Snippet #2476509

Elena stood up as she rubbed her arms to relieve the aches she received from Adion's strong grip. She was glad that the results of their confrontation with Adion did not result to bloodshed. Though now it seems distrust and weariness dominates the air around them. She heard footsteps to her left, she turned and soon she came face to face with Charlus. His face bore a worried expression. "Elena. Elena are you alright?" He reached out and held her in his arms. He inspected her trying to find anything that is wrong with her.

"I'm fine Charlus." She said as she inspected her arms. Bruises were slowly forming from where Adion had gripped her. She quickly hid it from him but she knew he saw it. "Don't worry yourself about trivial matters, Charlus." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm a grown woman and a warrior. I can take care of myself."

Charlus looked at her with a stern look. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He knew he could trust Elena but seeing her get hurt every time worries him to no end. He sighed and shook his head before giving her a weary smile. "Only you, Elena. I...I trust you. I trust your decisions and I will support you. But if something seriously wrong is about to happen then I will step in."

She smiled at him and ran up to Adion's side. She was then followed by Charlus and their men who followed with their weapons at the ready.

"Hey, Adion. I think we all got off the wrong foot or paw and I, uh, want all of us to begin anew, so to speak. So, hi, my name is Elena, Elena Fairwind-Angelos and this lovable guy is Charlus Vaharian-Angelos." She said while pointing at Charlus. "We're both members of the Obscura Rosa."

-----||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||----------||-----

The destruction of the wall, seen near or far, was such as sight. It was a glorious sight from afar. But it was a harrowing and sorrowful sight when close by. Victory in exchange for the lives and homes of many innocents. It was, for Hadrian, a tasteless victory. To shed the blood of the innocent in pursuit of success was a deplorable act. But he couldn't fault the invaders much with regards to the tactics used in taking Tonule. All that he could do was reflect and learn the mistakes and actions done in what the history books would call, "The Battle for Tonule".

Hadrian and his entourage approached the ice encrusted gates in a neat line; with Hadrian and Nala at the front followed by the thousands of knights behind them. Surprisingly, there were no guards guarding the gates at the moment. Hadrian shook his head in dismay. It appears that the men under Dalmar and Ivagio were too complacent. "My Lord, there are no guards at the gate."

Hadrian looked at Nala then back at the gate. "It appears so, Nala. The soldiers here seem to rely on the reputation of their generals alone." Nala nods her head as they continued into the city. They passed by many buildings, some were in relatively good condition while others were destroyed by the debris from the crumbling walls. "Alright, Nala, we are to proceed to the Town Hall as soon as we can. Pray that we reach there without incident."

"Yes, Lord Hadrian. Men, maintain defensive formation." The men behind them quickly rode to formation, ten men surrounding them in a defensive box while the rest stayed in formation with their hands hovering above their blades. The rode through the main streets while garnering some glances and whispers from passers by; though, the majority were focused on living their lives as if nothing has changed.

After a considerable amount of time, they passed by a crowd surrounding two people who are in an argument. Hadrian and his entourage paid no mind to the squabble and continued on. They were so close to their objective. So very close.