[IC] The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

[Pyromania99]

Now that she was on the ground, Luna noticed that the enemy was already in rough shape all things considered. Half of their visible numbers were already wiped out by her allies which bode well for their cause... Though the thudding footsteps of some, then unseen, beast set her unease on end. As it came into view, she watched on in awe.

The beast was massive. It was taller than Luna and was heavy enough to tremble the earth with each step. She'd love to take on the beast, but it might get difficult with the other twenty or so bandits still milling about the field. Od seemed to have some plan with Reinhardt and Fio would definitely be able to do some damage to the beast, so the Lady of Lightsword set her sight on the brigand infantry.

Lunalel drew her sword and charged at the group of bandits. Luckily, their retreating helped put the lot closer together so it was easier to remove them. Soon enough, she reached the first of her targets. Or, rather first two of her targets. They watched as she closed. One attempted a swing of his sword and the other tried to thrust at her as she closed in. She swung her shield up hard enough repel the blow and throw the swinging bandit off balance before quickly sidestepping to dodge the thrust. Her sword arm swung, delivering a deep wound across the off balanced one's chest.

As his friend fell from his wound a few seconds after receiving it, the thrusting bandit tried to take advantage Luna not looking directly at him by going on the offensive. He swung at the female knight and found his sword parried and the knight's own sticking through his chest soon after.

"Two down..." Luna mentioned to herself as she retracted her weapon from the bandit's chest. She gave a small sigh to herself and looked at the rest of the bandits. She shook her sword clean and sheathed it. Then, in her hand, she created another javelin. She was a lot closer to the bandits than from the wall to the forest... and hopefully no interference from whatever ate her magi. Up last time... So she was confident she would hit. She lined up her shot and lobbed it. The missile flew and hit one of her enemies. It pierced through his back and out through his chest. The man fell to his knees and slumped to the ground with the javelin dissipating before he finally made it to the ground.

With a loud voice, Luna exclaimed, "Face me, brigands! If you want to live, you'll need to truly win this day. Fight me like men, or die like animals!" There was some small amount of menace in Luna's voice as she taunted the bandits. Either they'd attack her or ran and either was a win for Luna today.

[VitaVitaAR]

Fio was not happy.

These bandits had someone like that on their side? Someone capable of magic like that, something akin to a spirit, wasting their time with a bunch of raiders and thieves?

When this was all over, she was going to give them a piece of her mind! But first it seemed as if there were considerably more pressing matters to attend to, a target far nearer and more immediately threatening.

The red-haired tuatha man riding what was doubtless an Elder Beast.

"For bandits, they have some awfully strong people on their side," complained the witch, as magical energy traveled up and down the edge of her sword, "But that's just going to make it all the more crushing when they lose!"

Thrusting the blade into the air, another magic circle formed above her, each layer gently rotating as the air seemed to ripple around it. Naturally, she was going to try and hit this one harder. He was riding an Elder Beast, so there was no guarantee that it would do any lasting damage.

But at the same time, a good, direct hit would stop him from attacking the gates and also slow him down for the followup.

"Sura," she began, as a humming sound filled the air, "A single phantom blade. Reinforce. Reinforce. Reinforce. Craft an sword of slaughtering that can pierce the sturdiest of armor."

Steadily, the shape of another sword of light emerged from the magic circle.

"Reinforce. Reinforce. Reinforce. Repeat Eight times. Become the light that pierces."

The sword grew brighter and brighter, almost like a miniature star hovering in the air.

She took aim. It was a stronger spell then her basic phantom blades, but there wasn't any time to pour further power into it.

Fio swung her blade down.

"Release!"

Immediately the brilliant phantom blade hurtled downwards, towards the man astride the Elder Beast.

@Rune_Alchemist

[Guy0fV4lor]

---

@Rune_Alchemist@A Lowly Wretch@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99

Again and again and again Reinhard blade swung down. Bones snapped, wood splintered, and the ground ran red with blood. Even as the sharpened steel held tightly in his grasp began to crack and roll at the edge from the sheer abuse placed upon it-- the knight pressed on. Only when the order to engage the bandit archers came did Reinhardt give pause; turning his gaze to the treeline. Hefting up one of the many corpses littering the ground, he'd use a dead bandit to shield himself from the constant volley of arrows, opting to continue cleaving his way through those who would still seek to rush the gate-- his comrades seemed to have the archers handled.

Cleaving his way through a shield and three more bodies, a sharp 'snap' would ring through the air as his blade finally snapped-- but that was of little concern at the moment; as the leader of raid would at last reveal themselves.

Reinhardt grit his teeth in anger, "It just had to a Tuathan mage and elder beast, didn't it...."

Only barely listening to Od as she ran up to him, the man wasted no time hurling her over his head in a smooth, singular motion like a living spear at the bandit leader!

