Date: 1/6/2003 4:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
After a fairly normal night of fighting and hanging out, Kheld made his way home from the Outback, where he had just observed Angel and her successful challenge of ShadoWeaver. It was the end of an above average week. He had finally gotten his first TDL win, his team was turning it around, and his teammate, Ria, had just won IceDancer earlier in the evening. Jaycy and her child were both doing well, as were most of his other friends. As far as he knew that was. He hadn't seen Sarah, his girlfriend, in a week or so. This was beginning to worry him slightly, and it was mainly this he thought about as he approached the walkway to his home.
Until he stepped up towards his door and Smudge, his black and white fully grown bulldog, began to bark, setting him on edge immediately. His hand quickly drew his katana, which had been his weapon of choice in the swords rings for the last few weeks. Smudge never barked when he came home alone. He knew his master well enough not to. Someone else was there, or had been recently. This was confirmed by the fact that his door, which was equipped with a lock intricate enough to dissuade any common burglar, was no longer locked and swung in easily. He silently proceeded in with caution. A quick inspection of the ground floor turned up nothing, as well as seemingly nothing out of place or missing.
He wearily scaled the stairway to his sleeping quarters. The set up of such provided an excellent place for an ambush. Luckily enough whomever had found the need to break into his home was no longer present. Another inspection found nothing missing. In fact there was something left for him. On his infrequently used bed lay a note. As he stooped to recover it, Smudge, brushed up against his leg, happy now as animals tend to get. As he glanced at the writing, his heart sank. "Lasorici is dead" it's only message.
Quickly he packed what he needed and then began to ransack. Up turning tables and knocking over things, trying to cover up his departure. Shortly after, he stepped out the back door, turned and locked it, stepped back, and kicked it in. Content with his handy work, he stepped into the back yard, his dog following. After a moment or two of trying to dissuade the loyal mutt, he relented and left with Smudge in tow, at a jog through the moonlight into the woods behind his home.
Respects paid; Time served.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/6/2003 4:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
His destination lay two days away by most accounts. During the trip he considered many things. Memories of the man whom was now dead, more thoughts of his friends he was leaving behind for the time being, mainly of her, and some of the last time he made this journey. He was in a much worse condition at the time, having been almost suffocated to death and then almost burning alive. At that time he was going to hide out and recover; no one knew he was coming. This time, however, he would be suspected shortly, if he was lucky. If not they'd be already guarding the pass.
He approached just before the sun rose over the tree line on the second day, having traveled hard, cut across the land and stopping for only a few hours at a time, during dawn and again at dusk of the following day. He ran as much as the pooch would allow, and on a few occasions carried the bulldog on his shoulders, which after a little adjustment period, Smudge got accustomed too. As he neared the tunnel which would take him to the land he once considered home, he slowed and lowering his pet to the ground, he moved back into the trees a way.
The path was long tunnel under a very large mountain. Somewhere in the middle there was some form of a way gate which transferred a person between lands. It was hard to determine where exactly it was, and for all intensive purposes, it seem like the tunnel just passed from one side of the mountain to the other, if one was to discount the fact that it takes little more than a day and a half to traverse the length of the tunnel. As he got to the foliage covering the entrance, he noticed that someone had been through lately, and then that someone was coming through shortly behind them, as he looked and saw torch light deeper in the tunnel. He dropped back into the brush far enough to not be noticed and waited for the company to emerge. He unshouldered his bow as a precaution, and then sat for a light meal.
A party of four came out shortly after. Three tallish men clad in green banded mail with matching open faced helmets and flat bladed short spears emerged, and after the perimeter was scouted out came a stockier balding man who appeared to be in common clothing were it not for the telltale rattle of chain mail under his tunic. He had a short sword on his belt that looked fairly new, and a coin purse that looked well worn. After some investigating, two of the soldiers along with the stocky fellows began to follow the path, while the third man in green proceeded back at a trot through the entrance with his torch in hand.
After an hour or so to make sure the man going back into the tunnel was really going through, he stooped, wrapped a scrap of paper with a brief message around the bottom of Smudge's collar and secured it in the clasp, and then sent him back home, where he knew one of two people would end up with the message. Then, he reshoulded the bow, and took off to take care of the now twinkle of a light ahead of him.
From: Qzarian3
His destination lay two days away by most accounts. During the trip he considered many things. Memories of the man whom was now dead, more thoughts of his friends he was leaving behind for the time being, mainly of her, and some of the last time he made this journey. He was in a much worse condition at the time, having been almost suffocated to death and then almost burning alive. At that time he was going to hide out and recover; no one knew he was coming. This time, however, he would be suspected shortly, if he was lucky. If not they'd be already guarding the pass.
He approached just before the sun rose over the tree line on the second day, having traveled hard, cut across the land and stopping for only a few hours at a time, during dawn and again at dusk of the following day. He ran as much as the pooch would allow, and on a few occasions carried the bulldog on his shoulders, which after a little adjustment period, Smudge got accustomed too. As he neared the tunnel which would take him to the land he once considered home, he slowed and lowering his pet to the ground, he moved back into the trees a way.
The path was long tunnel under a very large mountain. Somewhere in the middle there was some form of a way gate which transferred a person between lands. It was hard to determine where exactly it was, and for all intensive purposes, it seem like the tunnel just passed from one side of the mountain to the other, if one was to discount the fact that it takes little more than a day and a half to traverse the length of the tunnel. As he got to the foliage covering the entrance, he noticed that someone had been through lately, and then that someone was coming through shortly behind them, as he looked and saw torch light deeper in the tunnel. He dropped back into the brush far enough to not be noticed and waited for the company to emerge. He unshouldered his bow as a precaution, and then sat for a light meal.
A party of four came out shortly after. Three tallish men clad in green banded mail with matching open faced helmets and flat bladed short spears emerged, and after the perimeter was scouted out came a stockier balding man who appeared to be in common clothing were it not for the telltale rattle of chain mail under his tunic. He had a short sword on his belt that looked fairly new, and a coin purse that looked well worn. After some investigating, two of the soldiers along with the stocky fellows began to follow the path, while the third man in green proceeded back at a trot through the entrance with his torch in hand.
After an hour or so to make sure the man going back into the tunnel was really going through, he stooped, wrapped a scrap of paper with a brief message around the bottom of Smudge's collar and secured it in the clasp, and then sent him back home, where he knew one of two people would end up with the message. Then, he reshoulded the bow, and took off to take care of the now twinkle of a light ahead of him.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/7/2003 4:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
His earliest memory was that of his life in the Devoriak. He had no age to connect with these memories, as no one actually knew how old he was when he was left there, but he had always been bigger than most, and so was treated as being older than he probably was. Devoriak was a large Abby set back in the hills. The monks who occupied it were well known for their medicinal skills. They allowed him to stay, in exchange he spent the majority of his days doing chores. It was a quiet, solitary life and things continued that way for several years. He hated it. He spent all his time working it seemed, and no one ever spoke to him, unless it was to explain something, or give him something else to do. Unknowingly, however, he learned many of the skills that allowed him to earn his living today, for along with the medicinal and herbal knowledge he acquired, he also learned the basics of carpentry, masonry, tailoring and cooking among others, as Devoriak was completely self sufficient and accepted no outside help for it's services.
One spring day, several years later, a sick woman came stumbling up the path from the road aided by a boy a few years o,lder than Kheld himself. Kheld was outside, helping with repairs on a fence that had been damaged during the winter when they came into view. He quickly rushed down and aided the boy carry his mother into the building. She was bleeding profusely from several wounds, and the Brothers who met them at the entrance way quickly rushed her into a spare room and began to attempt and save her.
They got her stabilized and she made it a day or two. Long enough for her too relay her story. They had been traveling from Sadinera, the land to the north of them, through the mountains to seek refuge in Alirgia, the land to the South. They had been way laid by goblins in the pass. A party of the monks went to look for survivors, but there were none, and by the time they returned, the woman, Dilana, had passed, and without much discussion the council decided to allow the boy, Lasorici to stay under the same conditions as Kheldar. This was how they had met.
It was these memories that had been floating through his conscious that almost got him caught. He had been silently padding along behind his query, the messenger for a fair amount of time now, keeping back enough to stay out of both site and earshot. He had however begun to zone out. This wasn't uncommon for him in the first place when he ran, and the fact he was running in complete darkness. Had it not been for the sound of trickling water breaking his daydream he might have run right into the man he had been following newly set up camp. Apparently the soldier wasn't in much of a hurry now that his superior was a fair ways away.
He waited back in the shadows for the man to drift off, eating a small amount of food as he did so. When the man's snoring told him he could proceed, he entered the light, and filched the message that was being carried back. After going into his med bag and making sure that his new friend would sleep well for several hours longer, he sat down, and after several attempts, he replaced the scroll with a message of his own, one that would not bring another platoon of soldiers to harass his friends, for in the end, he hoped to be able to return to his life. He cleared the evidence of his visit, and then continued on his way through the darkness, towards the danger.
