-refuses to disappoint-
Behold, the hero of our generation
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Behold, the hero of our generation
@Sep What about the Co-GMs?
Finally, I found a suitable image to plaster on Akira's verbally-described-mug. CS updated
All hell broke loose in under a minute: velociraptor hugs all around, a rat shrinking and flying under the table, the large one getting scared and jumping out of his seat, the goth chick picked on him, half-assed motivational speeches. It was beyond Akira how Merlovich coalesced such an unstable team even after he revised everyone's profile. Or so he believed.
Unless, he's desperate enough to just wing it, Akira thought as he quietly stood up and pushed his chair back in its former place, but his motivations are not my concern. I need his money to upgrade myself if I will ever have a chance to put Artemis down. Even if it means I have to work with the nut house.
Now that he was up on his feet, he could see the slight dent he had left on the rather expensive table, as light reflection bend around the depression his forehead left behind. He winced and hissed to show his regret for the damage he had inflicted and rubbed the tip of his metallic finger into the indentation to check the depth; the pack of information that reached his brain still felt highly awkward, since they could yet portray tactile sensations with one hundred percent fidelity. Sure, he felt the shape, but the texture of the table was absent, same with the temperature. He lifted his gaze to Merlovich, but hesitated a second once he could see the already disappointed philanthropist having to deal with a big mess.
"I will pay for its repair with my first wage." The man concluded before he bowed his head only so slightly.
He turned around and headed for his own quarters, deciding to avoid any other social contact for the time being, especially since his apology was mocked by Phaidra. Only a glance was thrown in her direction, which bore no message, no warning, no nothing; he simply acknowledged her words and left. He did have to slalom through a part of the Slight Heroics team, but he made sure not to brush himself against anyone, fearing that the slightest of touches could provoke a possibly mentally unstable individual to do react in an less-than-favorable manner.
With this sort of crowd, I wouldn't be too surprised."
He slipped past Raptora and Angstbomb as they had a little moment together, but the fey's reaction just nearly made him crack into laughter there and then. He did his best to keep his composure as he strode down the corridor to reach his quarters, keeping himself far behind from the younger bespectacled girl wearing a messy hairstyle. Once he had discovered his own room, whose door bore a plaque reading his name, Akira took a moment to sit down on the floor and regain his patience after having to deal with the surreal moment from before. Here, it was dark and comforting, a sweet moment of escape from the crazy reality that had happened to him.
Still can't believe I said yes to this, rewards and all. Akira shook his head and lowered his forehead into his palms again. I need to work alone, lest I'll lose my mind in this insanity soon; and if it isn't enough, I think I'm the only one around that has actually put a man down in his grave. He bitterly thought, as he rewound the faces of those younger or older than him, who didn't wear the thousand yard stare in their yet traumatized eyes - save for Grunt's gaze, whose absent mind is easily perceivable in his blank stare.
Within the darkness of the room, he could see a weird material slightly reflect the only sliver of light creeping in from a set of blinders. He reached for the window to pull the blinders up, but instead, his fingers seemed to have encountered something that offered very little resistance against his arm. When he did manage to find the string to pull the blinders, he then saw that he had sunk his fingers through the plasterboard surrounding the window, leaving a nice hole viewing the inner side of the outer wall. Akira could only shake his head and sigh deeply, some stinging pain stemming from the root of his nose still jolting his skull. In contrast, the view from his window offered a formidable vista over the dumpster alley below, whereupon he observed a homeless man drink something from a shoe as they watched a pair of stray cats mating.
"Dodgeville." It was the only thing Akira that he could mutter.
He redirected his attention to the material, concluding that in fact it was a suit of sorts, which seemed to have been tailored to fit his size and proportions. From what he could tell, it was a combat suit composed mainly of carbon nanofiber; the torso piece felt heavy enough for him to suspect something akin to a ballistic plate being shoved inside somewhere, but as he moved the suit through his hands, he soon realized that they were interlinked plates acting much like a piece of medieval armor suit. The arms were also lined with carbon nanofiber, the joints seemed to be connected with a softer material to allow full mobility of the limb; judging by the way the sleeves were constructed, they would perfectly fit his mechanical arms and somewhat enhance their contractile abilities. Same with the lower limb portion of the suit, but the thighs had a little less carbon nanofiber and more of the soft material which, to his surprise, did not utter a single sound as the folds rubbed together to his touch. He whistled in admiration as he continued to inspect it, slowly realizing that it would only be normal for him to be given such a combat suit. After all, he did participate in real combat.
Does that mean he expects me to spearhead assaults? Oh no... am I really the most experienced one here? He nearly dropped the suit from his grip.
We're dead.
Unless, he's desperate enough to just wing it, Akira thought as he quietly stood up and pushed his chair back in its former place, but his motivations are not my concern. I need his money to upgrade myself if I will ever have a chance to put Artemis down. Even if it means I have to work with the nut house.
Now that he was up on his feet, he could see the slight dent he had left on the rather expensive table, as light reflection bend around the depression his forehead left behind. He winced and hissed to show his regret for the damage he had inflicted and rubbed the tip of his metallic finger into the indentation to check the depth; the pack of information that reached his brain still felt highly awkward, since they could yet portray tactile sensations with one hundred percent fidelity. Sure, he felt the shape, but the texture of the table was absent, same with the temperature. He lifted his gaze to Merlovich, but hesitated a second once he could see the already disappointed philanthropist having to deal with a big mess.
"I will pay for its repair with my first wage." The man concluded before he bowed his head only so slightly.
He turned around and headed for his own quarters, deciding to avoid any other social contact for the time being, especially since his apology was mocked by Phaidra. Only a glance was thrown in her direction, which bore no message, no warning, no nothing; he simply acknowledged her words and left. He did have to slalom through a part of the Slight Heroics team, but he made sure not to brush himself against anyone, fearing that the slightest of touches could provoke a possibly mentally unstable individual to do react in an less-than-favorable manner.
With this sort of crowd, I wouldn't be too surprised."
He slipped past Raptora and Angstbomb as they had a little moment together, but the fey's reaction just nearly made him crack into laughter there and then. He did his best to keep his composure as he strode down the corridor to reach his quarters, keeping himself far behind from the younger bespectacled girl wearing a messy hairstyle. Once he had discovered his own room, whose door bore a plaque reading his name, Akira took a moment to sit down on the floor and regain his patience after having to deal with the surreal moment from before. Here, it was dark and comforting, a sweet moment of escape from the crazy reality that had happened to him.
Still can't believe I said yes to this, rewards and all. Akira shook his head and lowered his forehead into his palms again. I need to work alone, lest I'll lose my mind in this insanity soon; and if it isn't enough, I think I'm the only one around that has actually put a man down in his grave. He bitterly thought, as he rewound the faces of those younger or older than him, who didn't wear the thousand yard stare in their yet traumatized eyes - save for Grunt's gaze, whose absent mind is easily perceivable in his blank stare.
Within the darkness of the room, he could see a weird material slightly reflect the only sliver of light creeping in from a set of blinders. He reached for the window to pull the blinders up, but instead, his fingers seemed to have encountered something that offered very little resistance against his arm. When he did manage to find the string to pull the blinders, he then saw that he had sunk his fingers through the plasterboard surrounding the window, leaving a nice hole viewing the inner side of the outer wall. Akira could only shake his head and sigh deeply, some stinging pain stemming from the root of his nose still jolting his skull. In contrast, the view from his window offered a formidable vista over the dumpster alley below, whereupon he observed a homeless man drink something from a shoe as they watched a pair of stray cats mating.
