Sword & Shield

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Maive steps through the wall at the end of the unit's line, the gate closing automatically behind her. The Kurian roars with fury as it throws itself up against the wall with its weight, making the thick, stone wall almost seem to rattle, seemingly as revenge for its prey's escape. The gate clangs from the disturbance and she gestures to the top of the stairs that lead to the wall's upper ledge.

"Get up there and get on top of it!" She screams, "If you have anything ranged, I suggest you use it. Now!"

A few loose bricks tumble down on the Kurian is it rights itself. If it keeps this up, their wall won't last much longer. They need to finish the fortification work on the walls, or else there won't be any walls to fortify. Thankfully, the other two nearby Kurians are interested in other things, rather than their weakened wall.

"Logrin, I need lots of rain! Those fuckers are on a hill, make it beneficial!" Maive orders as she follows her unit up the wall, "Ayade, get up front, use your shell to protect the wall!"

Logrin snaps his fingers, calling for her attention, She looks his way impatiently, "Captain, you sure? It'll set the dirt work back behind by a few days, at least."

The two Kurians in the distance realize the weaken state of the wall, thanks to their close friend. She looks at their advance with hesitation. "Do it. We'll buy you the time you need...there are no allies out there, but they may have reinforcements by the time you're ready."

"Thormod, use your flame strike on this one!" She orders as the Kurian rears back to hit the wall again. "Everyone else, ranged weapons at the ready and fire at will!"

[ATTN: Micia, Al, Rathlea]

Luthar nodded, saluting as the captain grabbed Rathlea and pulled her away. Luthar frowned in thought for a moment. "Al," he said suddenly, "tell medical to send Ensen Logrin and his bondmate my way as soon as they've recovered. I'll want to speak to them about what happened." The strange silence did seem to be synchronized when he started his attack, after all - maybe he could tell him something about it.

[ATTN: Al]

He nodded. "Don't get too carried away," he said, smirking. "Not everyone is as... resilient, as I am. Keep it short and assign them to their punishment duties. Hopefully their little scare was enough to teach them a lesson, but we might as well drive it home."

(ATTN : All in fort, micia)

Kresimir looked worried over his partner. He could feel that Valen was pretty much at his limit. Adding to the previous lines ''You're okay ?...''

Valen rose his head abit and nodded. "Yeah. Help me to my feet would ya?" he says patting Kresimir on the chest with his free hand. "Got some feeling, on three."

Nodding to his partner he take his hand and count ''one, two... three !!'' lifting him with all he had and then he gave him support. In that same time he heard one of the captain asking him to go to the infirmary with him. ''Well you heard her.'' Kresimir said with a smile as he started to walk.

Looking over at Victorie, he can't decide on how he should handle it. Should he appologize or continue it up.... "Yeah, that sounds good Kres." he chooses, opting for the cowardly way out. Taking it slow he leans heavily on his partner. "Hey... Kres? I nearly lost it there, ya know?. Just wanted to say thanks man."

Kres smile and reply ''Yes you did, it was a bit scary to be honest, the worst drunken man I have ever seen !'' Of course he was joking and it would show. ''Although don't mention it, that's what friends are for after all.'' Kresimir stopped in front the the stairs. ''Well now just don't go falling on me, that could be dangerous. Ready to get down the stairs ?''

"Ohh Gods, I forgot about the stairs." Valen chuckles weakly but in good humor, "My luck, these will get me and not the Kurian." He staired at them apprehensively but realized it just wasn't gonna change anything. "Yeah, best get them over with." He steps down slowly, carefully making sur enot to unbalance his partner.

Kresimir chuckle a bit before they start going down the stairs and then he focus to keep the balance of both. It was slow, but after a while they made it down. ''Well... that was something... hang on, there's still a bit of.... walking partner. '' He told him a little bit out of breath.

There was always so much walking after one of these spells. Why couldn't he have all tha...... don't go down that line of thought Valen. Changing the topic to stop thinking about the feeling of the storm, "Hey, think Altiere will chew my ass out for missing the signal?"

''Mmm.... Well considering it still saved the people I don't think so...'' Kresimir said with a small laugh that almost seemed uncomfortable. ''Then again we never know...'' After some more walking they're finally at the infirmary where a lady comes quickly to them. Kresimir quickly say ''This big guy need to sleep and maybe a check up.''

''Right sir, please follow me !'' The nurse said with a smile as the two man followed behind.

Valen was glad when he caught sight of the Infirmary. "I swear they put these farther and farther away." Slipping his arm from around Kresimir's shoulder he straightens. "I think I can handle it from here, Kres." He slowly follows after the nurse. 'What are the odds of good painkillers and some stout?' he hopes, knowing that he might not get either.