He himself however, opted to charge the raid leader's mount head on.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Airedale
Mid-morning
Airedale Fields

---

@A Lowly Wretch@VitaVitaAR@Guy0fV4lor@Pyromania99

"Another one!?" Luna would set her sights on the brigand infantry, earning few shouts of dismay from the bandits. Not that they were deterred, perhaps this one would be easier than the other monstrously strong knights that this village seemed to possess. A thought, that soon would prove fatal for three of them. A javelin of light sailed through the air, slamming into one of their shields. If nothing else, the group of remaining bandits were steadily holding their own, slowly starting to create a circle around Luna.

While Luna was holding of the majority of the Brigands, Elia and Od would set about stopping the mammoth beast that seemed intent on charging their walls. Lifting Od was like lifting a twig for Elias. Draconic strength easily allowing him to lift what would make other humans struggle. He'd lift her, Od crouching and with a hefty throw, would send Od sailing through the air towards the charging beast.

Something of course, the Tuatha man would take note of, coupled with the phantom blade hurtling towards him.

"...ahaha, you guys are crazy!" He'd stand up in his saddle, grabbing the hefty two-handed axe from the saddles scabbard. "Guess I am a bit of a target up here, huh! Not that it's gonna matter!" He'd give it a hefty swing, the sound of metal clanging against something as the head of the axe would slam into the blade. It was difficult for Fio to tell - but that axe of his was definitely not a simple mundane weapon made from wood, iron, and bone. It seemed to have some enchantment on it. Whoever this man was, was proving to be more and more than just a simple common brigand.

Either way, her spell would at least distract the man long enough that Od would meet her target - landing right on the Elder beasts forehead, just in front of the Tuatha man himself. Not that it was easy to keep her footing - the running beast swayed back and forth from its stride, its body rippling with powerful muscles as it would shake its head once in an attempt to knock Od off.

"Oi, get off. Shabbi don't like it when random people get on her." He'd say, bringing the axe in for another swing, not seeming at all bothered by the beasts movement as it stampeded towards the gate...and Elias. The man would brace himself, digging his feet into the ground and standing, legs apart, ready to intercept the beast. He'd hold out his hands, and grab the beast right by its tusks. The entire beast would lurch forwards, causing the mans axe to miss Od's neck by just a hairs breadth. Elias' body would strain against the impact, his feet sliding against the ground and leaving deep impressions in the cold earth below him.

His entire body was telling him to cease, but he had succeeded. Barely a few feet from the gate, he had managed to stop the mammoth in its tracks.

"S-shabbi!?" The Elder beast would shake its head, or at least, attempt to while Elias held tight to its tusks, wrestling with the knight for control over the situation. Od however, still wasn't safe. It would raise its trunk upwards, wrapping around the knights waist and attempting to throw her off before it could hurt its rider.

---

@Crimson Paladin

"...ahah, really? You'd really just let us leave? You guys dumb or just naive?"

"We really just gonna walk away?" One of the men would ask.

"You tell me. They killed most of the guys like they were nothin' didn't they? You wanna go fight them? I sure don't." The woman replied with a laugh. "Sides, Seshaeal is telling me I shouldn't be fighting this guy anyways." Her smile, though would quickly fade with a sigh. "...is what I'd like to do, but ugh, once my services get paid for I can't just run."

"How tough can this one guy be anyways!"

"We can take him!"

"You guys obviously are dumber than me and frost butt here combined." She'd reply to her seeming subordinates, almost looking to Ethelred to see if perhaps, he might have some form of pity for her. "But hey, ice boy, since you're such a nice guy...the names Cecilia," She'd raise her bow, hand tense and ready to pull another arrow from her quiver. That was a somewhat familiar name to Ethelred. There had been rumors and talk of a thief by that very same name circulating in the village recently, and some travelers from Harzel also mentioned something about it. "I'm gonna take this just seriously enough to do what I was paid for, yeah? Don't suppose you'd do the same courtesy for me, huh?"

Not that he'd have much time to answer. Three of the other four would run towards Ethelred, one with an axe and shield in hand would get in close, approaching him from the front trying to draw the knights attention. The one with the spear would attempt to flank, using the spear to keep distance while attempting to strike Ethelred from a distance.

Cecilia herself was obviously hanging back, readying another arrow, breathing in as she'd pull far back on the bowstring, air around the projectile starting to coalesce around it, being drawn into the arrowhead. The other would fire a few less accurately aimed shots towards Ethelred.

---

While the knights outside were fighting, the Queen, would finally walk out onto the streets, taking a deep breath of the cool, morning air. The shouts of battle from the North Gate easily reached her ears, a sound she was all too familiar with. Perhaps far too familiar. Still...she could never help but to get a little excited by such sounds. A small smile formed on the Queens lips as she'd walk to the ramparts.

Not that she should have to get involved, her Knights should have easily taken care of the problem by now...well, or at least mostly handled it. She doubted she'd need to get involved directly but seeing the face of whoever had the audacity to attack her city was something she needed to see.

[A Lowly Wretch]

Od

They were in wordless sync. With as little as a couple words Reinhardt picked her up and threw her, her body sailing through the air up past the beast's tusks and onto it's head. She landed in a kneeling position, her left leg up on her sword side while bracing on her right knee as she grabbed hold of it's streaked fur. It tried to shake her off but her body was low and she clung to it's fur with her free hand.

