Fantasy Swords, Sorcery And Whatever That Monster Torching The Town Is

[RatKing]

The deep snow and the piles of corpses of the undead made keeping up with Kai difficult, but with some effort and also using the fallen undead to walk atop of he was able to manage. “I can’t say for sure what our missions will be like in the future, but I would imagine that it is likely our tasks will require us to handle problems individually time to time while there could be other occasions when a mission could require the coordination of multiple knights or have us lead a group of soldiers. Something like this though requiring all the knights and the emperor is probably going to be pretty rare. Not every day an army of undead try to invade the land and all we have is a few minutes to plan after all” he said taking notice of the nickname Kai had called him by.

‘Sept’ , huh? I like it. He thought to himself.

As the two traveled towards to the nearest gate in order enter the fortress Kai had called to his attention a large amount of smoke coming over the mountains in the distance. The source of the smoke was not really visible to Septimus especially with the snowfall and the mountain in the way but seeing as not many things could naturally produce that much smoke in an area commonly covered in snow he came to his own conclusion of what it was Kai had seen. “With that much smoke it must be an entire town that's been set ablaze. But if that's true then its likely too late to save the town itself, it would nearly all burnt down by the time we arrived” he said as he clenched his fists. “I hope the town’s residents survived whatever caused the fire.”

Gohan510

 

[Juju]

Yuki flipped up her mask when Kuto showed her the wound on his arm. "Whoa!" she exclaimed, her voice stuck between awe and concern. "That's looks bad!" Without thinking, the kitsune took his arm in her hands and gave it a closer look but quickly let it go when she remembered that it probably hurt... and that Kuto really didn't like people touching him. She never asked him why and just went with the assumption that it was because of his scarred skin. Out of respect she had not asked him about the scars either, but it never ceased to grasp her curiosity. Did he get his powers before or after the burns?

Ears lowered, she gave him an apologetic look. "Right. I'll, uh, get you some bandages..." With a few twists of her tail she created a ribbon of linen bandage which wrapped snugly around the wound as it was created and tied itself.

When Kuto started walking off she followed, perking up her ears in interest when he held up the artifact. As far as Yuki could tell it just looked like a circle of glass, but she didn't have much time to ponder. "Watch out!" Yuki warned as soon as she heard the woman's footsteps but Kuto was already well aware. It hardly took any effort for him to whip around and grab her by the throat, and even less to burn her away. Then her cub showed up. Yuki's gaze was steel as the man-cub stumbled in mid-flight, the demon's fire crawling up his back to consume the flesh. The smell was horrible and so were the screams, all calling out for his deceased mother. Man, woman and child were all equal fodder for the twin spirits of death, so his age didn't bother Yuki like a typical mortal would. But what did bother her was the look on his face when he attacked. She'd seen that look before and knew it all too well. Flattening her ears, Yuki pulled down her mask again.

"Remember Yuki, there can be no life without death. Every life ends with death and every death brings new life. It is a cycle, a balance... you cannot celebrate one while shunning the other-"
"Are you going to die, mama?"
"Hmhmhm. Yes, little one."
"And the Faewilds?"
"That is up to you."
​

Although Yuki showed nothing of her feelings, the skull-headed wolf let out a whine. Unable to contain its instincts, it leap atop the wreathing boy and clamped its jaws down on the back of his neck. The screams stopped instantly. With two paws still on the corpse, it lifted its head to the sky and let out a drawn out howl, the other two soon joining in the call. As soon as the chorus faded the three took off after the footprints leading into the snowy forest, beginning their hunt.

No life without death. No Faewilds with an empire.

"Lead the way." she said in response to Kuto. A breeze rustled through the trees overlooking the destroyed village and in its gentle sigh Yuki swore she heard her name. Her ears pinned up and she looked around for a moment in curiousity. Then the wind shifted and all that was heard was fire, distant growls and muffled screams.

Gohan510
(mentioned) Gaius Danius Griinia

 

[ColdCash]

As Mickey McRory came down upon the creature's head and Rosario finished off his final limb, the fight was finished. Pinned, immobilized, and unable to use it's deadly breath, the creature could only watch helplessly as Izuru destroyed his soul-gem. Both the forces of darkness and the emperor's erectile dysfunction had been pushed back yet another day, and tonight there would surely be much drinking and wenching and additional crownings on other people's front lawns to ensure this endless cycle of violence and hatred continued. Rosario, getting a bit carried away with the moment, briefly struck a heroic-looking pose and spoke up:

"Another task well-"

"-COME WITH ME INTO OBLIVION GRIGORIIIIIII!"

And then the floor exploded, erupting in a massive, inexplicable pillar of flame as it somehow caught a gas pocket in the solid stone foundation of the fortress. Rosario was knocked backwards by the force of the explosion, a reflexive breakfall and her protective wards saving Rosario from the worst of the inferno. The Twelfth Legion, it seemed, had not been quite so well-defended. Rosario picked herself up, head ringing, and took momentary stock of the room. The lucky ones had been crushed by Grigori's death throes or reduced to charred, unrecognizable husks by the force and heat of the explosions. The unlucky ones still lived, missing limbs and cauterized skin, dying by inches.

I can fix this. We can fix this. As long as the emperor destroys the crystal, we should have time enough to-

Her thought were cut short by faint words in the distance.

"Rinzler, you lead the men towards the crystal... the Necrodragon is MINE."

So this is what despair felt like.

A blinding flash and a thundering crash came mere seconds later, blinding the saint. She felt her body move on it's own, jumping clear of some unseen assault. When her head cleared, she was perched carefully upon a sconce. Looking down, she saw why: The emperor had channeled the force of the lightning through Grigori and into the water, killing the majority of the remaining legionnaires in the process. She had heard the rumors, certainly- that the Emperor was a monster without equal; that he had no respect for the sanctity of life; that he knew no diplomacy, only force- but to see it in person and know these rumors to be truth... It was horror like no other.

Saint Rosario dropped from her perch, eyeing the charred viscera that littered the floor. Hundreds dead, all for the rotten, stubborn pride of an idiot-king. If only the dead may know peace from this evil, she thought, perhaps it is they who are the truly fortunate.

"...I'll see myself out.", the saint whispered as she left through the front gates.

____________________

"Saint!

