[center][h2][color=fff200]⚜[/color] [color=0072bc]Camille de la Saumure[/color] [color=fff200]⚜[/color][/h2][img]https://i.ibb.co/10ZC8wb/Profile.png[/img][/center][hr][i]Interaction: None[/i] [i]2.1: Fields of Fire / An Unexpected Farewell[/i] [hr] [color=fff200]"What?"[/color] Camille found herself stunned. The first meeting of the Red Table had concluded, of which, she was shockingly a member of. Yet Claude believed it was right. He had even told her that he was proud of her for that just minutes before. She liked to hear that but now, he was telling her something she didn't want to hear. He was leaving her. [color=00a651]"That's the way it is. Gabriel wasn't too happy that the King was taking his best and with the Eskandr headed North, he's naturally concerned about Morilles."[/color] It made sense. Somewhere in Camille's head, she could understand the logic behind it. Claude was being pulled to help the defense of her hometown, but she didn't want to be left alone. Her, Claude, and Armand... they always stuck together before. Why did he have to leave, too? She wanted to scream. Demand he stay with her. Do something other than stand there, dumbstruck and silent. Why couldn't she do anything? Was she really this pathetic? Claude must have seen something in Camille's face as his expression softened, offering a sympathetic look. He reached out and gripped her shoulder. [color=00a651]"It'll be alright, girl. Gabriel is pulling everything he can to add to the defense of Morilles. We'll hold if it comes to that. You and the army will catch up smash them from behind. You'll see."[/color] She didn't believe him. He said several months ago that the Eskandr wouldn't attack with their full army. He said before the battle they would win. He said they'd all make it out of the battle alive. Now he was saying this. She couldn't handle it and found her hands curling into fists. [color=fff200]"Liar."[/color] She muttered. Yet Claude didn't look deterred. [color=00a651]"Reckon my calling isn't an oracle."[/color] He joked with a light chuckle, but she was only finding his attempts at easing the mood to obstruct her real feelings. [color=fff200]"Stop! Stop it! This isn't all some funny joke! Armand died. I almost died. Now you're leaving to what? Relax at home? Or maybe the Eskandr do attack home so maybe then you'll just die?"[/color] She protested, her face souring almost instantly at how crude it sounded. She saw it for a moment, Claude looked hurt but he quickly pulled her in to an embrace. [color=00a651]"I'm sorry this the way it has to be. I can't change that, but you'll be fine."[/color] He muttered, tightly squeezing his arms around her back. Her lip quivered but she didn't break down into tears, holding that urge back. She felt awful about what she had said but couldn't bring up any words to apologize. [color=00a651]"I'll protect everyone back home and you, make sure you watch out for yourself. Come back to us in one piece."[/color] Camille couldn't bring her arms up and around to return the hug. She felt frozen. Useless even now. She wasn't sure how long she was embraced but Claude pulled away, looking calm. [color=00a651]"Goodbye, Puce."[/color] Camille stood there, looking defeated but she couldn't find the words. She didn't know how she felt. Angry, sad... It was all stirred in her, freezing her tongue. Claude nodded, curling his lips in a weak smile. He turned quietly and grabbed his bag, headed out of the Cathedral. Camille was now alone. [hr][i]Interactions: None[/i] [i]2.2: Fields of Fire / Siege of Port Morilles[/i] [hr] [i]THUUUM[/i] The double wide doors of Gabriel's keep quaked from the Eskandr outside trying to break in. Claude had strangely found it be melodic like a drum considering everything else. He stood at the center of the entry hall to the keep. Shouts of panicked orders for assistance to sure up defensives. Chaotic stacking of debris and men to keep the door closed for as long as possible. [i]THUUUUM[/i] Splinters of the door cracked and sprayed out into the hall. A Force mage was out there throwing enough behind it that it didn't matter. The double doors were being battered from both sides and despite its sturdy construction, certainly wouldn't hold. There was hope. The Grand Armee was approaching to reinforce and in a way every second counted that they could hold. [color=f7976a]"Claude!"[/color] Remon, Gabriel's court mage ran up to him from behind, clasping a hand on his shoulder. [i]THUUUUUM[/i] The bracing around the center of the door started to cave in. Claude could see the Eskandr outside, huddled and ready to kill the moment the door broke down. Claude turned from this and looked at Remon. He had with him. His daughter, Marion was with him. He gave her an easy smile though the return smile he got was uneasy. [color=f7976a]"We had a lot of people run for the caves along the beach. They've been noticed and I think the bastards noticed and a portion of them have diverted to the beach."[/color] Claude frowned, knowing what that implied. There was no escape in those caves and all those people would be butchered senselessly. He also suspected where this was going. [color=00a651]"You're going?"[/color] Claude asked. Remon nodded. [i]THUUUUUM[/i] Wood shattered and men called out to keep that door closed. It was holding but they'd break in soon. Claude caught sight of his son, Marc, running past with a wooden bench help brace the door. [color=f7976a]"I'll go alone. You'll need everyone to keep the Eskandr out. The Grand Armee crested the horizon. They are close."[/color] A relief, however... [i]THUUUUUM[/i] A bloodlusted Eskandr leaped through a hole in the deteriorating door, hacking at the first Perrench soldier he could. The berserker slashed into the man's neck before a spear from another soldier lanced him through the chest. [color=00a651]"Go. We will hold."