Conscripts

Delta End

Here of course

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

Those two guys

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Appearance:

Cuong (left, black-haired and black-eyed), Nikolay(right, blonde and silver-eyed)

Name: Cuong Hoang Van (Sometimes referred as Hoang Van Cuong), Nikolay Phan (old surname: Morozov)

Age: Cuong - 26, Nikolay - 28

Nationality: Vietnamese and Russian-Vietnamese respectively

Noble Arm Name & Appearance: N/A

Misc Abilities:
- Fighter Aces: Both these men are exceptional pilots in their own rights, knowing their craft inside-out. They are capable of performing seemingly impossible acrobatics, almost as if they possess a Noble Arms user in the cockpit.
- Strong Endurance: They are trained in enduring intense high-g, as well as experienced combatants themselves. They can take long duration flights as well as performing sharp aerial maneuvers easily. They won't tank a bullet to their chest, but in the air, don't expect them to stop zipping around anytime soon.
- Good Situational Awareness, Teamwork, Concise Communication, Mathematical Skills: As expected of any air force pilot.

Personality (Cuong):
A mature and level-headed member of the squadron, Cuong is almost zen-like in most scenarios. Even in the most stressful combat scenario, he would still keep his composure, often expressing dry disregards or casual jokes at the danger he found himself in. To many from the outside, he looks like a serious and dutiful soldier, quietly plucking away at his assignments. But the reality is he is a relatively inoffensive person, not making too much noises, often letting others, most likely his more boisterous co-pilot Nikolay, to take the lead, and is actually quite chill and chatty if you open up to him. He likes some good ol' simplicity: good food, good sleep, good laughter and quality peacetime.

*Likes: Flying, eating, quietness, overall just peaceful times

*Dislikes: Senseless violence, war, bad food, overall dickish behaviors idk

Fears: Loss of family, friends, his comrade Nikolay, etc.

Personality (Nikolay):
In contrast to his peaceful co-pilot Cuong, Nikolay is noticeably louder and more hotheaded. He lives more for the thrills of life. He lives on unpredictability and likes to wager on things, often using real money too, which did get him into trouble with the authority a couple of times. In combat, he enjoys a dangerous fight, preferring more aggressive approaches in fights. However, and perhaps thanks to the more mediating presence of his co-pilot, he knew to restrain himself from going too far. If you can tolerate this side of him, he's quite friendly. And if you think the war humor that his comrade Cuong engages it might be a little too much, oh boy...

He does have a bit of a sore spot if you mention his surname Morozov, however; something he'd casually remind you not to mention in his face ever again.

*Likes: Flying, gambling, high thrill activities, strategy games.

*Dislikes: The typical stuffs like above. Also, don't mention his extended family.

Fears: Ditto

Bio:

Cuong's early life

The ASEAN war did not begin with a sudden invasion. The Chinese have been harassing the Vietnamese borders decades before, launching increasing intensity and blatant artillery strikes upon strategic locations, but villages were either misidentified or deliberately targeted. Cuong's father was one early victims to these bombardments, perishing in his bedroom at night when the shell collapses the house. His mother and he, at 12 years old, managed to survive the house collapse, but fearing further attacks by the Chinese, they moved inland and settled in Hanoi near an airbase, which kindled Cuong's young interest in aviation.

The tragedy left the family in a shaky situation. His father had been the family's breadwinner, and losing him (along with his entire fortune) meant Cuong had to make ends meet working side-jobs at the same time as he attend schools. He struggled at both, but the experience hardened him as a person. He managed to finish high school but was unable to continue his education onto university, and thus was conscripted when he was 18. He was a sharp kid, combined with his interest and knowledge in aircraft from his time near the airbase, he enlisted in the Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) 6 months later. He proved his prowess as a trainee and graduated among the top of his class. At this point in his life, he never drove a car or motorcycle in his life, going from riding a dusty bicycle directly to operating a modernized multirole Russian SU-30MK2, significantly improved by the Paragon of Science's technology. There, he met Lieutenant Nikolay Phan, his copilot. Despite the contrast between the characters, the two men worked together well along with their new squadron.

Nikolay's early life

Nikolay's grandfather was a Soviet military advisor to the Vietnamese military during the Indochina/Vietnam War period, and for their service, upon retirement (along with the collapse of the Soviet Union), they immigrated to Vietnam with their immediate family. His father married a Vietnamese woman and subsequently had Nikolay. He bore a lot of traits from his father, including his surname despite insistence by the mother.

His childhood was...middling. While he lived comfortable life with a mother who tried her best to raise him, his father was fairly absent and quite abusive. His parent argued a lot, but tended to keep the argument away from their young kid. He was often left to his own devices, and would often get bored and lonely. His grades were barely average, and his foreign appearance often got him bullied in schools, and so he'd often hang out with gangs, smoke and gamble - some big no-noes in schools. He'd find himself expelled when he was in high school and sent to military schools.