Rosario was snapped once again from her wandering daze by the hand of Captain Eco.

"...Ah, Captain. Excellent work on the defensive."

"Thank you, sir, but we've got larger things to worry about."

"If only you knew."

"Pardon?"

"Oh, nothing. Carry on."

"We've received word from a guard outpost in the East. Apparently, the temple at Bruscar has been... Well, we think the runner must have been delirious. He says it was demolished by a single knight, covered from head to toe in what looked like, er..."

"-Dried blood?"

Captain Eco looked up at the Saint, confused.

"You're... Familiar with this individual?"

"There is no man of my order who has not heard of the Witchblade. Strongest and fiercest of the Coven Knights... It's said that if he had been present during Izuru's rise to power, Hexapolis would still be independent."

Captain Eco gave an audible gulp. Stronger than the Emperor himself?

"We've also, er, received word about a rash of fires in the region... Do you think he's responsible?"

"Doubtful. It's more likely that some bottom-feeding footpads have been following in his wake to loot the towns- the man's practically a force of nature, after all."

"Should we... Take care of this?"

Rosario checked their surroundings to ensure none of the other knights were present, then learned in close.

"Tell no one else of this, especially not the Emperor. Increase patrols in the region and offer aid to the townsfolk, but give orders not to engage. Defeating the Witchblade is beyond the powers of an ordinary soldier, and I shall not lose another man this day."

"V-very well, sire."

"Oh, and Captain Eco?"

"Yes?"

"You've no idea how right you were."

With that, Rosario released her subordinate, walking back to the main camp.

 

[Gohan510]

Kai gripped his fist as Septimus spoke facts about them not able to save those at the town. "You know... Moments like these." Kai paused for a moment. "I can't sit by, and hope anyone escape safely I have to go. Septimus tell the others about the town if you don't follow me! If I don't return, well. That town had something going on after all!" Kai ran back down the passage way as he ran over the dead bodies. He put two fingers in his mouth as he whistled for his horse to come.

Barely able to run through the snow the horse came from the forest awaiting for it's masters calling. Kai hoped on it's back and rode off instantly towards the town in danger. Moments like these force Kai to rush into action to save anyone in need. Kai's horse found a route that didn't have that much snow as they blazed through the forest. It would take about fifteen minutes from the route they took to get only around the mountain. Another twenty to reach the town.

Kai tried to signal shadow to push on harder as the horse did so and increased it's speed to it's limits. Kai watched the sky even though it was cut off by all the tree's surrounding him and his animal. Kai looked at his right wrist and smiled. "The fire would have to be extremely hot right? Meaning they aren't normal flames."

"That fire. There's no way it could still be going on even through all this cold weather."
RatKing
-----------------------
Kuto continued to walk as the wolves finished the child off. Walking through the town calmly till they finally reached the gates. There was a barrier that stopped them from exiting though. "Yuki." He touched the barrier as it burned his finger. "Holy magic.." He said to himself, he instantly turned grabbing Yuki and flashed stepped out the way as there was an explosion were she once stood. He rolled across the ground still holding her in his arms. "You both didn't kill all the priest huh?"

Kuto tried to got back up to his feet as he stood in front of Yuki. "Let this town turn to ruins. A forgotten memory." Kuto had a strange Aura surround him, it was red and had black outlining. The flow of the energy was wild as it shout of him in a fury. A red magic circle appeared in front of him as he watched the holy knights and priest that escaped the collapsing building that Yuki and the knight once dealt with.

"Diablo. Mark III" He said softly. Squatting down a bit he drew both hands back while gathering mana. Then, Kuto place bottom of his palms together, forming a sphere of energy that emits sporadic bolts of electric yellow mana that shoot out in all direction. The ball formed in the middle of the magic circle as the spell was being charged up slowly. Finally, Kuto discharges a massive red and black beam of energy with electric mana streaming around it towards his opponents.

It created a gigantic explosion destroying a small portion of the town, but finally killing off those who tried to attack them. Kuto panted as it took a lot for him to create that spell in such short time. The barrier faded behind them. "We best get going." He put the monocle on his right eye as it gave him enhanced vision of the surrounding. "There's no one left to fight us here." Mentioning the Kitsune for her to lead the way to the forest incase of any more attackers from behind.
Juju

 

[KnightOfNight]

The knight sprinted through the deep effortlessly, it would take more than a temple collapsing on him to slow him down. He had too much to do to ever slow down. His armor needed repairs, not to protect himself, but so people can know and fear him. He tried to recall where the nearest blacksmith that was part of the coven's pact, but was interrupted by the sound of deafening thunder followed by the wailing of the wounded. "The battle is over and was not a clean victory. Good." He could feel the smile grow on his face. "They're doing my job for me."

It wasn't long until a second sound ripped through the silence, causing the knight to turn back. "The town?! But why?! There was nothing to be gained!" The knight stood in silence for what felt like an eternity, seething over this second betrayal. "The petulant child. It was him, he thinks this is nothing but a game. The fool. I will have to put an end to him sooner than I thought. Unless... Yes, I can make this work." He scooped up a handful of snow and funneled it into his helmet before setting back out on his path.

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

"It is done" Said Izuru as he recalled Erika to his side. Sheathing her in his scabbard, Izuru began walking outside. Passing Rinzler, Izuru told her "I leave the rest to you" before continuing on. As he walked past each of the soldiers, he noticed many either trembling with fear or crying over the dead. Many looked to him for guidance, for comfort. The rest looked at him with utter contempt and hatred. His fools errand had taken so many lives. This battle went south because of HIM. Izuru saw a couple of them grip their weapons tightly as he walked by. They knew that now wasn't the time to fight, they had lost enough. Taking one last look at the tree he planted, Izuru exhaled and stepped out into the snow. Finding the standard of the Twelfth Legion, he picked it up and stuck it in the ground. The men outside kept asking "Why Emperor Izuru? Why did this happen?" with despair in their eyes. Izuru pulled up his hood and replied with "I don't know"...

Making his way back to camp, he remembered his time with Verity. You are a monster Izuru... you always will be...even if you take the throne... you will only ever live the life of a monster. She always told him that. However he always believed he could be a good ruler. Someone people loved and looked up to. Now that he has this battle hanging over him, he saw the truth in Verity's words. His power, his bearing, even his views were those of someone who wasn't normal. Erika hummed with concern in her sheath. Izuru went to his pavilion and sat down. This day, he was more of a monster than Grigori was....

