On the shores of Arda, the Armies of Telpurion and their few allies sit, sounded by the few coastal cities that resisted in vain. These are the headquarters for Ullari and the various allied commanders he controls
Alexus Rose stretched her cramped arms above her head as she stepped out of one of the many new recruit boats that had docked at Telmar. Charming, she thought, as she looked at the chaos going on around her. People were running left and right, while most of the recruits were just standing nervously around, as if afraid to do anything.
Well, I might as well keep myself busy, she thought grimly. Noticing someone trip and drop everything they were holding, she hurried over to help.
"Th-thank you," the man said once she had helped him. He then hurried away, leaving her standing there alone and feeling slightly irritated.
Turning back to the recruits, she thought, Okay, I've had just about enough of these slackers - it's time to put them to work.
"Okay everyone," Alexus said, so all the other recruits could hear. "No just standing around - it's time we got busy, and show these people just how useful we can be." Her voice was commanding, but kind and eager as well. The other recruits blinked, then nodded quickly, and started helping some of the dock hands pull the boats in. Once this was completed, Alexus started ordering them to unload the boats. She spared herself not the luxury of just standing around giving orders - she immediately began to drag the luggage out of the boats. This motivated the others, and soon, they were all working together.
As she was hauling some of the baggage onto the dock, she felt a presence behind her, watching her as she organized everything. She then felt it probe her mind, and instantly lashed out with her own, quickly overpowering her psychic attacker, feeling him wince. While she was doing this, she had continued to unload luggage, and baggage, acting as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
She felt the presence grow curious, and put up her mental barriers to protect herself from his probing.
Then she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and turned around, wondering who it was...
Gurthar smiled "There are many of those little miscreants here...pay them no heed, just lash them an eventually they will leave you alone....need any help with the baggage"
"No, I can handle it, thank you. But who might you be, sir?" Alexus smiled. She was careful to say the word "sir", as she had no idea whether this man had any ranking of any kind - unless he was a slave, which she doubted based on his behavior, or a normal citizen, then he outranked her. And it was never a good idea to anger those above you.
"Captain Gurthar Lelaith and you are?" he said politely. He had his sword strapped to his back, bearing nor armor save two intracately engraved wrist guards to accompany his dark attire.
"I am Alexus Rose, a new recruit. I doubt that you've heard of me, however, captain," Alexus said, smiling faintly. She noticed a few of the recruits had stopped working and were staring openly at the two of them, trying to listen in on the conversation.
"Excuse me a minute, sir," she said, bowing. She turned towards the recruits, and commanded loudly, "Get back to work! No lollygagging, no slacking off! We all need to pull our weight around here! If you don't earn your own keep, then I don't think you'll be staying very long!" She looked sternly at them, then added, "When you're done moving the luggage, everyone find your own bags, and make sure everything is in them. Then, unless further orders are given, you may do as you wish."
She turned back to Gurthar, and smiled apologetically
. "Sorry about that - I've found that it's best to keep people like this moving, else should they stop, they may never start again."
"No need to impress, as Ullari's secound i've seen plenty of slackers" he turned to them "If you insist on lounging around than i can assure you that i'll find somthing for you to do...such as the gladiator pits...mind you won't be facing men...but beasts" he smiled "Well then miss Rose, what can i do for you besides the set of recruits you've been given?"
"Hmm, well, I wouldn't mind being promoted to a higher rank so as to escape the dullness of being a recruit, but I doubt you're too keen on the idea, sir, am I right?" Alexus half-joked, though she was actually somewhat serious. She really didn't want to be stuck with these other recruits, and she wanted to have at least a somewhat higher rank, even if it was hardly anything.
Gurthar smiled "Well considering my secound just got his head bashed in by a rock in the last seige attempt....if you want his posistion then you can have it" he knew Ullari would have his ass on a plate for appointing a recruit to such a posistion, but Gurthar didn't care. Besides he didn't want to leave her to the recruits...even the women where often of a nature to much for even Gurthar to be around, let alone tolerate their very existance. This was why recruits didn't last long in his recruit companies...they tended to find themselves at the forfront as a meat sheild, and he could tell she was of better ilk than that.
Alexus blinked in surprise, then slowly smiled. "You are very kind, sir. I'd be honored to have such a position."