"Oi, get off. Shabbi don't like it when random people get on her."

"You'll grow as grass beneath our feet." She tersely retorted, nothing but a deadly seriousness found in her expression. She had prepared to parry the man's axe but he was thrown off by the mammoth's sudden stop. This gave her the time she needed. Gauging by the size of it's skull and the position of it's shoulders she estimated where it's spine was and drove her blade downwards. It was an attempt to sever this great beast's spinal cords by driving her sword between the disks that held them.

Whether or not her attack successfully paralyzed the creature from the neck down it seemed the beast still had some fight left as she quickly found it's trunk wrapping around her mid-section. In an attempt to use this as an opportunity to aggravate the damage she cause she attempted to drag her sword up through the spine, across the skull and out across the meaty trunk in one fluid sweep. Her hand remained tightly clenched onto the beast's colorful hide in the meanwhile, straining against the appendage attempting to drag her off. Whatever the rider was doing it could wait. Even if he cleaved her in two without his beast the remaining knights would make short work of him, and that's if she couldn't finish him first.

[Crimson Paladin]

Ethelred

So, someone hired her. Most curious, Ethelred thought as this Cecilia woman rejected his offer to depart peacefully. He was not someone who reveled in killing, so it was a bit displeasing that they decided to fight, but a part of him knew that it was necessary. It was a sad fact that many bandits weren't going to give up their ways just even if they were offered an opportunity to live an honest life without worrying about going hungry. It was something he had seen all too often even back before having been frozen, and human nature had not changed one bit in the century since then.

Thus, Ethelred was going to have to kill them. Or rather, he would have to kill most of them- with the revelation that Cecilia had been hired, it would be wise to leave at least one of them alive to be questioned.

As soon as the woman mentioned that she had been paid and it was evident that the other bandits weren't going to walk away, Ethelred took the brief reprieve before combat resumed to begin dismounting from his horse. Given his opponent and the area they were in, this skirmish was one that he'd rather fight on foot, alongside his mount instead of atop it.

As the bandits advanced on Ethelred, it was clear that Cecilia was the biggest threat, with that bow of hers. He didn't want to test if it could get through his armor or find a path through his helmet slits- he needed to stop her from firing that arrow. He deflected the archer's poorly aimed arrow with his shield, then stepped towards the bandit with the axe. With speed and finesse that few would anticipate from a cavalry polearm, he thrust his lance forward, intent on skewering the man on its shaft. It went without saying that the knights wouldn't get a chance to question this particular bandit.

The gruesome impalement, assuming it succeeded, had another purpose. Summoning a bit more strength due to the weight of the still impaled on it, Ethelred would thrust forward and upward, freeing the probably not-quite-dead bandit from its tip and sending him flying right towards Cecilia, this unusual attack being meant to prevent her from getting a clear shot at the knight. He then then sprinted towards Cecilia, trusting in his horse to deal with the spear-wielding bandit trying to flank them. That bow of hers was bad news, and he needed to deal with her as quickly as possible.

@Rune_Alchemist

[VitaVitaAR]

"Tch."

An enchanted weapon, then? That explained a lot. At the very least, her efforts had tied the elder beast up, allowing Od to attempt to stop the monster in its tracks. Still, she was in trouble...

Raising her blade, Fio began to cast again. This time, she took greater stock of the battlefield, rather then focusing entirely on the beast and its rider. Indeed, that meant she caught sight of Luna's situation, surrounded by a considerable number of the idiot brigands.

"Of course. Hmph. I guess I'll bale you out, too," commented the Sword Witch as she began to cast. This time, she wasn't putting the most power into her blades as she recited their number and quality. Instead, she was just going to fire off as many as she could as quickly as she could. A rain of swords, sharp enough to be lethal to the average bandit with a direct hit, but otherwise weaker then her previous volleys.

She needed the numbers quickly, given the situation before it.

"And again. Once more... and-!"

Above her, dozens and dozens of magic circles had been conjured into existence, flashes of light like stars announcing the appearance of her phantom blades. There were thirty of them this time, their shapes spinning slightly as the air rippled around them.

"-Release!"

The air seemed to sing as the blades whistled past the small witch, this time aiming for around the great beast's feat. A direct hit, at the moment, seemed difficult to accomplish, but if she could distract and surprise the creature...

When she'd spent around twenty of her blades, Fio suddenly adjusted her aim and sent the remaining ten hurtling towards the bandits around Luna.

@Rune_Alchemist@A Lowly Wretch@Pyromania99

[Pyromania99]

As Luna was surrounded, she gave a cheeky smile. "Surrounding me like I'm some kind of beast on the run?" This much might be somewhat challenging. Might. Her smile disappeared as the Knightess held her sword far out to the side and she closed her eyes, focusing her mana. Soon, there was a noticeable light that started to glow around her blade. If any of the bandits paid close attention to that, they wouldn't notice Fio's rain of blades as they would pierce bandit and ground alike. That was all Luna needed. The first bandit she saw that wasn't paying attention to her was her first target. She made a quick dash towards the man and cut him down quite easily. She then turned to the next and plunged her sword in him before quickly removing it and spinning around to parry a blow coming from behind. She knocked her opponent's weapon high, gripped her weapon with both hands and slashed his chest. She seemed very focused on fighting at the moment.

