The Fogteeth Mountains is a large and steep mountain range that is incredibly dangerous. It is mostly forested up to the snow line and packs of wolves, bears and other dangerous wild animals live here. It is because of this that despite very few people living here, hunting parties at the base and the gentler slopes of the mountains are popular among the well-off people in the city.
Several hours would pass as the troops marched on, passing through Eoana forest in order to reach the fogteeth mountain range. It was a wise place to hide with many natural places to make camp with minimal efforts, and lots of natural protections to prevent people from finding them. Looking up at the high mountains, Varysโ eyes narrowed as he led the march of the soldiers, they would be arriving soon, and so their plan would be put into action. As they started to head into the range, Varys looked back at the soldiers over his shoulder, specifically at Aldaine. "DeโFrayeโฆ" He would call out before looking ahead of him, continuing to lead the men through the treeline into the mountains. "We enter into a new fray, against not only the forces youโve started to hunt, but the ones with which you share origin, and connections," Varys would say with a very straight forward tone. "I trust you wonโt hesitate when the time comes," Varys said as he looked to the side at Aldaine once more.
Varys might not have laid blame on the man, but he was no fool. Their Lord Arthur was this manโs father, and the leader of the extremists, a retainer of some sort. Even with any rage that Aldaine might have had within him, as evidenced by the three heads he had brought to Varys personally, the fact remained that these were not strangers he was dealing with. These were people he knew, personally, and that tended to bring hesitant thoughts to even the most willful of warriors. Varys needed to make sure Aldaine was ready, not only ready but mindful of this fact. As skilled as they might be, Varys wasnโt too worried about the remaining extremists. With eight soldiers by his side, including the three that were part of Reynardโs elite troupe, he doubted the two mercenaries would be an issue. But their leader, that was a different ballgame altogether. He had personally experienced the sheer presence, or lack thereof, of the man when he somehow entered his meeting hall to report to Arthur with none the wiser. He was dangerous, and they could not take him lightly. This was the other main reason Aldaine had been chosen. "Their leader, the one known as Gerot," he would say once Aldaine had caught up to him. "Tell me about this man, everything you know, his raiment, his fighting style, everythingโฆ"
The Fogteeth mountains. So, this was where the bastards were hiding? In all honesty, Aldaine found himself unsurprised. The mountain range was deep and perilous. It was isolated and far from the city, at the other side of the island in fact. As Aldaine followed the Lord Marshalโs lead, he would perk up at the mention of his name. He listened intently as Varys reminded him of his affiliation with these men, or rather, two men in particular. Aldaineโs face remained expressionless as he pondered thoughts of his father and former mentor. He understood Varys concern that the jaguar may be hesitant given the history Aldaine shared with these men. Aldaine kept his gaze forward as he replied, his voice cold, dispassionate and unfeeling โPersonal history or no, sir, I will do what needs to be done. Nothing more and nothing less.โ Aldaine said nothing more as he, the Lord Marshal and the rest of the troupe carried on.
As they approached closer to their destination, Varys addressed Aldaine once more, this time, asking for details on the targets, on Gerot specifically. Aldaine neutral expression remained as he answered as best he could, โI cannot tell you about his raiment. Iโve never learnt of itโs nature so I can never tell when heโd using it. I can, however, inform you of tactics he uses in battleโฆโ Aldaine looked back at the rest of the men before continuing, speaking loud enough for all to hear, โGerotโs fighting style possesses the elements that one would associated with a typical rogue, he makes him moves quickly and precisely. His usual weapon of choice is a short blade for close-up encounters, therefore, when he engages he fights in close quarters. Having said this, I would also say it is not impossible for him to utilise tactics for fighting at a distance if he finds in necesssary. He may come across as your typical assassin, but it is extremely unwise to undermine him. Heโd spent decades perfecting his craft, to the point where his movements may as well be seen as blurs as he lands his strikes. Therefore, should any of us engage him, we must do so with the utmost caution and vigilance. In particular, any other shifters here besides myself will need to be on guard especially. Gerot employs tactics which make it difficult for us to pick up his scent, one such tactic is to remain downwind. Therefore, we must watch each otherโs backs as Gerot is likely to approach from behind. It is wise to note that, as an assassin, approach from blinds spots is a specialty of Gerotโs so we must be ready for any and all potentially occurrences.โ Aldaineโs information may put some of the men on edge, but, there was no point in sugar-coating it for them, as doing so will only get them killed.
