Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » A Warrior's Redemption (Closed)

((EDIT: temp profile created!; OOC forum: here))

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And now....

‘People of the Northern Kingdom. This is your queen. As you all know, one of our people—our dearest friend, family member, and our sworn protector, Evelina Winther, has fallen to the clutches of the Imperials. This loss is devastating to all of us. I know that the people closest to Winther have been hit hardest with this loss, as the previous Special Division has disbanded in reaction to this event. However, in these trying times, we must strike back against our enemies a thousand times harder than they have. With that said, I am calling all warriors to recreate this special team; all far and wide, to heed the call to glory, to defend the people, to finally put the Imperials to rest. If this call goes to your heart and soul, then proceed to the capital, Skeio. One of the former members of the division will test you on your skills, see if you are worthy enough. Your goal will be clear from there. May the gods bring you fortune on your journey—if you choose to embark on it.’

Hail,
Queen Ronna of the Northern Kingdom

This was the message that was sent to all corners of the kingdom. It had been a good three weeks—almost a month since the disappearance of one of the most esteemed warriors the kingdom has ever known. And a week after, monsters, monsters at every corner. Traveling was one of the leading cause of deaths among the people now, and even if you didn’t stray from your village, there would still be attacks from packs of man-eating creatures tearing up your hometown. Even if you didn’t get attacked by menial creatures, there was still a good chance of the Imperials storming in, freezing citizens into statues and shattering them as if they were nothing. So many small villages had already been reduced to a frozen wasteland by this relentless group. And who is there to stop them, when one of the most powerful fighters have just vanished right in the middle of it?

Things seemed rather bleak now.

Who would even respond to the message? Taking on one of the most dangerous beings known to man—if not the most dangerous—took a lot of guts. What you’re looking at are undead that can freeze you solid in an instant. Not to mention, their swordsmanship is nothing to laugh at. The mere mention of the Imperials brought fear into the hearts of the most stoic warriors across countless kingdoms—whether it be the Northern or the Western. Rumors have also begun spreading; some other powerful supernatural creatures have joined the ranks of the Imperials. Their manipulativeness and cunning is admirable—in a rather twisted way, at that. Adding to the already unfavorable circumstances, was hard enough to get past the first part of the test you had to take to even get the chance of fighting the Imperials.

Some have even went so far as to attempt to take the Imperials on their own. It was easy to assume what the outcome of that was. The Queen knew this message was a stretch. The people who were on the team were one of a kind. They were fearless, extremely skilled, and they had a great leader. Replacing them would be no easy task.

Still, there was no harm in trying…. Was there? Only time will tell. Ronna sincerely hoped that things would go in the right direction. An entire kingdom depended on whoever heeded her call. Her only hope was that they were capable enough to fight.

Perhaps you might be up to the challenge?

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Madison, as one of the many creatures to receive the message, saw it as an opportunity to sharpen her skills and travel the world. In other words, it was a win win! She had traveled to Skeio on hoof in hopes to become a member of this revived group, but at the same time, was unsure if she was at the exact location for the application. This resulted with her reopening the note and, after finding that it was requested by the Queen, headed for the castle, which was easier said than done.

The busy streets provided no help in reaching her destination and it was bad enough that she was unfamiliar with the layout of the walkways. Long story short, she was pushing her rather large body through tiny amounts of space while avoiding stepping on the other's feet and navigating her way to the castle. She debated whether or not this opportunity was worth this much trouble but easily brushed away all doubt. First comes to worst, if she is no longer interested, she can flunk the application or drop out of the team.

In the end, she asked a kind man for the easiest, least busy way to the castle, which he happily gave, allowing a much smoother ride for the Cervitaur. Arriving at the large doors, Madison decided to either wait for another arrival or for instructions before walking inside. She instead adjusted her Blouse and opened her enchanted satchel to ensure she had her armor.

Weeks, it'd taken to get here and man if it wasn't a huge pain in the ass...
Not that staying put would have been good.

