VitaVitaAR

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Aleksiya was left to reflect on the words of Ichor. Seven more.

There was no doubt in her mind that these seven were the Lords who were not present here. Of their number, there were those whom she would welcome the sight of openheartedly, and those whom she never wanted to see again. Chief among them was the vile Blight Lord, a horrific monster she held nothing but scorn towards.

But it was Ichor's word. She would not go against it.

Out of the ones who were present, however, Aleksiya could not say she was unhappy to see any of them. Even Akyasha, as frustrating as she was, was not truly a negative presence. She was at times quite unhelpful, but Aleksiya did not want to see her clutched by death once again.

Perhaps put through discomfort, but nod dead.

Of the others, she found them at least not directly offensive, and at best quite helpful and valuable as comrades. Needless to say, she was pleased to see them returned.

Or perhaps it was the fact that they had been presented with proper blood, even if it was just a small vial, that made her feelings especially charitable. Needless to say, she was swift to take one, removing the lid and relishing in the taste of actual human blood. Of course, it was only a small amount. But compared to the foul flavor of the rat's blood, it was utterly delicious. She could feel the deep hunger abating, the strength returning to her in some small amount. Hardly the true measure of her abilities, but definitely better then she had been on her awakening.

Aleksiya sighed.

"Ah, what a fine taste," she declared, placing the now-empty vial aside, "Did that familiar bring them? When she awakes, I should like to show my approval."

She paused a moment to listen to Akyasha's story. She still thought her an idiot, but at least it was some kind of explanation for her actions and her behavior. Not one she would have liked, but at least she understood the transactional nature of her coverage for that woman.

Understanding simply did not mean approval.

"... Well, I suppose that explains some of your behavior, if nothing else," she replied with a dismissive wave of her small hand, "In any case, it is as Lady Giselle says. A monster bars our path. However, I have nothing but confidence in our ability to destroy it, now that we have at least some blood in our bodies."

@Rune_Alchemist@ERode@Asuras@Psyker Landshark@Click This@Pyromania99

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fanilly winced slightly at the sight of the man's beheading. It was one thing to see such violence in combat, another entirely to watch it now. But he was not long for this world, and had died after assisting them. It was a mercy to end him in such a swift fashion, just as it was a mercy to end the lives of the dying bandits that lay strewn throughout the forest. Perhaps the Goddesses would consider his assistance when determining his place in the afterlife.

Glancing away from the beheaded corpse, she watched as the surviving bandits, lightly injured or surrendered without much of a struggle, were lead to the back of the formation in chains. From there, they would be returned to the capital, where they would face trial and possibly execution. The truly repentant could potentially earn a lighter sentence and a chance at redemption, but as of now their fates were unknown and it was Fanilly's best guess that most would end their lives on the executioner's block.

It was what they had earned, through banditry and kidnapping.

The Knight-Captain could spare no further thought to that topic, regardless. She had to ensure the success of the true goal of their mission.

"I must confess, Sir Fionn, without knowing more I can't say for certain what the caged beast may be," she replied with to her knight's inquiry. If only she knew more, then maybe she could have guessed. The fact it was larger then a bear, shrieked, and was fed rabbits was helpful in that it informed them it was some sort of predator. But beyond that, she could only guess at its nature, "But we know it's a predator of some sort, given they'd been feeding it rabbits."

The fact that some beast could be sprung upon them certainly complicated things.

"Given they have to keep its cage covered to prevent it from growing aggressive, I doubt it's been allowed to roam freely. If we can prevent its release, or kill it first, then we could eliminate it before it became a threat."

The petite blonde couldn't say with any certainty how successful an attempt to do so would be. But even if she didn't have confidence in herself, at least she trusted her knights.

It was some time before the scouts returned and relayed their information, during which most of the dead had been piled and made ready to be burned. It was undeniably gruesome, but altogether necessary for a number of reasons to ensure the corpses were disposed of.

The Dame Cecilia and Sir Hope had been able to confirm the information the interrogated bandits had shared, as well as give some specific locations of prisoners, and the caged beast. Most concerning was the Bandit King's absence, but they couldn't afford to wait and see if he showed up.

It was time to move.

"Iron Rose Knights, be at ready!" Fanilly commanded, trying to still her own hammering heart once more. "There is no more time to waste, the remainder of the bandits are still ahead. We must strike, and destroy this threat to Thaln's people."

