Lord of Azure Flame Chapter 27: War

[Phoenix]

Lev and Stephanie

"I'll be perfectly honest; I think we're just having some serious back to back misfortune here and need to be extremely careful for the time being. If someone is behind this, we're better off getting out of this crowded city as soon as possible to force them out into the open and limit the avenues of attack. I doubt it's anything more than a really bad day for us, but given what happened, we can't be too careful. In hindsight, staying at TISME with all of these random magic probably wasn't the best idea. We've fared better in total isolation, frankly."

"Yes, but you have all had little support in isolation and have been easily attacked by the demons. With so many running around now, traveling alone seems insane and reckless," Stephanie chimed in.

Lev frowned, adding a quiet, "I think our chances are better. A rogue lab experiment did what none of the demons could."

[Ether]

"Do we know of any particularly notable practitioners of runic casting? From what I know, it is considered a fairly lost art, not many people practice it anymore..." Damian added, scratching the back of his head.

"Everything else is hazy, but I remember that spell circle clear as day... truth be told, I have never actually seen runic magic before that... but I just... something inside... it insures me that is what it was... that's why I want to see it again with my own eyes, to ensure my memories have not been lead astray."

[-Cynthia-]

If Raemond is accompanying Beau, then he is likely headed to the palace anyway. Morgan deduced. "Then we will make plans to leave as shortly as possible. Unfortunately, striking at the demons without any sort of military support would be tantamount to suicide so we will need to coordinate with the leaders here before leaving. Watch over the wielders not attending the meeting- an 'accident' happening to Reika or Chase or whoever else could prove disastrous," she instructed Damian.

[scorri]

Tiria

"The only thing I can think of is having one of the people she trusts convince her that Raemond does not present a threat. But even then, I fear that she will not listen." Looking out, Tiria saw the palace closing in. "It looks like we are here."

Adena

As she walked into the infirmary, Adena looked around for the woman that had told her where to work the previous day. Spying her, she walked over. "Uhm, excuse me. I have rested and would be willing to help heal more people until my group leaves. Is there anything more I can do?"

[Phoenix]

Dorms

Lev shrugged. Ixion came to mind, but he knew for certain the dark druid's interests weren't rune magic and so remained undecided on whether or not to mention him aloud. When Morgan pointed out leaving as soon as possible, the issue of military support became even more annoying. The sooner they left, the less support they would have. Even more bothersome, the more support they had, the slower the group would be able to travel. The situation was far less than ideal now and he began to miss the old days. Of all things to miss ....

Road to the Palace

Another carriage was on the way, and the guards standing around along the road to the palace took note. Those up at the makeshift checkpoint were the ones who actually had to deal with it, though. No one was getting through to the palace unless they were on official business, not until further notice at least. As the carriage approached, a trio of cavaliers trotted out onto its path, encouraging the driver to stop. One of the mounted soldiers then came up to the side, a woman. "Who's all with you and what's your business?"

[Mercakete]

Right on cue, as though responding to Tiria's mention of their arrival, the carriage came to a stop and one of the palace's soldiers came over to Tiria's side of the carriage, asking who they were. The first thing either light magic user noted was that this meant the palace was in relatively good condition at the very least.

Raemond realized he'd been assuming it would be during the entire crisis in retrospect, but was now rather appropriately relieved the defenses didn't fall after they left. The fighting was intense then... I'm glad they pulled through. the monk internally sighed.

Beau, meanwhile, though assessing and satisfied with what he expected -- that is, that the palace was either entirely or mostly intact -- was more focused on the events transpiring right then and there. He kept quiet as Tiria was questioned, keeping his posture upright and his face unreadable, looking straight forward and appearing disinterested as he listened. A lesson he'd learned a long time ago replayed in the young duke's mind in his own words as he observed. Ah good, they are addressing Tiria. It is quite appropriate, given my station as opposed to theirs -- someone closer to them in social class should be the one to speak with them, after all, not to mention Captain Edgedraper is, in fact, in charge of my security. Yes, so far, all is as it should be, though I cannot expect proper etiquette and ritual to be entirely upheld in such savage times as these. I wonder how close to the norm these proceedings shall remain... Ah, does Tiria even know the proper reply? If not, I suppose it does not matter so much. Not today, at the very least. I will have to make it a point to assess how cultured she is later on and instruct her and Raemond where they may be lacking.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Mercakete

[scorri]

"I am Captain Edgedraper. With me is the Duke Bellmire and his mentor. We are on royal business, returning to the palace after having the misfortune of being forced away during the demon attack." Tiria hoped that she was saying what was needed to be said.