The hours that passed were long and hard, but this was what they'd been training for, right? Trekking through Eoana's Forest hadn't been too much of a challenge and now that they were beginning to reach the slopes of the Fogteeth Mountains, Cyrus would find his eyes drifting from the path ahead towards their surroundings, the trees, the scenery occasionally viewable from their currently sheltered approach and of course across the faces of the soldiers he had come to know and trust.
Quirking an eyebrow as he heard Varys summon Aldaine forth by his surname, the Tiger would watch as his comrade - who had been walking alongside him for much of the march now quickened his pace in order to catch up to their commander... He would watch the pair for a while, wondering, yet perhaps subconsciously presuming the man was questioning Aldaine's allegiance in the fight...
It wasn't his business though - As long as they were there for one another when the time came, then that was all that mattered - He'd defend Aldaine and each and every one his other comrades to the bitter end if he had to and he hoped they might just do the same for him.
"I bet you could see the whole of Eoana from the peak..." he would say this aloud so that anyone who had heard him would be free to answer, but if his comment fell on deaf ears, then it was a point made and he would nod quietly before returning his attention to their surroundings as they continued on their march upward.
Raiyun
ShinigamiWolves
Yami Miyagawa
The_littlest_dragonfly
Quote:
Quote:
Profile Location: Fogteeth Mountains Clothing: In his best armour With: Aldaine, Sarai, Varys and other Guards gathered. Feeling: Ready for Anything OoC""
โฒ I am a strong woman [My strength is not my muscles
Everyone has marched for several hours, passing through the forest of Eoana and reaching the Fogteeth mountain range. Despite all the walking, no guard was tired. Is it due to their training? Their desire to end the last of the extremists? A mixture of both? Or perhaps something else far more personal? For Sarai, her training and her desire to grant Reynard's soul true peace. He would want to make sure that these evil people are no longer a threat to Eoana, and she will do her best to do that for him. She has not spoken to anyone yet. Aldaine, one of two people that she frequently communicates with at the barracks, has been summoned by Varys for whatever reason. Cyrus commented on their location by claiming that they could see the whole of Eoana from where they stand. This caused Sarai to look around. He is probably right. If it were not for this march toward deadly extremists, this could be a good area to look at Eoana from a distance.
"Mmm. Perhaps when this all ends, we can return to this place and admire the scenery... Cyrus? As someone who has trained you for quite some time, I expect nothing but your best. Remember your training and trust in your companions and you will succeed."
///BASICINFORMATION
NAME โฒ [Sarai Kuuma]
AGE โฒ [24]
GENDER โฒ [Female]
EYE COLOR โฒ [Gold]
HAIR COLOR โฒ [Red]
HAIR LENGTH โฒ [Short]
HEIGHT โฒ [5โ2]
WEIGHT โฒ [138 lbs]
SEXUAL ORIENTATION โฒ [Bisexual]
ETHNICITY โฒ [Polynesian]
/(Nor is it my skills)โฒโผ(But the heart of a warrior within)
"Hmmm," Varys would let out at Aldaine's words. Everything that he said made perfect sense, considering how easily Gerot had infiltrated his own halls. No one had heard him coming, no one had sensed his presence, not even the shifter guards that were there. This was a dangerous man, someone with that kind of skill could be dangerous even with eyes on him, and all it would take is a split second to lose him. Varys brought his hand up to his chin as he gave thought to how best deal with such an enemy. As he went silent, some of the other guards started to speak amongst themselves.
Shortly after the brief silence, Varys would note certain landmarks that he was expecting to see, and would use them to triangulate their position. He brought a hand up signally the march to Halt, and then turned back to face them. "That's enough rhetoric," He would say silencing the soldiers who were speaking and boosting morale. "We come close to our targets, take a short reprieve, rest while you can, once we start we don't stop til its done, so catch your breath now, drink your water now," He would say to the men, prepping them for what was to come. He needed them at the ready, and so a short rest would be welcome.
