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[sub][color=steelblue]I S L E   O F   I V A L I C E[/color] / / [color=steelblue]M A N Y   Y E A R S   P R I O R[/color][/sub][hr]
[color=darkgray]As the dimly lit world slowly came into focus, jumbled thoughts, feelings, and irrationality violently reclaimed their place in the mental sanctum. Freezing strands of water ran the length of his bare back though he remained perfectly still against the aged, wet brick presently keeping the seated boy upright. The stone floors were equally as cold, easily permeating the thin fabric of tattered pants and gleefully allowing outstretched legs and bare feet a reluctant resting place. He kept his hands clasped, fingers interlocked, though the steel shackles had long since been removed and even the marks on his wrist were healing pretty well. Time was a non-existent concept within the walls of the four-by-four room and it seemed like the only indicator of such was the visible healing of bodily scars that now felt much older than they actually were. A groggy Corbyn scoffed at the blank wall staring back at him before reverting his gaze to the identical ceiling above. There were no windows to enjoy a view from and the only source of light seemed to be burning from the wall on the other side of the bars that separated the boy from another who was held behind a similar metal grate.

"You finally awake?" A female voice, clearly tired yet somehow invigorated, lightly questioned. Corbyn groaned. He didn't bother to look over. 

"Can a person really sleep in a place like this?" He replied, annoyance saturating his tone. 

"That's certainly a better question," the female sat cross-legged against the wall directly across from her caged window, blue eyes glinting in the scattered torch light. 

"How long's it been, Varrina?" Corbyn asked. Varrina was silent for a moment. 

"A few hours since the guard took away the food." 

"No, since we've been down here?" 

"Oh. Maybe three weeks?" 

"Is that all? Great. Only an indefinite amount of time to go. Fuckin' awesome." 

"Well, whining is not going to get us anywhere either." 

"[i]Whining[/i] she says. Don't forget how we [i]got[/i] here in the first place, damnit." 

"This is just a simple show of power. They have to assert themselves every now and then. Who would respect the leadership otherwise?" 

"Or, because they found two recruits fighting each other with live weaponry. That, ya know, could also be a factor." 

"Jesus, I already apologized for that, didn't I?" 

"I couldn't hear it over the sound of chains, locks, and keys." 

"In any case, they won't hold us for much longer. I've heard from my contacts that the Order got their mobilization orders." 

"Funny how you can hear from these contacts through solid stone." 

"Believe me or not, it doesn't really matter. The point is that they're not going to let a single knight get out of deployment and that includes us. We're going from prison straight to the battlefield." 

Corbyn was silent. He huffed and folded his arms, resting his head on the damp wall behind him and closing his eyes. He knew she was right. And it was that very fact that scared him.[/color]



[sub][color=steelblue]A R C H A D I A[/color] / / [color=steelblue]I N F I L T R A T I O N   -   T H E   F O R E S T S[/color][/sub][hr]
[color=darkgray]The deception of the forest became apparent as soon as one stepped past the initial thicket and waded deeper into the sea of canopies. Varying sized trees stood watch over the green and brown ground below though each sentinel stood exactly the same height - they differed in size of trunk and complexity of branches and leaves. Moss unnaturally grew all over the base of the wooden guardians while bushes, foreign plants, and shrubs claimed patches of land far and wide in any direction. Though the path was more sophisticated than first glance, this had been the exact reason Corbyn had chosen it for the infiltration team. The forests of Archadia seemed small on a topographical map, but in truth they were served as a labyrinth for foreigners and insurgents who sought to lay claim to the capital city of Faelan. It was widely believed that only native Archadians knew the land well enough to navigate the forests effectively and any trespassers would be easily dispatched through guerrilla warfare tactics practiced by the Archadian military. Of course, these same rumor-mongering souls knew nothing of the existence of SOLDIER. 

Corbyn rested on one knee in a small clearing surrounded by bushes and one larger tree. The clearing was far enough from the shoreline that any infantry grunts should have lost sight of their enemies, but close enough that any of the team who survived would have been able to follow the commander with only a little trouble. A twig scratched at the hardened dirt, making crude drawings of what seemed to be nothing but nonsense. The commander had not been waiting long, but he already found himself just a little lost in thought. The mission was indeed the most important task at hand, but the brief lull provided by his straggling team members allowed the man to retreat into his mind just slightly. The mission may have been the most important, but it was far from the only important thing. An ulterior agenda was a step too far, but there a few issues Corbyn had to take into account as well. The first deployment of SOLDIER was exciting in itself, but there were other reasons why he needed to leave the fort.[/color]

[color=slategray]"Impressive. I honestly thought you were going to cave and borrow my power once that hellion ruined the surprise,"[/color] [color=darkgray]Asteria echoed from within her mental residence. Corbyn sighed, but the lifted corner of his mouth betrayed the emotion. 

"I told you it wasn't going to happen. There's a reason we trained so hard, you know."[/color]

[color=slategray]"And that reason is to master the Aeon's power, is it not?"[/color]

[color=darkgray]"Maybe true for others, but I can rely on my own abilities. I thought you didn't like that word?"[/color]

[color=slategray]"The word Aeon? I do not enjoy the idea of being labeled by you humans, but it does not cause me pain."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"So I guess if I ask [i]that[/i] question again, you'll give me the same answer?[/color]

[color=slategray]"Of course. There's no other answer to give, unfortunately."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"Figured as much."[/color]

[color=slategray]"However, I desire to ask you a question."[/color]

[color=darkgray]"We got a little time I guess. Shoot."[/color]

[color=slategray]"This team of yours... Do you trust them?"[/color]

[color=darkgray]"What the hell kind of question is that?"[/color]

[color=slategray]"One that you know I already know the answer to."[/color]

[color=darkgray]Corbyn was silent. He tossed the twig away and took a quick survey of the area. There were a few lone infantrymen heading in different directions in the forest, each separated by massive amounts of space. They were spread out in a search pattern. The move wasn't unexpected, but it was unwelcome all the same. Corbyn crouched lower, his grip around his lance tightening. His brief killing spree had been necessary, but the orders from here on out forbade killing anyone else. The lancer holstered his weapon and looked in the direction of the forest's entrance. He could hear the slight footsteps of multiple people. His team was finally on the way. Putting a finger to the earpiece in his ear, the commander opened a private radio channel for the infiltration team. 

"As I said before, we're going to have do this as quickly and as quietly as possible. To that end, we're going to split into groups of two. Nic and London, Bruce and Natalya, Amentia and myself. If anyone in those groups don't show, the other person can ride solo or join a different group. We'll be heading in the same direction, but we're going to need to spread out a bit, make it harder for them to find us. Our objective is to stealth all the way the Faelan, if possible. All teams on me and Amentia. Keep your distance, watch your back, and keep comm use minimal for now. Out," Corbyn whispered, gazing into the drawings he made on the ground. With that, he awaited Amentia's arrival. They would begin moving forward as soon as she was with the commander.[/color]