Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 25: The Road to Jerdon

[Ether]

Readying the board, Damian sat across from Princess Cassandra, looking over the board as he did so. It was well put together, and was clearly made of an expensive material. Something one would expect of royalty.

Turning the white end towards Cassandra, Damian bowed before sitting down.

"I shall allow you the first move, Your Highness."

[Script]

Luc Altair

The Lieutenant leapt out of her chair after Luc's intrusion. Was her book really such a read? Well, he couldn't be sure, and really didn't need to be. The woman quickly gave Luc the answer he sought. Eastern block, pst the Whey Falls Tavern. if she mentioned it by name, it must have been a fairly visible landmark. She finished her instructions with a bow--almost prompting Luc to do the same in reflex but he checked himself. It could wait. After the bow came more words. Truly the book was that engrossing.

"Very well, my thanks," Luc bowed as appropriate," I shall not trouble you any further." Luc righted himself and left the desk area.

Prince Tristan had the good sense to stay in the area Luc had left his company in, so it wasn't difficult to find him. "I've retrieved the necessary information, we can depart whenever you're ready, m'lord."

[-Cynthia-]

Royalty

"Now should work well enough I think," Tristan replied to Luc, turning to leave. "Are you coming as well, Charlotte?"

"I think I will stay here, at least for a time. Princess Cassandra and I should have...matters to discuss after she is finished with the Colonel," she said, somewhat ominously.

[Phoenix]

Checkmate

With the black queen placed, Damian declared checkmate. To Cassy it seemed like a short game, but about an hour had passed. With a deep sigh, Cassy looked Damian in the eyes.

Cassy: Try as I did, you still overcame me in the end. It felt as if I was facing my own country at times. Still though ...

She paused to take out a very small notebook she'd been keeping ... somewhere, and opened it up to what would seem to anyone else a random page. She didn't take more than a few seconds to quickly jot a couple of things down and then the notebook practically vanished as she returned to face him again.

Cassy: Still though, your game plan, gave me an idea, one relevant to the current situation we're in.

[Ether]

"The upcoming summit? Or the demons we were discussing earlier?" Damian asked, his attention caught by Cassandra's behavior.

"And what idea would that be?"

[Phoenix]

Dilemma

Cassy: Both. It would be convenient if they were separate issues but if we treat them as such, it's going to hurt us mightily. Colonel, Kleine, have you read many of the old tales about demons and their terrible power? There's a moderate chance we might be entering a time like that again. All out war with the demons, chaos, and destruction. This summit is likely going to end in an alliance between all the nations strong enough to do something about this threat. I'd be fine with that if we weren't so poorly positioned on the map and bolstering the largest military force. That makes us both available and obligated. We've got conclusive evidence that the demons that have been showing up have been originating in the south. Halton is in the 'best position to launch a counterattack against any large scale demonic incursion'. We're also in the 'best position' to suffer enormous casualties when encountering new types of demons or full blown armies.

She leaned forward over the chess board and picked up the white king, looking it over pityingly.

Cassy: Try as he did, this king could not keep his army strong against the relentless assault of the demons. His men clad in righteous white, plucked away one by one, consumed by the ever encroaching darkness ...

She then set the king back down.

Cassy: There's a happy ending to this story. Obviously the king and his army will eventually triumph ... but the sequel is utter garbage. Two new armies appear, one from the south west and one from the north west ... (This situation isn't all bad though. Halton must lead this charge, and that gives us a few advantages we wouldn't have otherwise. The problem is that they're going to make us do as much work as they reasonably can ... and then some, which means our position after this war depends on how much power we can retain, and how much new power we can gain, from being viewed more positively, or simply from strengthening our armies through war with such resilient enemies.)

She stopped there letting Damian give his input on the aftermath of the next demon conflict.

[Snike]

Burgosas

"I do not know, Kamilla. But, very well," Henry said, passing the hilt of his sword, with some difficulty, to the form of the colonel's hand.

[Phoenix]

Daneka's Conclusion

She looked the sword over very carefully, but eventually decided to slowly remove the blade from its sheath. Slowly, so as not to alarm anyone.

Daneka: (This is definitely hers, isn't it? But why does he have it ... unless ...)

She eyed Jace suspiciously, and then looked at Henry again. Then she sheathed the blade, at a normal speed, but still with some care.

Daneka: Thank you.

As she handed the sword back to Henry she stepped over to Jace and asked quietly.

Daneka: Monsieur Jace ... it was your ... wife and son ... zat went missing, no?

Kamilla's eyes widened at where the Colonel seemed to be going with all of this.

[Snike]

The Conclusion Continued

"That's right," Jace said, his eyes locked on Henry. "She brought her sword with her, as well. There was a large amount of blood when the knights found the carriage, so I believed that they were both dead."