Three down. The others were closing in on her again, though she made sure not to let them encircle her again. Instead, she charged forward towards the left side of their number. The man's guard was high, she aimed low with a kick to the shins. The kick was more than enough to knock him off balance and make him fall forward, where Luna delivered a coup de grâce. "So, do you all want to surrender yet? I swear you'll be treated humanely unlike these men." She would motion to the ones on the ground. "Are you more scared of your boss or my allies and I?" She gave off one fairly threatening aura.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Airedale
Mid-morning
Airedale Fields

---

@A Lowly Wretch@VitaVitaAR@Guy0fV4lor@Pyromania99

Od's blade pierced the mammoth creatures fur, sinking into its body...what she might not have expected though, was resistance. The blade barely got an inch deep before it would be stopped fast. Red, inky blood would spill from the wound...but she would also note, that it would quickly start freezing the moment it left the creatures body.

She had just enough time to react to the creatures grapple, drawing the blade from the shallow wound and cleaving through the trunk and air successfully preventing the creature from grabbing her, a pained bellow coming from the trunk as it recoiled.

"Tough talk for someone who's gonna be trampled." Od would however, not have time to react to the man's axe again. A large, hefty swing slamming right into Od's side and knocking her clean off the creature's side, sending her careening off its head in a daze of pain and probably a few broken bones to the ground below. "Man you guys are-Wa-hey!" Od had given Elias the leverage he needed to strain against the occupied creature, driving his strength and shoving the creatures tusks aside, the creature. It was soon followed by a rain of blades would fall upon the battlefield from Fio.

Before the Mammoth or its rider could mount any defense, Elias charged the creatures left leg, the superhuman strength from Elias pinning the creatures leg in place, and fortunately one of Fio's blades would strike the creature right in the knee, piercing the thick leather armor. Its knee would start buckling, once again giving Elias the leverage he needed - The beast started to fall.

"Shabbi!" The man shouted, the beast swaying, struggling to stay standing but gravity was now doing most of the work as it would fall. "Tch, fine, guess you guys are as good as the rumors say." Before he could be brought down with the beast, the man would leap into the air, holding the axe high over his head. "But you aren't gonna lay a single finger on her!"

Fio could sense something - magical power coming from the axe as the man reached the apex of his jump. Whatever was being built up huge. It was gonna be something they couldn't just ignore easily with the amount of power that had. He wasn't aiming for anyone in particular, but right for the ground near Elias it seemed...but it would never reach its target.

"I don't know where you got that axe, boy, but you'd do well not to raise it against your betters." Before the axe could hit the ground, a peal of thunder rippled through the field, a flash of lightning followed by the sound of a sword clanging against another weapon. The man hit the ground, his attack seemingly stopped full stop, his axe blade now locked with the Queens.

"Where did you-" He barely got the question out before the Queen, with a display of force would completely deflect the hefty axe, throwing him off balance. Another strike from the queen followed, the golden blade arcing a powerful horizontal swing. White hot lightning would follow the blade, striking the mans side and sending him flying from some unseen force away from the Mammoth.

"Guh-!"

"I suggest you surrender. That Axe of yours won't save you here." She'd say. "Elias, Od, Fio, focus your efforts on that beast! I want it subdued, not killed if possible! Be careful, it likely has some tricks up its sleeve!"

"Guess they really weren't joking, huh..." The man would get to his feet, wiping a bit of blood from his brow.

"I'll handle the leader. Luna you handle the rest."

The mammoth was down, but it was struggling to get back to its feet. Maybe if they acted fast enough they could finish this just as fast.

The combined efforts of Luna and Fio had completely broken the remaining bandits morale. When the blades started raining, they attempted to take cover, but it was so sudden a few blades got to a number of them before they could, and then they had to deal with a woman waving around light beams attacking them. Now they were down to barely just fifteen people remaining, and the were all starting to see that pursuing the remaining attack, was not worth their lives now that the Beast apparently had been toppled and were now attempting to flee. Luna could run them down easily enough, if she wished.

---

@Crimson Paladin

---

"Aha, not even gonna give me your name? Rude aren't ya?" The woman would jovially reply as the engagement started. The bandit impaled on Ethelred's lance was dispatched swiftly as he had engaged. The frigid lance would impale him easily, the man though would struggle in an attempt to gain some leverage but would quickly cease struggling entirely. The lance slung forward, the corpse launched across the ground.

"Eeeh, pretty smart aren't ya guy?" Cecilia didn't seem perturbed in the least, the corpse doing as Ethelred intended, though perhaps he was underestimating her a bit. The corpse, would briefly, very briefly obscure both of them from the other, breaking line of sight just long enough for Cecilia to do a little trick of her own - she had vanished from sight in the briefest of instants.