From: Qzarian3
His earliest memory was that of his life in the Devoriak. He had no age to connect with these memories, as no one actually knew how old he was when he was left there, but he had always been bigger than most, and so was treated as being older than he probably was. Devoriak was a large Abby set back in the hills. The monks who occupied it were well known for their medicinal skills. They allowed him to stay, in exchange he spent the majority of his days doing chores. It was a quiet, solitary life and things continued that way for several years. He hated it. He spent all his time working it seemed, and no one ever spoke to him, unless it was to explain something, or give him something else to do. Unknowingly, however, he learned many of the skills that allowed him to earn his living today, for along with the medicinal and herbal knowledge he acquired, he also learned the basics of carpentry, masonry, tailoring and cooking among others, as Devoriak was completely self sufficient and accepted no outside help for it's services.
One spring day, several years later, a sick woman came stumbling up the path from the road aided by a boy a few years o,lder than Kheld himself. Kheld was outside, helping with repairs on a fence that had been damaged during the winter when they came into view. He quickly rushed down and aided the boy carry his mother into the building. She was bleeding profusely from several wounds, and the Brothers who met them at the entrance way quickly rushed her into a spare room and began to attempt and save her.
They got her stabilized and she made it a day or two. Long enough for her too relay her story. They had been traveling from Sadinera, the land to the north of them, through the mountains to seek refuge in Alirgia, the land to the South. They had been way laid by goblins in the pass. A party of the monks went to look for survivors, but there were none, and by the time they returned, the woman, Dilana, had passed, and without much discussion the council decided to allow the boy, Lasorici to stay under the same conditions as Kheldar. This was how they had met.
It was these memories that had been floating through his conscious that almost got him caught. He had been silently padding along behind his query, the messenger for a fair amount of time now, keeping back enough to stay out of both site and earshot. He had however begun to zone out. This wasn't uncommon for him in the first place when he ran, and the fact he was running in complete darkness. Had it not been for the sound of trickling water breaking his daydream he might have run right into the man he had been following newly set up camp. Apparently the soldier wasn't in much of a hurry now that his superior was a fair ways away.
He waited back in the shadows for the man to drift off, eating a small amount of food as he did so. When the man's snoring told him he could proceed, he entered the light, and filched the message that was being carried back. After going into his med bag and making sure that his new friend would sleep well for several hours longer, he sat down, and after several attempts, he replaced the scroll with a message of his own, one that would not bring another platoon of soldiers to harass his friends, for in the end, he hoped to be able to return to his life. He cleared the evidence of his visit, and then continued on his way through the darkness, towards the danger.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/8/2003 3:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
Kheldar woke up coughing, choking, struggling to breath, the air smelled of smoke. He rolled off the short bed and started quickly towards the stairs. As he descended into the inferno that was the lower level, the wooden structure of the stairway collapsed on him, sending him crashing to the floor below. He attempted to rise again, only to find his leg wouldn't support him, sending him back to the floor. He scrambled his way over to the fireplace. Using the stones to pull himself up, he leaned against the wall as he struggled to free one of them burning his hands in the process. A green item glinted in the light, he took it and he stepped through the wood wall next to the fireplace to fresh air and safety.
The safety of the bushes as he hid from the dark figures that had attacked the Devoriak which was now aflame. The air was littered with the angry curses and screams of pain, along with the cracking of the wood that had been his home for some eight years. Then a low growling sound and a dark creature was lunging at him through the brush.
He jumped as he awoke, covered in a cold sweat, as he normally did when he dreamt. Glancing around to get his barring, he noticed that the sun was just dipping back below the mountains. He had completed the length of the tunnel a few hours earlier. It exited into a gorge with clear pool of water and dense forest. He had moved from the entrance and concealed himself in the foliage to wait for night fall, when it would be much safer for him to complete the next portion of the journey under the cover of night. So he secured an area out of site, and after a light meal, dozed off into sleep, something he didn't do often.
After eating a bit more, he erased the signs that he had been staying there, there were only a few, grumbling to himself as he did. "Hell, it's only been three days, and I'm already stiff. I'm not cut out for this anymore. And this eating light is for the birds. Dil had best have something good to eat." He spoke in earnest, for why would one lie to themselves, his body was sore from the traveling, and he was always hungry. He wanted nothing more to sit on the couch in the Outback with Sarah leaning against him, perhaps sleeping with her head on his chest, eating pizza's with the Graziano's and Co., but that was not the option right now. He had to do this right if that were ever to happen again, and so he started through the darkness once more.
He took a much slower pace; it was no more than twenty miles to his next destination, Dilaen's, and he had all night to make it. There was no doubt that getting there early would not be of any good as Dil would not be there until nearly morning. That is if he hadn't gotten himself run out of town or evicted in the past few years. Last time he was forced here, nearly three years ago, it had taken him several days to track down his friend. He however injured at the time however, had the aid of PathFinder then to avoid confrontations. If for some reason Dil was not where he had hoped, things would not be as easy this time.
He had met Dil after a year of roaming on his own. Lasorici had left to enlist in the military as soon as he turned fifteen, for he had vowed to revenge his people nearly every day. After surviving the attack on the Devoriak, he struggled his way south. It was there he had his first known experience of a city, Aloriva, the capital of Alirgia. He attempted to find honest work for his skills with mixed success. He was just hitting puberty, and yet was as tall as most men, he looked unlike the people who lived there, and they distrusted him and looked down on him for it. After a few months of this, he met Dil, who taught him that nimble fingers could be used for more than just small neat stitches. Dil grew up on the streets, and was adept at most forms of underhanded things, and Kheld learned quickly. They made a good team together. It was this way that Kheld met his second real friend, a friendship that he was counting on to hold up and give him aid yet again.
From: Qzarian3
Kheldar woke up coughing, choking, struggling to breath, the air smelled of smoke. He rolled off the short bed and started quickly towards the stairs. As he descended into the inferno that was the lower level, the wooden structure of the stairway collapsed on him, sending him crashing to the floor below. He attempted to rise again, only to find his leg wouldn't support him, sending him back to the floor. He scrambled his way over to the fireplace. Using the stones to pull himself up, he leaned against the wall as he struggled to free one of them burning his hands in the process. A green item glinted in the light, he took it and he stepped through the wood wall next to the fireplace to fresh air and safety.
The safety of the bushes as he hid from the dark figures that had attacked the Devoriak which was now aflame. The air was littered with the angry curses and screams of pain, along with the cracking of the wood that had been his home for some eight years. Then a low growling sound and a dark creature was lunging at him through the brush.
He jumped as he awoke, covered in a cold sweat, as he normally did when he dreamt. Glancing around to get his barring, he noticed that the sun was just dipping back below the mountains. He had completed the length of the tunnel a few hours earlier. It exited into a gorge with clear pool of water and dense forest. He had moved from the entrance and concealed himself in the foliage to wait for night fall, when it would be much safer for him to complete the next portion of the journey under the cover of night. So he secured an area out of site, and after a light meal, dozed off into sleep, something he didn't do often.
After eating a bit more, he erased the signs that he had been staying there, there were only a few, grumbling to himself as he did. "Hell, it's only been three days, and I'm already stiff. I'm not cut out for this anymore. And this eating light is for the birds. Dil had best have something good to eat." He spoke in earnest, for why would one lie to themselves, his body was sore from the traveling, and he was always hungry. He wanted nothing more to sit on the couch in the Outback with Sarah leaning against him, perhaps sleeping with her head on his chest, eating pizza's with the Graziano's and Co., but that was not the option right now. He had to do this right if that were ever to happen again, and so he started through the darkness once more.
He took a much slower pace; it was no more than twenty miles to his next destination, Dilaen's, and he had all night to make it. There was no doubt that getting there early would not be of any good as Dil would not be there until nearly morning. That is if he hadn't gotten himself run out of town or evicted in the past few years. Last time he was forced here, nearly three years ago, it had taken him several days to track down his friend. He however injured at the time however, had the aid of PathFinder then to avoid confrontations. If for some reason Dil was not where he had hoped, things would not be as easy this time.
He had met Dil after a year of roaming on his own. Lasorici had left to enlist in the military as soon as he turned fifteen, for he had vowed to revenge his people nearly every day. After surviving the attack on the Devoriak, he struggled his way south. It was there he had his first known experience of a city, Aloriva, the capital of Alirgia. He attempted to find honest work for his skills with mixed success. He was just hitting puberty, and yet was as tall as most men, he looked unlike the people who lived there, and they distrusted him and looked down on him for it. After a few months of this, he met Dil, who taught him that nimble fingers could be used for more than just small neat stitches. Dil grew up on the streets, and was adept at most forms of underhanded things, and Kheld learned quickly. They made a good team together. It was this way that Kheld met his second real friend, a friendship that he was counting on to hold up and give him aid yet again.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/9/2003 3:49 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
The sun had just begun to paint the sky a pinkish hew as he crested the hill and caught sight of Dil's house. Dil lived on the edge of a small hamlet which was situated at the foot of the hill about a days travel from Aloriva. As he drew closer to the cottage, he was suprised to see a light already on in the back, planting a seed of doubt that his friend still resided there. As he entered the yard, the door swung open, "We've been waiting for ya. What took ya so long fatty!" The voice belonged to a short man with dark hair, green eyes that were always moving, and ears that suggested he might possibly have some elvish in his blood, the one and only Dilaen.
