Setting
Default Location for Resistance: Shadow of the Tyrant
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
Orina Province is a part of 
Resistance: Shadow of the Tyrant.
5 Characters Here
Rei Meena Rowen [14] "You know what you need? To go out with a loud bang."
Oberon Azura [13] "I shall aid my friends."
Tacitus [13] "Live long and die free."
Elena Valeera [13] "Rest is not a luxury I can afford as long as my people continue to suffer."
Basilio Cortado [12] "You kids are going to need help, and I have the experience to give it."
Start Character Here »
It was around nightfall upon Orina, when the meeting was gathered together, the assembled parties present, Elena Valeera, Heir to the Throne of Orina, her Bodyguard Tacitus, and Spymaster Rei Meena Rowen, were waiting patiently in the meeting tent, which was in a camp set up in the forests of the North, far from the Capital. Now who they were waiting for was a different story. It was Elena's Lieutenant, her trusted shadow; Oberon Azura. Just as it seemed like he was running late, he walked in, rather hurriedly, with several papers in hand.
"Sorry I am so late Milady, everyone!" He shouted between slight gasps of breath. "I was delayed. But now, the big Report that we've been waiting for for the last month." As he said this, he passed down several papers to Elena and Rei before beginning to read off the one in his hand
"Our first batch of troopers, numbering up to one hundred and fifty strong, has finished training and is ready for their first assignment. Now thanks to Rei's contacts," as he said this The young Azura gave a small glance to Rei, "We know the trade routes entering Orina from Zankor. Namely, this one major artery of the routes in general, which is a pass through the Verkan Forest. As our tunnel systems to the east have been completed for this sort of task in mind, my suggestion Lady Elena is that we give these boys a test run by raiding a convoy of supplies from this route, and then, if successful choke the route."
Oberon finally lifted turned his gaze from the paper to everyone present, "If there are questions, concerns, let them be said now." he stated with a small smile, eager to fight against the yoke of the Empire at last.
Elena Valeeria
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Elena Valeera sat leaned back and legs crossed in a nice blue velvet chair, one of the many... donations from the anonymous contributors to the cause, at a curved semi-circle table in the meeting tent. On one side of her sat the Spymaster Rei Meena Rowen, and no doubt somewhere in the background was one of her many underlings. It was a pure stroke of luck to find her, or rather, her find THEM. On her other side behind Elena stood the mysterious yet entirely reliable Tacitus. Although unsure with how to deal with him at first, in the past few months, he has become a welcomed and even comforting presence for Elena. With one hand holding the documents passed out by her Lieutenant and the other hand propping up her head, she regarded Oberon with a half-lidded look. Oberon... her Lieutenant, her Shadow... and her greatest friend spoke and summarized the information, courtesy of Rei, and the strategies they had been discussing for weeks now.
To the onlooker, she would appear disinterested or maybe even bored, but to those closest to her they knew that she was entirely concentrated on the matter at hand. She hung on Oberon's every word and regarded each fact with a careful deliberation. She flipped her gaze to the table, a very detailed and well-made map of Orina laid out before her. Many marks and pins already spread across it with many Zankor controlled points already marked. And counting.
"If there are questions, concerns, let them be said now."
Elena paused a moment and stood up.
"Well, I cannot speak for the others... but I have no objections." She slowly walked around the table towards the entrance of the tent.
"Now, I do believe our newly graduated troops are looking for a pep talk. I see no more reason to keep them waiting." She smiled as she opened the flap, but paused.
"Oh, Tacitus and Oberon, they might want to see their ruthless trainers as well..." Not seeing whether they followed or not, she turned and headed out.
Outside, a large group of one hundred and fifty men and women stood outside waiting. As soon as Elena walked outside, they snapped to attention. Ah, well trained indeed. She walked over to a small platform and stepped up on to it so they could all get a clear view as she spoke. Elena glanced over the group before letting the silence and anticipation wash over her. She fiddled with her steel plated bracers on her arm as she made eye contact with as many different individuals as she could. Taking a breath she began to speak.
"I want to start by saying thank you. Four months ago we revealed ourselves, stuck our flag in the ground, and took a stand for the first time in twenty years. You, each and every one of you, decided to believe in us, believe in the Cause. Freedom. For that, we are entirely grateful. After all, none of this would be possible without your faith and dedication. So, now, after several months of rigorous training you are ready. You, are ready to finally begin taking back what the Empire stole from us. You will be sent to secure supplies from a Zankor convoy, and, if all goes well, choke and secure the routes to halt the reinforcements from Zankor. It is critical we accomplish this, but we have the utmost faith you will succeed. So, go. Give the Empire ten fold what they gave us!"
The soldiers cheered and roared with excitement; their enthusiasm spreading throughout the camp as they dispersed. Elena folded her arms behind her back and smiled to herself. This was it. It was finally beginning.
âĢ My Name (Wearing Me Out) âĢ
Tacitus stood there as a oak, tall and strong. As always he was ever watchful over his charge, the ever loyal watchdog. His arms were folded behind his back as he stood tall, quite literally towering over the others in the strategy meeting. His seemingly cold, and dead eyes carefully scanned his surroundings, always preparing for the worst. But every so often his gaze would lie upon Rei, the mage spymaster. Tacitus has been up front, and vocal about his......dislike of mages. Though he will remain professional if only for the troop's sake, they were both seen as important members of the rebellion after all. Would not bode well for moral if they were constantly at each others throats. But he has made it abundantly clear that he believes that mages should be closely monitored, and controlled, especially someone who has proven to be so......erratic. Though he does not understand Lady Valeera's leniency on her antics.
The war meeting was soon about to commence with the arrival of Lieutenant Azura, who was running late, as he brought reports of the current status of the rebel forces, and operations. Tacitus' intense eyes narrowed in on Oberon. "Lord Azura I would like to remind you that tardiness is an unbecoming trait of any forces leadership. It does not set a good example towards our forces." He coldly stated, his voice deep, and commanding, just oozing strength, and power. Tacitus did not personally dislike Oberon. He was a competent enough warrior, and appreciated his capabilities. Though he does not agree on his training policies, and the fact that he is constantly running to Lady Valeera's side, which makes him feel as though it is unnecessary for him to be Lady Valeera's personal bodyguard if he is always there at her side.