Amaya Himura

 

[Freshet]

Trinity simply stood there, after she let go and was off of Cypher. The knight was about to answer her in regards to shattering the crystal, but Trinity was happy that she was back on some solid ground. If she went crazy well, that wasn't likely. However she tried to catch herself and process the events that were happening.

Mickey McRory was dealing a devastating blow to the beast, Saint Rosario was holding it back, Stigma had exploded large chunks of the area underneath the beast, and the Emperor had decided to steal the glory for personal reasons rather than simply going to destroy the crystal. Right, so those things happened and then the crystal itself was shattered.

And she was still a tad wet...

Well those things happened. But as she was just about to process even more things, an even more terrible fate had happened. As a result of the explosion from before, and the lightning she had seen the head of one of her sappers just a few paces before her. She stood there, awestruck at the horror and the realization that she had brought this man to a horrible fate. There were bodies, after bodies, limbs after limbs disorganized and strewn about with little rhyme nor reason. Trinity could felt her legs quivering, as tears were welling up in her eyes.

This was a massacre, a macabre altar to the very idea of bloodshed. As the smell of charred body after charred body mixed with the already everflowing stench of the swamp she knew she could take this no longer.

And so Trinity fled outside and as soon as she was out, she collapsed to the ground with her head between her knees.

"W-what do I do? What can I do?" She began rocking back and forth sobbing.

 

[Zerohex]

Things happened much too fast for Mickey to react, but the Champion of the Highlands could see. He could see the complete and utter lack of control or measure as one of his so-called compatriots ignited an infernal blaze around the dragon, an already weakened easy target being assailed in close range by allies. As he was still astride over the creature's head he first felt the air detonate around him seeking to rip itself out of his lungs, the sudden spike in temperature searing through his clothes. It took but a second before lightning struck through him as well, making his every muscle spasm and forcing him to dig his fingers straight through the dragon's hide before being blasted off, ripping off two handfuls as he went.

No sound escaped him, but time he had time for one lone thought: I fookin hate magicks.

The air shimmered with residual heat and echoed with the deafening boom of thunder, the rock surrounding the epicenter had spiked in temperature to such a point that it positively irradiated the humid surroundings and turned them into a massive, sweltering sauna. Surely no mere mortal could have survived both blasts from such a distance, the corpses strewn about reduced to charred, deformed husks were proof enough. Perhaps it was fortunate others were so quick to abandon the blast site, then, as they could have been forgiven for attacking the smoldering, coal-black figure that emerged from the blasted rubble a vengeful titan risen from the dark.

The figure was a man. His everything stung and burned and ached like it never had, he was having a bit of trouble focusing, a fair bit of all his hair was gone and the still considerable amount left stood well on end head to toe. He was also completely naked save for the commonly used Loincloth of Decency, everything on him reduced to cinder, but Mickey McRory was alive. With quiet, grim purpose, letting the building steam cleanse him a little, he took his time to carry all the bodies he could find outside. No one deserved such a place as their grave. Taking notice of the sobbing Trinity, he took a moment to address her with brutally hoarse voice: "Ya did good fer yerself, kid. Y'can help the dead rest, if yer up for it".

Then it was time for a reckoning. Still steaming, he marched towards the tree the lord boy had seen fit to erect in place of any actually helpful action. With nary a change in his furious glowering, the Knight of Two squatted down, stabilized his footing, then drove one hand straight through the wood near the base as though it were thin paper. The other followed with equal ease, and then the titan jerked up with the inhuman power that characterized him. The tree groaned and protested for the faintest moment and then snapped as it was mercilessly uprooted clean off the ground then smashed straight down, its branches shattering, its petals scattering and withering under the residual heat in the room.

Placing the tree over his shoulder he marched on, stopping only to dress down the Knight of Six, whatever her name was: "Ya could'a fookin roasted me thar, and ya fookin killed our own. No fookin ifs, no buts, no nuthin. Burned em alive, didn't even think like any fookin idiot acting like they gods cause they've magicks. Try it again near me and I kill you, stay the fook away". Mickey spoke through clenched teeth and every impossibly strong muscle in him seemed to pop and tense, waiting to unleash unstoppable force with but a mere twitch, even as he left to address other issues. Anyone with a modicum of self respect would simply let the veritable giant go unmolested given the situation.

Marching through the battlefield tree in hand, Mickey made a beeline towards the royal pavillion, drawing plenty of eyes towards him. Even moreso when he stopped, carefully adjusted his grip on the piece of wood and openly took aim. The log sailed across the air as though launched from a siege scorpion, punching straight through the cloth before tangling in it and dragging it along so that the entire tent was swiftly left an upturned bundle with Izuru still inside. "THAS FOR ALMOST KILLIN ME AND KILLIN ALL THE OTHERS! Y'WANNA BE AN EMPRAH? Y'AIN'T FOOKIN FIT TO LEAD NOBODY! THE FOOK YOU DONE FOR THESE FOLKS, FOR US? YA CAN'T EVEN FACE YER OWN FUCKUPS HERE, AIN'T EVEN DONE NOTHIN USEFUL!".

Freshet ColdCash Gaius Danius Griinia Noct Blood Born Angel Amaya Himura

 

[RatKing]

Septimus listened to Kai explain his feelings about how he simply could not sit idly by and hope that those that lived in the burning town were safe. He understood where the Knight of 1 was coming from, the longer they waited to take action the less likely they were to save those who may be trapped within the burning town. At the same time, however, Septimus was trying to take into consideration that if the fire was not started naturally or by some accident then something or someone intentionally started it and that thing would likely still be in the vicinity which meant that rushing in would be fairly reckless as they could run into whatever caused the fire. Unfortunately before Septimus could raise his concerns to Kai he was already sprinting at full speed towards the smoke and calling for his horse so he could mount up and get there faster.

“Goodness…” he said kicking the snow in frustration. “There's no way I can catch up with him and even if I could I don't think he would listen to me about how reckless him running in there is” he said looking back towards Grigori’s fortress. “I best tell the others about where he is heading. I can at least do that” he said to himself as he continued onwards towards the fortress when he spotted a figure in a dark cloak with a hood over their head exiting the fortress in the distance. He didn't recognize it as one of the other knights nor did it appear to be a soldier so Septimus figured it was likely the emperor but strangely none of the other knights were with him which started to set off red flags in his mind.