Boss should've known better - every Tom, Sally, and their nanny-goats knew about the Imperials. And if some sniveling, little beasts said they were the vanguard, sure as shit there would be trouble close behind! What did he expect would happen, slaying them and ignoring the approaching storm?

Boss...

A pang of loneliness seeped through Duran, making the air seem that much colder. Which should have been a difficult feat; the air here was as cold as a mountain winter, and more damp than the range he used to call home. He shivered, bundling tighter into his (absolutely his, since its last owner didn't need it any more) tattered cape.

Duran sighed, noting more of those fancy notices slapped on walls and boards. People ignored them as they passed, some more pointedly than others.
He couldn't blame them, really. When he'd first heard what the papers said, he'd been pissed. Why would anyone ask folk to try their hand in a small force versus those... things? Full armies melted before the Imperials like mud dropped into a stream. What could a couple people do?

Yet, here he was, curious enough (desperate, even) to answer the call.

It took some convincing of the guards, but Duran was finally on his way to the castle. With a small escort, of course. They were even kind enough to carry his weapon for him! They were very persuasive.

"So, uhm," he flashed a toothy grin at the stern-faced men and women flanking him. "What's it like, working for your queen? Just, uh, asking for job-hunt reasons. Abba always told me, 'know who you're working for and you can't go wrong.' So... Yeah."

It was the surprising message that had broken the silence of the many months of darkness. After the fall of the Eastern Kingdom a few years ago, such was little more than rubble soon to crumble at the hands of the rebel forces that had pillaged it. The subsequent months of searching had left him fruitless, though in truth he was still very much in denial that his Lord, Prince Laedron of the Eastern Kingdom, was no more. That final defeat at Virtus had been too much, etched into his memory with no way to escape from it. The sounds and sights of that day still plagued him, and he was resigned to the idea that it always would. The weight of the failure and the fear of what transpired that day kept him chained, even as he had listlessly wandered to the Northern Kingdom to take refuge. If only so that he could recuperate or search elsewhere to where the Prince had been taken to.

Slowly, over the years, he had sold off his armor to exchange his battle-worn, red Eastern Kingdom armor for the more suitable colors of the north, but never could he bring himself to give up his signature, red-lined sword. The last reminder of the contingent that had become his family. The state of what used to be his home had never changed, and even after searching, he did not find any more survivors from those battles that he had fought. The unshed grief weighed on him almost as much as the guilt did.

The thoughts, musings, and predicament may have seemed to come from someone almost double his age, but the knight was himself only a youth in his mid-twenties. And, he had come across the message, a torn off page from the town’s bulletin that had floated upon the wind to the small abode that was his dwelling for the time being. Of course, he knew of the threat posed to the Northern Kingdom by the Imperials. Who didn’t? The stories were spread far and wide, though to the youth they hardly meant anything. He figured, nothing was worse than facing an Oni in single combat. Fearsome giant demons with an incredible magic and healing factor.

On this day, the bitingly cold wind blew just like any other before it. Sakui was about to toss the page back into the wind with indifference when he felt that small tug at his heart, and he paused. It had been some time since anything had really surfaced from that despair. Maybe, just maybe, this was his chance. He had failed to keep his own kingdom safe. Should he stand idly by while this one lay in danger? He had wrestled with the decision for hours. On one hand, the conviction and zeal that he’d once had from the Eastern egged him that this might be a chance for him to travel, to search ever more for his true Lord, but on the other hand, he didn’t believe it would change anything. And anyway, who would accept a foreigner into a task force so specialized?

It took him some time, almost a day, to decide that if there was even the smallest chance that he could still be useful, and that his talents could be given to a greater cause, he would accede to it. And if he did not succeed, his heart would be quieted with the idea that he’d at least made the effort, and offered his services.