When the reports were passed out Tacitus picked his up, and pretended to read it as Oberon reported on the events. Once he was done speaking Tacitus rubbed his chin as he stared at the gibberish on the paper. "If the route is in the forest I suggest picking a ambush site near tall, and strong trees, and place troops within the tree line. A two prone attack, one from above, and another below will give the enemy little time to react. Make the killing quicker, and more efficient." Tacitus suggested as he placed the report down on Lady Valeera's table.
When Lady Valeera stood up, and spoke Tacitus' body became much more rigid, and tense as he stood at attention. With Lady Valeera's suggestion of him, and Oberon joining her to address the troops he merely nodded, and grunted in agreement as he followed closely behind her, keeping himself at her left side. Tacitus stood there ever rigid, and calm as Lady Valeera gave a rousing speech to her army. With the speak over, and the crowd cheering Tacitus merely let out a pleased grunt.
Tacitus glanced over at Lady Valeera. "Words I hope they will form into action, Lady Valeera." He stated lowly to Lady Valeera. "I hope their enthusiasm last, and I will see to it that eagerness does not turn into recklessness." He stated. "Love of the people, strength of a nation." Words that were often told to him by his trainer during his youth. To a Gladiator that merely means that it is the admiration, and enjoyment of the crowd that gives a Gladiator strength. They were words that he has always liked, and felt appropriate to say. While Tacitus may be seen as fairly new to be apart of the rebel's command structure, he does not let that stop him from offering Lady Valeera words of advice when he feels it appropriate.
Tacitus looked upon the crowd of soldiers. He still thought they were sloppy. He has become quite the ruthless teacher, and has told them that his intent is not to turn them into soldiers, heroes, or freedom fighters, but to turn them into warriors to be feared. While they aren't bad per say, but they'd still barely last five minutes in the arena. But before he began training them it was down to one and a half. Progress that he has to deem as acceptable.
Tacitus training methods have often been scrutinized by the other troops. Some saying he could be inhumanly harsh on the recruits. Such as shackling the recruits to large rocks, and force them to run ten miles in the pouring rain. And for those that fail to complete the task in a amount of time that he deems acceptable then he forces to stay out in the run doing push ups until dawn's first light. And he makes sure to keep watch of them throughout the entire night to be sure they didn't slack off. This brutal harshness, from someone outside of Orina, and a mercenary no less has often led to them question his loyalty to their cause. But to these thoughts are often quelled when they witness him first hand in action. His worth is quickly made apparent.
Tacitus has never given much mind to what the others thought of him. A part of him does think this fear is warranted. If they knew the truth about him, the things he's done, the people he's hurt, he doubts that they could forgive, or accept him. He was, is, and will always be what he's been made into, a monster to be unleashed on others enemies. He is but a tool of war now. So perhaps their gossip about him is well placed. Tacitus was then snapped out of his thoughts as the cheering began to slowly die down. He let out a sigh. "One way or another they will have their freedom. In this life or the next is up to them now. And you as well Lady Valeera. There is no turning back." He added.
Rei sat with a polite smile on her face. In reality, she was very nonplussed about the current situation but she rarely let those emotions pass beyond a brief look. Oberon was late, as it were, and this would be the sixth consecutive time that he had done something of this nature. And it was irritating. He was going to get an earful from her later about this. Arranging a meeting and failing to be present or even early to said meeting was a strategical no-no. Perhaps that was why she looked at him with disdain at times. She was surprised he had managed to keep his position for as long as he had, even more so that he was able to keep his head in the game. Lack of efficiency usually led to death on the battlefield.
She slid her eyes over towards Elena, feeling her expression soften. The young heir to the throne, the little miss had proven to be spunky at best. She could always respect someone that was seemingly as dedicated to the cause she was. To her, there was no question that the Zankor Empire had to be removed, and it was a sentiment that Elena shared. Part of her wished she could explain the situation to her supposed leader, but the answer was far more complicated than she wished to get into. For now, she was lending her services to their army, and that was good enough. So she hoped.
The spymaster was pulled out of her reverie when she caught the eye of Tacitus, who quickly looked away from her. He was always doing that, staring at her when he thought that she couldn't see. What an idiot, she always knew. She had eyes. Her eyes had eyes. He had been vocal on many occasions about what he thought about her, very concisely worded as well. But his words were unfounded in a lot of ways, because his distrust was a generalized one of magic, not a factually rooted one. Maybe she would catch up with him after this meeting. Despite his one-track mindset, she applauded his strength and yearned for a bit of a bout between them. Well, all in good time, she wasn't about to push that on him to any degree.
Oberon entered the tent and she snapped her attention to him. He bumbled through his little speech, extending an excuse (as usual). Once he had caught his breath, he relayed the information she had given him earlier. Though, to be fair, it wasn't information by her direct acquisition. It had been relayed to her by the quiet Fi, who was hiding in a corner of the tent. No one seemed to have noticed her and Rei wasn't about to strike up conversation. She was handed the report papers, glancing them over. Nothing new, she already knew what was here. She looked up at her companions, frowning as Tacitus voiced some alternate strategy plans.
"Murdering everyone is not wise--I would like to acquire some... intel and I will need the leader of the squadron alive, as well as his squire." She made a point of looking at Elena as she spoke, keeping her voice polite, upbeat, and she ended her sentence with a smile. No need to cause alarm for what she planned, it was better that way. She pushed the papers into her bag. "If that's all, wonderful talk Obi, top notch. I'll see you tin cans soon." She threw the last bit in, noticing in passing that indeed, she was the only one not wearing armor in the tent. (To be fair, Tacitus slept in his)
She left as Elena was making a move to stand up, departing from the tent and crossing past the troops. She heard their whispers and one of them said a bit too loudly, "See, I told you it was a woman. Scary, huh?" She extended her warmest smile in their direction, causing some nearby men to stop talking immediately. Idiot. They only ever saw what was presented to them. She could respect their bodies for the count, but didn't really think much of their minds. She walked through the camp, Fi had not followed her. The little one hadn't felt right about Tacitus for undisclosed reasons and had probably already found a suitable vantage point to watch the warrior.