"Since when do you start draggin' your sorry self outta bed before noon?" Kheld replied with a grin.
"You'll see. Eelina!" He turned and called into the house, "Set another place for breakfast," and then after looking over Kheld with a grin, "and put three more servings on the stove."
They chuckled and then went in. Eelina was a pretty, built country woman, with cascading blond hair. She had a huge breakfast on the stove when they came in, and shortly later, after the appropriate introductions, they were sitting down to eat. They fell back in as if Kheld had never left and for a while they joked and laughed and the current situation was not spoken of until the meal had been finished and Kheld, after insisting, cleared it up. It was only then they began to discuss plans.
"I was thinking we could take the act on the road again, put you up in a little disguise and take the shops cart.. We could make it cross country in two days, and if ya sat in the back hardly anyone would notice you disguise or not. I already had Eelina start spreading rumors of needing to visit sick relatives We can be on the road by this evening," Dil explained in the quick run together way he spoke when he was hatching a scheme of some sort. "Jonius will be meeting us there and will have a place to rest and plan from there." He then grinned. "Maybe we can even stop in an inn on the way and see if we still got it 'eh. We could even do it honest like. Do ya still play?"
"Nah, but I figure even with the rustiness I aughta be able to show you a thing or two" Kheld offers his friend a teasing grin. "So this evening it is then."
"Yeah, now why don't you go rest, ya bum.. I gotta close up still, and get some stuff for the trip." And with a wink "Oh, and bath heh."
Eelina offered a smile and a nod, "Back this way hun."
He went off and rested some while preparations were made, and as is his way, barged and helped where he could while staying out of site, until everything was ready for their departure, he then took the final few hours to rest. For it might be the last time in a while if Dil's plan didn't go well, and there'd been more than a few that hadn't. He trusted the man though, he was one of the only ones that could, and he had no other choice. He had respects to pay.
From: Qzarian3
The sun had just begun to paint the sky a pinkish hew as he crested the hill and caught sight of Dil's house. Dil lived on the edge of a small hamlet which was situated at the foot of the hill about a days travel from Aloriva. As he drew closer to the cottage, he was suprised to see a light already on in the back, planting a seed of doubt that his friend still resided there. As he entered the yard, the door swung open, "We've been waiting for ya. What took ya so long fatty!" The voice belonged to a short man with dark hair, green eyes that were always moving, and ears that suggested he might possibly have some elvish in his blood, the one and only Dilaen.
"Since when do you start draggin' your sorry self outta bed before noon?" Kheld replied with a grin.
"You'll see. Eelina!" He turned and called into the house, "Set another place for breakfast," and then after looking over Kheld with a grin, "and put three more servings on the stove."
They chuckled and then went in. Eelina was a pretty, built country woman, with cascading blond hair. She had a huge breakfast on the stove when they came in, and shortly later, after the appropriate introductions, they were sitting down to eat. They fell back in as if Kheld had never left and for a while they joked and laughed and the current situation was not spoken of until the meal had been finished and Kheld, after insisting, cleared it up. It was only then they began to discuss plans.
"I was thinking we could take the act on the road again, put you up in a little disguise and take the shops cart.. We could make it cross country in two days, and if ya sat in the back hardly anyone would notice you disguise or not. I already had Eelina start spreading rumors of needing to visit sick relatives We can be on the road by this evening," Dil explained in the quick run together way he spoke when he was hatching a scheme of some sort. "Jonius will be meeting us there and will have a place to rest and plan from there." He then grinned. "Maybe we can even stop in an inn on the way and see if we still got it 'eh. We could even do it honest like. Do ya still play?"
"Nah, but I figure even with the rustiness I aughta be able to show you a thing or two" Kheld offers his friend a teasing grin. "So this evening it is then."
"Yeah, now why don't you go rest, ya bum.. I gotta close up still, and get some stuff for the trip." And with a wink "Oh, and bath heh."
Eelina offered a smile and a nod, "Back this way hun."
He went off and rested some while preparations were made, and as is his way, barged and helped where he could while staying out of site, until everything was ready for their departure, he then took the final few hours to rest. For it might be the last time in a while if Dil's plan didn't go well, and there'd been more than a few that hadn't. He trusted the man though, he was one of the only ones that could, and he had no other choice. He had respects to pay.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/10/2003 3:16 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
They ate a simple, though plentiful meal that evening and shortly after the sunlight had faded they had started on their way. Overall the trip through the night went smoothly, as smoothly as a trip in a horse drawn wagon down a country road could go anyway. Kheld did the majority of the driving, allowing his hosts to rest, for they would need to do the driving the next day. The disguise Dil concocted for him was not very elaborate, it's not easy to change the looks of someone as big as him, but they grayed his hair, and added some wrinkles, a big hooded robe and a walking staff aided the illusion.
Dil woke up early that morning to relieve Kheld and allow his friend to sleep. Kheld refused the later, and they let Eelana sleep in. This gave them a bit of time to talk alone.
"Ya realize they're at it again right?" Dil began.
"Of course... That's what this is all about after all."
A nod in response, "Any idea on how we plan to fix it this time?"
"Not yet, gotta wait and see what information Jonius has, and what the full situation really is before we can decide anything. I'll do what ever it takes though; I owe him that much."
"You mean We'll do whatever it takes Kheld. Yer not taking this up on your shoulders alone. Not again." The only response from Kheld was a firm grasp of the man's shoulder for a moment, and then they proceeded to ride in silence for a while until it was broken by Dil about an hour later. "So Well, what are you doing these days?"
"Well, I got a contract to duel for a team in the local sword fighting league, that's pretty much covering me these days."
"What about the ladies?" Dil inquired.
"There've been a few since last time I was here."
"Not going so we'll 'eh?" chuckled the shorter man.
"Mostly my fault," admitted Kheld.
"Nah, " remarked Dil, attempting to lighten back up the mood, "They just want you to think everything is your fault, so they blame us." This statement elicited a muffled indigent sound from the back of the wagon, which both of the men pick up and grin to each other. "What about now? Any ladies currently?"
"Yeah, Sarah. There was last I knew anyway. Haven't seen her in a while. She's different." He smiles just talking about her. "Something special she is," before Dil can get a word in edge wise, grinning as he looks towards the back of the wagon, "Looks like I'm not the only one though. I thought you'd never end up settling down."
"She's rather enchanting she is," getting intentionally louder, "love of my life, and an animal in bed," grins, "arn'tcha babe?"
A surprise yell from the woman as she sits up, "Dilaen!"
He grins back to her. "That's what you get for pretendin to sleep to eavesdrop." Then suddenly Dil is hunched over as an apple from their food supplies bounces off the back of his head.
"That's what you get for talking like that about your wife." She nodded and then moved towards the front. "Go work on whatever you gotta. It's my turn to drive."
From: Qzarian3
They ate a simple, though plentiful meal that evening and shortly after the sunlight had faded they had started on their way. Overall the trip through the night went smoothly, as smoothly as a trip in a horse drawn wagon down a country road could go anyway. Kheld did the majority of the driving, allowing his hosts to rest, for they would need to do the driving the next day. The disguise Dil concocted for him was not very elaborate, it's not easy to change the looks of someone as big as him, but they grayed his hair, and added some wrinkles, a big hooded robe and a walking staff aided the illusion.
Dil woke up early that morning to relieve Kheld and allow his friend to sleep. Kheld refused the later, and they let Eelana sleep in. This gave them a bit of time to talk alone.
"Ya realize they're at it again right?" Dil began.
"Of course... That's what this is all about after all."
A nod in response, "Any idea on how we plan to fix it this time?"
"Not yet, gotta wait and see what information Jonius has, and what the full situation really is before we can decide anything. I'll do what ever it takes though; I owe him that much."
"You mean We'll do whatever it takes Kheld. Yer not taking this up on your shoulders alone. Not again." The only response from Kheld was a firm grasp of the man's shoulder for a moment, and then they proceeded to ride in silence for a while until it was broken by Dil about an hour later. "So Well, what are you doing these days?"
"Well, I got a contract to duel for a team in the local sword fighting league, that's pretty much covering me these days."
"What about the ladies?" Dil inquired.
"There've been a few since last time I was here."
"Not going so we'll 'eh?" chuckled the shorter man.
"Mostly my fault," admitted Kheld.