[Phoenix]

The Checkpoint

The cavalier woman paused for a second and looked around before eyeing the wagon dubiously one last time. Then she returned her gaze to Tiria. "Go on ahead, then," she said, nudging her head toward the road ahead of them. "Watch your surroundings. The area still isn't secure and we can't guarantee your safety until you're inside the palace," came her stern warning.

[Mercakete]

As the carriage got moving again, Beau considered the patrolwoman's words. They cannot ensure our safety even then, I'd suppose. Well, in some ways, this works toward my favor, though this is far from the ideal circumstances for obvious reasons...

Raemond, meanwhile, was more concerned with Tiria. "How are you feeling?" he asked, only the slightest hint of uncertainty to his tone, though his eyes were more honest than his voice. I wonder how she's handling the Crimson Sword... That's stressful enough and she's having to represent and serve Beau in addition to it... She must be quite strained...

[scorri]

Glancing at Raemond, Tiria noted the worry in his eyes and smiled gently at him before looking back out the window. "I am fine, thank you for your worry. It would take more than a simple guard to worry me. Though, sir," she turned to Beau, "I am afraid that I do not know the correct phrases to use as your captain. Perhaps at some point, when things have calmed down some, you can teach me the proper way to do things like what I just did? I would not want to be an embarrassment to you after all you have done for me." Leaning back in her seat, the swordmaster let out a slight sigh. The sword has not spoken to me for a bit. Perhaps it has finally realized that I will not be swayed.

[Mercakete]

Beau shifted his eyes over to Tiria when he was addressed. When she expressed his own plans in her own words, he took on his calm, small smile. "Absolutely. We will discover and refine what you already know and I will be more than happy to educate you on any proper etiquette you may be lacking. Of course, there is no time for such things at the moment. I will initiate it when time allows, so for now relax and mind your manners. That will be enough."

[scorri]

Tiria nodded. "Yes sir." She grinned slightly in relief and turned back to watching out the window, just in case the guard's warning was worth something.

[Phoenix]

In Time

After breakfast, Viveka and Jasmine quickly readied themselves for the trip to the palace. There wasn't a lot they could do to assist Conrad or Reese, but it was better to be present than not present. Unfortunately Tobe would have to stay behind at TISME for the moment, and just as well; Viveka wasn't sure about bring the boy to another castle anyway. Once they were ready, they tended to and fed their pegasi and waited for the general. Conrad didn't need a big escort and was content to simply make for the palace with his subordinates and them alone. It still looked like a big escort, however, because his 'subordinates' also included the same group of cavaliers who had accompanied him during the battle yesterday. Once everyone was ready, they set out and made for the palace.

Having missed breakfast entirely, Irina was doomed to spend the rest of the morning feeling tired and grumpy. She had some rations, but having to fall back on those knowing she could have had a nice warm meal nagged at her. She decided to pass the time tending to her wyverns until it was time for lunch.

Isotov on the other hand was much better at skipping meals and would be fine for the moment. Rather than deal with wyverns or politics, he went looking for anyone high up enough in the pecking order to let them know that he was going out ... to find Miranda. He knew she wouldn't risk coming to TISME after such a massive demon attack. Even a crimson wielder managed to get killed in these halls so he understood why she wouldn't come anywhere near the place.

Since Stephanie wanted to go along with Damian to make sure nothing happened to him, she requested that Levski perform another task for her, a task that required a visit to TISME's library. Lev agreed, if only because searching for any texts on rune magic was more helpful than sitting around waiting for an expert to fall into their laps. He also considered asking around for experts or people who could point him to the right books if his initial search turned up short.

At the palace, things weren't going so well for Reese. While on one hand, the King wasn't present due to a meeting with Duke Bellmire, he was making no headway with the rest of the nobility. Those with the guts to commit to the demon offensive were either dead, not present, or keeping quiet and just watching the shouting match between Reese and about fifteen adamant nobles from at least seven different houses.