As she approached the outer reaches of the camp, another set of footsteps fell in with hers. She didn't miss a beat, pulling the papers out and extending them over her shoulder. There was a rustle as they were taken, followed by a laugh.
"As you requested." Rei mused lightly, undisturbed by her visitor. There was another laugh and the figure spun into view, winking.
"Thank you, my dearest. You know I do treasure the wait, hopefully his information doesn't add up. Terrible news for the rebellion of course but wonderful news for my little hobbies." Twine chirped as she took the pages, putting them in a satchel. Rei waved her hand dismissively, not turning around to watch as her Acquirer departed. Definitely an asset, but a dangerous tool without the proper leashing. The spymaster ran a few fingers through her hair, pulling it back into a ponytail. She had a bit of extra time before they were due to head out. She wanted to get some target practice in before she had to wish the others farewell.
Basilio Cortado
Basilio crouched in his temporary campsite in the woods. He had a stick in one hand and was intently frowning at the bare patch of earth in front of him. One of his eyes was closed, opening it would not help him see, currently. Maybe he should look into an eyepatch. Nah, no reason to look unnecessarily villainous, especially at this point. These were delicate times, something like that could very well tip the scales against him. Nope, definitely safer to just look like a fool with poor depth perception.
With the stick, he scratched a few more squares and figures into the dirt, squiggly lines made to represent tree tops, estimated squad strengths. He'd been over and over these same numbers again and again for the past week. He kept reviewing his information to see if he had left anything out. Even the tiniest detail forgotten could mean his life.
Somewhere, and he was sure she was there, hidden in the wilderness around him, was one of the rebel spies. One of the dangerous, dangerous rebel spies. At least they hadn't killed him when he said he was an Imperial soldier. That was something, at least. The sweet armful he had talked to had even smiled at him, touched his arm. He had needed to pretend to be flattered. But he had seen her. Specifically not seen her. Anyone who was mentally disciplined and aware enough to evade his extra sight needed to be watched and treated carefully. Not the silly/sexy girl she had seemed to be to others around her, and he needed her to think he was fooled, as well.
Basilio sighed, loudly. Finally, he stood, letting much-needed blood circulate through his knees. "This is getting me nowhere. They took the information, all I can do now is wait." He winced, as his lower legs informed him with pins and needles that he had been crouching for far too long. "I might as well get some rest until I find out if they're going to kill me now, or later."
He moved over to one of the bushes, pulling out his hand-made tarp. Definitely not an elegant piece of work. He eyed his handiwork critically, seeing the patches, noting where leaves were coming out. Roughing it in the woods was something he had been trained, yeah, but he hadn't needed it until now. And it was so not his style. 25 years in the military, and for what. A tent made out of leaves and pine needles, a bed of grass and pebbles, earthworms for company, and still being relentlessly watched, observed for any weaknesses.
Basilio muttered some curses in his native Zarapi. That mindset would get him nowhere, especially not to sleep. He forced himself to think of other things. Like always, his mind went straight to the information he had given to the rebels. 'Poor Thanatos,' he thought, 'If all goes according to the rebels' plan, then he's going to get chewed out over his regiment being the first to fail since Damien's arrival.'
His mind darkened again, thinking about Damien. That monster. He was the whole reason Basilio was here, camping in the woods with the rebellion swine, like some kind of savage from the Northernlands. He should be with his troops, figuring out ways to combat these rebellion swine, not against them! 'But they understand that's why I'm on the other side, to help them survive.' He forced his mind to different things, again. He didn't know if any of the spies could see like he could, but no sense risking it.
For now, he propped his threadbare (threadbare was too good of a word for it, really. What is this?!) tarp with his figurin' stick, and laid down on the 'soft' grass below it. He closed his one good eye and drifted off into a quiet nap. He probably wouldn't be summoned until after the first attack was successful. If it weren't successful....well....he wouldn't have to worry about Damien, at least.
Oberon nodded towards those who spoke to him, and followed Elena along with Tacitus out to greet the troops before their mission. Maybe after the speech, Oberon could practice with Draconil before anything else happened. Standing by his friend's side as he had always done in the past, he listened to her powerful speech to bring the first battalion which would lead this first great raid upon the trade route.
To say she didn't cause admiration to blossom within the ranks (and himself) is an understatement. He gave her a soft smile and nodded to her. "Well spoken Elena." he complimented with a smile as he rolled his shoulders and prepared to walk with her. It was then Tacitus opened his mouth and said that there was no turning back at this point.
"Tacitus, there was no turning back since we started on this path, found you, Rei, and recruited many to our cause." Obi stated as he stared out at the distance to see the onee small solitary tent beyond. A Zankor turncoat who kept his distance due to his mistrust. Though it sickened him to think that a potential enemy or ally was out there, he had to calm down and tolerate him, for Elena's sake. "It's either do or die at this point, and keeping on the plans and gaining footholds until we get strong enough." he gripped his fists and cracked them, and the thoughts of fighting against a member of the House of Zankor. Especially Damien...
No, better to save the growing worry about Damien for now. He had to see what Elena's intentions were. Oberon turned his gaze to the woman he respected, his longtime friend, the object of unrequited affections. Speaking of maybe after the battle he'd try to playfully flirt with her again, hoping for no interruptions, more specifically the spymaster on that front. "So, are we ready for kicking som Zankor behind?" he asked with enthusiasm in his voice.
Elena Valeeria
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After Elena's speech, she allowed her mind to drift back to the strategy meeting. Although she didn't acknowledge Rei or Tacitus at the time, she had heard and pondered both of their suggestions. Both were solid plans of action and she saw no reason why both couldn't be implemented. They would simply have to set aside a team of Rei's design for capturing her desired targets. Elena was still running over these things when Tacitus and Oberon began lightly praising her speech. She turned to Tacitus first.
"Of course, Tacitus. I'll provide a spark and you can help fan the flames," she said with a smile. Still smiling she looked to Oberon. "Thank you, Oberon. Your support is always appreciated." She shifted back towards the dispersing soldiers and swept her gaze across the camp. As much as they had grown in such a short period of time, they still needed to be infinitely larger in order to accomplish their goals. Her eyes swept upward towards the star-sprinkled night sky and the waning crescent moon hung towards the west. She felt oddly calm despite their impending first battle. Perhaps the reality of the situation had failed to sink in yet, or perhaps it was the rapidly growing confidence in the officers she had chosen to aid in this quest. Tacitus once again broke her out of her musings with a comment on not only the soldiers future freedom but hers as well. Before she could comment, Oberon interjected with comment on how it had been too late since we began recruiting stealing the words out of her mouth.
