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 Posted: Sun May 17, 2020 9:56 am
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Gypsy's preference for light armor was long since known to Gaelan. But, though he knew of their advantages, there were many enemies that you simply could not evade. He knew this well, that magics and powerful beasts could always outpace even a masterfully skilled warrior. Beyond this, the chaos of the battlefield could easily deprive a warrior of the space needed to dodge. Being able to endure was that much more important.
Still, for a lone warrior who avoids unnecessary battles, the mobility allowed by light armor could indeed be the difference between being bogged down and killed or getting away to fight again. So, Gaelan spoke no criticism. After all, Gypsy wasn't wrong. He had no doubt that mobility had saved her life a great many times already.
The antics of the rank and file were not completely unknown to Gaelan. He had commanded a small garrison for many years. But, it was rare for a gathering of them to become so rowdy as the officers in this mess hall. Perhaps in this time of peace the stronger drinks were made available to those of rank? Still, the naked 'warrior's brotherhood' on display was somehow disturbing. It made him think that the presence of a few more like him would be reassuring.
But, his thoughts were called back to the conversation at hand when Gypsy began to tell of the story between the King and Queen. Gaelan knew that these demons were long-lived, but to have a three century romance was still something that he couldn't quite grasp. He himself would likely live another century or two, but that was due to the combination of the inheritance from his parents and his training. So absorbed in the details of such absurd longevity was he that he almost missed Gypsy's insistence on her lack of maternal qualities.
He wasn't shocked by the admission.
The departure of the rowdy officers brought a soothing reduction in the ambient noise. Their destination was not something that he considered important. The doings of bored soldiers were as predictable as the movements of the stars and the tides.
He stood when Gypsy did, acknowledging her offer and her observation with a nod. The attention from the females had been obvious, even to one with no personal experience in romance. He was certain that he would feel more at ease when those excessively hungry... and openly intense stares were reduced. Still, at least some of them were directed at Gypsy instead of him. He followed quietly and calmly. However, there was a small part of him that cursed his lack of experience in matters of courtship. He could only hope that this demon race was more obvious than his own, even when trying to be subtle. Otherwise... misunderstandings may occur. |
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2020 11:37 pm
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Gypsy led Gaelan into the supply room and found the right slot for shirts for him, then pulled several and laid them on the counter to one side. She also pulled a few more of the nicer sets of clothes for him to choose from for visits to the castle, some more casual for when in his rooms, and some of the other basic necessities in clothing.
She also put him in the schedule for the leathersmith and blacksmith. They'd both need his measurements anyway, for future reference. All of that done, she bundled everything in one of the many baskets set off to the side of the room and passed it off to him.
"Keep the basket. You can put your clothes in that after you've worn them and they'll collect the basket on laundry day. Everything will get returned to you, but the basket keeps it all contained," she explained as she led the way back to the rooms.
"Leather is different. The leathersmith handles all of it. His apprentices do repairs and cleaning to start with, but he makes every set of fighting leathers and boots issued from the fort. Every trainee we 'graduate' gets two full sets of armor and leathers before they leave and can return here for replacements or repairs as needed. His apprentices go on to different outposts and some go on to work for higher ranking households. Same goes for the blacksmith," she continued as they moved through the hallways.
"I'll leave a note for Galen to get with you about which classes you want to take, so you'll be able to work that schedule out with him. He's the commander of the place and personally works out schedules for special cases such as yours. He'll also work things out with you on the training classes, both learning and teaching. I mainly teach my classes and train a few special students. The steward up at the castle arranges that for me," she finally came to a stop in the hallway outside their rooms and left him at his door.
She finally shrugged one shoulder, "It keeps me busy these days and keeps me from dealing with some of the idiots up at the castle. I still have to put in an appearance from time to time, but Lareth makes sure that I don't have to do much. I think he got the point when I punched one of the Barons once instead of dealing with him verbally," she had to give a small smile over the memory. It had been an epic moment...
She finally shook her head and shrugged again, "Well, I've got about a sparring match this evening before I can head to bed. So I'll let you get situated a bit more and get some rest," she finally gave him a nod and headed into her rooms to collect her weapons. |
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2020 11:28 am
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Red Gypsy The scent would be detectable outside his door for next few hours.
Gaelan found that the slight errors and omissions in his earlier treatment were being rather efficiently corrected. Gypsy seemed to be... a force to be reckoned with in more than one way. She also seemed to lack that subtle arrogance and indirect hostility that most of the females of Gaelan's prior acquaintance had possessed.
Taking the basket and assessing the general garment styles available, Gaelan kept his still developing opinions to himself. The time for commenting would come in due course. He was patient. He was observant. He was disciplined.
Then he actually dropped the basket in shock.
He immediately picked it up again without a word, but his mind was still racing. Two suits of armor for every trainee that succeeds as well as two suits of leather armor like Gypsy's! That's an immense expense for a single soldier. What kind of kingdom was this that they could afford such extravagance? No, he had to calm down. Perhaps the efficiency of manufacture had improved at the expense of quality? But, the armor that he had seen being worn by the soldiers on duty didn't seem sub-par. Although, there was a suspicious lack of enchantments. Perhaps that was it. The materials and time required for equipment enhancement and enchantment were often the greater part of the expense. But, it was still very rare for a single common soldier to have more than one suit of armor. Even officers would only have one spare, and it would be of inferior quality.
The craftsmen were well respected and valued, though their compensation couldn't be that far above their living expenses if they were being subsidized by the throne. The purse of a country was fed by the citizens. Perhaps the workings of this fort were different than elsewhere in the country? It's possible, if this place is the primary fortress where the elites are trained.
