Retribution of a Fallen God

[SaigoKusunoki]

Aware that Abzadrael was fastly becoming a busy man, Maleus bowed and left without another word. He made his way through the Bastion, two handed blade slung across his back. He kept a grimace on his face, not necessarily of anger, but mainly to keep any Bastion soldiers from approaching him.

When he reached the court yard, he took a deep breath and shouted "Sa'an'ishar!"

He voice resonated hoarsely, cutting through all but the deepest parts of the Bastion. Without delay, the thirty riders that Maleus brought with him exited the guest barracks and kneeled at his side.

"Brothers and sisters, we have endured the atrocities of war spectacularly, but the test is not over. War approaches; do not fail our King."

Silently and in unison, they stood up straight and saluted. Their faces were set, determined. They were ready to die if need be. With a sharp, terse whistle, the jet black steeds that were holed up in the Bastion's stables crashed through the wooden gates, at their master's sides in seconds. The Naorond horsemen mounted before the Stableguards could complain.

"Be ready for my command. Until then, ignore everything."

And so they did. Despite complaints from the stableguards at the destruction of the stables, their words fell on deaf ears as the thirty riders stood unmoving, in formation five men wide and six men deep, eyes towards the gate. Their black cloaks flowed in the breeze, billowing around the flanks of their horses, their spears and two handed blades resting steadily on their shoulders. Gold-gilt crossbows rested in their laps.

Slowly, dust could be seen rising in the distance. The drums of war could be heard, and hoarse cries echoed through the vast valley that the Bastion was built into. Amuse, Maleus cocked his head and chuckled quietly.

"It seems, my kin, that the storm has arrived a little ahead of schedule."

*****

"No...no no no no..." Elvilad began to panic, rushing around his office, searching for his blade. "This is bad...oh Gods..."

His hand closed around his obsidian blade just as Sunev barged in, his door crashing against the wall with the force of her blow. She was armed and fuming. Elvilad noticed her eyes were no longer sewn shut but it did not fully register; his mind was too preoccupied.

"Elvilad the students have been assembled in the courtyard and grouped by class. What are we going to do about our guest?"

Elvilad shrugged. "It's up to him. He can reveal himself now or fight without any knowing who he is. It's his choice."

"For now, you will refer to me as Kauyon, warrior from the north."

Sunev jumped and turned around, not hearing Saigo approach at all. He was dressed as he came, wolf pelts wrapped around his face to hide his appearance. The spear he brought with him gleamed in the light coming through Elvilad's window. It was now Sunev could see the spear was made of a crystalline material, unknown to her at first glance, lavender in color.

"Aye lord. What shall we do with the students?"

Saigo smirked. "Well, this is what they were trained for isnt it? Have them arrange as they see fit; let their intuitions and training guide them. It's what I had to go through."

Saigo grinned widely, remembering his first days of combat. He remembered Emperor Tanata's gladiator pit, fighting and killing good and honest people, to get close to Tanata, to assassinate him. He fondly remembered the night his world was turned upside down, when Zerakath Gaos announced to the gathered Academy that Saigo was of royal blood, and then attempted to murder him. These times, Saigo looked back upon as a Trial by Fire...he would not be where he is today if those events had not taken place.

"Oh boy this is going to be good. I wonder if there are any out there like me...ready and willing to shed some blood."

*****

Phoenix was standing near the reflection pond, waiting for Auvrea. She told him to meet her here, should the situation worsen. And well, it was definitely worse. Dust was rising in the distance, and judging from the sound, it was barbarians on the warpath. The students were thrown into a panic, and though they were grouped together and ordered to not move until told to do so, many were crying and lamenting. Hopelessness was in the air, and even Phoenix's upbeat nature could not change that. He nervously fingered the hilt of his swords, and unable to stop himself, unsheathed them both in one fluid, practiced motion. He stared at his own reflection in the golden blades, and was surprised to see a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Where are you elf...?"

[SaigoKusunoki]

Maleus had no patience for being talked to like a child. He had no patience, not when he and his men were ready to risk it all for these pitiful humans. Breaking formation, he turned his horse angrily.

"I think, human, that the war drums currently being sounded outside your keep's walls is enough of an explanation. Now, while you and your men get into position, MY men are going to run circles around the enemy formations, and harass their flanks. I cannot do this if you do not move your men from my path. Move them. Now." his voice dripped with malice, but all sense of civility had left him; the field commander in him had taken over, and had pushed the politician out of the way. He did not care about his manners any longer. Not when there were enemies within blade distance.

