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| Call and Answer; [P] Ikenna | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Wed Feb 18, 2015 3:09 am (1,309 Views) | |
| Ari | Tue Feb 24, 2015 3:11 am Post #31 |
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"I see." Ari committed the locations of their missing sleeves to memory, and noted their differing opinions on dresses versus skirts. Unexpectedly, Ikenna's cousins asked about her in response. Ari was terrible at talking about herself, but she was getting better ever since meeting Ikenna. "Ikenna has been tight-lipped?" She side-eyed the arakureb while looking over her shoulder, looking wry all of a sudden. "I was the first Mantis to be born outside of Nalai. First female Mantis in over a century, too. I enjoy eating, sleeping and fighting." For once in her life, Ari had enough restraint to not get more specific than that. She knew that saying something like 'I love eating insects alive' or 'I like to see my enemy's eyes at their exact moment of death' would not reflect well on her. "My preferred weapon is a sword, but I can attack at most any range. When pressed, I am also very skilled in the use of traps. But I have enough ancestral muscle memory to pick up and use most weapons available to an average Nalaian. I was born in Balefire this time around, though, hence the... difficulty with this culture at times. Poor Dura, heh." "Oh, and this katana is named Agorst the Bastard. He's an asshole." She chuckled quietly at the weapon's protests in her mind. They chatted like this for quite a while, until Ari spotted a break in the treeline near the top of the inclined road. It was a new view of the coast around Aketal'a. They came out on the top of a series of rolling hills leading down to a sprawling town and, eventually, a beach. Setubanda was arranged in a series of tiers, with roads and stairs connecting paved hills of different height. Ari squinted and saw the torchlight of a sprawling war camp further toward the beach -- an enemy camp. Parts of Setubanda burned. Occasional houses were smoldering, but others were fully intact. Namely... "See that huge mansion? That's where my uncle lives." Uncle Sukarno. Ari was not looking forward to this auspicious meeting. As they moved down the road toward Setubanda, Ari put her bow and a few arrows in one hand, ready to draw at any moment. A pike was driven into the side of the road every fifty feet or so. Each one had the head of a Setubandan citizen impaled on it. Ari checked the faces as she passed. None of them were familiar. A dark part of her secretly wished at least one or two were. "Ikenna, Sanaa, Larato. You are mine to command for this engagement." Ari's voice took on an authoritative quality that was in some ways both becoming and unbecoming of her personality. She sped up her horse from a walk to a canter. "As always, you will be fighting misguided Nalaians! When possible, give them a chance to surrender. If they refuse, that is when you kill them. Tonight, speed is on our side. The faster we push them out, the easier we win -- because we will destroy them before they can organize a proper response!" Ari's blood boiled and her breathing quickened with anticipation. She showed her teeth beneath the metal faceplate on her helm and unleashed the delighted laugh of a hunter beginning the chase. The warrior felt like old Kamon again, the Chaos Hero, rolling through on horseback to bring death and ruin to his enemies. They entered city limits. It was past the middle of the night, very quiet. Ari turned a corner and used movements of her feet to urge her horse to a stop. A soldier wearing colors she didn't recognize burst from the front door, her arms wrapped around an old woman's waist to roughly drag her out. As soon as they got to street level the old lady struggled even harder, screaming something desperate in Shokanalai. There was another struggle between soldier and citizen closer to the doorway that Ari could spot. "Begin the sweep!" Ari shouted to the arakureb. The Painted Mantis stopped her horse close enough to the current scene to attract their attention. An arrow was already fitted to her bow and drawn back. The first enemy soldier's eyes widened. "Whose colors do you wear?" The second soldier finally managed to drag a young lady outside, one hand clamped around her mouth. He barked some commands to someone inside the house, turned and came face-to-face with a pissed-off horse and rider looming ahead. "We serve General Taumai. State your name, faction and business here at once." "Taumai, is it? What a surprise." Ari aimed her bow. "My name is Bethari, the Painted Mantis, and Setubanda now belongs to me and the Royal Guard. Surrender and join us at once." The first soldier reached for her warhorn, brought it to her lips, and instantly got an arrow through the eye for her troubles. Ari turned to the other side and shot the other soldier as he was reaching for his sword. The citizens screamed, ran away. Ari kept an arrow nocked just for the third soldier she knew was still in the house. He wandered out to check on the others and walked straight into an arrow aimed at him. "It's been so long since I've had a good hunt," Ari breathed. "Run away. Go as fast as you can. I'll give you to the count of ten." The smell of blood was already improving her mood. He, too, reached for his warhorn to warn the camp below. Ari had to execute him there. No fun at all. Still, she thought this would be a great night. |
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| Ikenna | Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:55 am Post #32 |
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What Ari did not know was that her restraint was unnecessary. To have spoken of such things would have only endeared her further to the Matandra family, who had little trouble with eating certain things live, and who had no problem with killing one's enemies. The only reason Dhakada survived for so long was his incredibly ability to hide and run before the final blow could be struck. In the Matandra family, secrets were considered challenges. Ikenna did not want to jinx anything by speaking too much of Ari, of doing much more than daydreaming about her when he believed nobody to looking. They did not relent in pestering him for more information than Ochieng could provide, but Ike kept talking around the point, talking in circles and dazing his family with words. That talkative flaw of his worked very well as a confusing gift, though it came with a bit of a problem regarding his thoughts easily being interrupted. Fortunately there was to be no great thinking put forth into the coming battle other than restraint, which Ikenna was skilled with. Without proper care, fire magic could be deadly, destructive, and end up ruining innocent lives. The fire caster made sure that he had good control over his magic, that he would no potentially kill a target he wasn't sure he wanted to end, but his sisters had more trouble with that. When Ari took off with the laugh of the hunter, the arakureb paused for a moment to take it in. "That predatory laugh!" Sanaa gasped mockingly. "I think she may be more Matandra than you, Ikenna." Larato chuckled. "She is definitely full of surprises." Ikenna smiled warmly for a moment, "Let us not waste time, and for the grace of the Gods, control your violent streaks somewhat. She said to give them a chance to surrender." The three took off, following Ari to the town's border then going off in different directions to follow her orders. The twins, of course, went down the same path, shrouded in silvery flames atop their horses. With their pitch black skin and hair in the night, they perhaps looked like specters of death riding to reap the unfortunate enemies of the Royal Guard. What was it, Ikenna wondered, that led to only some of the buildings burning? Was it that they were being razed by the enemy, or were struggles with the residents causing things to go up in flames? Ikenna slowed at the telltale glow of fire within the window of a home, slowly building fire within and sounds of struggle. In this way, Ike could follow blooming fire to enemies locations, to try and free some of the townsfolk who were struggling against the enemies. One such enemy came from the building as Ikenna dismounted his steed. "My name is Ikenna Abala'Mahala--" Before Ikenna had so much as gotten through his name, the enemy soldier reacted by reaching for a war horn. Instinctively Ike's tail lashed out, impaling the man's hand, the source of the arakureb's worry. The first real outing with the appendage and it was already proving incredibly useful. Then the man dropped, flopping over onto the ground quietly, unresponsive. The spike of Ike's armored tail had gone through his hand, the horn, and his chest, killing him fairly quickly. Well, the arakureb definitely tried, and he would try again until he found someone who wouldn't do something stupid, though he would have to work on fine restraint regarding his tail. A moment later and another soldier in the non-Royal Guard colors came out, a struggling townsperson in his grasp. They tripped over the dead body, and the would-be victim scrambled off to the side, stopping, remembering something, someone. The next pairing to come from the building stopped at the open door and looked wide-eyed at the alien figure standing in front of a trained war horse. "Ike Matandra, Royal Guard, surrender or die." He said, far quicker and simpler this time, getting straight to the point. The one who had tripped and fallen responded by trying to draw his sword as he stood. This time Ikenna meant to kill the person with his tail, letting the metal spike drive into their forehead before they could steady themselves for a proper strike. The metal plates of the surely unique tail armor clacked as it readjusted itself, finding a good angle past the main body for the final enemy. The third, far smarter, released his hostage and dropped to his knees, hands raised in the air. He was saying something in the Nalaian dialect, but there was an unfortunate language barrier keeping the arakureb from understanding the exact words, though the intention of fully ready surrender seemed very clear. "Two saved, two killed, one surrendered." Ikenna noted as one of the folk, hostages no longer, picked up a sword. It was clear they weren't used to it, but at least knew which end to keep away from them, and held it at the enemy combatant. Before leaving the normal-ish people to their own hostage, having flipped the situation, Ike made sure to break both of the surrendering man's hands so that he wouldn't try to take the sword from his captors. It seemed rather convenient, and Ike sure hadn't a clue what to do with the surrendering soldier. This first stop on the path to saving the night seemed to set it off to a good start. He didn't even need magic just yet. Edited by Ikenna, Tue Feb 24, 2015 7:56 am.