"Dodgeville." It was the only thing Akira that he could mutter.
He redirected his attention to the material, concluding that in fact it was a suit of sorts, which seemed to have been tailored to fit his size and proportions. From what he could tell, it was a combat suit composed mainly of carbon nanofiber; the torso piece felt heavy enough for him to suspect something akin to a ballistic plate being shoved inside somewhere, but as he moved the suit through his hands, he soon realized that they were interlinked plates acting much like a piece of medieval armor suit. The arms were also lined with carbon nanofiber, the joints seemed to be connected with a softer material to allow full mobility of the limb; judging by the way the sleeves were constructed, they would perfectly fit his mechanical arms and somewhat enhance their contractile abilities. Same with the lower limb portion of the suit, but the thighs had a little less carbon nanofiber and more of the soft material which, to his surprise, did not utter a single sound as the folds rubbed together to his touch. He whistled in admiration as he continued to inspect it, slowly realizing that it would only be normal for him to be given such a combat suit. After all, he did participate in real combat.
Does that mean he expects me to spearhead assaults? Oh no... am I really the most experienced one here? He nearly dropped the suit from his grip.
We're dead.
I will post tonight or some time tomorrow, it depends on how stuff's going for me in the next hours
There was certainly a seed of doubt inside Aleko as he saw the lanky mayor lower himself to one knee and bowing his head. The heir could only lower his head to follow the movements of the human, surprised of the man's sudden cooperation. Then, the entire crowd around him followed suit, the town center was filled with clatter of armor pieces or the rustling noises of clothes creasing. Aleko could easily notice the people not being very enthusiastic by the change of allegiance and he couldn't blame them for that. He knew that there was very little he could do right then to alleviate the fear poisoning the populace's hearts, they unfortunately had to wait for the wind of the new regime to pass over them; of course, there will be those who are unhappy with most things, Aleko knew not to pay them any mind, lest he would be bickering over the most unimportant nothings like scurvy crones. And of course, there were voices of contempt echoing through through the crowd, which the mayor quickly silenced by sending his spearmen to apprehend them; the heir had the urge to stop them from doing so, but then, he had little to no thought on how to deal with them personally. He thinned his lips as he watched the guardsmen take the agitators away.
"I understand there is doubt and fear." He replied to him. "It would be naive of me to believe that a speech alone would be enough to win the lot's hearts. I will prove my words with actions, my good man."
"You're also rather - blessed - to find yourself in a key point on the map of Avalon. You will find yourself rich yet."
But otherwise, indeed, the province of Northspark was now a part of the New Empire movement. General Ironfist was glad about the success too as he bellowed and clasped the heir's back with a heavy hand back at the newly-conquered fortress.
“With this ‘ere combined outpost o’ Northspark an’ Paletower, it gon’be much easier to bring me’ forces on future assaults on this ‘ere ‘Kindom o’ tha’ North’. Har! Maybe ther’be some emperor in ye’ afterall, lad. But don’ let it get to ye’r head!”
"Do not worry, general", Aleko started, landing a palm of his own on the dwarf's shoulder, "I know my place. It's a province, aye, but it's ours. There are more to come yet."
Then, the general made his intentions more or less clear as he parted towards the town. The smiled lightly and nodded his head.
"I was about to suggest leaving a garrison in the town also. We wouldn't want civil unrest on our hands, would we?"
But the time of relaxation had finally arrived, the shepherd had the liberty to take off the plate armor and allow himself to walk only in his crimson gambeson bearing black trims, a pair of padded leggings, the pair of rather thin boots that fitted under the plate leggings and sabatons; the only bit of plate armor left on him were his gauntlets, a brand that scholars of Master Winzent GrauFell's teachings would wear at all times, denoting their exquisite swordsmanship and dueling prowess. Of course he joined the celebration with his subordinates and the helfling general, quietly sitting on his own stool with a cup of wine in his gloved hands; Bedpan and Thunder were both close to the Emperor, the same with bits of the squad under Yearling's command, sharing their happiness with the rest of the forces celebrating their first real victory in a long while. This time, the heir actually finished his cup and even asked for a refill to be able to properly toast with his comrades; once he was called for the toast, he chuckled to himself and pushed his body up to stand on the table too, his cup also raised.
“To Aleko Farland Sendrakon the First! Also known as ‘Frosty’!”
"Oh, gods-"
“To Emperor Frosty! Long may he reign!”
Aleko shook his head and laughed at the choice of name, but still, he took a big gulp of the wine with the rest of the troops.
Better than Emperor Winter Bunny, I suppose. He sighed and took advantage of the rather silent moment to address himself to the celebrating soldiers.
"Well fought, men, well done." He started, his voice managing to quiet the entire room. "Some may say that there's nothing to celebrate, that we're still far from accomplishment; I agree, there's a long road ahead, but today we took one, firm step forwards with our right foot. I say, let's be happy we have something to drink and whoop about, aye?" He waited for a unison reply, which did arrive.
"Let it be known that today, the first step towards the Second Unity had been taken, aye? For Avalon!" He concluded, his voice raising to a proud shout in the end.
Yet, how am I able to make anyone fight for a cause that I just can't make myself believe in?
After he had finished a third cup of his wine, he found himself mildly inebriated as he immediately noticed the room spin around him while he tried to stand up, so, he sat back down with the rest of the men and turned back to them.
"Whew, seems like this mutt's sitting it out a little."
The table roared with laughter at the light-weight, Thunder seemed to have brightened after he had lost one of his men, while MacFinlay didn't seem so uncomfortable around the Emperor any longer; as a matter of fact, he actually found the courage to wrap an arm around his nape as another song erupted in the hall, which Aleko did sing out with his rather lackluster voice. But after he had recovered his sense of balance, he decided to go to sleep, as he preferred to not make any poor decisions in the company of his underlings, he wasn't a simple lieutenant anymore. He heard enough tales of drunken lords to know how poorly an evening could end and the little respect they are given for being petty drunkards.
I am no drunkard, no no, I am an Emperor. Har, Emperor of the smallest corner in Avalon. A little Emperor. Heh.
There was a hard thud against him, or so he perceived, as he reeled back from the impact of a female running in a bed sheet only; he blinked a few times and frowned, rather confused by the minimal choice of attire she picked to wear for that night, especially with so many drunk men around. Then, two soldiers appeared, who seemed to be adamant about catching her. All that he could do was to put his hands on his own hips and follow them run with his head, his body leaning forwards a little from the alcohol swirling in his head. He licked his lower lip and opened his mouth.
"You'll catch a cold if you keep running like that." He commented, but the trio was long gone by the time he finished the sentence. He blinked slowly and took a deep breath through his nostrils.
Aleko wanted to shake his head in disapproval, but then he remembered that if he would do so, he would most likely loose his balance again and this time, there was no stool for him to land on. Instead, he continued his way to his quarters, replaying the events of the last few days in his mind over and over; he especially enjoyed how well he acquitted himself through the brief combat he had, getting away only with the self-inflicted bruise from the drop-kick stunt he played on the war mage. Lucky him, he didn't suffer another bruise on his way to the room he claimed, from where, he could hear a female humming a certain tune; rather intrigued by such an odd situation, the shepherd walked inside the dim-lighted room carefully, noticing a familiar frame leaning though the window. He recognized her as being none other but general Bulkwyn singing a sad tune composed to wail and commemorate fallen comrades. The minor key of the tune floating in the intimate darkness of the room had pulled Aleko from his happy drunk to a more sober state as he could place the lyrics of the song into the melodic tune. In the end, he became too curious about why would she sing this ballad during a victory celebration, so he attracted her attention in the most subtle way he could by closing the door behind him. He did obtain a reaction, the woman turned around and pardoned her intrusion after she realized she stumbled into the wrong room. Her voice had changed once more, completely different from anything he had previously heard from Bulkwyn.