Looking back up the mountain range, Varys stepped forward as everyone took a rest, nearly twenty minutes would pass, the soldiers having a moment to speak amongst themselves and get their heads in the game before Varys put his hand up once more to catch their attention. "Alright me, this is it, see those peaks? They outline the cone where our targets made their camp, a small cave at the base with only one way in and out. Its a death trap to try and enter and fight in close quarters, so we will get into position, and draw them out!" Varys would say before looking back and giving them their official orders. "Aldaine, Cyrus, to the north, the high rise will give you good cover, and you'll be able to take the high ground. Once we smoke them out, you charge in, and take whoever comes your way," He would say to them before dismissing them to take up their positions. "You men take the east," He would say to two of the escorting guards before looking to Sarai. "You and Kendricks take the west," He would say dismissing Sarai and Kendricks to the west side of the vale. "The remainder are with me, we shall take the south, and smoke them out, be ready, be alert, lets END THIS!"
Hearing Varys orders, Aldaine nodded, pulling up his hood and mask as he looked towards Cyrus. Nodding once again at his comrade, he made his way to their position of the attack with Cyrus. The plan, when laid out on paper, sounded full proof, but, they had to remain cautious no matter the situation. Aldaine, patting Cyrusโ shoulder lightly before the two set out to get into positions.
The short trek to their established operating point was not long, but during their short walk, Aldaine remained silent, pondering to himself as to whether or not he was encounter Gerot himself. If he did, he needed to make sure he was ready. His mentor may have been old, but that was far from any reason to underestimate him and much like any mentor, Aldaine was convinced that Gerot had not taught him everything when training him. Glancing back at Cyrus, Aldaine was struck by a slight pang of dread as his thoughts then focused on the tiger shifter and the other guards who he had come to know. The jaguar could only hope that he was the one to encounter Gerotโฆand hopefullyโฆit would be when he and his former master were alone. The fact remained, Aldaine had some questions that he needed answeredโฆ
Returning his thoughts to the matter at hand, Aldaine and Cyrus were nearly coming into position. Taking cover behind some rocks as he awaited Varys signal, he looked to Cyrus and quietly spoke, โFor Reynard, Cyrus.โ
"I'm gonna hold you to that, Sarai," Cyrus would smirk as the female seemed to pick up on his comment and offer her own thoughts in reply - It would certainly be something to look forward to once all was said and done... "And don't you worry, it's all up here and ready to be put into action." He would tap the side of his forehead as he said this before nodding as she mentioned about trusting in his comrades,
"Live long and Fight well," It was a saying he used to share with his old comrades, but at that moment, it just felt right.
At Varys' called for them all to pause and rest whilst they had the chance, Cyrus would oblige without question - there was no telling what would meet them when they set off again. As the squad rested, their commander would explain how they were going to advance, with Aldaine and Cyrus heading Northbound, holding cover until the enemy was forced out of hiding - which would be when the pair would launch their attack...
"I'm ready when you are." Rising to his feet, Cyrus would cast a glance towards his comrade, nodding as the Jaguar patted him upon the shoulder before leading the way. The Tiger often found it easier to move his Shifter form - the appearance itself making it much easier to traverse the landscape whilst maintaining a stealthy approach - His black-striped coat gave him the added camouflage against the undergrowth and of course the fading light of day, whilst his large paws muffled almost every movement leaving him virtually undetectable when he was stalking his prey...
It was a little strange that Aldaine remained silent during their journey, but Cyrus guessed that he had a lot to think about and so granted him his peace at least until they arrived. Now, moving into position, the Jaguar would break his silence with a single point - For Reynard.
"For Rey," Nodding, Cyrus would acknowledge his comrade's words, then turn his gaze towards the point where they would expect to see Varys' Signal.
