Death to Agasaria!

Calanthe nodded once and wrapped her arms around the children in front of her as she took the reins. They were each about two or three years old, with eyes wide as they looked all around the new city. Obviously they had not traveled much, but that would all be changing soon. She nudged the horse to follow after Lord Rokku, gesturing for the other women and children and the one odd man to follow after them. The dirt man - Yorik? Was that his name? - came along as well. She looked back forward and mused about the way things were going. Apparently Musari had no idea what was going on, which was odd. They were usually kept aware of such things.


"Lord Rokku, if I may.. I suggest caution rather than rash actions at this point. If Musari has no idea, there has to be a reason for it, and the reason may be.. unsafe," she said quietly, her voice pitched for his ears alone as her mind wandered over the possibilities.
 
Musari, inner wall.jpg
​
The guards had turned visibly pale with the news, though muttered in quiet disbelief. They could not comprehend the possibility that Tarvanna had obtained such a substantial and deadly lead upon the Agasarian Empire, but the truth was, it wasn't that difficult in Agasaria's weakened state. Tarvanna's spy network had always been the best, and now that Agasaria had none at all, it was easy to spin circle's around it and its new government. "I don't care about the reason Musari it unprepared, all I care about is getting it prepared. If Tarvanna is already launching attacks against major cities, God alone knows how much of the south belongs to them at this point." I said, coming to the
gate of the Inner-most wall of Musari. It was made of granite, tall and strong, even though it was the oldest of the gates, it had many times been restored. The iron gates swung open at my approach, and guard yelled my coming across the walls. I made a headlong walking charge to the Imperial palace, ready to tear into Kilvan for whatever pathetic excuse he would have for not being ready for this attack.



​
 
Yorik followed close behind Rokku and the others. As they walked along, Yorik began to take in the sights of the city of Musari. The buildings were finely structured, and looked rather new, as if they were recently built. The stores and stalls were booming with business as the group and himself passed by. Yorik was fascinated to see such life and happiness coursing through the city. He'd never seen so many people...Alive... In one place before, he was used to seeing shells of the lifeless. Yorik was cursed with placing the bodies to their final resting spots...He stopped walked for moment and placed one of his hands on his head, tightly shutting his eyes as he had flashbacks of the town he grew up in with all the people there before..How one day they lived..The next they died..And what did the people say to thank him?..Nothing.

Shaking his head..Yorik saw that he had distanced himself from the group and sprinted so he was just a few meters behind them. However, he wasn't safe..In his mind the flashbacks grew deeper and lapped around his mind. What he should've done..Could've done..Will do if he ever gets th-..Yorik took hold of his shovel and lightly tapped the blade of it on his head hoping it would take his mind off all the bad thoughts and desires.

He regained himself slowly, but was he alright?...Silence..Nothing was what he thought about. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he had to play catch up again. But, would this be the last time Yorik gets these...Flashbacks?
 
Rogdush was following the group, staying rather close. He was still in awe from the sizes and how rich this place seemed. He'd never been in the city he had been slaving close to, though he had at times tried studying it from afar, whenever the slave-drivers weren't watching. Yet this one was different in some way. He just wasn't sure in what way. He also felt rather out of place in the town. Even on the slave fields he had at least been among others of his kind. Here he did not see any green skin, but his own. The orc's thoughts were sad ones, until they approached a gate, and he was once more surprised of the sheer size of it.
 
I came to a palace that was bustling with activity. I looked to see servants and soldiers scurrying this way and that, everything appeared to be in chaos. I waved everyone behind me in, and headed straight to the Senate Chamber, which I could hear an uproar from all the way at the front gates. It appeared they were indeed aware, one way or another. The two guards before the door stepped aside, the fear evident behind their black enameled armor. They oped the great door, and the room fell silent as I and my odd group entered the chamber.