Political turmoil escalated, and the threats of China were causing an increasing rift between the two sides of the family. The mother's side supportive of Vietnamese resistance, while the father's side supporting China and Russia. Things eventually erupted with Russian's Crimean crisis, with the Morozov family in Vietnam cutting contact with their foreign extended family. The only reason Nikolay's father did not sign a divorce was due to the social stigma associated with such case. But in any cases, they were separated. Nikolay, being 20 at the time, angrily disowned his father and changed his family name to his mother's, Phan, in recognition of her efforts in raising him.

While Nikolay's gambling tendency did not fully go away, military life did knock it down a couple pegs. He would volunteer for flight training in the VPAF, training 4 years in the trainer then transferred to the SU-22 in an airbase near the border to deal with the Chinese border skirmish. He had a surprisingly solid track record during these times, and was thus authorized to transfer to the 930th 'Lotus' Fighter Bomber Squadron, serving as co-pilot to a promising talent, Senior Lieutenant Hoang Van Cuong.

Chinese Invasion of Vietnam (again)

Chinese build-up of military might was of no surprises to the Vietnamese, who anticipated the invasion threat long before the world started noticing. So when the Chinese began their invasion in earnest (11 months before the Philippine's invasion), they were surprised to meet a strong Vietnamese resistance. Chinese forces often relied on numerical superiority, even in the air, and this proved to be a juicy experience for the air forces. They often found themselves in excellent attack position due to lack of enemy reconnaissance. Cuong and Nikolay's first victory came only 2 months in, as Lotus Squadron scrambled to intercept the threat of a Hanoi bombing run. They cleverly used cloud cover to mask their approach. As they emerged into view, Chinese jets were caught off-guard and were shot down in great numbers. 4 strategic bombers were lost that day, along with 5 escorts to no losses for the SU-30s, forcing the rest of the squadrons to turn back around.

The Chinese would reattempt more bombing attacks, with escort jets carrying their own Arms Master to help shoot down the Vietnamese jets. But the repeated hit-and-run 'insurgency' tactics by the VPAF didn't make them effective. Even in dogfights, these well-trained pilots proved to be a tough match for the Chinese air force. By the 9th month of the invasion, the numerically superior Chinese army failed to secure air superiority over the Vietnamese battlefield, and the invasion quickly stalled.

As for Lotus Squadron, they went on to achieve 5 more aerial victories, destroying over 50 Chinese aircrafts and in the process solidifying their fearsome reputation. Cuong and Nikolay's craft downed 10 themselves, signifying each downed aircraft a small pink lotus at the front of their SU-30. Since the invasion stalled and the threat of Chinese using the Philippines as a launching pad into central Vietnam, high command dispatched the 930th Squadron to aid the Filipinos, whose air defense are unprepared for the invasion.

*Current Goal: Helping the Filipinos thwart Chinese aggression.

Military or Civilian Rank: Cuong - Senior Lieutenant, Nikolay - Lieutenant

Lotus Squadron

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Description:
Lotus Squadron, officially the 930th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, is a unit in the Vietnam's People's Air Force. It is one of many units formed in response to the rise of China's militarism and threat of attack. Consisting of 8 SU-30MK2, improved with Paragons of Science's witchcraft technology, its armaments (missiles, bombs, etc.) much lighter and smaller, allowing the aircraft to triple its normal load capacity, meanwhile enhancing the maneuvrability of both the plane and its missiles. The squadron is distinguishable by its azure paint coating, along with pink lotus emblems on their aircraft's tails.

Members of Lotus Squadron are noticeably well-trained, highly capable fighter pilots. Unlike expendable ground forces, air force pilots and aircraft are not easily replaceable, as such these men and women received top notch training, not just in individual skills but also team coordination and various tactical doctrines. The versatility in both crew training and aircraft capabilities means the squadron would often be assigned a variety of missions and sent to important frontiers, including helping foreign allies with their aerial situations.

During the Chinese invasion of Vietnam, the squadron was deployed in the northern frontier, tasked with denying Chinese air superiority. The squadron's superior pilots, combined with proper battle doctrine, Chinese over-reliance on their Arms Masters, allowed them to score numerous victories in the air. As the invasion began to stalemate, high command decided to pull out Lotus squadron to be applied to more important pressure point in the ASEAN theatre, such as the invasion of the Philippines. As of their transfer, they were credited with 6 aerial victories, over 50 Chinese aircraft shot down.
Qingshe's upgrade

Upgrade 1

Armament: Missiles have been given dual Active-homing and Semi-active-homing capabilities. A trifeca of infrared, visual locks and onboard missile radar used in tandem work to counter various forms of interference. Minor AI helps missiles differentiate targets. Of special note, the visual lock has been upgraded with the capacity to recognize, snapshot and pursue a single biological target, like an individual person, allowing enemy Arms Masters -for example- to be targeted directly; though, this is not as accurate or protected against interference. (Blueprints provided.)

Structure: D30 variant non-newtonian kinetic armor, layered under the surface of the main body. Effective against most plane-mounted cannons and non-missile AA. Also rated against physical impacts/stress in general. No use typically against mundane elemental/exotic effects. Doesn't shield areas like the flaps, windshield and thrusters. (Blueprints provided).

