The Justicar

[Vudukudu]

Waiting for a character.

 

[Vudukudu]

22 Years Prior to the Current Day

​

The sun hung low over the horizon, mere minutes from plunging day into night. The flaming ball sank steadily, sucking away the light of the world as it fell. Only the gods could tell what would happen tonight in the unobserved places of the earth.


It had rained for most of the day, leaving his cloak plastered to his skin. The road beneath his feet was muddy and slick, making his journey all the more uncomfortable. He had been preparing for this day for years, reconstructing the infrastructure of the Justicar Order. Today, he would find a pupil, hopefully many. The Justicar's population must be replenished.


Finally, he came upon the lonely building he had been searching for. It was off to the side of the road, nestled in a copse of thick foliage. A monastery, home of a particularly isolated order of monks. On rare occasion, orphans or unwanted children would be left here to be raised as a part of the monastic life. One such child would escape that fate, if he were lucky.


His fist pounded heavily on the door, the sound echoing in the halls within. It was answered almost immediately by a mere boy, clad in a black robe. Poor boy. Perhaps he could have been more than this.


He stepped inside and threw his hood back, then looked for the nearest monk. It didn't take long to find one, seated at an organ nearby. He waited for the man to finish playing before addressing him.


"The last Justicar is here for a son." He stated plainly, eyeing the man up. He was old and withered, with a crooked grin and fading hair.


"We have no sons here, Justicar. Only a daughter."


Arterius wiped some dripping water away from his face, then nodded. "Bring her to me."


The man nodded and ventured off into the monastery for some time before returning with a small bundle of cloth. It squirmed and wriggled in his arms and began to cry, having been awoken from it's sleep. Arterius took the child into his arms, and looked into her eyes. He smiled softly at her, then clutched her tightly to his torso.


"Thank you, Father." He whispered, then left the monastery. The child gazed up at him helplessly, unsure of what was happening. He sighed to himself and shifted her around in his arms.


"I hope you may forgive me for this one day."


______________________________________________________________________

15 Years Prior to the Current Day

​

She had grown up strong, he had insured that. Not an ounce of lenience in her upbringing. No mercy in punishment, no laxness in her academic studies. He liked to think it was in her name. The monks hadn't given her one, leaving him to identify the child. He named her after two of the Justicar who now lay buried beneath the Keep, women who had been his close friends for a time. Perhaps they watched over her.


The sun rose early in the morning, shedding light on the Keep as early as 5AM. Just as the light pierced the window next to him, Arterius knocked loudly on the door to a bedroom. "Allegra!" He called, rapping his knuckles on the oaken door a few more times.


"Meet me on the field in twenty minutes. Not a second late, girl." He added, then continued down the hallway. She didn't know it, but today was her first day of battle training. He hoped she would prove just as capable here as she had in her scholarship.

 

[Alectai]

______________________________________________________________________

15 Years Prior to the Current Day

​

She had grown up strong, he had insured that. Not an ounce of lenience in her upbringing. No mercy in punishment, no laxness in her academic studies. He liked to think it was in her name. The monks hadn't given her one, leaving him to identify the child. He named her after two of the Justicar who now lay buried beneath the Keep, women who had been his close friends for a time. Perhaps they watched over her.


The sun rose early in the morning, shedding light on the Keep as early as 5AM. Just as the light pierced the window next to him, Arterius knocked loudly on the door to a bedroom. "Allegra!" He called, rapping his knuckles on the oaken door a few more times.


"Meet me on the field in twenty minutes. Not a second late, girl." He added, then continued down the hallway. She didn't know it, but today was her first day of battle training. He hoped she would prove just as capable here as she had in her scholarship.

Allegra yawned, blinking her eyes open at the twin interruptions of the rising sun and the knocking on the door--she wasn't unused to these early mornings--in fact, they tended to come more often then not, there was little time in the day to waste with laying about after all--and while some might consider it a little harsh to be pushing an eight year old as hard as this.


Well, when it's all you know, it's kind of hard to argue otherwise.