She took a deep breath. Their objective wasn't just the slaughter of the bandits, however.

"But above all else, we must ensure their prisoners are freed and taken to safety. As such, our archers will hold after eliminating the scouts upon the watchtower until they are able to draw a line of sight on specific targets. The same goes for our magi. The camp is fortified, but not impenetrable, so we shall make our way past the palisades and cut through any resistance until every bandit lays dead or surrendered. We shall bring this Bandit King to the capital in chains or dead."

She had already informed her knights of their plan of attack, and little had changed since then, except...

"As for the caged beast, prevent its release or kill it before it can leave its cage. Now, we shall split into three groups with which to encircle the camp. I shall lead the first, Dame Tyaethe shall lead the second, and Sir Villis shall lead the third. Shields at the front, the rest follow, archers and magi remain at the rear."

Aside from herself, as Captain, she had selected the two most senior knights among those present. Tyaethe needed no explanation, and Sir Villis had served from years before the War of the Red Flag. The tall, imposing figure clad in gleaming armor, a great mace gripped in one hand and a shield bearing the sun gripped in the other, nodded quietly and took his place as the knights separated.

Slowly, carefully, they began to encircle the camp, taking their positions around the bandits. The watchtower was worrying, but as long as the guards were silently eliminated...

Fanilly had faith in the knights, at least, if not herself.

The camp was surrounded. The magi let off their signals to indicate they were in position.

Fanilly's grip on the hilt of her sword tensed. Her entire body tightened.

Kill the guards in the watchtower. Kill the beast in its cage, or at least prevent it from being released. Rescue the prisoners.

Crush the Bandits.

Defeat Bandit King Jeremiah.

"Iron Rose Knights, charge!"

As they rushed into the camp, they would be met with bandits, some far more ready for the coming battle then others, raising weapons, drawing blades and spears, and readying bows.

Unfortunately, more then a few were close to the covered cage...

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist@Psyker Landshark@Pyromania99@HereComesTheSnow@Saiyan@The Otter@Crimson Paladin@ERode@Psychic Loser@Richard Horthy@Aeolian@Rin

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"Ah?!"

This cursed magical energy.. .there was no doubt in Fio's mind. This was a Fomorian! Turning on her heel, she sprang back, off of her vantage point and onto a platform she had formed in the air using a barrier, the spell she'd been casting cancelling. The enormous sword dissipated, fading away into blue motes of light that drifted skyward.

This must have been the Fomorian mentioned in Sir Niall's report...!

"I haven't the slightest interest in allowing you to handle this sword," replied the Sword Witch flatly. She couldn't provide further support like this, but at the very least she'd managed to take the Fomorian's attention.

As frustrating as it was, this was also an opportunity.

"However, I'm happy to demonstrate my capabilities, Fomorian, since you've given me such ugly practice targets."

The monstrous, abominable things that emerged from the darkness, twisted and warped mockeries of life that could only be the experiments the Fomorian girl had created. Awful. Completely and utterly awful. She would be doing them, and the world, a favor.

"Cutting them to pieces can only be an improvement! Sura, Luna Orbit!"

A single command, for a specific configuration of blades. Ejecting themselves from a circle in the air behind her, the blue phantom swords began to circle around the small witch's body, at first somewhat slowly and then far faster. Rather then a simple barrier, it was offense as well. The abominations weren't likely to care about pain, but they certainly would struggle to attack if they had their limbs sawed through, especially given her position in the air.

Of course, only an idiot would leave it there.

"Five phantom swords. Now."

They materialized from circles in an arc over her head, each one pointing at one of the abominations before rocketing towards them.

It was a test, but ideally it would also at least keep them from moving swiftly as she picked her next course of action.

@Rune_Alchemist

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

"Tch. Idiot."

Aleksiya's criticism of Akyasha's actions was far less gentle then Giselle's. Even as she snatched the rat, the scowl on her face made her feelings immediately obvious.

They could have earned what was likely human blood by cooperating with that man, and yet they would be feeding on the blood of rats, and for what? The diminutive vampire hadn't the slightest idea as to why the priestess had chosen not to cooperate. For one who professed her love for her fellow vampires, it seemed that something else was more important to her at the moment.

