, but coin’s coin, an as yeh saw back home, we’re needin’ it.”

“If coin’s what you want, you can have it, pig!” Sumai called out again. “If you know who we are then you know we’ve got it!”

Vorre’s smile grew as her voice died down. “It’s a bit hard to hear yeh in this wind, scalies - maybe we can talk when we’ve stopped.”
 
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Mai Kotone Uduliadej

Location : Off the coast of T'Odis

~~

With her arms rested against the cold wooden beams of the railing, Mai gazed out over the dark waters still sparkling with the last light of the sun. In the distance, there was but a barely noticeable shadow against the dark blue of the night sky. Parshum...or at least what one could see of it from such a distance away.

A pang of longing radiated from her chest as she tried to distinguish the landscape in the darkness and she was struck with a sudden wave of home sickness. The last time she had left their nation was when Boonsri got married, all those years back. Thinking back, she felt guilty for not visiting her dear little sister sooner. Mai would tell herself that she had been too busy and had no time to travel... but one should always have time or at least make time for family.

Mai couldn't help feel slightly ashamed. She had not been a good sister at all...too caught up in her own devices to think of her dear ones more ... or perhaps foresee such dire circumstances. Unconsciously, she let out a long soft sigh.

"Miss Mai," a clear and deep voice sounded ehind her, "the air is very cold. Your humble servant is concerned for your health. Will you return to your chambers?"

Mai turned her head slightly, just enough to look over her shoulder to where a tall, young man in the uniform of a soldier stood, bowing low, one hand over the fist of the other. "You may rise," she said softly before turning back to ocean, eyes lit up like the flickering spots of sunlight on the water, "Though I wish to stay out for a little longer... it is getting quite cold."

Closer and closer to T'Odis, closer and closer to Boonsri.

"You may escort me to my cabin" Mai commanded gently, turning to meet the soldier as he dipped his head forward in acknowledgement. Wordlessly, he turned and she followed, the two of them strolling from the stern of the boat to where the living quarters were in the centre. However, their trip was interrupted as a horn sounded through the relatively silent night.

The two of them changed course and the soldier led her to the bow where the captain stood next to a man holding a telescope up to one eye, looking in a westerly direction. "Miss Mai, " the captain greeted with a bow, followed by his subordinate, "Our apologies if we have surprised you."

"Never mind that. Is something the matter?" Mai said in a gentle voice, glancing over at the soldier who had returned to looking through the telescope. She wondered if he could even see anything in such fog.

However, as she came to stand at the railings, looking out over the water, she noticed something. A tiny light in the distance. Then another and another, like stars floating high above the surface of the water, glowing bright in reds, oranges and yellows. Fires.


A cold wind blew past, carrying with in the frosty touch of winter and specks of snow while also clearing some of the fog. The entire ship seemed to have fallen silent as sailors and soldiers like stopped what they were doing to stare at the sight before them. Mai too was mesmerized... stunned.. as they sailed closer.

Soon the light glowed brighter and frozen spikes and peaks broke through the veil of night. Somewhere far ahead, still quite a distance away, a horn sounded in response to their call.

As the light chased away the final clouds of fog and mist, all aboard the ship gazed about the land before them. T'Odis in all its frozen glory.

"We're here."
 
Mai Kotone Uduliadej

Location: Outlaw's Cove (Lawless Lands, Western T'Odis)

~~

As the ship closer and closer to the docks, Mai turned her head slightly so as to address the Captain beside her, speaking to him in a low voice. "I assume all preparations have been made?"

"Indeed, Sem Mai, we have done exactly as you said. We have prepared all the necessary documents and produce for our cover. Your arrival will go unnoticed, no one will be suspicious of anything, " the Captain responded quietly, eyes flickering from the Lady to the fast approaching land, "Your escorts... they will be ready to receive you once we set foot on land."

To this, Mai nodded, pleased. "You've done well, Captain. I shall take my leave then and prepare for my arrival. See to it that everything runs smoothly and as planned," she said softly, turning to leave but halted in her step as the Captain addressed her hurriedly.

"Do be careful, Sem Mai," he said in a low voice, head bowing forward slightly. "Once you leave this ship, you are out of our protection. These lands are wild... and savage. This humble servant fears for your safety..." Mai looked on, face calm and unreadable as she tilted her chin up slightly.