Power: Liquid fuel system completely chucked and replaced with electrical. The jets are now off-brand Teslas with high-efficiency solar panels on either side of the spine. Internal battery good for 12 hours of high/active combat performance and can be recharged at coasting/traveling speeds or less. OPL has been primarily utilized here to lower the weight of the new system and protect against EMP attacks. Also allows the recharging to occur at night, generating electricity in the absence of other sources. (Blueprints provided.)

Qingshe can be assumed to provide replacement ammunition or repairs to modified sections between battles/missions where feasible until a line of resupply can be attained from Vietnam now replicating those improvements.

Obligatory:

[+]

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

---

The Dogfight

BGM

In response to the daring attack of the first four SU-30s, Chinese escort jets began dispersing to intercept the sudden intruders to the skies they thought was rightfully theirs. So caught aback by this sudden attack that the squadron neglected the presence of another four, all of whom very happy to exploit this mistake. Having barely any escorts around to contest the other predators, the Vietnamese jets darted through the clouds and pounced on the hapless bombers from below, bursting four into flames in seconds. Just like their squadron leader, they climbed above the Chinese formation before sweeping right back down on their preys. Three aircraft briefly broke away after their missile launch to avoid fire, but the one at the head of the formation saw their opportunity, fearlessly charged into the midst of the formation, weaving inbetween the bombers, unleashing volleys of machine gun fires onto their targets. The two gentlemen in the cockpits were Lotus 4, Cuong and Nikolay, commandeered their battle-hardened craft to continue its relentless assault. On its fuselage, ten lotus decals lined just beneath the cockpit warned enemy aviators of the fate that befell their counterparts.

Another bomber turned into a shooting star, as Cuong and Nikolay finally broke off from the bomber squadron, more to avoid the falling wreckage than enemy fire. However, the steak were running out, and the ungracious host seemed to dislike the guest's rapacious appetite, so the bombers began to turn around. Whether or not they wanted to do another bombing run or have had enough of eating missiles for lunch, the Chinese escort jets were back to save their comrades and chase away the squadron that was causing them this much pain.

"Heads up you four, these birds are coming back." The voice of Captain Tuan over the comm warned of their impending threat. "They didn't have their food, so they're pretty mad right now."

"Roger, should we retreat or engage?" Said Cuong.

"Wellll, we're here to bail our poor friends out, so we can't really let them have the skies." The captain replied.

"Say no more captain." He was just fine with that. "Comrades, break. Don't pick the same target, but feel free to call if you need any help."

The three jets accompanying Lotus 4 each gave their own affirmative response before pitching away from one another. The other four in the first group also did the same. Despite still being outnumbered, both men had no qualm or even were ecstatic for this fight. Bushwhacking the Chinese was age-old for the Vietnamese, but the fierce, fast-paced dogfight felt much better. In this new era of Arms Masters, a kid could best the most veteran of combat soldiers. No matter how many years one could train, people who were either born to manifest their NA or were among the super rich could just purchase one and overpower you. It's an ultimate game of luck, in the scale of billions. The blue skies is the only few place where that didn't matter as much. There is no purchasing or born into piloting a plane, let alone fight toe to toe with others in them. You have to put in the work, no matter who you are. And everybody falls out of it just the same way.

"Incoming hostile." Cuong announced.

"They look eager." Nikolay raised his eyebrows as he noticed how fast the jet was coming towards them. "Let's make this quick for them."

"One turn?" The black-haired pilot chuckled. "Risky, but sure. Preparing to merge."

Within seconds, the two planes passed by each other head-on with breakneck speed. The Chinese jet quickly made his circular turn, and the pilot could see the enemy jet mirroring him in the other direction only to hear, in horror, the missile lock alarm. The Chinese pilot was barely halfway through his turn when that Vietnamese Su-30 already bent its nose around pointing straight at him, drifting through the air with white vapours frothed atop its wings. A missile followed shortly after. Flares were deployed, but the missile found its mark, slamming onto the Chinese jet just behind the cockpit. Within seconds of challenging the Vietnamese aces, the pilot was dead.

"Hostile confirmed down." Nikolay announced, seeing the blip on his radar just vanish. "No parachutes. Looks like the missile killed them."

"Probably for the better. I doubt those guys down there would be kind to them." Cuong said, glancing down on the flaming wreck that was once a very capable jet piloted by a motivated aviator. "Quite a sudden death I'd say. I wonder what's the last thing they had in their mind there."

"I don't know, probably the missile." Nikolay shrugged. "Dinner's not over yet brother. Let's go for another one."

"No talking while chewing eh? Sure." The Senior Lieutenant rolled his eyes in amusement as the afterburner kicked in and the jet charged straight for another target.

The Chinese Air Force's retreat

The air battle continued to rage over Lingayen city, with the soldiers and remaining citizens watching on from below. The battle was daunting, only eight Vietnamese jets against dozens of Chinese's. But as the sky continued to be filled with white trails of plane and missile, the tide of the battle was slowly tipping over. Casualties littered the Lingayen city and countryside, with pilot corpses shot out by the Meitner's sniper team or the metallic handiwork of the Lotus squadron. By the end of the battle, all eight azure jets were still airborne, but not without damage.