"Indeed. Couldn't have said it better." Footholds... with each victory, the climb will become that much more treacherous. The Zankor Empire had managed to overrun so many countries for a reason. One misstep could lead to the destruction of us all. There was no such thing as being overly cautious in this war. All our resources were few and limited. Each extremely valuable. There was no room for waste. She suddenly remembered the plans from the prior meeting and looked up at Tacitus' towering form.
"Before it slips my mind once more, I think both Rei's and your suggestion should be implemented. The troops should most definitely be placed where the forest is thickest and two fronts would cause the Zankorites to panic. However, if Rei believes some valuable information can be gathered from capturing the leader and his squire, then it should be done. A team should be arranged strictly for the purpose of slipping in during the chaos, acquiring the targets, then retreating as quickly as possible. This should be relayed before dawn." She knew Tacitus would see this done. Elena had never really seen such a high level of competence before. He always made sure everything was done and then some. A true asset through and through.
Oberon, excitement lacing his voice, asked if we were ready to start whipping some Zankor posterior. With a smirk on her face she said,
"Of course. As soon as these arrangements are put into place and Rei is finished dealing with the turncoat, we march."
Elena turned away from the two and began walking towards her own quarters. She was too anxious to try to rest, so her only other option was training. She paused and without turning said softly,
"I'm off to train for awhile since sleep isn't an option. Care to join Obi?" She continued walking not bothering to check whether he actually followed. She glanced off towards the forest and thought of the rebel Zankor soldier camped outside their procession. When she had first heard news of a turncoat willingly providing information, Elena had eagerly wanted to meet with him, but was swiftly denied by Rei and Tacitus for what they deemed a "safety hazard". Above all else, she was curious as to his reasons for desertion. Most of the Zankor soldiers were quite loyal and resolute in their service. To see one not only turn their back on the Empire, but also supply the rebellion with critical intelligence was surprising. The others had suggested it was simply a ploy to gain our trust, but Elena wasn't so sure. Too much risk was involved for something like that.
Elena finally reached the small clearing in front of her personal tent and began to stretch. No sense worrying over it now.
âĢ Same Old War âĢ
"Your will, my hand Lady Valeera." Tacitus stated as he placed his fist on his chest piece, and gave her an agreeing nod as he turned away from them and made his way towards the troops. He strode across the camp, towering over all others, and displaying a sense of strength, and nobility towards the other soldiers. He held his arms behind his back, and puffed out his chest, walking like a lion among it's pride. All the troops seemed to part as he walked, giving him a respectable amount of space out of a mixture of respect, and fear.
As he began to approach the squad of soldiers that were to partake in the ambush he could hear the sound of huffing, and weezing coming near him. Tacitus looked down and saw his hound, Xerxes waddling over to join him. Xerxes short legs were almost not enough to keep it's large torso up, with his belly being a inch or two away from touching the ground. As it waddled it was carrying a chewed up leather boot that was covered in droll in his mouth. Tacitus let out a small sigh. "I do hope that is one of the recruit's boots, and not Lord Azura's....again."
Well there was nothing that could be done about it now. Whoever it belonged too it belonged to Xerxes now. Tacitus sure wasn't going to take it away from him. As Tacitus approached the solders they all stood at attention, and saluted him. "Your orders are to kill the Zankor soldiers, take the supplies they are transporting, and to take the captain of the convoy, and his squire alive." He informed them. "You are to choose an ambush site with ample trees. Go for a two prone assault, one group will hide in the trees, and drop down on them, while the other will take the tunnels and surprise them from below."
"How will we know which one is the captain?" One of the soldiers asked. "Use common sense. The leader will most likely stand out from the rank and file. You will know who's in charge when you see them." He answered. "Attack all at once, and disable the leader, and his squire quickly. Rei has questions for them." He added. "Man I can't wait to make those Zankor bastards pay!" One of the soldiers stated with some excitement. Tacitus turned towards the soldier, towering over him.
"Remember, knowledge brings about skill, and skill bears strength. Use your head, and keep your emotions in check. A clouded mind will kill you as fast as any blade. Anger is a useful ally, but it can so easily turn against you." Tacitus stated, causing the soldier to take big gulp, and nod his head. "Uh.....yes sir....of course sir."
âĢ Biggest, The Best âĢ
Heat from the sun above beat down on the training arena of the young Gladiators, as unforgiving as them. The sand beneath their feet was searing. But the young Gladiators gave no reaction to it, they just endured as they are meant to. Steel clashed against steel, and thundered around the arena. The young Gladiators were paired up together. There was only six would be Gladiators left of the batch of originally twelve. This group included a five year old Tacitus. Tacitus savagely attacked his sparing partner, a boy roughly his age. But the raw ferocity of his attacks one wouldn't think that they are simply sparring with one another instead of being in a fight to the death. But Tacitus it might as well be.
Tacitus bashed his wooden shield against the other boy's, causing him to stagger back slightly. Tacitus took this opportunity to press his opponent. Wild, and raw slashes flew from Tacitus steel sword, bashing against the boy's shield in a desperate attempt to defend against him. The boy tried one last ditch effort to gain advantage by stabbing his sword forward. Tacitus sidestepped the blow at the last moment, and clinched his arm down onto the blade, holding it in his armpit. Tacitus brought his sword up, and lobed it into his opponent's sword arm, forcing him to drop his sword, and grunt lowly in pain.
Tacitus took his sword out of the boy's arm, cutting deep with the bone being visible. Tacitus bashed the boy with the pommel of his sword, forcing the boy back, and then he continued his onslaught. This forced the boy to the ground as he tried to defend against Tacitus. With one powerful kick Tacitus broke the boy's wooden shield. Tacitus pressed his foot on the boy's chest, keeping him pinned to the ground. Tacitus brought up his sword to go for the killing blow, all with a pleased smile on his face. A whip wrapped around Tacitus' wrist, and pulled him off the boy, and dragged him through the sand. "Enough mongrel!" The commanding voice of their trainer ordered. "Get the weak one to the medic!" He ordered, and several older boys dragged the loser to the medic.