"... Yes, and..? Are you saying that this sword belonged to your wife?", Henry asked, as he held his sheathed sword.

"That is exactly what I am saying. Now, could draw your sword, please?"

"Very well." A scrape of the sheath against the sword, and the blade was out.

"Now, say 'brûle'."

"Why?"

"Humor me and say it," the Brute said, stress slightly evident in his voice. He seemed to be tense, after that back and forth with the other figure.

"Brûle," the swordsman said, clutching his sword. Almost immediately, the weapon burst into flames, much to the surprise of the templar. "How did you..?"

"Well, I think that settles it, don't you think, Daneka?" Jace said, who seemed to have a sad joy in his spirit.

Edited September 17, 2011 by Snikitty

[Phoenix]

Conclusive

She nodded and then crossed her arms while gazing at the blazing sword.

Daneka: It certainly does ... now I have to wonder where he's been all zis time.

Kamilla: W-w-w-w-what's going on here?

[Script]

Luc Altair

While Luc didn't like that Charlotte had business to discuss with Halton's Princess, Luc made no show of his discomfort. "Alright, we'll just need to discuss this with General Alex and get her opinion on this before we continue."

[Snike]

Indeed

"I should've searched the area more thoroughly," Jace said, looking away from the templars for a moment. "... Regardless, we'll have to have the clergy look at him at some point. Let's keep it quiet for now."

The hero turned back to the young girl who was understandably confused. "Moving on, what was it that you and my son came here for, Miss Kamilla, before I waylaid you? I can probably pull a few strings, depending on what it is."

[Phoenix]

The Mission

Kamilla: Oh right! The mission ... err ....

Should she be telling him this? She wasn't sure, but giving Jace and Daneka a quick once over, they seemed more than capable of handling the crimson weapon wielders ... the enemy. They were in Burgosas to recruit help, so she might as well start with the man in charge.

Kamilla: We're trying to recruit capable volunteers to bring a dangerous group of demonic weapon wielding criminals to justice. You might know them as the fire bandits, or crimson weapons wielders.

She kept a dutiful and righteous tone in her voice for the sake of the pitch.

Daneka: (Those people are more trouble than they're worth, but let's see what Jace has in mind.)

[Snike]

The Benefactor

"The Crimson wielders, you say?" Jace asked rhetorically. "How many soldiers do you need? I can provide at least a score. Though, I will have to ask you to not rout the group completely."

Henry was amazed by the shift in the Brute's behavior. It was like he was a completely different person.

[Phoenix]

Templar Needs

Kamilla: (We need more than we had last time around or they'll kill us for sure. They've probably gotten even stronger by now.) A score is twenty, right? (I don't know how the others are doing but this many on our end should cover it, I think.) That would be greatly appreciated.

Things seemed to be going well, so Kamilla's thoughts were beginning to steer further and further away from the strange sequence that had taken place less than a minute ago. Good news was rare for the young woman though, so she genuinely couldn't help herself. She was curious about Jace's request though.

Kamilla: I don't think we would end up ... killing everyone. I'm sure there are at least a few who would surrender once their chances for victory were gone. (Tessa's smart enough, I know she is.) In fact, the stronger our forces, the sooner it will be over, I think.

Daneka: Or ze harder zey fight. Be careful about battle assessment. Charging in wizout considering ze enemy's mental state is dangerous.

Kamilla: Mental state? What's that got to do with anything?

Daneka: It's safe to corner a rabbit. Cornering a fox? Not so much.

Kamilla: Well they're more like ... rabid dogs anyway.

Daneka: (Forty ... minimum, or somehow, and someway, we are going to lose.)

Edited September 18, 2011 by Phoenix

[Script]

Luc Altair

He had perhaps been more fatigued then he realized, as it took his sweeping gaze quite some time to located General Alex. Or perhaps it would be her.... bluntly but herness. Not that he was familiar with her in disguise but it was the standard he had learned so his mind was playing a slight with him. But, no matter. Shaking the confusion away, he located his target. Not too far away, in a position to quickly respond to any threats made against the Prince or Princess while not intruding on their business. "Excuse me," Luc mentioned before walking over to General Alex. "General, I've acquired information regarding the location of Septimus loyalists from a Halton source. I am currently suggesting--and Prince Tristan agrees--that we ride to meet them. Princess Charlotte has chosen to... stay here." Luc finished his report.

[Snike]

Alex Sagesse

"Much obliged for the status update, Count Altair," Alex said, diverting his attention to the paladin. "Though, the princess having a matter to discuss with Halton is... interesting to say the least. I agree with the suggestion. Let's ride out to meet our brothers in arms. After that, one of us will have to double back for the princess, I suppose."