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| Ari | Tue Feb 24, 2015 9:54 pm Post #33 |
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Ari secured two more streets within the next five minutes thanks to her knowledge of the terrain, the lack of resistance, and the speed of her horse. At this hour, the only soldiers in Setubanda were single patrolmen and looters. The looting was relatively tame -- few civilians killed, few houses destroyed for disobeying -- likely owing to General Taumai's high moral standards compared to other factions. Taumai was an extremely wealthy hill-lord in generations past; Ari recalled her offering higher wages to conscripts and forbidding the "fair game" policy as an attempt to discourage looting and maintain better relations with civilians. She probably gave these doctrines extra importance now that she was fighting a civil war, but looting and devastation were inevitabilities of any kind of war. Didn't make Taumai any less of a warlord. Any less of an enemy, really. Ari would need to talk to her personally to see what she was aiming for in all this insanity. The Painted Mantis turned another corner and emerged on the main street leading between the major tiers of the hill. There, in the middle of the cobbles, was a single person outlined in the moonlight. He was of average height and build. Wore a robe and scarf. One hand rested casually on the hilt of his sword. Something about him was distinctly different from the rest. Not a looter. Not even armored. It was like he was... waiting for her. "Surrender, for you face the Painted Mantis in the flesh!" Ari called out. Steadying her mount, she drew back her bow and aimed for the figure's heart. He shook his head no. She shot him. The two halves of her arrow were flung to either side of him. His blade was out faster than her eyes could spot what happened. Ari kicked her boots out of the stirrups, leaped down from her horse, and drew her sword. Anyone who could cut an arrow in half was not someone she was going to let off easy. The swordsman raised his fist to the sky and made a rapid set of hand gestures. Ari spotted movement on the rooftops that appeared, blurred toward the secured areas of Setubanda -- where Ikenna and the twins were -- then disappeared. She cursed under her breath, but he didn't press the attack. Merely held his sword low in both hands. Ari approached, but did not charge. He was too nonchalant, too unafraid of her. Something was very wrong about all this. It all became clear when she saw the emblem sewed into the shoulder of his robe. It was the sigil of a senior agent of the Nalai Guard. Not all of that organization went to the Royal Guard, after all. "Why?" she murmured to him. It was a complex question, that word. Could mean a lot. Why he opposed her, why he fought for Taumai -- hell, it could have even asked why the country was fractured in this way, why two people who should be comrades were about to go at it. "Because everything must end." His opener was so quick that it almost cut Ari's hand off. Every fiber of her being cried out to escape this fight and go find Ikenna. No doubt the swordsman's gestures to the sky had sent more powerful individuals their way. Worse, she remembered something about General Taumai. The Nalai Guard was under her thumb back when she was in power. In some ways she had more power than the King. And it was all thanks to her incredibly well-managed "kill squads" -- roving executioners. A system she could easily bring back. I have to trust Ikenna. It will only get worse from here. |
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| Ikenna | Tue Feb 24, 2015 11:39 pm Post #34 |
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Ikenna felt more comfortable on his feet, he had never really been afforded the chance to practice combat on the back of a beast, no doubt because his mother found it ineffectual to teach unarmed combat when, at most, one might be lucky to kick somebody from the back of a creature large enough to be ridden. His progress down the street was notably slower but he was gettin good work done, and getting good practice with his tail in as he pierced the colors of his enemies from the street. Perhaps he should put more practice into dispatching enemies quicker, but for now he was content with his slow but steady style. Ikenna barely registered a thudding sound behind him before he was stabbed, allowing him barely enough time to mitigate the damage as he turned and distanced himself from the sound. It was somebody unfamiliar, who did not seem the sort to care much for armor, eyes barely visible in the light of a burning building. Ike's attacker pressed forward, the blade having managed to pierce his armor somewhat and hit the muscle of his right bicep. His enemy had another blade in his opposite hand, but the second strike missed. The assassin-esque enemy had been using the first knife for leverage, but that leverage was gone, with just a glowing stub of a blade left attached to the handle. "Ah, no, no, no!" Ike grumbled, the pain barely registering with him. He examined the thin glowing hole in his armor for a quick moment before taking up a shield and slamming it into the surprised attacker's face, "My blood is melting through my armor! Maybe it will burn shut before I lose a sleeve. How much did my armor stop? How much am I bleeding beneath the surface?" "What manner of monster are you?" The enemy hissed and recovered quickly from the blow, pulling up a second weapon from somewhere on his body, discarding the molten weapon. "Istani, Matandra, and something new." He said proudly, rolling his shoulders to test the limits of his pain, "That is how far the Royal Guard is willing to go to end this war, or I suppose I should say to win it." To emphasize the final word, a distinct rumbling sound could be heard from the other side of the town. It was an unmistakable sort of sound for Ikenna. "That sounds like the work of my family," Ikenna smiled, and readied his shields, "I think my cousins found a friend of yours and got carried away. Let us see if this fight goes the same, if I can keep from incinerating this block to deal with you, or if you just feel an unshakable desire to save your life, and save me time, by surrendering." "I will never surrender to the likes of you." The enemy spat before lunging a now prepared Ikenna. "I was really hoping you would say something like that." Ikenna chuckled as he deftly blocked and countered a couple of quick strikes from his enemy. In turn that foe dodged before Ikenna's tail could impale him on its spike, "I do not feel comfortable with sparing the life of someone who tried to kill me before I knew they were there, but I am to give enemy Nalaians a chance to survive. Now come and meet your death, and pray that it is quick." |
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| Ari | Wed Feb 25, 2015 12:30 am Post #35 |
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Time lost meaning. Could've been five minutes, maybe ten, maybe fifteen. All Ari knew was that this fight had been going on an insanely long time, rapid-fire, no missteps allowed -- and neither of them had landed a single scratch. After yet another failed clash, the Painted Mantis and nameless guardsman stepped back to catch their breath, circling each other slowly. This guy's a monster! You're not holding back, right? "Are you an incarnation?" Ari breathed, letting rivulets of sweat flow down her face. He didn't remind her of anyone, but the question was worth a shot. Her ancestral memory was infamously fickle. The guardsman's only response was to charge back into the fray a few seconds before she was totally recovered. He was even faster than her, and seemed to be getting faster as she got slower over the course of the battle. This time, he pressed her purely into the defensive. She found herself taking steps backward. "Agorst," Ari growled. "Do it." Suddenly, and with force, a strip of glossy black appeared at the edge of her scarred dark-grey katana. Ari brought her weapon to bear, letting the keen edge reflect a strip of moonlight and fire from the background. For the first time in the whole fight, she caught him in a parry. Fine for Agorst, but not for a typical katana. She pressed back, growling, and hit his weapon again with all her strength. Again. He caught onto what she was trying to do quickly, and backed off. She pressed. Her heart raced. Red tinged the edge of her vision. She wanted to see blood, smell it. She wanted to see his eyes at his exact moment of death. As it turned out, he was more fatigued than her. He just hid it better. Ari caught him in a trap. Locked his weapon in hers, slammed their arms down, pushed, pushed against the flat. The sound of his weapon cracking made Ari's heart jump, but she wanted more. She used Agorst's leverage to break his feeble weapon into two pieces. Before he could drop the hilt and take up an unarmed stance, she stepped back and slashed him clean across the face. He stumbled backward, Ari came in to impale him-- blinded by his own blood, he still caught her blade between his palms and deflected it. The swordsman's form blurred and he appeared on a nearby rooftop. Ari trembled all over. "My win," he said, and pointed down to the view of the sprawling hill below. Then he disappeared. Ari looked. A huge subset of Taumai's army was marching up to Setubanda. It had never been a serious fight. Just a distraction. "Shit." Ari jumped onto her horse's back, dug her heels in, and sped as quickly as she could back down to the secured streets. Reigns in one hand, Agorst in the other. "Ikenna! Sanaa, Larato! Ikenna?!" She caught a glimpse of him around the corner and, if necessary, helped him against his Nalai Guard foe. "General Taumai is sending a contingent up to deal with us. At least a hundred, maybe as many as five-hundred, hard to tell at this distance. Too many, we'd be fighting all through the day." She took a breath, was still winded from her long duel. "What if we hid? There are only four of us. We could hide in my family's mansion. Unless you have any better ideas." |