Raiyun
ShinigamiWolves
Yami Miyagawa
The_littlest_dragonfly
Quote:
Quote:
Profile Location: Fogteeth Mountains Clothing: In his best armour With: Aldaine, Sarai, Varys and other Guards gathered. Feeling: Ready for Anything OoC""
โฒ I am a strong woman [My strength is not my muscles
Sarai has faith that Cyrus will not let her down. He always pushed himself during her training regiments. Mentally, no challenge was too daunting for him. She can only hope that her training is enough to keep him alive. At a certain point during the march, Varys called for a moment of reprieve. With the march halted, some took this time to rest up and drink water. Sarai did the latter at first, but choose not to rest her body. Instead, she did a few warm up exercises to keep her body ready for whatever will come her way. When she finished these exercises, she only had time to rest her body for about two minutes. During those two minutes, she envisioned the haka she normally does before training or battle. It is not enough to be ready physically. Her mind and spirit need to unite with her body if she is to be victorious.Varys pointed out the mountain peaks where the extremists have a cave nearby acting as their base. It would be suicide to charge into cave, so the best thing to do is to draw them out. Varys has positions for the different teams he has mind. Aldaine and Cyrus in the north, Sarai and Kendricks to the west, another team to the east, and the remainder with Varys approaching from the south. They will be the first to strike, and when they do, the remaining teams will make their move. All Sarai had to do was nod toward Kendricks before moving into position to the west. Once they arrived, all they can do is wait patiently for the signal to charge.
""
///BASICINFORMATION
NAME โฒ [Sarai Kuuma]
AGE โฒ [24]
GENDER โฒ [Female]
EYE COLOR โฒ [Gold]
HAIR COLOR โฒ [Red]
HAIR LENGTH โฒ [Short]
HEIGHT โฒ [5โ2]
WEIGHT โฒ [138 lbs]
SEXUAL ORIENTATION โฒ [Bisexual]
ETHNICITY โฒ [Polynesian]
/(Nor is it my skills)โฒโผ(But the heart of a warrior within)
With his keen hearing, he didnโt have to be in the thick of the men to hear all that was being said amongst them. Varys was gathering all the intel he could on the remaining extremists and their leader, Gerot. While the men talked about the mission and their roles, he took in every detail. Positioned downwind and out of sight, the mysterious figure watched their backs โ there was no telling if the extremists had caught wind of their plans and had laid a trap for them all. Thus, his reasoning for tagging along. He had no intention of getting directly involved in the battle โ he had a low profile to keep after all โ but if it came down to it, if there was a moment when he knew that his participation would turn the tide and win the day, then heโd make his presence known.
In the meantime, he kept a low profile and observed from afar. The battle would be a rough one and it would take all that these men and women had and more to defeat the remaining enemy, but he knew they could pull it off. The Lord Marshall himself was leading them and he was a formidable man to say the very leastโฆBut, just in case, armed to the teeth with all manner of deadly little goodies, he waited and observedโฆ
Just as soon as the men were in position, Varys lead his smaller squad directly into the vale, a small cut out of a valley in the nook of a group of mountains. At the base of this Vale was a cavern where the extremist were hiding. It could be suicide to attack them within, so this plan was put into place. As soon as they closed in on the cave, Varys put his hand up and signaled his guard to make the move. Without hesitation, the guard lit up an explosive of their own, and tossed it as far as he could into the cave structure. The resounding explosion would echo out far into the mountains, causing all manners of critters and birds to escape and hide. As the explosion billowed out, the guard then brought his hands up, letting the energy from his raiment flow into the cave. In that moment, the flames exerted within started to grow, even with limited items to burn, and soon the smoke got so thick that it started to spread high into the air.
"Get ready!" Varys yelled out, stepping back while he held his hand out towards his guards. It would be foolish to assume they would come bumbling out of the cave coughing and stumbling. These were dangerous mercenaries. Just as soon as he called out, suddenly an arrow came shooting out of the smoke and split into three arrows. One struck the closest guard, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him down, the second was blocked by the second guard, broken in two by his parry, and the third was aimed right at Varys' head. Without hesitation Varys brought his shield up and the arrow bounced off of it harmlessly, denting the arrows head. Before the arrow could hit even fall to the ground, Varys brought his other hand up, and the arrow spun in place and shot off back into the smoke.
Moments before the arrow disappeared into the smoke, two woman came rushing out of the smoke darting off on either side of the Lord of Marshal. The one that had run left, a Red Cloaked Archer, fired off a few more arrows that Varys caught midair and sent flying off to the side. The Red Cloaked Archer then started to run north, running up the mountain side to try and gain the advantages of the high ground. The one on the right, the Black Hooded Soldier, charged right at them all, throwing her chakram in the air at the remaining guard as she charged forward. The Guard brought his weapon up to try and block the chakram, but the chakram suddenly split into two, and then into four, and then into eight. The chakrams started to bounce off of each other and fly at him in a crazy storm of spinning blades, and just as he was about to get hit by two of them, they all stopped and in mid air, and then hit the ground. The guard took a deep breath before looking at his Lord, who has held out his hand and stopped the blades, then once regaining his composure he looked forward and ran after the Black Hooded Soldier who was running west into the trees to try and gain advantageous ground.