"I'll be right there!" She called back, rising from her place of rest and sliding her feet into the slippers at the bedside. She was expected to be responsible for her own grooming, being presentable at all times, and today would be no exception after all.


Sure enough, she had managed to finish her cleaning, a light breakfast, and be properly clothed in time, reaching the field with a good minute to spare before the edge of the deadline. Being punctual was very important after all!

 

[Vudukudu]

Arterius folded his arms across his chest, attempting to ward off the cold. It was late fall, and the leaves were beginning to shine with frost in the mornings. This was part of living so far north, he supposed.


Soon, Saerus Tarquin joined the Justicar outside, wearing some thick leathers to keep warm. He set down a small crate at his feet, then looked at the Justicar. Their introduction was curt, a simple nod and murmuring of each other's titles. They waited patiently for the girl, and the boy who would help with this particular exercise. The boy was about Allegra's age, a son of a member of the Chamber Militant. He arrived a minute or so after the War Master and stood awkwardly, fidgeting and scuffing the dirt with his feet.


Allegra arrived on time, as expected. She had only failed to do so once before, and suffice to say she had learned her lesson.


"Lako."


"Y-yes, Master Tarquin?"


"This is Allegra." Tarquin stated, gesturing to the girl with one hand.


"O-okay?" The boy stuttered, clearly not aware of what was in store for today.


"Only one of you gets to eat today. Whichever one of you calls mercy first or blacks out loses. Go." Tarquin explained, then reached into the crate and retrieved two wooden clubs, light enough to prevent the breaking of bones, but dense enough to leave painful bruises. Tarquin weighed them each in his hands, then tossed them towards the pair of children.


The boy was slow to react, unsure of what to do. He grasped one of the truncheons loosely, letting it dangle in front of him.

 

[Alectai]

Allegra Almost stumbled as the club was thrown towards her, almost, but not quite, and she held it up, maybe a little bit clumsily. She did know the basic idea behind fighting like this--namely, hit the other guy with it until they stop coming after you.


She did actually want to have more then just a fruit picked up on her way down, but she'd rather avoid taking a beating either.


"Umm... Nice to meet you?" She greets, tightening her grip and taking a few practice swings. "I think?"





He was only a little bit bigger then she was, so he'd only be a little tougher, right? Still, if she tried running at him, he'd probably smack her first, and that'd probably hurt a lot and put her on the backfoot.


So, how was she to do this? He had a good incentive to fight her after all, and she didn't like the idea of earning her breakfast at the expense of someone else, that'd be mean!


She advanced, a bit slowly, making sure to stay on balance as she moved, hopefully he'd either stay confused, or attack recklessly--it'd be easier to move out of the way and hit back then!

 

[Vudukudu]

Arterius glanced between the two children, a slight frown across his lips. This was a watered down version of what was to come. He took a few steps back, providing more than enough space for the fight to take place. "Remember, your body is a weapon in it's own right." He said, giving a small nod. People, even experienced warriors, seemed to forget just how capable the human body is of inflicting damage without a weapon.


Lako continued to hesitate. Perhaps he did not have the spirit his father did, or perhaps it needed to be coaxed out of him. Tarquin opted for the second.


"Your father would be disappointed, boy. Don't even have the guts to hit a girl, let alone fight. Absolutely shameful."





Then Lako lunged, an awkward and rather clumsy jump forward. He swung with all his force behind it, but little precision. He came a few inches short, and landed off balance.

 

[Alectai]

And that was what Allegra was waiting for!


She was a bit small, but she was quick thinking, and quick to respond to an opening--when Lako lunged, Allegra waited for him to come to a landing, and when he stumbled, she took the opportunity to tackle him, to knock him over, and with any luck, put him in a position where she could get a surrender... Or negotiate something else with the adults, she Really didn't want to seriously hurt anyone unless there was no other way.


Putting that aside, at least she'd get him on the ground, and it'd be pretty easy to pin him down at that point, that was a win, right?

 

[Vudukudu]

The boy struggled beneath her, making some progress considering his slight size advantage. He was on the defensive now, and mostly let instinct take over. He worked desperately to throw his elbows back, landing a few blows on Allegra's sides.