Gaelan nodded at Gypsy's words as they finally returned to their quarters. Though, it was study and training that he needed more than rest. He didn't have access to his preferred method of recovering energy but perhaps he would be able to...
"Thank you." He said evenly. He looked like he was about to say something else for a moment but Gypsy had already turned away and so he simply entered his quarters without another word.
Once inside, he set down the basket and busied himself sorting the clothing into various combinations and outfits in order to get a better grasp on the kind of looks that were expected at certain levels of formality. The garb that was clearly for the most formal occasions was of special interest as it would be what he was expected to wear during a royal audience. It was less flamboyant than he had expected. Simple and dignified but lacking any symbol of rank or position, it was well suited to Gaelan's current status as a charity guest.
With his assessments and outfit organization sorted out, he put the garments away and set the basket in the proper place by the door to receive any soiled garments as time went on. The fort likely had only a few dedicated or naturally driven people training outside at this hour. Most would be either resting in their chambers or returning from local amusements. It was the best time to test the stability of his essence.
He stood in the center of the sitting room, moved the table and chairs to corners where they would be safe from stains and incidental damage, and began his practice. The essence pathways in his hands began to glow as he concentrated on the complex series of movements and murmured spells that he needed. Tendrils of glowing, glittering, blue-green light extended from his hands and stretched out to touch their tips at a point about a foot off the floor. From this point, a shimmering orb of fluid light began to grow. First, it was the size of a bead, then it grew to the size of a small ball, then more and more until it was nearly three feet tall. The tendrils moved about inside the orb without ceasing even as Gaelan's concentration and breath remained steady. A shadowy shape began to form inside the orb. Tailed and clawed but curled up like a fetus in an egg, it grew and matured in shape as the minutes dragged on. Finally, after nearly an hour, the orb dissolved into a mist of green vapor and the creature was left on the floor, blinking and struggling to stand for the first time.
The vapor dissipated quickly but it left a lingering odor that was particular to magic involving essence. However, to those who knew nothing of such magics, the smell was like a combination of strawberries, lemons, ozone, and the scent of the ocean shore after a storm. Rich and heavy, the smell would not dissipate as quickly as the visible vapor.
The creature managed to stand after only a few tries, quickly becoming familiar with its muscles and standing firmly. It's posture was forward leaning and its clawed forelimbs curled nervously against its chest. Its head seemed slightly bigger than it should be for its body but it remained properly balanced with the aid of its robust tail. It's body was covered in fine blue scales that shone with a faint iridescence. All in all, it stood four feet tall and was five feet long from nose to tail. It opened its mouth to yawn and taste the air, showing a healthy pink tongue and ample numbers of sharp teeth.
Gaelan extended his hand as the glow of the essence working faded. While this gesture seemed simple to the eye, there was an invisible change in the room. Gaelan's presence seemed to suddenly expand to immense size and pressure. It was as though he had become a mountain of power, radiant and indomitable. His commands could only be absolute. Obedience to him was natural. Submission was necessary as breathing.
This was the true mastery that the Pater Humantil had practiced. The projection of authority itself. The method required no magic but much discipline and carried with it a terrible burden of responsibility. This was not a method for controlling mere mindless constructs. This was a method for controlling truly living creatures that had their own instincts and desires. Through this method, armies of creatures could be kept under control. Shock and pain, trauma and loss could all be mitigated. Healing and adaptation could be sped and augmented safely.
But, this control could also be used to help a creature that needed to die. Accepting the inevitability of death and submitting to what must be were difficult for some creatures. People who had committed crimes that necessitated execution could also be made sedate so as to prevent escape attempts. In this present moment, this was a thing that Gaelan needed.
The creature closed its eyes and bowed its head, allowing him to lay his hand on its muzzle. The paths of essence glowed one more time, answered by the slowly building glow of the creature's own veins. Slowly, over the next quarter of an hour, the creature became less solid and its breath and small movements slowed to a stop. Then, at last, its body dissolved into a vaporous mist with the scent of essence.
The test was a success. The creation process had worked properly, as had the reduction. Gaelan's essence was stable. Now, he just had to clean up and hope that he wouldn't have to reveal this skill.
Thankfully, it didn't take very long to use a damp cloth to wipe down the surfaces in his quarters that had been exposed to the mist. The scent would linger for a day or two, but that alone shouldn't give anything away. After all, even Gypsy knew next to nothing about him. |
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 8:43 pm
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We are the 2nd burmois Shock legion
Al'gaan Daruun
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Al’gaan eventually parted ways with Galen, having been the subject for much frustration and humor, he finally made his way over to one of the vacant training rings and stood in the center of it for a moment. As everyone was done for the day and nothing pressing required his attention he decided that he’d take some time to hone his own skills as a wielder of magic though more specifically living magic, a unique magical skill that not everyone was fully able to tame, or for that matter use it, he was fortunate that his own legion did possess a few candidates that did have a talent for living magic, and surprisingly quite a few that weren’t energy based, lightning was a very good element as a living magic but surprisingly he discovered that there were quite a few that had an affinity for other elements and could control them which was wonderful in it’s own right. For Al’gaan it was natural that he would understand and have a very strong grasp on lightning magic, especially as a living element, after all he’d been created to do so, that was what made him so different from any other demon apart from his appearance which was very unique, and not very many like him remained from the very first batch of war demons ever created, not to say that there weren’t others like him out there, but there was little need for a war demon anymore especially one like him and in the end it was natural that those that still lived would either be commanders of their own legion or they were still foot soldiers and in the rarest of cases a retired soldier who lost a taste for war. Whatever be the case he was a dying breed of demon that would likely never be spawned again in the future.
