Lord of Azure Flame: Chapter 7: Injury, Exhaustion, Renewal

[-Cynthia-]

"If we speak to General Jackson, perhaps he will let you go on account of you now being necessary for our cause. Considering the hour though, I imagine he is asleep and would not take kindly to being woken up. Hopefully he will be rather reasonable towards us if the trial goes succesfully. "

"If you should somehow get into a situation in which you need to use your weapon, just focus on it and it should come to you. It may take some practice, but it's not as if you appear to have anything better to do."

[Phoenix]

Out inside the aerie, Kiev had the purple colored cat in his mouth! The cat struggled to break free but was suspended in midair, its arms dangling helplessly! The wyvern started shaking the cat trying to tear it open, but for some reason, the cat was especially tough skinned! Annoyed and confused, Kiev started shaking harder and whipping faster! The other animals looked on curiously as the determined wyvern mangled the cat! After a few minutes of his violent biting, crunching, and shaking, Kiev gave up. He quickly tossed the cat from his mouth and out of the aerie!

The cat had a huge bite mark on its body, and it actually was bleeding rather badly by the time Kiev gave up. The cat lied on its side moaning and groaning softly.

Up inside the dorms, Iso continued reading through the Elwind tome. He had almost seen every page of the book ... a second time. He didn't expect that he would have to wait an entire day to try to rescue Katie. She must have been delivered to her father by now. Iso knew he couldn't stand against a hero ... for very long. The sweat dripping down the side of his head somehow caught his attention, and he immediately wiped it off, and got back to reading, the only thing that distracted him enough to calm his nerves.

Irina was simply too uncomfortable to sleep. Something about a cozy bed just didn't feel right without a giant wyvern hide. So she sat up. Iso looked over to her wondering how long she'd been awake.

Iso: Did you get much rest?

Irina: Noooo I miss Kiev

Iso: Stay put. There's not one good excuse for you sleeping in the stables.

Irina: Well, what am I supposed to do in the meantime? I can't sleep.

Iso: Read through this.

He reached over and grabbed Proxima from the edge of his bed, then he leaned in her direction, and handed her the heavy fire tome.

Irina: I can't understand much of what's in those books.

Iso: Now may be a good time to start. Besides. It'll bore the tar out of you. You'll be back to sleep in no time ^_^

Irina:

OOC: HAHAAAAH!!

By incorporating some of the general posting style of the others, I have perfected my technique! Half dialogue and rhetoric, half detail inclusion, and context addition. Wonderful :)

Edited June 6, 2010 by Phoenix

[Snike]

After Kamilla had left, Eric decided to make a quick exit as well, heading off to the head office, where he found the secretary who had let them in, doing some paperwork.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," he said. "But can you check to see if a thunder magic student by the name of Danielle is still enrolled?"

"What circle?"

"... Third, I believe."

Silence reigned, as the secretary searched through the files.

"Ah, here we are," she said, pulling out a roll of parchment. "Danielle of Jerdon, third circle thunder mage... She left the academy about three months ago."

"I see. Thank you," the traveler said, exiting the room. Outside, he sighed.

Left three months ago..., he thought. She could be anywhere, now... Well, I guess I'll inform Derek. Taking out his note book, Eric wrote wrote what he had learned on an unmarked page, and pocketed it, to send off the next time he had the chance. By then, the sun had almost set. Feeling a bit exhausted, he returned to the hall where the rest of the group was, and, upon finding an empty room, dozed off.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Snike

[Kanami]

As the hour passed away a loud roar could be heard from outside the main gate as bandits swarmed in. The guards who had been positioned to watch the gate, carefully slaughtered by those who had already broken in earlier that day. Their leader, a former knight in the service of some lost kingdom. They're objective, to destroy the Elysimmian military and claim ownership of the nation.

Reika smirked joyously, "There's the signal, get going boys" she said loud enough for the bandits around her to have heard. "If they cooperate or start fleeing spare their lives, if they draw their weapon crack their skulls" she announced drawing out a pair of steel daggers. "If you meet any patrol soldiers kill them regardless of their actions."

The group cheered quietly before they went about pillaging. They couldn't carry women, and their objective this time round was valuables.

Reika looked around, she had no interest in pillaging or getting rich, not when there were soldiers strutting around the place. Seeing a patrol guard and his torch up ahead she grinned deciding that the pair would be her first victims tonight

[Balcerzak]

Tessa woke up. Her ankle was cold~! She wasn't sure what time it was, but she'd probably slept the entire afternoon away. She sat up, stretched, and removed the snow-orb from it's place at her ankle, looking at it curiously again. What an interesting piece of work it was. She decided she was going to keep it for the future, and so slipped it into the leather satchel where she kept her hair brush, and several other odds and ends.