"Uh-oh, looks like my right wing's flaps are shot out. Fuel's leaking too." A voice came over the comm. It was the captain.

"That was on me captain, they were right in my gunsight!" Another pilot spoke out.

"You ok, captain?" Nikolay asked. "Can you make it back to Manila?"

"I wish. Camp Abat's the closest base around here. They said they have a runway for us to use." Tuan replied, quickly turning his plane around for the base. "Lotus 8, I need you to escort me there. Lotus 4, you are in charge of Lotus now."

"Roger." Cuong replied. Two jets broke off from the battlefield and descended north east towards the base. Some opportunistic Chinese pilots saw this occurring and also broke off to chase the damaged aircraft. "Oh no you don't." The Senior Lieutenant quickly noticed this, however, and descended to follow them.

"Lock!"

"Confirm, launching missile."

A press of a button and a missile dropped from its pylon, quickly speeding off into the distance. To both pilot's surprise that missile did not track. It, in fact, veered off in a different direction altogether.

"What the..." Both eyes peered towards where that missile was going. Towards the sun. Another sun, one that's cooking the clouds above it like a stove. They briefly snapped back in order to get rid of the Chinese jet that was chasing their captain, cutting one of its wings clean off with their cannons. But once that was done, there was another problem to worry about: that sun. What is it doing?

All of a sudden, a blinding energy beam smashed into the gigantic dome down at the beach, the shriek could be felt inside the cockpit, on the yoke that both the pilots were now gripping tight, because what came next was a nasty force pushing from beneath their seat. The whole aircraft shook as both pilots tried to escape the air turbulence caused by this second sun.

The People's Liberation Air Force was now officially pulling back en masse. Within minutes, the only thing flying through the sky over Lingayen are some low-flying helicopters and the six remaining Lotus Squadron jets. It might have seemed like the battle in the air was won, but the pilots in the squadron knew that this wasn't over yet.

"Ground command, what's your status?" Cuong asked over the comm, once the attack had passed. "If you're still there, the sky's clear, awaiting further orders." If no one replied from that, well...they'd just have to figure it out by themselves.

Noble Arms - The ASEAN War [Moved to New Thread]

---

It's been a long 3-hour flight.

"Approaching Filipino airspace." The pilot at the head of the formation, Captain Tuan, broadcast to the remaining aircraft. The southern-most area of the South China Sea had mostly been under ASEAN control, so the flight to the Philippine mainland had been relatively uneventful and remarkably chatty. Doing nothing the entire 3 hour would perhaps drive people insane. But now that the message was broadcast, chatters cut off immediately. "Lotus Squadron to Manila. This is aircrafts of the VPAF, would you kindly allow us to land at your strip for some pork belly?"

A moment of silence lingered the captain's cockpit, before the request was answered. "This is Commander Darna, thank god you are finally here." The woman sounded a lot less amused. "You are welcome to land, but there's not any time for food. We will need you in the air as soon as possible."

"What's going on?" The captain asked.

"Lingayen is under heavy bombardment. It may be overrun any minute now." Her reply was grim.

Tuan briefly glanced down at his terminal. "I assume they needed a bail then?"

"Affirmative."

"We still have quite a bit of fuel left. We can head north immediately."

She was silent for another few seconds. "Permission granted. Second Lieutenant Noel Alonso is in charge. Contact on approach. Good luck and god bless you."

All 8 crafts heard the transmission, and proceeded, in perfect V-shaped formation, to turn North to head towards the battlefield.

"Second Lieutenant?" Spoke Senior Lieutenant Hoang Van Cuong, piloting the third aircraft on the left side of the formation. The emphasis on the ranking is because he technically outranked this guy. "Don't tell me this guy's in charge of the city's defense."

"How much are you guys willing to bet..." A voice echoed both in the comm channel and right behind him. The only foreign-blooded pilot of the squadron, and Cuong's co-pilot, Lieutenant Nikolay Phan. "That this guy is also a kid. Out of every junior officer possible"

"No way..." Another pilot replied. "Dinner's on me tonight if he even is one year below 18."

"Tch. That's not as good of a bet as you might think." Cuong replied, slightly amused. "As insane as it sounds."

"So you're on my side then, Cuong?" Nikolay replied.

"Whoa whoa, I never said I wanted in on your gambling spree." He retorted from in front. "My money's precious, ok?"

"Come on, it's food! And it's the Philippines. Better have a free meal while we're still here and alive to."

"Alright alright, settle down." The captain commanded. "We'll be in Lingayen in 10 minutes. Contacting the city."

---

<< Thank you @Letter Bee for contributing to this section >>

[+]

The plane contrails left an uneasy sight for unaware ground forces and volunteers below. Despite being told they were friendlies, they looked nothing like allied jets. In fact, they were Russian jets. Eight SU-30MK2 over the mountains, coated in azure paint with pink lotus emblems on their tails, flew in from the south. No Filipino fighters intercepting them, none flew with them either. They just waltz in like cars in an empty parking lot.