Something must have happened in the fortress, I hope everything is alright. He thought to himself as he continued forward. He would have to tell Izuru where the Knight of 1 had gone later. For now Septimus continued his way towards the fortress as he was starting to worry that not everything had gone as well as it seemed when he saw the undead all collapse to the ground.

Not long after he spotted the cloaked figure Septimus saw the Knight of 3 exit the fortress and fall to the ground with her head between her knees shortly followed by the Knight of 2 who was noticeably less clothed than earlier at the inauguration and also carrying a fully grown tree as he marched towards the camp looking quite upset. Worried that something had gone seriously wrong at this point he ran up to the Knight of 3 but as he drew close he heard the knight sobbing and quickly knelt down so he could put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay” he said trying to comfort the knight. “Are you alright? What happened in there?” he asked hoping to get an idea of what had happened and where the rest of the knights were.

Freshet

Mentions: Gaius Danius Griinia Gohan510

 

[Gaius Danius Griinia]

"That'll be a reduction of pay and twenty lashes? Yes... Thirty lashes indeed" Izuru said as he looked over his clipboard next to McRory, being able to teleport was handy. "Also you broke state property which I really think earns you time in the naughty cage without food for three days" Izuru looked a little different. His face was sterner and he wore a different black coat. Strapped to his belt was a sheathed gladius while Erika was attached to his back. "Also if you must ask... look towards my achievements in keeping the peace until todays battle. I've done a lot for Sumaru. I won't brag about what I did, that would be a waste of time. The lives lost today are an inexcusable loss I could have prevented. However I will rectify it. In the mean time, Captain McRory, you have assaulted the Emperor of your country. Normally I'd have you beheaded for such treason. However I'm feeling generous. Your legion can take guard duty for the rest of the week... plus a pay reduction. If you want to resign, then I'll have to ask you to pay a fee of three thousand white gold pieces". Izuru clicked his fingers and two squads of armed imperial soldiers stepped out and pointed their spears at McRory. "Don't pull the tough guy act with me....You're only human" Izuru said with a fierce gaze .

A courier came by and told Izuru of a vault of treasure they found within the lair of Grigori. "Divide it amongst the men... that will appease some of them. The rest can have time to bury their fallen. After that, bring me the Twelfth Legion. They have been the butt of too many jokes... it ends now. Also I want a new pavilion. My new Empire starts with a new pavilion" Izuru said as he walked off...

Zerohex

 

[Freshet]

Trinity looked up when she was addressed by not only The Knight of Two, but by the corpses she had thought for a moment she could just leave behind. She slowly raised her head up a little from her legs as she digested what Mickey McRory told her. Trinity had done some good hadn't she? Yes many had died. But surely her actions helped reduce some bloodshed? But he made an even stronger point; the dead needed rest.

She could at least give them that. These men would not be forgotten and left to rot and be pecked at by scavengers. They deserved better than that, and while she was still shook, she was going to make sure they got what they deserved.

And that was when she was patted on the shoulder by the Knight of Six. Now she fully raised her head up to look at the kobold. Sure there were still tear-marks down her cheeks, her lips still quivered a bit and she was still wet with swamp water, but she had seemed to have come to some acceptance with the situation. "I-it was..." Trinity started before she began to choke up.

Allowing a few brief moments to pass she simply looked towards the piles of corpses brought out of the area by Mickey. She returned to staring at Septimus, "A d-damnable folly. Hotshots thinking they could do no wrong, well..." Trinity stood up as she trudged towards one of the nearby corpses and grabbed its torso. "The price is paid in blood; some don't seem to mind, some might not care at all about the senseless sacrifices but I do."

With a sigh she glanced towards Septimus before glancing back towards the body. "Would you help me bring these soldiers back for a proper burial? This site is evil, they deserve better to rest somewhere peaceful and away from the horrors that have occurred here."

And so she began the process of dragging the first of many back towards the camp...

And as she approached she saw the Emperor walking away, from a broken pavilion with soldiers seemingly turned on Mickey. She narrowed her brow as she shouted, "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU KNAVES ARE DOING!? THAT MAN IS A HERO! HE GAVE ENOUGH OF A DAMN TO BRING OUR FALLEN OUT OF THAT WRETCHED SWAMP! YOU WANNA MAKE YOURSELVES USEFUL, THERE'S A PILE OF 'EM BACK THERE, CHARRED HUSKS FROM YOUR MISTAKES!" She said pointedly to Izuru.

"BONES CRUSHED FROM MINE, BUT I WILL AT LEAST GIVE THESE MEN THE DAMN RESPECT AND PEACE IN DEATH THEY OUGHT TO BE GIVEN! I WILL BURY THEM ALL MYSELF IF I HAVE TO!"

In the distance she noticed that her alpaca was there watching. There were at least a few kindhearted souls here. Trinity just stood flabbergasted before she looked back knowing there were many more bodies to collect...

RatKing Gaius Danius Griinia Zerohex

 

[RubyZoo]

Skyler watched what was happening in camp from a distance, not wanting what happened before to happen again. She heard the cry for the help of their fallen soldiers and walked away to see how many had fallen. When she got their, she was amazed at the number of dead bodies. She looked around to see if any one was around and when she saw no one, she walked out and started grabbing some of the bodies in the pile and carried them toward the entrance of the camp but made sure she wasn't seen. She ran back and grabbed some more. She did this three times and every time she came back, the pile she left before was gone.

"Man, these are heavy" she said carrying the sixth group toward the camp entrance.

 

[Zerohex]

With a grin, a jaw-clenched, all teeth showing grin that more resembled a predator flashing its fangs, the Champion of the Highlands took a step towards the formation of spears pointed at him. A number of soldiers took one look at the man, one look at their supposed liege, beheld the field supposedly won and stared at the Knight of Three emerging from the fortress. Shamed and uncomfortable, they withdrew their weapons and broke formation to aid the wounded and tend to the fallen. Others, for fear or greed or ignorance or base malice, held their ground. They held their ground and the Knight of Two carried on undaunted, and he took another step so that the spears should have pierced his bare skin.