"Hold!" The trainer shouted, forcing all the other pairs to stop in their tracks. He cracked his whip in the air, getting everyone's attention. "Return to position!" He commanded, and everyone stood in a line, and at attention. The trainer walked back and forth in front of the boys, sizing them up. And then from the balcony above them came their master Domitius, and his two children, Seia and Decius. This made all of the young Gladiators grow antsy, all wanting to gain their master's favor. Their trainer once more cracked his whip to gain their attention. "What are you?!" He asked. "Hounds to be unleashed upon our master's rivals!" They all stated in unison.
"What is beneath your feet Tacitus?!" He asked as he stopped in front of Tacitus. "Sacred ground watered by the blood, and tears of failures, teacher!" Tacitus shouted. The trainer nodded. Domitius looked upon his stock, particularly Tacitus in pleasure. This caused a slight smile to twitch on Tacitus' face. "Partner up!" The trainer ordered, causing the young Gladiators to scramble to find a partner. Tacitus easily found him a partner, as his near killing of his last partner made him quite desirable to defeat. Domitius looked upon Tacitus with interest, something that he himself felt, and was pleased with.
As the pairs began attacking one another their master's attention was brought to the current champion of the house, a Gladiator named Aramis. Aramis approached his master on the balcony, and they began talking about something, but the fact that his master's attention was no longer on him was something he couldn't stand. Tacitus began violently, and savagely attacking his foe, trying to get his attention once more. But Domitius paid no mind. Tacitus growled in anger. He glared up at Aramis with hate in his eyes. He was taking all the attention of his master, this couldn't stand. He had to show that he was the most powerful Gladiator. That he was the true champion.
As he continued his attack he was growing increasingly irritable, and angry. He pushed his opponent back with a swift kick to his ribs. Tacitus looked up to see his master's reaction, but he hadn't seen it. This pushed him pass his boiling point. Tacitus tossed his shield aside, and charged at his foe. His sparring partner held his shield up to defend against the charging Gladiator. Tacitus leaped in the air, landing on the opponent's shield. He then kicked off of the shield, going high in the air. The trainer in the meantime was watching a separate pair, not knowing what was going on. Tacitus used this boost to leap up into the balcony of his master, and attacked the champion.
Though surprised, the champion was not caught off guard as he was able to draw his sword, the sign of a champion of House Lactantius, a sword with a ivory handle carved in the shape of a tiger. Aramis was able to block Tacitus' attack, though the young gladiator was fast enough to inflict a small scratch upon Aramis' face. This sudden attack caught Domitius by surprise, making him instinctively put himself in front of his children to protect them. Decius had a slightly amused look on his face, finding this better than the normal training. Seia on the other hand had a much more excited look as she bit down on her bottom lip, and tried to push herself pass her father's arm to get a better look at the action.
Tacitus continued his attack upon the champion, using his small size, and superior agility to his advantage against the obviously more experienced, and stronger opponent. Tacitus continued to attack him, jumping around Aramis, not giving him time to properly counter him. "What are you doing whelp?! Have you gone mad from the heat?!" Aramis growled at him as Tacitus attacks had pushed him back further into House Lactantius, causing many servants to flee in terror. "Proving that I'M the best!" Tacitus roared as he continued his onslaught. Despite the frequency, and savagery of his attacks none of them had managed to land. But eventually he managed to land one wild slash to Aramis' arm.
Aramis glared down at the blood as it started dripping on the ground. "Enough of this!" The champion roared as he kicked Tacitus back. Tacitus hopped back several feet away from him. Tacitus hopped on his tippy toes, preparing for an attack that he had been working on. He slammed his feet into the marble floors of the house, and held out his sword in front of him. And in a blink of an eye he rushed forward with amazing speed. As Tacitus came closer for his attack Aramis quickly spun around him, and slashed his back. Tacitus staggered as stopped, and spun around to face Aramis. The wound shot pain up, and down his back, but he had to ignore it the best he could.
Tacitus roared like an animal as he ran forward to attack him. Aramis blocked his slash with his sword, and locked with Tacitus. Tacitus tried to push back at Aramis, but the champion was far too strong for Tacitus. Aramis quickly swept Tacitus legs from under him, sending him up in the air. In the brief moment Tacitus was in the air Aramis punched him in his chest with quite a bit of strength. Tacitus went flying across the room before hitting a pillar. Tacitus gasped in pain as his wounded back hit the pillar, leaving quite the crack in the marble. As Tacitus fell to the ground Aramis gave him little time to react.
Aramis lunged forward at Tacitus. The young Gladiator clinched his sword, and began to raise it for an attack but it was too late. Aramis swatted the sword out of Tacitus grasp, and slashed him across his chest with enough force to spin Tacitus around. As Tacitus faced the marble pillar he felt Aramis' grip on the back of his head. Aramis violently slammed Tacitus' head into the pillar, and then again, and then again. After four smashes he pulled Tacitus' head out of the pillar. At this point Tacitus' face was covered in blood, and bruised. His right eye was swollen shut as blood poured down his forehead, and passed his eyes, appearing like he was crying tears of blood.
Tacitus was dazed, and confused. He tried to open his mouth to say something but all the came out was gargling noises, and blood. Aramis threw Tacitus back, and in midair dealt the young Gladiator a bone crushing elbow, forcing him down to the marble floor, creating a slight crater. Tacitus was drifting in, and out of consciousness, his vision was blurry. It was at that point he was certain that he was gonna die. Aramis placed his foot on Tacitus' chest, pressing his entire weight on the boy. Tacitus groaned in pain as he could feel what remained of his ribs breaking. He was now fully conscious, and desperately clawed at Aramis' leg. Aramis looked down upon the boy with disgust, and raised his sword high above his head.
Once his sword was up Tacitus stopped struggling, deciding to accept his fate. Tacitus spat up a gunk of blood, and glared up at Aramis with his one working eye. "D-d-d-......" He breathed heavily as he struggled to get the words out. "D-D-DO IT! I'M N-N-NOT AFRAID!" He screamed as loud as he could. He would not die begging for his life. He had to accept the consequences of rash actions. Aramis smirked in amusement before he brought the blade down towards Tacitus' neck. "Aramis hold!" Domitius ordered as he approached the two Gladiators. Aramis did as instructed, stopping his blade as it touched the skin of Tacitus' neck. Tacitus could feel his blood drip down from the sword, and onto his neck, and the coldness of the steel.