"Neat little trick, but I'm the best thief in Albion for a reason." The voice would come from above, just in time for Ethelred to maybe glance up, and see Cecilia having leaped high into the air. She was giving him a playful wink and sticking her tongue out at him as the arrow loosed from her bow - the arrow piercing Ethelred's shoulder with enough force to stun and a blast of air to shave off a an entire section of ice from his armor, but not enough to pierce or injure flesh.

[A Lowly Wretch]

Od

Having attempted to drive the blade in she found that the beast held a supernatural toughness, one powerful enough to resist the blade's own magic. While the ice wouldn't hold the blade still for even frost would shear at the sword's touch the unnatural density of the beast had slowed her weapon's descent into it's spine. She couldn't press the attack any further, needing to slice away the trunk that reached for her only to suddenly take a blow to the chest plate.

She was sent flying, the force of the blow only chipping the metal plate as it seemed most of the force went into lifting her away. Sailing she quickly found herself slamming hard into the soft dirt below. Any ordinary person would find themself mangled by the fall, possibly suffering organ rupture from the force of the landing. Od wasn't like others however. Her body was as tough as wood, all the way through and her bones were proportionally harder than her flesh. Even her blood was thick, not prone to swishing about during wild movements.

Hoisting herself up to a knee she found her right arm twisted as a strange angle, having popped out of it's socket. With teeth grit she straightened her arm, lining it up with the ground. She used the dirt to brace her arm whilst she used her body to force the bone back into place. Thanks to her natural healing it was a clean set, her body already at work rebuilding the rips and tears that may have occurred from the dislocation. At this rate she'd be back to normal before she'd get back to the keep.

_
There was no time to wait however. The battle was still hot and her presence was needed even though the queen had joined the battle. Though the queen had every right to participate it stung that the enemy still drew breath by the time she had been rousted from where she had slept. The queen should be dispatching great unholy beasts alongside her loyal knights, not dueling bandits whilst her knight's combined efforts still struggle to bring low a single elder beast. It was shameful.

Though her anger boiled her expression hadn't changed in the slightest. Despite the fall and the pain of her shoulder being dislocated not a single errant gasp of pain escaped her lips. On the outside she was a grim soldier, a focused scowl embossed upon her face like some grim warrior's mask. Her feet dug in and she took off in a sprint, dashing around the beast towards the hind leg on the same side as the one Reinhardt was currently grappling with.

She had heard her queen's instruction and would do as thus. Since the beast was using it's hind leg to stay standing on that side she moved towards the outside of that leg so the mammoth couldn't kick back as a horse might. She gave a long slash designed to tear apart the armor, provided it didn't have more wicked tricks behind this armor as well. From there she'd aim more cuts at the beast's leg. They were conservative attacks however as she was well aware the beast may very well attempt to stomp on her. She was prepared to answer that with a maneuver of her own.

If her own strength wasn't enough to pierce the beast then perhaps it's own would suffice.

[Crimson Paladin]

Ethelred

This Cecilia woman proved much more agile than Ethelred had anticipated, jumping over him and firing an arrow into his shoulder. Unlike the previous arrows, this one managed to shatter the ice on his shoulder, and he very much felt the force behind it. He didn't feel like his flesh had been pierced, but it was clear he had to be careful because that bow of hers could penetrate his armor.

Meanwhile, Ethelred heard the sound of his horse's hooves striking someone and knocking them down outside of his field of view- it sounded like his horse had just struck one of the bandits, probably the spearman who had been menacing them. He wasn't sure of the bandit's state- he could simply have had the wind knocked out of him via a blow to the chest, or the hooves could've struck the man's head and killed him instantly. If so, that'd mean one less possible person to interrogate.

As soon as he could do so, Ethelred spun around to meet where he anticipated the woman's trajectory would take her, and then dropped to one knee. To Cecilia and the bandits, it probably looked like he had been weakened or injured by the arrow, but the truth was that this act was intended. He placed his hand on the ground and begun to channel his power of freezing. Frost rapidly spread out across the ground in a radial pattern as the ground and the air above it suddenly became much, much colder. He needed to hinder this woman's considerable mobility if he didn't want to be on the receiving end of armor-shattering arrow after arrow from outside the reach of his lance. He hoped that freezing the ground would hinder her footing, or, if she made the mistake of standing in place for too long, the freezing effect might make its way through the soles of her boots.

This meant he'd be turning his back to the bandit archer, but the minion was a mere afterthought compared to dealing with Cecilia.

@Rune_Alchemist

[Pyromania99]

"Understood, My Queen!" Luna exclaimed as she watched the bandits attempt to flee for their lives. She raised her hand and created a half dome barrier at the front of them. "Alright. You have one. Final. Chance. You choose your punishment. Either surrender yourselves to my custody and live to see another day. Hell, you might see your family again if you have one." There was only one real way out asides bashing their way through the barrier. "If you resist, I will kill you where you stand." She gave them a rather sinister looking smile. "If you do surrender yourself, you'll be treated humanely. In fact, I will give you a chance at a better life than banditry. Our Queen is just that kind."