“This… Isn’t my room... is it? I’m… I am sorry, sire. I…” she stammered as she pushed herself away from the window and fought to keep her own balance.
"Don't need to apologize, general." He replied calmly, though there was a definite slur to his talking. Seeing her approach the door, he immediately thought of the indecent trio from before.
If Bedpan's words were true, I can't let her out like this. He thought as he stepped in her way, his frame rising over hers with a half a head difference.
"I think it's best you sit down a little. You'll trip'n'fall, hell knows what happens next with these" he stifled a burp as he turned his torso to wave at the outside world "rowdy men, all to happy and rowdy. And really happy. So, sit down, I-" he removed the half-empty bottle of wine from her clutching hands and presented the bed to her "-will confiscate this for the time being."
As he saw her sit in front of the bed and pressing her back against it, Aleko picked up a chair and placed it in front of her, so that he could talk to the woman face-to-face. He examined the deep-green bottle and gave it a swirl with a flick of his wrist, the dark liquid sloshing against the smooth inner walls and leaving a distinctive trail of wine behind; he took a whiff, the combination of fruity aroma and the sour odor of saliva aggravated his nose, but at least he knew that the general did not poison herself with wine made for non-anthro consumption. Seeing her curl and rub her head in a rather vulnerable position, Aleko remembered that slip of hers at the mention of war-mages, not to mention her outburst and determination to slay the four mages that threatened to foil their plans. He swirled the bottle twice and lifted its bottom, his lips connecting with the lips of the bottle to allow a sip to flow against his tongue; he tasted the liquid with his entire mouth, but to his disappointment, the wine was of the same quality as the one downstairs. He put the bottle away and sighed heavily.
"We did a good one, Bulkwyn." Aleko started and muffled a hiccup. "But why sing Fate over Demise, of all the songs that can be sung after a victory? Yes, we lost men, but like I previously said, it's our first step to success. We rejoice now."
For a half-a-second, he knew that she wouldn't answer yet, he showed impatience now towards her. He nearly felt bad for it, until, she did open up to reveal her deep hatred towards magic users. It was a harrowing tale, difficult to listen to, let alone becoming the "protagonist" of such a traumatizing experience. All that the heir could do as to look away from her as to not pressure the woman into telling him all about it and half-way through the story, he picked up the bottle to take another swig. He hated it when women cried. His face, once beaming collectively with the happy group downstairs, curled downwards into the mopey mood of the room. Of course he refused offering her more of the drink, after all he was trying to make her sober up enough to be able to walk herself to her chambers. But once she was done, she stood up and invigorated herself, sniffling away at her liquefied snot. She asked for permission to leave, to which, Aleko replied with silence. He once again stowed the bottle away, stood up and started undo the small buckles holding his plated gloves on his wrists and palms; he placed the two next to the bottle with care and then placed the chair back in its place, rather meticulously if anything. It soon became evident as why he took his time with these actions as he turned back to her, walked up in front of her and clasped his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her with an empathetic expression.
"Pepper. I may not be the best person to tell you this, with you being old enough to be my mother and having the experience of a life time on your belt," he started, blinking slowly as he controlled his slur to help him deliver his message quick enough so that she could have no chance to retaliate, "but such grudges do more harm to you than they motivate you to overcome your... experience. Today feels like you have failed because men have died under the attack of war-mages, but you know what? Men would have died if there weren't any war-mages either, you see."
"I've seen you crack his neck from my side, I saw the satisfaction in your action, but think about it like this: what was his fault in what happened to you, or the 26th? I'm not trying to downplay your suffering, Pepper, I'm trying to make you pull yourself out from it, I'm trying to have you stop beating yourself over it; because one day, you will slip because of this grudge, then you will blame yourself a thousandfold and I don't want that to happen to my favorite general." He rolled his eyes.
"I know, we've been knowing each other for a week, but yes. It's only natural that anthros root for other anthros, no? But, very seriously now, listen to my advice; if there's someone you really need to put down, then it's that one wizard who took enjoyment from it, but not even he deserves your hatred. Hate Bojor Ironfist for being a callous half-man, gods damn it." He sighed through his nostrils and rubbed his eyes in a sort of frustration.
"You've got an entire army holding your back, just as glad to sacrifice their lives to make sure you live and that the task you give. Look, even the 137th knows about Leftenant Mousy "the Undying", we had you as an example on how determination is key to survival and efficiency. As a matter of fact, I do feel rather displeased with myself for not realizing that none other than Madame Mousy the Undying is a general in my grand army, not until you pulled your tag out." He gave her a mild shake and lowered his head so that his icicle eyes would be as the same level as hers, while keeping his snout at a comfortable, non-invading distance.
"So, for the sake of your name, for the sake of the soldiers you inspired, for the sake of a fan standing in front of you, accept the defeat and pull yourself away from the past, lest you'll drown in your sour memories."
"I understand there is doubt and fear." He replied to him. "It would be naive of me to believe that a speech alone would be enough to win the lot's hearts. I will prove my words with actions, my good man."
"You're also rather - blessed - to find yourself in a key point on the map of Avalon. You will find yourself rich yet."
But otherwise, indeed, the province of Northspark was now a part of the New Empire movement. General Ironfist was glad about the success too as he bellowed and clasped the heir's back with a heavy hand back at the newly-conquered fortress.
“With this ‘ere combined outpost o’ Northspark an’ Paletower, it gon’be much easier to bring me’ forces on future assaults on this ‘ere ‘Kindom o’ tha’ North’. Har! Maybe ther’be some emperor in ye’ afterall, lad. But don’ let it get to ye’r head!”
"Do not worry, general", Aleko started, landing a palm of his own on the dwarf's shoulder, "I know my place. It's a province, aye, but it's ours. There are more to come yet."
Then, the general made his intentions more or less clear as he parted towards the town. The smiled lightly and nodded his head.
"I was about to suggest leaving a garrison in the town also. We wouldn't want civil unrest on our hands, would we?"
But the time of relaxation had finally arrived, the shepherd had the liberty to take off the plate armor and allow himself to walk only in his crimson gambeson bearing black trims, a pair of padded leggings, the pair of rather thin boots that fitted under the plate leggings and sabatons; the only bit of plate armor left on him were his gauntlets, a brand that scholars of Master Winzent GrauFell's teachings would wear at all times, denoting their exquisite swordsmanship and dueling prowess. Of course he joined the celebration with his subordinates and the helfling general, quietly sitting on his own stool with a cup of wine in his gloved hands; Bedpan and Thunder were both close to the Emperor, the same with bits of the squad under Yearling's command, sharing their happiness with the rest of the forces celebrating their first real victory in a long while. This time, the heir actually finished his cup and even asked for a refill to be able to properly toast with his comrades; once he was called for the toast, he chuckled to himself and pushed his body up to stand on the table too, his cup also raised.
“To Aleko Farland Sendrakon the First! Also known as ‘Frosty’!”
"Oh, gods-"
“To Emperor Frosty! Long may he reign!”