It was a tall room, over Four stories high, with row upon row of seats meant for each member of the Agasarian senate, 3000 in total, to sit comfortably with their aids and a few guards. In the center was a raised dais, where Kilvan Ateri, the Emperor of Agasaria, sat before a desk, a gavel in his hand. He held no true authority here, but he did play the role of chairman, and would vote in the instance of a tie. He was dressed in several layers of ornate purple and green robes, with tassels training to his feet of an embroidered gold color. The Sante wore purple sashes over white robes, and were any number of races, and many men and women. A man seated with the Senate, but on a silver throne directly opposite the emperor, rose and turned to my group. He had shoulder length, snow white hair, and wore a long cloak that trailed the ground behind him as he walked forward a bit. "Lord Hizori, this is no place to bring civilians at this time! You know as well as anyone else that Senate meetings are private affairs!" He snapped, glaring at me with annoyed contempt. I stepped forward, and, quite bluntly, said "These men and woman, your Grace, are not civilians, but refugees. They are the result of the current administration's idiocy in ignoring my warning letter! What profound error had to occur to prevent you from taking the defense of Arimasnu into consideration?! It belongs to Ontario now, and its people soon to be slaves to their oppressive regime! I demand to know the answers, as do all the now fatherless sons and daughters that live in Arimasnu! How could you have abandoned an entire city?!" I demanded, and inwardly smirked as the Senator was taken aback. Kilvan rose to this, and turned to stare at me with his violet eyes. "Lord Hizori, the underhanded scheme of Tarvanna only came to our attention two days ago, when refugees started pouring into Musari from the South! Whatever message you sent to us was intercepted and never delivered! Therefore, I suggest you take that into consideration before you begin pointing fingers at anyone!" I held my tongue now, more out of shock than anything else, that Tarvanna had managed to intercept a message sent by Imperial Messenger Birds.
 
There was no escape.

Even as Jartis heard the command to fire, he knew all was lost. The diplomat fell first in a hail of arrows. Jartis pulled his hammer from his back, uttered a dwarven battle cry, and leapt towards the Tarvannan soldiers. His body on fire, pierced with a dozen arrows, he fought on, hammer slaying soldier after soldier until death misted over his eyes and he fell.

"Forgive me Mother. May the Republic succeed where I have failed..."
 
Yorik followed Rokku into the Senate chamber. The size of this room was..HUGE! Yorik had never seen so many seats in one room.Though when Rokku and the members of the senate began to exchange words, Yorik felt lost. He tilted his head and scratched it, just trying to figure out what to say or what to do. A heavy sigh escape as he lightly tapped the shovel on the floor looking for any weak floor tiles that he could lift up and dig under.
 
I remained silent as Kilvan turned back to the Senator. "There is no reason for us to turn upon each other. Political thoughts and grudges are going to be the death of us in such a situation. This occurrence requires calm cooperation, nothing more, nothing less. What's done is done. It does us no good to look back and blame, Tarvanna will still come to batter down our walls. I for one do not want to be arguing when he makes his way through." Kilvan's speech was swift, calm, but also stern. He had developed into quite the leader, and had the levelheadedness required to keep the Senate in line and useful. Averion nodded solemnly, and rose once more, with a nod from Kilvan to permit him to speak. "His Highness is correct. Forgive my outburst, Lord Rokku, but with such a critical moment, we must be cautious with who we do or do not allow into a war council." I nodded at the Senator's words, but knew he was simply trying to remain in Kilvan's good graces. He could be removed if Kilvan and the Supreme Judge agreed, and everyone knew he and the Judge bumped heads on multiple occasions. I opened my mouth to move things along, but was silent as several guards, Red Lions, imperial guards, surrounding the Emperor, swords drawn. I turned to the door, as a page nervously announced "Pr-presenting, his m-majesty, Hrothulf Ontario IV!"
 
"Thank me! Thank me! I'm here and accounted for!"

Hrothulf comes walking through the chamber doors surrounded by his most loyal of body guards; or so they think. Who they actually are doesn't matter, they looked scary and menacing. Hrothulf grinned at the sight of the group and the members of the senate. He doesn't even bother to stop to acknowledge Rokku or the rest of them, but goes right up to Kilvan and twiddles his fingers.

"Would you look at this, young Ateri?...It would seem that Musari is getting ransacked by my men here! Aren't they so much more better trained and looking than your own?"
A hearty laugh escaped the wealthy King, coughing quickly and regaining his focus.