He didn’t own much. He had never quite felt at home here in the Northern Kingdom, and though the time he had spent here had allowed him to adapt to the colder climate, it still wasn’t something he was too used to. He glanced around once he was all packed, and standing outside. It had been a couple of months, at least, since the last time he had called his mount. Even as he whistled, he half didn’t expect the Raiu to come at all…

But ever so faithfully, there was a hearty gust of wind, cold and triumphant, accompanied by a whinnying neigh. Just that sound, and then absolutely nothing at all, leaving the warrior watching the trees expectantly—only to flinch and laugh as the huff of breath was followed by a solid nudge on the back of his head, and he chuckled as he turned back. Solidifying from the cold air and gaining more color the longer he looked was a horse, for a moment ethereal and grey with storm clouds and crackles of golden lightning—only for it to gain a more normal color of chestnut as well as some semblance of solidity. The horse nickered, shaking out its mane as it nudged his cheek with its nose, and again he chuckled.

“I know,” Sakui couldn’t help but smile as he reached out to touch the horse’s face. “It’s been a while. Good to see you too, Tempest.” The horse was, quite literally, a free spirit. Raiu were merely equine Aurae, wind spirits of nature that could not be contained. The spirit-horse had taken quite a liking for Sakui when it had encountered him on one of his expeditions for some reason that was utterly beyond him, and since then he couldn’t quite get rid of it. There was of course no claiming that he owned Tempest, for who could claim possession over a spirit? However, Tempest had remained a faithful companion to him. Even now. The spirit could solidify and dissolve at will, and only allowed him to ride it, as real as if he were a physical horse. It would take that illusion too when it felt like it was appropriate. Like now.

Tempest tilted its head questioningly at what Sakui guessed was his attire. The warrior hadn’t quite gone out in a while, other than to remain limber with a few exercises. But the man was outfitted for a trip—perhaps a long one. “Yes, we’re going out—hopefully you won’t complain that we’re back on the road again,” he murmured, and the Raiu snorted with derision before there was a deep rumbling in its proverbial chest. As if, was the way Sakui interpreted it. But, I’m just glad you’re okay.

The warrior offered the trace of a smile. “Let’s go then,” he sighed, hoisting himself up, and he took hold of the aethered reins the spirit offered him. With a touch of his heels on the horse’s sides, the spirit galloped off, without the sound of tangible hooves.

“Just like old times, right?”

It only took a couple of days’ journey for them to reach Skeio, as Tempest could reach baffling speeds when it wanted to. When it wanted to being the key phrase. There were of course, many people in the marketplace who may have come to accept the challenge just as he had. He was no longer dressed as a foreigner, though his weapon would assuredly alert others to the fact if he drew it. The lack of hoofbeats that Tempest didn’t emit would be hidden by the fact that there were so many other people and horses about. He looked around to see where people would be congregating, with the assumption that the greatest number would be heading towards whatever training ground such tests were to be held. There had been—typical—no directions as to where in Skeio such trials were to be held.

The paladin paced around the castle’s entrance. Anxious. Upset. Worried. Perhaps even a little angry. With each passing minute that went by without taking any action, the Imperials have taken over another village and taken the lives of thousands more. He should be out there, he should be fighting for justice, for the good of the people. ....But Winther had said otherwise. At that moment, he reminisced about the very first order the warrior had given to the team.

‘We’re all here? Good. This is my first order to you three. We’ll make this clear. This won’t work without me, and you know that. If for whatever reason, I die or vanish—disband the team without a second thought. Do you understand me?’

....The memory had faded as quickly as it had come. He opened his eyes, sighing. From what he had seen so far, only about a couple of dozen people answered to the message and came to the capital. And long story short, they were not the best candidates for the job, so Callahan had to send them back home. He honestly wondered who was more annoyed—them, or himself. If this was all these people had to offer, then…. Another exasperated sigh escaped the paladin and he rubbed his jaw, his eyes trailing to the large doors of the castle. He vaguely wondered if anyone had shown up by now. There also might've been some people who had gotten lost on the way. Well, only one way to find out.