"Nah, " remarked Dil, attempting to lighten back up the mood, "They just want you to think everything is your fault, so they blame us." This statement elicited a muffled indigent sound from the back of the wagon, which both of the men pick up and grin to each other. "What about now? Any ladies currently?"
"Yeah, Sarah. There was last I knew anyway. Haven't seen her in a while. She's different." He smiles just talking about her. "Something special she is," before Dil can get a word in edge wise, grinning as he looks towards the back of the wagon, "Looks like I'm not the only one though. I thought you'd never end up settling down."
"She's rather enchanting she is," getting intentionally louder, "love of my life, and an animal in bed," grins, "arn'tcha babe?"
A surprise yell from the woman as she sits up, "Dilaen!"
He grins back to her. "That's what you get for pretendin to sleep to eavesdrop." Then suddenly Dil is hunched over as an apple from their food supplies bounces off the back of his head.
"That's what you get for talking like that about your wife." She nodded and then moved towards the front. "Go work on whatever you gotta. It's my turn to drive."
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/10/2003 3:18 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
The cart rattled along for with Eelana at the helm while Kheld and Dil went back and went over the nights plan again before resting the last few hours until they finally reached the Milkweed Inn.
Dil went in to speak with the owner, while Eelana brought the wagon around the back. After an affirmation from her husband, she, along with Kheld's help, began to unload various items out of the wagon and into the common room of the inn, others going to the appointed sleeping quarters. A few hours later they came out to the common room. After the meal, they got up and played for the crowd. When they were younger, this was the mainstay in their income, so even with only the little practice they had, they had no problem keeping the crowd entertained. With the equipment borrowed from Dil's shop, they were able to perform varying combinations of instruments and vocalist between the three of them.
When this act was first used, they played for the room and sometimes board, because the money was earned from what Dil liked to call the 'Tips'. People who are having a good time, stay up later, and drink more, thereby sleeping more deeply. Which is when the duo would visit later that eve and compensate themselves for the good show they put on. Never much(a small enough amount that it was hardly ever missed normally written off as being part of the bar tab), but little from many added up quickly, and their endevors were lucrative for a good while.
This act also had a secondary motive. That was to hide Kheldar in plain sight. After the crowd had been into it a while, and had a drink or two, they put on a skit. A skit that told the story(which was quickly becoming more of a legend as time passed), of the noble prince Maderyl (played by Dil) who caught and ran off the treacherous Kheldar Drasinia, a thief who had worked his way to a commanding position in the national army before forcing his unit too loot and plunder innocent villages in the land of Sadinera after the Sadinerans had surrendered. He was apprehended but deviously escaped, killing many as he fled to parts unknown, still looming at large to this day.
The truth, or more accuratly the lack of truth, to this tale was know to a few outside of the performers themselves. The skit was put on in such a way, that it demeaned the vilianous character, making the crowd laugh on several occasions. This served it's purpose, as no one as evil as the one portrayed would ever put up with such treatment, and therefore, even though he matched many of the physical discriptions no one suspected the man the man really was being hunted by their government. This allowed Kheld to stay into the common room well after they had finished their songs, and collect information that could well be useful later. It was risky, but once again Dil had come through, and tomorrow they would be on their way to Jonius' with no one the wiser.
From: Qzarian3
The cart rattled along for with Eelana at the helm while Kheld and Dil went back and went over the nights plan again before resting the last few hours until they finally reached the Milkweed Inn.
Dil went in to speak with the owner, while Eelana brought the wagon around the back. After an affirmation from her husband, she, along with Kheld's help, began to unload various items out of the wagon and into the common room of the inn, others going to the appointed sleeping quarters. A few hours later they came out to the common room. After the meal, they got up and played for the crowd. When they were younger, this was the mainstay in their income, so even with only the little practice they had, they had no problem keeping the crowd entertained. With the equipment borrowed from Dil's shop, they were able to perform varying combinations of instruments and vocalist between the three of them.
When this act was first used, they played for the room and sometimes board, because the money was earned from what Dil liked to call the 'Tips'. People who are having a good time, stay up later, and drink more, thereby sleeping more deeply. Which is when the duo would visit later that eve and compensate themselves for the good show they put on. Never much(a small enough amount that it was hardly ever missed normally written off as being part of the bar tab), but little from many added up quickly, and their endevors were lucrative for a good while.
This act also had a secondary motive. That was to hide Kheldar in plain sight. After the crowd had been into it a while, and had a drink or two, they put on a skit. A skit that told the story(which was quickly becoming more of a legend as time passed), of the noble prince Maderyl (played by Dil) who caught and ran off the treacherous Kheldar Drasinia, a thief who had worked his way to a commanding position in the national army before forcing his unit too loot and plunder innocent villages in the land of Sadinera after the Sadinerans had surrendered. He was apprehended but deviously escaped, killing many as he fled to parts unknown, still looming at large to this day.
The truth, or more accuratly the lack of truth, to this tale was know to a few outside of the performers themselves. The skit was put on in such a way, that it demeaned the vilianous character, making the crowd laugh on several occasions. This served it's purpose, as no one as evil as the one portrayed would ever put up with such treatment, and therefore, even though he matched many of the physical discriptions no one suspected the man the man really was being hunted by their government. This allowed Kheld to stay into the common room well after they had finished their songs, and collect information that could well be useful later. It was risky, but once again Dil had come through, and tomorrow they would be on their way to Jonius' with no one the wiser.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/11/2003 3:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
After a little information gathering Kheld, Dil and Eelana all retired to their respective rooms. These were conjoined ground floor rooms near the back of the establishment due to a need to "Transport Equipment", another bonus of Dil's hiding in plain sight.
Kheld, as usual, slept very little that night. He did that partially to avoid the dreams, but mainly because his mind would not stop its racing. He thought some about the current problems. Ways to fix it, how to make things back to normal at home, but mostly he just thought about home. His friends, and the men that were out looking for him. He knew that everyone could hold their own, and the men looking for him had no reason to bother them for any reason other than simple information gathering. He still worried. Mostly about Sarah. He hadn't seen her in nearly a week before he left, and it had been five days since then. But she should have gotten the note, and she was smart, she'd stay safe. It was in the middle of thoughts like these he finally drifted off into an uneasy, restless sleep.
They left early that morning, before most of the others had recovered from last nights, celebrating. The staff was all preparing coffee and breakfast, so they left with no one even knowing the direction they were taking. Things were uneventful, and by the time noon rolled around, they were ahead of schedule. They arrived at Jonius' an hour or so before dusk.
Jonius was one of the only people who knew that the charges against Kheldar were a frame up. Jonius was there. He was a soldier. He was also a good friends of Lasorici. He was the most involved, he knew the details of the event, and he's the one who had the message sent for Kheld. Jonius provided them with a light meal, and then they talked and caught up some. Tomorrow they would pay their respects and then figure out what to do from there. They had to wait for one more. Sarises.
From: Qzarian3
After a little information gathering Kheld, Dil and Eelana all retired to their respective rooms. These were conjoined ground floor rooms near the back of the establishment due to a need to "Transport Equipment", another bonus of Dil's hiding in plain sight.
Kheld, as usual, slept very little that night. He did that partially to avoid the dreams, but mainly because his mind would not stop its racing. He thought some about the current problems. Ways to fix it, how to make things back to normal at home, but mostly he just thought about home. His friends, and the men that were out looking for him. He knew that everyone could hold their own, and the men looking for him had no reason to bother them for any reason other than simple information gathering. He still worried. Mostly about Sarah. He hadn't seen her in nearly a week before he left, and it had been five days since then. But she should have gotten the note, and she was smart, she'd stay safe. It was in the middle of thoughts like these he finally drifted off into an uneasy, restless sleep.
They left early that morning, before most of the others had recovered from last nights, celebrating. The staff was all preparing coffee and breakfast, so they left with no one even knowing the direction they were taking. Things were uneventful, and by the time noon rolled around, they were ahead of schedule. They arrived at Jonius' an hour or so before dusk.
Jonius was one of the only people who knew that the charges against Kheldar were a frame up. Jonius was there. He was a soldier. He was also a good friends of Lasorici. He was the most involved, he knew the details of the event, and he's the one who had the message sent for Kheld. Jonius provided them with a light meal, and then they talked and caught up some. Tomorrow they would pay their respects and then figure out what to do from there. They had to wait for one more. Sarises.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/14/2003 3:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
Jonius, Kheldar and Dilean got up and left an hour before dawn. All were very quiet and somber as they proceeded to their destination. It was a short trip, and before long, they found themselves at the grave of Lasorici. Jonius and Dil both stopped for a moment, stooping and paying their respects before pulling back to wait for Kheldar. He stayed for as long as it was safe for him to do so, on one knee, with his head bowed; remembering his friend.
It could have been considered coincidence that they met the first time, but the reuniting of the two men always made them chalk it more up to fate. Kheldar had been working for Dilean for two or three years when things went wrong. They got a bit greedy, and Kheldar ended up getting himself caught, and because he refused to turn in his friend, he was charged. Alirgia had just been invaded by Sadinera. In an attempt to bolster a force that was barely holding its own, the king decreed that all criminals would be sentenced to serve time in the army. It was in this way that Kheldar became a soldier.