"You see..I've come here to inform you that one of your precious Airships is missing! I know! What a tragedy! But don't you worry.."
Hrothulf points out the window to the stolen Agasarian airship, when squinting, there are men and women waving for help.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you that I'm borrowing some of your magic peoples..Otherwise the airship would be powerless..But you already knew that."

Pacing around the room, Hrothulf lays his eyes on each of the members of Rokku's group scoffing at each before placing his right hand over his chest.

"I'm giving Agasaria the choice...Surrender or be crushed by the Tarvannan empire..Or else my apprentice will show you no mercy."
 
It took all my willpower not to lash out and attack the man right then and there, but somehow, I managed to keep myself from summoning my weapon. The king of Tarvanna was known for employing underhanded methods, but sailing to the palace, behind seven walls, in an Agasarian airship was unexpected, and likely took a great deal of tact and planning on the part of the Tarvannans. Fortunately, the Red Lions had acted accordingly and had already surrounded the emperor, and the soldiers in the city were on alert, making Hrothulf's threat rather pointless. The Emperor knew this, and so rose from his throne, a look of rage settled upon his otherwise cheerful features. "I would sooner impale myself on a spear than surrender to an honor-less traitor such as yourself. Guards! To arms! Make it so that the Tarvannan cur does not leave this palace alive!" Kilvan called, thrusting a finger in Hrothulf's direction. The Ten Red Lions surrounding him drew their blades, and charged at Hrothulf and his guard.
 
Calanthe cocked an eyebrow a fraction of an inch as Kilvan snapped back at Rokku. Interesting. Tension always made tempers rise, but this.. The outright hostility made the children around her shift uncomfortably. It wasn't their fault that a message hadn't been delivered, why were they listening to this? She couldn't very well dismiss them to a land that they were not familiar with. For now they had to bear the odd scene and just try to ignore it. She already was - it wasn't difficult when one had little care in current politics or being polite just because a person fancied themselves to be in a position of power.


"Don't," she said quietly, turning to flick her gaze at the dirt man, who was tapping the tiles as if thinking about digging up the floor. That would be most.. unwise. She was going to say something else when the doors burst open and she found herself watching a procession ended by none other than the cause of all of this drama. In silence, she listened as he bragged about stealing an airship and kidnapping the people aboard. Damned fool. It would be nice to watch him die later. She smiled at the thought and ushered the younglings behind her, her hand on the hilt of her blade as she continued to observe.
 
I looked out the window Hrothulf indicated, and saw the airship, the largest one in the Southern fleet, with an arsenal capable of wiping out a small town, and certainly of devastating Musari before the messages would be delivered that the ship was an enemy, and the hostages would be killed either way. So many thoughts rushed through my mind, trying to find a solution to the volatile situation. Averion, the Senator, was glaring at Hrohtulf with a look that could set him aflame, but Kilvan remained calm and his face was stone. The guards surrounded him still, forming a small phalanx like formation in the direction of Hrothulf's soldiers. Their armor held the eye of Ontario on the breast, a red eye surrounded by fire, an intimidating emblem meant to say the royal family sees all, and derived from dark pagan symbolism. Kilvan suddenly rose, and the Red Lions charged, their spears lowered, shields raised, and their armor singing as they ran to clash with Hrothulf's guard.
 
"Ah..Such a stubborn fool you are Kilvan, just sending your men so thirsty for blood at me."

Hrothulf snapped his fingers, signalling his body guards to form a defensive line with their shields held tightly next to each others, with their spears pointing outwards, ready to impale any of the incoming Red Lions. Hrothulf could taste victory even though the battle was not even really beginning yet. He waited for this moment so long, and knew why exactly he never got it right the first time. Of course..Yes, he needed to destroy them from the inside out. Hrothulf looked out towards the nearby hovering airship, it was almost time to leave Musari, but not without a heavy impact of course. He held his arms out in a 'praise-me' sort of way and laughed maniacally.