Her smile faded, however, as she then looked over them. "However, if you refuse... I will show you no mercy." The Knightess took some steps forward, as she glared at the men in front of her. If these were the last of the bandits, she'd be able to handle them easily enough. "If you will surrender, throw down your arms and move over there. Sit and put your head down to the ground. Or lay down. It doesn't matter much to me." Lunalel would keep an eye the bandits, ready to rush the ones not surrendering the second they would move toward her. If their morale was bad enough to break, they would be easy to finish off.

[VitaVitaAR]

Perfect. The mammoth was down.

Now all she had to do was make sure it wouldn't be able to get back up again.

"Summon: Binding Blades," Fio said, thrusting her sword into the air, towards the fallen beast. The air around the catalyst gave off a low hum, as light traveled up its edge, flickering and building for a few moments. She didn't need to kill the creature in this situation, and that wasn't the desired outcome anyway.

The air above the elder beast flashed with the same light that now surrounded the witch's weapon, a circle of light spreading from its origin point, before suddenly dispensing a stream of blades down at the mammoth. Rather then cutting through flesh, however, these blades instead caused no physical harm as they phased into the creature's body. Rather, the beast would find itself unable to move, as if it had been pinned to the ground by dozens of swords.

The only sensation it would feel was a mild, unpleasant tingle where each blade had struck.

@Rune_Alchemist@A Lowly Wretch@Guy0fV4lor

[Guy0fV4lor]

---

@Rune_Alchemist@A Lowly Wretch@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99

As the beast fell-- it's rider leapt high; the Tuatha's axe raised high as he seemed intent on targeting right beside Reinhardt.

The knight grit his teeth as he clenched his hand tightly around a gravelly bit of soil; tension building in his thighs as he prepared to dodge the incoming attack... But the strike would never come, the queen herself parrying the blow-- and issuing an order to subdue the beast, rather than kill it. A low grunt escaped Reinhardt's lips as he'd launch himself up and onto the wall, barking an order at the nearest militiaman, "You. Toss me a rope."

With but a moment's hesitation, the militiaman tossed the knight a bundle of thick woven rope, and with rope in hand Reinhardt leapt down the wall, sprinting toward the Mammoth once more. Though his comrades had already done much to bind the creature-- it was still fighting it's restraints. With a concise, swift motions the knight wrapped the rope about the beast's neck, and with an end in each hand, he placed his feet atop it's head and pulled with all his might!

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Airedale
Mid-morning
Airedale Fields

---

@A Lowly Wretch@VitaVitaAR@Guy0fV4lor@Pyromania99

---

"I suggest you lay down your weapon and run back to whatever hole you crawled out of." Sorcha would say to the red-haired Tuatha, low, rumbling tone. "Your force is already routed and your trump card has been dealt with. Any more fighting is just going to be humiliation for you. Or do you care that little for the lives of yourself and those who follow you?"

"Tch, what do you know, miss high-and-mighty? You look exactly like the sorta stuck-up bitch that doesn't know the meaning of what its like to survive out there." He would rush towards Sorcha, the hefty axe swinging through the air. The queen deftly avoiding it, only to strike with her own blade and have it barely parried by the young man.

"Heh, is that so? Looks can be deceiving, but fine...if you insist on continuing in futility, I shall grant you your request."

While the queen would continue to parry with the bandits leader, it left the others free to do their assigned tasks. While Luna's barrier would stop most of them, a few had been too quick and moved too far away for the barrier to reach. Those left behind and within though, would tentatively raise their weapons in a defensive stance as they'd listen to what she was saying...well, maybe listening but not really hearing. You know what they say about cornered animals, too.

About ten of the remaining bandits would charge Luna all at once, while only about four would quite literally, throw their weapons to the ground and deciding this fight wasn't worth it. Those attacking would swiftly close in, attacking with spears, axes, and swords, intent on either dying or earning their freedom.

The Mammoth, was not going down without a fight either. Od would tackle its legs, the armor falling easily beneath her unstoppable blade. The beast would struggle, the leg Od was attacking kicking backwards as it struggled to its knees - and thus would reveal one of its tricks. The foot would slam into the ground, a wave of force as shards of thick ice spikes would form around its leg, slamming into Od as they'd quickly grow and knock her clear of the Mammoth.

Had it not been for Fio's timely intervention, it'd have likely started a full on assault on the knights. Blades rained from the sky, ethereal but dull, designed for restraint rather than harm. They'd slam into the beasts back, and legs weighing the creature down with immense weight. The Mammoth trumpeted angrily in response, struggling to its feet, but getting to its feet all the same just as Elias would mount the creatures head, a thick length of sturdy rope around its neck.

It had been slowed, but it was still moving. A leg would stomp the ground, shaking the earth and causing a coating of slippery ice to form under it along with spikes of ice as thick, icy armor would form on its legs. Its bloody trunk reached for Elias as it would shake its head violently, the rope digging into its flesh as Elias attempted to choke-out the beast.