After only a brief training period men recruited in such a manner were quickly rushed to the front. Many of those who Kheld were grouped with, had spent much time in bar fights and other such. They would have been quickly destroyed due to lack of discipline had Sadinera been able to advance into the Alirgian plains. Luckily they were still attempting to fight through the foothills, so the combat was much more of the guerrilla verity, and many of the newly 'recruited' soldiers had plenty of experience in ambushes. It was mainly this experience along with the aid of the veterans that had been added to keep the squad in line, that kept them alive in the beginning.
As time went on, they became a fair crew, the slackers either having deserted, or were killed trying to. The fact that they began to receive pay for their services also aided in the congealing of the squad more than anything. After a few months they had gained the respect of the more legitimately formed squads as the tide of the war began to slowly turn. They had just received orders to meet the 1st division and prepare for a counter assault. As they moved further into the mountains that divided the nations, they came onto a valley with a fierce battle raging in its depths. Without discussion or orders, they quickly descended to aid their ambushed companions.
The sudden addition of a squad of troops, attacking by surprise turned the tide of the battle. After a short while the Sadinerans fled, as they were doing so, Kheldar and his squad began to help the other Alirgians, some of which had been caught in the rock slides started at the beginning of the assault. Things were looking grim and many were badly wounded, or worse, when they noticed someone was still alive under the rubble. They quickly unburied the man and found he was badly injured. He wore field plate that had been badly damaged in the slide, a sign that he was a ranked officer. Two men struggled to remove it as Kheldar removed the one thing he was able to salvage from the ruins of the Devoriak, a medicine bag.
Going to work on the man even before they could get his badly damaged helmet off, he called on all the knowledge he learnt in his child ood in an attempt to save him. As they got the visor removed, a sense of shock over took Kheldar momentarily before his training kicked back in and he nimbly finished his handy work. He sighed to himself and prayed as he went to help other less serious wounds. That was not the kind of reunion he had hoped to have with his oldest friend, Lasorici.
The sun peaked through the trees surrounding the memorial, the warmth of the beams broke his daydreams, telling him that he ought not linger longer. With one silent oath, he stood, and proceeded back to Dil and Jonius. When they returned, Eelana had two swift horses packed and ready for her husband and herself. Upon seeing this, Kheldar offered his friend a questioning look.
"Our part in this is elsewhere," Dilean answered. "May your fingers be nimble, your steps light, and your purse heavy" the shorter man smiles as he offers a farewell from their childhood.
Kheldar responded by embracing the man with a solid clap on the back, he looked at the woman as a response. "Keep this shyster out of trouble yeah? He'd never survive behind bars. Hell he can barely hold his own at the bar," grins as did the rest. They shortly after mounted up, and were on their way, and after watching them ride off, Kheldar and Jonius returned to the study to plan the most dangerous part of the journey yet.
From: Qzarian3
Jonius, Kheldar and Dilean got up and left an hour before dawn. All were very quiet and somber as they proceeded to their destination. It was a short trip, and before long, they found themselves at the grave of Lasorici. Jonius and Dil both stopped for a moment, stooping and paying their respects before pulling back to wait for Kheldar. He stayed for as long as it was safe for him to do so, on one knee, with his head bowed; remembering his friend.
It could have been considered coincidence that they met the first time, but the reuniting of the two men always made them chalk it more up to fate. Kheldar had been working for Dilean for two or three years when things went wrong. They got a bit greedy, and Kheldar ended up getting himself caught, and because he refused to turn in his friend, he was charged. Alirgia had just been invaded by Sadinera. In an attempt to bolster a force that was barely holding its own, the king decreed that all criminals would be sentenced to serve time in the army. It was in this way that Kheldar became a soldier.
After only a brief training period men recruited in such a manner were quickly rushed to the front. Many of those who Kheld were grouped with, had spent much time in bar fights and other such. They would have been quickly destroyed due to lack of discipline had Sadinera been able to advance into the Alirgian plains. Luckily they were still attempting to fight through the foothills, so the combat was much more of the guerrilla verity, and many of the newly 'recruited' soldiers had plenty of experience in ambushes. It was mainly this experience along with the aid of the veterans that had been added to keep the squad in line, that kept them alive in the beginning.
As time went on, they became a fair crew, the slackers either having deserted, or were killed trying to. The fact that they began to receive pay for their services also aided in the congealing of the squad more than anything. After a few months they had gained the respect of the more legitimately formed squads as the tide of the war began to slowly turn. They had just received orders to meet the 1st division and prepare for a counter assault. As they moved further into the mountains that divided the nations, they came onto a valley with a fierce battle raging in its depths. Without discussion or orders, they quickly descended to aid their ambushed companions.
The sudden addition of a squad of troops, attacking by surprise turned the tide of the battle. After a short while the Sadinerans fled, as they were doing so, Kheldar and his squad began to help the other Alirgians, some of which had been caught in the rock slides started at the beginning of the assault. Things were looking grim and many were badly wounded, or worse, when they noticed someone was still alive under the rubble. They quickly unburied the man and found he was badly injured. He wore field plate that had been badly damaged in the slide, a sign that he was a ranked officer. Two men struggled to remove it as Kheldar removed the one thing he was able to salvage from the ruins of the Devoriak, a medicine bag.
Going to work on the man even before they could get his badly damaged helmet off, he called on all the knowledge he learnt in his child ood in an attempt to save him. As they got the visor removed, a sense of shock over took Kheldar momentarily before his training kicked back in and he nimbly finished his handy work. He sighed to himself and prayed as he went to help other less serious wounds. That was not the kind of reunion he had hoped to have with his oldest friend, Lasorici.
The sun peaked through the trees surrounding the memorial, the warmth of the beams broke his daydreams, telling him that he ought not linger longer. With one silent oath, he stood, and proceeded back to Dil and Jonius. When they returned, Eelana had two swift horses packed and ready for her husband and herself. Upon seeing this, Kheldar offered his friend a questioning look.
"Our part in this is elsewhere," Dilean answered. "May your fingers be nimble, your steps light, and your purse heavy" the shorter man smiles as he offers a farewell from their childhood.
Kheldar responded by embracing the man with a solid clap on the back, he looked at the woman as a response. "Keep this shyster out of trouble yeah? He'd never survive behind bars. Hell he can barely hold his own at the bar," grins as did the rest. They shortly after mounted up, and were on their way, and after watching them ride off, Kheldar and Jonius returned to the study to plan the most dangerous part of the journey yet.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/15/2003 3:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
Jonius' entrance into the Alirgian army was completely opposite of Kheldar's. He was born into a wealthy family, and when he was old enough was enrolled in the countries finest military school. When he turned eighteen and graduated, the war had just began to turn, and he was assigned to lead a group of men to the front to reinforce a recently devastated squad. He was one of the most promising students in his class, and was going to work under one of the best leaders. Or so he thought.
When Lasorici regained consciousness Kheldar and a few others were there, they had already begun preparations for him to be returned to a safer place to recuperate. He saw Kheldar, and then looked at his bandages. "I take it these are your doing?" He asked his friend.
Saluting smartly, Kheldar did his best soldier impersonation as he replied, "Sir!, I thought it was bad form to allow a commanding officer to die, Sir." He did a fair job of keeping a straight face.
"Your lucky that I'm on this stretcher or I'd have to give you the beat down you deserve for that soldier, " he offered the big man a grin, "though it looks like you might have an inch or 5 on me these days." He looked at those glancing over him. "How many did we lose?" He sighed after hearing the tallies. "All right, I need someone to run this back to headquarters." He fished around for a message.
"Where ya want me to take it?" Kheldar replied.
"Not you, I have another job for you," he handed the note off to someone who took off right away. "Kheld.. we lost two other officers today. Someone's gotta take care of this until I recover. I can't think of anyone better than my oldest friend to do it. If your willing."
"I'm not an officer."
"Is that a no?" Kheldar just sighed and shook his head. "I didn't think so. Do you swear to protect Alirgia and all it's people?" Kheldar nodded and mumbled an affirmative answer, and then Lasorici continued. "Then as is my right as commanding officer, I leave you in charge."
When Jonius arrived a few days later with the new soldiers and was informed of the change in his commanding officer, he was furious. He could not understand how a common criminal could be his superior. An untrained man with no background and no family history. He resented Kheldar for the longest time for that and vowed to prove that the man was unworthy of such a position.
Kheldar, however was the one that proved something to Jonius, and now none of that showed anymore. After a few hours of deliberation, they completed their planning. It was nearly dark. Deciding to leave at first light, Jonius proceeded off to bed, while Kheldar went down into the mans training room and had a long bout with the bag before showering and lay in his bed thinking of home and Sarah before finally drifting off for an hour or two off restless sleep.