She looked around the room. She didn't see anyone else, and she'd expected to at least see Morgan, but perhaps the Shaman had also awakened, and was using the privy or something. Anyway, she decided to test her ankle, flexing it a bit and moving it around, cautiously, before she even attempted to put weight on it. While it was still very stiff and sore, the swelling had gone down almost entirely, and most of the pain from before had subsided. It was about as good as she cold hope for, honestly.

She lay back down, wondering if she should try to go back to sleep, or if she should wander around the academy for a bit, to satisfy her curiousity. Patience won out, and she decided that at least, if she couldn't get back to sleep, she'd wait for the shaman to return before deciding anything further.

[Inactive Account]

OOC: Very well, Nadeisco, let's get this party started. (The soldiers/mages I'm inventing here will not have stats unless the higher-ups decide they do; I'm figuring that they'll just have plotbattles or fade out of focus entirely.)

It was a very delicate spell that he was working on, requiring that the vicinity-- that of the entire city, really-- maintain some sort of normality. It had already been disturbed once, and the sage had worked into the dark hours of morning to put it back in order.

When the nodes of the spell jumped out of alignment for a second time, the sage looked up crossly. "What is it this time?" Before it had been only a little disturbance, easily fixed; now, the working was about to collapse entirely. Muttering, he moved across the room to a basin of pure water. He chanted a few words over it, and an image appeared on the water's surface: a bird's-eye view of the city. A few gestures zoomed it in, panning over the main streets.

He paused. There, and there... and there and there and-- oh. "Goddess, no," he breathed: the streets were full of dark figures, readying to attack.

All sorcerer's dignity forgotten, he ran down the hall. "Verali!" he yelled, pounding on his assistant's door. "Wake up!"

"Whaaaat? It's not dawn yet, Master Draper," came the muffled reply.

"The city's under attack! I need you to go get the headmaster!" Draper explained. "I'm going to alert the army that there's an attack coming!"

In a matter of seconds Verali was tearing down the hall, nightgown hastily tucked into a pair of breeches. Draper ran back to his workroom, getting a speech-spell ready to send with a messenger bird.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

On the other side of the city, a young knight stirred in her sleep. Was someone knocking on the door? No, the window. She opened it, and a bird flew in, settling on her bedpost.

She jumped back as the bird began to talk.

"To whoever's in charge over at the border defenses right now: the city's been invaded. I can't see the colors on them-- they might not have any, they look pretty ragged, but there's a lot of them and you probably want to get men on it. Oh, dear, looks like there's fighting in the streets... I've got to wake my students up. Master Draper out."

"Damn mages and their ridiculous spells," the knight muttered as she hopped into a pair of breeches. "Tian! Help me arm up, please!" she shouted, waking her maid.

She clanked down the hall in full armor, helm carried under her arm, bird perched on top, heading for the officers' quarters. After a bit of pounding on the door, she got the commander. The situation was explained. Her commander sent word along to the general, and got his troops moving.

By the time she had her horse and a squad of men ready to go out, the knight could hear the sounds of fighting. "Dria's squad, move out!" the commander called over the noise.

"Come on, lads, let's rout the scum out there!" Dria called, donning her helm and kneeing her horse towards the gates of the headquarters.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of people running down the hall woke Kelas. She was up and dressed in clean clothes in seconds. She shouldered her bow and headed out into the hall. "What's going on?" she asked a passing student.

"I don't know, bandits or something," the student said, and continued on his way.

"Damn scatterbrained mages," Kelas muttered as she headed down the hall. She stuck her head into Arrin's room. "Up! There's an attack on!" she yelled, then did the same for Tessa as Arrin got up, mumbling groggily.

Without waiting for Arrin to join her, she ran for the stables.

------------------------------------------------------------------

"What happened?" Arrin asked the nearest person. People were just sort of milling around now, lacking Kelas' urgency.

"The city's under attack," a student replied. "But we're safe here."

Arrin had no idea what to do. Kelas should be back soon... it would be better to stay here, where it was safe, wouldn't it? The soldiers and mages should be able to handle everything. He headed back to his room to wait for the others to get up.

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan heard strange noises outside "That...doesn't sound good." She looked out the window. The guards were engaging some rough looking men with axes.

"More bandits..." she said. She pondered what to do. On one hand, this was an excellent opportunity to free Chase while the guards were distracted. On the other hand, this could make diplomacy with General Jackson more tricky in the future.