So the paladin headed towards the doors, grasped the handles, and pulled the doors open. A chilly breeze blew in as he revealed the outside to him. There was only one….person here. His brows furrowed a bit as he did a double-take. No. Still one person. Wonderful. Maybe he should more clearly communicate where exactly people were supposed to go. Then, from the corner of his eye, he had spotted someone else approaching with guards flanking him on either side. Alright, two people.

Callahan let out a little sigh. He figured there must have been a couple dozen people waiting outside the gates. So he got the attention of the guard beside him, telling the guard to direct the people here for the trials to the castle. With a curt nod, the guard set off to the main entrance of the city. They would soon return and lead the test takers to the castle. The paladin’s attention soon turned to the….cervitaur (at that moment, he had recognized her species almost immediately), and he gave a sullen smile.

“Greetings, champion. I assume you are here for the trials,” he cleared his throat a bit. “You don’t mind….waiting a bit more, do you? I just sent for someone to direct everyone else to the castle.”

Meanwhile, at the western town named Cayminster; the Imperials have taken over….

A sword was plunged into the ground, some frost quickly formed around the blade, making sure that the sword stayed in the dirt. A figure stood there; he wore armor like the rest of the Imperials, but the color was a fading grayish color with some hint that it was gold at one point, the metal was worn, and so rusted around some parts, it was a miracle that it was still intact. The helmet was in the shape of a crown, and it obscured all of the facial area. A tattered, dark gray cloak with a faded symbol—a coat of arms; a Gules, with a depiction of a silver crown on top, and the nordic runes for ‘ice’ and ‘hail’ going along the bottom of the symbol.

This figure stood amongst the newly created frozen wasteland made from the once lively town. Ice encased the buildings, the freezing winds, the temperature, so low, it was practically inhabitable.

Another figure came from behind. They stood there for a few moments, silent.

“....Shall we move on, my liege?” His voice was strange and it resounded within their own armor, and distant, as if they were miles away. Nothing was heard from the caped figure for a few moments. He contemplated something else. Then, with a scarily slow speed, they turned to the other.

“We shall go.” This one’s voice was deep, authoritative, a bout of rumbling thunder. He took a few steps before stopping. “Take your men and go towards the west. Mallicourt is our next. We shall keep the hostage here, have watchmen stay and patrol the area. In the meanwhile, I will go…. Converse with a new ally.”

The other, now known as Jökul, cocked his head ever so slightly. A sign of mild confusion. “....Ally? You have made an alliance with whom?”

“There is something I am known for, Jökul. I am a fair king. In my kingdom, all creatures will live under me, protected from the clutches of the wicked. All of them, driven to the brink by humans, a new life.” He turned. “I am offering someone a chance to fight with me…. Yes. He is very, very promising….”

With no more words shared between them, they proceeded to the gates of the ruined town. Each passing moment, the winds grew stronger and fiercer. Large, sharp ice pillars began to form along the already frosted structures of the town; alongside walls, from the ground, and finally, the gates, frosted over. The perpetual winter had taken over from there, making any sort of entry into the area nearly impossible.

One building was left relatively untouched by the ice. There were two soldiers posted at the entrance. From the Inside, you could see through the window and watch the ice steadily take over people’s homes and places of work. Who is this hostage the Imperials have taken?

There he stood, silent yet defiant, stubborn, refusing to kneel before these beasts, loyal to the crown and kingdom of the North to the very last breath. He had pledged his loyalty and services to Queen Ronna of the Northern Kingdom and he would do his earnest to upkeep that oath.

Taff may not be furnished, muscular, a fearsome imposing warrior like so many men at arms but, even in his slender if a little scrawny form, he was like an unmoving mountain that stood still against the growling wind, refusing to bow to it.

He had been captured by these undead frozen creatures who, not only their corpses were frozen but also their hearts, for compassion was the one element they most certainly lacked by what he had seen so far.