"Oh my..The fun we're going to have then, Agasarian rubbish! It'll be so much fun reclaiming this waste of land and resources! More gold to expand on my palace, and of course more people to praise me for the glory and savior that I am! AH! BLESS ME! BLESS ME FOR EXISTING!"

His eyes turned over to Rokku, shifting into more of a glare of vengeance.

"As for you, Head Diplomat..I have not forgotten what a thorn you have been in my side for so long! You and that blasted Turobian foiled my works before..But not this time..I have something that you'll never see coming...APPRENTICE! IT IS TIME!"


Yorik was watching everything unfold, too much was going on, but his attention was fully on Hrothulf Ontario. The man of pure greed and selfishness. He knew a man like that once from his time, he was buried without any name other than 'Bastard' and not one person came to give their final respects to him, because all of it had died along with his honor and pride. When Yorik heard Hrothulf yell out 'APPRENTICE!' He sighed and slowly walked towards the middle of the room. Eyes bouncing from each person to the next that he's traveled here with so far, they were never going to forgive him for this..For any of what he was about to do.

"Hrothulf, is going to give me what I desire most...Re...REDEMPTION!"

Yorik's eyes beamed bright red as he held his shovel over his head. Dark energies began swirling around him, and siphoning into his shovel. The ground was vibrating and in a matter of moments, the floor began to burst, crack, and break open. Out of the ground came more of his undead minions, which he summoned when they first arrived to Musari, along with one rather large ugly creature that resembled an ogre with rotting flesh and visible bones. Yorik felt such anger for doing this...Doing this to a person who he was beginning to feel comfortable around. Out of frustration he slammed his shovel on the ground, causing spirits to fly around the senate chamber.
 
Issac was appalled at what he had seen. Hrothulf was very smart indeed. Issac was part of holding the defensive line that held back the Red Lions. Issac was not used to the heavy armor or mask that covered his face but it was required to maintain his cover. He hated Hrothulf, but he disguised himself as one of his "trusted" body guards to get close to him. Unfortunately, the cover wouldn't matter right now since all hell was breaking loose in the senate room. An ogre of undead beings formed in the center created by that dwarf. Issac decided that this was a good a time as any to break cover and the defensive line to get out of this cumbersome armor.

he broke out of the line and took the couple seconds of confusion from the other body guards to quickly get out of the steel armor and showed his true self, although he still had a cloth mask covering his face. His snow white hair was the only thing other than his crimson eyes that can be seen when his helmet was taken off. His cape unfolded and daggers that were concealed in his shirt pocket were pulled out. One of the two daggers were gold with a snake design on the blade while the other was black with a dragon design on the blade. Issac looked at everyone around the room, but more focused on Hrothulf. "Hrothulf! You will not leave here alive. This day will mark your reckoning and death. You have kept the kingdom of Tarvanna under your tyranny not letting the people think for themselves. You have been consumed by greed and selfishness and I can't stand it no longer. Your time has come to an end!"

He was said this with a fiery passion. He hated Hrothulf with all of his heart. What he said would probably never come true, he probably wouldn't die but he wanted him to so badly. He would do his best however, to kill Hrothulf.
 
Kilvan's eyes were cool, calculating, the exact features needed for an emperor in such a time of crisis. I turned to look at him with a pleading face, and I knew we both shared the same thought: there would be no time to get the rest of the Red Lions into the Senate chamber. the ones there already were smart enough to slow and move in between the spears to begin engaging Hrothulf's guard in close sword -fighting, but they were one thing, the betrayal of the shovel-man and now fighting minions of the Wretched One something completely different. I thought quickly, and then surged into battle. I ripped the cross from my neck and hurled it at one of the undead, and heard it scream a wretched sound that seemed to cleave through armor. I Called out to Yari, My weapon, the Dimension Cutter, and it materialized in my hand as an Emerald green metal. This was a gift from Amur, and it was all I had fought with since the Rebellion. It had served me against Sikiro, and it would serve me against Hrothulf.

