Knights of the Realm ch. 3: The Celebration - Page 9

Dante · 05-03-2005, 12:48 PM

Kratos had been performing just outside the main tent, performing the crowd favorite of picking benches up and lifting them above his head with one arm. It was a crowd favorite because traditionally, the entire family would occupy the bench, and in these parts, having five to six children was not uncommon.

Lowering his current "assistants" to the ground, he was just picking up his cannonballs to start juggling when he noticed something strange inside the central tent. It sounded like shouts and commotion, and then the tromping of metal boots on the wooden planks placed over the mud.

Then the Black Guard emerged from the tent, fanning out to rapidly cordon off and surround the immediate area surrounding his act. Behind them, he heard loud whistles blowing, and shortly after, he saw more Black Guards closing in from their holding positions outside the circus. One of them, wearing a helmet with a black horse-hair brush on the top, stepped forward and spoke in the loud, declamatory voice used to cow the masses.

Elevation, 31 degrees...

"By order of the King, you are all under arrest! Resistance will be met with force!"

Angle 28 degrees north-northwest...

A pregnant woman turned to ask why, and was promptly dashed to the ground by a mailed gauntlet. Her husband went over to assist but was forced back by a half-dozen pikes staring him in the face. Glowering at the expressionless visors of the Guard, he stepped back reluctantly, looking down at his wife, who was in obvious pain trying to get up.

Range, fourteen meters...

"Your comprehension is not required - only your compliance! Approach the restraining detail! Do not resist! Otherwise it will be harder on you!"

Weight of cannonball is twenty-six kilograms...

The woman was roughly jerked to her feet by one of the subordinate guards and shoved over to a group of soldiers with ropes ready. The Black Guard surrounding Kratos' audience closed in, gesturing with their polearms and herding the people to be bound. Their commander looked at Kratps, who was still holding the cannonball.

"Hey, get in li-"

...Now.

And how that sentence was going to end, the world would never know, because Kratos hurled the cannonball he had been holding straight at their commander. The man's head disintegrated in a spray of blood and brains, and Kratos was already running for the closest Black Guard, who drew his shortsword and tried to stab at Kratos.

He almost made it.

Almost.

Kratos saw the blow coming and quickstepped out of the way, then closed a massive fist around the soldier's sword hand as he pulled the soldier's arm out behind himself with an entirely unpleasant crack, then, fist still clenched around the soldier's weapon hand, he drove the shortsword clean through its owner's belly.

The Dragon Knight had already snatched up a pike from them, but he already knew that there would be no point standing and fighting. As he rushed toward the circus, a section of Black Guard moved to block his path. Kratos focused his inner strength, and his hand blazed with incandescent flame, and with surpassing speed and skill, he had slapped the metal heads of all seven pikes together and had melted them into a whole, all within the space of a single movement. As the guards looked puzzled at their weapons, Kratos shoved them aside before silently cursing his lack of a better weapon.

"No time to regret now..."

He burst into the big top and was surprised to see the prisoners herded to one side, with Roland looking down from his seating box upon the sawdust circle, as though it were actually an arena.

Without a warcry or anything that might alert Roland to his presence, Kratos ran up the stairs leadng to Roland's seats. Although stealth wasn't his strong point, he managed to somehow sneak by the sentries barring his way, occasionally helping them to sleep via a good sharp twist of the neck.

The next thing Roland knew was the sound of a stifled cry, and then the sight of Kratos holding Nerrana up by the hair, one leg expertly kicked out from under her, the other hand pinning her arms to her body and keeping her from struggling.

"Knight takes Queen, check. Let them go." He looked around and spotted his comrades bound to one side, far from the box but still visible to his eyes.

"Good move, Kratos. But it's not mate yet. You see..."

Roland snapped his fingers, and immediately, the other captured knights were stood up and had blades pressed to their throats.

"Rook castles King. I have but to give the word and all your friends will die."

"Knight takes Rook. I'm right beside you. I have but to reach out..."

"Ah, but can you? Your arms are occupied with Nerrana there. My guards are moving in to finish you off. And I can order them dead before you can drop her and silence me."

"Doesn't mean I can't gamble."

"But are you willing to gamble with their lives?" Guardsmen, ready!"

The sound of baring steel echoed throught the big top as the Black Guard drew their lethhally efficient shortswords, the razor-sharp ones optimized for city combat. The ones holding the knights sank their blades in deep enough to draw blood from their victims.

"King takes Knight. You should have thought better than to simply storm the Big Top and expect to come out victorious."

Kratos looked around, at the massed guards, at the prisoners, at the King's Guard surrounding him.

"Let her go and we won't kill you or your friends.... yet."