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| Ikenna | Wed Feb 25, 2015 2:23 am Post #36 |
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By the time Ari showed up, Ikenna was beating his enemy with his shields. One good, solid blow to the head had the stealth-focused enemy stunned and allowed the arakureb to continue pushing the advantage he had. Ike abused that advantage, continuing until he could finish the fight reliably with his tail. He was getting used to the idea of his tail as a deadly weapon, it let him pierce while still defending with his shields. Sadly there was no time to enjoy the victory as Ari told of the advancing force. "Fight all through the day? At least you are confident in our collective abilities." Ikenna laughed "I will not hide, there are probably people here already doing that and we cannot leave them to the enemy. We might not have to fight the soldiers at all if we are lucky. No-- Yes. Yes! I have a plan! At least I think I have a plan. Where is my horse? Ah, it must have been scared off by the fighting. Ari, we have to get between the two and our enemies! I will explain on the way! We do not have time to collect Sanaa and Larato." With Ari's help Ikenna could get on the horse, and he would hold onto her carefully for the ride while he explained his plan as quickly and clearly as he could. "If I am right then we will be able to not only win this battle, but to start rumors being spread by survivors. Rumors can have all sorts of interesting effects, create expectations that affect how people think, making the enemy think more about pressing their assault and boosting the morale of allies. All we need to do is scare them. Fire, for example, is very scary to a lot of creatures for good reason, and I just so happen to be very good with fire! First, Dry Season for a sudden change in temperature, noticeable, unsettling. After that, Fire Ring for a sustained wall, at least twenty feet from the town, good theatrics to walk in front of it, maybe a Burnado for good effect to exploit the fear of fire and tornadoes. That should be all we need, but I could push myself with Flame Breath! You may want to get away from me when I dismount, or else you may be trapped by the flames. Twenty feet radius when I measured them last, tall flames, five foot thick wall." From behind Ari Ike cast the first spell in his plan, the Dry Season spell, which made the air hot and dry almost immediately, with the added benefit of boosting fire spells. That would be the easiest, least stressful part, a comfortable moment before laying eyes on the number of enemies that were coming. Somewhat unsettling, but the war mage needed to put faith into the war part. Before fully dismounting the horse Ikenna would stop himself to quickly kiss Ari, recalling Amdador's words before following through with the rest of his plan. Once Ari was out of the way of the planned path of the fire, Ikenna would cast the spell. A high circle of flames burst into life around him like an elemental arena, as Ike used to think of it. Now, though, he imagined it needing to surround a giant pot, and that imagery brought a smile to his face. Good, joy instead of stress in the face of a possibly unreliable plot to save the night. With it cast he was beginning to feel the effects of quick-succession casting. Once he left the ring, Ikenna cast the Burnado. The whirlwind, speckled with flame, would cut forward through the enemy forces, three feet wide where it touched the ground. Those caught by the spell would be dragged into it for a moment, burned, then cast outside. Ikenna managed to keep standing after casting it, managed to stand and maybe look powerful with the flames, his armor, and his tail, but he was near his limit. Just like he predicted, at most he could probably force a breath of flame. At this point he would be surprised if he could move after this was over. "Leave or burn! The Royal Guard protects this city!" Ikenna roared, his voice like flames, though louder than the ring behind him, "My flames are unending, be thankful I am so merciful as to let you escape with your lives! Test me mercy, and be cremated alive!" |
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| Ari | Wed Feb 25, 2015 1:52 pm Post #37 |
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"Okay. Worth a shot. I've got some tricks to help you inspire fear." Their battlefield was going to be the long stretch of road leading up the hill into Setubanda. This far down the tiers, their view of the war camp was partly obscured by sections of forest that still clung between patches of agricultural land. Closer now, Ari estimated a contingent of about two-hundred had mobilized -- more than enough to pacify a large town like Setubanda, and shocking that so many had arrived so quickly in the middle of the night. Ari kissed Ikenna back and rode off into the shadows. She had to move quickly. They had little time to prepare, and Ikenna was already making use of the moment by beginning to cast his spells. Ari flipped up her metal mask to breathe easier in the heat, then jumped off her horse to climb up a nearby building. That was when her form began to change. Her armor's color and shape twisted to resemble the roofing material she walked on. Markings appeared on her face. The partial shapeshifting allowed her to blend in well with her surroundings. Ari crouched down on the rooftop facing the advancing column of soldiers, fitting a bow to her string and surveying Ikenna's effect on their morale. Archers were already firing at will, and they all aimed for one target: the arakureb. It was hard for Ari to read the collective mood of a group of soldiers, but she guessed that they seemed a bit alarmed. Nevertheless, they began to charge toward the wall of flames. Ari let loose an arrow into the column. It hit, pierced someone's chest. Nearby enemies, especially ones behind who witnessed the attack, suddenly stopped, creating a disruption in the entire formation. She shot again near Ikenna's burnado, and that section of the contingent expanded into an even wider, even more devastating disruption. It was possible, then, to break them. She could do it strategically. Just a little nudge was all they needed to fully embrace the fearsomeness of Ikenna's flames. Maybe then the two of them could force a rout. Next up: the front lines. A few of them had already fearlessly jumped the flames and proceeded into Setubanda proper to engage an enemy they no doubt thought was more numerous. Ari killed the one in the center. Less effective this time, so she hoped the twins would know to do mop-up on the fly. Attacking the vanguard like that was probably not the best use of her time, so she moved now to the back of the group, or as far back as she could reliably shoot. The ones in the back had a way out. The flanks, too, if they were willing to plunge through steep slopes and dense vegetation. Down near the back of the column itself, conscripts from nearby villages clutched their standard-issue weapons, trembling. Multiple things could have caused their stress, be it their newness to the civil war, the wrath of Ikenna's flames and his unusual appearance outlined in the moonlight, or merely the adrenaline of a fight. In front of them, a single arrow, fired from an uncertain location, pierced the shoulder of a conscript. The wounded let out a petrified scream, attracting the attention of everyone next to and in front of him as well. "Something is watching us! Something is watching us! It's a trap, everyone! We're so tightly packed like this -- we have to get out of here!" Nearby soldiers began to tremble uncontrollably: a primal fear deep in their bones that bubbled up to conscious thought. The wounded solder turned around and, still panicking, muscled his way through the dense marching column. Another conscript saw the rout and turned around as well. Then another, another. The chain reaction in this small section of the group was substantial. A stampede. Another arrow hit someone, then two more, and the whole back line was running. One unfortunate runner got hit twice, and the primal magic of those strikes forced him to the pace of a limp as he wailed in terror. One of the commanding officers attempted to regroup the back line, but the damage was already done. The cascade was beginning. |
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| Ikenna | Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:18 pm Post #38 |