Al’gaan still wore his armor, it was natural that he would wasn’t any reason not to, and simply moved his hands apart from each other and called forth the magic within. The Aura of magic that emanated from him was initially low in strength but quickly grew in intensity as his hands erupted in living energy. Anyone who knew him knew firsthand just how much strength he possessed, and those who’d fought with him knew how dangerous it was to be on the receiving end of such strength, he was a sort of wellspring of magical energy that didn’t seem to dwindle with use, not to say he wouldn’t get tired from it but he could seemingly call upon magic so easily and freely that his capability as a user of living magic seemed to be easily achieved with such strength. Before long a group of legionnaires started congregating around the ring he was in, those there knew what it was they felt since they’d felt it before on and off the battlefield, as well as a few new onlookers who’d suddenly felt it and were curious as to what it was that was causing such a feeling. Some of the legionnaires present were students of his who were learning to be officers and magic users, with a couple from this cohort who had an affinity for living magic, they were always the first to arrive since they knew what to look for when he started honing his skills, and all of them keeping a safe distance so as to not interrupt Al’gaan as he worked.
The Living magic came alive immediately, and engulfed him entirely, though it wasn’t causing him any harm since he told it so, and before long it expanded from him and pooled on the ground around him as his hands and arms slowly moved, his movement precise and methodical as he told the living energy what to do and it followed his instructions, it moved gingerly around him in a circle which grew as it expanded out and eventually was a barrier between him and those around the ring, a few legionnaires stopping those from touching it out of curiosity and simply giving them a shake of a head and pointed at Al’gaan to watch. It was a testament of the level of control he had already as the energy shot up into the air creating a large barrier shield around him before it dissipated and pooled around his feet. Al’gaan was keenly aware of those around him even though he had his eyes closed. Though when he opened them his eyes were a bright blue from the energy he was channeling and slammed all his hands together causing a wave of living energy to erupt in a bright light before it dissipated again. Motioning forward with one hand the energy moved like a serpent away from Al’gaan a bit before it stopped and coiled up for a moment before it grew in size and formed what appeared to be a golem of pure energy, it stood there looking at everyone around them for a moment before it stepped towards Al’gaan and placed a hand on his shoulder and immediately was absorbed into him. lowering his hands he briefly raised a hand for one of his students to come into the ring and opened his eyes as one using the same element stepped into the ring and stood before him. not worried as to why the student stood there confidently as Al’gaans glowed again and thrusting them forward the lightning erupted from his hands towards the student but was unharmed by the lightning as it engulfed him, Al’gaan had complete control and wouldn’t allow the energy to harm one of his legionnaires. As Al’gaans hands moved so to did the magic on the student and it moved around about his form, though before long Al’gaan lifted him off the ground which seemed to unsettle the student slightly while Al’gaan moved him about the ring before he placed him back on his feet and dissipated the energy on the legionnaire. Smiling Al’gaan approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder and spoke up “it’s alright, it is never easy initially but slowly you do get used to it especially when you need to use it to get around the battlefield quickly.” Al’gaan gestured for him to return to the others and regarded everyone around him “living magic, as some of you are aware of is a very hard thing to learn, and even harder to master. This kind of magic requires you to remain in complete control of it even during battle. Let this be a small lesson to those learning it, initially you’ll struggle to tame your chosen element but once you do as I demonstrated you too will be able to command that to surround someone without hurting them, but in order to do so you must first understand the emotion around your element, and use that emotion to your advantage, but above all, you must remain calm even during the fiercest of battles. It isn’t easy but with time and plenty of practice it is achievable.” Grinning Al’gaan brought his hands in close to him his hands glowed brightly “and once you do you’ll be able to achieve feats like this” immediately his hands moved in four directions magic erupting around every person around the ring and clad them in lightning based armor which on the battlefield would protect the user but also deflect attacks directed at the user and in some cases completely nullify it. But Al’gaan wasn’t done there as he moved the energy away from everyone immediately the ring filled with multiple humanoid size familiars that were equipped with various different weapons but were also independent from not only each other but also Al’gaan which made it easy for him to command since each one could operate autonomously so long as Al’gaan allowed them to continue to exist.
Around the ring gasps of amazement could be heard as most had never seen so many familiars as Al’gaan had displayed, not so say that his legionnaires hadn’t seen the lightning golems before as they too were a type of familiar he could call upon through the living magic but easily a dozen or so familiars that were humanoids was something none had seen before except for those who’d known him for a while and knew of his exploits as the lightning commander. Eventually he waved his hand across the ring which called back the familiars to energy and each one of them looked at Al’gaan and bowed their heads before disappearing leaving only Al’gaan in the ring, all the while his aura had intensified for a moment before it just seemingly disappeared without a trace. Al’gaan was strong but there were time even he had to let some of that energy out, though only a few really knew his potential as a war demon, and one who knew the kind of devastating power he could unleash if not kept in check which was partly why he was a part of Lareth’s court, after the last war Lareth felt best to make sure that Al’gaan had limiters on his capabilities in place as a safeguard for not only the realm as a whole but for Al’gaan’s sake as well since Al’gaan given enough time could potentially burn himself out with raw magical power which while was an asset for the realm as a whole since he had been created to be a powerful magic user he was also dangerous to himself since he had no fear of using that power and in the past had used his raw strength to devastate the demon realms enemies and nearly getting himself killed at the same time. Admittedly Al’gaan would likely never see his full potential as a magic user since he couldn’t quite remember who had control over the five seals that limited his capabilities, it was possible that Hal knew but it was just as likely that he didn’t since it had been a long time since the last war and Lareth being Lareth he did tend to forget to document things like that.