Kresimir frown and follow behind just to make sure. ''Try not to overdo it alright and... '' He take some of his own mana and say ''Equip self !'' He change from his armor and great sword to his normal clothes and his katana around his belt. ''That's more comfortable. Want some help removing yours friend ?'' Kresimir asked with a smile as they reached the bed.

The nurse got closer to assist in any way.

Watching his friend, he frowns in total envy. "You know... That!" he says waving a hand vaguely at Kresimir, "could make a man hate you, just saying." He sits down on one of the benches then holds up a hand at the nurse. "We got this, come back in a few min and I'll be all sorted out. Thanks." Starting to undo his armor, he wondered how he had forgotten about it till now.

Kresimir scratched the back of his head and smiled replying ''Aww c'mon don't hate me for that ! Oh well, I'll go outside for a bit.'' He walked outside and then leaned agaisnt the wall.

[ATTN: Al, Open]

Luthar smirked as he watched his bondmate go off almost sullenly. She'd get over it. She always did.

He stayed for a while longer, to supervise the hasty repair of the wall and assign several different units to guard the weakened wall. The whole ordeal made him almost nervous. There were only two explanations he could figure for the Kurian's behavior - they were testing the water, so to speak, or they were showing themselves off like a common whore at a strip bar. Neither prospect made him feel very warm and fuzzy inside.

When it became apparent that his presence was no longer needed, he returned to his office grudgingly, slowly removing his armor and hanging it back up alongside his weapons. It seems it was back to supply orders and unit transfers.

[ATTN: Open]

Touching down just as Taldor Altiere gets there, she puts Stephane down, helps Thormod up, and gets him walking, staring at the neck wounds... Why did they spare him at ALL? Victoire had heard war stories where Water Kurian snap limbs, eat men, whole, and even ransack river-side villages. This doesn't make sense, she thought as the group returned to the fortification, where she really saw the extent of the damage... there wasn't much. Damn, did we really get off lucky...

The debacle that the Taldor had set up for the two was... how could she put it, as low as low could get for a person in a position of power. A strong, steady glare focused on Thormod and Ayade. While she didn't feel the need to speak her voice, she certainly had an eye for detail, considering what had happened. It was eerie and unnatural, but why assume it was from the Kurians? It might just be someone's ability that nobody knows about yet, though it would be a somewhat odd ability. WORSE, if it WERE a Kurian ability, it had to do with human blood. After all, the Water Kurian did suck on Thormod for a long time... Moreover, she still felt ticked off that the Commander had absolutely no faith in the unit! Damn it, she could have gotten the Water Kurian down, she knew it! Ayade could have shielded her and her partner until they got to the Commander's side of the wall!

There was no point in arguing now. Remaining in full battle gear, she went to the practice area, experimenting with new combination attacks and ways to incorporate her jumps and glides into combat moves. This practice area was two stories high with only one ceiling, and the second floor just happened to be a holding area for chitchat, with railing that prevented them from falling down into the incredibly spacious battle pit, a large 30 meter by 90 meter rectangle. Dummies littered the area, either cut up or waiting to be cut up. Setting one up, Victoire grinned. It was easier, pretending that all the combat dummies were Commander Luthar, though that target changed from day-to-day depending on whomever had drawn her ire. "DIE, YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH FUCKER, DIE!"

Anyone going in would see her attempt the move she would have tried had she gotten the opportunity to save Thormod and Ayade. From the second-story balcony, she would jump off, glide down to the model Kurian, adjusted to be chewing on the dummy's neck, while firing round after round of ice orb and light beam to blind and stun the hulk. Now, she didn't have her partner with her, so she hadn't been experimenting with magic too much. Either way, the finishing was a swift, deadly chop to the neck, decapitating at least the model Kurian.

Victoire grabbed him, and they wordlessly glided down off the wall, to the battlefield. The Kurians had retreated after that odd silence, and drug their dead with them. He silently sat there, arms crossed, while the commander chewed out those two idiotic Ensens. When his partner started walking away, he silently followed her into the practice area. He leaned against a wall, and watched her beat a dummy to death. When she was finished, he walked up to her.

"I need to know, were you going to do it? If the Kurians hadn't pulled away, would you have gone in and tried to save them? I need to know what kind of person you are, and if i can trust you. So tell me, what would you have done?"

No surprise there, Stephan was a stalker. Still, it was a good question... Insubordination was heavy, but so was the thought of lives on her hands. "I would have." was her simple reply, drawing magic power back from her partner before returning to her practice.