Taff had surrendered into their hands without resistance so the village and its people could be spared, only for him to get captured and be forced to witness how the village was frozen to its utter destruction before his very eyes. His royal attire made it clear that Taff had come from the royal castle itself, from Capital City, and whilst he had yet to be questioned, the visible coat of arms already reported his allegiance and his position to a good degree.

He had been mocked and stripped of his royal manservant attire. However, so far... he remained alive and breathing. If these creatures had spared him, for some unphatomable reason, it was very possible they had spared Evelina's life too, even if to gloat about her captivity and show her off as a coveted prize with which to demand the queen to surrender the throne. A tactic as old as time itself.

Taff was not fond of being manhandled by the frigid enemy, but let himself be seized and tied up all the same. Given the circumstances, fighting back was hardly advisable for it would set him back on his quest of finding Evelina and assisting her release.

He needed to find news of her whereabouts and fate and Taff knew that getting killed, if such thing was even possible for Taff, was hardly the best way to eavesdrop in their conversations. He was certain, sooner or later, the leaders would talk it over and he would be there, listening in, to pick up the details and hatch a plan of action... or so he thought.

The leader had given orders that the captive was to be left behind, guarded, which removed his need for him to stay any more. It was impossible that the guards would talk among themselves to deliver the critical details he wanted to know about because these men were mostly silent as ghosts unless addressed or unless part of the leadership.



"You will not get away with this... her majesty will come with the army and will crush you with the heat of fire" spat Taff as his arms were forcefully raised and he was hanged by the tied up wrists

He could feel the cold setting deeper, creeping its way into his warm body and giving him shivers and chills yet he knew he had to maintain his powers concealed as much as possible for as long as possible. Everyone would want the powerful Emris on their side or grasp and the druidian warlock could not afford the luxury of being found out.

Another gust of cold whipped through Skeio, wheezing wherever it struck something.

As Duran entered the courtyard, he noticed the great doors of the castle were open. A knightly sort of man stood there, large and imposing frame offset by how apologetic he seemed. Duran couldn't hear what was said from here, what with the tin cans clanging around him, and before he could focus on who the knight was talking to, another guardsman approached.

"Hullo!" Duran began, but the bastard didn't give so much as a nod. Just walked on by.

"Aww," Duran pouted, lowering his head and letting his shoulders droop. He looked to one of the other guards with big, sad eyes. "Was it something I did? Do I got something in my teeth? Do I smell?"

No response.

"Why won't anybody talk with me?" He grumbled, though it came out as more of a whine. "I don't bite... I'm real good, I promi--"

The guards came to a stop, the one on the left throwing out an arm so Duran would do the same. The one on the left saluted the big knight on the steps. "Sir! This.... man..." the amount of concern he tried to hide was admirable. "Walked up to the gate, armed, and menaced the gatekeepers when they told him to sheathe his blade before entering. He says he's here for the trials, but... I'm not sure he's telling the truth, to be honest."

"Aw, dang. That's not nice... Didn't menace nobody, anyhow. Not on purpose...." He turned his head to try and look at the guard behind him. "It's my teeth, isn't it... I got something stuck in 'em and nobody'll tell me."

Without further distractions, he glanced around the courtyard again. The place was definitely impressive, in its own way. The kind of place his old boss would've raided in his dreams. If the old man even dreamed. Did he?

Duran blinked when he noticed the armored lady-creature waiting nearby. "Oh, hey! I've never seen a centaur up close b'fore." He furrowed his brow a moment, as though racking his brain for something. "Or one with a deer butt. Y'got such spindly legs!"

He laughed, big and boisterous. "Pretty, though, I'll give y' that!"

"Cervitaur," Madison corrected like many times before, "centaur minus the horse and plus the deer. And thanks, I guess. Personally, I find deer butts a lot more attractive than horse."