Just as well he figured since there were no more wars to fight and no need for a war demon to go all out against a would be enemy, there was no need for the seals to be broken. Looking at everyone around him and spoke up finally “as a magic user always remember to not overdo it and drain yourself of your magic to quickly, magical strength comes from building upon it a little at a time, and if you do something to soon could mean the difference between life and death, so use good judgment on when and how much magic you use so that you don’t drain yourself to quickly” chuckling slightly he continued “and for pity’s sake don’t try and summon so many Familiars at once you’ll likely be drained and on the ground collapsed before you can put them to use” a couple of them chuckled a bit before Al’gaan dismissed them all to return to whatever they were doing, and before long most left seeing as the display of magical prowess was over, with a couple who were students of his lingering around to ask questions and Al’gaan all to happy to provide answers if he could.
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and we will crush you under our lightning swift attack! |
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Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:30 pm
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Gypsy walked through the gathered crowd and paused in her own ring, the regular trainees moving out of the way out of habit. Some of the legionnaires didn't, though. She simply waited a moment then realized that they were testing her on their own, in a way.
She shook her head slightly and worked out the safest way to handle it. In the end, her teetering control led her to a much more noticable show of force.
"While lightening is dangerous and impressive, there are other forms elements that are just as dangerous. And a few that are even more so when combined," she said loud enough to get plenty of attention. The legionnaires still standing in her training ring simply turned to look at her over their shoulders then looked back at Al'gaan, completely dismissing her in the process.
She gave a half-grin that several of the regular trainees took with a touch of fear and moved a good three feet further back. She had four of the idiot hulks in her ring and set them up to divide easily.
She didn't do a slow build-up as Al'gaan had done. One moment they were all simply standing there. The next, two were surrounded by flames that moved over their heads while the other two were surrounded by pure shadows. She'd divided the circle perfectly, containing them all with surprise as much as the elements.
Then she walked with slow and deliberate steps around each one of them, "Fire is good for burning just about anything, as you all know. But it can also suck away oxygen and cause you to pass out in a matter of moments, cauterize wounds, blind an opponent, drive animals towards your enemy, or simply frighten the hell out of them. Shadows can blind your enemy, disorient them, muffle sound, lead them in the wrong direction, provide echoes, and even transport them to a different location," she gave her lesson then turned that half-grin on the legionnaires still trapped by her abilities.
"Then there's another aspect to elemental power... For that one, I'll let you out. No sense in killing you for being stupid, after all..." she actually nearly purred the last sentence, the sound actually making the regular trainees back off even further.
She lowered both elements and watched as the legionnaires moved out of her training ring at a good pace then moved back to the center of the ring then turned to look at everyone, "The other aspect is the ability to combine elements. Everyone usually thinks of complimentary elements combined, and they are effective. But with age and knowledge comes the ability to combine those that aren't complimentary in the least..." she explained.
Then the two elements she had still going at ankle height suddenly moved into one element and moved up to her waist, "This is known as ShadowFlame and will eat through just about anything, stopping only when I command it to do so. If I start it and simply walk away, it will continue burning until there is nothing left within this ring but bedrock," she told them all.
Then she showed off a little bit. A ring of ShadowFlame surrounded each training ring in the inner area of the fort, trapping numerous soldiers. Including Al'gaan and those standing with him. She lowered those fires then called up a layer of ShadowFlames above everyone's heads, held it for a few moments, then allowed it to go out.
She finally moved over to the four idiots and tilted her head at them, "Next time someone wants to use one of the rings, get out of it. Use some manners. Just because you're a soldier doesn't mean that you ignore basic manners," she told them simply then took in the looks on their faces and made a different point.
She moved fast and low, sweeping their feet out from under them in a movement that caught them off guard and had them landing on their asses in the sand, "And never try picking on someone shorter than you are, boys... We're lower to the ground, have a better center of gravity, and are usually at the perfect height to ensure that you have sex again..." she added as she dusted her hands off and moved over to Al'gaan.
"By the way, Cynthia has decided to add a Manners Class for Lareth's army. Apparently she wants all of Lareth's soldiers to be able to mingle at any of the formal affairs Lareth might call them up for. And any of the military is up for grabs as escorts, dinner partners, and even dancing partners. Apparently Lareth said something about only his soldiers being good enough for his kids, or something like that... So it's now conversation, table manners, deportment, dancing classes, knowledge of ranks of the nobility, and proper dress..." she let him know about the new class, knowing he'd see the sense of humor in it.
She finally turned on her heel and headed for a different set of training rings. She did have two special students this evening, after all. And there was the promised sparring session with Al'gaan...
But someone else was watching her walk away with a different expression, easily hidden in the dispersing crowd. The expression was quickly cleared as he moved away, but knew he'd get his chance soon enough... |
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 4:29 pm
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We are the 2nd burmois Shock legion
Al'gaan Daruun
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Al’gaan stopped what he was doing when the walls of shadowflames appeared around him and those who’d been talking to him and briefly engulfed his hand in shadow as he touched the wall finding it to be quite fascinating but sighed slightly when it dissipated, admittedly he was aware of the combination of elements and under normal circumstances regular magic would be easily blended perfectly regardless of the elements in play and there were plenty of times he’d done so without the use of living magic. Living magic on the other hand tend to reject any kind of additional element being blended into it, and tend to be disruptive to the user when he or did so, to a degree he could blend living magic with regular magic and it not immediately blow up in his face, though that was long before the seals were put in place and when his capabilities weren’t restrained. Now he has to make do with what strength he has which is still considerable but not even a quarter of what he could use back then. Now if he forced living magic to blend with anything else it would just fizzle out and leave him with nothing, or blow up depending. Reaching down to his waist he could still remember the last time that he attempted to blend magic with living magic, it wasn’t very kind when the devastation was revealed.