Noel, who were in the middle of fighting in the Wall of Light, heard a strange accent came over his comm.

"This is Captain Tuan of the VPAF's Lotus Squadron. Is this Second Lieutenant Alonso?"

Noel stopped firing his submachine gun to answer the radio, saying, "Lotus Squadron! You came at the right time! Enemy airpower is being focused on the municipality behind us, while we have reason to believe that an Arms Master is being used to aid their conventional assault from afar. If they burn down our fallback position," aka the municipality of Lingayen, "We'll have nowhere to go should the Wall of Light fall; would you guys mind culling the enemy bombers?"

"Understood." The captain replied curtly, hearing the gunshot in the background.

---

"Alright comrades, you hear that?" He said, switching frequency back to the pilot's. "Climb to nine thousand."

"I hear free dinner~" Nikolay excitedly spoke. No confirmation until they meet the guy, if ever, but if that voice was any indication, this boisterous co-pilot likely won the bet.

"I hear free dinner too!" The same pilot that made the bet also said. "Look at that."

It wasn't the bet he was referring to, however. Above the squadron, thirty, no, fourty aircrafts, flying in a rather...familiar formation. At least to the squadron. This was exactly what they were doing in Vietnam 11 months prior. Flying close and massing numbers. It did work pretty well here, since there were still no signs of the Philippine's air force yet, and electronic countermeasure could go some ways against ground anti-air. But oh are they in for a big surprise...

"Split up, we'll do a 'double attack'." Captain Tuan called over the radio. "Lotus 2, 3 and 7, follow me. We'll go first. Lotus 4, you're in command of the second group. Commence assault!"

"Roger!" The pilots replied.

Four aircraft immediately broke loose from formation, spread out and began to make rapid ascension towards the bombers. Some broke straight through the clouds right into missile range of the enemy formation. Chinese jets were caught by complete surprise and barely responded when the first SU-30 loosed 2 missiles into the Chinese bombers, sending the monster slowly tumbling to the ground in flames. The second one that followed shot down an escort jet that strayed too close to his line of shot. Both climbed above the Chinese formation only to dive back down with their cannons. The third one did not have a good angle so it subsequently missed their armaments. The fourth one approached from a much shallower angle, but allowed a missile to cleanly bag a bomber.

Meanwhile, the remaining 4 SU-30s lurked beneath the clouds below. The food tonight looked increasingly tasty.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

_{Time: ~8:50 AM
Locations: Guesthouse
Mentions: Thea @Tae}

---

The night for many royals in Sorian were bad, but they weren't the only ones having to endure. John's was as short as his current temper: a burnt-out candle.

The Previous Night

After that nightmare, the doctor remembered he still needed to be awake until they gave him the all-clear. To prevent getting consumed by exhaustion, John went to wash his face in the washroom and writing his journal afterwards, mostly to keep himself occupied and not collapse. Soon though, he heard the knock on his door, and contrary to his expectation, it wasn't Dr. Hunter but a servant was outside.

"Dr. Williamson? Hi, uhh..." He was a little hesitant. John recognized this as the new guy that the queen just hired.

"Hello hello." He put up a friendly smile, but it was pretty clear he was tired. "Are you sent by the Surgeon Dentist?" The servant nodded. "Well, am I good or..."

"Umm...he's alright with you being late." He was still fumbling a little with his words. "But he wanted you summoned. There is an urgent matter."

'Don't tell me...' He groaned internally hearing that. "Alright, thank you. You are excused." He said.

The servant bowed and jogged away. John looked around his room, grabbed his personal satchel lying neatly on the desk by the windows, strode out of the room. That whole damn thing he overheard at the castle about the missing carriage and royals missing. He would not want to hear the possible news that some of his royals were injured or, even worse, dead on the very first day they arrived in Caesonia.

John didn't have to go to the queen's chamber, as he soon found the Surgeon Dentist frantically walking down the hallway with two of his personal maid and a Caesonian servant. He quickly noticed the doctor too. "John!" He called out, as both sides approached each other. "The Queen just briefed. Some of our nobles went missing the entire night after the balls."

Oh great. "Who's missing?" John immediately asked.

"Lesdeman, Ravenwood and both the Smithwoods." He replied curtly, omitting their titles. "We found the first two and the elder Smithwood though, in a miserable state but still alive."

"What happened, do you know?"

"They stench of alcohol. I think they just drank too much." The Surgeon Dentist grumbled. "Our doctors are already monitoring them."

Alcohol? So this might not have been a political kidnapping or anything that heinous. This still left one missing though...

"What about Thea?" He asked concernedly.

"Not yet found. She's not in her room."

His heart sank upon hearing that. Visible anger showed on his face as his lips thinned, his teeth grinded with one another and his fist clenched. God damn it Thea. He had told her to drink moderately, and she wouldn't listen! Of course she wouldn't! Now this happened!

"Alright. I'll be on the lookout, if that's alright?" He replied, sitting on the anger beneath his face.