She saw a guard get entirely decapitated. It was probably wiser for her to have some protection. She took out her Flux tome and blasted down the door to Chase's jail cell.

"I know you said you weren't quite up for shooting, but we appear to have little choice in the matter. We will probably be safe at TISME, so that's where we should go."

[Phoenix]

Iso let down the Elwind tome hearing the noise outside the room. He was surprised that people were up at that hour.

Iso: Well ... that can't be good.

He ignored it and went back to reading. Irina quickly hopped up though!

Irina: What are you doing?! We need to see what's going on out there!

Iso: Not necessarily.

Irina: Iso! I'm going out there.

Iso: Fine.

Irina: If I go out there and find trouble, who's going to protect me?

Iso: Ixion.

Irina: Urgh!! >_<

She quickly hauled him out of the bed and dragged him out of the room! The both of them rushed down the halls alongside the mages! Along the way they saw Kelas! Irina called out to her!

Irina: Hey! Do you know what's going on?!

Elsewhere ...

Viveka lied sound asleep in her bed until ... *CRASH* A the sound of a market stand being toppled cut through the air along with the sounds of men shouting! She jumped up, and ran to the window!

Viveka: ... ... ... oh you have got to be KIDDING MEEEE!!! >_<

Normally she would take her time getting dressed, but she didn't have the time, so she grabbed her outfit and armor and put them on as quickly as possible! Outside the garrison, Susann flew from the pegasi stables to the roof of the building Viveka was in. She neighed to let her master know that she was ready for battle! In a few minutes, Viveka was ready and she woke up the rest of the garrison! Two other pegasus knights accompanied her to the battlements!

[Kanami]

(Earlier)

Kamilla had run straight out of TISME and onto the streets, she didn't care where she was as long as she wasn't near that group which made her head hurt. She wandered around the capitol aimlessly, if she wandered around surely someone would recognize her? Or at least that's what she had thought until the sun went down, and the people she had hoped to get a reaction from all went into their homes and went to bed.

Kamilla however didn't have a home to go to, not one she was aware of at least anyway. It was getting really late, perhaps around midnight when she saw Morgan hurrying somewhere, not wanting to be seen she hid in an alley and watched as Morgan disappeared from sight. Sighing to herself she headed back to TISME, she was hungry and even if the people there made her head hurt she knew she'd be able to get along with anyone that fed her.

As she started heading off, she noticed a woman probably just a bit taller then herself walking up to a guard nearby. She watched curiously as the woman started talking to the guards, and gasped in horror as one had his arm removed from his body. In her hand a weapon with a red glow.

Scared for her life, she hurried back to TISME seeing several burly men pillaging and killing people. She approached the entrance of TISME where she encountered a cloaked man waiting for her.

Kamilla: "Who are you mister?"

Cloakie: "............."

Kamilla: "Are you going in too?"

Cloakie: "........" A moments silence, then he raised his hand and with a click of his fingers the field protecting the entrance vanished.

Kamilla: "I need to go now, bye bye mr cloak person"

As Kamilla ran through the entrance she headed straight for the room she'd been in earlier, she didn't know what to do but she figured she'd be safer with the group, something in her mind told her they were violent brutes that would attack anything mercilessly.

"Tessa! Tessa! Big men! Kill stuff in city! Lots of dead people! Shamaness also in city, get killed!" she said blurting out the first words that came to her mind.

[Ansem]

Helios put the letter back in his pocket. Then he heard fighting. He went inside to see if anyone else was informed. Helios went inside and saw the siblings. "I wasnt the only one that heard that right"?

[Inactive Account]

Kelas picked familiar faces out of the crowd as she ran down the hall. "The city's under attack by a massive group of bandits," she replied to Irina, raising her voice to be heard. They kept running. "Wait, can you even fight?" she asked Isotov, remembering that something had been done with his magical ability; she didn't really know what.

-----------------------------------------------------------

The sounds of running feet got louder and Arrin realized that people were probably too busy to come find him. He got his tome and headed for Tessa's room. "I think the city's under attack," he said uselessly as he entered. "Kelas went for her horse... should we find the others?"

-----------------------------------------------------------

Having woken his students, Draper ran for the walls, heading up the stairs to a watchtower. The guards were at work, throwing fire and lightning at bandits down below. He rolled up his sleeves, getting out a combat tome. His first shot of Bolting startled the guard-mages, but they went back to work within seconds.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Verali skidded, halting inches before the headmaster's door. Despite the urgency of the situation, she managed to calm herself enough to knock politely. "Er, Headmaster? Are you there?"