Aleko shook his head and laughed at the choice of name, but still, he took a big gulp of the wine with the rest of the troops.
Better than Emperor Winter Bunny, I suppose. He sighed and took advantage of the rather silent moment to address himself to the celebrating soldiers.
"Well fought, men, well done." He started, his voice managing to quiet the entire room. "Some may say that there's nothing to celebrate, that we're still far from accomplishment; I agree, there's a long road ahead, but today we took one, firm step forwards with our right foot. I say, let's be happy we have something to drink and whoop about, aye?" He waited for a unison reply, which did arrive.
"Let it be known that today, the first step towards the Second Unity had been taken, aye? For Avalon!" He concluded, his voice raising to a proud shout in the end.
Yet, how am I able to make anyone fight for a cause that I just can't make myself believe in?
After he had finished a third cup of his wine, he found himself mildly inebriated as he immediately noticed the room spin around him while he tried to stand up, so, he sat back down with the rest of the men and turned back to them.
"Whew, seems like this mutt's sitting it out a little."
The table roared with laughter at the light-weight, Thunder seemed to have brightened after he had lost one of his men, while MacFinlay didn't seem so uncomfortable around the Emperor any longer; as a matter of fact, he actually found the courage to wrap an arm around his nape as another song erupted in the hall, which Aleko did sing out with his rather lackluster voice. But after he had recovered his sense of balance, he decided to go to sleep, as he preferred to not make any poor decisions in the company of his underlings, he wasn't a simple lieutenant anymore. He heard enough tales of drunken lords to know how poorly an evening could end and the little respect they are given for being petty drunkards.
I am no drunkard, no no, I am an Emperor. Har, Emperor of the smallest corner in Avalon. A little Emperor. Heh.
There was a hard thud against him, or so he perceived, as he reeled back from the impact of a female running in a bed sheet only; he blinked a few times and frowned, rather confused by the minimal choice of attire she picked to wear for that night, especially with so many drunk men around. Then, two soldiers appeared, who seemed to be adamant about catching her. All that he could do was to put his hands on his own hips and follow them run with his head, his body leaning forwards a little from the alcohol swirling in his head. He licked his lower lip and opened his mouth.
"You'll catch a cold if you keep running like that." He commented, but the trio was long gone by the time he finished the sentence. He blinked slowly and took a deep breath through his nostrils.
Aleko wanted to shake his head in disapproval, but then he remembered that if he would do so, he would most likely loose his balance again and this time, there was no stool for him to land on. Instead, he continued his way to his quarters, replaying the events of the last few days in his mind over and over; he especially enjoyed how well he acquitted himself through the brief combat he had, getting away only with the self-inflicted bruise from the drop-kick stunt he played on the war mage. Lucky him, he didn't suffer another bruise on his way to the room he claimed, from where, he could hear a female humming a certain tune; rather intrigued by such an odd situation, the shepherd walked inside the dim-lighted room carefully, noticing a familiar frame leaning though the window. He recognized her as being none other but general Bulkwyn singing a sad tune composed to wail and commemorate fallen comrades. The minor key of the tune floating in the intimate darkness of the room had pulled Aleko from his happy drunk to a more sober state as he could place the lyrics of the song into the melodic tune. In the end, he became too curious about why would she sing this ballad during a victory celebration, so he attracted her attention in the most subtle way he could by closing the door behind him. He did obtain a reaction, the woman turned around and pardoned her intrusion after she realized she stumbled into the wrong room. Her voice had changed once more, completely different from anything he had previously heard from Bulkwyn.
“This… Isn’t my room... is it? I’m… I am sorry, sire. I…” she stammered as she pushed herself away from the window and fought to keep her own balance.
"Don't need to apologize, general." He replied calmly, though there was a definite slur to his talking. Seeing her approach the door, he immediately thought of the indecent trio from before.
If Bedpan's words were true, I can't let her out like this. He thought as he stepped in her way, his frame rising over hers with a half a head difference.
"I think it's best you sit down a little. You'll trip'n'fall, hell knows what happens next with these" he stifled a burp as he turned his torso to wave at the outside world "rowdy men, all to happy and rowdy. And really happy. So, sit down, I-" he removed the half-empty bottle of wine from her clutching hands and presented the bed to her "-will confiscate this for the time being."
As he saw her sit in front of the bed and pressing her back against it, Aleko picked up a chair and placed it in front of her, so that he could talk to the woman face-to-face. He examined the deep-green bottle and gave it a swirl with a flick of his wrist, the dark liquid sloshing against the smooth inner walls and leaving a distinctive trail of wine behind; he took a whiff, the combination of fruity aroma and the sour odor of saliva aggravated his nose, but at least he knew that the general did not poison herself with wine made for non-anthro consumption. Seeing her curl and rub her head in a rather vulnerable position, Aleko remembered that slip of hers at the mention of war-mages, not to mention her outburst and determination to slay the four mages that threatened to foil their plans. He swirled the bottle twice and lifted its bottom, his lips connecting with the lips of the bottle to allow a sip to flow against his tongue; he tasted the liquid with his entire mouth, but to his disappointment, the wine was of the same quality as the one downstairs. He put the bottle away and sighed heavily.
"We did a good one, Bulkwyn." Aleko started and muffled a hiccup. "But why sing Fate over Demise, of all the songs that can be sung after a victory? Yes, we lost men, but like I previously said, it's our first step to success. We rejoice now."
For a half-a-second, he knew that she wouldn't answer yet, he showed impatience now towards her. He nearly felt bad for it, until, she did open up to reveal her deep hatred towards magic users. It was a harrowing tale, difficult to listen to, let alone becoming the "protagonist" of such a traumatizing experience. All that the heir could do as to look away from her as to not pressure the woman into telling him all about it and half-way through the story, he picked up the bottle to take another swig. He hated it when women cried. His face, once beaming collectively with the happy group downstairs, curled downwards into the mopey mood of the room. Of course he refused offering her more of the drink, after all he was trying to make her sober up enough to be able to walk herself to her chambers. But once she was done, she stood up and invigorated herself, sniffling away at her liquefied snot. She asked for permission to leave, to which, Aleko replied with silence. He once again stowed the bottle away, stood up and started undo the small buckles holding his plated gloves on his wrists and palms; he placed the two next to the bottle with care and then placed the chair back in its place, rather meticulously if anything. It soon became evident as why he took his time with these actions as he turned back to her, walked up in front of her and clasped his hands on her shoulders, looking down at her with an empathetic expression.
"Pepper. I may not be the best person to tell you this, with you being old enough to be my mother and having the experience of a life time on your belt," he started, blinking slowly as he controlled his slur to help him deliver his message quick enough so that she could have no chance to retaliate, "but such grudges do more harm to you than they motivate you to overcome your... experience. Today feels like you have failed because men have died under the attack of war-mages, but you know what? Men would have died if there weren't any war-mages either, you see."
"I've seen you crack his neck from my side, I saw the satisfaction in your action, but think about it like this: what was his fault in what happened to you, or the 26th? I'm not trying to downplay your suffering, Pepper, I'm trying to make you pull yourself out from it, I'm trying to have you stop beating yourself over it; because one day, you will slip because of this grudge, then you will blame yourself a thousandfold and I don't want that to happen to my favorite general." He rolled his eyes.