"Hesitation is weakness, girl. Press the advantage." Tarquin stated, stepping closer to the pair wrestling on the ground. "No foe of yours will ever submit. You must strike the final blow, before they do."


Arterius watched in silence, his eyes fixed firmly on Allegra. She'd be sparring nearly every day for the next ten years. She'd get bruised, beaten, and abused. She wouldn't finish this training without getting her fair share of scars, maybe even a few broken bones. She had all sorts of pain to grow accustomed to, and he or Tarquin would be inflicting much of it. He hoped she would not grow to resent them for it.

 

[Alectai]

The boy struggled beneath her, making some progress considering his slight size advantage. He was on the defensive now, and mostly let instinct take over. He worked desperately to throw his elbows back, landing a few blows on Allegra's sides.
"Hesitation is weakness, girl. Press the advantage." Tarquin stated, stepping closer to the pair wrestling on the ground. "No foe of yours will ever submit. You must strike the final blow, before they do."


Arterius watched in silence, his eyes fixed firmly on Allegra. She'd be sparring nearly every day for the next ten years. She'd get bruised, beaten, and abused. She wouldn't finish this training without getting her fair share of scars, maybe even a few broken bones. She had all sorts of pain to grow accustomed to, and he or Tarquin would be inflicting much of it. He hoped she would not grow to resent them for it.

"He's not my enemy though!" Allegra winced as a few elbows hit, but she tightened her position and gave as good as she got.





"I don't want to lose, but I don't want to make someone who's not my enemy suffer either!"





She gasped as a hit managed to get her in the sternum, from the distraction of her talking, but she just tackled him down and reached for the club again.


She still didn't intend to lose, but how was she to come out on top without seriously hurting him?


And then she figured something out.





"Okay!" She struggled, toughed it out, and brought the club upwards, ready to strike. "Please surrender! I don't want to have to hit you with this!"





And she would, if she had to, but she'd rather get him to concede defeat rather then beat him to unconsciousness.

 

[Vudukudu]

They had picked Lako for a reason, albeit a somewhat cruel and unfair one. He was particularly vulnerable to shaming, especially if it might reflect poorly on his father. This one situation was more than enough to make him fight until the pain was simply too much.


"No!" He cried, still fighting to get Allegra off his back. He had something to prove to his father, the man he idolized. He was not going to be beaten by a girl, not without putting up one hell of a fight first. He reached his hands back, scratching and punching at anything he could reach.


"You will never have this much time to consider your actions, Allegra. You will, if you're lucky, only get one chance, one mere fleeting instant to strike. And if you miss, all you'll get is a shallow grave."

 

[Alectai]

Allegra was about to protest... But gulped, and nodded.





"I'm really, really sorry Lako." She apologises, and begins to bring the club down.

 

[Vudukudu]

The club thudded against the back of his skull, smashing his face into the dirt. Not a lethal blow, but certainly enough to knock him unconscious and give him a headache for the next day or two.


"She's weak, Justicar."


"She's but a child, Tarquin."


"A child who will be ripped apart."


"I hired you to insure that doesn't happen."


"Weak. But I've dealt with weaker, I suppose."





The entire conversation was carried out in front of her, loudly enough to be heard. Another pre-planned event, meant to shake her will. Test after test, each designed to prepare her for the next one. She would be broken and rebuilt by their hand.


But that was the last day she would see Arterius for the next seven years. He disappeared that morning, presumably called to arms himself in some faraway land. Tarquin was left with instructions, and he swore to follow them to the letter. The closest thing to a father figure she would have left without so much as a goodbye.


_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seven Years Later



​

Tarquin's instructions included many, many specific pieces. He was to train Allegra in strategy until she was of age to wield a practice weapon. As soon as she was able to do so, she would begin sparring. First with Lako, then against trainees of the Chamber Militant. Once a week, Tarquin would take her aside himself and force her skills to develop. Today was one such day.