"Are you questioning my decisions, Captain?" she asked, gazing down at the man. As he quickly denied, a smile grew on her lips. "You offend me," she continued, voice light and teasing yet serious at the same time, "I appreciate your concern. However, your focus should be on your ship and doing what I have told you to do here. Remember that, Captain." With that, Mai turned from the bowing man and the soldier escorted her away, disappearing into the darkness of the ship quarters.

~~

Snow crunched under their feet as Yuu, her bodyguard, lead the way through the docks with Mai close behind them. They were dressed in layers of warm clothes to shield them from the frigid wind and keep them warm against the ice cold air of T'Odis. She made sure to prepare clothes that were not only appropriate for such weather, but would also help them blend in with the people of the land. With cloth masks covering the lower halves of their faces and slightly furred hoods drawn over their heads, the two Parshumians vanished into the world of Outlaw's Cove, indistinguishable from the local people.

For a while, they walked in complete silence, moving quickly with destination in mind. They were in one of the small, informal settlements established along the coast in Outlaw's Cover. There were not many people on the streets at this hour and the few that were still out in the darkness of the docks were bustling about to finish whatever they were doing and get back home.

The pair stopped outside something like a tavern, bustling with the sound of laughter and chatter. The soldier look over his shoulder at her, his hand subtly reaching into his cloak, undoubtedly to grip his sword. Upon meeting his gaze, Mai gave a barely noticeable nod and the two entered the establishment. Once inside, they largely ignored the people within the tavern and made their way to one of the secluded tables in the far corner.

A little while after, two cloaked individuals joined them at their table. "Era glasa grefahars husg? (Are these travelers lost?)" one of them asked in a low voice as he casually pulled at his gloves, just enough so that part of a white crescent design could be seen by those sitting at the table, barely noticeable against the pale skin of the back of his hand. And in a flash it was gone, hidden once again under the dark material of his gloves.

"Ehh pygluog e toyba puohb dakuna husg om kuhb unn smup(All without a guide would become lost in the cold and snow)," replied Mai in fluent T'Odis, her accent being the only thing giving her away. However, she spoke quietly enough so that only those at the table could hear her voice. The individual who had spoken nodded his head in agreement before lifting up a finger to pull down the mask covering his face, his companion following suit. From their faces, Mai saw the hints of a child of Parshum. However the snow white hairs that peaked out from under their hoods spoke of T'Odis heritage. Mix breeds. With crescent tattoos.

Lost Children.

"Pa pyhh aeg unn rasg lara gumytlg. Gunurrup pa pyhh bawerg eg draek uv bepm (We will eat and rest here tonight. Tomorrow we will depart at the break of dawn)," the other man replied quietly, resting his arms on the dark wood of the table. "Ekkunnubegyum unn vuub les daam urtemyzab ekkurbymthi. Slehh pa askurg iuo gu iuor ruuns, Sai Yan? (Accommodation and food has been organized accordingly. Shall we escort you to your rooms, Sai Yan?)" he continued, referring to her by her alias.

Her eyes flickered to meet the soldier's, Yuu's, gaze before nodding subtly. "Ymbaab. Hag os tu. (Indeed. Let us go.)" With that, the four of them got up from their seats and left the tavern, disappearing into the night leaving snow in their wake.

~~

By the time the sun had risen the next day, the group of four were already out on horseback, picking a path out from under the snow. They traveled with one escort in front leading the way, followed by Yuu with Mai sitting in front of him in the saddle, followed by the second escort to protect them from behind. Only several steps separated each horse so that there was sufficient space for movement and so that they would not draw any suspicion.

As they rode, changing their formation every once in a while, the group exchanged idle chatter to fill the silence and stillness of the frozen tundra around them all the while never for one second letting their guard down. Mai learnt that the two Lost Children who were their escorts and body guards went by the names of Kai and Tyen. They were brothers, quarter-castes, and were part of the second generation of the group. Both were skilled as swordsmen and huntsmen and hence were more than capable of serving as their guides and protectors.

Soon they approached a forested area, Kai, who was leading them, slowed down and turned his horse slightly so that he could face the three people behind him. "Umsa pa amgar vurasg, pa pyhh da ym garryguri dembyg (Once we enter the forest, we will be in bandit territory)," he said, his breath materializing in the cold air, "Gluotl glai pyhh mug eggekk os, pa pyhh kuna ymgu kumgekg pegl dembygs eg glayr jakk wuymg (Though they will not attack us, we will come into contact with bandits at their check point)."

