Psyker Landshark

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Kayliss Lambert

Her search was interrupted by the shifting tides of the battlefield. Evidently, the Morahti were still disciplined enough to try and rally instead of breaking. Inconvenient. Still, the change in priorities was obvious. The prisoners could wait. A stray arrow might actually kill someone important. Plus, Kayliss had never been given a direct order to prioritize either. That meant it was solely up to her judgement. A disconcerting thought, but not something to dwell on at the moment. There was still work to do.

Kayliss crept her way over towards the largest concentration of archers, keeping to the shadows. As before, the chaos of the raid kept her hidden enough for the moment, and she made her way over with little trouble, avoiding the skirmishers for the moment. Stopping to kill everyone in her way would have exposed her to the more important target. Once she was in range, Kayliss crept down behind some fallen debris before making her move.

She lit the fuse on a small bomb and lobbed it over cover, where the flash powder within detonated as it landed in sight of the archers, blinding enough of them for her to get to work. Kayliss vaulted over the debris, blades drawn, and started mercilessly tearing into the temporarily-blinded men, going for quick, efficient kills. The deblitating effect of the flash bomb didn't last too long, and she'd be exposed in the midst of a pack of enemies if she tarried.

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Salvator Rasch

"The hell are you doing?! Cease fire!" Salvator barked at Kleo as she started spraying suppressive fire. "We're trying to get out of this without a firefight, damn it!"

Fortunately, it seemed that whoever contacted them was at least convinced enough to back down first. Still, the kid was rapidly becoming a liability. If they made it out of this in one piece, someone was going to have to talk to whoever was in charge of this cell about personnel assignments. At this rate, it'd probably end up being him.

"There, they're backing down. Now you do the void-damned same before you start a fight we didn't need to take." Rasch hissed. He was set to respond back to the mystery voice before the transmission was cut all of a sudden. No, hijacked again. He winced as he saw the heavy assault team progress, whoever was handling the camera berating them all. Fuck. One thing after another today, wasn't it. The last thing they needed was this team pissed off at them.

"Take up our handler's crap choice of equipment first. Someone else broke into this line, probably why it's taken this long for you to reach us." He responded smoothly, briefly checking his HUD's map to see how far they were. Huh. After all this, the squad was about halfway there themselves. Convenient.

"We're matching your pace. Halfway to the artillery platform. Void willing, we'll both be hitting our targets at about the same time. Cutting the line, we're about to go radio silent." That said, Salvator did exactly as he said he would and ended the call, trying to connect back to the locals. Once he did, he quickly started speaking again.

"Sorry, had to take that. Anyways, you're not wrong. We're going for the artillery platform. At this point, seems we've got mutual interests. Care to work together on this one? Better odds the more firepower we have."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

Renar almost smiled when the Boars showed their faces. Finally. While he didn't share his best friends' utter animosity towards the Golden Boars, he was simply glad to finally be done with the tedious investigation and questioning. He dropped into a ready stance, taking up his poleaxe as he joined Fleuri in covering the Cazt girl, as per the captain's orders. No time for personal distaste. They had a battle to win and an objective to meet.

He did smirk as Fionn and Gerard ignored orders for once and tore off, chomping at the bit to slaughter as many Boars as they could. Good to see he hadn't lost his touch in reading people, after all.

"If you insist." Renar gave a bereaved sigh towards Fionn in response, though not without getting one last statement in before he tore off out of range. "At least try to take the leader alive. We need answers." With that said, he stepped forward, taking one hand off his weapon as he reached into a belt pouch.

"Sir Fleuri, I'll cover the right flank. You take the left. Lady Cazt, do try to stay behind your protectors, yes?" He said, rancor absent from his tone as he focused on the battle before them. The Curse Hounds charged, and Renar threw a brace of caltrops a ways into the ground away from the defenders. For anyone wearing decent footwear, they'd barely be an impediment. For a pack of madly charging dogs with soft paws? That was a different story. The first hound to approach stumbled and yelped in pain as it ran through the caltrops, and Renar cleaved into its head with a single swing of his poleaxe. His backswing smashed another's brains in with the hammer head, and the third hound tried to lunge at him, only for the Bastard of Brias to punt it in the snout. The demonic beast crumpled, and Renar's plated greave came crashing down into its neck.