Steel clattered against steel in a flurry of blows and desperate parries. The edges of the blades had been whittled away, making them into practice weapons, but they were still well capable of causing harm. The day's training had been going on for four hours consecutively, a non-stop brawl. Wrestling, daggers, cudgels, warhammers, swords, spears, staves. They had rotated through them all, seeking for the weapon that would grace the initiate's hands.


So far, the War Master had been surprised. While she didn't have the strength to wield a two handed sword yet, Tarquin saw it in her style. She preferred a two handed grip, and tended to wait for an opportunity to deal a severe blow. It would serve her well, all the same.


Tarquin feinted to the left, then caught the side of Allegra's blade with his. He pushed forward, then kicked her square in the shin before pushing her shoulder with his free hand, sending her to the floor. "On your feet, come again. You know the rules. No stopping until you land a blow."

 

[Alectai]

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Seven Years Later



​

Tarquin's instructions included many, many specific pieces. He was to train Allegra in strategy until she was of age to wield a practice weapon. As soon as she was able to do so, she would begin sparring. First with Lako, then against trainees of the Chamber Militant. Once a week, Tarquin would take her aside himself and force her skills to develop. Today was one such day.


Steel clattered against steel in a flurry of blows and desperate parries. The edges of the blades had been whittled away, making them into practice weapons, but they were still well capable of causing harm. The day's training had been going on for four hours consecutively, a non-stop brawl. Wrestling, daggers, cudgels, warhammers, swords, spears, staves. They had rotated through them all, seeking for the weapon that would grace the initiate's hands.


So far, the War Master had been surprised. While she didn't have the strength to wield a two handed sword yet, Tarquin saw it in her style. She preferred a two handed grip, and tended to wait for an opportunity to deal a severe blow. It would serve her well, all the same.


Tarquin feinted to the left, then caught the side of Allegra's blade with his. He pushed forward, then kicked her square in the shin before pushing her shoulder with his free hand, sending her to the floor. "On your feet, come again. You know the rules. No stopping until you land a blow."

"Didn't plan on it sir!" Allegra retorted--tired, but not willing to let that slow her down when there was work to be done. Of course, she still needed to land a blow on someone who overwhelming outclassed her...


But she wasn't being trained to win against an "Average" person anyway. Just meant she needed to think a bit more carefully--he was stronger, faster, had better experience, and was probably three times her size anyway.


By the time she had risen to her feet, she was ready--tightening her grip on her weapon--it was a more standard training sword, but most people who'd be practicing were young men with years experience, she hadn't reached her full growth yet, but it was fairly clear she'd never be quite as imposing.


So in her hands, it made for a fine hybrid weapon, at the very least, she preferred the feel of it over the other options at hand, and that was good enough for now.


She stepped forward, a sharp--if not necessarily polished--lash snapping out--she was fully aware that Tarquin wouldn't be fooled by it, he'd know full well that she wouldn't connect, and would likely attack shortly after in the "Opening" created by the attack.


That was the idea--she'd never touch him as long as he got to set the range--the moment he went for his "Discipline Strike", she'd try to sidestep it and take the opportunity to close in and attack, go for the hamstrings if she could. If this didn't work?


Well, she'd try something else, not everything works on the first try after all.

 

[Vudukudu]

Tarquin began to slow down, just slightly enough for it to matter. Between his age and lack of rest, he wasn't cut out for this length of training anymore. He grew wearier, his defense slowly opening up more and more until he couldn't keep up with the girl. Finally, he tripped up and she landed a swing on him.


He nodded and took a short step away from her, tilting his weapon down towards the floor. He gave a curt bow, little more than a slight bend at the waist, then turned away and returned his training weapon to the rack.


"Good, good. Eat and rest, we shall go again tomorrow." He said, waving the girl off. He needed rest more than she did, probably.


From the entry way of the room, one could hear some quiet applause. A hooded figure, dripping wet, stood by himself as the spar ended. He kept clapping for a few more seconds before stopping, then dropped his hood back.


"I trust you've been keeping up on your studies as well, Allegra."

 

[Alectai]

"Ah! Of course I have!" Allegra turns and smiles. "Welcome back!"