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Incoming arrows, a suppressing retaliatory barrage incited by the leaders of the attack, but one man could rarely inspire absolute fear in such a large group. Ikenna didn't go in expecting much to start with, but the longer he could maintain the fires behind him the better it would work. The arakureb raised both of his shields and his tail folded over his head, fitting between the shields like a mechanical defense. Most of the arrows he could hear ricocheting off the steel plate. He couldn't worry about the soldiers in formation, that he would have to trust to Ari. Ike's worries were immediate, the soldiers trying to force their way through flames. It was unlikely that the soldiers would manage to pierce both sides of the ring without getting burned in the five feet of fire. That was not something he could concern himself with, though. For a moment he considered spewing flames at the enemies, but that would take too much energy. Well, he had a nice thick tail. The war mage began putting that appendage to use, letting it whip at any nearby targets as he began moving from side to side. With a command the metal armor on his tail burst into flame, an enchantment that required no magic on his behalf. Enchantments were a wonderful thing, and though the flames would do little burning damage for how quickly he used it to whip who he could, the desired effect was, as with the rest of the plan, fear. Still though, the determined were managing to slip by him, he was only one person trying to defend such a wide area. They forced their way through the first flames, and he could hear their agonized screams. Few had the will and speed to make it through the entirety of the ring and keep going, and it was those people that Ikenna could not help but hold some modicum of respect for. On the other side of the flames, the soldiers who made it through waited for a moment, recovered from the flames, then began down the street. To find the street on the other side of the flame empty was surprising to them, but they kept going. It was at the first intersection that they began dying as two humanoid figures, immersed in silver flames, rushed around the corner and began attacking with pole weapons. The Twin Lunar Flames. Larato with her Full Moon, a sledgehammer with a round face. Sanaa with her Crescent Moon, a pole axe with a thin beard. The twins blindsided the enemy, killing most of the first wave of invaders within moments before taking a rest to talk. "Where did all of these extra soldiers come from?" Larato asked. "The other side of Ikenna's flames, I cannot believe he started fighting an army without us!" Sanaa answered, feeling offended that they weren't retrieved before such a battle. Instead they had to clean up the moths that managed to survive the flames. "Wh-What are you?" The last soldier fell over, having braved the flames of one monster just to find himself faced with two more on the other side. "Oh, you have never seen the wrath of the moons before, have you?" Sanaa said with a mocking tone, as if talking to a child. "Yes you thought running through the wrath of the sun was wise?" Larato chuckled. "Everybody knows of sunburns." Sanaa said as she began approaching the fallen soldier. "Well the moons burn, as well." Larato added, walking alongside her sister. "Wait, sister!" Sanaa said, a revelation overtaking her for a moment before they could deliver the killing blow to the enemy. "What is it?" Larato groaned, wanting this to be over quickly. "We forgot to offer them a chance to surrender, first." Sanaa said, and Larato's jaw dropped as the two turned to look at those they already killed. "Oh, that is right. Hmm, you are lucky, you get that chance." Larato continued, turning back to the survivor. "Please do not surrender." The twins spoke simultaneously, wicked grins on their faces and sadism in their tones. No more arrows had fallen for some time, the archers holding back for whatever reason. The arakureb decided to risk moving his shields to once again get sight on the enemy. What he saw in the mass of enemies brought a toothy grin to his face. They were retreating, screaming, no doubt thanks to Ari, wherever she was. "So there are wise ones among your ranks, who realize that the flames behind me lead to Hell!" Ikenna laughed, a mad sound though in truth it was one of relief. The sooner that the enemy Nalaians left, the sooner he could collapse. Having cast the spells, maintaining the ring of fire, and trying to prevent soldiers from passing, it was all proving quite draining, "Feed my flames or flee! The only options you have left, but please! Come to your demise, for what is war without death?" Ike would keep up his facade for as long as possible. Defending himself and trying to keep soldiers from the flame, his tail whipping the soldiers while shrouded in fire, acting like he had all of the energy in the world. When he felt a little more comfortable he even sent out another Burnado towards the remaining forces, but didn't expect it to actually suck anybody up. He expected them to call for retreat, to see this battle for Setubanda as lost, and most of all he hoped that they would see this as a sign of things to come. Once enough of them were gone, he would cut power to the ring of fire, extinguishing it and revealing those who had been trapped in the center, and his cousins wrapped in silver flame on the other side with only two captives on their knees, and far more bodies strewn about. "I am Ikenna Abala'Mahala Matandra. You are now all prisoners of the Royal Guard. I think, anyway. The one to decide your fate will be here shortly, I am certain." He said, no pride in his words, he was too exhausted for pride, "Either that, or die now. I have little patience left to spare further lives for this battle." Only one soldier was fool enough to charge Ikenna. The arakureb ended the attacker's life with a quick strike from his burning tail, the point impaling the individual's head. The body hung limp for a moment from the tail before Ike kicked it off, stumbling a bit but maintaining his balance. The other burned soldiers didn't bother. "Little patience." He sighed, forcing himself to stay on his feet, his tail resting on the ground, "Good to see you two managed to find fun." Edited by Ikenna, Wed Feb 25, 2015 6:19 pm.
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| Ari | Thu Feb 26, 2015 3:26 am Post #39 |
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Still cloaked in camouflage, Ari dropped from the rooftops and landed at street level. The partial shapeshifting let up as soon as she straightened her back and began to stroll over to the group of prisoners. There were about as many as she expected. This civil war was still fresh, and loyalties at the lower levels were not very ironclad. "Good work, everyone. The last thing we need to do is get these prisoners moved to a place we can hold them. I'll send a missive to the House of Thorns for pickup. Larato, Sanaa, can you two take care of the prisoners? Then take turns on watch duty while the other sleeps." She called her horse, then turned to Ikenna. "Rest. Then I need your help." With that, she climbed onto her horse as it trotted by and disappeared into the town of Setubanda. "Meet me by the fountain at the top of town. Can't miss it." Her curtness was tinged with worry. It was past dawn. Ari was napping with her back against the outer wall of the fountain, lulled to sleep by the noise of trickling water. She woke up as soon as she sensed movement near her. Stood, staring at Ikenna, and then turned to face the huge mansion looming just up the hill. Setubanda was awake, but few people dared to venture outside. The old flag of Nalai -- now the flag of the Royal Guard -- hung draped from the town center. Except for the areas around the contingent, Ari had cleaned the corpses from the road and piled them out of sight hours before. She leaned close, resting her forehead on Ikenna's chest. "I need your words." After a couple deep breaths, she pulled away and began to walk up the hill. Ari stopped at the mansion's imposing front door. Lifted a hand to the knocker shaped like a mantis' mandibles, hesitated, almost lowered it. Worked up the courage to knock. A Nalaian manservant in pressed formalwear answered the door. "L-Lady Bethari. We were not expecting you. Please come in." "A pleasure as always, Yuda." "You wish to speak to Lord Sukarno? Or your grandparents?" "I need a word with the hill-lord, please. It's urgent." The manservant instructed them to rest in the living room while he left to wake Sukarno. As Ari eased herself onto a garish-looking couch, a maid appeared and asked them what sorts of refreshments they would like. Ari politely refused both on her behalf and Ikenna's. She looked at her partner sidelong. "I grew up in a human slum in Balefire. Meanwhile, this building stood." Too late to warn Ikenna about anything, but it was always a good time to crack wise about her unfortunate lot in life. Like a temple, the mansion's main lounge was decorated on the walls with frescoes as intricate as the Painted Mantis' carapace. They depicted scenes from family history. Based on the images alone, Ari's bloodline was one of priests, shamans, and other politicians. A few prominent soldiers here and there. Wherever the Mantis was depicted, it was always in true form and always depicted with ropes or chains wrapped around its body. Old weapons, stuffed heads of monsters, and other trophies were positioned with the same care as a museum. And of course there was the expensive furnishings, from chandelier