"Pick him up." Domitius ordered. Aramis sheathed his blade, and stepped off of Tacitus' chest before he yanked the boy up by his hair. Aramis held Tacitus up by his red hair, causing Tacitus to grunt in pain. He tried to move his arms, or legs to fight him off but nothing happened. Domitius held out his aging, ringed hand, grasping Tacitus by his chin. Domitius moved his slave's head from side to side to get a better look at him. "Let him live. I like the fire in this one's eyes!" He ordered. Aramis hesitated for a moment. "O-of course master. As you command." Aramis stated, making sure to keep his gaze to the ground, and not at Domitius. "Put him back with the other whelps. He'll have to be properly punished by his trainer." Domitius ordered.
Aramis gave him a nod, and began to drag Tacitus towards the training arena. As they went Domitius smiled to himself. "He's going to be a keeper." He softly stated. Aramis roughly threw Tacitus down into the training arena, where the other young Gladiators were watching towards the balcony, wondering what was going on. The battered, and bloodied Tacitus fell to the sand of the training arena, tumbling across it slightly. That sand that got into his open wounds burned intensely, but he did all that he could not to show his pain. He couldn't show weakness. Aramis then threw Tacitus sword down into the arena, landing mere inches away from the boy.
Tacitus looked at his beaten, and nearly unrecognizable face through the reflection of the steel. That was the strength of a full-fledged Gladiator. Though there was a part of him that believed that Aramis was holding back during their battle. Tacitus back arched violently as he felt the sting of his trainer's whip upon it. "Worthless mutt! I guess you still need to be house broken!" His trainer roared. He lashed at the boy once more with his whip. "Take him to the medic! Once he is stitched up I will see to it that he has the proper punishment!" Several older boys grabbed Tacitus by his arms, and dragged him across the sand. "Let him serve as a warning for what happens when you challenge your betters! Now, back to position!" The trainer shouted, and then cracked his whip. The sound of the whip cracking was the last thing Tacitus heard before he fell unconscious.
"Um...sir?" The soldier snapped Tacitus out of his train of thought. "Is that all?" He asked slightly nervous. "Yes. Just be prepared." He stated. Tacitus then turned away from them, and began to walk away. "Xerxes come." He ordered, causing Xerxes to get up, and follow behind him. The two made their way towards Lady Valeera's tent to resume his duties as her protector.
Basilio Cortado
The trees swayed in the twilight, the air heavy around him. Basilio's mind was hazy, all organized thought faint and distant. His head ached, and he couldn't see a thing. Where was he?
He opened his left eye, his right eye having swollen shut. As his eye adjusted to the dimming light, the first sight to greet his vision was Rufilio's distraught face. No, not distraught, that wasn't quite the expression. He looked terrified and in considerable pain. But something wasn't quite right about that, either. His mouth was open far too wide, and his skin was slack and pale. What was that smell? It itched something in the back of his mind. He shoved the thought aside.
'R-Rufi-lio' Basilio managed to stammer out. Why was talking so difficult? His mouth felt rubbery, his jaw and teeth lose. His ribs ached as if they were broken, and why couldn't he feel his left arm? He looked back to his best friend, again, straining his mind to remember why he, no, why both of them were here in the forest. 'What did they do to you? I came to help you, to save you.' He tried to move forwards, only to find himself unable to budge. He glanced down, and his brain slowly processed the ropes that secured him to a tree. What? Why was all of this so familiar to him? An echo of history? The itch in the back of his mind came back.
Suddenly, Basilio remembered. Horrified, he looked up again, to see Rufilio's gaunt, lifeless corpse tied to the tree across from him. He let his eye drift past him to the myriad trees bearing identical bodies with uniforms and ropes. 'No,' he uttered, each dead face staring blankly ahead in an eternal expression of agony, each body conveying a name and a rank that seared itself into Basilio's mind.
The wind rustled through the forest, carrying the stench of rotted corpses straight into Basilio's face. The wind also carried the voices. Slight murmurs on the wind drifted into Basilio's ears. Immobile, he couldn't help but hear what was being said. Scraps of words teased him with semblances of coherent phrases. Slowly, he pieced them all together. With horror, he stared at his fallen comrades, now turned to stare accusingly at him with unseeing eyes. They screamed, they howled....they didn't make a sound.
He could hear the words of the dead.
This is all your fault, alL YoUR fauLT, ALl yOUR FaULT, ALL YOUR FAULT
Basilio woke with a start. Cold sweat covered his face. He lay there for a while, collecting his thoughts, separating fact from fiction. The memories of that awful night still haunted him, keeping him awake at all hours of the night. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't! Right?
He sat up, startling the snake that had curled up near him for warmth as he had slept. It slithered away in surprise. As Basilio watched it, a mosquito buzzed past his ear, landing on his neck for a midnight feast of blood. The woods! Bah!
*Smack!* Ugh, bug guts, to boot. Basilio sighed and stood, making his way towards the river. He didn't care if the spy watching him did kill him for leaving his camp, he needed to wash up, and a cold bath would help keep him awake for the rest of the night.
As he washed, he heard a curious sound. Basilio, his interest piqued, followed it to the ground, of all places. He layed flat on the forest floor with his ear pressed through the leaf litter. Faintly, he heard clinks of metal against metal and the creak of leather stretching. He moved himself to a sitting position, contemplating what he had just heard.
So. The rebels were off. The supply shipment would be taken and the rebels would feast triumphantly on Zankor Imperial rations. But they wouldn't hold the supply route. Basilio would see to that.
Oberon took everything he heard with zeal, he loved it when Tacitus, Elena and him actually agreed on something and it was somewhat refreshing on some points. A part of him however, felt absolutely giddy when Elena told him his support was always appreciated.
But business had to be done. The plan would be relayed to the new battalion and then they'd march for the first battle this rebellion ever had and hopefully would be a great success.
