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It was late at night. People were asleep in their tents, or shouting loudly as they drank themselves into a stupor again. After the first week, camp life becomes dull. It takes a strong hand to maintain discipline. Auriëlle and five of her people snaked through the tent-camp. Tired eyes of the night guard watched them in passing, and then forgot all about them. They made their ways to a particular camp that was still being pretty lively. Fire burned brightly and their shouts were loud. A few hushed whispers, combined with some food, was enough for the ragged night watch to let them through.

When the chieftain’s tent flap opened, all eyes were on them. For a second there was tension in the air. Who else but killers would enter another man’s tent so unannounced. Then a crude laugh erupted from the chieftain. “Do my eyes lie to me now!” The chieftain thundered for the entire tent. He was a big man. Auriëlle barely recognized him, but she did recognize the banner: Evenstar. The man saw the confusion in her eyes: “It’s me! Gundurr! I haven’t gotten that ugly!” He roared. “I was the one who saved you back in Evenstar.”

“Wait… You’re the guard!” Something lit up in Auriëlle’s face. The two made their way through drunks and half-asleep people for an embrace. “Heavens you’ve grown big. How did you become chieftain of Evenstar!?”

“Well.” He began, guiding Auriëlle deeper into his tent before they both sat down at a low, unadorned table. “When you and Carn left and the whole election thing broke down, I thought ‘why shouldn’t I take the power’? You know what, Auri? It was way too easy. I just promised them peace and no more dead sons. With that promise you can get any peasant to like you. Well, the ones who should be liked.”

“Killed the rest?” Auriëlle asked as she took someone else’s cup of wine. They were about to protest but one glare was enough to shut them up, before her friendly expression returned. “No worries, I understand. I’m not that wandering little girl anymore.”

“I can see!” The old man said as he motioned to her guard of five, and then herself. “You know, you remind me of my daughter. You’re just as fierce.”

“What happened to her?”

“She died.” Gundurr said, his tone grew a little darker. “Illness took her three winters ago. No druids around. It’s tough to bury your own children. I like to think she’s in a better place but…” He shook himself out of his own sadness. Then his bashfulness returned: “I’m sorry, you’re not here for an old man’s tale.”

“I’m not.” Auriëlle said with a faint grin. “Ketia Farm, five days out with a small group. You want in on the feast?”

“You got Carn’s blessing for that?” Gundurr was quick to ask.

“I’d like to see him try and stop me. I did try to burn his armor.”

“Heard about that.” Gundurr said as he raised his cup. “Dangerous thing to do. Worse that you failed.”

“A matter for another time. You in?” Auriëlle asked.

Gundurr was silent for a second, though the tent continued its drunken jubilations. “Yeah.” He said, softly, before getting up and yelling: “Alright lads! We got a big day tomorrow! Go to your beds, now!” None disobeyed his command consciously. Though many needed a helping hand to rise up. Others were carried out the chieftain’s tent. A few remained, laying on the floor in a deep sleep. “Eh, they’ll be ready by the morning.” Gundurr said as he pushed his foot into one of his soldiers. The man didn’t wake up.

Auriëlle rose up and downed her cup. Then shook hands with Gundurr. “Good seeing you again.” With a smile and a grunt, they parted ways. Back outside the tent, the night sky felt a little darker again as she pulled up her hood and began her way back to her own camp.

“Aurielle?” a familiar-sounding voice spoke up nearby.

The redheaded sorceress looked up to see who it was. In the meantime Esiré and the others were quick to reach for their weapons, but didn’t pull them out.

The man who had spoken was an archer, with a bow and quiver slung over his shoulder. “Yes, that was your name,” he went on as he stepped closer. “How long has it been? I fought beside you at Evenstar, remember?”

“I remember Evenstar but not you.” Auriëlle said bluntly as she crossed her arms. “You need something?”

The archer frowned at that. “It’s me, Edgar! We stood right beside each other. I was the only one with a bow. Only one still left standing, anyway.”

Suddenly Auriëlle’s eyes grew big. She had forgotten his name but he was there when she erased someone for the first time. “Edgar you son of a bitch! You’re here too!?”

“Do you greet everyone by insulting their mother?” the hunter asked with a raised brow. “Of course I came. Last winter Carn and that Ingrid girl came back through our village and convinced Gundurr to join up with them. Didn’t seem to recognize me, though. Just this morning I waved to him and he didn’t even notice. That Lothar fellow did, though, and gave me a stern talking to about respect.” He shook his head. “S’ppose our Carn has more important things on his mind, hm?”