But they didn't. He had just survived the epicenter of two simultaneous magical detonations, pieces of metal on a stick were beneath him and that the lad hoped he might be intimidated by them was nothing short of laughable. The spears aimed and pressed at Mickey's body and failed to leave a mark, and the soldiers who held their ground found themselves dragged backwards on the end of their own weapons as The Bull Breaker continued his advance. Realizing the futility of their efforts, slowly they disbanded. They knew better than to mess with a chosen Knight, who they saw as overprivileged, overgrown bullies that oft brought doom with them. It was just not worth it.

Stomping behind the would be ruler, Mickey decided it was time for a wake-up call: "First off, yer not payin me and I wouldn't take yer money. Y'think yer authority means shit but it don't, just gotta look at the soldiers. Ya think lashes and prison scare me? I've been fightin all me life to feed myself, thanks to yer little empire. I ain't yer cap'n, I won the right to call meself Champion of the Highlands of Brumm, by myself!". At this the massive man visibly puffed out his chest and put his fist over his heart, displaying his wonderfully polished physique for all to see given that he was still almost butt naked. A lifetime of hard work and ceaseless battle, with the accompanying scars and marks to show he had not had it easy.

"Ya ain't kept the peace, ya done fuckall but fight with yer piece of shit dad and drag everyone into it. You ain't tried to prevent shit and you won't change, 'cuz you think you better than us. Bullshit". Mickey spat on the floor, and by this point many soldiers were gathering to watch what was happening and murmurs began to spread across the file and rank of the Emperor's reckless actions costing the lives of his own men. Gossip traveled fast. "You been gifted it all, given it all and all you done is make shit worse and think yer above everybody, think that crown makes ye god. You just a dangerous dipshit like a monkey with a knife and we'd be better off without yer kind".

Mickey had plenty of experience addressing crowds, as he had earned his personal title in many a sporting contest where currying favor with an audience was as much the point as battering the opposition. "YA SEE?! THE DEAD, THE WOUNDED, AND HE CARES MORE BOUT HIS FOOKIN TENT! TREATS US ALL LIKE CATTLE, TO BE USED AND BUTCHERED FOR GOLD! CAN'T EVEN FACE UP TO ME WORDS WITHOUT WANTING TO KILL ME LIKE HIS FATHER WOULDA!". The mention of the old emperor and the old ways ignited dark, terrible memories in the soldiers' hearts and the whispers extended across the field, putting loyalties in doubt and sparking debates on the worthiness of one who had been gifted everything and taken all else by the blade. With one last smile, Mickey concluded for Izuru: "A real champ leads by example".

Freshet ColdCash Gaius Danius Griinia Noct Blood Born Angel Amaya Himura

 

[Blood Born Angel]

ϛ»Ω«ϛ ıllıllı Sᴛɪɢᴍᴀ ıllıllı ϛ»Ω«ϛ
"Emissary of Oblivion"
Knight of Six

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Quite a bit had happened in the few moments after Stigma's explosion had rocked the battlefield. She mostly stood there in a daze as the beast was finished, and various emotions and unpleasantries were strewn about the already wartorn arena that was once a swamp. Stigma herself seemed completely unharmed from the heat, however; everything but the heavier pieces of armor on her body had been incinerated in the blast. The knight stood hunched over with metal slag dripping down her arms, and blackened leather crumbling from her chest and thighs. Her hands didn't look too good either, because while the heat had done her no harm, the kinetic force unleashed through the explosion tore at the muscles in her arms while they acted as a buffer for the spell. Stigma was mostly numb and partially deaf, but she could hear just enough to be scolded by a big man who looked very worse for wear.

Charred corpses and limbs laid strewn about from the aftermath of her decision; one that made her stomach churn and face tighten in an attempt to keep the solemn expression she often wore. The explosion shouldn't have been so large. The soft earth would normally have given under the pressure much more easily, allowing the flames to reach deeper rather than wider. Unfortunately, Stigma neglected to think that this swamp could only have been so deep. The environment built upon the stone structure of the fortress only mere meters from their feet.

The woman let out a long hiss for a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Then she turned on the spot, and simply began to exit the place the Knights of Sumaru had just demolished. Perhaps coming out of seclusion had been a mistake all along. Maybe she wasn't really cut out for the 'heroics' and all that. Things probably would have been better off if she hadn't agreed to this in the first place...

"Give me a hand, will ya?"

Stigma faintly heard a voice through her ringing ears. Her eyes panned around to find the source and locked onto a pair of soldiers she distinctly remembered being under her command. The two were struggling to drag a corpse to some more solid ground.

"I got it, I got it! Just a bit further and we'll give him some proper rest. No worries..."

The Knight of Six stopped short of her departure. Blank crimson eyes watching the men take their fallen comrade to a place he could be more easily buried. Just as many other soldiers were doing at that moment. From somewhere not far, she could hear the shouts of anguish from two other knights directed toward their emperor. A farse, to be sure. One that made Stigma's blood boil more than it already did as the ringing began to stop and words came more clearly. Stigma turned toward her soldiers and made her way to them with a dark look over her face.

"Pathetic..."

The men had already begun to dig a hole by the time Stigma bridged the distance between them. It was a nice little clearing, and the soft earth was just dry enough that a hole deep enough for a grave could easily be made. The one with the shovel looked to their leader and gave a quick salute as he paused his work.

"Commander."

Stigma didn't reply. Instead, she hovered over the body of the man they had lost. The two men gave each other uneasy looks, the second clearing his throat before attempting to break the silence.

"This... This here's Aaron. A fine man. It's unfortunate what happened... He-... He was a bit too close when the explosion went off... Ma'am."

The sound of Stigma's teeth grinding was painfully audible. "I can see that."

The men's face had drained of color. A sinister aura from their leader weighing heavily on the pair. Stigma's eyes locked to the one digging the hole, and she reached out with a broken, bloody hand. The man flinched as it neared him, but the fear in his eyes was replaced by surprise as the knight's hand clasped the handle of his shovel and yanked it away from his grip.

"Take five soldier. I'll take it from here." She looked back at the other, fiery eyes boring into his skull. "You too. That's an order."