She proceeded to turn towards the source of the voice, smiling kindly as she attempted to show zero hostility in her eyes. Her front hooves clicked against the floor as they allowed her upper half to twist to face the humanoid figure. She showed confusion for a moment, still smiling as she did. Out of all the creatures she has met in her lifetime, never before had she seen something like this one, unless she had forgotten the encounter. Though she wanted to ask what species this creature was, she settled for the normal introduction. Best to avoid looking too bad.

"Name's Madison. Treasure hunter, I guess. Or I'm the deer-butted adventurer. In all honesty, I'm here for that trial thingy. I suppose you're here too for the same reason. Unless you were playing naughtily with the guards or townsfolk," She chuckled, quick and softly, which seemed fitting for someone of her species.

He glanced over, seeing as the guards around the other man had finally made it close enough. The paladin gave a slight nod in response to the salute as he listened to the guard’s words. Then he shifted his gaze and studied the man that they had escorted. He certainly seemed a bit…. off. Though there was no judging books by their covers for this paladin. They had to take chances in these trying times.

“....Yes, I see. Well, if he says he’s here for the trials, then, well….he’s here for the trials.” Callahan looked to the man that they had brought and gave him a little smile. “Greetings, champion. We are only awaiting the rest of the people to arrive, and then we shall get started. And please, refrain from menacing anyone here from now on, alright?” Though his request seemed to fall on deaf ears, since the man had already turned his attention to the cervitaur waiting near the court.

So the paladin fell silent for now, watching the man marvel over the female cervitaur. It made him chuckle slightly. That sort of reaction reminded of whenever he himself saw a new creature for the first time. He could never really outgrow his childish tendencies.

Though he eventually cleared his throat a bit, waiting for the guard to return again.

By now, the guard sent for the others had already been starting to direct them towards the castle.

Sakui could feel the uncertain tremor that vibrated through the horse’s back, and he rubbed the storm spirit’s neck soothingly. He could feel the energy crackling beneath the just-solid-enough saddle that he was perched upon, and for a few moments he pulled his eyes away from his surroundings to note the entity’s agitation. “What is it?” He murmured quietly, so that only the steed could hear. Tempest tossed his head and flicked his mane, but of course this was just a gesture of almost impatient annoyance, at least when paired with the rumble of thunder that the mounted knight could feel rather than hear.

“Fine, don’t tell me then,” The knight murmured with a fraction of the same irritation. “Don’t expect me to help.” Tempest lifted his chin, pawing at the ground in a very antsy manner whenever they paused. Sakui’s once-full armor set was now eased into a lighter armor that corresponded with his more agility-based fighting style, and though he was still young, one would be able to tell just by looking at him that he was no pushover. The longsword at his waist as well as the grey cowl set over his head was in itself somewhat of a warning that he was not one to be trifled with.

His power was a frightening one when explained to the wrong people, and so unless he was directly asked, and the asking party was warned, he likely would never divulge it to its greatest extent. But he could feel the forces around him. Every entity and every body in his marketplace, he could feel their life force, their Ichor. It was incredibly useful when pinpointing he locations of pursuants, though perhaps more so in more remote areas.

He looked over towards the walls of the palace, and towards the gates where there seemed to be some sort of congregation forming. Not just any sort of congregation, but one that appeared to be made of combatants. Was this the sort of place that he was looking for, the grounds where the trials were supposed to take place? He eased Tempest with his knees and headed towards the group. The cervitaur easily stood out amongst the other two-leggeds.

The Raiu blew a breath, and Sakui again noted the increasing agitation. Tempest was a literal storm, and unfortunately he knew what it was like to cross he steed’s path when it was angry. He made the decision to give him a wide berth. He eased he horse to a side alley where none would see them momentarily and dismounted there, touching the side of the horse’s face. “I’ll be fine, I’ll call you if I need you, alright?”