She paused only to give a short bow back to Tarquin and return her own weapon to the racks before she went to catch up. "How did your travels go?"

 

[Vudukudu]

Arterius smiled fondly at his apprentice. He was glad to see her well after all this time, and rather grateful to Tarquin for insuring her well-being. Seven years was a long time to be responsible for someone else.


"Tiresome and bloody, child. Tiresome and bloody." He answered simply, the exhaustion clear in his voice. "But there's little time for tales, Allegra. I have little time left, and have come only to convey some messages before setting off once again." He continued, finishing with a sigh.


Arterius was reluctant to speak. It would mean he had to leave again, and he wanted to directly oversee the rest of her training. These next years would be the most taxing for her, as well as the most important.





"In two years, Shayna will forge a blade for you. A sword, as strong and true as the heart beating in your chest." Arterius said, lightly tapping his fist against his chest. "But.. remember, Allegra. There is no safety in a sword. A sword delivers death, it does not give life. It is a responsibility, and a burden you will bear. This blade is no gift, no beautiful weapon. It is the evil of man, bound to steel. It is a curse. And I hope you will one day forgive me for bringing it upon you." His tone was serious and apologetic. He paused for a moment, then ruffled the girl's hair.





"We're all counting on you, Allegra. Be strong, and bring the light to all those in need."





In a brief flash of light, he disappeared. Truly, he had never been there. It was an illusion, a trick of the mind. The Wizard, Cassius, stood slightly further down the hall, acting as a conduit for the magic-fueled communication.





"Come, come, dear. Much to teach, little time. Great things will come from nothing, and great things will become nothing. Power is not just in your body, but your mind as well." The Mage explained, then chuckled deeply.

 

[Alectai]

"I'll do everything I can! I promise!" Allegra vowed at the end of Arterius' speech--only to frown, and maybe pout just a little bit as his image faded away at the end. She hoped he did manage to catch that.


Still, it just meant that she had to redouble her own efforts, there was no sense in being a disappointment now, right?





"Right! No sense in dallying" Allegra nodded, dusting herself off. "What's on the agenda for today then Master Cassius?"

 

[Vudukudu]

"Oh child, there is no agenda. No plan but to coax the magic out of your little head and see what comes out." Cassius replied, making a somewhat odd pulling gesture with his fingers. He led her down the long and winding corridors of Valor Keep, into the Academy Wing. It was, unsurprisingly, just as solemn as the rest of the fortress, excepting the occasional concussive bang, the faint taste of sulfur in the air, and the barely noticeable scent of something.. unnatural.





"Tarquin says you're a fighter. Says you're too tough for using magic. Tells himself magic is for weak men who cannot fight with steel. I ask you this, child. How will his steel help him when a Mind Flayer assaults his very conscious? Or when a Blind One snips away at his life strings? Or when a Vampire Lord renders himself invisible in the midst of combat? The answer is, in short, that it won't. To win against that which wields the very force of creation, one must be able to defend him or herself from UN-creation. So this is what I will teach you dear. Your blade is your weapon, but I shall make magic your mighty shield."

 

[Alectai]

"Well, yeah" Allegra nods. "I mean, specialization is important, but you can't just ignore other important details either, it would just leave a big opening that something will eventually get around to exploiting, and a Justicar can't afford any of those." She responds, paraphrasing one of the many explainations provided for her... Rather intensive education so far. "I really don't see why there's such a rivalry though, there's plenty of room for masters of magic and steel in this line of work though."





She looks up and smiles. "So with that in mind, I'll do my best to learn what you have to teach!"

 

[Vudukudu]

"And that is where Arterius comes in. While he certainly leans towards magic, he is rather.. adept, with a blade, shall we say." Cassius murmured, giving an appreciate nod. This one was brighter than some students he had had the misfortune to be stuck with. Perhaps this would not be much of a trial at all.