"I know, we've been knowing each other for a week, but yes. It's only natural that anthros root for other anthros, no? But, very seriously now, listen to my advice; if there's someone you really need to put down, then it's that one wizard who took enjoyment from it, but not even he deserves your hatred. Hate Bojor Ironfist for being a callous half-man, gods damn it." He sighed through his nostrils and rubbed his eyes in a sort of frustration.
"You've got an entire army holding your back, just as glad to sacrifice their lives to make sure you live and that the task you give. Look, even the 137th knows about Leftenant Mousy "the Undying", we had you as an example on how determination is key to survival and efficiency. As a matter of fact, I do feel rather displeased with myself for not realizing that none other than Madame Mousy the Undying is a general in my grand army, not until you pulled your tag out." He gave her a mild shake and lowered his head so that his icicle eyes would be as the same level as hers, while keeping his snout at a comfortable, non-invading distance.
"So, for the sake of your name, for the sake of the soldiers you inspired, for the sake of a fan standing in front of you, accept the defeat and pull yourself away from the past, lest you'll drown in your sour memories."
Echo?
In
I Wanna be a Saikyou HERO! [One-Punch Man Inspired] [Magical Girls, Ninjas, Metahumans and more!]
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8 yrs ago
Forum: Casual Roleplay
And the actual GM never did anything at all, the one person that drove the plot forward has been absent for over a week.
It's dead
It's dead
Aleko walked down the stone stairs until he reached right in front of the gate which lead to the surrendering army outside. He was unaware of the slight inconvenience, as he was confident enough the fools wouldn't just give away their lives for naught; human loyalty may be something of great respect, but they still are flawed beings afraid of death. Loyalty in death is something that has to be won, and it would seem that general Dunngard didn't quite win it from all of his subordinates. They preferred to drop their weapons with him instead of defying his order to fight to death for him. As Aleko prepared himself to have the quick talk with the general, Bulkwyn made sure to pull him aside once again, this time to compliment him. The heir was taken by surprise with this gesture of appreciation, he could actually feel his cheeks prickle to form a light blush.
"You're too kind, general." He replied, quickly throwing a glance somewhere else to hide his flushing cheeks. "I only do what suits best the situation and don't let my feelings get in the way, that is all to it."
"But, thank you. I'm... I still cannot get used to this. It means a lot to know that I have your approval." He admitted in a low tone, a small smile giving away a little more emotion than he wanted.
But once he would be free to walk outside, the Emperor strode with confidence, quickly followed by an ever-eager MacFinlay and two more rangers the wolf called with him. Once they had reached him, the two quickly made their way to the human general and attempted to apprehend him, but with Asimov showing displeasure and resistance, MacFinlay quickly drew his rifle up; Aleko only had to raise his hand to quickly defuse the situation, all three ceased hostility towards the general. Then, they started walking, the general seemed to believe that the halfling was actually in a talking mood, when in reality, the halfling pulled the rifle from his shoulder and wrapped his fingers around the neck of the buttstock and the handguard in preparation for a knock-out blow. Aleko knew that he missed his cue, his intention was most likely given away by the shuffling of his armor, by his utter silence, by him falling behind; his mistake was to attempt to knockout anyway, even if he had been discovered, believing that he would still get him some way or another. To his dismay, rather than surprise, he found himself in a headlock, his rifle on the ground and with an arm tied around his gorget, which in its turn pressed tightly against his throat; that, combined with the great discomfort in his shoulder, made him attempt to gasp for some air, but in return he only managed to utter a grunt. Most of the general's words had fallen on deaf ears as the canine tried to calm himself down and let the situation pass, knowing that the human did not have the gall to take him down there and then. In the end, he was released, MacFinlay quickly made his way to the pained Emperor.
"Sir, are you alright?" He asked before he turned and raised his rifle again. "You bloody leatherface, I'll rape your mother's arse if you touch him ag-"
"Can it." Interrupted Aleko after he did a full rotation of the pained shoulder to realign the joint in its place and batted the rifle away a second time. MacFinlay cocked his head, left aghast by his superior's order; although he could complain about it, he slung his rifle on his shoulder with no further comment. The dwarves quickly arrived to cuff the general and take him away, to which Aleko finally opened his snout with a deep chuckle, a reaction that made Bedpan's blood go cold, the same with the other two rangers.
"No good deed goes unpunished, general." Aleko stated through the chuckle, a wide grin present on his face. "No idea just how you could have snapped my neck, armor and all, but you should have done it either way. It would have been the best for you." The heir then walked towards one of the dwarven troops that cuffed the human general to pull him aside, but not without a last glance and a last sentence.
"I certainly would have done it, I'm an Elite Ranger. You're only a loud-mouthed, high-ranking officer. The dog that barks does not bite."
The heir then wrapped his arm around the dwarven troop and whispered to him leisurely as he headed back for the forest, his head leaning down so that he would be able to address to him.
"Keep him well-fed and well-rested for two or three days. Then, you have my permission to do anything you want to get out every bit of information he's got, but I demand you to keep him alive. Once you've drawn every last drop of intelligence, bring him to me on Escalyber. Have I made myself understood?"
With that done, he patted the stout man on the shoulder and allowed him to leave, giving himself another moment to gyrate his shoulder and push his neck in the opposite direction, a sickening crackle releasing some of the built-in tension. The physical tenderness was bearable, but there was clearly more than muscle damage imprinted on him. Soon, a war bear made itself visible with general Bojor atop of it; the dwarf dismounted and ran up to the halfling to keep up with him and question him about the situation. The heir had nothing to reply to him, save for informing him about the order he had bestowed upon one of his own men, concluding with a shrug and a nonchalant:
"I thought it would be polite of me to let you know what would be going on in Paletower."
Some time later, the general reunited, Bulkwyn tried to show some pleasantries towards the crass dwarf, then, show worry for the halfling.
"There is no wound for a physician to tend to, general." Aleko replied curtly.
“Don’ mother him. He can walk’ it off. We’ain’ done ‘ere yet.” Added Ironfist.
"I was about to say that I'll lick it off, but that would work too." The heir then completed, tilting his head to the side.
“Well ye’ did a bloody fine job o’ tha’ fortress.” The dwarf started, yet his tone did not imply actual commendation. “But we’ still gott’a convince tha’ mayor o’ tha’ town to pledge tha’ whole province’s allegiance to ou’r side, now don’ we?”
“He is right, sir", Pepper nodded, "the town of Northspark is some hours march away from here. If you’re able, we should leave immediately.”
"Then, let's not keep the man waiting for us. Take whatever forces we have left, we march now." Aleko immediately ordered, his tone changing drastically from the previous one; mostly like due to the fact that no one actually understood the subtlety of the self-deprecating jape.
Prior to the march, Aleko and Bulkwyn had mustered some of the Elite Rangers, a handful of highlanders and some score of drow vanguards to join them on the walk towards the capital of the region, the town bearing the same name as the fortress they had captured yesterday. In this time, Aleko took himself a couple of moments to ease his bladder; he cleaned his hands with a handful of pure snow, inspecting it beforehand to make sure it didn't have drops of yellow in it. Once the shepherd was done, he took another moment to walk over to a tree and lean himself against it, a heavy sigh trailing out as a puff of steam exiting his long snout; he had the hurting arm resting against the tree trunk, the other one hanging loosely next to his body. Within a second, he grunted loudly and snarled as he slammed the thick of his palm against his temple in a repeated manner.
Idiot, sodding mutt, letting yourself so damn exposed! He scolded himself between grunts. I'll show that crusty old bear what tyranny is all about.
"Sir, a-are you... oh, gods."
