As Price left the warlord's office, his mind began going over all that was said. He had more than a little to think about now, much much more. The question became what to do next. Obviously there were the matters discussed to deal with, but also everything with the 'thieves' Arubak was so intent on no doubt killing. And then there was the overarching issues to deal with on the planet; the other warlords, the Matran, and who knows what else. All this because some upstart nobles thought they could just take his property, his land, factories. All that hard work, the sweat, blood, toil, and tears he poured into it all. Still, it could not be said that this was at all boring...
After a while of walking down the gleaming halls of Arubak's palace, pondering a few works of art the warlord had somehow procured, Steppenwolf finally arrived at the front desk. The same girl as before sat there, Price walked up and gently knocked on the counter top. "Sorry to bother you miss, but Mr. Arubak had informed me to come to the desk and request a drink of my choice? If it's possible, could I trouble you for a bit of Brandy perhaps?" He smiled politely as he awaited the young lady's response.
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Present:
Ash was now inside the fort itself, not quite to plan, but as he overheard Syra's question on the wind, he quietly and sheepishly whispered to himself... "I haven't really got a plan come to think of it..." Before he could say anything else he felt his body lurch forward, as if a demented monkey had just jumped on him, and then the fists started landing. The Captain was dazed and taken completely off guard, but the nearby gunshots getting too uncomfortably close to him made him a little more alert.
It was the girl from the wall that was on him. Ash sneered for a moment as he tried to shake her off. "Listen, I don't want to sound demeaning of women, but is this really the kind of place for a lady? A guardswoman trying to protect a slavery compound? If you get off me, you can just run along and-" More fists landed on Ash, to which he quickly responded by grabbing her by the throat and lifting her into the air as she flailed about. "Being a woman doesn't free you from punishment for crimes against humanity. Last chance before I paint the dirt with your brains."
The Captain threw her to the side as he raised his rifle in the direction of the gunshots. He took several shots, but they so far missed. His opponent was keeping a careful distance between the two of them. Ash bolted in the direction of an out building, something that seemed to be used for storage, firing in the direction of Chilf as he went. He finally made it to the doorway and clung to the wall, out of range of bullets as he quickly reloaded his rifle. "If you people don't put your bloody guns down and send your boss out, then we're going to kill every last one of you and raze this hovel to the ground!" He shouted out.
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Present:
The sun was gleaming down on the soft sands of the desert, a warm breeze blowing and carrying with it the soft chatter of a town thrumming with life. The Horenor was certainly an interesting place, a bit of a blend of various things from The Rock and offworlders. Though perhaps not as familiar as what was present in the Holy Land, it was filled with things Maximilian most certainly recognized. As his black leather boots softly dispersed the sand under his feet, he made his way leisurely to the main entrance of the city, nothing accompanying him beyond what he wore. His steed, and the load it bore, were nowhere in sight.
"Hmm, still a little too much Skylander influence here, but I suppose it is serviceable enough. Certainly more so than Schittle and the other miniature settlements." He mused to himself. "Still, it does look rather picturesque this time of day. Never thought I'd say that about a desert. And of course... There's always the persons of interest to consider."
The Phoenix continued his walk towards the city, the wind gently caressing his dark uniform, while his hand lingered on the hilt of his sword.