to rug. Pretty impressive considering the town of Setubanda wasn't particularly large or prosperous, or at least not more than the average Nalaian town. Yuda returned, but his rail-thin form was almost obscured by the portly man in front of him. Sukarno, Ari's uncle, had a family resemblance, but was thick in the neck and belly. Ari was shocked that he had gained so much weight since they last met in person. He wore a loosely-fitting robe and walked barefoot with a cocky sort of confidence. "Sukarno. You... shaved your head," Ari said, deadpan. Uncle Sukarno opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the pretty young thing trying to squeeze past all the people at the mouth of the hallway. He gave her a sleazy grin and waved as she left the mansion. Ari's expression darkened. She almost derailed the conversation to ask him how his wife was doing. He spoke up faster. "And you haven't changed at all, Ari! Not even from when I first met you-- washed up on our shores, soaked to the bone and half-dead!" She just began to realize that it was a passive-aggressive jab-- "Lovely as ever, I mean. What can I do for you? And who is this man?" Opting to sit instead of shake hands with Ikenna, Sukarno leaned back in his chair and sighed contentedly. The warrior waited for Ikenna to introduce or explain himself before getting down to business. "I need to know where your allegiances lie." The hill-lord tilted an eyebrow, one corner of his mouth pulling upward. "My allegiances, dear? I treat you like my very own daughter. And you are the Painted Mantis, the pride of this family. The-- the only incarnation in Nalai to incarnate along a single bloodline." It didn't actually answer her question. Ari shook her head, eliciting a questioning look from her uncle. "I will be patient with you, as you don't seem to leave your house often. Sukarno, last night I conquered this town under the old flag of Nalai." She watched every subtlety in his expression with piercing eyes. He let out a chuckle-like heh. "Great! Great job, Ari. You drove out Taumai. That must have been quite the battle. I'm very-- proud of you!" Glancing toward Ikenna, she raised a hand to the arakureb to keep him silent for a little bit longer. She'd need his words in just a moment. Her lips split into a tiny grin baring a sliver of teeth. "I happened to notice something, uncle. Your mansion is completely unmolested. You would think that this would be the first target of looters. Indeed, your town was under enemy occupation yet you seem to be enjoying life all the same." "What on Chaon are you trying to insinuate, Ari?" "I'm saying that I'm done with your side-talk. I'm claiming this estate for myself. If you do this peacefully, I will let you run into Taumai's arms." Ari's delivery of this bombshell of an order was as calm as a remark about the weather, the tone indicating a mere inevitability of life. Sukarno's eyes showed shock, but he was smiling -- baring his teeth, really -- and laughing boisterously, nervously. "Excuse me? Did you get the delusion you were a warlord, too?" His laughter intensified. "The Painted Mantis has never owned this estate. It belongs to the bloodline. Always has. And you're-- your own uncle, you're just, where would I even go? And your grandparents--" "The grandparents go, too." "What?! Your grandfather is ill, Bethari. This is utter insanity-- heartless, ruthless insanity--" He looked to Ikenna. "Talk some sense into her! Is she hysterical?" "I think he'd rather persuade you to walk away without bloodshed, uncle. Ikenna here has a way with words, and I would hate to resort to petty threats. Or to your family's rotten schemes in general." |
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| Ikenna | Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:25 pm Post #40 |
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"Sure thing, boss!" Larato and Sanaa said in unison, giving goofy little salutes as their silvery flames died away. "I will be there, Ari." Ikenna stated with a nod before Ari took her leave. A moment of silence passed. The prisoners exchanged worried glances, but finally one of the twins broke the awkward silence. "You did not kiss her before she left." Larato noted. "I know." Ikenna responded, lowering his head. "You are a terrible boyfriend." Sanaa added. "I will set you both on fire!" Ikenna spat, raising his head sharply. "It will not make you any less of a terrible boyfriend." Sanaa laughed. Ikenna tried arguing, but just sighed, lowered his head, and said, "I know." Dealing with the prisoners wouldn't be too dificult. Larato and Sanaa had managed to put out a few budding fires, one of which was in the home of a couple being accosted by some soldiers which did not survive the night. The couple decided they were leaving. At the time the twins had inquired about their home for the possibility of using it to camp out in the town. Instead, they could use it to keep all the prisoners in a nice perfectly flammable place, so that if they got too out of hand the sisters could simply lock the doors, light it up, and pay the couple for loss of home. It was perhaps one of the most ludicrous plans, but the Matandras made sure to leave with some things in their little purses that should be perfectly fine currency anywhere. Ikenna helped his cousins get the prisoners to the building, mainly just there to scare them into keeping pace. They ended up locking their enemies in a bedroom, wherein one of the twins would keep close eye over them, and the other went to bed. First shift was up to Larato, letting Sanaa and Ikenna sleep. A quick power nap to get things started, the cousins were masters at those, and they could wake Ike up and send him on his merry way to Ari's meeting place. Larato woke Ike up not too long after the morning sun rose into the sky, letting him get out the door before she went and woke her sister up. It was strange, the morning seemed so serene compared to the previous night. Maybe it was just the air of war, but with the threat of invasion in the short-term gone, the empty streets were at ease in the arakureb's eyes. He made his way up to the fountain she told him to go and was pleased to see her ther.e Before he even had a chance to speak his groggy post-nap words, she was up and facing him, then the huge mansion where some member of her family lived. She rested her head on his chest for a moment, and he wrapped his arms loosely around her before she began walking to the door of the large home on the hill. She was getting ready for something, that was about all Ike could say for certain. The door opened, Ari exchanged pleasantries with the servant, they were led into a pricey-looking living room, and Ikenna sat down on the couch beside her, his arm to drape around her, and his tail to coil on the floor like a coiled iron serpent. "My family has a room filled with treasures that could afford a house to each of our individual families in buildings much like this, yet most of us, even those who do not fight, choose to live in the Istan City slums knowing this when any could walk out with it and start their lives as nobles without much comment from the rest." Ike remarked in turn with a tired smile, sharing the absurdity of his own family's take on financial applications towards housing. He looked around the room with unease, "No need for the riches, mostly just trophies from adventures, props to help remember and tell the stories. Probably some of it is cursed. The heads remind me a little of the Adventurer's Hall in Istan City." A few moments of seeing the fat man who lived here, supposedly with Ari's grandparents, and Ikenna was reminded of why the Matandra family did not want to be a part of that life. He was fat, sloppy-looking, and sleazy by the smile he gave to what was surely but one of his mistresses. "Ikenna Abala'Mahala Matandra." The War Mage responded simply, elaborating no more on the matter, for once saying little to a person. Really, it was the disgusting vibe he got from the man, he didn't want to say too much of the wrong thing in front of Ari's family, at least not without following her lead first. "On the contrary, it is clear that she has put very careful consideration into this. I side with Ari for numerous reasons as she predicted I would." Ikenna sighed, finally speaking his piece. The big fight was over, this home was comfortable, he wanted to relax. Perhaps it would be more comfortable without the fat man of clearly warped sense of priority, but that was an obstacle he just wanted to be gone from his sight altogether. The fat uncle of Ari's reminded Ike too much of some Istani noblemen, "I suppose this is a series of unexpected events for you, not the least of which is the side you found yourself invested in losing. Badly. One should never bet against family in a fight with outsiders, and there could be no doubt that you knew exactly which side Ari fought for. You are exactly the reason my family's first reaction to a noble is disgust. You are fat, sloppy, and a terrible liar. "Now, the general rules I grew up learning about state that highest-ranking commanding officers during a war in border communities under their control, such as Setubanda by the Royal Guard, have full authority to claim large centralized structures, such as this one, to act as military command posts. Rarely, if ever, are they obligated to give the residents advance notice