[Ugainius]

Iarann sighed. "Well, a'least Humen-efl relations have stay'd the same" he muttered as he watched the Grand Marshal "talk" to the North Elf

[Astral Harmony]

Shalvanis was outside in time to watch the exchange between Maleus and the Grand Marshall. She cared little for it, but the information that was passed between them excited her. If the enemy was going to get here that fast, then she wouldn't have time to do any more hunting. She hadn't fought Morian's forces before, and was looking forward to seeing their skill firsthand.

[secretskull]

Villard had discovered an interesting fact; those who were in a low position were often ignored by those in a higher one, unless they were needed for some task. The Grand Marshal saw no pressing concern to listen to him, low ranked and unimportant. Not that he minded overmuch, it was a splendid opportunity to observe the events.

Villard supposed he was also guilty of the same thing, his eyes tended to slide away from the common soldier; he would have to work at preventing it.

He was making as much use as he could of his lack of attention, and he stood a few feet a way from the dwarf and watched, working hard to keep a smirk of his face. There were possibilities in this.

[Red Mage Black]

Black had arrived at the Bastion before the armies left the gate. "They were a little too slow." 'It was amazing how you were able to sneak past them.' "My steps are swift and silent. They couldn't hear a fly buzz past them if their minds depended on it."

As he was whispering what seemed to be himself, the cavalry had rushed past him in a lightning quick response. 'They're in quite a hurry. It's a pity they'll end up dead.' Black laughed at the very thought. Now the next task was to not be mistaken as one of the demonic soldiers. He walked calmly and quietly towards the building, a malicious grin on his face.

[SaigoKusunoki]

((OOC: Just saying now, in the heightened state of things, no one would be allowed to casually walk to the Bastion; they would be shot. By cannons. Lots of them.))

Maleus huffed at Abzadrael, and turned back to his men. Pulling his sword from his back, he issued his orders quietly, not giving the humans insight on how they fight.

"Brothers and sisters, harass them in the typical two-body fashion. We will split in half, fifteen and fifteen, and run along each of their flanks. I will take the right. Move out, and may you bring yourself glory before death."

As they galloped out, they got in a new formation; two elves wide, fifteen deep. In each group, one would be carrying a two handed sword or a spear, and one would have his or her crossbow primed and ready. Quickly, they arranged outside the keep's walls, a fine showing of discipline that none immediately broke in the face of the immense tide layed out in front of them.

Ten thousand of Morian's finest, the Legio Dominatus. Armed with two hand weapons of their choice, armored in black steel gilt in gold, they were a frightening sight to behold, even ignoring the fact that they were all at least seven feet tall. They stood in perfect marching formation, one hundred men wide and one hundred men deep. A single, impenetrable unit of death minded warriors. The drums were silenced as they stopped in unison, and a single figure stepped out of the front rank. He carried a large, two handed axe, and did not wear a horned helm like the rest of them; his skin seemed to shift and move, as if more alive than it should be. He hefted his great axe above his head and then swung it into the ground. The Naoronians were unmoving.

"You are soon to meet your end, elf. Come off your horse, and fight me one on one. With such a puny force, I should at least give you a chance to redeem your honor." the figure yelled

Maleus snorted. Wordlessly, he stepped down off of his mount and patted it three times, telling it to stay. Removing his dragonhide cloak, he pulled his two handed sword from his back and gave it a few test swings, it's honed edge cutting through the air with ease and grace. Maleus took a few steps forward, so that he was ahead of the Naorond formation, and stood at the ready, left knee bent and forward, blade pointing behind him.

Recognizing his go-ahead, the Legio captain charged with a mighty bellow. He closed the distance to Maleus in a blink of an eye and hefted his axe above his head in a powerful, disemboweling swing. Carefully and precisely, Maleus took one step back and turned on his left heel, letting the axe fall mere inches from his face. Reacting quickly, he raised his sword and swung left, causing the captain to have to drop his axe and roll to the side to avoid behind decapitated. Maleus was on him without hesitation, and did not relent or give him a chance to right himself. He subjected the downed captain to a series of small, quick cuts and jabs, none impacting skin but denting armor, but decided to end it by putting all of his might behind a downward thrust into the captain's armored chest. The heavy blade folded and tore through the blackened steel like paper, and penetrated skin, flesh, and bone with a wet, satisfying sound that made Maleus grin widely. Not giving him a chance, Maleus put his foot on the captain's crotch, yanked his sword free with a sloshing sound, and swiped his blade across his neck, severing his head effortlessly. The fight had lasted all of twenty seconds, and the Legio stood dumbfounded for a moment at how this tiny elf had taken out their leader so quickly.