From: Qzarian3
Jonius' entrance into the Alirgian army was completely opposite of Kheldar's. He was born into a wealthy family, and when he was old enough was enrolled in the countries finest military school. When he turned eighteen and graduated, the war had just began to turn, and he was assigned to lead a group of men to the front to reinforce a recently devastated squad. He was one of the most promising students in his class, and was going to work under one of the best leaders. Or so he thought.
When Lasorici regained consciousness Kheldar and a few others were there, they had already begun preparations for him to be returned to a safer place to recuperate. He saw Kheldar, and then looked at his bandages. "I take it these are your doing?" He asked his friend.
Saluting smartly, Kheldar did his best soldier impersonation as he replied, "Sir!, I thought it was bad form to allow a commanding officer to die, Sir." He did a fair job of keeping a straight face.
"Your lucky that I'm on this stretcher or I'd have to give you the beat down you deserve for that soldier, " he offered the big man a grin, "though it looks like you might have an inch or 5 on me these days." He looked at those glancing over him. "How many did we lose?" He sighed after hearing the tallies. "All right, I need someone to run this back to headquarters." He fished around for a message.
"Where ya want me to take it?" Kheldar replied.
"Not you, I have another job for you," he handed the note off to someone who took off right away. "Kheld.. we lost two other officers today. Someone's gotta take care of this until I recover. I can't think of anyone better than my oldest friend to do it. If your willing."
"I'm not an officer."
"Is that a no?" Kheldar just sighed and shook his head. "I didn't think so. Do you swear to protect Alirgia and all it's people?" Kheldar nodded and mumbled an affirmative answer, and then Lasorici continued. "Then as is my right as commanding officer, I leave you in charge."
When Jonius arrived a few days later with the new soldiers and was informed of the change in his commanding officer, he was furious. He could not understand how a common criminal could be his superior. An untrained man with no background and no family history. He resented Kheldar for the longest time for that and vowed to prove that the man was unworthy of such a position.
Kheldar, however was the one that proved something to Jonius, and now none of that showed anymore. After a few hours of deliberation, they completed their planning. It was nearly dark. Deciding to leave at first light, Jonius proceeded off to bed, while Kheldar went down into the mans training room and had a long bout with the bag before showering and lay in his bed thinking of home and Sarah before finally drifting off for an hour or two off restless sleep.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/16/2003 3:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
The war had been won, and they were ordered to make routine sweeps of the newly liberated lands to make sure that there were no more troops loyal to the Sadineran army. They cleared the ridge and saw the smoke they saw was what was left of a town. As they drew closer, they noticed no attempt being made to stop the flames from spreading. The company realized why; the entire population had been slaughtered. Every last man woman and child.
Kheld opened his eyes, and then sighed slightly as the images slowly faded from his memory again. He glanced out the window, and saw it was nearly dawn so he got up and packed. Jonius, along with some of his housing staff were already up preparing for their departure. After a quick meal and loading the horses they started off east. Their course was to pass the capital by the next evening, stop, regroup and rest the horses at Sarises' home, and then circle back into the city late that night under the cover of darkness.
They rode in silence for the majority of the morning. As they proceeded down the road, Jonius considered the man who was his companion. He owed the man his life. It had been a few months, and Alirgia had moved through the hills and into the Sadineran mainland. Jonius had been biding his time, doing as he had been told thus far, though it was no secret that he thought Kheldar unfit. Things changed however, when they reached Unilad, one of the major cities in the region. The city had been under siege, and they were waiting for more troops before going in. Kheldar's company was to be part of that invasion; rumor had it that Lasorici would be joining them once more as well.
Lasorici did join them a few days after they arrived. He brought another squad, and came to lead the entire assault as a whole, having been promoted to commander. Kheldar was made the permanent captain of the squad. It was upon learning this that Jonius had decided to make his move. If he could break his group off and get to the town hall first, he might be given his own command and finally be out from under the shadow of his criminal commander.
Things started off as he planned. Once they had gotten through the gate and were engaged, Jonius and his men broke off down a back ally. They knew the basic layout of the city and had hoped to sneak past most of the defenses. This had been anticipated by the defenders, and Jonius and his men quickly found themselves surrounded in close quarters. Things were looking grim, as they started to hear the calls to fall back, they had under-anticipated the size of the forces holding Unilad. They were down to only a half dozen men, and were backed up for a last stand as shouts from further down the ally reached them and raised their spirits. Their captain had disobeyed his orders and had doubled back for them. They battled their way out, and with a little luck escaped with only a few more casualties.
This episode was never spoken of between the two men. Jonius had tried to bring it up once before, but Kheldar had just waved him off, claiming that anyone would have done the same. In a way he had been right, any good officer would have done that for his men. Jonius' opinions of his captain had been shattered.
Jonius was still considering things when Kheldar pulled up and suggested they find a place to camp. It was just before nightfall, and they had been riding most of the day. After a few moments of discussion they decided to rest the horses and grab a bite to eat, and then start out again around midnight.
From: Qzarian3
The war had been won, and they were ordered to make routine sweeps of the newly liberated lands to make sure that there were no more troops loyal to the Sadineran army. They cleared the ridge and saw the smoke they saw was what was left of a town. As they drew closer, they noticed no attempt being made to stop the flames from spreading. The company realized why; the entire population had been slaughtered. Every last man woman and child.
Kheld opened his eyes, and then sighed slightly as the images slowly faded from his memory again. He glanced out the window, and saw it was nearly dawn so he got up and packed. Jonius, along with some of his housing staff were already up preparing for their departure. After a quick meal and loading the horses they started off east. Their course was to pass the capital by the next evening, stop, regroup and rest the horses at Sarises' home, and then circle back into the city late that night under the cover of darkness.
They rode in silence for the majority of the morning. As they proceeded down the road, Jonius considered the man who was his companion. He owed the man his life. It had been a few months, and Alirgia had moved through the hills and into the Sadineran mainland. Jonius had been biding his time, doing as he had been told thus far, though it was no secret that he thought Kheldar unfit. Things changed however, when they reached Unilad, one of the major cities in the region. The city had been under siege, and they were waiting for more troops before going in. Kheldar's company was to be part of that invasion; rumor had it that Lasorici would be joining them once more as well.
Lasorici did join them a few days after they arrived. He brought another squad, and came to lead the entire assault as a whole, having been promoted to commander. Kheldar was made the permanent captain of the squad. It was upon learning this that Jonius had decided to make his move. If he could break his group off and get to the town hall first, he might be given his own command and finally be out from under the shadow of his criminal commander.
Things started off as he planned. Once they had gotten through the gate and were engaged, Jonius and his men broke off down a back ally. They knew the basic layout of the city and had hoped to sneak past most of the defenses. This had been anticipated by the defenders, and Jonius and his men quickly found themselves surrounded in close quarters. Things were looking grim, as they started to hear the calls to fall back, they had under-anticipated the size of the forces holding Unilad. They were down to only a half dozen men, and were backed up for a last stand as shouts from further down the ally reached them and raised their spirits. Their captain had disobeyed his orders and had doubled back for them. They battled their way out, and with a little luck escaped with only a few more casualties.
This episode was never spoken of between the two men. Jonius had tried to bring it up once before, but Kheldar had just waved him off, claiming that anyone would have done the same. In a way he had been right, any good officer would have done that for his men. Jonius' opinions of his captain had been shattered.
Jonius was still considering things when Kheldar pulled up and suggested they find a place to camp. It was just before nightfall, and they had been riding most of the day. After a few moments of discussion they decided to rest the horses and grab a bite to eat, and then start out again around midnight.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/16/2003 3:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
The two men watered, and fed their horses as soon as they started. They built a small fire, and ate and then Jonius took a short nap while Kheldar kept a look out. He let his friend sleep until the moon had just passed over head, and then he packed and cleared out the site before rousing him to depart. They did so shortly afterwards.
The night was uneventful, and therefore went by rather quickly. They talked a little about their current lives, and about the recent events that brought them back together, but for the most part, they just rode. They stopped again for a while that morning, again tending to the horses before getting a few hours of rest. They continued their journey through the afternoon, and as evening approached they drew with sight of Sarises home.
Sarises came to join Lasorici's division shortly after the Unilad incident. Lasorici, Kheldar and the other officers, including Jonius were discussing strategy when he arrived. They had finally managed to flush out the resistance out of the city, and now they could continue their advance on the capital where the corrupt influence still plagued the land. Lasorici stood to introduce the new addition. "Gentlemen," he began, "let me introduce the newest addition to the first division. This is Sarises, one of the finest scouts in all the land. He has come to help us avoid anymore Unilad like unpleasantness and to swiftly allow us to obtain victory." There was a round of introductions and then the commander continued, "Kheld, I want you and your men to take point with Sarises here." He then handed out the other platoons assignments and they broke.
