Seizing the Power

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

Legends speak of a continent, in a time when people cashed with steel and fists, and when fighting was simple – meet, kill, or be killed. Though, this was only the view of those who had not truly experienced the heat of battle itself. The knowledge one false move could spell your doom, the knowledge that there's always someone out there ready to kill you, the knowing that there's a lot of people who probably could. But, the civilians saw no such activity – the four nations that made up the continent and their generals were far too wary to launch invasions, at the risk of endangering their country. The four nations were Friginidus, Destreyla, Noppin, and Ureop.

The northern land, Friginidus, was a barren and bleak country. Though vast, much of the land was unsuitable for farming. The reason was that the temperature never rose above zero degrees. It was rare for it to even rose above minus ten. Yet, despite this, people moved the snow aside and farmed what land they could, for whatever they had seeds for. They built shelters for their crops and themselves, and refused to back down, having nowhere else to go. Their army, though not well-supplied, had been equipped with items forged from ores mined in the mountains, and coupled with being trained in such conditions; they were feared throughout the continent.

To the east was Destreyla, a desert country, with small villages of stone houses and temporary tents scattered around the place. The inhabitant's aims were simple – loot the caves and ruins for all they were worth. Whether the people doing so were state employees, treasure hunters or just desperate citizens, the caves that were bursting with highly-demanded ores and precious stones were always hosting one person or another. But, this was the government's main source of income, they had to strike fear into the hearts of the spelunkers – thus, their army was truly recognised. Merciless and tactful, they would utilise their surroundings to gain an upper hand, or use tactics unseen by many before.

Noppin was a collection of tropical islands in the sun-kissed South Sea, each ruled under one banner, and the main culture widespread. Though they did not export many things, they had no need to – the people lived peacefully, wiling the time away with their jobs or relaxing. Fish was plentiful and varied, and the climes allowed for a huge amount of edible and delicious plants to be grown. However, despite the laid-back lifestyle, many noble warriors trained in ancient sword techniques populated the islands, and would defend them with their lives.

The western country was Ureop, a bustling country of commerce. Great cities covered the lands, surrounded by mighty stone walls. Inside was usually a scene typical of what many wanted to see – marketplaces abuzz with chatter, children playing without a care in the world, wives stopping to chat with each other… It seemed like a pleasant place. But the true side was never fully revealed – the slums. Many died of the pestilence or disease that ran rife through the part that was built with shoddily-constructed wooden bungalows, while others could not earn enough and had other consequences befall them. They often could not hold down a job and the ones they could usually put them in serious danger. No money meant starvation was often witnessed, or no winter clothes or house to keep warm… They would lose what little things they had.

There was but one thing the countries had in common: Ralkin. Ralkin was the lifeblood of the lands – it made fires burn, flowers bloom; it was essentially the petrol that kept the car going. The flow of such energy was regulated by but a gem the size of a man's fist in the grassy Centre Plains, and it was often fought over by battalions, while they altered the flow to cripple enemies and bolster themselves. It was a ruthless battle in which only the strongest could survive…

~

-Crinsond Palace archery range-

A boy of sixteen held a bowstring taut in his fingers, the arrow notched. Prince David Johnson of Ureop was the sole single son of Frederick Johnson the Eighth, and as such, the heir to the throne. While his father was a figure that stood tall and powerful, David looked not even close to such a reputation. Though he was an inch or two higher than someone else would have considered average for his age, he had been born with a slim build – healthy, but nothing that would enable him to lift a broadsword comfortably. The light breezed ruffled his mid-length hair, a colour as black as naturally possible. Luckily, his chocolate-brown eyes were not obscured by this, and the arrow was let loose towards its intended target, though a look of frustration covered the heir's face.

"Good shot, your highness," a passing knight commented, his helmet having been taken off due to the jousting tournament having reached its conclusion, "Your practice is paying off."

"Hardly, "came the disappointed-sounding answer, "I missed the centre."

"But sir you hit the ring round it, a feat most commendable"

"But I could not hit the centre. An archer cannot afford to miss."

"Yes, sir."

With that remark, the knight trudged off, armour clanking with every movement. Clothed in an ensemble of a black t-shirt and trousers, David faced no such problems. He had had the sleeves on his shirt reduced to permit greater movement of his arms, so that he may have adjusted his aim in a more favourable fashion. Notching another arrow in the willow bow, the boy steadied himself, and set his sights upon the target.
This talent is all well and good, but what use is it if I cannot fight, and if I am too busy to hunt?

 

[Iliana]

"Why you needa go there?!"

"Because, we need supplies."

"How long you gonna be gone?"

"Not long. Ureop isn't that far from here. I'll be back before you know it." Natasha smiled down at the girl with the curly, golden hair. Such a tiny little thing but adorable to boot. She wasn't looking so sweet like she usually would be, however. Her cheeks were puffed and coated with the blood beneath it, tears streaming down them. It was slowly breaking Tasha's heart to see it, but there was nothing more she could say to the 5 year old. So smart she was, knowing that Tasha may not return from Ureop, and at such a young age at that! Ureop was a great distance from Destreyla but it was a required trip Natasha must take.