Still, she couldn't exactly ignore the prospect of a chance to feed, even if it was on some foul vermin. Her teeth were for the necks of humans, those who had earned the right to enjoy the privilege of her feeding, or her enemies who would be drained until nothing remained. A rat, by contrast, was vermin.

She would not bite into the flesh of vermin. Digging her nails into its skin, she needed only a small injury to permit her desired manipulations.

The rat's body spasmed as she began to move the blood inside of it, its flesh tearing as its blood began to freeze, tearing its way out of the rodent's flesh, a glistening crystal of blood steadily extracted from its body.

It was that which she consumed. It tasted foul, but it was far more refined to feed like this then anything else. Tossing the bloodless body away, her attention refocused.

The most important matter, indeed.

Ichor's voice. Hearing it once more...

The sight of the other long lost lords, especially the absence of certain ones among their number, was a pleasant one.

"Indeed, we shall," she replied to Dragan's words, smiling as she approached the balcony. There was comfort in the Goddess's words. The framework through which this world would no longer be twisted, where monsters would be given their due punishment. It was a warmth that cut through the terrible condition of the world around them.

Aleksiya curtsied.

"My wings of frost shall always spread for you, goddess. Please, guide us."

@Click This@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99

Arknights - E.R.R.A.N.T.

@Operator Luna: I think that would help a lot.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

In the wake of battle, tensed body slowly unwound. Not entirely. They were far from finished. But now that the immediate enemy had been killed or taken prisoner, she had a moment to take a breath.

The sight of her knights patrolling, finishing those who were too injured to survive, was a sobering one. It was one she simply wasn't entirely prepared for, even if she had given the order herself. Every time she watched one of her knights pierce a vital region of a fallen enemy, a part of her curled into itself, her hands tensing. But at the same time, it was absolutely necessary. No matter the enemy, to leave them to slowly die from their injuries surrounded by their slain comrades was needless cruelty. Mercy was easing their suffering, passing them on to the afterlife swiftly.

If the Lamplighters chose to guide them, or if their transgressions were severe enough to leave them forever lost, only they would know.

She was torn away from her thoughts when an injured man was presented to her by Sir Renar and Sir Fionn. Though she was not especially versed in medicine, it was clear he did not have much time left, a grisly wound marking his abdomen. Exactly what it had pierced, Fanilly did not know, but the amount of blood lost and whatever underlaying damage had made his prospect for survival virtually nonexistent.

Perhaps that was precisely why he was an ideal choice for interrogation.

"Then, I trust you have information for me?" she asked, eyes briefly lingering on the man's wound before returning to her face.

"Hah, it's true, they really are lead by a cute little lass!" the bandit declared, even as his voice wavered with pain, "Heh, aye, if it's information you want, might as well spill my guts. Better to die with a drink then die with nothing."

His breathing sounded difficult.

"A drink and mercy, then," Fanilly replied, nodding. She assumed that the former had been offered by Sir Renar or Sir Fionn, and the meaning of the latter was obvious.

"A week ago, the boss and his inner circle brought something back to camp. None of us on the lower rungs saw it clearly, but we hear it. It's a beast," he began, "They have it caged up. 'Course, even if we can hear the godsawful noises it makes, they covered the cage up to keep it from gettin' aggressive so we can't see it. But it's big. Bigger'n a horse or a bear. Shrieks something awful when it's hungry, the guy in charge of keepin' it fed gives it rabbits."

A beast? Fanilly searched her mind for what it could be. But without knowing more, there was no way to be sure exactly what manner of creature it was.

Still, knowing that they could be dealing with more then simply bandits was a valuable piece of information.

Meanwhile, the injured man who had been used as bait had been pulled back to the rear of the formation, where one of the healers was attending to him. She was a woman in her thirties, clad in Mayon's colors as was custom for many healers of Thaln, carefully addressing his wounds with both magic and medicine.

---

When Sir Gerard threatened the bandit, the pommel pressed to his cheek was enough to make him freeze up in fear, eyes wide. He was shaking with considerable terror, likely in part due to so recently seeing just what the man was capable of against his allies. He had absolutely no desire to experience a broken jaw, not after having escaped any serious injuries in the battle.

It was to his great relief that Morianne intervened. Indeed, though he had hardly been a religious man, a little prayer to the goddesses didn't seem out of place at this point.

Perhaps this is why he was especially vulnerable to Morianne's spell, his eyes becoming slightly hazy, and yet almost shining, as they became fixed on the elf maiden's visage.