"Why are you taking me, then?" Maive asks with a grimace, "I am not here to help you pick a hot guy or girl to go screw. Shit, I'm not your tag-a-long doll, either. It's way to early for this."

She pulls away from her, seething on the inside and wondering how she's going to handle their two members of her unit. What were they doing out there? They could have been struck by lightening, and that's not what she needed at all.

She and Altiere will be reprimanded for their actions...they will have to pay, that is for certain. When the Taldor is finished with them, it's her turn. And it is going to be filled with retribution. And, of course, she'll have to check on Kresimir and Logrin.

"I've got other stuff to do, woman." She says finally, "I need to check on Storm. And punish a couple of Ensen."

Micia shakes her head at Maive. She follows Maive, and places her hand on Maive’s shoulder. “You need to relax before even thinking about approaching Kalika and Zern. If I know Taldor, she will rip them a new one, but forget to build them back up.” Micia sighs, “They forget what it is like to be Ensens in the heat of battle. Yes they did wrong, and will be punished for it, but they also need to know that they are still valuable assets to us.

And you need to get that pole out of your ass and learn to relax when you can. This is a war and relaxation is going to be far and in between. I am relieved that Commander did not tell me to help with wall reinforcement.” Micia releases Maive’s shoulder with a sly expression on her face. “On second thought I am going to let you do whatever you want. I am going to visit with the blacksmith. There is someone who can appreciate my talents.” She gives Maive a wink and walks away from her.

Maive moves to the Captain's Quarters, the ones that she shares with her bondmate on occasion. She seats herself on her bed, piece of crap that it is, and pulls out her journal. She writes a few lines about the silence affect, as well as what happened to Logrin. After a while, she stops, placing it down and standing in front of her small mirror that has been carefully placed up for her. She brushes her hair out of the way hastily before sitting again.



The young, sixteen year old girl ran along the side streets, her old, banded sandals clopping along with loud footsteps as she raced on with a smile on her face. She had her arms spread out wide on either side of her, her palms down towards the ground as she 'flew' her way home.

As she rounded the corner onto the street where her home would be, she crashed into someone. She didn't see anything as she fell, but she finally stood to find that her left shoe was broken. She kicks at it infuriatingly, but says nothing until she looks up to see the large, black man standing before her. He looks angry.

There is an even darker black tattoo on his face, a demonic dragon starting underneath his right eye and curling down his cheek with its tail curling and ending over his closed lips. He had no hair, and his dark, brown eyes almost appear to be black, as well. Even this clothes are black, rich in design over his broad, muscular shoulders.

"I-I'm sorry." She says, blushing slightly with a curtsy, "Please forgive me."

The man's right leg lifted up and the base of his foot met with the left side of her face. Her thin body went flying back, her back crashing into the lantern pole of the street that she had just left. The pain, oh the pain. Her vision is blurry from the tears, but she looks up to find that the man is gone.

She limps towards her home, surprised after a time to feel that the pain is gone rather quickly. She was bleeding on her head, as well, but that seems to have stopped. As she opens the gate onto her home property, she tilts her head to the side and called out to her father.

"I maaaade iiiiit!" She cried with glee, momentarily forgetting the black man. She'd mention him later. "I got in! I'm a magi!!"

The doors open as she reaches them, entering her home with excitement as her parents both laugh and hug her with happiness and congratulations. The grin on her face drops in an instant as her father brings forth the question. The one she had been naive enough to hope to avoid.

She answers in almost a whisper. "Arruinar."

Her parents no longer had a smile on their faces, but rather fell into silence as they looked at each other for a few moments, saying nothing. She is ordered to her room without dinner, of course, and Maive does as she has always done. She does as she's told.



Maive gasps with a start, shooting up from her bed and realizing that she had dozed off. She shakes her head, standing and brushing her hear yet again before leaving the quarters and heading towards the infirmary. She needs to check on Logrin and Kresimir. The images from her memories try to flash into her mind further, but she pushes them away, forcing her thoughts onto her unit.

She sees Kresimir from the corner of her eyes and moves towards him almost eagerly. She smiles, though with an unknown stress on her countenance as she pats him on the shoulder in a casual, friendly manner.

"Heya! How is he?" She asks with concerned tone. She seems almost more talkative than what she would normally be with only a few words.


______________________________________________________________



Ayade moves quickly towards the Taldor's office in fear of being late. She knows that if she doesn't get there on time, the evil woman will have far more to verbally abuse her about, and that is the last thing that she needs right now.

She walks in hastily, bringing her hand up in a salute and her body into a respectful, stiff posture as she says:

"Ayade, here for your appointment, Ma'am."