The leaders were being very greedy with the gems in the caves; more greedy than usual, one could say. The mere sight of them could make them go insane with power and snatch any and all at any given time in the day. They resulted in brute force by any means, as long as it meant that the stones were theirs. Natasha was positive that if Minnie, the girl below her, were to find a ruby, she'd be decapitated in seconds. It was down right disgusting. Tasha was snapped from her reverie when she felt a tug at the hem of the scarf wrapped around her neck. It was hot but the scarf was absorbing most of the heat.

"TaTa..."Minnie whined. Tasha was forced to give the girl a blue eyed smile and squat down to her level, ruffling her golden curls.

"Minnie, I'll come back. TaTa's just going to get us important stuff. Kay?"she said, tilting her head and watching a light blonde strand of hair falling over her shoulder. Minnie hiccuped and nodded her head. It wasn't much but it was progress.

"Good girl." Tasha said, rising back to her full height. She'd make it to Ureop by horse back and would make it there in a day's time, if she were lucky. Bandits were more plentiful in Destreyla then sand. Tasha tapped the daggers she held at her hip and smiled down at Minnie before waving and walking away.​

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

King Frederick was seated in his war room, strtegising with his generals on actions needed to be taken to seize the Ralkin crystal at the centre of the land. Due to a surprise move, Friginidian troops had managed to advance on the plains without detection, and had crushed Noppinese defenses within the hour of their arrival. And, if their fellow countrymen were anything to go by, it was going to be a long, hard battle for the squad being deployed.
"Your majesty, if I may speak?" questioned one man, stnding abruptly. His urgently-toned voice echoed around the stone hall, the only furniture being the long oak table and similrly-mde chairs. In total, there were five generals and the king, who sat at the top, naturally.
"Speak, General Grief. I take it the messengar brought urgent news?" Frederick replied, his deep voice booming. Upon his head was wild, rust-coloured hair, the same pplying to his large nd imposing beard. The man himself was tall and battle-hardened, as was evident from the many scars upon his torso, and the muscle tone he had built up over his many years of service. Wearing crimson robes suitable for a man in his position, he also had his shortsword at his hip, though he was only using it for convenience.
"Well, sir, it appears that the enemy has set up a heavy garrison. Our spies say they have enough supplies to last around five days - that's enough for a trip back to the Friginidian mountain wall base, to fetch more supplies. I've also recieved intel on the actual defences - they seem to have positioned men with crossbows just inside the perimeter to attack offensive forces before they even get within range."
"So, what do you suggest we do?"
"Send in a heavy armour unit, protecting a few archers nd knights. The armour unit will take most of the arrows, and if push comes to shove, the regular knights will take care of more maneuoverable foes."
Understood, we will discuss this further when the intel has been properly analysed, but we will hve to rely on what we have for now. Also, sir, the Destreylan mining force seems to be collecting a lot of rolindium..."
"Don't blind me with science, man, just tell me what they're doing with it."
"We don't know, sir. It corrodes easily, it's extremely weak, it's hard to find as it's only found in certain oil deposits... What do they want with it?"
The word had already been sent out to the force deployment area,and it was suspected that the force would be organised and mobilised in around a day. However, one of the generals treated the prince like a nephew, and even notified him of military movements every once in a while. And when he was informed, David had no intention of idley sitting by while an oppurtunity to sneak out into battle presented itself right in his face. In disguise, he would travel with the battalion, and he would prove himself as a prodigal archer. Either that, or a dead-eye dud of a bowsman.

 

[Iliana]

A girl, a horse, and a dagger wasn't a very sufficable way to exit Destreylan plains. Not with all of the bickering and fighting over Ralkin going on. That crystal was a blood gem that Natasha had no time to chase after. Although, seizing control of it may prove valuable for Destreyla. Tasha waved the thought clean from her head. No. That would only result on an attack from Ureop or the others. Innocent people could be slaughtered over it. So she just stayed out of it.

The horse pounded through the desert plains with ease. That meant the ground beneath her was softening, signifying that they were getting closer to the woods and forest. Once they crossed that, Ureop would not be far beyond it. Maybe half a day left. Tasha gripped the reigns and ordered for the mare to book it. Already she was growing nervous. With her short attire and bleached hair, will the Ureopians attack her on sight? It wasn't like Destreyal was a major factor in their war. They were more sneaky than anything. She didn't want to be too cautious either; one may think of her to be a spy.

Tasha's blue eyes tried to remained focused on the path ahead of her. She could make out the blog in the distance that was the forest. Many a time she went in there to gather food for the others back at the camps. It would've been easier to take a sapphire, ride to Ureop, and purchase some food instead of straddling with wild animals. That is exactly what she was planning on doing, for in the sand next to her dusted tent, Tasha had discovered a sparkling green gem, an emerald. She snatched it quickly with her palm, out of the look out for the officials who had been patrolling around.