The horse nudged the knight’s shoulder with its nose before he simply vanished, dissolving into a gust of wind and billowing past him, and had Sakui not clutched at his hood, the cowl would’ve blown off his head. Once the breeze had died down, he took a breath before reemerging out into the grounds, walking towards the group of guards and he cervitaur. He was able to catch what Callahan was saying to Duran and easily concluded that he was at the right place. Though for the time being, he didn’t speak up. He merely listened for any useful information while standing behind the farthest guard in the group, adjusting his rucksack over his shoulder.

((Ah, dang. I'd forgot to update Duran's page before we started. Ah, dang. This is gonna seem to come outta left field... Dang.))

"Servy-taur..." he repeated back, then murmured it to himself a few more times. He wanted to remember that.

Then he laughed. "Me, too! I think deer are prettier than horses. More skillful and sure-footed, too." He nodded, though whether to affirm his own statement or Madison's observation was anyone's guess.

"Eh?! Playing... naughty?" He turned away from Madison to look to the paladin and back to Madison again. "Is that some sorta inside jo--- oh."

"Aww, c'mon, I didn't menace nobody on purpose! I mighta got a little frustrated, sure, 'cuz how's a guy supposed to sheathe a weapon like mine? She don't got a sheathe. Even if there's one out there that'd fit, wouldn't be very practical..." He tried to explain through mime just how awkward it'd be to draw his spear from a place at his hip. Then paused, wondering if it could be rigged to be carried on his back. He'd never really tried that...

While chatting, Duran hadn't noticed time pass. Or the people entering the courtyard. Now that he wasn't talking, he could hear people behind him. Lots of them, shuffling around. Heck, even some wandering near these guards. And if he looked, Duran knew he'd be intimidated. Or worse. Maybe he'd see a familiar face among their number. Maybe they'd see his face and want a fight!

He really hadn't thought this through.

Discomfort pulled the corners of his mouth into an exaggerated grimace. Under his cloak, he absently fiddled with the half-mask hanging from his neck. He shuddered.

So many people. Armored people.
Armed people.

"Hey," he turned back to the guard on his left. "how come none of you guys took their weapons? I think I hear someone dragging a big heavy thing around and I'm pretty sure they can't sheathe it, either."

Taff tried yet again to question the guards that were holding him captive but these were as silent walls, standing guard impassive, unresponsive throughout.

"So... did you kill Evelina or not then?" asked Taff straight to the point yet the question went unanswered

"Surely you understand my language at least, right? Come on... you are definitely not deaf..." pressed Taff further

"I mean... there's no way she would ever join your ranks, you are far too shrewd and too cold hearted for someone so warm hearted as Evelina. So what became of her? did you sell her to someone else as a slave? are you awaiting for a payment, a ransom to free her? did you slain her for refusing to join you? or are you still holding her captive hoping to break her some day?" quizzed Taff looking at the guards meaningfully, though these did not even care to glance his way or respond.

Silence was all he got, a silence that spoke louder than words, to these captors he was a prisoner of war, a slave, a nobody, less than cattle and they felt no need to even acknowledge his presence nevermind converse with Taff.

Normally Taff Emris Gelligen was the one known to be quiet and reserved but talking to the guards kept his mind from focusing too much on the pain of his tensed and now freezing limbs, the ropes searing into his wrists.

Bitter coldness was quickly overtaking the now destroyed village, a blanket of ice and snow and strong blowing winds that would make anyone think it thrice before daring to venture here. He had to get out, he had to seek warmth, shelter and help.

He looked towards the main square, where a cart had been left discarded, with provisions and some chests upon it. Taff needed a distraction and what better one than fire to distract these creatures of ice.

"llosgi" which meant "burn" whispered Taff in a low muttering barely audible but that caused the cart to combust, the roaring flames threatening the spread to the crates, barrels and buildings nearby.