[-Cynthia-]

Heading Out

Morgan decided to leave the investigation to others and proceed to the palace on foot. On her way, she saw a group of mounted soldiers heading the same direction she was and upon further inspection some of them were members of her group. The horses were moving slowly enough for her to catch up so she walked beside Conrad's horse and began speaking to the general.

"Are you going to the palace? If so, I want to know who you are meeting with," she asked him, skipping small talk and common courtesy as usual.

Waiting to Head Out

Tristan begrudgingly joined Charlotte on the steps of TISME, awaiting the rest of their Septimian-Jerdonia retinue. War does make things very disorganized- it is good we do not have a specific appointment with the nobility to keep. Charlotte thought to herself.

Edited March 10, 2013 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

Road to the Palace

"Morgan? It's rare to see you wandering off all on your own," Conrad semi-greeted. "The Grand Marshall will be in the thick of it with the nobility by now. I'm going to assist. We don't want them using this attack as an excuse to withdraw more Elysimian troops from the war effort and station them here in the capital for what will ultimately be pointless protection. While it's true, we are extremely vulnerable right now, defensive behavior would be a poor strategic decision at this time. Convincing them of that is going to take some doing, but ultimately the decision lies with the king."

Chiming in, Viveka said, "We just need to make sure there aren't too many voices calling for troop withdrawals. We don't know how the king himself will response to this attack, so the fewer people we have trying to convince him to back down from the demon campaign, the better."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"Would it not be faster to go to the king directly and have him order where the troops should go? If he thinks Elyisima should launch an offensive, then he can order the other nobles to stand down- is that not the purpose of having a king?" she asked Conrad pointedly as they walked.

[Phoenix]

Road

"It's not that simple," Viveka interjected. "There's no such thing as absolute authority ... unless you're the Lord of Azure Flame or something," she trailed off. "A king must consider the wishes of his people. If you just go around doing whatever you want--consequences be damned--the people revolt. Usually rebellions get backing by a conniving noble house, so keeping them happy is usually a good idea. The king won't put all our lives on the line just to save face, I don't think ... but we are NOT taking chances with this one."

"More or less," Conrad affirmed. "We need to make sure that everyone understands the severity of the situation. Feel free to come along, but do try not to upset the nobles."

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"He would not have to keep them happy if he stopped ceding power to them- rebellions end quickly with execution. Changing the illogical political system of this nation is both very time consuming and beyond our scope however, so I will do this your way I suppose. The nobles will see reason, one way or another," Morgan said, increasing the length of her strides.

[Phoenix]

Road

"Just don't do anything ridiculous in there," Viveka warned.

Conrad had other concerns. "You don't have to walk; the palace is still a ways off. Why don't you ride with us?" At least that way security wouldn't be an issue and if there was a sudden need to pick up the pace, she wouldn't be left behind.

[-Cynthia-]

Morgan

"Very well, I can share a horse if need be," she replied to Conrad. Hmm how to convince the nobility...well I know little of them or their customs so I suppose I will just have to refute any illogical arguments that they come up with. Perhaps I can use the fear of their own impending deaths against them.

[Phoenix]

Military Might|Nobility In Fright

Once Morgan was safely on one of the horses, the group got back on the move and made for the palace. Like they predicted, security wasn't any trouble; one of the guards even suspected Morgan was the platoon's mage healer. Things were less smooth and pleasant once the equines were all stabled and the group ventured into the palace, however. There was talking everywhere; gossip, arguing between soldiers, officers, servants, and the nobility were happening in isolated pockets throughout the main hall. Jasmine covered her ears as they made their way forward. Why the relevant debating was taking place right at the end of the main hall was anyone's guess, but that at least shorted the time it would take to reach the discussion and insert themselves. Conrad's soldiers save for Viveka and Jasmine all broke off once they were close; they had no place in this debate and liked it that way.

"Triton, we've made as many concessions as were necessary. Surely you don't require our entire military! We'll have bigger concerns with brigands than demons if we took such an incredibly thoughtless route in this so called war," one of the nobles yelled at the Grand Marshall.

"You haven't made any blasted concessions," was Triton's initial counter. "You went from demanding we consolidate all elysimian troops and focus our efforts on defending the nation to telling me what I can and cannot do with my own soldiers!"