of temporary eviction, as well they could possibly lay permanent claim to the structure if it proves to have significant strategic value for conflicts past the end of the war, such as being on top of a hill. I highly doubt that Nalai is an exception to this rule, and as such if you do not like her claiming it as Bethari, she can always claim it as the highest-ranking officer of the present military forces of the Royal Guard, Painted Mantis or not. Of course, if it comes to that, you can very easily be subject to military investigation on grounds of treason during wartime, which in Istan City at least is punishable by public execution of you and all possible conspirators, typically fellow residents. Either way I suggest you take Ari's offer to allow you to flee, presumably under the assumption that you escaped during last night's conflict. "During war, more than any other time, prices for bribes grow immensely and require more frequent upkeep that can bankrupt corrupt souls who get so close to being caught, and investigations are usually streamlined and ruled by gut instinct with hasty and extreme punishment, especially at hint of possible traitors. By the way, I am a war mage, emphasis on war, it and military strategies were taught to me by mother, who is military. She would not bother with civilities, she would just beat the names of everybody you knew from your obese body." He paused for a moment, taking a breath, and would speak again before the lord could, "No threats, just facts, and you are definitely on the wrong side of the border, and the military, to attempt arguing it. If you survive this conflict, and Ari simply claims it for herself rather than the military, there is always a very slim possibility that she could show mercy and at the very least allow you some of your things, though I would advise against that." |
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| Ari | Fri Feb 27, 2015 2:12 pm Post #41 |
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Sukarno, at a loss for words, turned to look at Ari. His niece was sitting with one leg propped over her knee, arms spread over the backrest of his expensive couch, her whole body language large and in charge like she was a warlord herself, like she already owned this place. The barest hint of a smile tinged her face and without a single word told him, "Checkmate." Ikenna's words clinched the win. Sunk it hard. He stood. "You have betrayed your own family. Your own blood! After all we did for you. How many years had you been living without purpose? We took you in, gave you direction, helped you understand yourself better. And now you're doing this. You-- you are worse than Kirvo!" "Don't say such immature things." Ari turned her attention to the new voice. Her grandmother, a squat old woman, shuffled in. She wore her hair in a bun, shaman's robes, a praying mantis mask on top of her head, and all sorts of accessories made of bones, beads, claws and teeth. Ari allowed her to make her way to the center of the room. Instead of paying her any mind, she slapped Sukarno's cheek. "This is your fault for schmoozing with any force that rolls through here!" "It's good diplomacy, mother!" "It's cowardice." Ari was not amused by the exchange, nor the presence of her grandmother. "Cahya, I hereby forbid you, Setiawan, Sukarno, and any other blood relatives of mine from setting foot on this property without my express permission." Her grandmother turned to her as if seeing her there for the first time. "Well look at you, Bethari. You're coming out more like Kamon with each passing day." It probably wasn't meant as an insult, or at least an upfront one, but Ari took it that way. She was sick of being compared to her past lives, especially that narcissistic asshole Kamon. "Sukarno is coming with me to help care for your grandfather during his final days. All I ask is that you visit with him one last time before we leave. He has been asking me for weeks to find you so he might talk to you alone." "I accept. Sukarno, Cahya, leave now. I will not spare you a chance to gather any of your things. Your servants will help Setiawan out when I'm done." Ari looked to Ikenna. "Please go get Sanaa and Larato. Have them bring the prisoners here. We'll begin making use of this mansion immediately." No lanterns were lit and the curtains were drawn over the windows, leaving a dark, stuffy room. Ari's grandfather Setiawan stirred in his bed. He had been ill for months, but she had never seen such a proud and serious man this emaciated. A skeleton, really. Barely there. "Bethari." "Grandfather, I've taken control of Setubanda. I've claimed this estate for myself and cast away my family." She sat on the stool next to his bed, looking down at him. "I see." His authoritative voice was weak. "You needn't tell me why. I already know. This bloodline is rotten at the core. It's been that way for generations. We tried to make things better. Exiled your father, guided your path, perhaps too much... Cahya and I killed you. Killed Kirvo, twenty years ago." "I know," Ari said softly. Setiawan took a moment to take a couple deep, rasping breaths. "You do not know why we waited until that time to do it. By timing it properly, we thought we could control which family in the bloodline had the Painted Mantis next. We were wrong." Ari opened her mouth to speak, shocked, but he cut her off. "I am sick of carrying the secrets and burdens of a bloodline that no longer does good, and perhaps can no longer do good. Cahya doesn't agree with me. She's very concerned about your growth as the Painted Mantis. This won't be the last you see of her." He took her hand in both of his own. "You are trapped without knowing. After centuries, you can still break free." Setiawan pulled his necklace off. Hanging on the string was a key. He offered it. Ari took it from him and placed it around her own neck. "I don't understand." All she could feel was the crushing weight of the situation, like the cogs of history were literal and they were groaning forward, pushing change across the revolving machine that was Nalaian history. "I'm putting an end to your imprisonment, Painted Mantis." "I-- thank you, but what is this key for? How am I imprisoned? Are you talking about my debt to the Lord of the Sky?" "No. You're trapped in this bloodline. The ancient magic is blocking part of your memory and forcing you to manifest along a single bloodline of priests and incarnomancers who can watch you, guide you, corrupt you. Go to the iron door in the depths of this estate. Use the key. I wish I could help you more, but that is all that knowledge that was passed down to me." It all made sense. They had told her years ago that the Painted Mantis, a freedom-loving being, simply loved that bloodline so much it chose to incarnate along it. I really am nothing but a tool for others to manipulate. "You're changing history by doing this, Setiawan. I will ensure history remembers you fondly." "History is already changing. Nalai is changing, the world is changing. And I fear the worst. This is all I can do to make things a little bit better, and it is not enough for me to deserve to be remembered fondly." He shook his head. "Bethari, I have one last request. Kill me. I am old, tired, and have been in constant pain for months. The world is changing too quickly for me to catch up, and there is no recovery from this illness. Perhaps the Lord of the Sky is finally getting back at me for all I've done." "You don't wish to say any final words to your wife or son?" "I already have, whether they realize it or not. I suspect Cahya knows." "Alright. I will put you out of your suffering. Thank you, grandfather. If this key leads to my freedom, you will have redeemed yourself in my eyes. The Painted Mantis' eyes." "Then I can die without regrets." He smiled. Ari came in quicker than the blink of an eye. Flanked by all the cookstaff and maids, the manservant Yuda left the Painted Mantis Bloodline estate with the corpse of Ari's grandfather, wrapped in a white sheet, draped in his arms. Ari looked on from the front lawn. She could hear her family's sobs even from this distance. Tensed up, she turned to enter the estate. Her estate, now. By expelling the old hill-lord of Setubanda and taking his property for herself, she had effectively claimed his position until she could find a suitable replacement. This was an unprecedented moment in her memory: the Painted Mantis holding a position of leadership that included civilians. Nothing about this cycle of history is the same as the ones before, she consoled herself. In her search for the iron door Ari found a small dungeon in the bowels of the mansion, which she used to lock up the Taumai prisoners and free the twins to truly rest. The rooms once held by her family were still left as they were, but there were plenty of other bedrooms for her allies to make use of. In the back, the bloodline had built baths around a natural hotspring which Ari encouraged them to use. They deserved to recuperate in comfort. Ari let Ikenna pick a room for the two of them. She told him she didn't mind how big or small it was. After meeting with a messenger from the Royal Guard to inform Melati of the situation, Ari went to find her partner and greeted him tiredly. "A lot happened that I didn't have time to explain. Sorry if you were confused. I can answer any questions you might have." ...