Aleko promptly turned his head only a little, his face not visible towards the voice from behind. He immediately identified it being MacFinlay's. He knew that he couldn't explain to him what he just saw, so instead he replied to the wolf's attempt of a question with an oddly calm voice, which carried a rather menacing undertone to it.
"I am quite fine, Bedpan. Are the preparations in order?"
"Uh, y-yessir. We're ready to leave." The wolf answered, his voice giving away the uneasiness that overtook him after witnessing his superior's outburst and sudden change of tone.
"Good. Get in formation."
"Sir!" Bedpan saluted and promptly left his Emperor alone.
Aleko turned his head back towards the ground and relaxed his shoulders, the thumping pain in his temple drawing away the temper inside him. A matter of seconds later, he took his place within the marching formation, visor down, acting as if nothing had ever happened. MacFinlay was still close-by, but whatever plan he had to socialize with the heir was most likely gone. For the following hours, the silence Aleko had about him tasted in a very different way compared to the other times he kept his mouth shut through the marches; it would seem that sounds around him would be siphoned by something, everyone seemed rather reluctant to explore the oddity. The long walk did help him get a grip of his fiery emotions, but even so, he could still feel a knot of rage in his throat. In due time, they reached the gates of Northspark city, where a couple of musketeers defended the niggardly towers laid at the sides of the gatehouse. Once challenged, Aleko walked forward and lifted his visor, his glacier glance falling upon one of the human guards.
"Aleko Farland Sendrakon, first of my name and heir of the Sendrakon bloodline, I come to announce the fall of Fort Northspark!" His voice boomed at the two guardsmen. "I wish audience with the mayor of the town!"
Not long after, the gates opened, Aleko was the first to walk inside, to the dismay of a squad of Elite Rangers that were tasked with defending the Emperor; they quickly caught up to him and matched their pace with the heir's stride, which seemed rather adamant about stomping his way to the center of the town.
This is my victory. It feels different because it is for me, not for the general of my army, or for the king of the Freedom Islands. This land is now mine. I do not know what to do with this notion, yet, it empowers me. I need to calm my blood some more.
He met with the mayor of the town, the White Shepherd gave him a scrutinizing look before he nodded his head towards the lanky human.
"T..t..the heir? The heir of the Sendrakon bloodline?” The mayor stuttered, obviously taken by surprise. “That means… That means you are from the New Empire… but… why are you here? What is happening?”
Aleko lowered his head to align his eyes to his and clasped his hands at his own back.
"I thought the guardsman told you? I'm here to tell you that the fort of Northspark is forfeit. The army has been all but eliminated, the surviving troops have been captured; general Asimov Dunngard has surrendered prior to his apprehension. He tried to negotiate himself out of the situation, but it would seem that few know the privileges of being captured." Aleko addressed to the man calmly.
"Which is why I hope that you will have the wisdom to avoid more conflict and forfeit the town and all of this region's settlements, as well as its resources. As long as the relationship between this region and the New Empire's core remains civil, you are promised prosperity, security and attention, as well as the benefits of a different mind-set of lordship and ruling; if you wish to resist even under the circumstances you find yourself in, I'm afraid I will have no choice but to take away your position and offer it to a loyal vassal." Aleko took a quick break in his speech to take a few steps away from the mayor to gaze at the mob of residents crowding to witness the commotion.
How in all the hells am I able to speak like so without stuttering?
"Citizens of Northspark, you will find my rule a gentle, yet, productive one, based on honesty and workmanship. You will find kindness and prosperity, under the condition that you pledge your allegiance to me, the last of the Sendrakon bloodline. I may be a bastard, aye, but that means half of my blood will quench the tyrannical other; I too know what the people have been through under the seemingly unending dynasty, the Sendrakon have grown too accustomed to their well-being and took their underlings's loyalty for granted. I stand here in front of you to promise to you that the end of childish regimes and careless behavior has ended with the death of the last pure blood. I may be Sendrakon, but I am also Hyde. I am unfortunate, but also blessed to wear both of these names, so I will take them and bear them with courage and pride in my heart, to lead my people to a New Empire, where you, the people, will have the most important voice in leading the Empire. Your pleas and suggestions will be carefully listened and applied, for the better of Avalon. For the better future, for our children, so that they do not have to live through the atrocities the elderly had to suffer." Aleko then turned to the mayor.
"You must understand, I am no threat to you since I did not come here to point the tip of my sword at your neck. I couldn't come to have this discussion with the Old Empire's army breathing down my neck, I had to make sure you could listen to my proposition with no interference, surely you can understand that. I am sure we can forge a fruitful cooperation, once you have replaced the banners and accept me as your leader." The shepherd took a deep breath and straightened his back, feeling rather light-headed after he had lost focus on his breathing.
"Now then, my dear mayor, what will be your verdict?"
"You're too kind, general." He replied, quickly throwing a glance somewhere else to hide his flushing cheeks. "I only do what suits best the situation and don't let my feelings get in the way, that is all to it."
"But, thank you. I'm... I still cannot get used to this. It means a lot to know that I have your approval." He admitted in a low tone, a small smile giving away a little more emotion than he wanted.
But once he would be free to walk outside, the Emperor strode with confidence, quickly followed by an ever-eager MacFinlay and two more rangers the wolf called with him. Once they had reached him, the two quickly made their way to the human general and attempted to apprehend him, but with Asimov showing displeasure and resistance, MacFinlay quickly drew his rifle up; Aleko only had to raise his hand to quickly defuse the situation, all three ceased hostility towards the general. Then, they started walking, the general seemed to believe that the halfling was actually in a talking mood, when in reality, the halfling pulled the rifle from his shoulder and wrapped his fingers around the neck of the buttstock and the handguard in preparation for a knock-out blow. Aleko knew that he missed his cue, his intention was most likely given away by the shuffling of his armor, by his utter silence, by him falling behind; his mistake was to attempt to knockout anyway, even if he had been discovered, believing that he would still get him some way or another. To his dismay, rather than surprise, he found himself in a headlock, his rifle on the ground and with an arm tied around his gorget, which in its turn pressed tightly against his throat; that, combined with the great discomfort in his shoulder, made him attempt to gasp for some air, but in return he only managed to utter a grunt. Most of the general's words had fallen on deaf ears as the canine tried to calm himself down and let the situation pass, knowing that the human did not have the gall to take him down there and then. In the end, he was released, MacFinlay quickly made his way to the pained Emperor.
"Sir, are you alright?" He asked before he turned and raised his rifle again. "You bloody leatherface, I'll rape your mother's arse if you touch him ag-"
"Can it." Interrupted Aleko after he did a full rotation of the pained shoulder to realign the joint in its place and batted the rifle away a second time. MacFinlay cocked his head, left aghast by his superior's order; although he could complain about it, he slung his rifle on his shoulder with no further comment. The dwarves quickly arrived to cuff the general and take him away, to which Aleko finally opened his snout with a deep chuckle, a reaction that made Bedpan's blood go cold, the same with the other two rangers.
"No good deed goes unpunished, general." Aleko stated through the chuckle, a wide grin present on his face. "No idea just how you could have snapped my neck, armor and all, but you should have done it either way. It would have been the best for you." The heir then walked towards one of the dwarven troops that cuffed the human general to pull him aside, but not without a last glance and a last sentence.
"I certainly would have done it, I'm an Elite Ranger. You're only a loud-mouthed, high-ranking officer. The dog that barks does not bite."