Then came the actual human wave. A pair of Boars rushed at Renar, and his expression behind his visor turned into one of manaical glee. His off hand reached into his belt pouch once more, and pulled out a pair of vials. He crushed them within the palm of his gauntlet, and hurled the contents out towards the Boars when they came into range. Fine sand, metal shavings, and the crushed glass of the vials went flying into their eyes, leaving them screaming and writhing for mere moments before Renar unceremoniously executed them with thrusts to the chest.

"Come, come!" He laughed mockingly, brandishing his poleaxe in a defensive stance. "They say you Boars will do anything for victory, and yet you can't even manage that at this moment! Worthless!"

@VitaVitaAR @Crimson Paladin @The Otter

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Kayliss Lambert

Ironically enough, it was somewhat easier to hide in the chaos of pitched battle. People rushed straight towards obvious threats instead of jumping at shadows, and the noise covered up any missteps that could be made. Still, Kayliss did her part here and there. As the Morathi began to try to meet the ambush head-on, Kayliss reached out from around tents and behind cover, picking off stragglers in the rear with quick cuts to the throat from behind.

As the remainder of the Lions began to breach the camp, Kayliss stuck to the shadows, now looking for the prisoners in earnest. One tent, nothing. Another, a slumbering foreigner too drunk to be woken by even this clamour. She jammed a blade into his windpipe. As she emerged from that tent, Kayliss noticed Urden in the midst of cleaving through the Morathi. One managed to retain enough presence of mind to try to flank the former mercenary, and Kayliss quickly ambushed him from behind, dragging him into the shadows where she finished him with a quick neck snap.

That done, she briefly popped her head out from behind cover, raising her voice as Urden finished off the last of the Morathi in their immediate surroundings.

"I've not located the prisoners yet. Try another section of tents. And watch your flank next time."

Her piece said, she slinked back into the cover of darkness and continued her search.

@Eisenhorn

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

"Fine. The cappuccino, then." Was all Izayoi said in response to Eliane before tuning out the rest of her coffee spiel. Gods, how close the woman sounded to certain tea ceremony enthusiasts she had been familiar with. She strode up to the counter, placed her order, and joined the others at the table they'd picked out, sitting down. When the drinks arrived, Izayoi took a cautious sip of her coffee.

Hm. Entirely foreign and unfamiliar, but not unpleasant. It certainly wasn't something she'd want to consume regularly, but every once in a while, Izayoi could see herself wanting a beverage such as this.

"Not unsatisfactory." Izayoi noted aloud, affording Eliane a brief nod of regard. "Perhaps there is something of worth to this drink after all."

"Um, Izayoi, how about we-" Neve cut herself off, raising a hand to cover her mouth as Izayoi scowled in response.

"I told you one simple thing, and you could not even-" She snapped, but was cut off by one of the customers in the booth next to them dropping his mug, looking at her in unabashed horror.

"Y-you..." The burly man stammered, to which Izayoi raised an eyebrow.

"No. Whomever you believe me to be, I am but a wanderer." She attempted to lie through her teeth, to which the man shook his head, backing away from her.

"Liar! I know that face! Those eyes! I was at the Central Plains! Monster! Butcher! Demon!" The man screamed in hysteria, spittle flowing from his mouth before he fled the shop. Izayoi watched dispassionately as he left, sighing as the remaining eyes in the shop turned on her. One last sip of her drink, and she set it down before standing, placing her hat back atop her head.

"Perhaps I should leave first. I will seek the rest of you out later at the lodge Galahad mentioned. We may have to accelerate our timetable within this city, lest this cause problems." With that said, she wrapped her cloak around herself before starting to make her way out of the coffee shop, brushing past the startled owner.

___

Hours later, as sundown neared, each member of the party would inevitably find their way back to the lodge Galahad had pointed out. Waiting for them there, however, was a messenger in House Caradoc's livery, who knelt as soon as he beheld Galahad.