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| Ikenna | Fri Feb 27, 2015 10:02 pm Post #42 |
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It seemed as though Ikenna struck a chord with the fat man. Perhaps he should consider some actual Diplomatic training to accompany his wordy nature, a bit against the unspoken rules of the Matandra family to solve problems by means other than violence, (which sometimes included even simple puzzle boxes, or expected deliveries not showing up on time,) but it could possibly be used in combat against foes. He could take taunts to whole new level, really force his enemies to grow sloppy in order to secure himself combative victory through simply keeping a level head. Before Ari or Ike had a chance to respond to the helplessly flailing tongue-lashing Sukarno blindly fired their way, the voice of an older woman brought an end to his infuriated rambling of half-baked attempts to guilt Ari into action that would be beneficial to him. The old woman reminded Ikenna of stories about a strange man wandering the Istan Desert, a mask and so many accessories that seemed to be made from bone. This woman had a respectable air about her, a clear and properly directed anger voiced more at her the lord, her son, rather than Ari. The exchange between the women was far more civilized, understanding of the situation at hand. When Ari gave Ike the order to retrieve his cousins and the prisoners, he did so without question. There was no doubt in his mind that if anything were to try and happen to her at this point, she would be more or less fine, and they would have little or no trouble from the forces of Taumai. That army would need to carefully reevaluate the addition of a new set of rumors plaguing the battlefield. In war, rumors were powerful. Before returning to his cousins, Ikenna's mind strayed off to the night before. Of all the enemy soldiers he had come across before Ari found him, there was only one to be taken prisoner by a couple that was to be captured for Gods-only-know what reason. The residents of that household had taken their surviving captor prisoner, holding him at sword-point and assuring the arakureb that they would be more or less fine. Now was the perfect time to see if such a claim was true. In the daylight Setubanda looked different. The burning houses had been extinguished, hopefully their residents evacuated through some means or another before they could be engulfed. People were beginning to leave their homes more, sensing it was safe for the time being. Ikenna heard words that some people were missing, but others that they expected more damages. He knew there were probably soldiers hiding here and there, holed up in emptied buildings. There was supposed to be an invasion of the town, but they were alone. Some of their fellow soldiers were not meeting up with them, and things seemed far too peaceful for wartime. Perhaps some of these stragglers had even taken to civilian clothes to to try and hide among the population, that the Matandra could not know, but so long as they were not causing trouble they could wait to be sniffed out until after the change in town leadership was finished. Perhaps if they defected, they could be utilized as informants of enemy numbers, placement, and strategies. Then again, so could the current prisoners. Ikenna managed to find his way to the home, found his horse tied with a rope off to the side near some grass for it to tear up with its teeth. "There you are." He laughed as he petted the large creature's side, "I suppose a war horse is too well-trained to actually run away from simple battle. Apologies for doubting you or your professionalism." The horse responded with a snort and resumed eating. Perhaps it was smart enough to understand his words and their sincerity, but Ikenna did not speak horse. The war mage knocked on the door of the house and was shortly greeted by the face of the woman peering cautiously through the crack. "Good to see you managed to put out the flame." Ike greeted the woman with a wave, and the door went flying open to invite him in. The woman's expression changed in an instant from caution to joy. Still there was the language barrier, rather unfortunate but easily worked around. A few pantomimed messages, pleasantries exchanged, and soon Ikenna returned on horseback to the home that the twins had been using with the prisoner being pulled along like a dog on a leash without commentary. A little bit it was like parading the prisoner through the streets, but did not quite compare to the sight of all the prisoners from the previous night being escorted to the house on the hill. Ike rode at the front of the pack of criminals, the sisters at the back, all in a nice horseback triangular formation. In the middle were the enemy soldiers who had surrendered, their hands unbound which had been carefully explained to them as an invitation to try escaping or fighting back. None wished to test the Matandras' brutality, and simply took the humiliation of their capture before the villagers. Compared to the single-room prison before, the Taumai soldiers took their new accommodations well. At least now they had a bit of privacy from one another, no constant threat of being killed by one of those dangerous women that looked the same save for their armor, and could finally lay down on something softer than floor. Most of the prisoners were unconscious moments after being shuffled into their cells, but some found themselves unable to find such easy rest in hands of the enemy. Big, empty, no stars, no wind, no noise. Was there truly life in this place, or just memories? Ikenna had only slept where there could always be faint noises heard, whether it was the distant sound of slum inhabitants through the magic barrier of the Matandra Complex, his family getting drunk and fighting only rooms away, or the comforting night sounds of the wild out in the weather, there had been clear signs of life. This building, big and empty, seemed more like it was meant to imitate life. When outside of the presence of Ari, he felt uncomfortable within its walls. Even the smallest, most comfortable room he could find was bigger than his room at the Matandra residence, and with a comfortable big bed, all lavishly decorated to show signs of wealth and power, to remind guests where they were and whose home they were staying in. Was there no part of nobility that sought simplicity over manipulation? Well, perhaps if Ari saw fit to call herself Lady. Well, at least Larato and Sanaa were enjoying themselves. Unlike Ike they saw no reason to cleanse themselves with fire, and took to the comforting waters of the hot spring as if they were born to it. Ikenna could only be convinced to use the water to bathe by Ari, otherwise he would take to running arcane fire over every portion of his naked form, including his tail, its first true exposure to his magic. His fire worked well, comforting him, warming the exterior of his flesh and burning away that which was not himself. To see Ari after her meeting with the messenger made the war mage lifted the discomfort from his mind in an instant. She seemed tired, as was he, and surely as even the masterful nappers, his cousins, were. "Family matters and troubles, I assume. I believe I can extrapolate most things if I spend the time speaking of it, but if there is anything of most of these matters you feel I should know, that you wish for me to hear from you, I will listen to your every word." Ikenna said simply, wrapping Ari in his arms, bringing her close, "Look at you and I, though. Only moments of rest so far, a series of grand events, and still knowledge of yet more to come. All very heavy, all very tiring. Perhaps what we need most for now is true rest. Can we speak of such important matters after we awaken? After we have the energy to take on the world once again?" OOC
Edited by Ikenna, Mon Mar 2, 2015 2:58 pm.
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| Ari | Sat Mar 7, 2015 3:22 am Post #43 |
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Ari was in agreement, for sure. She was exhausted and needed at least a few hours of sleep, and -- if life permitted -- some hours to simply rest as well. She practically crashed into slumber, taking only minutes to fall asleep on her stomach hugging the pillow next to Ikenna. Pounding rain. Pieces of Istani ships tossed by dark waves. Bloated corpses suspended in floodwater. Roads turning to rivers, stairs into waterfalls. Lightning cracks. All three Kings are angry. I kick in the door. The healer curses me. I set down the body. It's still wearing armor. "Bring her back," I say. "I'll pay you anything." "She has been gone too long. Even if I called her, she would not return to you." "No." I shake my head. "Bring her back!" "I told you, Kamon, it is impossible!" The Painted Mantis snapped awake. It was still dark in the room. She scooted closer to Ikenna and squeezed him tight, burying her face in his chest. Eventually she fell asleep again, and this time was spared from any particularly visceral memories in her dreams. In the morning, she bathed alone. Ari emerged into the main room of the mansion wearing her usual clothing: a simple dark-green robe with sandals. She pulled a fold-out stool from the supply closet, pushed aside the fancy couch and parked it at the head of the room, then opened the door to let the villagers gathering outside enter. They were here for all kinds of reasons, but first she had to explain to them what happened, and to some extent who she was. She sat straight-backed on her simple little wooden stool while the villagers sat on the surrounding furniture. When asked about what she was going to do, Ari responded simply: "I am not spun from the same cloth as politicians, diplomats, or even warlords. Those people might talk your ear off about what brilliant things they plan to do. I will not waste your time and mine with such niceties. That time is better spent doing. I invite the people of Setubanda to watch. If you find yourself supporting my actions, you can step forward to help me. I'll need militia, spies, messengers. Maybe a cook, as well. Spread the word." During a lull in all the villager audiences, Ari sat with Ikenna. "Royal Guard soldiers are on their way. Plenty for them to do once they arrive, and that will free up some of my time as well. You asked me if I had any important information for you?" She had already thought about it, but paused to collect her thoughts together. "Who I was in past lives shouldn't matter, but you'll often find people making comparisons. Especially older folks who were alive when my previous life, Kirvo, was terrorizing Nalai 25 years ago. Kirvo was a sophisticated murderer who organized elaborate human hunts. He was a sadist and a cannibal. My grandparents killed him. Another past life you'll hear mentioned a lot is Kamon. The most famous Painted Mantis lifetime, lived about 150 years ago. War hero, good with the public -- narcissist, womanizer, general asshole in private. Other than the matter of past lives..." She reached into her robe and pulled out the key hanging from a string around her neck. "My grandfather left me a parting gift. Goes to a door in the basement. Could be very important. Not a good time to explain further." She glanced past Ikenna and saw no villagers waiting to have an audience with her. Seemed like all their questions and concerns had been rectified by now. "A commanding officer from the Royal Guard will be here soon to take over a lot of duties that are tying me down right now. Then we need to think about what our next move will be. I... wonder if we could get an audience with General Taumai herself. Try to figure out more about-- everything, really." |