[/color] Claude called out, turning back towards the door. It was going to be blasted open in the next volley. [color=00a651]"Sword in arms! Let them come through!"[/color] He commanded, and the men retreated from the door forming a line around him. Remon slipped away, as Claude glanced around. [i]THUUUUUM[/i] The door burst open easily now that there wasn't the strength of man and magic behind keeping it closed. Bloodthirsty Eskandr rushed in. Claude swiped with a slash sending a lightning wave of magic through his sword towards the Eskandr. Two of them fried, staggering back. Claude felt the heat and saw the wave of fire spew out from Marion's hands, catching one Eskandr in a blaze but deterring the others to stay out of range. Instead, they funneled around to the sides, clashing with the line of Perrench troops. Battle was met and the exchange of steel, blood, and magic happened quick. Claude was lost in the chaos for a time before he heard a dire shriek he didn't want to hear. [color=00a651]"Marion!"[/color] He called, knowing there weren't too many women in his battlegroup. He dropped back, glancing around the entry hall, looking for his daughter. There. She had shifted to side, back against the wall as an Eskandr raised a dagger. Claude shaped his free hand with two fingers pointed at man's dagger. He shot a bolt of lightning out that connected with the metal, zapping it from his grip. Marion, covering her eye, had enough time to realize she was in danger and lashed out with her Arcane magic, freezing the Eskandr's sweat, encasing him a layer of ice. She waved her hand as she slipped back to more friendly lines causing the Eskandr to burst in a collection of ice shards that back towards the doorway, showering the horde of Eskandr who were unlucky enough to enter in fragmentation of their former comrade. [color=00a651]"Marc!"[/color] Claude turned, finding his son by his side. [color=00a651]"Watch your sister!"[/color] He nodded, moving off to find her. Claude felt a lump in his throat. They were going to lose and he didn't want to lose it all. He looked back to the doorway, witnessing the Force mage that had broken the doorway. With him out of the picture, then he might just be able to buy a little more time. [color=00a651]"Hold men! The King is coming to purge these invaders!"[/color] He found himself shouting, maybe he was heard. [color=00a651]"Do whatever you can! Keep the Eskandr out! Dami guide us all!"[/color] Not much of a final farewell, but to be fair, he didn't have much time to prepare. Cranking up his Thunder Magic, he felt bolts arch around his body. He was going to overdraw for sure, but it would be worth it. [color=00a651]"Rrrrrraaaaaaah!"[/color] He felt his body burning as she sprang forth, running towards the door. Electricity bounced from him to any Eskandr that approached him, frying them instantly. The Force mage easily caught sight of him and moved to blast him back, but he was far too slow to the draw. Electricity pumping through his body, Claude's reactions were sped up. He felt himself juiced enough to slap his hands together sending a violent arch of lightning towards the Force mage. The Eskandr ignited in a burst of energy before falling gracelessly to the ground. Claude felt his body giving out and his dangerous aura of electricity was quickly closing in, letting the Eskandr get closer to him. He fell to one knee, cursing. [color=00a651]"Damn. Echeran... empower me."[/color] He muttered, glancing up at the doorway's threshold above him. With everything left, he channeled all his power into attracting the damaged doorway around him. Lightning shot out impacted the stone of the keep pulling in chunks to drop in around him.The debris of the keep piled around him, mainly behind him, forming a wall of debris that prevented access into the keep. One last act, he believed. One last attempt to protect his children and the people still inside the Keep. Claude could feel himself collapsing, eyes closing with one last thought. [i]How long did I give them?[/i] [hr][i]Interactions: None[/i] [i]2.3: Fields of Fire / Close to Home[/i] [hr] Smoke. Camille could see and smell it. Riding up with the advanced Queen's guard, she was dreading the image of her hometown burning. Yet here it was. Had her parents made it to safety? Claude and his children? What of sweet El's bakery? Or Laurent's gallery? Everything she had cherished, could they all be gone? Her heart sank, seeing her city like this. Queen Eleanor had managed to pull Camille's eyes from the carnage with her call to action. Ideas? Did Camille have any to be helpful? She was never too smart for tactics. Claude had always been the one to come up with strategies or ideas. So with him gone, what could she really do? She glanced back at the city, remembering the last time her home was attacked. How that changed her fate bye hearing Dami's call. Maybe if she had taken a different route to the... keep! [color=fff200]"The keep..."[/color] Camille muttered, her admission settling in as she thought of what the keep meant to her. People ran to the keep that day over a year ago. Most of everyone would be there. Including her parents, Claude, Marion, Marc, and all the others. If they could get there then maybe they could be saved! [color=fff200]"Everyone tries to run for the keep in Morilles."[/color] Camille spoke louder, trying to catch the attention of everyone around her. [color=fff200]"It is protected and stocked enough for a siege. There is an underground cave to keep more people protected than it looks. We should go there. We'll save as many people as possible!"[/color] Perrin stirred under her, likely feeling Camille's tension. She wanted to ride now. Minutes wasted could mean everything!