"Yes, Ma'am!" They barked in unison. The two shuffled off to sit under a gnarled old tree and watch as their leader began to dig the grave with broken fingers and an oppressive silence. Neither daring to say another word as she worked, and instead, taking this moment to recuperate after the ordeal they just went through.

 

[Amaya Himura]

"I leave the rest to you." were the words that came out of his mouth. Cypher pressed her lips together and grit her teeth. The rest to me? What rest? These are now hollow shells of men who once stood for something. After today, they will be forever scarred on their bodies and in their poor minds. Taking a breath Cypher turned towards the center of the room, where once there stood a mighty dragon cursed with insanity and lust for power, now stood a tree. A damn tree.

Rinzler stared at the tree, at what remained of the life force that was Grigori. All dragons are to be burned as a sacred tradition to honor a fallen brother. Grigori was a dangerous dragon, yes, but a fallen brother nonetheless. She silently apologized to the gods for his insanity and torment that has caused the people on Sumaru pain. Cypher looked on with disappointment and frustration.

These men had gone to the afterlife, each of them a hero for dying on the field to save the country. She knew the cost of war. It was countless lives and families destroyed to win one thing. And this was not it. Her own heart hurt for the wives and children these men left behind. Children that would never know their fathers, only knowing their names and the honor they brought. No way were those children going to learn anything from their dead fathers. Cypher bowed her head in respect for the fallen ones.

Lifting her head, she saw as Trinity left the fortress sobbing and was ready to follow her out, but something stopped her. Hearing a loud ripping noise, she saw as the Knight of Two, Sir McRory, tore the tree from the ground. Outside of the entire ordeal, Cypher would have been impressed at the man's strength, but there was no time for that. She helped the soldiers who were still alive, barely alive, to the outside of the fortress. She saw as Trinity cried and mumbled something. The Knight of Seven arrived and went straight to comforting Trinity. And she saw as the Knight of Two threw the damn tree at the pavillion.

She started to take bodies towards the camp, and lay them down for their proper burials. Cypher soon stopped following an overly harsh punishment, which was completely uncalled for. Rinzler approached McRory and sighed. "Yes, a real warrior, a real 'champ' as you've stated, 'leads by example'. Captain McRory, you've done more than asked. Now allow me to handle this."

Cypher brushed past the imperial guards and plucked the clipboard from the Emperor's hands and said, "Your Highness, you need not worry your head about these affairs. As your advisor, these are a part of my duties. I will take care of this."

At the start of his protest (when she took the clipboard), she held up her hand to halt him in saying anything. She was going to have to take on the "mother" role in this moment. "Izuru, I know you're upset. But I would like you to not do anything brash. So go sit over there." She pointed to a chair. She saw him about to say something else. "GO SIT NOW."

Without another word, she quickly turned on her heel and spoke to the Knight of Two. She took the papers that had only some scribbles on it and tore it to shreds. In a more calm tone than Izuru, she stated, "Captain McRory, there isn't any need to have any of those things listed, as you do not deserve that mistreatment. I do wish for you to continue as the Knight of Two for the Knights of Sumaru. And if you are up for it, just please assist me and Trinity in the burial of these fallen men." Menacingly, she stated at the end, "And please, do not kill the Emperor."

Rinzler gestured for him to lower his head to her height so that she may whisper only into his ear. From the onlooker, she made it look and sound like she was threatening him, but she was only trying to explain. "He's not yet a full man; he has much to learn from more experienced people in this world. And I hope that learns from the chaos he's created this day. His teacher does not need to be a fist, but pain. That is the only way people may learn from their mistakes. His own father failed to learn, and so the Emperor must learn from his own follies."

Pulling away from the conversation, she shouted at those who were not dead, "Now, if you are on your arse, GET UP and assist Mistress Thricecoined. I do believe we need to honor our fallen with a proper burial!" Rinzler strode to pick up the men and bring them to the camp for the honoring of their lives given today.

Freshet
RatKing
Zerohex
Gaius Danius Griinia

 

[Noct]

The sounds were gone, the intruder got away. Damn. Pentario was then attracted by the vicious ranting occuring so he listened in. The knight of 2 had certainly brought up some points, how much of it was alchohol inspired was yet to be seen. What Mickey was doing was a stupid, yet brave act. Actions of those in charge should be criticized, a fool who surrounds himself with yes men only has the thought of himself. When the brash Emperor left Pentario chimed in.

"Mickey, I would watch what you say. The boy is young and arrogant, your harsh way of putting things may only cause your own downfall. The way to get through with these types is to let them watch from their own mistakes."

Pentario looked over to make sure the others were doing fine burying the fallen.

"Even with his faults, he sure as hell is a lot better for the growth of the kingdom than his old man was. He has room to grow as a leader and I believe a warm touch is the way to go on this."

Rinzler then spoke telling those around her to help with the burial procedures. Pentario walked to help them, thinking if the many lost young lives. Is this truly better?

Zerohex

 

[RatKing]

Septimus stood up and listened closely to what Trinity was saying as she grabbed the corpse of a fallen soldier that the Knight of 2 had brought out earlier. “My goodness” he said under his breath as he got a good look at some of the corpses that were brought out. Some were terribly charred, others had incredible physical trauma, and some even looked like they had limbs blasted off from an explosion.

From what he could gather from Trinity’s words and from how angry Mickey had looked was that there had been some foolish actions committed by some individuals that lead to a great number of needless casualties.

“I’ll help however I can. These soldiers deserve a proper burial somewhere better than this snow and undead covered field for their service” he said in reply to Trinity's request as he too grabbed one of the corpses by the torso and started dragging it towards the camp. Strength was never his specialty but Septimus was determined to do his best to help get the fallen soldiers somewhere better suited for a burial.

As the two approached the camp they saw a group of soldiers turning on Mickey. Suddenly Trinity had started shouting in anger at the soldiers for even daring to point their spears at the Knight of 2 and that their services would be put to better use helping move the corpses of the fallen soldiers. From there the situation only escalated as most of the soldiers had listened to what Trinity had said while Mickey simply pushed past those that remained as he proceeded to tell the emperor off for his careless actions. Just in the nick of time, however, the Knight of 0 soon arrived on the scene before things got much more out of hand and took control of the situation.