“You could say that.” Auriëlle’s face soured. “Who is this Lothar anyway? He almost seemed to… recognize me. Is he from Evenstar as well?”

Edgar shook his head. “Never seen him before. But they say that Cadien talks to him, just like Evenstar’s priest. Don’t know if that’s true, though. They also say a suit of armour talks, but I’ve never heard her. I’ve only been here a day.”

Auriëlle spat on the ground when Edgar said Cadien talked to Lothar. Honestly was the supposed god of perfection involved now? If he was, couldn’t he just do everyone a favor and raze Ketrefa with his own power? Instead he seemed willing to just offer up thousands, for what? “Oh yeah, the talking armor.” Auriëlle then noted dryly. “I tried to burn it just today.”

Edgar blinked in surprise. “You what?”

“Oh don’t worry. The thing is still in one piece. Anyway, it’s getting late Edgar and I’ve got places to be. I’ll talk to you later.” 
[hr]
“Faster! Faster!” the man, a noble of Ketrefa, yelled. While one of his guards was working the whip. Slaves were quickly loading up two carts with food and the few luxuries the farmstead had. Above them the half-moon shone surprisingly brightly. “Faster! I’ve been away from Ketrefa’s safe embrace for too long already!” Though even her sweet embrace now somehow felt weakened. A motherless, adopted bastard as Lord-Captain? It was an insult to all of noble blood. Armed and armored guards were patrolling close around the wooden manor, it stables and barn.

“They’re better armed than anticipated.” One of Evenstar’s younger men who scouted ahead whispered to Auriëlle. Who sat crouched in the bushes like a mountain cat ready to pounce. “There are more as well. Not more than us but still… more.” Auriëlle just nodded and waved the boy away. She didn’t particularly care how many guards there were. Death would come to them all. What she was waiting for were the carts. Once again she felt that need to destroy boil up, but this time it wasn’t going to stop her from taking a prize from the ruins as well.

“That should be the last, sir.” One of the guards said. They were too far from Auriëlle, but she could see the message’s effect. The cart riders lashed at the oxen, who slowly began to pull the heavy weight of the cart.

The arc of lightning seemed to have come out of nowhere. Everyone around the caravan saw its flash. Then a deafening clap of thunder followed. Dazing half the guards. From the bushes and trees came the raiding party of Auriëlle. Ululating their war cries with raised stone and copper axes. Behind them walked Auriëlle. Fire raging over her right arm though it didn’t seem to touch her and horns were sprouting from between her hair. Those guards far enough from the lightning strike were able to make something akin of a wall to receive the thirty something attackers, but they were far outmatched. Behind them several of their fellow Ketrefian warriors had fallen down on their knees. Some had thrown away their helmets. Others rose up again. To join the fray.

From the sack on his hip the noble pulled two tablets that were about the size of his palm. He cracked the first in his left hand. The air around his fingers turned blue, then white. He kept it close to his chest, as if afraid he would lose it. Until one of the attackers was close enough. He outstretched his hand and a gust of white wind flew from his fingers. Mid-air the white coalesced into ice, which hailed the attacker. Cutting her body with a hundred bits of ice. With his other hand he broke the second tablet. This time his fingers lit up with fire. He threw it and fire spat from his fingers upon several of his attackers. When the magic was cast, he dug back into his bag.

Right then a small orb whizzled overhead. It was just noticeable enough to draw attention as it arced over him and headed towards the barn. Yet before it hit the wooden structure, the orb seemingly collapsed into a large wave of fire. The flames fell upon the barn, lighting it up in an instant.

“Enough!” Yelled the noble from atop his cart. Surprisingly his voice carried enough force to stop both sides. Auriëlle looked up at him with an amused smile. “Your leader once said that if we lay down our arms and promise to never take them up against his cause, he would let us go. So hereby I tell you that we are laying down our arms.” Several of the guards looked back the noble. Looking surprised, elated or surprised.

Stone rumbled and rose from beneath Auriëlle, who now looked more like a demon. With curcled horns an a fall of shadows seemingly cascading from her shoulders. The stone pillar raised her up so she was level with the noble. For a moment she just looked him in the eyes. Letting the relative silence cut. The finally she said: “I don’t accept your surrender.” With an open palm she beckoned the winds and threw the noble off his cart. Then she directed that wind down, momentarily breaking part of the shield-to-shield skirmish. Some of Ketrefa’s warriors were thrown back or pushed into the ground. It was small, but enough for the raiding party to break them. Soldiers began to rout.