---

@Crimson Paladin

---

Believing the arrow had done some manner of damage to Ethelred, Cecillia landed on the ground readily, rolling across the ground and quickly jumping back to her feet in a show of agility that would have been hard to pull off for most people.

"Ahaha, alright score one for-gwuh!" Cecilia would attempt to move, only to let out a surprised cry as she'd fall right on her ass, sliding a bit across the frozen ground a few feet away from Ethelred. Before he could take advantage of it though, a shout from behind as the bandit he had turned his back to would charge Ethelred. Apparently, he had decided if his bow couldn't work against the icy armor, his own fists would do well enough. The bandit attempted to wrap his elbow around the knights neck, trying to use his weight to pin Ethelred to the ground.

[A Lowly Wretch]

Od

Again this beast tests her patience. The ice knocked her back, having been thrown clear once again. This time was even less impactful than the last blow to have sent her clear from the ongoing struggle. It didn't kill her, little could, nor did it really hurt her but the delays meant the queen would have to continue dealing out blows against this chaff alone. These bandits weren't worthy of challenging her and the shame of having it come to this only continued to build alongside Od's ire.

The beast guarded it's legs and left pools of ice where it walked. Meanwhile it fought in struggle against Reinhardt as he attempted to strangle the beast. While it's attention was focus was on fighting him it served as the ideal opportunity for her to try and score a blow of lasting consequence for once.

She quickly skirted the borders of the frozen zone as she rapidly dashed up front where the mammoth was attempting to toss her fellow knight off with it's trunk. With focused intensity she poised her stance, bracing her palm against the jeweled pommel of her blade as she readied a thrust. In one long smooth step her place stabbed up at the base of the mammoth's trunk. Though muscular and with hide it's trunk was unable to be armored without losing it's pliability. Neither ice nor steel could guard something that was required to be prehensile.

It was time to finish what she started and finally sever that damn trunk.

[Pyromania99]

Luna grinned, "So, most of you choose death." A golden light edged the blade of her weapon. "You can only blame yourselves for your fate." The knightess said as she met the charge of the men. She dove into the fray and knocked away a spear jab with her shield and deflected another thrust with her sword before thrusting it into on of the bandit's stomach. Quickly, she shoved the man as she removed her weapon and spun around, slicing another's neck and blocking another blow with her shield. One approached her with an axe and went to bring it down on her head. Not missing a beat, she rolled towards his side and launched a slash upwards as she jumped to her feet. It was a bit strenuous fighting so many people at once but it was getting a bit exciting. If anyone had paid attention to her fighting at all, they'd notice that there was a look of exhilaration on the lady's face the longer and longer the fight went on. Perhaps it was cockiness? Overconfidence? It was hard to say.

[Crimson Paladin]

Ethelred

Ethelred's attempt to change the battlefield to his advantage worked. The thief-woman slipped on the ice and fell off her feet. This was his chance, he thought, to catch her.

At least it seemed so, until the last bandit grappled him from behind before he could rise back to the ground. It was, all things considered, immensely frustrating considering that he had only just managed to get the advantage over Cecilia. His lance was too long and awkward to strike at the man behind him. As a veteran knight, Ethelred was versed enough in unarmed combat that he could probably best this petty thug in wrestling, but he didn't have time to put that theory to the test. He needed to shake this assailant off now, before Cecilia lined up another shot!

At the same time, however, he didn't want to simply kill the man. He might be the only one of this band still alive besides their leader, and there was no guarantee that Ethelred could catch the slippery thief even if he did manage to defeat her.

Once again, the Frozen Knight invoked his powers over ice, while attempting to rise to his feet against the bandit's efforts. His armor seemed to become even colder. Any point in physical contact with him would rapidly draw heat away from the bandit in a supernatural manner, and even the bandit's clothing would provide only the briefest respite before the freezing reached his flesh. It was not something Ethelred did lightly- frostbite was a horrific affliction that not even Od's miraculous blood could fully mend- but right now, it was the weapon he needed.

As his powers took effect, the knight made an effort to throw the bandit off of him while his foe was hopefully distracted by the terrible pain of one's surface flesh being frozen. In truth, he hoped for both their sakes that the bandit was not disciplined, suicidal, or loyal enough to try and hold on. If he succeeded, he'd charge towards Cecilia, still intent on attempting to apprehend her.

[Rune_Alchemist]

Location:
Airedale
Mid-morning
Airedale Fields

---

@A Lowly Wretch@VitaVitaAR@Guy0fV4lor@Pyromania99

---

"For all your talk you're doing everything you can just to defend aren't ya?"

"If that's what you think, then by all means." Sorcha responded to the young man, deflecting another blow from the heavy axe followed by swinging the blade back around, barely missing slicing the bandits neck clean off his head as he quickly back stepped, putting some distance between himself and her. "But I seriously think you should consider your situation again."