Septimus wasn't sure quite what to make of all this as helped in the effort to provide a proper burial for the fallen soldiers. It was clear now that whatever mistakes happened the emperor and even some of the Knights had a role in it. Sept did know one thing for sure though. As the new Knights of Sumaru’s first time working together things certainly were not off to a good start

 

[RubyZoo]

Keeping to the shadows again, Skyler watched the camp doing the burial for their fallen comrades. No one seemed to notice how the pile of the dead seemed to move closer to the camp. She didn't dare make a sound, knowing that's what gave her away. She kept watching the camp with interest.

 

[Remmock]

Myrrl was panting heavily. The large chest swelled the plate armor as he walked, a nine foot tall mountain of flesh and armor bearing three massive spiked and curved shields dripping gore and speckled with gobbets of undead meat. He was doing his best to catch his breath. Flecks of foam clung to his fur around his mouth, and his tongue hung in plain view. It was normally pink with black spotting, but now the pinkish parts were a striking scarlet color. The Gnoll was surprisingly careful to wade through the flow of people moving away from the camp or toward it as he was.

Arriving meant the sound of raised voices, a tilt of his head following as he perked an ear. The banded strips of metal protecting the back of the ear rose, then fell as he determined that the shouting voices didn’t have to do with fear. Fear meant more fighting, which meant more pay. Pay was good, because it meant fixing equipment. Because this was not fear, it meant no pay. Mickey and Trinity’s words meant nothing to him beyond that. As he looked about between banners and insignias, it was becoming clear that he was lost. He finally took to looking from person to person. “Quartermaster?” he asked. The massive head swiveled side to side, his breathing slowing. The traditionally laconic beast had no need to shed additional words, especially now as his stamina crawled back.

Those he asked or who were around him simply ignored him. They had problems of their own without a beast like him looking over them. “Quartermaster? Quartermaster?” He kept looking from face to face, each turning away to focus on what they had to deal with. But a mercenary had to get paid, and he was ready to get his coin and move on. The sound of further commotion drew his attention back to the yelling from before, however. One word pierced the screening veil. “Gold.” He turned, heading for Mickey with all the simple direction of a child. He walked past those digging graves, pausing momentarily to look before moving again toward Mickey. “Quartermaster?” he inquired with a louder call.

Zerohex Gaius Danius Griinia Noct RatKing

 

[Juju]

"Wha-?" the words didn't even have time to leave Yuki's mouth before Kuto snatched her up and teleported them both away. When she looked back to where she once stood there was a small crater, its rim still smoking from holy wrath.

Every strand of fur on Yuki's tails was puffed up from her near-death encounter with the magic barrier and she could hear her pulse roaring in her ears. "SorryIdidntseeitareyouokay." she sputtered out while pulling herself up. 'How am I supposed to save my people when I can't even save myself?' she thought, biting back the despair. Kuto, of course, was already preparing for a counter attack and she only had to follow his line of sight to find the source of the blast. A group of priests stood at the gates of the broken town, each of their faces holding a look of grim determination. A dreadful realization then bubbled up. If the priests had survived did that mean the red knight lived too?

Yuki couldn't help but flinch a little at Kuto's comment about their survival. It was her fault. [font=Finger Paint"They should have all died when I.. when the temple collapsed."[/font] For better or worse, Kuto didn't seem to be listening to her explanation. Red energy laced in black surrounded his form, causing Yuki to back up a little. He focused it for a moment, forming a ball of energy and muttered something.

"Diablo. Mark III"

With one movement of his hands the priests, houses, and everything in front of him was consumed in hellish fire and electricity. The heat burned against Yuki's face and she had to squint her eyes against the surge of displaced wind. When it was over, there was a shallow channel in the ground that stretched from where Kuto stood to the edge of the forest. Yuki was well aware of his power, but in the same sense she never quite got used to it.

'I can't be a burden... I have to be stronger.' she decided, a spark of determination igniting in her chest.

"This way!" she said, leading the way into the forest. The pace she set was brisk at first, but she slowed it down a little when she heard the sound of Kuto's heavy breaths. Not to mention the snow was pretty deep.

Interaction: Gohan510
Mention: KnightOfNight ;^)

 

[RubyZoo]

Skyler headed back to her camp out area, getting ready to pack her things and leave. When she gathered everything up, she headed back toward the camp and watched again. This time, if anyone noticed ger, she would be ready for a permanent leave.

 

[Gohan510]

Kai and shadow were blazing through the forest as they dodged all trees in the way. Kai could see an opening something similar to the middle of the woods. He signaled his horse to stop as Kai looked around, he turned his head to the left and saw there was another explosion as bigger smoke came out to touch the sky. “Like I thought they’re in need of Sumaru Knight’s assistance!” Kai spat out as he signaled the horse to push on towards the direction of the smoke.

‘It is iur duty to protect right? Then this is only right for me to push on.’ Kai thought to himself as he rode towards the scene. He had hoped Septimus told the others of his side mission and would send back up if needed.

As they got closer the sky was grayish, it was being coated by smoke. There was debri all around as pieces of buildings flew this far into the forest. “This isn’t good!” He told his horse as they continued their stride. A girl ran past his him and his horse, but he didn’t pay to much attention until bam, a hooded figure ran after her, in his mind it was a chase. “Halt!!!” Shadow dug its fetlet into the snow and stopped. “Stay here buddy.” Kai jumped off shadow into the trees going from branch to branch trying to catch up.

“I am Knight 1 of Sumaru! Kai Ace Takeshi, and I command you to stop this chase after the girl!!” The man didn’t stop so Kai flashed stepped downward towards the man.
Mentions: RatKing
——————
Kuto looked at Yuki run off and he followed after her. He kept up alright, but the snow was what made it more of a challenge. Kuto put his hood back on as they ran off into the forest. He could hear the screams from even where they were at as they ran into the forest, no matter it didn't mean much for Kuto as he kept pushing on, he thought it was annoying to even to still be able to hear them. The flames even spread out into this forest which made even the poisonous frost flowers to gas up leave smoke clouds of death near the town.