"You're welcome.....let me know if you have any questions" the Crusnik said with a slight nod.
"I will, sir," Alexus bowed.
"You will regret ever speaking out against Ullari!" Rayne growled as another burst of flame dissipated in a swirl of flame and air. The Air-wielder charged at the young Elf, his sword leveled at her chest. Rayne spun to the side, her long black braid like a tail after her. She slapped her hand down on the man's exposed wrist as he passed by her, he dropped the weapon, turned, and sent a small cyclone at her. "What do you intend to do? Push me around?" Rayne held her ground, though barely, and pushed her hands outside the man's swirling winds. He collapsed rather anti-climatically in a pillar of flame. The winds stopped swirling around her and she stood over the burning man, a smug look on her face as he was consumed.
A small crowd had gathered on the fringe of the training grounds to watch the duel, some began to disperse, some watched in horror as Ullari's pet stood smugly over her kill.
Ullari strode through the camp sooner or later we need to get this attack moving forward....i grow tired of these ratty little villages and smaller port towns he fumed. Telmar sofar had resisted the advance of his legions but they where wearing down, however Ullari could not afford so easily a war of attrition.
Rayne looked up from her kill to see Ullari himself walking through the camp. She watched him pass, hoping that he would see her and inquire after the corpse that lay at her feet, how proud he would be, to know that she had taken care of an upstart. The man had even talked about rebellion! She watched with longing as he passed, hoping...
He nodded in her direction "Killed another imbecile have you Rayne? You're begining to etch yourself out a profesion" he heard her thoughts and didn't see any harm in satisfying them.
Rayne swelled with pride, a small smile touching her lips, "Thank you my lord." she fell into step behind him, "How does today look?" she asked, wondering what would happen today.
Ullari sighed "Another day, and yet this war grows closer and closer to that of one of attrition, which can be ill afforded"
"You will prevail, my lord," she assured him confidently, "I know you will."
"At the rate they keep blowing up my ships and cutting the communication lines...we're sooner to be chasing shadows before we get inside the Telmar border walls" he growled "No, the walls are under seige as we speak and with any luck there will be a breach in the border walls within a few days time....what news of Lomien? I heard rumors of neautrality...are they true or is that somthing reserved for sweet fancy?" he asked briskly. A figure lept from the shadows, running a blade at Ullari, who smiled as he caught it "That would make the third one today" he said coldy, snapping the blade "Try better next time" he sent his other hand through the would be assasins' chest "Messy stuff"
Rayne jumped at the sudden intrusion, a ball of flame flared up in her hands, but by the time she was about to send them at the man he was already on the ground. "I do not know, my lord." she said, "I am sure that you hear more reliable news than I do."
"Why don't you ask me yourself brother?" Ullari stiffled a yelp of surprise. Lomien stood right in front of him, easily half a foot taller, and in the armor he was in looked near twice his size. Where Lomien looked like royalty Ullari looked like a captain "Your presence here Lomien is unexpected" Ullari said, recovering himself "And yet i find the topic of my alliance to be on every tongue in this camp" Lomien sighed dismissively "So what is it then? Will you join me and with you the Shadow wardens that have sworn alliance to you?" there was actually a high degree of excitement and anticapation in Ullari's voice. The light of the sun seemed to not even glint off of the shoulder pauldrons the sat attop Lomien's robed form "We shall see" he said slowly "That depends" Ullari's eyes blazed "On what brother?! Will you join me or will you stay on the side lines?!" Lomien gazed intently at his younger brother for a moment "There is a third choice" Ullari paled at the implacations.
At the appearance of Lomien Rayne fell into a kind of half crouch, as if she was ready to pounce. She glared at Lomien, so much hatred in her eyes.
"If you think you can do anything welp then by all means try to" Lomien snapped. Ulllari smiled "No she won't...but i will" his hands cackled with lightning as he sent a punch flying at Lomien "Ithrahil" Lomien caught Ullari's fist, the energy dissapearing. Ullari's eyes widened "Learned are you in the ancient arts?" Lomien shoke his head "I prefer only the most ancient....Ner et ni ethal" he returned the favor, sending flame down Ullari's arm. The younger elf cried out in horror before leaping clear and drawing both his weapons "Have you come to kill me then brother?" he charged, attacking Lomien with both swords at once. Lomien sighed "Negate, dissolve" Ullari's blades impacted with a metalic ring on Lomien's neck before shattering "No, if i wanted you dead i would have drawn my own sword...the soul harvester" Lomien placed a hand on Gurthang's hilt.