He noticed that while he hadn't been looking, about 4 of the Black Guard had entered the room behind him, with shortswords drawn.

With a tremendous clatter, Kratos cast the pike he had been holding to the ground. Instantly, a pack of Black Guard came up and manacled him securely, before leading him to the rest of the Knights. Before he left, he thought he could hear Roland saying something under his breath...

Checkmate, Kratos.

Lycanthrope · 05-04-2005, 06:24 PM

Pain. That was Devon's world now. He could feel a dozen bruises all over his body and his head must have taken a blow as his carainium throbbed with each pulse of blood. Several deep cuts stung along his back and his wrists... His wrists? And ankles too. As if they had been bound too tightly. What the hell was going on? Groaned and opened his eyes, only to shut them again quickly against the light which made the pain in his head all the worse. What had happened? Where was he?

Raiden · 05-04-2005, 08:33 PM

Thomas was dropped hard to the ground, small dribbles of blood slid slowly down his neck from a wound by a guard. It was a cheap trick, using the Knights against Kratos. Thomas rasped out to King Roland.

"So, Roland. You have the Knights in your claws. What are you going to do? Execute us publicly? Torture us slowly? Or maybe, just maybe, you'll come out from your wall of guards and explain what you're fucking doing!"

King Roland looked in Thomas's direction, but didn't look him in the face.

"Explanation will come. In time. Not here, though. Not amongst the common rabble."

Roland snapped his fingers. Several of the bigger guards came out from the crowds, brandishing large clubs.

"We shall have a discussion back at the castle. Guards! Bring the Hawk Knight to the throne room. Toss the others in the prison cells. As for the carnival folk, have them sent to the mass cells, in order for interrogation."

Thomas felt a strong hit to the back of his head. The guards with clubs had knocked out each of the Knights. As he went out, Thomas looked up at the guard, and his heart dropped.

The guard was an Englasian.

(OOC: New chapter coming up.)

05-04-2005, 06:24 PM	#82
Lycanthrope Deus Lupus Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The City of Angels Posts: 2,925	Pain. That was Devon's world now. He could feel a dozen bruises all over his body and his head must have taken a blow as his carainium throbbed with each pulse of blood. Several deep cuts stung along his back and his wrists... His wrists? And ankles too. As if they had been bound too tightly. What the hell was going on? Groaned and opened his eyes, only to shut them again quickly against the light which made the pain in his head all the worse. What had happened? Where was he? __________________ "With these seven easy steps, you, too, can be the authoritarian despot of your own principality. Machiavelli, your road to happiness" "I shoot Flying Monkies!" "Christmas had it coming its what it gets for taking over thanksgiving and threatening halloween with its weapons of mass consumerism" "Death to All Fanatics!" Official RP Action God Lycanthropic Poem "FOR YOU THE CAKE IS OVER. YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF CAKE." -Death Krylo and BMG are apparently my bitches.

05-04-2005, 08:33 PM	#83
Raiden Just a passing through veteran Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: On your couch. Yes? Posts: 5,327	Thomas was dropped hard to the ground, small dribbles of blood slid slowly down his neck from a wound by a guard. It was a cheap trick, using the Knights against Kratos. Thomas rasped out to King Roland. "So, Roland. You have the Knights in your claws. What are you going to do? Execute us publicly? Torture us slowly? Or maybe, just maybe, you'll come out from your wall of guards and explain what you're fucking doing!" King Roland looked in Thomas's direction, but didn't look him in the face. "Explanation will come. In time. Not here, though. Not amongst the common rabble." Roland snapped his fingers. Several of the bigger guards came out from the crowds, brandishing large clubs. "We shall have a discussion back at the castle. Guards! Bring the Hawk Knight to the throne room. Toss the others in the prison cells. As for the carnival folk, have them sent to the mass cells, in order for interrogation." Thomas felt a strong hit to the back of his head. The guards with clubs had knocked out each of the Knights. As he went out, Thomas looked up at the guard, and his heart dropped. The guard was an Englasian. (OOC: New chapter coming up.) __________________ I have a signature. It's a really cool one, too. It's so awesome, you'd pull your eyes out and punch your mother. Sadly, these rules state that my signature is just too darned big. Too much awesome for such a small space. Oh well. You can still punch your mother...if you want... Fifth and Krylo made me do it. http://www.animecubed.com/billy/user...sigs/60266.jpg Be the Ultimate Ninja! Play Billy Vs. SNAKEMAN today!