Picking the captain's severed head up, Maleus remounted his steed with a neutral look on his face, though there was a hint of a smirk. He casually tossed the captain's head into the ranks of his men, bringing insults and complaints from the Legio soldiers. Maleus snorted and addressed his horsemen.

"The easy part is over, now the fun begins. Keep them confused until that dreadful human can actually do something worthwhile. Sa'an'ishar, prepare for glory!"

And so each two elf team set out, spear or sword armed elf on the side closest to the Legio, crossbow armed elf on the outside, firing in. Each group alternated direction, the first group with Maleus going right, then the next group going left, and so on. They ran dangerously close to the Legio's ranks, just out of spear range, and began firing at the unprotected necks of the invaders. If a Legio soldier stepped out of rank to attack an elf, he was impaled or cut down by the close combat-armed elf. Though the actual kill count was no great, the Naoronians were doing their job, disrupting the enemy and destroying morale. All the Legio soldiers could do was hold their weapons to their necks for protection.

Eventually, a warrior in the front rank assumed the role of captain, and ordered the forward march to continue. The Naorond harassment could not stop them; they moved inexorably forward over the killing plains, steel battering rams and ladders safely guarded in the middle of the formation.

Maleus cursed as he dashed close enough to decapitated a soldier, then quickly moved out of weapon range. "That damned human better be ready by now, we can't keep this up forever.

[PhoenixFlame]

Auvrea strode uncerimoniously toward Phoenix from an angle his eyes had not thought to look. Her battlestaff was held at ready, the saftey wrappings along it's bladed edges long removed. It was made in the ancient fashion of the Yan'alai, an ancient cloister of war magi, distant ancestors of the eastern elves, long forgotten. She had found it's schematics in a dusty tome back in her homeland, and over long years, assembled the replica herself. It's edges and runes glistened in the light like silver flames.

"I apologise for my la-..." Auvrea began, and her face turned to the assembled students with a look of abject horror. "No... Oh no." She said, mournfully. They lacked training, and they lacked hope. Without either, they would most certainly all not live to see day again. Auvrea lamented she could not give them both, but she had to try. Striding before one of the groups, Auvrea did her best to make her voice carry. In an act that was very unlike the quiet elf...

"Assembled Students!" She cried in a loud voice, which quickly softened to merely to it's baser, resounding emotion, "I know many of you have not seen battle. But I have, and it is a most painful experience that I wish you could not face, but we are the students of the Archanas Academy of Magic and Warfare! Warfare, is upon us now, and there is no escape. I want every one of you to know that every moment lost to hesitation is one that we lose to defend our home! If it were me, this news would not have been hidden from you all." A tear ran down her right eye, "But now, if you have not the heart to fight for yourselves, look to the person to your right! Can you stand by and let them die? I say no!"

Raising the ancient staff aloft in a triumphant yell that had not carried throughout the land in five thousand years...

"I say no!" She repeated, pointing the weapon toward the gate, "If I go alone, I will surely die. How many will follow me? I know without a shadow of a doubt that if we go together, we can break Morian's army here, even outnumbered! We have to break his army! We will break his army!"

"Are you with me, senior class? Are you with me, Archanas Academy of Magic and Warfare?" She finished, with one final request. Now, to see if it had worked...

[Ugainius]

Iarann charged, crashing into a group of Legio soliders. He decapitated one and began swinging Mauvbas left and right, forcing the enemy to take a few steps back or be hit full force by the great axe. A small group of fellow dwarfs how had come with him helped by attacking any solider how tried to surround and attack Iarann from the rear, but it was McClochanna himself who did the most damage.

"Tough old bastards" He mumbled as one of the Legio blocked his axe. Iaraan swiped downwards and caught the solider in the chest. He smiled "Not tough enough."

[Red Mage Black]

(Guess I'll stick with the Bastion)

Black watched as the armies launched several ranged attacks on the Legio forces. 'What will happen when they close in, hmmm? No matter, when at least one of you remains I'll drink your sweet blood. It is better when the adrenaline is pumping.' He simply walked through as if he was one of the inhabitants.

Latis glowed around his neck, almost as bright as the midday sun.