The Otter

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@VitaVitaAR @Raineh Daze @6slyboy6

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By the time Amy had made it over, the Boars' commander had long lost any ability to speak around the well of blood rising to fill his throat; as his final breaths bubbled through Fionn knew there was likely no chance that Clarice and Veilena with their knowledge could halt the curse and prolong the man's life, or that Tyaethe might manage to pull something else out of her hat like she had the night of the ball. No, as Amy sank down against him and issued her own plea to the man, he closed his eyes with a sigh.

"Gods have what mercy on you they will," he murmured at the mercenary's last gasps, pink foam bubbling up and over the grimaced lips. "At least you weren't so proud as to refuse to try and aid us at the end." He let the body down as the others spoke up around him, one hand closing the corpse's eyes rather than leave their empty stare. His left arm wrapped around Amy's waist, dimly aware that she was relying on his physical support as much as she was trying to help with the enemy commander. With his right, he reached out, fingers wrapping around the hilt of the sword he'd dropped moments before as he placidly listened to the others speak around him.

Staring down at the Boar's face, still twisted with pain even in death. Whatever crimes the man had committed in life, he'd at least held on to enough of a sense of decency not to support the corruption of his men, enough of his honour to answer a challenge honestly. Betrayed and silenced by his patron at the last chance he had to make any show of repentance for his wrongdoing. After so many years spent on the field of battle, some in outright war, there was little that could make Fionn sick—but his stomach still roiled with revulsion at the injustice committed before his own eyes.

He hung his head, breathing deeply, still for a moment as the others spoke around him.

"Clarice Kastin."

He growled the name out in the momentary silence, his voice as brittle as grinding ice as he played back the last bits of the conversation around him, head still low. Not offering the girl the chance to try and win him over with some cute act or pout, nor leaving any room in his words for her to pick apart or disregard his statement. "You owe our captain an apology."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@VitaVitaAR @Raineh Daze @6slyboy6

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Fionn stood still in a moment of confusion as the disembodied voice rang out around him and the Boars' commander, his brow furrowing as he relaxed again from the ready position he'd just taken up. "What fresh hell is—" Then his eyes widened as the man cursed, blood covering his armour and the ground in front of him as he fell. All thoughts of a duel gone for the moment, Fionn dropped his own blade, rushing forwards to catch the man. "Tyaethe!" he bellowed across the battlefield, calling out to the only one he'd seen break a curse thus far. "Clarice, Amy, Veilena! Get over here!"

No sense, of course, in limiting it to just the one, when they had another who was well-versed in curses, a healer, and simply a powerful mage at the ready.

He turned back to the Boars' commander, quickly pulling off the man's helmet. "Whatever you have left in you, man, speak. If not a name, give us a title, something identifiable, quickly!"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@VitaVitaAR

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"Síocháin leat," Fionn said to the fallen abomination as the Boars' commander addressed him. Glancing out, he could see the other cursed beings meeting similar fates to the one he'd been fighting. "Suaimhneas orthu. You're right. They shouldn't have been twisted like that." He half-turned at last to his initial target, hand lightly resting on the hilt of his sword. At least he and the Boar could agree on two things; the second was that, despite the exertion, he still wasn't a threat to take lightly.

It was good that the field commander was taking this seriously.

"You can still surrender," he suggested, light and conversationally. "We both know what'll happen to you, but it'll give you the time to make right with the gods and goddesses, let us know who did that to your men. Better than stumbling in the darkness until the end of days." He drew his sword, holding it loosely, letting it rest against his leading leg.

"If you fight, I'll give no quarter."

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

Cadmon Demet

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@Crimson Paladin

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"Favourable trading rights through my border, financial access, all in the name of strengthening our bond," Cadmon replied with unhidden disdain. "And, of course, I would be honour bound to commit myself in defense of him if he should need it, and with me at his back, I'm sure he'd be quite a bit bolder with his many ambitions. At worst I fear I'd either have to turn traitor to the crown or be known as a betrayer of family. Out of all parties involved, the only one who wins anything is Baron Bridger himself." He flipped the page over, looking at the sketch left along the back of it.

Professional, and Baron Bridger wasn't one known to waste his money on overly idealized portraits.