"To clarify, we were saying that your troops make up more than half of the reorganized Ilyphina Defense Force. No matter what the final decision is, we cannot leave our cities and settlements completely undefended and there is no reason to commit a 'defense force' to this demon campaign of yours. Your insistence on the matter is merely to hide your own blood lust behind the threat of the demons. It will cost us dearly when there's not but the royal guardsmen and a few sentries to defense the crown, nobility, and citizens."

"Let me clarify; we're reorganizing the entire army. The bulk of my forces will be fully committed to the war. Their old duties will be taken up by our survivors and reserve forces. We need a good number of men from other regions as well and even shares from each noble house if we're going to have a chance of fighting back the demons."

"Take a little here and a little there plus everyone you have and you expect to come out victorious? Preposterous. Not to mention you leave us needlessly vulnerable. This isn't even a war."

"Look outside! They have struck at the heart of Elysima with almost no effort. What pray tell do you consider a war?!" Triton snapped. "You only need enough men to maintain order throughout the country. We can't defend our citizens from the demons ... yesterday's battle proved as much and the lot of you know that. That's why we must move to offense and sparing manpower on our front lines is ridiculous," Triton shot back.

"How many soldiers do you have under your command, Triton?"

"Ten thousand."

"TEN ... THOUsand. How many more could you possibly need for this campaign? Must Elysima contribute more than her fair share and leave herself vulnerable to attack by even the lowest of local miscreants? This is foolishness."

"What's foolish is that your memories only seem to go back about five or six years. If you think ten thousand soldiers will last in a war like this, you're sorely mistaken. If this alliance fails, then we've lost everything. No amount of protection you have remaining is going to matter in the long run."

"Heheh, see you keep calling this a 'war', trying to compel us with your word choice. The simple fact is, that if ten thousand soldiers is not enough for this alliance to make proper use of, then contributing anything else is a disgusting misappropriation of our resources. I wish nothing but the best for this alliance in its fight against the demons, but we can only spare so much. Following the attack on Ilyphina, even giving you leave to throw away ten thousand soldiers is too much, and yet we've made that concession anyway. Tis quite sad actually. Had the last king not made the rank of Grand Marshall and all of their subordinates separate and immune from the noble hierarchy, we might be able to put a stop to this nonsense ourselves."

Another nobleman quickly chimed in saying, "The army that attacked the capital was not 'repelled'; they sent their message loud and clear, then they fell back in victory. No army you and your foreign friends can amass will solve this crisis."

"Believe me, I know all too well numbers alone won't win this. But the more we have, the easier it will be to keep the demons on defense until the crimsons can-" "Crimsons again ...? Ugh ..." "Yes, crimsons. My people did their research on the last demon war and are working with the rest of the army to figure out our chances in a longer fight based on what happened here yesterday. What I've heard back so far is good in the short term, but horrendous in the long term. If we can't defeat the demon king with a surgical strike--and soon--our only hope of survival as a race is to then consolidate and hold out for as long as possible. Given that we have no idea how the demons reproduce or replenish their numbers, and seeing as they have no need for the kinds of natural resources that we do ... nor do they even require rest, it's safe to say we'd lose and be wiped out."

"Jackson," one of the nobles said when they noticed Conrad and his entourage approaching. "Here to plead with the Grand Marshall for an unlimited supply of troops which does not even exist, no doubt."

"Not plea, no," Conrad corrected. "I do plan on convincing you of the validity of our current strategy, however."

"... oh?"

"The crimson weapon approach you've heard so much about is still viable, and given that it is our only viable strategy at this time, it's one we should pursue with all available resources."

The noble sighed. "Why do you officers think you can just take away all of the soldiers at the drop of a hat?! It makes no sense!"

"I said all 'available' resources, good sir. Your interpretation of what I said was ... off. The crimson wielders consist of only nine people--myself included--which means a single misstep in our tactics could be the end of us. The larger our supporting army, the better our chances."

"So what ... the ... the elysimian army is just some SHIELD for the crimsons to hide behind until they can strike at the Lord?!" the man asked, sounding horribly insulted.

"Tip of the spear ... not a shield," Triton angrily clarified. "We will slaughter them in droves for what they did here. The crimsons will have trouble just keeping pace," he warned.