I charged at the Tarvannan king, pointing Yari at the ground, it extended with the force of a bullet, giving me the extra force I needed to leap over the skirmish between the Red Lions and Hrothulf's guard. As I became airborne, the spear returned to its original size, and I spun it over and around my head, to bring it down in a vertical cleaving stroke upon Hrothulf's head. I put all my hatred, all my rage, all my desperation behind my very first blow.
 
It seemed the diplomat had a trick up his sleeve after all..Impressive. Hrothulf watched as Rokku came crashing down. But with his move, he could feel Rokku's hope to end Tarvanna's rule once and for all. For things to change in favor of Agasaria, to end what he started in Turobian. Unfortunately, things were going to be different. Hrothulf waited for Rokku to fall a bit more, not even bothering to move yet. He waited a second longer then pushed Rokku to the ground with his own momentum.

"Yorik..Keep the rest of the Agasarians off me as I deal with the diplomat."

"Yes...Hrothulf.."

Hrothulf looked back to Rokku, holding his hand out as his own material. That of the finest golds and blade formed into his hand. Its was the royal cutlass, a sword that was fit for a true evil king like himself. Hrothulf grinned as he moved towards Rokku pointing the tip of the blade at the diplomat, laughing as if he had victory secured.

"Give it up, Rokku..Agasaria will fall. For good this time..Betrayed by the one person you thought was an ally. Pathetic..Agasaria lets anyone in..And that's their downside."

Hrothulf smirked then lifted the sword up and began to cleave it diagonally at Rokku, a slash that would land across his chest if it connected. This swing was one of confidence and victory in it, There was no emotion other than strength and determination.
 
EMERIS
<hr>
Emeris fidgeted on his mount. It was on rare occasion that his travels with the caravan brought him to Musari, and it was always on that rare occasion that he felt extremely uncomfortable with his job. Well, at least more extremely uncomfortable than usual. He was away from the open fields and woods, his magic was nearly of no use here. Thankfully, there was enough moisture in the air to freeze the surface of the ground, but that was about the limit of his ability.

He really despised being in the human cities. They were inferior creatures. Yet his mind couldn't help but wonder how they were able to come up with all sorts of contraptions to help their lives. They were smart, yes, but still inferior. After all, the elves rarely needed to exert as much effort as a human would on a normal basis.

Even his horse was fidgeting like him. Obviously the poor creature missed the open plains. It was almost dejectedly pawing at the hard cobblestone that paved the ground underneath them. The wagons were nearby but the merchant was elsewhere, conducting business and securing purchases. He and two companions had been left to guard the wagons, much to Emeris' chagrin. He made no effort to hide his displeasure at being stuck there, surrounded by other caravans and their traders; many of who were human.

Despite crinkling his nose in annoyance, he kept his ears open. These men often brought interesting news in their gossip and while the last thing Emeris wanted was to meddle in human affairs, whatever happened to the human kingdoms affected Darconia. He did not want to be caught unawares as to whatever was happening in the realm. There was some troubled talk about a group of strangers suddenly appearing in the middle of the day with what can only be called a tall, hulking green monster.

Emeris was surprised. The last place he'd have expected to hear of an orc was Musari. Regardless, there was a feeling in the pit of Emeris' stomach that he couldn't shake. Though he thought it was simply blown-up gossip, a part of him would not let him deny the credibility of it. That sensation troubled him. He had never felt it before. He looked at one of his fellow caravan guards, and he looked as uneasy as Emeris.

His gaze drifted elsewhere, trying to look for any sign of danger. Looking up, he caught sight of one of the human airships. He had never seen one before, and, despite feeling resentful that the humans were able to create such a contraption despite being inferior creatures, he marveled at it. It was a beautiful thing, he had to admit. There was something off, though, but Emeris could not quite put a name on it.

He didn't have to. At that moment one of the palace guards came running up, yelling almost incoherently. The man stopped for a moment, catching his breath. "Musari is under attack! All able bodied men come, we must take back the airship!" Emeris paused for a moment, a curious expression on his face. For such an inferior race, these humans sure had an immense propensity for conflict. He gripped Dansyr's blade, grimacing that he was about to help the humans.

Regardless, he was not about to let innocents die. He slipped Dansyr out of its scabbard and it began to sing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back