[Attn: Kresimir, and Rathlea]

"this junk is so fricken hard to take off..." Valen mumbled as he fought with hardly responsive fingers to undo the buckles and latches. "I swear, if you weren't so bloody useful!" he curses at this armor, threatening it.

"AH HA!" he voices triumphantly as he gets the main buckles undone and drops the breastplate. With a relaxed sigh he enjoys the pleasing sensation of freedom. Then begrudgingly resumes removing his armor. "Ok plates off, good." He leans over and starts pulling the chain-mail underlay over his head and deposits it in his breastplate with the other gear.

Hearing the man behind him, he pauses and looks over his uniform. "Hello, Medical Officer Henet. Another round of bed rest, restricted magic usage, and drink plenty of fluids rich in protein?"

"Something like that, Logrin. To make sure it happens though, I already dosed you with the medication while you where removing your armor." Henet grins devilishly. "I can't have you attempting to run off again."

"Ohh go--" Valen falls forward already unconscious from the meds.

"Here, we go Valen. Can't have you trying to cast anything and hurt yourself so soon." He lifts Valen back against the pillow and makes him comfortable.

Victoire huffed and puffed. She was sweating from head to toe, having spent the entire day pushing her body to the max... Reaching into her bag, she snatched an apple from the bottom and devoured it, while getting some water from the small fountain in the southeast corner. A delicious jerky came from another pouch of her satchel, and soon, she was back and at 'em, still in battle armour.

"You know, you could join me, Stephan. A little training a day keeps Kurian away..."

[ATTN: Commander Luthar]

There's a knock on the Commander's door. When permission for entrance is given, a tall, organized looking man enters that looks to be in about his mid thirties. He's almost bald, but has a very muscular, healthy build.

He salutes, places down some papers on the Commanders desk and greets him formally, professionally, and respectfully.

"Greetings, Commander Luthar. I am Special Ensen Terrence with Unit 181 from the Northern Fortification. I have reassignment papers here, which will establish my temporary station under your command. I am here to investigate a Taldor Caldwell, due to reports from several Captains and other officers over her commanding methods. Specifically, I am to investigate reports over her lack of decorum and behavior unbefitting an officer.

Command will appreciate your silence towards Taldor Caldwell about this investigation as it occurs, as she will be informed after the fact when it is necessary. When you ready, I am prepared to be assigned to a Unit and if you have any questions or comments about my orders, now would be a good time to discuss it."


[ATTN: Awilda, Zeran]

Ayade pales, backing a way just a step before speaking quickly and respectfully, though quietly at the same time.

"Taldor, Caldwell, I understand your punishment wholly and respectfully and accept your decision. Thank you for understanding in our spirits, in this matter. I will do my best to improve from here on out--it won't happen again."


[ATTN: Kresimir]

Maive laughs as he calls her "Captain Maive." It's not often that she's called by her first name, especially with her title in front of it. She likes it, though. She really respects and likes Kresimir, so she lets him get away with it. Though it isn't allowed, it's not like he does it in front of other superior officers. He's a smart one. After all, she, too, calls him by his first name, which she does with no other in her Unit.

"I'm glad he's doing well, then, Kresimir." She says, "I've been quite worried. I think this war is getting to the best of us...It seems I just don't know how to relax anymore. Were you hurt at all?"

Micia was getting a nice back rub from the blacksmith when Beatrice came with her summons. She hated to part from the man and his wonderful hands, but the Taldor is a person she wants to keep waiting. Especially when it is guaranteed that her mood is going to be sour already. “I hope you will be around when I am done, there might be some new tension to work out.”

Micia makes her way to the Taldor’s office. She stops in her room to change into a clean uniform. When she makes it to her office, Micia sees the door is still closed. This is not a good thing. She stands straight and waits for Maive. She is not going to be in the office any longer than she has too.

Maive is about to say more when she receives a Summons from the Taldor. When the bitch calls, the bitch calls. She quickly makes a promise to return and an apologetic leave as she rushes off to make to the Taldor's office. Sure enough, Micia is there, standing outside of what appears to be closed. She flinches as the door is opened and as Ayade quickly walks out, a grimace on her face and a weak smile to her Captains, along with a salute before her departure.

She looks over at her bondmate, hoping she has some way of helping her handle this situation.

Micia looks at Maive when she enters the room. She is about to speak when the door finally flies open. The look on Ayade says it all. Micia takes a deep breath and walks in first with Maive close behind.

Micia salutes Taldor Caldwell. “Captain Altiere reporting as summoned Madame Taldor.”