"My lord. Your father bids you to return home and join him for the evening meal. Your present party included of course. Including the, ah," He eyed Izayoi nervously, who settled for a brief narrowing of her eyes. "Person of distinction. Rumors have been buzzing for hours, you see. He wishes to verify them for himself. And for you to...explain, as it were."

His message delivered, the man rose and began to leave, likely heading back to the Caradoc manor himself. Once he did, Izayoi slid the inch of sword she'd drawn beneath her cloak back into its scabbard, turning to Galahad.

"Words cannot begin to describe how much I would prefer to not accompany you tonight. The last time I spoke to your father, I was demanding that he surrender the city to me. However, it seems that he is all but demanding our presence. If you believe my presence will be less harmful to your case than my absence, I will follow."

@Vietmyke

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

Behind the face-concealing visor of his helmet, Renar stared incredulously at Veilena Cazt and her bodyguard as they emerged, the dots connecting in his mind as Clarice spoke. She was the one who had wanted this shard in the first place? This was...unexpected. If she claimed to not be the enemy of the Iron Rose, that left precious few reasons why any of this even occurred. Without knowing much of the girl's mind, Renar's best guess was personal responsibility. Perhaps a member of her family was the reason this shard was even loose in the first place. Perhaps it had been her father's crime. His grip tightened around the haft of his poleaxe at the thought. Utterly ridiculous. But they lived in a society where children were judged on the actions of their forefathers, after all.

"Words are as wind." Renar said flatly, stepping to the side as he sized up Haelstadt. The giant was the same as ever. Renar lacked the advantage in reach and strength. Against such a foe, only guile remained. Assuming he would be hostile, of course. But he'd be a failure of a knight to not prepare for such an eventuality.

"Quite the puppet show you've put on, Lady Cazt. It only cost the lives of an entire fort's worth of the Crown's men-at-arms. If you were our enemy, I'd almost be impressed. Of course, if you truly aren't, we could at least hope for your complete and total cooperation in this manner so as to resolve it with minimal waste of life from here on out?"

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Kayliss Lambert

Finally. She was in her element. Infiltrating an enemy camp was familiar territory for Kayliss, and she made the approach with ease, sneaking up under cover of darkness. Judging by the sounds coming from the middle of the camp, the warriors within were drinking. Not uncommon for sellswords. It certainly made her own work easier, considering the noise was enough to be distracting to what few sentries were on duty.

The Crownsblade ghosted past one such pair, electing to leave them alive for now. She didn't know what their shift schedules were like, and eliminating two men that wouldn't be relevant to her mission further in was too much of a risk, especially if someone decided to check in on the guard. It was too bad that sourcing a disguise here like with the cultists wouldn't be practical. Some wore face coverings, but the majority were male, and their outfits weren't enough to conceal her gender among them. Not to mention the time and risk it would take to don a disguise in the midst of enemy territory. So she'd have to rely on physical stealth rather than social.

Kayliss skulked around the tents with a light step, one dagger drawn in her off-hand as she weaved her way towards the enclosure. She wasn't too far from the horses-

A drunken Morahti stumbled into her peripheral vision, and she quickly ducked back behind the side of a tent. A quick glance to the left. To the right. No other guards in sight. While the sentries could be ignored, a roaming guard would be too inconvenient to leave alone. Kayliss surged forward, taking the man from the side. Her dominant hand reached for the back of his neck and slammed him down to the ground, the dagger in her left hand plunging down shortly after into the side of his neck. Problem solved. She'd have to move quicker now, though. There was no telling when someone would notice a missing friend. The assassin tucked the fresh corpse in between a tent and some supply crates, just out of sight. No time for any further concealment.

Several silent dashes from tent to tent later, Kayliss found herself crouched down at the gate of the horse enclosure, picking the padlock on it. Click. Click. Click. Her pick found the right position on the last pin, and the tumbler popped open. She stood up and swung the gate wide open. Hopefully, Roger and Shortclaw would notice soon. And even if they didn't...

Kayliss picked up a rock on the ground and lobbed it at the head of a horse squarely in the middle of the herd, ghosting away in the direction of the tents shortly after. Her primary objective was complete. The rest was up to the remainder of the banner. As for her, there was still a secondary mission: locating the prisoners, if at all possible. Her dagger back in her hand, Kayliss began checking through tents, trying to pinpoint which held the captives.