Sighing again Al’gaan could only envy those who were so fortunate enough to not have their hands tied behind their backs because of their magical strength. Though immediately it was clear he had to deal with an issue that was clearly becoming a problem, though before he could say anything Gypsy stepped up to him and gave him quite a surprisingly bit of information about what future classes held for his and every legionnaire and soldier in the realm. Unfortunately Al’gaan couldn’t help but chuckle, the Queen really was an optimistic one and spoke up “interesting, well best of luck in that regard, I can think of quite a few war demons who aren’t the best with formal gatherings for a reason, and one or two who’d find it quite amusing when they hear about it. The regular line of demons I’m sure will take to their teaching quite well, those who are like me, I’d say you’d get more from trying to teach a rock than them.” Pausing for a moment as he noted who had been disrespectful and would deal with them later on before he continued “sad to say when we were spawned, not very many of us were given the knowledge or understanding of being a nobleperson and of those of us who still draw breathe fewer still that remain that were taught to be leaders. Not to say they are not capable but my brethren weren’t exactly made to be social but to be tools of war. What few commanders who are like me more likely tolerate social formalities over actually being an active participant, and myself being among a very select few who actually enjoy such gatherings to if nothing else catch up with old comrades and talk of times long past” chuckling again he watched Gypsy walk off to one of the other rings clearly she had other arrangements tonight and if anything was curious though before he could do anything a couple of his legionnaires caught his attention and wanted to ask some questions, obviously Gypsy’s display had made them curious and was going to have to help them for the time being.
Off in the distance the Primus couldn’t help but shake his head at the display, and just continued walking around. The commander may not have had anything pressing to deal with but his job as an officer wasn’t really done especially since he had been put into rotation as the officer in charge for sentries on duty, he was capable enough and he made sure that things got done as needed, walking over to the stairs to the walls he couldn’t help but have his eyes directed towards the darkness that surrounded them, having been around for nearly as long as Al’gaan, he’d seen most of the wars Al’gaan and his legion has been apart of so he couldn’t help but be slightly more alert at night than most, it truly did amaze him how Al’gaan could sleep so soundly at night and stir instantly at the first since of trouble, he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him having a sixth sense that always seemed to alert him of trouble, he couldn’t count how many times that sense has gotten them out of trouble. As he continued to walk, he would check with the sentries along the wall noting any changes to the norm which would be reported to both the base commander and Commander Al’gaan. Eventually he looked into the compound and noted Gypsy at one of the training rings, curious he stopped walking and leaned up against the barrier to watch and see what she was going to be doing tonight.
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and we will crush you under our lightning swift attack! |
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 5:20 pm
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Gypsy's first student was being trained in hand-to-hand, a female from one of the outer clans. She'd been nervous at first but was now fully able to take on Gypsy without cringing after giving a hit. There were a few other trainees who were watching the bout, though for most of them it was the usual issue of the proverbial 'cat fight'...
Finally, Gypsy gave a roll of her shoulders that tossed the girl to the edge of the ring, landing with a frustrated sound then acting as if she were hurt. Gypsy ignored it, "You didn't land that hard, Zarrah. Get up. If you want to quit, tell me now," she told her simply, putting a hand on her hip as she waited.
The girl gave a growl of annoyance then got to her feet with a glare for Gypsy, "You think you're all that important? You won't be for long..." she growled out then crossed her arms, "And I am out of here. I've already got my plans set and don't need any more from you," she added then headed for the gate.
Gypsy just shrugged one shoulder and looked towards a nearby bench where here were a few others waiting for her, motioned for the next one and continued with her training. These were all trainees with special requests. They were either children of nobility, had been singled out because of special skills, or were being assessed for further training in one of the specialized units.
She worked on them all one by one; some with hand to hand, some with weapons, and some with a different special ability. Some didn't take her more than a few minutes, some more than that. In the end, she turned to assess the training grounds and noted that she was mostly alone. There were a few other trainees and commanders here and there, but she was alone otherwise.
She moved to sit on a bench to take a moment to herself to simply breathe. She wasn't noticing the gold-kissed tone of her skin was slowly shifting to become more noticable, didn't notice that she was drawing a bit more attention than she would want...
This was usually when she had her personal sparring matches. But she didn't even see Al'gaan out here and was guessing that he'd lost interest in sparring with her tonight. Well, she didn't mind going to bed early for a change...
Of course, she wasn't focusing a well as she usually did. So she didn't notice that she was being watched again.... |
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:04 pm
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We are the 2nd burmois Shock legion
Al'gaan Daruun
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The Primus was slightly amusement by the trainee that had clearly been a noble child by the way she acted and left, he glanced over to a sentry close by and gestured for them to have the gate opened when they got there, who took off without question towards the gate in question to notify them to open the gate. Shaking his head as he started walking off along the wall making his rounds as he usually did, his eyes glancing over to the ring Gypsy was working with some trainees one on one. Eventually he finished his rounds and ended where he started close to where the training rings were and finding it quiet for the most part, with some around here and there but for the most part it seemed like most had turned in for the night or were elsewhere. Looking over to where Gypsy was working with Trainees he noted that she was sitting on a bench, though even from where he stood he could tell something was off about her and decided to walk over to see if she was alright.as he walked over to her he noted that a few trainees were still about, as well as a couple of legionnaires and stopped where he was and spoke up in a loud voice “HEY! GET TO QUARTERS ON THE DOUBLE, YOU’VE GOT AN EARLY DAY TOMORROW!” the trainees didn’t immediately do anything, the Legionnaires on the other hand took off without delay to barracks, he was going to have to find out who they were later and have a chat with them about that and continued walking towards Gypsy. As the Primus got closer to Gypsy, he could tell the golden tint in her skin and found that quite odd “are you alright Ma’am? Saw that you were sitting here and figured I would check up on you” He stood there close to the bench she sat on, a hand resting on the pommel of his sword that was at his side.