"... I... for a fine elf-maid like you, I'll tell you anything..." he half-murmured, swaying slightly as he spoke, "Palisades, there's palisades set up around the camp, but it's not a complete wall... a watch tower, too... hehe... I've never seen anyone as beautiful as you, y'know..."

---

The forest became quite dense for some time, a fallen log here or there, brush offering a perfect hiding spot for both of the knightly scouts currently advancing on the bandit camp.

Increasingly, through the trees, there was a glint of torchlight. Soon enough, they would see it.

The camp was located in a clearing, with an enormous large dead tree on the far side. It was not entirely enclosed by walls, but there were palisades set up in several defensible positions. At the center, a great bonfire was raging, with the bandits around it. While some were eating, many were clearly patrolling the perimeter of the camp. While they did not appear totally ready for battle, it was clear there was some expectation it would be coming soon. Near the fire, a few figures with chained legs could be seen as well. These had to be some of the prisoners, forced into serving food and drink to the bandits currently eating.

Between the tends, a set of cages with something inside them were visible. On a second examination, it was clear these were most of the prisoners, those intended to be sold or kept for other purposes.

There was a particularly large cage closer to the center, but whatever was inside of it was impossible to see clearly. A canvas had been draped over the cage, but it was just possible to make out something moving occasionally inside.

A throne had been erected near the bonfire, but no-one was occupying it at the moment.

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist@Psyker Landshark@Pyromania99@HereComesTheSnow@Saiyan@The Otter@Crimson Paladin@ERode@Psychic Loser@Richard Horthy@Aeolian@Rin

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

She could see many of the other bandits fall, but at the same time... that huge, monstrous man was still standing, still brandishing his hammer. And it seemed as if he had sent some of his men to pursue Luna, as well. The Sword Witch certainly couldn't see any other reason that the other bandits would suddenly break off of their fight.

Thrusting her sword forward, Fio took a deep breath. She'd thin those reinforcements out. Then, she'd focus her attention on the biggest target.

"Ten phantom swords. Form them, create them, give them the edge that takes life."

At her commands, the magic circles in the air spun, and as they did ten more of her ghostly weapons emerged, tilting slightly to take aim at the bandits that had gone to reinforce the enemies fighting with the Luna's group.

"Kill."

With a whistling sound they tore through the air, bearing down on the bandits as they began to move.

And now, she would be able to try and take down that monster of a man with her next blow.

The bastard wouldn't take this one so lightly.

"Sura. Open the way."

The magic circles she had already constructed drifted towards one another, lining up and expanding, creating a multi-layered circle of light.

"Form it. The edge of death. The piercing tool of destruction. That which slaughters the wicked. That which purges evil. Create it and give it form."

As Fio spoke, the enlarged multi-layered circle began to grow brighter. She could feel the air around her practically vibrating, the intensity with which the magical energy was being gathered causing a weight to develop on her small frame. This would take up her whole being until it was complete, but she had to do everything she could to strike down the most monstrous of the bandit forces. To be honest, she didn't particularly enjoy using a spell like this to kill trash like that, but at the same time she couldn't allow any more of her allies to be harmed.

She'd seen what that monster had done already.

Fio couldn't let it happen again.

And so the murderer's sentence would be delivered.

"I shall take the role of the judge who dispenses the sentence. The one who bears all wickedness in the world and carries out the order of execution. This shall be a day of blood and a red sky."

@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99@FrogRFlowR

Arknights - E.R.R.A.N.T.

Sorry I've been kind of stuck on what to post myself. ^^; I want to keep going and I'm sure the @Raineh Daze does too.

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

When Akyasha finally showed up again, Aleksiya couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, arms folded across her chest. She spent all that time, wasted all that time, to find some rats?

What drivel was this? What utter nonsense. She wasted their time for some rats?

The small blonde girl huffed, but at least in this case the waste of time was potentially fortuitous. This hunter, Rikard, had deigned to be uncooperative, but just as he stated he was willing to potentially part with some of his blood vials for information on 'vermin'. And lo and behold, here arrived that obsessive priestess carrying vermin with her.

If not for this stroke of luck, the diminutive vampire would have expressed her irritation with the priestess far more vocally. But, for the moment, she chose to hold her tongue.

If only for now.