It was then they found out there was more to Sarises then one would think. He was an excellent woodsman and tracker. He was nearly undetectable in the dark and could walk without making a sound. His greatest gift, the thing that set him apart from the others was he was a telepath. Anywhere else his skills would have gotten him hung. He luckily hid his skills until he was too well entrenched into the army to be removed. Once he proved how useful he was, they found no problems overlooking his talent. Kheldar, having been raised differently than your average Alirgian, had no problem with the man, and Jonius, newly humbled due to the situation with Kheldar, did his best to understand. This is how Sarises became one of them.
This is why they were allowed in to his home even though he had not been heard from in over a week. His wife, Oliana was packing their things as they entered. She greeted them as friends, and pointed them to the kitchen where a meal had been prepared as they were spotted. When they had finished she handed them a key, a key that would allow them access to Sarises' cellar where the items they needed for the rest of their journey were held. Once they had checked on those things, they were escorted to empty chambers where they could pass the next several hours until it was again dark.
From: Qzarian3
The two men watered, and fed their horses as soon as they started. They built a small fire, and ate and then Jonius took a short nap while Kheldar kept a look out. He let his friend sleep until the moon had just passed over head, and then he packed and cleared out the site before rousing him to depart. They did so shortly afterwards.
The night was uneventful, and therefore went by rather quickly. They talked a little about their current lives, and about the recent events that brought them back together, but for the most part, they just rode. They stopped again for a while that morning, again tending to the horses before getting a few hours of rest. They continued their journey through the afternoon, and as evening approached they drew with sight of Sarises home.
Sarises came to join Lasorici's division shortly after the Unilad incident. Lasorici, Kheldar and the other officers, including Jonius were discussing strategy when he arrived. They had finally managed to flush out the resistance out of the city, and now they could continue their advance on the capital where the corrupt influence still plagued the land. Lasorici stood to introduce the new addition. "Gentlemen," he began, "let me introduce the newest addition to the first division. This is Sarises, one of the finest scouts in all the land. He has come to help us avoid anymore Unilad like unpleasantness and to swiftly allow us to obtain victory." There was a round of introductions and then the commander continued, "Kheld, I want you and your men to take point with Sarises here." He then handed out the other platoons assignments and they broke.
It was then they found out there was more to Sarises then one would think. He was an excellent woodsman and tracker. He was nearly undetectable in the dark and could walk without making a sound. His greatest gift, the thing that set him apart from the others was he was a telepath. Anywhere else his skills would have gotten him hung. He luckily hid his skills until he was too well entrenched into the army to be removed. Once he proved how useful he was, they found no problems overlooking his talent. Kheldar, having been raised differently than your average Alirgian, had no problem with the man, and Jonius, newly humbled due to the situation with Kheldar, did his best to understand. This is how Sarises became one of them.
This is why they were allowed in to his home even though he had not been heard from in over a week. His wife, Oliana was packing their things as they entered. She greeted them as friends, and pointed them to the kitchen where a meal had been prepared as they were spotted. When they had finished she handed them a key, a key that would allow them access to Sarises' cellar where the items they needed for the rest of their journey were held. Once they had checked on those things, they were escorted to empty chambers where they could pass the next several hours until it was again dark.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/17/2003 2:57 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
The silence that had settled over the home of Sarises, was stirred by the sounds of someone tinkering with the back door lock. Five men dressed in black had approached the dormant house shortly before and moved immediately to the back kitchen area, where a forced entrance would be much easier. After picking the lock, the armed men proceeded directly to the living quarters of the house. Though they moved like burglars, though they bothered with nothing of value they passed.
Alerted by the sounds, Kheldar and Jonius were awaiting the men as they entered the dinning area of the house. The two soldiers stepped out of the shadows surprising the men, each taking down one with a swift blow. The intruders did not turn and run as expected, and a muffled brawl commenced. The two soldiers quickly gained the upper hand on the remaining two men, until one of the men who was first downed recovered and drew a knife. As he prepared to fling it at the shadowy figures, he was struck sharply from behind as a third attacker stepped out of the shadows. This sent the weapon offline where it embedded itself in Kheldar’s arm. No longer having the advantage of numbers, the remaining three men fled, leaving their two unconscious companions behind.
As the lights filled the room Kheld and Jonius were surprised to discover that their unexpected ally was Gibalis, Sarises’ son, a boy no older than fourteen. He just stood there for a moment, wooden training sword in his hand and a remorseful look on his face. They had found the boy at five, and from that time Sarises and his wife took him in, he had never spoken. Kheldar, still holding his wounded arm, stooped next to the man felled by the lad. He checked momentarily and then looked into Gibalis’ eyes and assuring the boy that the man was alive. Gibalis nodded, turned and started walking back to his room, stopping only to hug his mother, who had since come out.
“What happened? Who were those men?” She began, and then blinked as she noticed Kheldar’s arm. “Oh my God, your bleeding. Come here let me look at it.”
Kheld looked at her and shook his head. “It’s ok. Nothing really just a scratch, I can get it in a minute. We gotta take care of these guys before they come too again.”
“Nonsense you do. Jonius can handle them, now get over here and let me see,” a hint of frustration beginning to come out of the worry that had first been there. Kheld looked at Jonius, who had already bound the first intruder, and then sighed and followed the woman to the kitchen. The dagger had struck the fleshy part of his right arm, and luckily didn't hit anything major. Oliana had cleaned and was covering the wound as Jonius joined them.
“Who were those men?” she asked a second time.
“It looks like you were visited by Maderyl's goons." Jonius replied. "They fought too well to be normal thugs, and they didn't try and take anything. They were here to intimidate Sarises to back out. Without opposition Maderyl can put whoever he wants in Lasorici's office. I'm sorry we put you through this Oliana."
"Don't be ridiculous, Joni," she scoffed, "Sarises woulda done it even if you hadn't asked. He was honored to be able to help, and the fact that he stayed there was his idea. He said it was finally a chance to look out for you that you couldn't decline." looking at Kheld with a smile.
"Looks like we've got a change of plans here Jonius." Kheld broke in, "We can't leave them here. Not tonight at least. They could come back. We should take them with us and set them up in the city. I know a guy. If he's still there he'll find room for 'em."
Jonius nodded in agreement, and before Oliana could object they prepared to depart. With in the hour the three of them and Gibalis were on the road headed to the capital where Kheld hoped he would be able to employ the services of Heidna once more.
From: Qzarian3
The silence that had settled over the home of Sarises, was stirred by the sounds of someone tinkering with the back door lock. Five men dressed in black had approached the dormant house shortly before and moved immediately to the back kitchen area, where a forced entrance would be much easier. After picking the lock, the armed men proceeded directly to the living quarters of the house. Though they moved like burglars, though they bothered with nothing of value they passed.
Alerted by the sounds, Kheldar and Jonius were awaiting the men as they entered the dinning area of the house. The two soldiers stepped out of the shadows surprising the men, each taking down one with a swift blow. The intruders did not turn and run as expected, and a muffled brawl commenced. The two soldiers quickly gained the upper hand on the remaining two men, until one of the men who was first downed recovered and drew a knife. As he prepared to fling it at the shadowy figures, he was struck sharply from behind as a third attacker stepped out of the shadows. This sent the weapon offline where it embedded itself in Kheldar’s arm. No longer having the advantage of numbers, the remaining three men fled, leaving their two unconscious companions behind.
As the lights filled the room Kheld and Jonius were surprised to discover that their unexpected ally was Gibalis, Sarises’ son, a boy no older than fourteen. He just stood there for a moment, wooden training sword in his hand and a remorseful look on his face. They had found the boy at five, and from that time Sarises and his wife took him in, he had never spoken. Kheldar, still holding his wounded arm, stooped next to the man felled by the lad. He checked momentarily and then looked into Gibalis’ eyes and assuring the boy that the man was alive. Gibalis nodded, turned and started walking back to his room, stopping only to hug his mother, who had since come out.
“What happened? Who were those men?” She began, and then blinked as she noticed Kheldar’s arm. “Oh my God, your bleeding. Come here let me look at it.”
Kheld looked at her and shook his head. “It’s ok. Nothing really just a scratch, I can get it in a minute. We gotta take care of these guys before they come too again.”
“Nonsense you do. Jonius can handle them, now get over here and let me see,” a hint of frustration beginning to come out of the worry that had first been there. Kheld looked at Jonius, who had already bound the first intruder, and then sighed and followed the woman to the kitchen. The dagger had struck the fleshy part of his right arm, and luckily didn't hit anything major. Oliana had cleaned and was covering the wound as Jonius joined them.
“Who were those men?” she asked a second time.
“It looks like you were visited by Maderyl's goons." Jonius replied. "They fought too well to be normal thugs, and they didn't try and take anything. They were here to intimidate Sarises to back out. Without opposition Maderyl can put whoever he wants in Lasorici's office. I'm sorry we put you through this Oliana."