"A shame, she is pretty. Might be I could accept, rescue the poor girl from a father that doesn't truly care about her, and then forestall any disaster by rebuffing him as soon as all the ceremonial tripe was done with. Leave him to wallow in his well-deserved humiliation. She might even appreciate it, at first...but that's not really a good foundation for a successful, long-lasting relationship. Are you done?"

The sudden question was clearly directed at the chimeric creature still fighting with his hair, though for once Cadmon's expression seemed at least somewhat amused. The scolded griffin squawked back at him, before continuing its valiant struggle. He rolled his eyes in return, looking back down to Roger. "You know, a lot of us envy lower knights like you. You have freedoms that many of us—those who don't just foresake their duties, anyways—don't have."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@VitaVitaAR

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Undeterred, or perhaps utterly unfeeling, the giant started to turn despite the spear that had thrust so far into its abdomen. Fionn cursed under his breath, yanking the weapon back out with a twist, hands as far back on the shaft as possible as he let the head drop to the ground and he backpedaled clear of the fists trying to crush or grab him once again. No matter that it kept attacking; the damage done, he'd definitely have it beaten on agility now, as any attempt to put weight on the leg that had suffered so many severed muscles and tendons would send it toppling.

Evading the initial grasp—and giving whatever foul fluid had been drawn from the giant a moment to drip back down the other end of the spear, rather than to try and rush more towards his hands—he quickly raised the weapon up again with a jerk of his arms, with an underhanded throw sending the point straight for the cursed person's distorted head in the same moment he backpedaled further from any reach the mutant had.

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

Cadmon Demet

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@Crimson Paladin

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The griffin exited her carrier as soon as the door was open for her; as proud a creature as she was, though, she gave off nothing more to show her displeasure than some irate clicks of her beak before preening her feathers and taking a quick glance around the new room she found herself in. In a moment more she quickly leaped into the air, landing on Cadmon's shoulders, whereupon she immediately took to trying to tame his unruly red hair.

All the while studiously avoiding acknowledging Roger's presence whatsoever.

"I would rather he wasn't," Cadmon replied to the griffin knight's question, appearing utterly unperturbed by Sirona's struggling with his hair. "Evidently he and his wife must get very bored managing their manor, given by how he keeps finding children of his to try and betrothe to me. This is the third daughter he's tried it with, and he even tried one of his sons before this."

He read along a bit further, shaking his head as he did. "The dowry is abysmal, as always. He knows what my position entails, and yet he's got no intention to make sure she's able to support herself at the level she's used to living at if I should meet some untimely demise. The dower I'd have to put up to ensure her is far beyond what should ever be expected. And that's on top of everything he's hoping to gain through this match. I can't help but think he doesn't value or respect either myself or any of his children other than his heir."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@VitaVitaAR

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Fionn took the spear in both hands, holding still for a moment longer to observe how the cursed beast moved. Muscles straining against themselves to drive the bulk into motion; skin tearing away as it forced its grossly distorted body in his direction. While its size helped it to cover the ground quickly, there was little chance it could keep up with his nimble, undistorted form; however, all the surplus of overgrown muscle would help protect any vital organs, making it harder to take it out quickly. The weakest spots would be the same as on any human, but far harder to reach.

Now, to find how best to reach them, and return to his original goal.

When the great fists came crashing down upon him, he leapt off to the side, barely a foot between him and the massive hands; once his toes found purchase on the ground again he sprinted forwards, ducking low beneath the behemoth. Once clear of the legs, he turned on the ball of his foot, jabbing the blade of the spear forward and up in a vicious stab for the mutant's groin. A fierce, disabling strike, aimed to sever tendons, muscle, artery, and hopefully bury itself up in the monstrosity's intestines at the end of its travel, if it didn't nick the pelvis instead. The mutant would bleed and fall, and Fionn would put it out of its misery before visiting even fiercer retribution on the Boars' commander.

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

Cadmon Demet

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@Crimson Paladin

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, István had declined to accompany Cadmon right away, and instead elected to go for the kitchens; with a shrug, Cadmon parted ways with his brutish retainer, rapidly returning to his suite so as not to leave the griffin-riding knight waiting. Beyond that, there were still certain matters to sort out after the last excursion—what to do with the horses his men had captured being one of them. Unlike their riders, Morahti horses were valuable and worth keeping, but that still left divvying out suitable mounts to suitable people, quartering them, what to do with the other horses in the meantime, and the like. An increase in work load that Cadmon only had himself to blame for, given that the horses were captured on his orders.