It was then however, he heard Elena's request to spar with her as he smiled a small soft smile."Of Course, I would never deny you a spar." he replied as the smile turned into a confident smirk. He then turned towards his tent to go fetch his blade. As he went he swore he saw a certain black and white canine mascot of the Resistance waddle past him. Oberon frowned as he fought the urge to give chase to the mutt if it actually took one of his spare boots.
He couldn't worry about Xerxes' mischief now. He had a sparring session to go to. Then, a new beginning would occur. But until then, he hoped Elena brought her best of her abilities to the session.
---------
Dawn came like a bell toll for Oberon. By then they were on the march, and he was well prepared to fight the enemy. He had to wait for the opportune moment as the Caravan came. He hoped to capture it, and secure the planned chokehold for quite awhile.
"I must wait for the moment when Elena gives the signal though." he muttered to himself as he looked towards where his best friend was at, hoping and praying she doesn't get a single hair harmed on her head. If it was, he'd never forgive himself. Astral Planes curse him if it did.
Elena Valeera
Not surprising, Oberon had followed Elena to spar. He almost never turned down a good training session. She quickly finished her stretches, and drew her sword and took a battle stance.
"Well, without further ado...." she lunged at Oberon with a fierce battle cry.
After a few brief hours, dawn was finally upon them. It had taken them an hour to march in formation to the designated choke point. After some hurried positioning of troops they began to wait. Elena was adorned in her full set of armor with her sword sheathed at her hip ready to draw to send her troops forward. She glanced over at Oberon first and saw him make eye contact with her. She gave him a reassuring grin before turning her attention back to the forest pathway. She squinted through the trees searching for any sort of movement, but the caravan was running behind schedule making Elena very anxious.
Come on... Where are you Zankor slime?
Then she saw it. The first wagon led in front by a squad of Zankor soldiers. More and more wagons appeared over the hill with troops marching along the sides. Although they were still in formation, the Zankorites were at ease and completely unsuspecting even to the point of talking among themselves. She tightened her grip on the handle of Radiance waiting for the last caravan to slip between the lines of their ambush.
This is it... This is where it truly begins. The last wagon passed the far right flank of their trap, and Elena pulled Radiance from its scabbard holding it high in the air. The early morning dawn caught the metal causing it to glow a bright gold. With a loud bellow she swung her blade forward.
"CHARGE FORWARD!"
With a loud resounding roar, the Orina rebels came crashing down out of the tree line and straight at the completely surprised Zankorites. Elena rushed forward as well slicing and slashing at any Zankorite unfortunate enough to cross her path.
âĢ Dear X (You Don't Own Me) âĢ
Tacitus stood in silence at Elena's side as they waited for the caravan. He folded his arms, and stared towards the forest path, glancing up every so often at the morning sky to check the time. It seemed that the caravan was running late. Tacitus looked over at Elena who was intensely focused on the road. Tacitus placed his hand on her shoulder, and gave her an encouraging nod. He could almost feel her frustration over the Zankor soldiers grew, something that's not super great moments before a battle. Frustration leads to anger, and anger leads to defeat.
But it wasn't too long before the caravan had arrived. Tacitus watched closely as the caravan came into full sight. There were more soldiers than he had expected, but he wasn't too worried about that. As they came closer Tacitus readied himself, reaching for his Mage's Bane, and gladius sword. Glancing over at Elena, it was time for her to sound the charge. And once she did Tacitus followed closely behind her as they made their way towards the action, taking out some of the soldiers that Elena had missed on their way with his gladius sword.
Tacitus held his shield in his left hand, and sword in his right as he charged forward. Tacitus rushed forward, overtaking Elena, and rushing pass her as he engaged the soldiers before her, all the while releasing a deep, guttural roar. Seeing a giant roaring towards them caused the soldiers to stop in their tracks, bringing up their shields as Tacitus grew closer. Once he got close enough, Tacitus delivered a powerful kick to one of the soldiers, landing it directly to his shield. It was with enough force that it threw the soldier several feet, right into a couple of other soldiers.
To his left a soldier charged at Tacitus with his sword held high. Tacitus bashed the man with his shield, causing him to spin completely around, only to be met with Tacitus plunging his sword into the man's head, killing him. As he pulled his sword out he glanced in the steel, seeing a reflection of a man charging towards him behind him. Tacitus ducked down, and spun around on his right heel. As he turned to face his attacker he slashed at the man's left leg, completely cutting through the bone.
Before the soldier could fall to the ground Tacitus shoot up, and grabbed him by the chestplate, and threw him aside. Tacitus turned to face his next targets, and without a second thought he threw his sword, it hurtling towards a couple soldiers. The sword whizzed pass one of the soldiers, and embedded itself into the chest of the other one. Tacitus rushed forward towards the other soldier, who readied his shield to defend himself. Tacitus violently clashed against the shield with his own, pushing the soldier back. Tacitus pushed him to the ground, and yanked him up by his neck. Tacitus held the full grown man high above his head, and then threw him towards a group of soldiers, with the man barreling through them like a bowling ball.
His next target was a man with a spear who was charging towards him. Tacitus moved forward, and combat rolled towards the body his sword was in. Tacitus yanked his sword out of the dead soldier's chest mid roll. As he completed his roll he held up his shield to defect the spear jab from the soldier, and then he plunged his sword forward, straight through the man's gut. Tacitus got up, and lifted the soldier into the air, twisting his sword in the man's gut as he groaned in agony. Blood dripped down from his stomach and onto Tacitus' face. Tacitus kept a cold, and detached face, completely devoid of emotion. Tacitus took his sword out of the man's stomach, and allowing the soldier to fall to the ground. He looked up, there was still soldiers to be killed. It was going to be a long day.
Rei positioned herself in front of one of the targets, holding her arm parallel to the ground. She breathed in and out very slowly. She had deigned to do some target practice. On some level, this practice was mechanical; getting out some of her pent up energy was a good thing for her. She tried to ignore the tingling in her back as she held her hand poised and summoned her magic to her. She felt the mana stir from her core, flowing from her center outwards into her limbs. It formed a small, glowing orb in her palm before configuring into the faint shape of a fire arm. She let off the blast, destroying the target and sending the pieces scattering everywhere. The pieces that fell on the ground were alit, causing a small fire around the rest of the targets.