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| Ikenna | Sat Mar 7, 2015 9:40 am Post #44 |
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Ikenna took a while longer to fall asleep, allotting a short amount of time to just admire the peacefulness Ari found in those early moments of her own rest, then the rest of his time before slumber dreading the dream he knew was coming. It was the same dream he had every night since he got the tail, and the worst part was that he was beginning to grow used to the images and sounds he experienced within it. How he had avoided the dream in his nap with Ari, he had no idea, but he was so thankful for it. Part of what his grandmother had been searching for in the library, perhaps he should have requested the books with the old arakurebian legends to take for the few down moments he would have on this trip, that for whatever reason would not be able to be spent with Ari. The dream came as it always did once he shut his eyes. Everything was red, orange, yellow, and white to varying shades. Ike found himself standing on the edge of a volcano, his vision darting between shadowy figures on the rim as the lava below violently splashed within its stone enclosure, trying to reach the figures but constantly falling short. Eventually his eyes settled on the figure directly to his left, black against the colors of everything else, but glowing a bright white. This one was the first to step forward and fall silently into the volcano, then to his left another stepped and fell, the another, and another. One by one the shadows fell into the lava, no screams, no flailing, no concern for their own well-being. It went like this until it was Ikenna's turn, until he was the last one to take that final step. There was no deep breath, there was no hesitation, he simple stepped forward, and didn't fall. Something black and solid, obsidian he always told himself once he awakened, rose from the volcano to hold him up. Ikenna continued walking forward, and at the center of the hellish mouth black stone swirled. Eventually the arakureb reached the middle, and the flying stones converged into a large circle before him, within it pure white flame dancing, as large and wide as he was tall. Slowly he reached forward, and the flames reached back to him. When his fingers touched the flames, it burned. The fire in the black enclosure reached out, ran up his arm and quickly engulfed his body, burning every part of his being. Ike awoke with a sharp breath and jumped to sitting on the edge of the bed. He examined his body, but found no burns, just that lingering sensation that he had been. Within a moment his orange eyes shot behind him, looking for Ari, worrying that he woke her, but it seemed she had been awake and gone before he could possibly startle her. Godsend of a gift, he thought, but no time to waste on a nightmare that persisted. A full day and a war awaited, there was no time to linger on strange dreams, simpler and quicker to wake up and get started about the day. Ikenna geared back up, armoring his tail still a definite oddity to his normal routine, and made his way to the only room he knew the location of, the main one where Ari had informed her sleazy uncle of his, and the grandparents', eviction. The arakureb arrived in time to see Ari address the villagers she had let in, her speech being short and sweet, to the point. It brought a smile to Ike's face. He sat with her and listened to her words when they got a chance. Kamon he noted had already been mentioned by Ari's grandmother. By her description Ike now understood that she may not have taken the comparison all too well, such people, even in their grandest and most heroic moments, could still be rather grating personalities when taken away from action, though he couldn't help but note comparisons to how one might describe Adamor, particularly before he found life as a family man. Abyss, there was no telling what Adamor and Sethunya were doing with their children away. What really had Ike's interest though was Ari speaking of the key her grandfather had left her. A mystery now kept around her neck, something to investigate later, but Ari was perhaps right about now not being the best of times to discuss whatever secrets may be lurking beneath the estate. "After what happened last night, General Taumai would be the sort of character to seek audience with her enemies?" Ike questioned, "I know it is not unheard of in times of war for neutral ground to be chosen for a meeting between leaders of opposing forces." Ikenna shook his head, that was something to worry about later, if and when they had knowledge of any possible meetings with their opposition, "For now I suggest delegating some of your duties to the twins and I until the commanding officer shows up, if we can help. So far all we have to do is keep the prisoners in check, and they have yet to do much other than complain about their growing hunger. Once everything is settled and we have a chance to plan for the future, that is perhaps when it would be best to further investigate this estate for its secrets. I doubt a reliable commanding officer would take over without a debriefing to make sure of everything to expect. Though thinking on it I suppose you have already thought of that." Ike paused with a sigh, not entirely sure what to do but after a moment he raised a finger, nearly forgetting something important, "On a far lighter and ordinary note: A good morning to you, Ari. Did you sleep well last night?" Ike gave a light chuckle and a smile to follow his words to ease any tension of the morning. Things were already so serious during a war, if pleasure couldn't be found in the moments in-between fighting and planning, one could very easily go mad from stress. If it improved Ari's mood to take even such a slight light-hearted approach to the situation, Ikenna would take the opportunity to kiss her. Edited by Ikenna, Sun Mar 15, 2015 2:11 am.
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| Ari | Sun Mar 15, 2015 7:34 pm Post #45 |
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Ari's eyes softened and she made a tiny smile. "Good morning to you, too." The kiss helped calm her down, brought a little bit of familiarity back to this chaotic and unfamiliar situation. "I slept passably. And you?" After the exchange of much-needed small talk, the incarnation paused to consider Ikenna's suggestions. Deal with the town first, then the basement, then Taumai. Seemed fair. "I'll handle villager audiences and deal with the Royal Guard when they arrive. As long as the prisoners or citizens aren't rioting, we should be able to hold out. Simple." Eventually she moved audiences to the courtyard of the estate, since being inside for so many hours was stifling. The sun was just past overhead when Ari spotted the first banners of the Royal Guard coming down the hill on the back side. Melati had sent a column of about a thousand, Ari reckoned, to secure and occupy Setubanda. That probably counted irregulars like engineers, diplomats, and agents who would stabilize other aspects of the district. Ari's gaze tilted up to the sky just over the marching column. Narrowed her eyes on a wispy cloud that was alone in an otherwise clear sky. Her gut sank. The cloud dissipated as soon as she noticed it. The thousand troops dispersed purposefully through Setubanda, but a particular unit stopped just at the foot of the hill leading to Ari's estate. She stood, hands clasped behind her straight back. "Brilliant work, Ari!" The voice belonged to the man walking up the hill. He wore a half-cloak embroidered with the colors of the Old Nalai flag, but his armor was made of metal plates like a mainlander. On the top of his helmet was a crest decorated with alternating blue and white stripes. Upon reaching where Ari was standing, he fell to a kneel and pressed one fist to the ground. "Or should I say Hill-Lord Ari?" "Melati must hate me if she made you the commander of this force," Ari said, turning. "We're going inside, Cloud Tiger." "I've been King before," Haroun said, a little miffed. "Few incarnations can say that." "Ikenna, Haroun. Haroun, Ikenna. You've met before," Ari said upon entering the building, strolling past her partner with a tired look on her face. She took a seat on her simple foldable stool while Haroun and his captains sat themselves on the expensive furniture all around. With Ikenna's help, Ari explained the state of affairs to them. She described what their strategy had been, why Taumai wasn't attacking them now, and how she had expelled her relatives from the Painted Mantis Bloodline estate. She also mentioned that they had taken several prisoners and needed those transported somewhere more secure and interrogated by a professional. "I'm impressed, Ari. You've done a great job with this operation." His comment elicited a reserved nod from her. She didn't need his approval. "I'll get the prisoners and devastation handled immediately. I also brought some engineers to fortify Setubanda while Melati sends out more men. If we can get a foothold here... sheesh, we could actually stand a chance. Maybe even take control over all of Aketal'a, someday." "I'm not giving you my position," Ari said seemingly out of the blue. "I'll be remaining a hill-lord for now. I can still fight in the war. I'll delegate to people I trust." Haroun looked at her a bit surprised at first, but made his best attempt at a kind smile. "That's fine." "Yes, it is fine." Ari eyed him carefully. The silence was palpable for a few seconds. |
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7:31 PM Jul 11