The Surgeon Dentist simply nodded and assigned a maid to go with him. The search went further for another hour, with Thea finally found in Prince Felix's room instead. No one wanted this whole mess to bother the prince and princess, so they didn't think of looking for her there when options began to run out. Thankfully, however, she was ok. Heavily intoxicated, yes, miserable, also yes, but she's stable and would be fine the next day. Only that reassurance would John allow himself to finally get some rest, this time without any incident.

However, despite the uneventful trek through the dream world this time, his night was still ruined. He barely managed several hours before the sun peeked over the horizon, not enough in his eyes, or under his eyes. He'd hold back the urge to engulf himself in the blanket and hibernate until that fiery orb in the sky disappear, but he remembered what was said yesterday. He did leave Thea alone once he found out she was in Felix's room, but he informed the Smithwood's servants to tell her that she's to come to him first thing in the morning for a checkup. So, begrudgingly, he forced himself up on his feet, went for a quick wash, got himself dressed and ordered a cup of tea while waiting for the knock on the door. God forbid if she ignored him this time too.

Heavens Torn Asunder

Yuuki Kiyomasa

Haruki Province

---

Not too far from the road, a few rice carts rolled through the dense forest, pulled by a few horses in front. A rather common sight around Haruki if not for the few armed soldiers on horseback riding ahead of the merchants. And these weren't ronins on payrolls of some merchants. Banners of red and gold familiar to many in the area would be enough to deter anyone from having fancy ideas. And if that wasn't enough to stop the gold-hungry or the desperate, these horsemen and horsewomen would. Legends say Tsuchimaru soldiers were born on the saddles themselves. While they were certainly not so, and they were mostly light horses, they were still very much capable of wiping out any ragtag bandit groups.

At the lead of the horse group was a rather short and round-faced man. He looked a little silly being on top of a much taller and towering equine partner, wearing the red armor of the clan, gold ornaments on his kabuto, a sword, or rather specifically a tachi, wrapped by his hips, the blade curving upward. His feet occasionally tapped the horse on its side and it would go forward as commanded, a reinless horse-riding style that allowed both his hands to hold onto a long straight spear that gave his unit a menacing reputation. But his unit wasn't here, or most of them weren't.

Haruki was under the control of the powerful Rinka clan, who had long trading relations with the Tsuchimaru, having provided a sizable amount of rations for the clan's last skirmish against the Shirogane. While never technically allied with one another due to fear of retribution from other clans who also had trading relations with the Rinka, preferring to make themselves seem like neutral benefactors rather than leaning one way, they still secretly gave the Tsuchimaru some leeway with military access. And the recent rise of certain crooked behaviors in the province made this privilege quite useful. Cavalry life under the Tsuchimaru was never boring this way. Even famed lancers still had to toil in front of a moving cart like any lowly peasants. But all was fine for Yuuki, for he found the brotherhood he made with the others worth the labor

"Did you hear that?" A horseman next to him whispered.

Tree rustling noises were heard from above. The branch shook up and down, as Yuuki swiftly looked up, his grips on the yari tightened. From the leaves revealed...a fox, agilely running down the tree and disappeared into the woods.

"Whew..." His grips relaxed considerably as Yuuki let out a sigh.

"Have chickens in your armor or something Yuu?" A horsewoman asked with a giggle, a lancer along with him and also a friend of his.

"I wish." Yuuki replied with a chuckle. "I thought there were ninjas around."

"I mean not impossible, but I doubt anyone really would want to pick a fight with us." She replied. "We're no important target."

"Uh-huh..." The young man gave his friend a smirk. "That sounds like a phrase in certain haikus."

"Yuu, you don't know anything about haiku." She shook her head in disapproval. "That's not how that works."

He giggled in response, as the uneventful escort continued, though not for long. All of a sudden, they felt the ground below shake lightly briefly, a pre-warning to a series of mighty roars echoing through the area, roars of some...creature. Not long after would screams be thrown into the mix, human screams. Someone appears to be in trouble.

"Where did that come from?" The horsewoman asked, her weapon swapped to her dominant hand, getting ready.

"Over that hill." Yuuki pointed ahead. It seemed like they were on a path to it. Even if they weren't going to leave to help whoever's in trouble, they'd run into it eventually.

"Stay here, we will check what is going on." She gestured to the other mounted soldiers to stay put and guard the rice cart, as she, Yuuki, and two horse archers continued forward.

A man eventually stumbled on the road in the opposite direction the horses were traveling. He was petrified with horror, struggling to balance himself as his fears kept forcing him to look behind while his body limped forward. Blood splatters could be found on his clothes. However, he also had with him a sword, something peasants shouldn't have, and the dirt-stained robe didn't give the impression that he was anywhere affiliated with the samurai or ronin class.

"P-P-Please!" He fell to his knees the moment he found the bannered men and women, his weapon dropped onto the dirt. "He's a predator!"

"He?" Yuuki asked, but the man couldn't respond. Horror was all over his face, soon taking over him again.

"I'm dead meat..." He swung his head to where he came from, his hands and lips trembled as he uttered. "I'm dead meat!" He took off, running for his life.