"Keep your eyes open Yuki for anything coming in our way." As soon as he said that to her he heard a voice kind of familiar, it was getting closer as they continued to run. Kuto turned, but at the wrong moment as he was tackled into the snow. His hood still covered his face as he struggled to get the boy off of him. Releasing a small portion of magic he sent a shockwave to push Kai off of him. Kuto flipped back to his feet and instantly created a fireball launching it at Kai. The boy seemed to block it with his sword. "Damn, a Knight. Actually perfect, something important to the emperor." Kuto stated signaling Yuki to hide in the tree's and create anything to aid Kuto in this fight. Also for her to keep scout of any more coming out. "So, Knight of One, Kai Ace Takeshi. Do you know who I am?"
Juju

 

[RubyZoo]

Skyler smelled the smoke and turned around, seeing the smoke from a distance. She quickly ran in that direction to see what was going on. She saw the town in flames and tried to the what she could do. She covered her mouth and nose quickly with her sleeve of her dress. She ran in and saw some towns folk running out. She helped them out quickly, telling them to head out further but then wait for the others. She went back in and did the same for some other people. When the last people went out, she went back in to check if their was anyone else. When she was sure their was no one else, she turned to head back. She saw a building that looked idly familiar. She tried to think why and it soon came to her. This was where she grew up. And where she decided to live in a forest forever, traveling randomly. She started to get light head, thinking about it and by all the smoke around her. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

 

[Juju]

Yuki ran off into the trees and shifted forms as soon as she was out of direct sight. Her white fur blended in perfectly with the snowy landscape so she didn't need much cover but just to be sure she ducked beneath a thicket of frozen branches. From behind the curtain of bark and isicles she began to paint some backup, using the snow as her canvas.

"He's a fire user, so... hmm... resistant scales" she mumbled thoughtfully while her tails flicked around her, adding minute details to the creature. Claws, fangs and horns formed from the strokes of ink, laying lifeless in the snow until the final line was drawn. Then, in a burst ink a clawed paw reached out of the 2D painting and embedded itself into the snow beyond. The muscles along its elongated arm rippled as it slowly pulled the rest of its body up out of the snow and into existence. First to emerge was its horned head, then another paw, until finally in one last heave the monster leapt out of the ground. It landed in a heavy spray of ink-splattered snow and lifted up its head to sniff the air. "Kai." Yuki told it and immediately it snapped its head to The Knight of One. The beast crouched down in the snow and stalked towards the two men, its bladed tail trailing in the snow behind it. Once it was close enough it waited until Kai's back was turned, then it attacked.

A piercing shriek came from the monster as it sprung from the bushes to swipe at the knight. It only took a single paw to send the knight flying through the air to crash into a nearby tree (if successful). Much larger than the wolves Yuki had created earlier, the beast loomed above Kai and Kuto when it stood at full height and each of its burly forearms were about as long as Yuki was tall. Its powerful tail was twice its length and covered in blade-like spines along the edges, creating a deadly combination of brute force and precision. Eyes the color of blood locked on Kai, seeming to see nothing else but him.

Regardless if the first strike was successful or not, the beast relentlessly followed up with a second strike powerful enough to crush the tree Kai had been thrown at. Yuki watched her creation from a distance, her eyes tired yet proud. Creating something so elaborate and powerful had taken a lot out of the young kitsune so she laid in the snow with her head resting upon her paws and her fluffy tails wrapped around her for warmth while she recovered. From a distance she would appear as a mere snow poff.

But she was no simple snow poff.

She was the empress of the snow poffs.

Gohan510 Gohan510

 

[Gohan510]

“No who are yo-“ Kai couldn’t finish his sentence as a beast came to life before their eyes. “What?!” Using his sword Kai blocked the hit and crashed into a tree. He instantly ducked and rolled as the second attack came destroying the tree. “What is that?”

“Don’t worry.” Kuto slashed his blade at Kai while his back was turned.

Kai turned to notice Kuto tried to cut him as he barely blocked it, the force of the swing blew him back. The monster that attacked before tried to attack Kai again and successfully did cutting him in his back. Kai coughed uo blood.

Kuto kicked Kai back into a tree. “A knight of one being tossed around. How sad.” Kuto was about to take his hood off but decided not yet. “My name is Kuto. Night of one.”

“Kuto.” Kai said weakly standing up. As the beast came to kill Kai he looked up and his eyes resembled that of a dragon. “Get out the way!” Kai cut the beast up till nothing was left but the ink. Kai breathed heavily as he looked at Kuto. “Right. Now to what we were talking about, Kuto were you the cause of the wild fire?” Kai asked wiping his mouth of the blood. “That tag team had me on yhe run for sure, I like challenges like that.” Kai lifted his blade up to Kuto. “It’s you, me, and whoever the person hiding in the snow right?”

Kuto looked at Kai and smirked. ‘Those eyes say it all. The son of that dragon mom used to love so much, fire dragon emperor.’ Kuto said in his head. “Those eyes of yours. You were raised by a dragon weren’t you?”

Kai nodded from Kuto’s question. “Yeah.”

“Never killed a dragon kin before maybe it’ll be my first time. No not maybe, it will be. I know exactly your fighting style thanks to that monster.” Kuto is the first to attack, and uses his extreme speed, to shorten the distance within a few seconds of the beginning of the match, dashed into slash and Kai easily blocked it they continued slashing at each other as each slash connected with each other.

Kai is able to side step one of the slashes, and get in close to Kazuto, only to have Kazuto disappear, and reappear, nearly taking off Kai’s head. In the nick of time Kai blocked the strike getting blown back by the force flying into multiple trees. Struggling to get up Kai wobbed. “He has monsterous strength, and inhumanly reaction timing.” Kai looked at the palm of his hands in shocked.

Kai continues to block Kuto, who is now showing sign of fatigue. Kuto had realized that they were fighting at Kai’s pace, instead of his own like he had wanted. He noticed though that Kai was getting exhausted from just blocking. “You almost out? Already?!” Kuto continued the aggressive slashes.

Kai slid back while blocking. ‘Using only one hand has this much strength in his swings?! How?!’ Kai thought to himself. “You’re really strong i like it. This is fun really fun!” Kai started the attack but each attack was blockdd or countered.

Kuto easily blocked the attacks, but one of them almost cut him, his fast movements made his hood come off. Kuto jumped back a bit to gain some ground and tried pulling his hood over his face but it was a cut on the part that covered his face. “Damn.”

Kai eyes opened wide as he had seen those scars before. “Kazume?!”
Juju