“Get back here you bastards!” The concussed noble yelled back at them. Behind him he heard the unmistakable sound of stone crumbling. Moments later Auriëlle crouched beside him. “Ketrefa will ave-“ Before he could finish his great speech of revenge, the sorceress knocked him out with a kick.

Some time passed. The noble didn’t know how much. Only that he woke up and it was still night. He was tied to a nearby tree. Close to him a large fire was raging. The heat felt almost pleasant on this cold, winter night. Yet when he woke up he didn’t see a sweet campfire close by. Instead he saw fires engulfing his estate. Savages and barbarians were running around like small shades in the fire. They sang and danced and shouted in the light of the fire. “My farm …” He yammered as tears welled up in his eyes. Something bellowed next to him. He turned, as much as his restraints allowed for, and noticed the carts. For a second he felt relieved that a handful of family heirlooms were spared. But then that red-headed sorceress appeared with a grin on her face.

“You liking the show?” Auriëlle asked as she came to sit down beside him.

“You monster!” He literally spat at her. Though that didn’t seem to faze her. “Ketrefa will destroy you! Tekret will ruin you! You had an oath. Carn said- Carn said if we didn’t-“

“Yeah yeah, you already told me about that. There’s only one, tiny problem. Carn swore it. I didn’t.” She said as she kept her eyes on the fire and the dancing. The noble could notice more activity now. Slaves were released from their restraints. Whether or not they wanted to run was now up to them. Meanwhile a guard was dragged passed them. Kicking and screaming. “They’re going to sacrifice him.” Auriëlle said casually while pointing backwards with her thumb over her shoulder. “To Neiya, I think. Then his corpse will be hanged from [i]that[/i] tree.” Auriëlle was now pointing upwards. True to her words, the already slain guards were hanging upside down on the bare branches of the large tree. Swinging only slightly in the soft, winter wind. The noble looked with horror at it. Auriëlle noticed the terror in him. “Don’t you worry. You’re not dying yet.”
[hr]
As the warriors of Evenstar and the other allied warband were greedily taking whatever riches they could get their hands on and Auriëlle was busy with the nobleman, Esiré had already picked up the greatest riches there was on the battlefield in her eyes. The sack of clay tablets the nobleman had. In the distance you could still see the grand bonfire that was the farmstead. But here she and her people were hidden in darkness. Now, so concentrated and together, the stars above had almost vanished.

“This place is blind to the stars.” She muttered as she looked up. The serenity made her mind drift. Drift towards Bul’Gadin, where the prophetess had spoken the god of ruin. To Carn’s camp only a few weeks ago, they learned of their strange gift. The god armor couldn’t see them. What did that mean? The tranquility was broken when three men were being dragged up the slight hill. They were begging and pleading for their lives. “Amerth. Gag them.” Esiré ordered without looking up from the tablet she was holding. It featured a circled ice flake. There was a sort of channel build through the middle of it. Making breaking the tablet easy.

Amerth, a big brute of a man, walked up to the people and gagged them. As commanded. He then helped to get the first down on his knees. Esiré let out an exhausted sigh as she walked up to the three prisoners of war who were squirming with their knees on the ground. She grabbed the first by his hair and pulled back, forcing him to look up at the night sky. “Cry your prayers.” She whispered near his ear, almost in a intimate manner. “The stars are blind.” She said, holding him in position for a moment, before releasing him again. Around her the chanting began, joined by a single rhythmic, slow thumping of a handheld drum someone had brought with them from Bul’Gadin.

“Shall we begin…priestess?” Amerth asked, though he sounded apprehensive to call Esiré a priestess.

She looked up, surprised to be called by such a title. But then she closed her eyes and took in the rhythmic beating of the drum, combined with the slow chanting. Like waves the sounds build and came crashing down, only to be build up again in a droning storm. It put her in a trance as she joined in with the song. Amerth joined in as well. The Cult kneeled down where they stood. Spread out, but facing the three captors. Six warriors, one of them Amerth, and Esiré were the only one who kept standing. With their back at the large fire off in the distance.

Esiré took a hidden knife from her backpack. It was made from a human’s femur, with the head still clearly visible and untouched, acting as the pommel. The blade was carved crudely but it was sharp. The handle was strapped with leather. With knife in hand she walked up to the first man, who whimpered and tried to fight against those who restrained him. “Nameless god of ruin.” Esiré said, her words cutting through the wave-like chanting. “May the blood of these sacrifices sate your need for destruction. May you keep the Prophetess safe, until the world burns.” With those words said she elegantly slit the first man’s throat.