"Don't be ridiculous, Joni," she scoffed, "Sarises woulda done it even if you hadn't asked. He was honored to be able to help, and the fact that he stayed there was his idea. He said it was finally a chance to look out for you that you couldn't decline." looking at Kheld with a smile.
"Looks like we've got a change of plans here Jonius." Kheld broke in, "We can't leave them here. Not tonight at least. They could come back. We should take them with us and set them up in the city. I know a guy. If he's still there he'll find room for 'em."
Jonius nodded in agreement, and before Oliana could object they prepared to depart. With in the hour the three of them and Gibalis were on the road headed to the capital where Kheld hoped he would be able to employ the services of Heidna once more.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/17/2003 3:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
Aloriva was the capital city of Alirgia. The large city was surrounded by thick walls, and a moat, the only ways in and out of the city were the main gates, one in any direction. Almost immediately to the east of the city ran the Yeris, the country's largest river, and the city's only access to the ocean which lay half a days travel to the South. There was no exit or entrance through the gates between the hours of midnight and dawn each day. This is where Heidna made his business.
Heidna owned an inn, the Mole's Mug, built in one of the less desirable areas of town. His establishment was built so that he shared a wall with the outer wall of the city. He had modifications made over the years that allowed him, for a price, to escort people in to and out of the city. If you knew how to ask.
They approached the city from the Northeast, dismounted and led the horses the last mile. Due to the river being so close, on the outside of the eastern wall a small shipping community had formed. They approached a building on the outskirts of this, and the others gave Kheld a hesitant look, to which he just held up a hand and offered a reassuring smile before he left and went inside. A few moments later he returned with two men who led the horses off, and a third motioned for them to follow. When they got to the moat, the man plunged his hand into the water near the bank, and a moment later, was hauling on a chain. Eventually, a small boat appeared, and they crossed.
Once across the man kicked the wall once, and it shortly after swung open. They entered, and after Kheldar had a few words with a tall thin man, they were led to a plain room.
"We'll have to stay here tonight Oliana. Tomorrow you'll be moved to another inn. The horses will be brought in as soon as the gate opens. It will only be a day or a two before we've set Maderyl straight, then Sarises will be elected and this will all be over." Kheld informed the others.
Oliana and Gibalis tried to sleep some, while Kheld and Jonius stayed up and readied their disguises. It had been nearly ten years since he was forced to don an Alirgian uniform. After rebandaging his arm, he ran his hand through his hair. It had taken him a long while to get it to grow back when he moved to Rhydin. As he took the small pair of scissors from his medic bag, he thought about that. When the began to drag the razor over his scalp, he wondered what Sarah would say. If she would care.
From: Qzarian3
Aloriva was the capital city of Alirgia. The large city was surrounded by thick walls, and a moat, the only ways in and out of the city were the main gates, one in any direction. Almost immediately to the east of the city ran the Yeris, the country's largest river, and the city's only access to the ocean which lay half a days travel to the South. There was no exit or entrance through the gates between the hours of midnight and dawn each day. This is where Heidna made his business.
Heidna owned an inn, the Mole's Mug, built in one of the less desirable areas of town. His establishment was built so that he shared a wall with the outer wall of the city. He had modifications made over the years that allowed him, for a price, to escort people in to and out of the city. If you knew how to ask.
They approached the city from the Northeast, dismounted and led the horses the last mile. Due to the river being so close, on the outside of the eastern wall a small shipping community had formed. They approached a building on the outskirts of this, and the others gave Kheld a hesitant look, to which he just held up a hand and offered a reassuring smile before he left and went inside. A few moments later he returned with two men who led the horses off, and a third motioned for them to follow. When they got to the moat, the man plunged his hand into the water near the bank, and a moment later, was hauling on a chain. Eventually, a small boat appeared, and they crossed.
Once across the man kicked the wall once, and it shortly after swung open. They entered, and after Kheldar had a few words with a tall thin man, they were led to a plain room.
"We'll have to stay here tonight Oliana. Tomorrow you'll be moved to another inn. The horses will be brought in as soon as the gate opens. It will only be a day or a two before we've set Maderyl straight, then Sarises will be elected and this will all be over." Kheld informed the others.
Oliana and Gibalis tried to sleep some, while Kheld and Jonius stayed up and readied their disguises. It had been nearly ten years since he was forced to don an Alirgian uniform. After rebandaging his arm, he ran his hand through his hair. It had taken him a long while to get it to grow back when he moved to Rhydin. As he took the small pair of scissors from his medic bag, he thought about that. When the began to drag the razor over his scalp, he wondered what Sarah would say. If she would care.
-
DoF Archive
- Archivist
- Posts: 2684
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 8:28 am
Date: 1/17/2003 3:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Qzarian3
When morning came, a carriage arrived at the back of the Mole's Mug, and took Oliana and her son to the other side of town. Earlier, Kheld and Jonius were ferried back out of the city, before the new dawn had burnt the mist from the moat and river. Shortly after dawn, two soldiers clad in green and black armor, the colors of North Alirgia, formerly Sadinera. They carried papers for Marshal Maderyl, and that got them right through with directions to his offices.
Towards the end of the war King Nitiko came to realize that one man could not know enough to properly control a nation. He divided control into four offices: law, economics, defense, and foreign relations. Each was to handle its own part of the government normally. They would meet regularly to discuss problems that occurred, which were overseen by the king, who acted as the tie breaker in any votes. The first holders of these were appointed by the king himself, with the stipulation that all replacements would be voted on by the tax paying public. Among the original officers, was Lasorici, as the defense Marshal, who was not only in charge of military actions, but of law enforcement in times of peace, giving them a reason to continue to keep their forces.
After the war, the lands of Alirgia were doubled. They attempted to keep the government the same for about a year before they found it was just too difficult. So the council as they had started to be known, decided to double each of the offices and have half deal with the old Alirgia, and the others control the newly acquired lands. They nominated people for the new positions, the two in contention to become the northern marshal were Kheldar, and the King's son Maderyl.
Once Maderyl won, Lasorici transferred to the southern on the kings request. Maderyl had settled in the same offices since, so it made locating them easy for Kheldar and Jonius. The entered and proceeded to speak to the man at the front desk. They spoke with him a moment, and learned that Maderyl was not expected in until that afternoon. They then relayed a story of a messenger getting drunk while carrying a set of orders for the post and losing them, based loosely on an episode from their past. The clerk bought it, and when they exited the offices about an hour later, they had received an unopened, undamaged document from the Marshal's office, with his own stamp on it.
They split up then. Jonius to go check on Oliana and to make sure that Sarises' name was still listed in the upcoming election scrolls, while Kheldar proceeded back into the seedier part of town to obtain some rare ingredients that when mixed correctly would remove ink from paper, the recipe for which he purchased from Heidna a few hours ago. They planned to meet back up near Maderyl's office around noon. Things had gone as planned thus far.
From: Qzarian3
When morning came, a carriage arrived at the back of the Mole's Mug, and took Oliana and her son to the other side of town. Earlier, Kheld and Jonius were ferried back out of the city, before the new dawn had burnt the mist from the moat and river. Shortly after dawn, two soldiers clad in green and black armor, the colors of North Alirgia, formerly Sadinera. They carried papers for Marshal Maderyl, and that got them right through with directions to his offices.
Towards the end of the war King Nitiko came to realize that one man could not know enough to properly control a nation. He divided control into four offices: law, economics, defense, and foreign relations. Each was to handle its own part of the government normally. They would meet regularly to discuss problems that occurred, which were overseen by the king, who acted as the tie breaker in any votes. The first holders of these were appointed by the king himself, with the stipulation that all replacements would be voted on by the tax paying public. Among the original officers, was Lasorici, as the defense Marshal, who was not only in charge of military actions, but of law enforcement in times of peace, giving them a reason to continue to keep their forces.
After the war, the lands of Alirgia were doubled. They attempted to keep the government the same for about a year before they found it was just too difficult. So the council as they had started to be known, decided to double each of the offices and have half deal with the old Alirgia, and the others control the newly acquired lands. They nominated people for the new positions, the two in contention to become the northern marshal were Kheldar, and the King's son Maderyl.
Once Maderyl won, Lasorici transferred to the southern on the kings request. Maderyl had settled in the same offices since, so it made locating them easy for Kheldar and Jonius. The entered and proceeded to speak to the man at the front desk. They spoke with him a moment, and learned that Maderyl was not expected in until that afternoon. They then relayed a story of a messenger getting drunk while carrying a set of orders for the post and losing them, based loosely on an episode from their past. The clerk bought it, and when they exited the offices about an hour later, they had received an unopened, undamaged document from the Marshal's office, with his own stamp on it.
They split up then. Jonius to go check on Oliana and to make sure that Sarises' name was still listed in the upcoming election scrolls, while Kheldar proceeded back into the seedier part of town to obtain some rare ingredients that when mixed correctly would remove ink from paper, the recipe for which he purchased from Heidna a few hours ago. They planned to meet back up near Maderyl's office around noon. Things had gone as planned thus far.