-----------------------------------------------------------

Dria's squad smashed into the flank of a mass of bandits. With practiced ease, she gutted a bandit with her lance, then swung it around to behead another one. Even with her soldiers' experience, though, there were losses; her men were falling under the sheer numbers of the enemy. Pausing, she took a horn from her belt, blowing the call for reinforcements, then charged back into the fray.

[riariadne]

Chase grinned at the opportunity of leaving, but before he left, he picked up a rock and used the blood on the floor to write;

Sorry for leaving Veveka but theres bandits attacking the city. Helping get them out would be a good thing for my record right? So thats what Im going to do. Chase V

With that, he followed Morgan out of the building.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Lightning

[Snike]

The sudden onset of activity outside woke Eric, who decided to forgo further rest in order to find out what was going on. Stepping out of the room, he was immediately caught up in the mass of mages heading towards the entrance. Hearing the word, 'bandit' instantly clued him in, and he, too headed for the entrance, ready to take on any attacker.

[Ansem]

Helios followed after them. He tried to open Hellsety but it sent a slight spark up his arm. He couldnt use it. At first he was confused but then realized what had happened. Out of all the times to attack they attacked now. Dammit

[Balcerzak]

Sleep wasn't coming, but as she was waiting, Tessa started to hear some bustling and commotion. She had half a mind to get up and see what the fuss was about, but before she actually managed anything Kelas poked her head into the room, "Up! There's an attack on!" the nomad had yelled before just as quickly popping back out of the room. Tessa was left slightly puzzle, who was attacking, who was being attacked, what was the plan of action?

At any rate, it seemed a good idea to get ready, and she found herself glad that she'd already taken care to check out her ankle before any of this business had begun. Gearing up, she grabbed her staff and her scabbard, and was about to head into the hallway when Kamilla burst in. The woman seemed scattered, and upset, and embraced her immediately before crying out, "Tessa! Tessa! Big men! Kill stuff in city! Lots of dead people! Shamaness also in city, get killed!"

The news sent a jolt running through Tessa. "What!?" she exclaimed, "Sis is in danger?" As Kamilla nodded confirmation, she bit her lip and looked quite worried. The troubadour had never seen the woman able to defend herself earlier, when she was with her full faculties, and even if she were able, her current child-like state completely ruled that out as a possibility.

Tessa frowned slightly, then put her hands on the other woman's shoulders, looking her in the eyes. Calmly she said, "Stay here. It will be safe for you in the room here. Tessa has to go help Morgan. Don't worry, I'll make sure our friends are safe. You just take care of youself, okay?"

Hoping that her words would hold some weight, she dashed into the hall, still with a slight limp impairing her mobility, but nothing terrible. She ran straight into Arrin. The young mage had apparently been just coming to meet her, and have even started talking, and thus his concentration had been elsewhere and the collision was unavoidable. The result was an awkward tumble to the ground, ending up in a tangle and general mess.

"Aaaah, no time for this. Arrin, we have to go save Morgan, she's in the city, in danger," Tessa cried.

[-Cynthia-]

The bandits were tearing shit up, as bandits are prone to do. A large group of them had gathered outside TISME.

Bandit x8 (Axe)

HP: 15 Atk: 3 Hit: 3 Spd:2 Def: 2 Res:0 Evd:4

Other people controlled by Nady.

[Phoenix]

Iso: I know how to cast with Elwind! Helios! You should be fine with the fire tome!

Irina: Once I get Kiev, I'll fly out ahead and scout for you guys!

They continued rushing through the building to reach the entrance!

When Viveka's and her wingmen reached the gates where the bandits had entered, she saw crowds of them! Not only that, but she thought she saw figures heading out from the prison!

Viveka: Dead guards ... dead guards ... more dead guards. Oh no ... oh no no noooo! Wait here for a moment!

She quickly flew Susann down to the roof of the prison building and landed hard! The shockwave caused the dust on the walls to fall!

Viveka: Chase better still be in his cell.

OOC: @ Cynthia lol @ tearing sh*t up comment

Edited June 6, 2010 by Phoenix

[Snike]

Breaking free of the crowd, Eric ran towards one of the closer bandits. Swinging, he caught one in the side, leaving a slim cut. Snarling in pain, the brigand swung his axe at the traveler, but the blow went wide. Stabbing again, Eric hit him dead on, this time, leaving a moderately deep gash in his foe's chest.

Bandit 4: 9/15 HP

[spoiler=Rolls][5,1,2] = Hit 5-3= 2 points of damage.

[1,5,2]= Miss

[5,3,5] = Hit= 7-3= 4 points of damage.