Rayne stiffened, recognizing the sword that had caused so much dissent between Lomien and her lord. The moment that Lomien's hand left the hilt the rash young Elf dove for it, attempting to snatch it from its sheath before he had a chance to react.
Lomien shook his head "Foolish whelp..." he side stepped "I'd call your pup off Ullari...i'd hate to see such a pretty face mared by so foolish a mistake" he sent a nasty kick into her stomach.
Ullari flinched at the blow "She doesn't know her strengh Lomien...let her be" he asked even toned.
Rayne clutched at her side where Lomien's kick had impacted. She didn't think anything had been broken, but even if it had, she didn't care, she had been careless, but she would not make the same mistake again. "My lord, let us be rid of him, allow me to help you." The look in her eyes was murderous.
"I doubt you could even hurt me unless i let you little fledgling" Lomien spat, turning his back on them.
Ullari raised an eyebrow "I didn't think he had need for walking anymore"
Rayne simply stood there in her half-crouch, glaring at Lomien's back as if she could make him burst into flames with but a look.
Lomien turned to face Rayne, a dangerous glint in his eyes "If you think yourself so well advanced in the element of fire whelp, then by all means make your move"
Ullari held back a protest Since when where you into butchering? I'm not...brother...just don't appreciate an upstart
Rayne wanted to move, wanted to lunge, but held herself. She looked up at Ullari, looking for approval, or an order.
Ullari nodded, though it pained him to do so don't kill her Lomien
A grim smile spread across Rayne's lips, her eyes blazed like an inferno, and she sprung into motion. Her slender arms moved in an arc, fire trailing after her delicate hands, and she sent a pillar of flame at Lonien, sending another in the direction that he sidestepped.
He deflected it with his hand, appearing lazy, but Ullari knew better Dont kill her Lomien...I heard you the first time brother.
Rayne moved in closer, not wanting to give Lomien any more opportunity to react than she could help. Her movements were smooth and graceful, as if engaged in a dance. It had been said before that she won her fights because her beauty and fluidity of motion were distracting, and it could have been true, but that certainly was not the only thing she had going for her. She sent fiery blow after fiery blow at Lomien, she was relentless.
Lomien dodged each blast "Fine, if you want to see me fight little one...then i shall grant your wish" he said quietly. He threw off his hood, showing the scar on the right side of his face from Gurthar's blade. He Set Gurthang against a tree, she did not warrent the drawing of such a blade. He swept his hand in an arc that began at his waist until his arm extended, sending a cresent blast of flame, followed by a half dozen others in different angles and intensity.
Ullari looked at the scar "Reminds me...i still need to ask that Crusnik how he managed to inflict such a wound"
Zephyre walked around the training grounds aimlessly. His captain had just had his head bashed, and so Zephyre was waiting for someone to assign a new captain to him and the other men in his group.
"Excuse me, sir," came a young voice from behind him. He turned, and saw a messenger boy standing nervously a few feet away, looking at him.
"What is it?" Zephyre asked.
"Um... well, sir, a new captain has just been appointed, and she has requested to meet all of the members of your group, at the far northeast corner of the training grounds, so..." The messenger boy shifted uneasily.
"I'll go there right now," Zephyre said.
"Shall I show you the way, sir?"
"No, that's quite alright, thank you."
Zephyre slowly walked to where the boy had said to go, pondering what kind of person his new captain would be.
It took several minutes before he reached the destination, but he saw only one other person there: a girl, dressed all in black, who couldn't be any older than he was himself.
After a moment's hesitation, he moved closer...
Aiden was tired and hungrey from her travels so when she came across a camp she was hoping she could rest and restock her supplies. At the very least she had hoped to blend in and find out what was going on in the world. However, she saw no one in sight as she walked into the training grounds.
Ketsuri wandered into the training grounds. Observing as usual the stock being taken in for the army and looking for potential recruits, though he doubted any would meet his standards.
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