Al’gaan had forgotten about his sparring session with Gypsy, having been tied up with dealing with his men who had plenty of questions to go around he had been distracted as a result though even as he had been speaking with most of his men at the ring, something had been occupying his mind, his senses were aware though what the issue was he couldn’t quite figure out, his senses had never let him down when something was amiss and had returned to his room to collect his gear. In wars past his senses could usually pick up on trouble moments before it happened, though in a time of peace such as this he couldn’t quite understand what it was that was wrong that would have him on edge. As he approached his room the scent of things that shouldn’t be there caught his attention which threw him off quite a bit. His eyes narrowing as he stepped forward a bit, it almost appeared to be coming from the man’s room who’d been brought here, but what was odd was if he had done this what was he trying to do that left a scent like this and why wasn’t it masked, even in wars past he found it hard to believe anyone would think that leaving a scent like that around here wouldn’t attract attention of anyone coming through or for that matter cause someone to question why it was there to begin with, the fort didn’t usually have anything like that, or was close to the ocean which made that scent very much out of place, though what intrigued him was the nature in which was around, he couldn’t put his finger on it but the method was almost recognizable, and was something he would have to look into later, provided time allowed, stepped back and opening his door leaving it wide open he stepped over to a chest that was off to the side and well out of place with the décor, he stepped over to it and opened it up revealing his rifle, ever since the last war he kept it locked away and had it brought wherever he went in that chest, it wasn’t at all heavy, a single person could carry it if they felt compelled to do so, though this came along after he’d been onsite for a few days. He pulled it out of the chest and almost immediately it came to life with magical energy. Al’gaan didn’t have to do much to channel energy into it, and could use it to channel attack spells through it as he needed to. Al’gaan’s aura of energy grew to a noticeable level, as he slung the rifle onto his back, the armor having a slot built in to function like a holster for that particular rifle, the rifle in itself wasn’t all that big but it was still dangerous in the wrong hands since you had to understand how to channel magic into it but also had to understand the weapon itself since not all would understand how much energy to give, this weapon had been built for him and had the capability of accepting massive amounts of energy if one knew how to fill it correctly. Growling slightly he decided that it would be best to mask his presence and took to the shadows without hesitation, the shadows in the room closing in around him and masking his magical and physical presence, to anyone who might sense it just as quickly as they would feel it, it would immediately disappear without a trace. Al’gaan now on the hunt for the reason why he could sense danger would remain in the shadows and move silently with ease, anyone who might be awake would be hard pressed to see him in the shadows since he completely hid himself in them which allows him to move unhindered, something didn’t feel right and he wanted to know why.
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and we will crush you under our lightning swift attack! |
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 7:32 pm
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Gypsy looked up as Primus walked up and gave him a hint of a smile, "I'm fine. I was waiting to see if Al'gaan was going to show up for our sparring session. I guess he decided to pass on it tonight. It's fine, though. I think I could use an early night for a change. It's been a long day, after all," she told him calmly, noting his caution but not the reason for it.
She got to her feet and started heading for the barracks entrance with Primus falling in beside her, still looking around suspiciously. The rest of the trainees finally started heading inside as well, staying ahead of them.
"Don't mind the other trainees. They usually try to stick around to watch my sparring sessions. Especially the new ones. They seem to think it'll give them an edge in training later," she pointed out the reason for so many trainees still hanging about then ignoring his shout to head inside.
Then it happened...
Someone moved in through a flash of light behind them and landed into Gypsy, taking her down hard with a surprised grunt. She rolled across the sand with her assailant, both of them exchanging hits on the way as the few remaining trainees scattered. They didn't want to be anywhere near the fall out from this one...
Gypsy finally broke away from her attacker and rolled to a knee with her sword in her left hand and a dagger in her right, though the movement of pulling the blades had been lost in the initial struggle. Her attacker faced off with her in a low crouch, face and hands covered with a material they could see through but she couldn't identify the attacker.
That meant that she was the focus of another assassination attack...
She was used to them these days, though. Since they couldn't get to Lareth, Cynthia, or the twins, Gypsy was a logical target to attack the throne since she was still considered Lareth's sister-in-law.
She slid one foot to the side then used the movement to pull her to her feet so that she could sidestep in a circle with her opponent, both of them eyeing each other for a line of attack. The assassin was armed with two daggers, and probably another hidden blade somewhere.
They moved in and out with fast attacks, each of them gaining smaller wounds as they tried for the advantage. In truth, anyone interfering could cause Gypsy to be distracted and get her hurt badly. So even Primus had to back off for now.
The assassin managed to get his arms around her from behind, but she dropped down through his grip and rolled between his legs to slice him up the back with her sword, though he moved quickly and managed to keep the slice shallow. They faced off again, grappled, sliced, backed off; repeat, repeat...
It seemed to go on forever, though it was only a matter of minutes. Then she saw her opening and moved, slicing through the artery in one wrist, twisting around the assassin, then slicing cleanly through the neck before coming to a stop with her back to the assassin.
She panted for breath a bit before pulling herself under control again, pulling a rag from her belt pouch to clean the blood off her blades, sheathing them, then approaching the assassin to find out who it was.
Big surprise... It was the idiot that had started the fight earlier... Apparently he'd worked himself in until he could get the chance to take her. Bad news for him, she wasn't that hard to kill...
She looked up and gave a nod to Primus that it was safe now, then held a hand over the body to let the ShadowFlames consume it to ashes, "Third assassin this month... Lareth must be pissing someone off again..." was all she said about it.