She decided to knock off a few more, breathing out again. This was faintly calming, and helped spread her focus from the issue at hand. That Basilio.... she had interviewed him, perhaps not personally but she hoped he was telling the truth. She was not concerned with Elena or Oberon--and that new face Tacitus more than likely could hold his own. It was the new soldiers, however, the ones that barely knew how to hold a blade. How to shoot a bow. If that man had relayed even the slightest bit of false information, they potentially were walking into a trap.... but maybe paranoia was not the best emotion right now. She had other things to focus on.
She lowered her arms, turning her back on the targets that she had completely decimated. She let her hair down, letting it fall loosely against her back. Now that they were gone, she had a little bit of room to breathe. And a little bit more time to.... hm. She whistled faintly, a bit of a chirp--and she heard rustling from over her shoulder. Fi silently fell into step beside her, looking up at Rei with her mismatched eyes.
"How may I serve you, Mistress?" The voice was so quiet, barely even a whisper. Rei glanced down at her with a bit of a smile.
"We find ourselves with some alone time, Fi. I need you to start casting your nets." Fi nodded quickly and in the blink of an eye, had backed away from Rei and into the shadows. She always appreciated that kind of efficiency, it was a rare quality. The spymaster moved back towards camp, finding it now much emptier than before. The lone tent of the deserter off in the distance. The murmurs of the few soldiers that remained, sitting around their campfires. It was almost peaceful. The perfect set up for what she needed...
Maybe it was better Elena was not here. She was certain the princess would not approve. But safety before comfort. Rei sighed as she tended to one of the fires. Oh well, it was time to get to work.
Oberon heard the command from Elena, and charged forward without hesitation drawing his blade and swinging said weapon against the enemy. He leapt into a group of five and fought with a feral smile on his face, fitting a Valsirian Warrior of his clan. Draconil cut through some of the men easily, but some met the black blade with theirs and dueled with him for several minutes. As this happened, his blood began to boil, and his innermost desires to enjoy the fight grew.
It gave the white haired young man something to feel excited about and called out a war cry that called out to his very forefather and maker of the blade. "Na'ari! Na'ari!" He shouted in a roar as he cut and paved his way through his group.
He saw an officer in their ranks, and remembering Rei's request leapt and swatted at his head with the flat of his blade, hoping to knock him unconscious. The hit, whilst successful, was rewarded by a younger soldier cutting the Azura warrior in the left arm and he gritted his teeth a bit before kicking the young man away. Clutching the wound Oberon yelled out his war cry again and kept fighting. "Who else wants some?!" he cried out.
He had to keep fighting till they won.
---
Nearly two hours passed before the people guarding the caravan either scattered into the forest, resigned to being devoured by wolves, or worse. Some, like the officer Oberon knocked out were captured for information were being bound and prepared to go to camp for Rei's interrogation. Soon the supplies would be distributed amongst the camp, and any excess was planned to be distributed to the more impoverished villages to strengthen trust and to hopefully prepare for the future, when the Rebellion had a foothold in Orina.
Oberon was bandaging the wound on his arm, wincing on when the cloth touched it. "Son of a Black Dragon Broodmother! It hurts!" he cursed painfully, unaware that a certain blonde haired princess was nearby and most likely within earshot. If any recruit knew better, it's that if this occurred, back away slowly and watch. Because this should be fun.
Elena Valeera
Within a mere two hours the raid was over, the Zankorites scattered, and the supplies being hauled and distributed among the Rebels. The rebellion had suffered some injuries both major and minor here and there, but no casualties. The attack had gone exactly as planned. Although Elena was beyond relieved at the success of the assault, she still found herself agitated. One being that if the Empire wasn't paying attention before, they certainly were now. Even as the rebels regrouped and rested, those who had held back were in the process of setting up a proper barricade to keep Zankor reinforcements from flooding Orina. Elena was also aggravated over the fact that Tacitus and Oberon both had charged on ahead completely annihilating any Zankor dog that came within thirty feet of her. It's not that she wasn't grateful, but she'd be damned if she didn't want to fight. A real fight.
She was still sour about it when she came across Oberon nursing a notable cut on his arm. She heard him hiss out a rather lengthy stream of curses which only fueled her annoyance. Coming up behind him, she painfully pinched his ear between her thumb and index finger and hissed in his ear,
"Watch it Lieutenant Azura. Maybe you wouldn't be nursing a cut if you hadn't decided to take MY share of Zankor soldiers hmm? Also, if you think that's bad, just wait and see what I give you if you ever pull a stunt like that again." With that, she released his now reddened ear and moved in front of him.
"Now that we've successfully given ourselves a generous amount of supplies, it's time to set our sights on more troops and start thinking about where we're going to strike next. Although, we'll need to consult with Rei first before we make any kind of decision. Not to mention the matter of the defector... And paperwork... So much to do..." Elena grumbled about the work that still needed to be done. This was going to be a long rebellion.
âĢ Somewhere I Belong âĢ
With the battle finally over Tacitus regrouped with Elena. His once white robes were stained red by the blood he shed this day, as well as his face painted with it. Tacitus followed behind Elena as she went to the medics where Oberon was being treated for his injuries. With his yells of pain Tacitus rolled his eyes. 'Weakling.' While normally he wouldn't hesitate saying that to the lieutenant's face, he figured it wouldn't be the best thing for morale to call one of the leaders of the rebellion weak. Especially considering that some are still wary of him since he is a hired sword.
As he watched the two's interaction Tacitus let out an annoyed sigh, followed by a roll of his eyes. "We need to press while we have an advantage, before the enemy can regroup." Tacitus stated as he entered himself into the conversation. "I'm sure your.....mage would agree that our advantage won't last long." With the mention of Rei there was a clear note of disdain in his voice. It was no secret that he wasn't particularly trusting of the Spy Master. In fact he found it annoying that a mage would have such a high ranking position.
"The empire's reach is long and far, it will not be long before they can make up what they've lost today. And they'll be back to take their trade routes." He reminded them, as always being a party pooper. This was only a small victor in a much larger game. And he needed to remind them of that. "You must choose our next target carefully. We still need a good foothold in this area, a proper base of operations." Tacitus then folded his arms, and rubbed his chin as he carefully thought of possible strategies, and next moves.
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