"Glys ys e wuwoher ruab vur grefahars su dembygs lefa sagghab pygl banembyml numai ym axjemta vur seva wesseta glruotl glayr hembs. Pa sluohb lefa mu gruodha wessymt glruotl (This is a popular road for travelers so the bandits have settled with demanding money in exchange for safe passage through their lands. We should have no trouble passing through)," he continued casting a glance towards the forest up ahead of them, "Lepafar, yv pa bu rom ymgu emi qrudhans, iou kem haefa gehkymt gu os (However, if we do run into any problems, you can leave the talking to us)."

"Y ombarsgemb, glemk iou (I understand, thank you)," Mai responded, adjusting the mask across her face, "Mup hag os ryba (Now let us ride)."

Kai nodded and jerked the reigns with a flick of his wrist. With that, the four continued on their road towards the forest and the bandit checkpoint.
 
Zal N'Arodh

________________________________________

Location: The road to the T’Odis Gate, T’Odis


Date: Month 6, Day 15


Time: Between the third and fourth hour of the morning (3:30 AM)

________________________________________​


The air seemed colder now, harsher, even. As if the ancestors of the land he stood on took offense to what had happened on the dirt they fought for. Zal’s ringed eyes followed the hoofprints as far as he could see them clearly, though that was not terribly far. The supernatural storm had covered much of the area by the gate with another heavy layer of snow


Here it was. The first pause of his task. The few minutes that passed felt like ages, Zal itched to gallop forward and catch this traitor. He again looked to the collection of corpses behind him, no more than a few feet from the broken caravan. He closed his eyes saying a soft prayer for each dead soldier.


“Nei iour suoh rasg ym Daymt Plyga’s agarmeh pymgar”

(May your soul rest in the White Being’s eternal winter)


After the few moments he took to respect the dead, Zal opened his eyes and looked for the captain he had given ordered to.


Zal was confounded by the situation he found himself in. This was far from his first investigation, however by far his strangest. It was incredibly rare and disgraceful of a horde soldier to betray the guard. The thought of this man, the mutinous bastard, placed a sour taste in his mouth. Regardless of his opinion on the matter all that mattered was capturing this man. His contemplation was interrupted by the sound of hoofs approaching him, Captain X’Asmaxin had returned with all that he had requested. She held out a scroll in one hand and the other gripped the reins of her horse.


“Nenyvasg iuo urbarab syr, es pahh es ni nam. Pa epeyg iuor urbar.”

(The manifest you ordered sir, as well as my men. We await your order)


Zal took the scroll and unraveled it, looking over it as X’Asmaxin’s words lingered in the air, though the howl of wind and snow filled the silence. The manifest did not look out of the ordinary. 2 crates of dried fruit, a crate of T’odisian cold bread, 2 crates of dried and salted meat, a sack of tobacco, a sack of carrots, and a collection of pelts.


The list did not particularly phase him, until he reached the passenger section. At the bottom of the parchment said 4 passengers, one driver, respective personal effects. At that moment he realized… besides the horde corpses the garrison only found 3 dead bodies, and one trail of hoof prints leading away. He kept this revelation to himself as Zal rolled and tucked the page into his heavy coat. The less his companions knew, the better. Zal sighed and let out a loud whistled, his horse trotting to him in response. In one swift motion, gripping the saddle, Zal swung himself to mount it. He place his heels in the footholds.


“Y ewwrasyege iuor spyvg rasgumsa.”

(I appreciate your swift response)


Zal took one last look at the garrison commander who stood dutifully at the entrance of the gate fortress, ready to order the gate shut, and locked more importantly. Zal gave the tradition T’Dosian salute to the commander, who returned it respectively, and he pushed his heel into the ribs of his steed leaving behind the bodies of his brethren as they we gathered and prepared of burial.


“Umperb! Pa ryba omgyh pa kem mu humtar ryba!”

(Onward! We ride until we can no longer ride!)


He raised his right hand and swung it forward, ordering the horde to follow suit. In unison the newly created unit rode past the gate and into the vast, snow covered land that lay before them.
 

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