"Kill them!" Varys would shout out as he pointed his lance at the two, before looking back into the smoking cave with caution. Only two had come out of the cave, one heading north directly to Cyrus and Aldaine, the other running west towards Sarai and Kendricks, with a third guard following just behind her. Now at the foot of the cavern, there was only Varys, and one injured guard. So he had to wonder, where was the third extremist... Where was their leader?
Aldaine took note at the battle had commenced. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the extremists had somehow anticipated their movements before they were made, as arrows emerged from the cave that was the enemy encampment. Out of it, a red hooded archer and a black hooded soldier emerged. The archer, heading upwards, towards Aldaine and Cyrus, seemed to remain unaware of their presence. ButโฆAldaine knew better. These extremists were skilled, top-notch for mercenaries that was for sure. Thankfully, Aldaine came prepared with his own arsenal.
The jaguar felt a light tremor in his hand at the thought of Gerot, however, he steeled his mind against the waves of He couldnโt make any careless decisions. This battle could not be allowed to register on an emotional level. The man who led these menโฆthe man who was once his mentorโฆa man he respected and looked up to in youthโฆGerot wasnโt that man anymoreโฆheโd changedโฆas Aldaine had changedโฆand right now, Aldaine could not, WOULD NOT hesitateโฆ
Turning his gaze back to the archer, who seemed to still have his back to the two shifters, Aldaine secured Reyโs sword in his sheathe, before reaching into a pouch on his belt and drawing some throwing knives. Looking at Cyrus, he whispered โIโm going to go out first and attempt to strike him from behind with these once heโs within range, be ready to move should the need arise.โ
The sound of explosions rocked the mountainside and as smoke began to trail its way into the sky, Cyrus knew it would be only moments before they found themselves in the thick of battle. As before, Aldaine seemed to remain silent - perhaps engaging a battle of wills in his own mind, but Cyrus knew better than to speculate and instead trained his eyes on whatever would be charging up the incline towards them.
The first he saw of the enemy was the Red Hood of the assailant - this would be when his comrade seemed to return to the world and as Aldaine spoke of his plan in a hushed voice, drawing several throwing knives before readying himself to move, Cyrus would nod, keeping himself low and out of sight, ready to step in if the moment presented itself...
Aldaine observed at the soldier advance further and further uphill towards them. Closer...closer...closer... Once Aldaine had judged the archer to be within range of his attack, Aldaine leaned back. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, steadying his heartbeat and nerves. Bringing an image of Jenna to his mind, her smile bright, vibrate and inspiring, it did much to calm him and help him focus. Eyes re-opening, Aldaine's gaze was filled with a fierce determination.
Moving out from cover, as quietly as possible he got into position, within a closer range of the archer whose back remained turned to him. With a swift motion dispersed the throwing knives to the seemingly unwitting archer, moving his hand to grip of Rey's sword for the inevitable further escalation of the battle ahead.
โฒ I am a strong woman [My strength is not my muscles
Sarai and Kendricks awaited the signal from the Lord Marshall. Then the explosion at the cave occurred. The time to strike is now. She drew her sword and together with Kendricks, began to make their move toward the cave from the west. However, something is not right. Already a black hooded rogue was running towards them. This response from the enemy is too soon. Did their surprise attack failed or is this all part of the plan? Whatever it is, Sarai and Kendricks has to deal with this rogue first before they can move on to the caves. Someone from the Lord Marshall's team is pursuing the enemy rogue, so in terms of numbers, they have the advantage. However, these extremists are not to be underestimated, so Sarai cannot foolishly jump in. She must work together with Kendricks to take this rogue down before he becomes too much of threat. The trees could give either friend or foe an advantage depending on how they use them. For now, Sarai suggested that the two of them split up and take cover behind the trees in an attempt to hide their presence before catching the rogue by surprise. When the rogue was close enough, Sarai emerged from her hiding spot with her sword drawn hoping to land a successful thrust.