He hadn't been long perusing the information given him on the captured beasts before a knock came at the entrance to his suite, however. With a glance and a nod, he sent one of his servants over to answer the door and usher the knight back to the young earl's study, cage and papers in tow. "Sir Falkner," he greeted with a nod as soon as the knight was before him, taking the envelope and pulling it open. "Not a short missive, then? Well, you have my thanks for the errand. You can set Sirona down and open her carrier; I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble—"

He trailed off slightly, frowning down at the first paper he held from all those sent in the envelope that Roger had handed to him.

"Falkner, you aren't acquainted with a Baron Bridger, are you?"

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

Cadmon Demet

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@HereComesTheSnow@Crimson Paladin

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Sorting out the villagers was fast, sorting out the supplies that the bandits and their Morahti allies had pillaged from the local villages was a longer, more annoying process—even in the face of a rescue, there were always a few who would strive towards any sort of material gain they could wring out of their situation and benefactors. Thankfully, their fellows were disinclined to let them sour the moods of their saviours so rapidly, but none of them could simply drag the raided goods back home through the dirt or carry them on their backs—so it fell to Cadmon to divvy out men and animals for the transport, before they could rejoin the main column and their advance back towards Castle Hraesleg reach full speed.

At least he was glad to be back at the castle, dissimilar as it may have been from his home. Proximity to Lord Hraesleg meant an opportunity to figure out just why he'd been sent to accompany Velvetica, rather than accompany the man himself or her elder brother. It also meant a proper bed, more interesting food, and—

"Ah. Right on time." Peering up near the tallest tower of the castle, he could see the unmistakable outline of a griffin coming to its roost. "Care to join me in my suite, István? It seems Sir Falkner's back, and I doubt he's come empty handed. He should have news of home, and I've no doubt you'll want to review it with me."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@VitaVitaAR

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Fionn's charge slowed for a moment, first hearing the trees cracking near him; he turned his head to glance at what was making the sound, only to have time for a muttered curse and to leap out of the way. Grossly swollen fists crashed to the ground where he had just been standing, clods of dirt flying up around them as the beast bellowed out in mindless rage. The Boars had moved to clear space for the giant, unwilling to allow themselves to get crushed in its maddened advance, to say nothing of the other four that were making their way for his fellow knights.

He rolled once, coming back up on his feet hastily. Out of the way of harm from the beast, for now, he wasn't safe yet—charging into the Golden Boars' lines meant that there was no lack of enemies around him, and not all of them would be so surprised by their sudden allies not to try and take advantage of his lonesome status. Light glinted in his peripheral vision, reflecting from something off to his left; he threw the shield outwards instinctually, batting aside a spear that was thrust at him. He lunged forwards, driving the rim of the shield into the face of the Boar that tried to stab him; dead or unconscious, they fell, and he released the shield, ramming his sword back home and hefting their spear.

The giant turned, lured by the clashing sound so close to it, knowing that its prey had evaded its initial attack. Any Boars that had considered stepping in to try and finish Fionn off instead chose to back away, rather than risk utter pulverization. "And I thought I was crazy," he muttered, now that he had a clear look at the beast. It was clear that it had once been human, though whether one of the Golden Boars or some unfortunate captive of theirs he couldn't say; whatever had been done, the body was too mangled and distorted for it to matter any longer. Limbs and torso on the verge of bursting, and a head, lips pulled back in what he could only imagine a grimace of pain, blinded from destroyed eyes, nearly swallowed into the chest by the ballooned muscles surrounding it.

"In ainm Mayon, agus Reon..."

Whether forced into this transformation or an enemy who willingly took it upon themselves, the creature before him now was nothing but an object of pity. Ending its existence would be a mercy. An important work to see done before tearing these Boars' captain's head from his shoulders. "Well? What are you waiting for?" he called out to it, standing firm as the space cleared further, forcing himself to breathe, stay relaxed. This was no mere boar or bear he might defeat by holding his place against any charge, let the beast impale itself and get stuck before it could actually reach him. This giant would likely crush him under its weight if he tried such, not to mention he didn't even have the right tools for the job.

Lure it in. Get it to charge. From there, speed, agility, and technique. No different from any other fight, that.