Then, as Al'gaan stepped out of hiding behind Primus, Gypsy gave a small shiver as she felt one of the slices she'd gotten from the assassin. Primus wouldn't have noted it, but Al'gaan was the type to catch it. That shiver told her that at least one of the blades had been poisoned. She wasn't worried, though. She was immune to most of them, the rest just have her a bad fever. There were a few that were worrying, but they only made her lose control over her demonic needs. She'd just have to spend a few days back at her tower.
At least, that was what she told herself.
In truth, she needed to stay in her tower for about a week... She was already losing that control before the attack and even Primus was starting to show the effects of the mild pheromones she was putting out.
But with Galen passed out, there was no one to warn anyone of what was happening with her... |
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:04 pm
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We are the 2nd burmois Shock legion
Al'gaan Daruun
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Al’gaan caught the signs immediately and forced his way past the Primus who was immediately concerned as to what was wrong “Primus raise the cohort to arms, I want this fort swept for intruders, all trainees that came in over the last few weeks need to be detained and verified, as well as anyone who might have left recently, I’ll leave matters in your hands and make sure Galen has been raised from his sleep, he’ll need to be aware of what has occurred.” The Primus wasn’t sure what had happened apart from the attacker who’d been dealt with by Gypsy but he wasn’t going to question Al’gaan and snapped a finger to one of the sentries on duty who’d rushed forward when the fight began and went to sounds the alarm. “Commander what’s wrong?” Al’gaan noted that there was a pheromone in the air and knew she was undergoing a forced change as he noted the change in her skin being more pronounce in color. “Primus have a mount prepared and also get Galen immediately” the Primus didn’t hesitate as he took off into the barracks to get Galen. While he waited for his Primus to return with Galen, Al’gaan stepped towards her and held her in his arms “apologies, I should have reacted sooner to the threat, you might not have been put in a position such as this.” Being a war demon, the pheromones wouldn’t be as potent to him as it would everyone else, at least for a time, but he knew that he’d have to get her out of the fort before the pheromones became too powerful for anyone to resist. It wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened as a result of her getting cut, which made this all the more serious. Looking up he saw the very tired Galen standing with his Primus who saw Gypsy in his arms as well as what was going on and understood why. “Galen I need to get her out of here before the situation gets worse” galen nodded and replied “take her to her tower, she’ll be safer there” Galen stepped to the side suddenly when legionnaires started pouring out of the barracks the Primus taking his leave to address the cohort and begin the sweep Galen looking at Al’gaan questioning as to what was going on “you’ve had an intruder, there is possibly more, my legion will secure the fort and sweep it for potential threats. My Primus will explain” Galen nodded as he motioned them to follow, Al’gaan not allowing Gypsy to walk picked her up in his arms and followed him. Galen led them to stable where the horses were kept and stopped inside “the Primus told me you needed a mount, we have plenty available but none of them will get you to her tower quickly enough except one” Al’gaan couldn’t help but sigh and spoke up “fine we’ll take the one that’ll get us there quickly” Galen was hesitant to say anything and simply looked at Gypsy knowing she’d understand what he was suggesting.
Meanwhile the Primus didn’t waste anytime coordinating with the section officers and went about securing the fort as well as sending a detachment to go after the one who left and bring her back, at this point he couldn’t rule out the possibility that that noble child might be involved, and seeing as she was of nobility, that one would be detained and left for Al’gaan to deal once he came back since nobility tend to deal with their own, and he would be better equipped to deal with her.
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and we will crush you under our lightning swift attack! |
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2020 9:16 pm
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Wolfe Garm Exit at your leisure to her tower.
Gypsy, of course, protested being picked up. She swore that she could walk on her own. Once Galen had mentioned her tower, she figured out what was happening and gave a sound of annoyance over it. But she was finally firm enough about getting put down that her jab made Al'gaan grunt even as he grinned at her.
"Red can carry us both, but I have to saddle him," she pointed out. Of course, Galen just shook his head, "Red will carry you both without a saddle, as you well know. And Al'gaan can ride without one while keeping you contained. The last thing we need is an orgy exploding in the fort. Go," he told her firmly, earning a growl from her.
He looked at Al'gaan as Red was let out of his stall then simply allowed to move on his own out of the stable, "Primus and I can handle the situation here. Get her contained then get back here if you can," he told him simply then turned on his heel to head back to the business of the sweep.
Thankfully, Gaelan could be ruled out as a problem. He didn't know enough yet to bring in an assassin, much less who to attack.
Gypsy gave another protest as Al'gaan just threw her over his shoulder then mounted Red, the horse instantly knowing where to go. The beast really was that smart... |
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Posted: Wed Jun 17, 2020 10:41 pm
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We are the 2nd burmois Shock legion
Al'gaan Daruun
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The ride to the tower wasn’t dull since he had to juggle Gypsy and her insistence on riding normally, though her pheromones telling him that the last thing he needed to do was give her free reign so keeping her as comfortable as he could afford to and still keep her relatively under control was a difficult task. Thankfully red was swift and their ride to the tower was relatively shorter than it might have been otherwise. Holding onto Gypsy he couldn’t help but sigh a little as he got off of red and just gave him a slight nod before getting to the door at the tower. Al’gaan wasn’t sure to ask about a key when he tried the door and found it locked, and in very good condition, he could simply force it open but he might have to seal that door after getting her inside, so destroying the only barrier keeping her in and everyone else out was out of the option. Juggling Gypsy slightly and getting a knee to the face for his trouble he growled slightly as he invoked living magic and opened the door with a little bit of work on his part, to say it had been a long time since he had to use living magic to pick a lock was an understatement and likely would leave him with a fair few questions he’d have to answer later. opening the door with one of his secondary hands he stepped in and closed it behind him before he would put her down before he received another jab from Gypsy. Stepping over to the stairs he glanced around for a moment before he relaxed certain that no one else was around and just turned around to look at Gypsy, the pheromones had gotten stronger since they came in and while he was able to resist, even his willpower was being pushed to it’s limits and would need to be swift about making sure she was taken care of before things got to the point where he’d be stuck there for a while, not fully grasping the seriousness of the situation it was that simple act of kindness that would catch him off guard and likely force him to seal the door locking himself in with her until such a time as things settled down.