05-03-2005, 12:48 PM	#81
Dante Sent to the cornfield Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Crushing the weak beneath the iron jackboots of tyranny Posts: 7,703	Kratos had been performing just outside the main tent, performing the crowd favorite of picking benches up and lifting them above his head with one arm. It was a crowd favorite because traditionally, the entire family would occupy the bench, and in these parts, having five to six children was not uncommon. Lowering his current "assistants" to the ground, he was just picking up his cannonballs to start juggling when he noticed something strange inside the central tent. It sounded like shouts and commotion, and then the tromping of metal boots on the wooden planks placed over the mud. Then the Black Guard emerged from the tent, fanning out to rapidly cordon off and surround the immediate area surrounding his act. Behind them, he heard loud whistles blowing, and shortly after, he saw more Black Guards closing in from their holding positions outside the circus. One of them, wearing a helmet with a black horse-hair brush on the top, stepped forward and spoke in the loud, declamatory voice used to cow the masses. Elevation, 31 degrees... "By order of the King, you are all under arrest! Resistance will be met with force!" Angle 28 degrees north-northwest... A pregnant woman turned to ask why, and was promptly dashed to the ground by a mailed gauntlet. Her husband went over to assist but was forced back by a half-dozen pikes staring him in the face. Glowering at the expressionless visors of the Guard, he stepped back reluctantly, looking down at his wife, who was in obvious pain trying to get up. Range, fourteen meters... "Your comprehension is not required - only your compliance! Approach the restraining detail! Do not resist! Otherwise it will be harder on you!" Weight of cannonball is twenty-six kilograms... The woman was roughly jerked to her feet by one of the subordinate guards and shoved over to a group of soldiers with ropes ready. The Black Guard surrounding Kratos' audience closed in, gesturing with their polearms and herding the people to be bound. Their commander looked at Kratps, who was still holding the cannonball. "Hey, get in li-" ...Now. And how that sentence was going to end, the world would never know, because Kratos hurled the cannonball he had been holding straight at their commander. The man's head disintegrated in a spray of blood and brains, and Kratos was already running for the closest Black Guard, who drew his shortsword and tried to stab at Kratos. He almost made it. Almost. Kratos saw the blow coming and quickstepped out of the way, then closed a massive fist around the soldier's sword hand as he pulled the soldier's arm out behind himself with an entirely unpleasant crack, then, fist still clenched around the soldier's weapon hand, he drove the shortsword clean through its owner's belly. The Dragon Knight had already snatched up a pike from them, but he already knew that there would be no point standing and fighting. As he rushed toward the circus, a section of Black Guard moved to block his path. Kratos focused his inner strength, and his hand blazed with incandescent flame, and with surpassing speed and skill, he had slapped the metal heads of all seven pikes together and had melted them into a whole, all within the space of a single movement. As the guards looked puzzled at their weapons, Kratos shoved them aside before silently cursing his lack of a better weapon. "No time to regret now..." He burst into the big top and was surprised to see the prisoners herded to one side, with Roland looking down from his seating box upon the sawdust circle, as though it were actually an arena. Without a warcry or anything that might alert Roland to his presence, Kratos ran up the stairs leadng to Roland's seats. Although stealth wasn't his strong point, he managed to somehow sneak by the sentries barring his way, occasionally helping them to sleep via a good sharp twist of the neck. The next thing Roland knew was the sound of a stifled cry, and then the sight of Kratos holding Nerrana up by the hair, one leg expertly kicked out from under her, the other hand pinning her arms to her body and keeping her from struggling. "Knight takes Queen, check. Let them go." He looked around and spotted his comrades bound to one side, far from the box but still visible to his eyes. "Good move, Kratos. But it's not mate yet. You see..." Roland snapped his fingers, and immediately, the other captured knights were stood up and had blades pressed to their throats. "Rook castles King. I have but to give the word and all your friends will die." "Knight takes Rook. I'm right beside you. I have but to reach out..." "Ah, but can you? Your arms are occupied with Nerrana there. My guards are moving in to finish you off. And I can order them dead before you can drop her and silence me." "Doesn't mean I can't gamble." "But are you willing to gamble with their lives?" Guardsmen, ready!" The sound of baring steel echoed throught the big top as the Black Guard drew their lethhally efficient shortswords, the razor-sharp ones optimized for city combat. The ones holding the knights sank their blades in deep enough to draw blood from their victims. "King takes Knight. You should have thought better than to simply storm the Big Top and expect to come out victorious." Kratos looked around, at the massed guards, at the prisoners, at the King's Guard surrounding him. "Let her go and we won't kill you or your friends.... yet." He noticed that while he hadn't been looking, about 4 of the Black Guard had entered the room behind him, with shortswords drawn. With a tremendous clatter, Kratos cast the pike he had been holding to the ground. Instantly, a pack of Black Guard came up and manacled him securely, before leading him to the rest of the Knights. Before he left, he thought he could hear Roland saying something under his breath... Checkmate, Kratos.