The sacrifices were carried away to Auriëlle’s corpse tree. To be hung upside down. Esiré was cleaning her knife on her victims’ cloths. The chanting had stopped, though most were still in deep prayer. Not that it would matter. Their joined power, still half a mystery to them, was muddling the cries of help with the chants of the cultists. Creating a divinely entangled mess of a prayer.
[hr]
When Auriëlle was done, she left the noble in his terror under the tree. Another guard was dragged before her. Kicking and screaming. The second she was close enough she grabbed him by his throat. Her own power began to flow into him. The guard felt something turn and coil in his stomach. Which instantly silenced him. On Auriëlle two small horns reappeared. Making those who carried the guard feel a little uncomfortable. Though they kept up their duty.

“Okay, you’re still now. Good.” The Sorceress said as she let her poisonous power do its work for a little while. “You’re a guard of Ketrefa?”

“Cadien spits on you.” The guard said. Right after one of the warriors holding him up punched him in the stomach. Somehow it felt worse than it should.

“Oh I’m sure he will.” Auriëlle said rather nonchalantly. Oraelia probably hated her, and whatever goddess had made Titania would hate her as well. If Cadien was willing to dislike her as well, what would it matter? “Now, I want you to deliver a message to whoever reigns in your big, walled city. Tell him he has until spring to surrender. If he doesn’t, I will turn his precious walls into a cage and burn the city…” she inched closer to his ear while keeping him controlled by his neck. Then she whispered: “Just like I burned Teperia.” She pulled back to face him. “Is that understood?”

“I-I-“ The guard stammered, before he was slapped in the face. Hard. His cheek was cut. “Yes! Yes! Please.”

“Alright boys. Let him go.” The sorceress said as she took a step back. The two warriors looked at each other for a moment and then let him fall to the ground.

The guard scrambled upright from the ground and began to run. Auriëlle hadn’t seen a man run so fast in her entire life. It was like more than his own live was at stake and that somehow now mattered. Maybe he would reach Ketrefa. Maybe he would die of exposure.

“Ketrefa isn’t just going to resign.” One of the warriors said as they watched the guardsman run.

“No, but this way they can’t say they weren’t warned.” Auriëlle said with a smile as she watched the man turn into a far off black dot. “Or the gods don’t want the message to reach Ketrefa. It’ll depend on what happens to him in the next few days.” Then she turned around and headed towards the sacrifices to Neiya. Ready to cut a few throats in the name of the goddess as well. Though deep inside she hoped the man would reach the walled city and give the warning.

[hider=Summary]The Sorceress visits a familiar people, those of Evenstar. Gundurr, “new” chief of Evenstar recognizes her, as he is the one that saved Auriëlle all those years ago. Auriëlle manages to convince him to join her raid. Once outside the tent Edgar, the archer who fought beside her in Evenstar, bumps into Auriëlle. Who doesn’t even recognize the man. Though once she does, they exchange a few words. Edgar tells Auriëlle that Carn, Lother and Ingrid passed through Evenstar to try and rally the chiefs to fight against Ketrefa. In turn Auriëlle tells Edgar she tried to burn Titania. After that she leaves him, because she has a long trip ahead of them.

Auriëlle and her raid attacks a nearby farmstead that was in the midst of an evacutation. There were more guards and they were better armed than anticipated. They attack at night, charging straight at the house. The nobleman uses magic tablets, crafted in Ketrefa, to use magic from atop his wagon. It’s not nearly enough to fight Auriëlle’s magic. Which instantly engulfs an entire barn in fire. The noble decides to surrender, but Auriëlle refuses. The skirmish is quickly won after and the nobleman knocked out.

When he reawakens, he is tied to a tree and forced to watch his farmstead burning. While barbarians dance and shout like little devils in the fire. Auriëlle comes sitting next to him, telling him one of his guards is about to be sacrificed and then hung from the tree he’s sitting under. Then she assures him that he won't die (yet).

We cut to the Cultists, who have chosen a more secluded spot. Up a hill, though they can still see the great farmstead bonfire easily. Esiré is named priestess and sacrifices three captors to the nameless god of ruin. When she is done, the corpses are indeed to be hung from the tree.

Back to Auriëlle, who starts talking to another captured guard. He is to run back to Ketrefa and warn who-ever rules it to surrender before spring or the city will be put to the torch. Just like Teperia.[/hider]

[hider=Prestige]
[b]Post Length:[/b] +10K Characters
+5 Prestige >> Auriëlle
+5 Prestige >> Cult of the Destroyer
[/hider]