The heir then wrapped his arm around the dwarven troop and whispered to him leisurely as he headed back for the forest, his head leaning down so that he would be able to address to him.
"Keep him well-fed and well-rested for two or three days. Then, you have my permission to do anything you want to get out every bit of information he's got, but I demand you to keep him alive. Once you've drawn every last drop of intelligence, bring him to me on Escalyber. Have I made myself understood?"
With that done, he patted the stout man on the shoulder and allowed him to leave, giving himself another moment to gyrate his shoulder and push his neck in the opposite direction, a sickening crackle releasing some of the built-in tension. The physical tenderness was bearable, but there was clearly more than muscle damage imprinted on him. Soon, a war bear made itself visible with general Bojor atop of it; the dwarf dismounted and ran up to the halfling to keep up with him and question him about the situation. The heir had nothing to reply to him, save for informing him about the order he had bestowed upon one of his own men, concluding with a shrug and a nonchalant:
"I thought it would be polite of me to let you know what would be going on in Paletower."
Some time later, the general reunited, Bulkwyn tried to show some pleasantries towards the crass dwarf, then, show worry for the halfling.
"There is no wound for a physician to tend to, general." Aleko replied curtly.
“Don’ mother him. He can walk’ it off. We’ain’ done ‘ere yet.” Added Ironfist.
"I was about to say that I'll lick it off, but that would work too." The heir then completed, tilting his head to the side.
“Well ye’ did a bloody fine job o’ tha’ fortress.” The dwarf started, yet his tone did not imply actual commendation. “But we’ still gott’a convince tha’ mayor o’ tha’ town to pledge tha’ whole province’s allegiance to ou’r side, now don’ we?”
“He is right, sir", Pepper nodded, "the town of Northspark is some hours march away from here. If you’re able, we should leave immediately.”
"Then, let's not keep the man waiting for us. Take whatever forces we have left, we march now." Aleko immediately ordered, his tone changing drastically from the previous one; mostly like due to the fact that no one actually understood the subtlety of the self-deprecating jape.
Prior to the march, Aleko and Bulkwyn had mustered some of the Elite Rangers, a handful of highlanders and some score of drow vanguards to join them on the walk towards the capital of the region, the town bearing the same name as the fortress they had captured yesterday. In this time, Aleko took himself a couple of moments to ease his bladder; he cleaned his hands with a handful of pure snow, inspecting it beforehand to make sure it didn't have drops of yellow in it. Once the shepherd was done, he took another moment to walk over to a tree and lean himself against it, a heavy sigh trailing out as a puff of steam exiting his long snout; he had the hurting arm resting against the tree trunk, the other one hanging loosely next to his body. Within a second, he grunted loudly and snarled as he slammed the thick of his palm against his temple in a repeated manner.
Idiot, sodding mutt, letting yourself so damn exposed! He scolded himself between grunts. I'll show that crusty old bear what tyranny is all about.
"Sir, a-are you... oh, gods."
Aleko promptly turned his head only a little, his face not visible towards the voice from behind. He immediately identified it being MacFinlay's. He knew that he couldn't explain to him what he just saw, so instead he replied to the wolf's attempt of a question with an oddly calm voice, which carried a rather menacing undertone to it.
"I am quite fine, Bedpan. Are the preparations in order?"
"Uh, y-yessir. We're ready to leave." The wolf answered, his voice giving away the uneasiness that overtook him after witnessing his superior's outburst and sudden change of tone.
"Good. Get in formation."
"Sir!" Bedpan saluted and promptly left his Emperor alone.
Aleko turned his head back towards the ground and relaxed his shoulders, the thumping pain in his temple drawing away the temper inside him. A matter of seconds later, he took his place within the marching formation, visor down, acting as if nothing had ever happened. MacFinlay was still close-by, but whatever plan he had to socialize with the heir was most likely gone. For the following hours, the silence Aleko had about him tasted in a very different way compared to the other times he kept his mouth shut through the marches; it would seem that sounds around him would be siphoned by something, everyone seemed rather reluctant to explore the oddity. The long walk did help him get a grip of his fiery emotions, but even so, he could still feel a knot of rage in his throat. In due time, they reached the gates of Northspark city, where a couple of musketeers defended the niggardly towers laid at the sides of the gatehouse. Once challenged, Aleko walked forward and lifted his visor, his glacier glance falling upon one of the human guards.
"Aleko Farland Sendrakon, first of my name and heir of the Sendrakon bloodline, I come to announce the fall of Fort Northspark!" His voice boomed at the two guardsmen. "I wish audience with the mayor of the town!"
Not long after, the gates opened, Aleko was the first to walk inside, to the dismay of a squad of Elite Rangers that were tasked with defending the Emperor; they quickly caught up to him and matched their pace with the heir's stride, which seemed rather adamant about stomping his way to the center of the town.
This is my victory. It feels different because it is for me, not for the general of my army, or for the king of the Freedom Islands. This land is now mine. I do not know what to do with this notion, yet, it empowers me. I need to calm my blood some more.
He met with the mayor of the town, the White Shepherd gave him a scrutinizing look before he nodded his head towards the lanky human.
"T..t..the heir? The heir of the Sendrakon bloodline?” The mayor stuttered, obviously taken by surprise. “That means… That means you are from the New Empire… but… why are you here? What is happening?”
Aleko lowered his head to align his eyes to his and clasped his hands at his own back.
"I thought the guardsman told you? I'm here to tell you that the fort of Northspark is forfeit. The army has been all but eliminated, the surviving troops have been captured; general Asimov Dunngard has surrendered prior to his apprehension. He tried to negotiate himself out of the situation, but it would seem that few know the privileges of being captured." Aleko addressed to the man calmly.
"Which is why I hope that you will have the wisdom to avoid more conflict and forfeit the town and all of this region's settlements, as well as its resources. As long as the relationship between this region and the New Empire's core remains civil, you are promised prosperity, security and attention, as well as the benefits of a different mind-set of lordship and ruling; if you wish to resist even under the circumstances you find yourself in, I'm afraid I will have no choice but to take away your position and offer it to a loyal vassal." Aleko took a quick break in his speech to take a few steps away from the mayor to gaze at the mob of residents crowding to witness the commotion.
How in all the hells am I able to speak like so without stuttering?
"Citizens of Northspark, you will find my rule a gentle, yet, productive one, based on honesty and workmanship. You will find kindness and prosperity, under the condition that you pledge your allegiance to me, the last of the Sendrakon bloodline. I may be a bastard, aye, but that means half of my blood will quench the tyrannical other; I too know what the people have been through under the seemingly unending dynasty, the Sendrakon have grown too accustomed to their well-being and took their underlings's loyalty for granted. I stand here in front of you to promise to you that the end of childish regimes and careless behavior has ended with the death of the last pure blood. I may be Sendrakon, but I am also Hyde. I am unfortunate, but also blessed to wear both of these names, so I will take them and bear them with courage and pride in my heart, to lead my people to a New Empire, where you, the people, will have the most important voice in leading the Empire. Your pleas and suggestions will be carefully listened and applied, for the better of Avalon. For the better future, for our children, so that they do not have to live through the atrocities the elderly had to suffer." Aleko then turned to the mayor.
"You must understand, I am no threat to you since I did not come here to point the tip of my sword at your neck. I couldn't come to have this discussion with the Old Empire's army breathing down my neck, I had to make sure you could listen to my proposition with no interference, surely you can understand that. I am sure we can forge a fruitful cooperation, once you have replaced the banners and accept me as your leader." The shepherd took a deep breath and straightened his back, feeling rather light-headed after he had lost focus on his breathing.