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2550284/

[Inactive Account]

"All right." Arrin didn't like the shamaness, but that was no reason to let her die. "Come on, let's get horses," he suggested, noticing her limp as they started down the hall.

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Kelas left Isotov and Irina for a moment, returning on Amari's back. She hadn't had time to tack; the mare was bridled, but saddleless.

Bandits were engaging a crowd of mages at the gates. "Right, time for me to go kill bandits," she said, swinging Amari around so she could aim over the mages' heads.

Attacking Bandit A

She brought the bow up and loosed. It was unfamiliar, but she got a decent shot off.

Kelas: (6,5,3) Hit! Kelas does 5 damage!

The man looked up, enraged, but could not reach her to attack. She shot again.

Kelas: (6,5,2) Hit! Kelas does 5 damage!

She looked at the bow appreciatively. It wasn't her own, but it would definitely do. She waited for another chance to shoot.

Bandit A(or number) 5/15

Kelas gains 15 EXP (2 hits, 1 exist)

Editing for exp

Edited June 6, 2010 by Darth Lacuna

[Snowy_One]

High up atop the tower of TISME, the headmaster watched the group of bandits from the lofty ninth circle. No cloak covered the body at the moment, having just woken up, but still the powerful magi remained well hidden from view.

"You! Ummmm.... New secretary girl!" called out the headmaster from the room. "Cancel all classes for the day and electrify the fences. Notify anyone of circle five or lower to hide within the dorms and seal them off. Get the sixes and higher. I'm gonna go get close to their leader and take them out from the inside." came the series of orders in rapid succession. "And... Get the water tome."

---

"Nyuggg.... What happened last night?" came a faint groan as Esphyr awoke beside the two others.

---

Meanwhile, just outside the TISME, a certain blue-haired mage woman was watching as the bandits gathered; confused and bewildered. Why was her home under siege? Where were the guards? Where were the hero's? Where was Percy?

[Ansem]

After running they arrived outside. Helios saw a bandit the was rushing towards them. "Okay now lets see how this fire magic works" Helios said taking out his book

Helios attacked: ITS OVER 9000!!! (Not really) Helios dealed 5 damage

The bandit counter attacked: I lol'd

He swung so hard he fell on the floor

Helios doubles: XD

The bandit was burned to the ground

OOC: I am having fun

EDIT: Exp

Click on the simile for second link

Helios gained 5 exp?

Edited June 6, 2010 by Kai-Sama

[Ether]

Damian heard Esphyr's voice,and felt the vicegrip on his right arm release.

"Oh,Esphyr...you're awake,good,I can move now..."

Damian said,about to sit up,only to be pulled back down as Aiya tugged on him rather harshly,and muttered something inaudible in her sleep,before pulling Damian close against her body,and tightening her grip again.

Damian's face had been buried in Aiya's chest by her sudden movement,and her arms made it impossible for him to get himself out of the hold.

"Uhh...Esphyr...a little help...?" Damian said to her from his new vicegrip.

[riariadne]

Chase summoned his new bow and fired it with great ease to his surprise

((Okay, here's a big string of numbers I got: 6,2,5,6,5,6,4,4,6))

(6,2,5) Chase's arrow hit the bandit (3 damage), but felt pain when he fired it (1 recoil damage) but the bandit wasn't going to give up easily (6,5,6) and hit him in the stomach (8 damage).

"Wow... that was pretty pathetic..." he groaned, and collapsed unconscious.

Bandit whatever 12 HP

Chase KO'd

I didn't log it on invisible castle because I forgot the generic username/password we made... :(

Though faking that would be pretty stupid of me.

Edited June 6, 2010 by Lightning

[Balcerzak]

"Do you know where everyone else is? We probably need as many people helping as possible. Just you me and Kelas isn't enough!" Looking around, she spotted a door that was still closed, while most of the nearby doors were left ajar, presumably from the students who'd left and gone milling around? It was worth a try at least. Despite her misgivings about the man, if what the headmaster had said was true, he wasn't evil.

Opening the door she called out, "Isotov, Irina!" She even got as far as, "We need help, Morgan's―" before she realized her mistake. This wasn't the siblings' room at all. Aiya and Esphyr were clinging tightly to Damian, , all of them in light sleepware. Tessa lost her words, and stumbled back a step or two, embarrassed. She felt her face heating up, but wasn't sure why. The situation looked very... comfortable? she thought. A shiver ran through her, and she turned and ran out without any further words.

"...Right, to the horses then," she half mumbled to Arrin, and they made their way to the stables.

[Ansem]

Meh

Edited June 6, 2010 by Kai-Sama