[Script]

Luc Altair

"Many of us preferably, and to admit I'm still cautious with only the four of us traveling about," Luc voiced his concern. "But convincing others to... leave, this place would no doubt prove fruitless. Better to simply cut quickly and be extra vigilant in our travel." Not that vigilance had been especially rewarding, he musn't let its failures reach him. "I will be heading outside first. General." Luc dipped his head and quickly followed his memories to the exit of the building. Fargo was already there, waiting atop his mystery horse with Thunder nearby as Luc ordered.

"Heya Captain," Fargo greeted. "We moving?"

"Yes."

[Ether]

"As much as I resent being used as an analogy for the demon horde, I understand what you mean. In the event of a mass scale assault, we will be the ones to suffer the casualties. And greed is a universal fault of humanity... in our time of need, we will not receive aid, but a salute of blades and arrows. It is inevitable that we would be chosen as those to carry the burden, as you have stated. I suppose this is where I come in then, isn't it?" Damian said, standing and backing away from the table.

"Myself and my entourage, that is. The crimson weapons and their wielders. It is our part to tear the horde open, so that we may destroy it."

The air in the room grew heavy, a crimson miasma filling the air, and solidifying in Damian's hand as the Gae-Bulg appeared. The miasma clearing the rest of the room for the most part, pooling about the spear, thick and oozing as though it were blood.

"This spear... it is forged of hellfire and light. Against a demon, it is even more lethal a weapon than against a human, as it siphons their strength into it's own hell, and sears them with it's binding light. And as for this one..." Damian continued, moving towards the Gungnir, which stood near the door.

'What will happen when I hold both again? I can't even remember last time clearly...'

"... this is the lance my father used. To smite countless demons, it is a holy artifact, a gift granted by the Lady herself to purify the demon hordes. In tandem, these weapons-"

His hand wrapped around the shaft of the Gungnir. Responding to his grip, the lance emitted a cyan glow, the blade glowing with a soothing light.

The pain was sharp and sudden. Damian let out a sharp groan, as his body jolted, the crimson and cyan auras meeting in the center, Damian's body encased in a lilac light.

The tension in his muscles released, Damian let out a deep breath.

"... these weapons spell doom for the demonic horde. I can assure you... your highness." Damian finished, leaning back against the wall for support, bracing himself against the strain being placed on his body, his breaths growing quicker and more agitated.

[Phoenix]

Cassy

The princess watched as Damian showcased both the demonic and holy lance. At first the demon lance had her a bit on edge. She quickly got her wits about her and kept her composure though. This was one of her country's officers, and the son of one of the more competent heroes. The appearance of the holy lance was more reassuring despite the reaction from Damian as he held them both.

Cassy: Careful, you don't want them to think we're sparring in here, do you?

She joked while standing up and leaning forward for a closer look.

Cassy: So, you can assure me, can you? Well that's good because I was eventually going to try figuring out if the crimson weapons would actually be useful for this campaign. A question, though. The other crimson weapon wielders. How competent are they? You won't be fighting alone, after all. (Best to assess the others before committing to this. It should be fine either way. I would hate to find out that the crimson weapons are absolutely necessary for victory, but at least if they are things still fall to us. They aren't going to refuse working with us when the stakes are so high~)

[Ether]

"I have felt the sting of this lance many a time... it is a long and arduous tale that I'd rather not go into the details of. I can assure you, it is an effective weapon. More effective than any common spear, or sword, axe, bow, or magic spell. The crimson weapons are beastly when released in malice." Damian replied, releasing the Gae-Bulg.

"As for the others, it varies. I wish I could say with confidence that they are all competent, but alas, I cannot. They manage to hold their own so far, but I feel what we have faced thus far is nothing compared to what we must prepare for. If I had the authority, I would place the lot of them through some drills, but I doubt that would go over well. I will simply have to make up for it on my own. Still, the wielders are generally protected by the others traveling with us when it becomes necessary." Damian replied with a bit of a scowl.

"If I had to give my opinions on them, they would be as follows. The axe wielder is General Conrad Jackson of Elyisimia. He is quite competent. The sword wielder is a mercenary, rather unstable. She seems to manage her blade better than her social interactions, luckily. The bow wielder... I cannot say I've seen much at all of his combat skill. He never seems to be around when fights break out, he could be problematic. The knife wielder is easily the black spot. She is an anti-military zealot who has one more than one occasion attempted to assail myself or Captain Keirich. I have given the men notice of her behavior. Now onto the magical side of the spectrum. The thunder wielder is young, but shows immense promise. His age makes him a bit frail, he is not good at taking hits, but his magical aptitude is extraordinary. The elder magician is stoic and cold, calculating. She, along with General Jackson will likely be the key players to take into consideration. The flame wielder is overemotional at times, which leads to large bursts of power... the consequences vary, but if they can be utilized, we may see good things. And the wind mage. Claimed former Prince of Tora, he seems skilled enough, if not a bit overly haughty. Overall, we have a good amount of firepower, but our front line is lacking. Myself, General Jackson, and Captain Keirich can only cover so many flanks." Damian finished, giving his analysis.