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

Ranbu no Izayoi

She held no strong feelings about cities in general, having spent half her career as Lord Kaien's retainer in Kugane, but Midgar was easily the most repulsive one she'd ever been to. For as much as Izayoi could say against the entire realm of Edren, at least Balmung was rather aesthetic. Midgar was repulsive and stank of smoke. The stench hadn't quite kicked on on their approach, as absorbed in memories of the past as she was, but now? Izayoi wrinkled her nose, following after the rest of the group as they decided to take shelter in some coffee shop.

Izayoi wasn't necessarily opposed to taking a day or two within the city. As much as she wished to rush to Osprey at all speed, they still had to resupply and prepare for the journey ahead. Any more than that would be needless delay. In the meantime...

She was fairly certain she'd never had coffee before. The smell as they entered the shop was certainly unfamiliar, though it was far more preferable to the smoke and stench outside. Given that she'd spent her entire life in Osprey, tea had been her obvious drink of choice. Her master had preferred black tea when available, claiming it was one of the only things he enjoyed from his homeland, whereever that had been. In truth, she'd picked up a taste for the same as well in her youth. A shame few tea shops in Kugane even carried black teas.

Fortunate that they had the son of the city's lord in their party. Every little bit mattered when it came to scrimping on gil, and she'd not turn her nose at receiving something for free. Although the menus were...confusing. Whatever these coffee drinks were, they were listed off in names she'd never heard of before. What in the mothercrystal's name was a cappuccino? Furrowing her brow, Izayoi sidled next to Eliane, briefly murmuring to her.

"You enjoy these drinks, correct? I've not partaken of coffee before, and I recognize very little of these menus. Would you have any suggestions in particular?"

@Click This

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Renar Hagen

"Would you stop laughing already?" Renar groused at Fionn as they both dismounted on arrival at Cae Mayl, the bastard having gotten no small amount of mockery from his friend for his misunderstanding regarding Alette. "How was I to know that was what passes for concern with you? You certainly don't do the same with the rest of us."

Unlike some of their number, a hard day's ride left Renar still able to fight. He'd trained to be a knight practically since his father, may he burn, took custody of him, and it was all but expected of a Brias warrior. By no means was he fresh as a daisy, but if it came down to a fight, he would be more than ready.

Dame Tyaethe's remarks were at least somewhat helpful. The shrine itself being untouched was better than the alternative. Though anyone even halfway intelligent wouldn't have bothered to taint it if they wanted to conceal their presence here. That meant it still came down to a search.

"Come on then, Fionn. Let's be about this. Perhaps we may even get to actually perform our role this time."

@The Otter

The Envenomed: Military Science Fiction Deniable Operations

Salvator Rasch

Void damned insurgent fighters. At least whoever was contacting them wasn't shooting yet. Small mercies. Of course, their contact's promise of secure comms wasn't worth shit now. This was just shaping up to be one of those days.

He'd be more pissed about the human girl causing problems again if it truly was her fault this time. Of course, Salvator couldn't exactly blame the voice on the channel. In an insurgent shitfest like this, with factions sending deniable black ops every which way, of course the fog of war was muddied enough that no one could trust one another. Of course, that didn't stop this situation from being supremely annoying.

"We're not League-affiliated." Salvator keyed his comms, scowling beneath his faceplate as he tried to trace back the warning shot and get a bead on whoever fired it. "Don't know where our squadmate got the kit, first job together. But you're not going to believe us on just that." He said flatly, his newfound shotgun leveled in the direction of the woods.

"Let's make this quick, we're on a timetable. Squad's on assignment to help the locals. If you don't have a problem with that, what do we have to do or say for everyone involved to stand down so we can move on our objective?" With that said, Rasch stopped transmitting on comms for the moment, speaking out loud so that most of the squad in his vicinity could hear him.

"Would rather get out of this without wasting ammo if we can. Stay in cover, let's try not to shoot first if we can help it." If anyone had a problem with him giving orders at this point, well, that was their problem for not displaying enough initiative to do so already.