Yuuki looked at the other three in concern. That poor man did say he. Yet the roar wasn't human. He gulped back his fear of a possible youkai nearby. He had heard of youkai stories throughout his life: the powerful beings, capable of imaginary feats using powers beyond his capability, yet he never once faced one in his life. People have subdued and hunted youkais for long, but for Yuuki, it was still somewhat terrifying to come face to face with one, especially one seemingly on a rampage at the very moment.

He nevertheless urged his horse forward, following the other three as they cautiously rounded the bend to the scene of carnage that the Demon caused.

@Zeroth

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

_{Locations: Guesthouse}

---

Coming back from that meeting with Calbert and Prince Wulfric, the Varian doctor was just autonomously putting a foot in front of the other. His eyes were burning, blurry and heavy. Twice he felt himself wandering in a different direction before realizing he had strayed and corrected his path. It had been what had been a very long night. The travel fatigue from Varian, the long ball, 2 dances, the library, a murder, and a long investigation that he was unsure why he was substituting for an investigator. He even got to hear about the disappearance of the Alidasht nobles nonetheless. What a wonderful process the glorious kingdom of Caesonia had here. A murder case investigated by a vengeful emotional creep father and a prince. Blame him for growing up in the somewhat more egalitarian, or rather less elitist, society but unless the prince had worked in the law, two guys in an office playing detective could only be worse by two royals in an office playing detective.

Arriving at the guesthouse a lot later than anticipated, John had to show himself to the other physicians, to at the very least let them know that he was safe. The Surgeon Dentist of the team was known to over-worry things like king Alixandre. He might find himself being burst in by armed guards and princess-carried if their minds ran wild enough.

At the end of the day, he shouldn't be interested in the case. He was an outsider unfortunate enough to discover the mess. It was heavy knowing a young lady getting murdered in such cold blood, royals or not, but six times out of ten were probably disgruntled peasants/employees getting screwed by the family, and three were probably petty noble's pouring molten gold into a dead body. He had no interest in middling affairs when he had work to do, and people to care for - actual people to care for. However, there was something about this case that continued to bug him. Not the evidence, that were clearly up to proper analysis, but the people behind them. It hit a little close to home for him.

"John?" A door opened to the familiar voice of Dr. Hunter, his former academic advisor. "Where have you been tonight? It's quite damn late." He asked, upon seeing his former supervisee.

"It's a long story." John replied, scratching the back of his head. "I can explain if you want, but it might take a bit."

"We can always chat later." The middle-aged man replied. "Have you reported to the surgeon dentist? He's asking where you are." John just shook his head, and Dr. Hunter leaned his head over. "He's with the queen I think. I'm heading there anyway briefly, so I can always let him know you're here." He replied.

"Well, let me know if I am summoned." John replied, and was met with a thumbs-up from the old doctor as he departed.

John returned to his room, waiting for Dr. Hunter to return the all-clear before he could finally go to sleep. But the soft cushion, the pillow next to him, seemingly whispering for him to lend an ear, was too tempting. The moment he laid himself on the bed, he lost control, even as he was awake for a few more minutes. The dream world soon whisked him away...down into the abyss.

TW Dead bodies

If a dream was vivid enough, it usually is a bad thing.

For John, he remembered clearly where he was. A snowy canyon, two cliffsides leaning into one another, a frozen river beneath. And he no longer in formal wear, but brown cloaks, scarves, and small mittens. Small mittens. He was a kid again. But this was no happy memory.

This is Mount Vesuvo. Or according to some, Mount Penitentiary, because this is where criminals go, or rather criminals designated by the kingdom, if they were not outright publicly executed. There would be long borders to prevent any attempts to escape south, as means to return back to the kingdom. They'd live out the rest of their shortened lives here as if they were not soon claimed by the terrain, the weather, the northern "barbarians" would likely have them sacrificed. It's effectively a death sentence but with the veneer of mercy.

And many had already been taken by the former two. As John walked through the valley beneath the cliff, images began to appear, in the exact order that he remembered happened.

A body faced into the snow. The entire area facing the sky of his brown cloak had turned bright from sun exposure. They must have fallen from the cliff while attempting to climb it.

Another body, this one cupped in a fetal position, their face covered by the cloak. There were no bags or anything with them. They must have not been prepared and froze to death there.

Then another, this one he was fortunate enough to face the heavens, but his face had been terribly bleached. He must have been here for at least a few years.

Two more, these ones really close, almost on top of the other. Who knows what really happened to them. They could be couples who decided to join one another in the next life. Or some good-willed individual who helped another in times of crisis, only to follow them instead. Regardless, they are now corpses in this frozen wasteland. All of them were once living, breathing, laughing, now an icy husk never to be buried, only to be walked past by the next unfortunate victims of Caesonian brutality. And it wouldn't just be dead ones.

There was a small ice overhang, looking a bit too colorful to be just ice and snow. A closer inspection showed there was actually someone there, curled up with her arms around her legs. Her nose had turned black, and her face paled but still breathing.

He felt himself approaching that ice overhang, edging closer with each step to the woman. She would not respond back, but John knew she was still alive. He'd grab her coat with his two hands and yank it but to no avail. His strength was gone. His limbs felt weak. He tried pushing the woman out of her position, futilely as well. Nothing he did would budge her.