"Indeed, I'm rather curious, myself," Aleksiya commented, cocking her head to one side as she fully turned to face the fanatic and her collected rats.

@Click This@Pyromania99@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

While an ambush was hardly an unsound strategy, one thing became abundantly clear: These were not the veterans they had been told of. Whether it be due to some exaggeration on part of the reports, or simply due to the fact that the veterans were not part of this ambush, remained to be seen.

Fanilly suspected the later. Carrying an injured man left Sir Rickert vulnerable, thus she had elected to keep close to him, in a position in which she could relay orders as well as ensure both Sir Rickert and the old man's safety. Morianne's spell had worked its way through the bandit forces, leaving many wavering and unsteady, and making rash decisions that ended their lives. By this point, a few had thrown down their weapons and fallen to their knees from the combined stress of battle and the magic working its way through their minds.

Not to mention the far more physically painful magic that had left at least four bandits twitching and smoking on the ground.

The Knight-Captain had already assessed the battle likely won, a short and brutal skirmish that left the ambushing force in tatters. But that didn't mean she could simply relax. It wasn't over, even if the conclusion was becoming clearer by the moment. She couldn't stop, she couldn't simply accept her knights would be safe.

Even one serious injury in this skirmish was a mark of failure as Knight-Captain in her mind. A sign of unworth.

It was perhaps her own doubts and fears, and desire to keep a watch on the battlefield, that she only barely caught sight of the shortsword-wielding bandit who lunged for her and Rickert.

She had sparred plenty of times. The motions were ingrained in her mind now, so even in that instant as the axe fell, her body did not hesitate.

Fanilly's blade cut through the air, and met the bandit's sword, the clash of metal on metal ringing through the night and yet drowned in the noise of combat.

"Knight-Captain!" she heard Sir Rickert's voice behind her as she adjusted her grip, her eyes narrowing.

His efforts had to be spent protecting the injured man, not trying to assist her. He was already unable to fight properly, attempting to do both would be far more dangerous.

The bandit's momentum was a weapon against him. Guiding his blade to the side, Fanilly forced it wide, causing him to stumble with a gasp.

Her sword was coming back up.

Under the arm. The neck. The chest, if a clear blow can be struck. The head of a helmetless foe.

The locations in which an immediately lethal blow can be struck. Even if death wasn't instant, it would come quickly. From this angle, his neck was most exposed.

This blow would kill him. With it, she would be ending a man's life. A human being's life.

He-

The armor he wore. The colors he wore.

She realized now that the bandit was clad in a pilfered chestplate from a soldier of Thaln. He had stolen from a dead soldier in order to facilitate robbery and murder.

Fanilly's heart hardened.

Her blade flashed, and parted the flesh of his throat, a crimson line carved into the man's neck and opening wider. He twisted, letting out a gurgling sound, before falling to the ground with a thud.

The next came easier. His leather chestplate didn't defend him well enough from a swift thrust, his axe falling from his grip as the tip pierced his heart.

He hit the ground moments later.

Fanilly inhaled deeply, her sword lowered to her side as Sir Rickert reached the other knights, drawing his blade to rejoin the fight.

But there was little fight to rejoin, now.

Bandits lay dead or dying, strewn across the ground. Some were incapacitated, by fear, lightning, or nonlethal injury. Her knights had not allowed a single one to flee.

The bandit camp was likely not completely unprepared, but if any of these men had escaped their task would have become far more difficult.

The blood dripped from the edge of Fanilly's sword.

Her heart was hammering, but she took another deep breath to try and ease her nerves. This was hardly even the first step.

"Thank the goddesses..." she said aloud, her free hand clutched to the rose on her breast.

Now, it was time to address her knights.

"Ease the suffering of the dying," she ordered. The Iron Rose Knights were knights of justice and mercy. To leave an enemy to die in agony could not be permitted, if they could help it, "Bind any survivors and take them prisoner. If they have any information, do your best to extract it from them."

The mental state of whatever bandits remained alive would hopefully make getting information from them easier.

"We have little time to lose, so Dame Cecilia, Sir Hope," she addressed her chosen scouts, "As soon as you are able, your orders remain."

@Raineh Daze@Rune_Alchemist@Psyker Landshark@Pyromania99@HereComesTheSnow@Saiyan@The Otter@Crimson Paladin@ERode@Psychic Loser@Richard Horthy@Aeolian@Rin