"The trick to magic, Allegra.." He began, then paused. "Well, there is no trick. And I've always been rather fond of throwing pupils into the deep end of the pool first." Cassius said, nodding slightly. He gestured towards her with his left hand, a crushing and folding movement. As soon as he began to whisper unintelligibly, the air was sucked from Allegra's lungs and refused to return.


He had done this before. He was well aware of how long the human body could survive without oxygen. He would relieve her the moment she was about to black out, if need be. There were, in his experience, three ways to react here. The first was to panic and do nothing, as most students did. The second was to attempt to physically interrupt the incantation, as a few had been known to do. And, finally, the third option was to let instinct take over and improvise a counter-spell.


As he had said before, there was no teachable trick to magic. Often times, it was best to simply let it flow naturally. A cool head and relaxed heart were well capable of achieving this, which is the reason for half of the training in self control.

 

[Alectai]

By the time he was saying "Into the Deep end first", Allegra had already been wincing, preparing for the worst--that turn of phrase never preceded anything pleasant, and sure enough, the air was sucked from her lungs, and the mage was busy mumbling an incantation.


Wonderful, it was one of those "Sink or Swim" moments. She kept a cool head--one advantage from a childhood of rough training and occasional surprise tests--and began to run over her options in her head.


The "Obvious" answer was to attack the wizard, to shut off their chanting, but this was an option open only due to the proximity of Master Cassius, and in the real world, this wouldn't be an option, as a spellcaster wouldn't necessarily need to be that close, and a ranged attack might run afoul of defenders or their own wards.


So, she needed to break the spell somehow--based on little magical knowledge, little training, but with the expectations of success.


It wouldn't be the first time she was expected to acquire basic proficiency in something in a hurry, it probably wouldn't be the last time.


She stilled, partially an effort to stretch how much time she could remain active like this, and began reviewing her previous lessons, while paying very close attention to her surroundings--there had to be a clue she could make use of to break this spell on her own, she just needed to look closely and decipher it.

 

[Vudukudu]

Cassius ceased to move his hands, an altogether aesthetic effect. The choking continued unabated as he watched her, waiting for some reaction. She seemed to be leaning towards the first of his three options, but that was nothing to be ashamed of.


Truly, she was thinking too hard about it. Relax. Find your center. Focus on resisting, not the effect itself. There are two ways out of this, Allegra. The words weren't spoken aloud, rather, they seemed to echo inside her head.


He wasn't going to hint any further, simply out of fairness to others who had been through this test. They either had to ward themselves from the magic, thus preventing the effect in the first place, or simply circumvent it. He had seen one apprentice simply manipulate his need for oxygen, allowing him to endure the spell for quite some time. Cassius had applauded him for his ingenuity.

 

[Alectai]

Allegra paused, and closed her eyes, clearing her mind and Focusing


She wasn't a genius at magic, but the answer seemed pretty straightforward--if the magic was attacking her, then she just needed to keep the magic from touching her.


Simple enough--she turned her focus and attention outwards, beginning from her heart, sweeping through the rest of her body, and pushing out the malign influences, while hardening into an adamant wall of resistance, to attempt to reject and repel the hostile spellcraft before it could harm her further.

 

[Vudukudu]

(Im so sorry, my internet provider had some sort of local breakdown, lost all service. I'm back!)


Cassius watched the girl as she relaxed herself. She seemed to be getting the hang of it. That was fortunate; those who succeeded in this test often turned out better than the rest at the end of the training. He gradually weakened the power behind the spell, allowing her to finally repel it. She could breathe again.


"Good, good, little one. You have potential." He murmured, then gestured for her to follow him once again. He had planned out her lessons so many years ago, and he was eager to follow through with them. She would learn to defend herself rather than press the attack. Warding, detection spells, barriers, all sorts of defensive measures. He would teach, and she would learn, as so many had before.

 

[Alectai]

(It's cool, I was worried you had lost interest!)


Allegra gasped as the spell broke, and she staggered as the adrenaline started to fade. She had managed to repel it at least.


Something to take as an object lesson she supposed, and prepare her defenses in Advance next time.


She straightened as Cassius gestured, and followed behind. She was going to be busy in the days ahead, best not start slacking now.