[Phoenix]

The Crimson Platoon

She gave an internal thought to each wielder mentioned.

Cassy: (General Jackson ... willing to cooperate for the greater good, but he's only useful for combat and keeping the group's structure stable. I guess he'll be Elyisima's new hero when this is over .... The sword wielder ... sounds awkward. Probably completely inconsequential beyond her weapon. A hobby would probably keep her stable enough for the mission. The bow wielder ... sounds useless unless his weapon is needed. If they need him in combat, they may want to look into his mental health. It may just be a lack of interest. A woman might be able to fix that. If the knife wielder is so problematic, then why not orchestrate her demise? With what I have planned, no one is going to care anyway. She gets to die a hero in the public's eyes ... though I suppose it's that binding magic. Like with Colonel Kleine and his crimson lance. Research on that was certainly futile. I'm not worried about the thunder wielder and if he has no affiliations that's even better. Same with the elder magic user. Some competent wielders can help keep the rest alive for as long as necessary. Stick the fire wielder with an intelligent woman and I'm sure he'll simmer down enough to be useful. The wind mage is apparently royalty ... so I guess he will be a bit of a 'high and mighty one'. Doesn't get in the way so as long as he does his job as a wielder.) Alright then, I deem this dilapidated mess of a platoon salvageable.

---

Cassy: Alright then, as I said, this is going to fall to Halton, and once it does, we'll have both the most to gain and to lose from a campaign against the demons. We can typically fix most problems by throwing as many troops at a problem as it takes but the demons may very well outnumber us entirely, so we need a more effective way to defeat them. Having the crimson weapon wielders accomplish this saves Halton's resources, and could even lead to Halton being credited with the purging of demons. That would be a goddess send to our nation and give us more militaristic legroom in the future.

She thought deeply, looking one hundred years into the future, when so much time would have gone by that the first demon war and the second demon war would be practically merged into one with a brief respite close to the end. Their actions today could see that future with Halton becoming the sovereign nation to completely purge the demons from the world. It was a good feeling but they weren't even close to anything like that just yet.

Cassy: Think back to the recent campaign into Septimus. Yes some officers were attempting to take advantage of the chaos, but even now that campaign can easily be spun into us stepping in to quell the rebellion and restabilize the country. Why stabilize the country when we could simply take over and annex the whole thing? Why because of a looming demonic threat from the south. We can't commit that many forces to an annexation effort and still counter the demons in the event of a full on attack, the demons whom we knew about far in advance. So we just had to stabilize Septimus. It's going to take a strong unified effort to defeat the demons after all~

She giggled at the end of her mischievous spin on the Septimus invasion.

Cassy: I expect Jace to do something similar, like using the demons as an excuse for starting a rebellion in the first place, something about trying to take control in order to lead the country against them or something, and labeling the King Stefan and Queen Isolde as incompetent for good measure. Or maybe he doesn't care about how the world sees him. Who knows. But onto my point. I indeed want the crimson platoon to lead the fight against the demons ... as long as a particular Haltonian officer ... a certain son of a hero is at its head. I understand that the internal workings of the group might not permit you to go 'bossing' them around and that's fine; we can work with that. All that matters is that you're a part of the group and pull your own weight for now. However ... I would ask that if you spot an opportunity to put yourself above and beyond the others in relevance that you take it. It's easier to write history if most of it is true after all~

[Ether]

"Hmm. Well, it's good to know that there are people thinking this over. As for what you said, I will do all I can. Even were the fate of Halton past this war not at stake over it... I would give no less than my all. I suppose this means I will simply need to give even more to this cause." Damian said with a wide grin, standing back to a normal position now that the strain on his body had lessened.

"As for putting myself above and beyond, that shouldn't be too difficult if they remain as they are. The only problem with that is that it is liable to have us wiped out." Damian said solemnly.

"Hmm... I wonder... tell me, your highness. What do you know of progress on the Magicite Project?"

[Phoenix]

Development

Cassy: Well, I haven't been poking around much recently since I've been trying to learn all I can about the demons, but from what I gathered last time, they're making some progress, but they need more data if they're ever going to get any kind of prototype going. It would be nice if Bethold left behind more for them to work with ...

[Ether]

"Hmm... it's unfortunate. That could have been a great help against the horde. If we ever manage to find out some sort of timeline and have any free, do let me know. Something tells me I may be of help to them." Damian replied, looking rather dissapointed.