"Somewhat. The duumvirate and Halton will likely have armies at the front as well. We aren't in this alone, and it is important that the crimsons not end up directly on the front lines until it's absolutely necessary. The crimsons cannot be exposed to the bulk of the demon forces because as I said before, a single misstep here could be the end of us," Conrad clarified.

"You young upstarts and your brazen 'strategies' will be the end of us, not the failings of these crimsons ..."

[Ether]

So this was where it all went down... the decimated alleyway was in shambles after the events that had occurred, a clear rift to the sky torn from the buildings about it. What had... what had transpired here? Damian began to investigate the area, eventually coming across the runic circle, the only thing he recognized.

Seeing it himself gave his body a slight jolt... it was familiar, too familiar. Seeing the runes inscribed, he felt... he felt as though he knew their purpose.

"A weapon... no, not a weapon but..." He began, trailing off soon afterwards. Readying the Gungnir in his left hand, Damian moved closer to the circle, and just outside, began etching into the floor with it's tip, not giving any thought to what he was inscribing, merely letting the natural motion of the weapon take it's course. The etching came out to clearly match the symbol adjacent to it, which caused Damian to smile slightly.

'Just as I thought...'

Stepping into the center of the circle, Damian summoned his crimson lance to his right hand, allowing the opposing energies of the two weapons to flow through him. As he did so, the runes about him began to glow, some crimson, the others cyan.

"This really is something..." Damian commented to himself, as the runic circle mirrored itself in the air above him, towards the sky which had already been scorched. With a mighty roar, the beam materialized once again, though much smaller this time around, firing into the sky and piercing the heavens, a thick demonic aura blanketing the alleyway as the energy flared off into the distance.

"Hah... so that's what happened..." Damian concluded, his breath now quickened and sweat forming on his brow, his face locked in a knowing smirk all the while.

[Phoenix]

Worry

Stephanie and some random mage interested in learning more about the crimson weapons came along to investigate the scene of the ... strangeness. They stood back and let Damian investigate the scene for the moment. The mage did some musing while Stephanie struggled with not interrupting Damian as he performed his tests. She didn't think recreating the scene was even close to a good idea given the condition he was found in, but he did it anyhow. Fortunately he came out alright from the looks of things. She still had a few words for him, much to the surprise of the TISME mage. "Damian, that was extremely reckless! Can't you simply piece together a theory instead of testing it like this?"

"This is incredible," the mage said aloud, unintentionally cutting in. "You're combining a demonic weapon and a light one. The demonic researchers would eat this up so fast; you should show them what you did here."

"That ... is a bad idea," Stephanie quickly said, hoping to get the mage to stop talking. She then turned to Damian and said, "The crimson weapons take a toll on their wielders; you're no exception. You should be extremely careful putting opposing weapons together like this."

"But nothing happened this time. Maybe he's mastered it," the mage offered.

[Snike]

Eric and Alex

No luck on finding tomes on the Crimson Weapons, no luck on finding the Princess in the mess hall, and no luck with anything else for that matter. What a day. Well, if Charlotte wasn't there, she had probably gone on to the castle. Eric made his way out of TISME, only to find the Princess and Prince Tristan waiting on the steps. Well, perhaps he had spoken too soon.

"Good morning, Prince Tristan and milady," Eric said in a cordial tone, as he moved to join the assembly.

***

Shortly afterwards, Alexandra showed up, in full battle dress. Not in a mood to talk, the Septimian general simply moved off to the side, and waited.

[Ether]

"I wouldn't say mastered... there is a lot to work on, but I don't think anything like the first time will happen again." Damian replied, wiping his brow and letting out a deep breath.

"Everything came back to me... the reason it took such a toll on me the first time was because it was a full burst... I did it without realizing what was happening while I was in a rage over what happened to Esphyr... because I had no control at the time, I expelled far too much energy... I drained too much of my own strength and didn't have enough left in me to handle the recoil." Damian continued, stretching out his arm and giving his right hand a testing flex.

"Though regardless, it isn't something I can do in a controlled environment... if I fire this thing off, it's going to go until it's stopped cold." Damian noted, reluctant to go ahead with anything that might involve utterly destroying test chambers.

'This is something... something only I can do...'