Now, the emerald was cradled in her pocket against her hip. All she had to do was purchase food and other items and be back on her way. No stops, no detours, and definitely no getting killed by stray attacks of the armies. Just go, purchase, and return.​

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

Unexpectedly, the battalion had been readying itself for an attack long before the announcement of an attack was made. An assault had been cancelled a few days earlier, but the men that had not been lerted to the news. They were only a short distance from the city gates, and their supplies would be more than sufficient if added to the ones brought by the heavy armour division. It was also worth noting the armour worn by the "Juggernauts" (as they were informally referred to) had to be carried in seperate carts, drawn by horses bred for raw strength. Despite this obvious setback of weight, the troops would rendevous at the city gates, and head for the plains immmediately. But one additional archer had snuck himself in, under the pretext of being left behind last time due to an illness. Nobody questioned him - few people had seen the prince's face, and all signs he was the heir had been concealed or left behind. He now wore a forest green cloak and hood, complete with cloth tied around the bottom half of his face of the same colour. Though these wre all taken off, if he were to lie on the grass in those clothes, he would be practically invisible at a distance. He would have to use a cross bow in such a position, however, due to the stance. Nevertheless, David now rode with his comrades, listening to the men's banter and jokes. Nobody spoke to him, nd David judged this to be because he ws the "odd on out," being the archer. In actual fact, all he needed to do ws get involved in the conversation - the battle was desperate, they hadn't the luxury of discrimination.

 

[Iliana]

The mare was slowing down as another hour or so passed in the plains of Destrelya. He was growing tired as he pounded all four of its hooves into the sand that started to turn into turf. Blades of grass were starting to sprout through the sandy land, bringing them closer and closer to the forest. In all honesty, they were nearly in it. Natasha wiped at her brow which had gathered pellets of sweat through the travel. The sun was relentless enough and the scarf around her neck was doing little to nothing to help the heat. She licked her lips, hoping for the chance where she can stop to fill her cantine. If she remembered correctly, there was a ravine somewhere deep within the forest. Through the thick trees and bushes, there were also thieves, poachers, hunters, and something worse. The war for Ralkin was not a kind one.

A gruff snort escaped the nostrils of the male mare while it whipped its head to maintain focus or consciousness, one of the two. He also would probably need to drink from the ravine also. Natasha hated to do it, but they were on a time limit.

"Yah!"she ordered, whipping the reigns to coax the mare to acceleration. It obeyed instantly, and gradually began to pick up speed. Natasha smiled and released the hold on one of the reigns and with her free hand, nuzzled the side of the mare's next. The muscles in his next compressed and retracted, loosening up to her touch.

"Relax."she whispered softly though it was barely audible through the pounding of the hooves. The mare responded with a whinnied and the two of them pressed forward.​

 

[Laggy Lagiacrus]

Though proceeding at a considerable oce, the carts containing the heavy division's armour were exceedingly weighty, and several horses had to be used to pull the one cart of armour. ll the soldiers in said unit were still laughing and joking, commenting on each other's wives and girlfriends, their weapons and Percy's recent attempt t a beard, whatever they could do to pass the time.
"So, kid," a brown-haired rugged bull of a man asked, "You got any stories to share? Perhps, how you got here? After all, you should be in the other transport, with the rest of the archers. And you seem pretty young, is the king really that desperate for troops?"
Swallowing his pride in order to disguise his true identity, David simply chuckled, andshrugged.
"It's a long story..."
"It's a long journey, at least a day, and by then we'll just have reached the borders of the plains."
"Oh, that reminds me, did you hear about the recent attacks by the Southerners?" someone at the end said, piping up as though the news had just occurred to him. "Apparently, they're going to try and break through with force."
"Force? That's not like the Noppinese generals, to use such a reckless tactic while still relatively powerful..." David muttered, ignoring the further banter, instead opting to stroke his chin in deep thought. The Southern generals and army seniors were known for their banzai and kamikaze charges, but that was when all other options had been exhausted.
So why just charge recklessly at a heavily defended point?
~
Arrows flew indiscriminately over the Southern part of the plains, some deflected off of the armour of the standard Noppinese footsoldier, others piercing weak links or just outright smashing through the metal. It was sufficient to provide protection against some attacks, but by no means would it prevent as much as hefty western armour, mobile as it was. The soldiers of the frozen north knew better than to engage in close-quarters combat with some of the most renowned swordsmen in the continent, few as they were in number. A base of sorts had been formed in the great hall in which the Ralkin crystal stood upon its podium, its colour indicating the direction and intensity of the energy regulated by it. The hall was the sze of an average throneroom, but was completely hollow, save for what was put there, and the treasure that held the land upright.