"Now then, my dear mayor, what will be your verdict?"
He felt nothing. No ripple, no tug, no nothing to indicate a reply at all. Admittedly, the Jedi had never been a good telepathy user and couldn't send any strong messages through the use of the force; even so, he half-expected to receive something back, anything at all. He felt alone once more, laying on the rooftop on his belly and his forehead pinned against to ground while listening in on the traffic above. He didn't hear the Z-95 quad engines shriek, but he could definitely pick up low rumbles of explosions not too far from his hiding spot. He assumed that it was the temple being hammered by the clones, a thought that only seemed to push him deeper towards dangerous emotions. For that reason, Aleko found it more and more difficult to focus on the imaginary schematics of the temple's innards, looking for a possible exit the surviving group would take.
With every explosion, the Temple's architecture might change. I can't be sure the service tunnels and other secret exits weren't also be destroyed. He thought as he opened his eyes, unable to coalesce a proper map based only on his memories; not only did he found it difficult to concentrate on himself, he didn't have extensive knowledge of the layout either. He was once more at an impasse.
Aleko crawled out from his cranny, confident that the two pilots were not on his back any more; still, he felt that a far more dangerous peril would come his way, as he was sure that they had called reinforcements from the temple to scour the area where he had ejected from his Cutlass. If the traitors were invested enough in eliminating the Jedi order, most surely they had brought clone commandos.
That's one of the last things I want to confront this day. I need to get to the Undercity fast.
Once he pushed himself up on his feet, he took a quick assessment of his surroundings to make sure there weren't any eyes on him and jogged his way to the edge of the structure's rooftop and peer down; he could see the crevice between the buildings go down a long distance into a mist below, which quickly convinced him that there was no way he could survive such a fall. And if he did survive, he still had to work his legs and find a nearby portal to fall through and access the infamous Undercity. Then, he focused on the complicated vents and pipework lining the walls, but, the more he looked at the external configuration of the structure's walls, the more disheartened he felt as he just couldn't find accessible ledges to aid him in his descent. The shapes were either too steep, or there was too much of a distance between them. There was just no way for him to go down, not without the help of at least an airspeeder. Coruscant had reached a point where the "surface" level could only be accessed by vehicles, only the rabble who dwelt in the Undercity would have the possibility to walk around. Looking across, the adjacent structure's roof was way too far from him, the gap in between couldn't be cleared even with an augmented jump.
Aleko frantically turned around to dash in the completely opposite direction, the darkness falling over the planet making it more and more difficult for him to discern the shapes of the various service constructions littering every rooftop of this level. He didn't know what else to do but to run as fast and as far as he could from there, for it was only a matter of time before he would have to face capable hostiles; the Force present in his musculature helped him jump on the top of the structures, it helped him cross the entire roof at a baffling speed, but he hit against the same problem once he stopped his dash to let his boots slide to the opposite edge of the roof. He peered down shook his head, seeing that there was no way he could get down from this side either. Nightmare.
There was a distinct hum closing in on him. He turned his head first, then, his entire torso. A second hum then made itself heard, a sound that not too long ago meant safety to him. Time had run out and there were very little options left for Aleko, the most obvious solution, hiding and sneaking, would only stall the inevitable. This time, he couldn't pull himself out of the situation with the help of terrain, since the troops would be on the roof scouring every corner with guidance and support from two LAATs surveying the search. All that Aleko could do now was to reach for the hilt hanging from the belt clip on his left hip, the shape and structure of the saber offered a sense of confidence and safety as he wrapped his fingers around the hilt and gripped it against the glove and flesh of his palm. He took a deep breath and straightened his back, opening his eyes only after he calmly exhaled. He could already see searchlights falling from somewhere above. He gritted his teeth and curled his toes, his knees creaked as he lowered his stance with a few centimeters. His left hand found the base of the hilt while the other found itself closer to the emitter shroud, his torso shifted sideways to put his right shoulder forward in a parallel position with his right foot. The inatcivated saber was lowered at his hips just by relaxing his shoulders, his eyes fixing on the two approaching LAATs.
He waited. Waited for them to find him.
With every explosion, the Temple's architecture might change. I can't be sure the service tunnels and other secret exits weren't also be destroyed. He thought as he opened his eyes, unable to coalesce a proper map based only on his memories; not only did he found it difficult to concentrate on himself, he didn't have extensive knowledge of the layout either. He was once more at an impasse.
Aleko crawled out from his cranny, confident that the two pilots were not on his back any more; still, he felt that a far more dangerous peril would come his way, as he was sure that they had called reinforcements from the temple to scour the area where he had ejected from his Cutlass. If the traitors were invested enough in eliminating the Jedi order, most surely they had brought clone commandos.
That's one of the last things I want to confront this day. I need to get to the Undercity fast.
Once he pushed himself up on his feet, he took a quick assessment of his surroundings to make sure there weren't any eyes on him and jogged his way to the edge of the structure's rooftop and peer down; he could see the crevice between the buildings go down a long distance into a mist below, which quickly convinced him that there was no way he could survive such a fall. And if he did survive, he still had to work his legs and find a nearby portal to fall through and access the infamous Undercity. Then, he focused on the complicated vents and pipework lining the walls, but, the more he looked at the external configuration of the structure's walls, the more disheartened he felt as he just couldn't find accessible ledges to aid him in his descent. The shapes were either too steep, or there was too much of a distance between them. There was just no way for him to go down, not without the help of at least an airspeeder. Coruscant had reached a point where the "surface" level could only be accessed by vehicles, only the rabble who dwelt in the Undercity would have the possibility to walk around. Looking across, the adjacent structure's roof was way too far from him, the gap in between couldn't be cleared even with an augmented jump.
Aleko frantically turned around to dash in the completely opposite direction, the darkness falling over the planet making it more and more difficult for him to discern the shapes of the various service constructions littering every rooftop of this level. He didn't know what else to do but to run as fast and as far as he could from there, for it was only a matter of time before he would have to face capable hostiles; the Force present in his musculature helped him jump on the top of the structures, it helped him cross the entire roof at a baffling speed, but he hit against the same problem once he stopped his dash to let his boots slide to the opposite edge of the roof. He peered down shook his head, seeing that there was no way he could get down from this side either. Nightmare.
There was a distinct hum closing in on him. He turned his head first, then, his entire torso. A second hum then made itself heard, a sound that not too long ago meant safety to him. Time had run out and there were very little options left for Aleko, the most obvious solution, hiding and sneaking, would only stall the inevitable. This time, he couldn't pull himself out of the situation with the help of terrain, since the troops would be on the roof scouring every corner with guidance and support from two LAATs surveying the search. All that Aleko could do now was to reach for the hilt hanging from the belt clip on his left hip, the shape and structure of the saber offered a sense of confidence and safety as he wrapped his fingers around the hilt and gripped it against the glove and flesh of his palm. He took a deep breath and straightened his back, opening his eyes only after he calmly exhaled. He could already see searchlights falling from somewhere above. He gritted his teeth and curled his toes, his knees creaked as he lowered his stance with a few centimeters. His left hand found the base of the hilt while the other found itself closer to the emitter shroud, his torso shifted sideways to put his right shoulder forward in a parallel position with his right foot. The inatcivated saber was lowered at his hips just by relaxing his shoulders, his eyes fixing on the two approaching LAATs.
He waited. Waited for them to find him.
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