"Mom, dad!" He called out. Two silhouettes towered behind him, but he wouldn't look back. Autonomously and without a word said, one of them, whom if John recalled correctly would be his dad, reached for the woman and tried to pull her up. He could hear cracks of snow and ice ripping off her as her body buckled. But he too dropped her after a short while. His mother would join in to help drag her, but they were all peasants, weak and exhausted. The woman also couldn't unwind herself. Her posture was to be like that forever, frozen solid.

He remembered to the exact words what was uttered.

"It'd take us too long to cross the mountain if we carry her. We have to leave."

"No, we can't!" John cried out unconsciously, the same words he said then.

"I'm sorry John..."

John was held by his hand, sandwiched by his mother and father, and walked away, as that poor woman's body was left there, her arms still wrapped around her legs, her eyes seemingly staring at the young boy before her image slowly shrank and disappeared. It was cold on Mount Vesuvo, in so many different ways...

'Let me out of this...'

He felt his eyes shut, his chest a thousand weighs heavy. His fingers could curl, but he could not open his eyes. His fingers curled, his teeth clenched. The freezing cold did not leave him...

'COME ON, LET ME OUT!!!'

Finally, his eyes opened, and lights rushed in and overwhelmed his fovea. John quickly sat up from his bed and leveled himself. He rubbed his temple as air rushed through his lungs. The sweat soaked his hand. There was no one around. It was just sleep paralysis, accompanied by a horrible dream.

"Why did it come back just now?" He asked himself, his two hands cuddled together. It was cold, just like that canyon. How could it be? He thought he had already left it behind, ever since he became apprentice to the doctor at Kolonivka. He thought he was able to sleep soundly now, after finally being able to forgive himself. Why did the memories have to come back?

Heavens Torn Asunder

Yuuki

• Name: Yuuki Kiyomasa
• Age: 20
• Race: Human
• Appearance: The surprising lead of the cavalry tidal wave
• Personality:
  Despite the reputation as part of the Tsuchimaru clan's fearsome lancer cavalry, what one will meet outside the battlefield would be a small and unassuming man called Yuuki. He is quite a friendly and approachable person, especially in his private time wandering around the common folks in villages, owing to his peasantry upbringing, normally inoffensive and a little pigeon-hearted even, easily spooked by small things. However, Yuuki is actually quite mature and skilled with his words. His inoffensive attitude was honed through an ability to navigate through social situations, and he is quite sharp when it comes to the unspoken details. He is also quite fond of animals, especially horses whom he would live and die with on the battlefield.
  Once in combat, however, Yuuki is a fierce and daring presence. More often than not, he'd be at the very front of the formation, at full gallop with his trusty steed to meet the blades and pikes of his enemies first. His attack could sometimes border on recklessness, like charging into tight formations head-on, a far cry from the timid impression one might get from him. Some would say the short little man enjoyed the fighting as much as any warrior, something to which Yuuki would strongly deny.
• History:
  Born to a peasant family in Nohara, Yuuki's family worked as horse handlers and transporters, carrying supplies from farms to merchant cities and ports using horses. The young boy got into the workforce as soon as he was able to, first accompanying his father and then doing supply runs on his own. But soon, he was able to get his own job as a messenger for clan Mamuro. In his earlier days, it would simply be just traveling across the province to deliver messages, but as conflicts escalate between samurai clans, Yuuki would soon find himself delivering messages to and from the frontline. Despite being easily spooked by danger at the time, the boy soldiered on to perform his duties.
  His big break comes when the Mamuro castle he and his lord came under siege. He was tasked to sneak out of the castle at night and deliver a message to the head of clan Tsuchimaru for help. He did just that, sneaking from the castle at night with his horse, however not completely. The enemy detected his movement at the last moment and gave chase. Being pursued by mounted archers, and knowing he could not get away, Yuuki wheeled his steed around and charged the archers alone, stole a katana then cut down some of his pursuers before escaping. The message got to the Tsuchimaru lord safely, and help was dispatched soon after. For Yuuki's part, his feat, bravery, and way with words impressed the Tsuchimaru lord, who would then allow him in samurai training with their young relatives. In time, he would become a samurai in all but names, taking part in the Tsuchimatsu's famed lancer cavalry unit.
• Abilities/Skills:
  Yuuki is a skilled horse handler, being knowledgeable in almost anything horse-related, from how to control, ride and take care of them to even breeding them. And of course, earned from his later samurai training, how to fight effectively on them too. He knows how to use the katana and some other samurai weapons and can handle himself decently in a fight, but his preferred and most skilled weapon of choice is the older more curved variant of the katana, the Tachi, and the Yari, either a Kagi version with a hook, or the normal straight Su Yari, all of whom were more suited for mounted combat.
• Other:
  His horse that was given to him during his samurai training and later his battle companion is named Nobu

Heavens Torn Asunder

Cool, thanks! Moving character to the appropriate tab

Heavens Torn Asunder

Sure, that's certainly not an issue for me. Edited the magic part out