""
///BASICINFORMATION
NAME โฒ [Sarai Kuuma]
AGE โฒ [24]
GENDER โฒ [Female]
EYE COLOR โฒ [Gold]
HAIR COLOR โฒ [Red]
HAIR LENGTH โฒ [Short]
HEIGHT โฒ [5โ2]
WEIGHT โฒ [138 lbs]
SEXUAL ORIENTATION โฒ [Bisexual]
ETHNICITY โฒ [Polynesian]
/(Nor is it my skills)โฒโผ(But the heart of a warrior within)
Continuing her climb up the mountain side, the sound of metal clinking could be heard below, and the Red Cloaked Archer knew she had to be quick. She had climbed enough to gain some serious oversight now, and so she turned and faced back down the mountain, nocking an arrow before drawing her bow. Looking back down into the vale, she could see that her colleague had drawn one of the guards into the tree line to the west, and so she aimed back at the center where Varys and the remaining guard were located. Varys seemed to be preoccupied, as he kept his eyes on the cave entrance, as if he knew there was someone still in there. Smiling to herself for being able to gain the advantage, her eyes started to fill with energy as she pulled back her bow, once their leader was under her spell, the shot would be all too easy, and unless she cast her spell on the guards remaining, they would flee in for their lives in terror. Just as she was about to target Varys, suddenly the Archer felt a deep piercing plunge into her shoulder, pushing her back lightly and turning her body as the other daggers flew past her, the first dagger embedding itself in her shoulder. She winced as she fell to a knee, but didn't let go of her bow, looking up in surprise in the direction the dagger had come from. Just as soon as she saw the cloaked and masked figure, her eyes let off a wave of magical energy that suddenly enshrouded the masked guard, and then she lifted her bow, drawing it to strike the figure when he stepped out from his cover to face her. As her power washed over the figure, suddenly all of his protective and self-preserving instincts would simply disappear. Any and all aspects of fear would completely melt from his mind, no fear, no caution, no preservation... only his goal. As soon as Aldaine stepped out from his cover and charged forward to try and kill her, she would fire a shot right into chest, one that he would completely ignore...
[~ @Sarai ~]
The Black Hooded Soldier would charge through the tree line to give themselves some cover, but knew that she was being followed and so she continued to dart through the trees until she was deep enough to take on the following guard one on one. Darting from one space to the next, The Black Hooded Soldier was about to turn and face her follower, but suddenly another sprang forth from the tree, slashing at her with a sword. Instinctively, the Black Hooded Soldier put her hand up and released magical energy as she stepped backwards to dodge the attack. The magical energy rushing from her hand touched Sarai's blade before suddenly forming copies of Sarai's sword in the air in front of her, first two, then four, suddenly sixteen. As Sarai tried to thrust forward and attack, the copies of Sarai's swords just came into existence in front of Sarai, falling all about and around her to the ground, and in the confusion, the Black Hooded Soldier caught one of the copies, and quickly slashed the sword back at Sarai, without hesitation.
The throwing knives were dispersed, one thankfully striking and embedding itself into the archerโs shoulder. However, it wasnโt enough. They had die, that was the mission, that was the missionโs goal. However, just as he readied himself for the archerโs inevitable retaliation, in the very moment he prepared to avoid her onslaught of strikes, a magical aura shrouded himโฆand it was as ifโฆhe had gone completely numbโฆ
There was no sense of danger, no fear, contemplation or indeed any sense of acknowledgement to the events surrounding him. There was naught but a singular thought drifting through his mind. All that existed in this moment was his goal at this very moment in timeโฆto hunt the extremistsโฆto hunt GerotโฆArthurโฆ
In that same instant, Aldaineโs body charged forward, with every intention to cut the extremists to pieces. However, everything came to a sudden halt once something struck his chest. The extremists readied arrow had struck Aldaine in the chest, knocking the shifter to the ground, dropping Reyโs sword in the process, the blade hitting the ground ringing out as itโs metal met the natural stone floor.
[Dice Roll Higher than Character's intelligence. Chance to remain unaffected by enemy raiment lost]