Stepping over to Gypsy he finally spoke up “Alright let’s get you comfortable and resting, you don’t need to be up and about anymore than is necessary” Al’gaan wasn’t really going to wait for an answer since she was already more annoyed than he’d care for, though it was possible that most of her irritability was the result of her forced change and simply ushered her upstairs since he didn’t see any room downstairs that looked like a bedroom.
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and we will crush you under our lightning swift attack! |
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 9:55 am
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Gaelan finished his cleanup and settled down to meditate just as the fort began to grow quiet. Training seemed to be coming to an end for the evening and soon the only soldiers up and about would be either devoted officers or the night watch. This fort, its soldiers were all in possession of innate types of magical ability. Formidable...
Thinking strategically, if Gaelan were to go all out, he had a good chance of being able to kill all of the regular soldiers of this fort. The higher ranking officers would be another matter, to say nothing of Gypsy and those veterans close to her level. Of course, such a hypothetical battle would be immensely draining and he would be on the run from the rest of this Demon Realm afterward. Still, it was important to him that he knew where he stood in the balance of power.
Part of him was uneasy without his creations around, but... that power seemed to be unknown in this new era. It would be reckless to display it for mere comfort and far safer to remain an unimportant warrior with some magic. It would have to be enough that he knew he could create them at need.
It had been quiet for several minutes when the muted sound of metal striking metal reached his ears. But, this didn't sound like practice. Years of experience had Gaelan on his feet and donning his armor before he finished verifying that the pattern of sounds was wrong for practice. He buckled his sword in place as he headed toward the door, noting that the clashing of steel had ceased. One way or another, the fighting was over.
Still, there was no way to know who had won or why the fight had occurred without investigating. His strides were swift but he did not rush and his guard was high. A sneak attack at night was one of the oldest and most reliable ways of capturing a fortification. Quiet was not always a soothing sound.
As he emerged from the building and came into sight of the area with the practice rings, Gaelan noticed several things in swift succession. First, the fight appeared to be over with traces of magic but no sign of a corpse beyond the ashes and no greater disturbance of the Fort's order and discipline. So, it wasn't an attack but rather an assassination or a duel. But, duels to the death seemed to be extremely uncommon since the consolidation of the current king's rule. Or, at least that was what the background knowledge he now possessed indicated. And, destroying the body of a dueling opponent seemed like it would be the height of rudeness.
Second, Gaelan spotted the Demon Steed riding away and out the gate with two persons on his back and no saddle. Highly odd. He had a strong inkling that the beast was unlikely to suffer just any passenger. Gypsy must be one of them. Though, the need for the other seemed concerning.
Third, the air was... spiced. There was a much stronger sense of Gypsy's allure in the area than there had been before. In fact, the strength of it bordered on some low strength charming spells. Gaelan was not completely in ignorance of this attribute of her bloodline, having faced members of her kind long ago. He was grateful for his training as well as the essence in his body. Between the two of these factors he had nothing to fear from such accidental bio/magical effects.
Finally, there was still one person in sight whose name he knew. Perhaps his questions would receive answers more quickly than usual. He strode toward Galen and greeted him with a nod before turning his eyes first toward the ashes and then toward the rapidly disappearing shapes that were riding away.
"Galen, was it an assassin?" He asked calmly, without wasting time. "How fares the target? Does Gypsy ride for aid?" |
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Posted: Thu Jun 18, 2020 10:39 am
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Galen shook his head as he gave directions to the trainees and sent Primus on separate tasks, "Actually, Gypsy was the target. Unfortunately, her bloodline meant that while she won the fight, she'll have to be isolated for about a week. She has a separate home at the castle that she uses when she's needed up there and for moments like this. Each time she's lost control in the past, Lareth really had no choice but to lock her in there. Last time was when her husband was killed. That one was brutal on her, and her home since she trashed the place when she found out about Kaljire," he explained simply.
None of what he was telling him was secret, though right now it was more that he was giving him information he needed. There were a few aspects about Gypsy that were kept behind locked lips, but he had a feeling that Lareth and Gypsy wouldn't mind this one knowing more about her. He'd just reserve the quiet stuff until later...
"We have the attempt taken care of, but we're making a sweep and background check of everyone. Admittedly, they've already had such checks, but we're making sure of it. That one was the idiot that started the fight earlier. Apparently he'd infiltrated a unit to work his way in here just to make the try on her, so Gypsy was the target. As Lareth's sister-in-law she's always a prime target, even if she is a widow now," he added, letting him know what was going on.
As they watched, everyone was rousted out of the barracks then isolated for questioning from a very special member of the fort's staff: the truthseeker. No one could tell her a lie. She saw through them every time.
The trusted guards were also sweeping the entire fort for anything else suspicious. While one had gotten in, Galen was making sure that there would be no more surprises in store...
"Al'gaan took her home. Hopefully, he'll be able to get back. If not, he'll have to help keep her contained," he added and shook his head slightly, "If he has to keep her contained, I don't envy him one bit... But like I said, hopefully he'll make it back," he finished with a shrug of one shoulder.
But off in the distance, Red could be seen coming back alone. So there was the chance that Al'gaan was walking back, but.... |
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