"Haha, if you think Shabbi could be put out by you guys - " A pained trumpet would come from the direction of Shabbi, the earth moving as the Mammoth would find Od's blade on its trunk, completely severing a good few feet from the massive beast and sending it kneeling to the earth below. Icy blood would soon clot the place that had been severed, but with Fio's spell weighing it down and Elias holding the noose around its neck...well, the beast would soon be pinned under the assault, the phantom blades holding it now in place since it had lost all of its momentum.

"You were saying?" Sorcha responded. "Leave, bandit. I have no desire to see further bloodshed."

"S-shabbi!" He would make a move to run over to the downed beast, but would be quickly intercepted by the Queen before he could get even a few feet.

"If anything, you should be ashamed of yourself for bringing a peaceable beast such as that on an endeavor like this." She sighed. "Think about it fool. You have my word on my honor and life that I will bring no further harm to the beast...so do yourself a favor and leave."

"...Tch-!" He pulled a horn from his belt, quickly blowing on it before turning tail to flee.

The men fighting Luna well...it was a bloodbath on both sides. The men would fall beneath her easily, but she wouldn't come out entirely unscathed. One of the bandits would get a good stab right in Luna's shoulder, slicing deep into her flesh before she could retaliate, and she'd find another slamming against her torso, her armor absorbing most of the blow but she would definitely feel something had been broken, and someone had managed to get a good cut on her neck.

When all was said and done, however, nine men lay dead, a tenth had been beaten into submission. Upon hearing the horn, and whenever Luna had dropped the barrier, the men who surrendered would make no secret they had no intention of sticking around...and promptly attempt to flee again.

"Let them go, Luna." Sorcha would say as she'd approach the Knight...though her serious demeanor would quickly fade as she'd give a long, drawn out yawn and stretch. "Ugh, who do they think they are, attacking this early in the morning. Don't they know some queens need their beauty sleep?" She'd complain to all of her knights present. "Well, good job everyone! Glad to see you all in one piece, especially you Od."

Now that everything was done, she'd address the knights in full.

"Alright, no time to rest! Get yourselves all cleaned up and meet me in the strategy room in an hour! I'll see to our beast friend here myself."

---

@Crimson Paladin

---

well, his plan was working as intended. The Bandit trying to grapple Ethelred would keep holding on, at least for the first few moments as the biting cold began spreading through the man. He'd grit his teeth, attempting to double down on the maneuver as Cecilia struggled to her feet, the slippery ground making it difficult for even an expert thief to find decent footing.

"Jeez...I'm surrounded by idiots with no self preservation..." She'd say, pulling another arrow from her quiver and aiming at Ethelred. The man holding the knight would now shout in pain, before promptly releasing him and looking at his now frost-bitten body. He grimaced and attempted to try quickly rubbing his arms and front to warm himself up, but it was mostly futile...and then the sound of a horn. Not one that Ethelred would know - but it would make Cecilia pause...and then leap up to a nearby tree branch.

"Well, Ice Knight who wasn't even polite enough to give me his name. Looks like we gotta go!" She'd say, giving him a friendly wave before leaping out of sight. "Hope to never see ya again! Not sure my heart could take it!"

And like the wind, she was gone. The bandit on the ground was glaring up at Ethelred, shivering and taking short breaths as frostbite ate away the majority of his body.

"Ethelred!" A familiar sound of Lughs voice would meet the Ice Knights ears. The young Tuatha would walk into view, sword at the ready to help...and seeming a tad bit disappointed he didn't get to help beating up any bandits. "Vyrell sent me. Was concerned. You seem fine. Battles over. Bandits fleeing. Sorcha says to meet her in the strategy hall in an hour. Need help?"

[Pyromania99]

Luna fought like a woman possessed. As the fighting continued, she seemed to care less and less for her personal safety as she retaliated from where she was cut and bruised, ending with a lopped off head and sheathing her sword. After the men were all dead, she sheathed her sword. "... Good. Now, come this way, you four." Her concentration on her spell faltered, and the barrier dissipated. That's about what one would expect from her wounds. The stab on her shoulder stung the more she came to realize she had be stabbed at all. A glow appeared at her hand as she went to infuse some healing energies to it... Before the bandits started to run. "Bastards." She muttered as the bandits turned tail and ran. "This wasn't the deal." So the energy in her hand turned into a javelin that she aimed at the nearest bandit that ran.

That is, before the Queen told her to leave them be. A small frown crossed Lady Lightsword's face as she comprehended the order and the javelin disappeared. She turned to her Queen with no attempted to conceal her dissatisfaction with the order, though she made no attempt to show she would disobey. "With all due respect, Your Majesty, if we let them go as such, they'll target small villages or lonesome travelers an--" Luna cut herself off and bit her tongue. She grabbed the unconscious bandit by the collar and drug him behind her. She gave a slight bow to the Queen before she spoke, more politely this time. "Understood, My Queen. I shall report in an hour." With that, she dragged the man to some of the guards that were by the gate before leaning against the wall and healing her wounds a bit. "I always get too riled up in situations like that..."