Once the guards had rushed there to put out the fire that had started out of the blue, seemingly from nowhere, Taff knew this was his one and only chance to break into freedom, to escape

He stared at the ropes that were tightly bound around his wrists, gazing at them with intensity and concentration before muttering the first words that came to mind

"ffurfio neidr" which meant "snake formation" an order that turned the solid ropes into a living snake. Clearly he should have thought about it a little better for the creature wasted no time at biting Taff deeply on the wrist, the fangs stuck deeply into the flesh, leaving two punctures and forcing the warlock to yank his arms aggressively a few times to toss it away, restraining a scream of pain.

Taff broke into a run towards the frozen forest, venturing into the white wilderness, on his way grasping snow and ice and pressing it against the sore wrist. He ran out of strength and breath, cowering against a large oak tree bark, trembling in shivers of cold and of burning fever for the poison had entered his body.

He needed help, and he needed it fast yet the only village in the vicinity lay torn and ravaged, destroyed and frozen to its core. He gazed up towards the trees and closed his eyes, the eyelids felt heavy and the vision was blurred. He muttered words, for the wind to carry the call for help to all creatures of magic and to faes and elves and to the human rangers who had elven magic within as well, someone was bound to hear the call of the deep magic.

"Helpwch fi" which meant "help me"

He had managed to erase any footsteps from the snow, this would prevent him being followed but in turn would prevent help reaching him with ease.

Taff may be immortal but he was not immune to pain, to torture or to poisons and thus he slumbered into the frozen ground, craddling the injured wrist against his chest

He entrusted himself to nature, uncertain his call would be answered at all, never mind on time, but this was a lost fight and the warlock knew it. Emris dropped his head heavily onto the snow, closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep as his body and mind battled the poison seemingly to no avail

Several minutes passed before the body of the young warlock was surrounded by five figures, all in hooded cape-cloaks of different colors. Deep brown, black, royal blue, matte sunset orange, and a dappled camouflage color of greys, blacks and whites.

"I'm telling you, I didn't hear anything," the orange one, a male, protested as she shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"Just because you're human, duh," a semblance of a scoff accompanied the feminine voice of the lithe figure in brown. "Even Zephyr heard it. I'm sure he's itching to get over here too at the moment."

"This would toss somewhat of a wrench in our intended goal," the black cloaked male, the tallest of them, sighed with a distinctive formal diction, a note of mild disapproval in the sentiment.

"On the contrary, actually," the female in brown replied. "The campsite a half-mile northwest of here looked like it'd been left fairly recently. The lack of a fire and ice patches on the ground there only confirm that Imperials stayed there."

The smallest figure, in royal blue, was bent over Taff, placing a small and pale hand over his forehead for a moment, then eased his wrist towards her to see the twin punctures of the snakebite. "Just a snakebite, not a weapon. Though, I'm surprised he's not already dead." The feminine voice was low and succinct. "If we're going to do anything to salvage him, we may as well do it quickly."

The camouflaged cloak looked up as the small vibration reached him and him alone from the frigid ground beneath him. "If we're gonna move, let's hop to 't now, somethin's comin' at us from south-southwest, it'd be here in a coupla minutes. Movin' hella fast, too."

The girl in brown groaned in annoyance. "Let's head back. We can't go too far, we still need Windell to come back from Skeio," she huffed, taking it upon herself to bend down and pull one of Taff's arms around her shoulder. The camouflaged male immediately moved to assist with the other arm.

~~~~~

When at last Taff would wake, he would first notice that the bone-numbing chill that had sung him into slumber was all but gone. He was propped up in a sitting position against the stone wall of a dark cave, and the warm glow of the crackling firelight before him would reach his eyes. A blanket had been tossed over him haphazardly, and he would find that his wrist had been bandaged. Although he may still feel quite sluggish, the fever that had plagued him had gone as if it had never been.

It would seem that the fire lay at the innermost point of a tunneling cave, as there was only one place where the space opened and led into complete darkness. Across the fire, a man, rolled up in an orange cloak, slept, his gentle breaths just barely discernible. The bottom half of his face was covered by a black cloth, and a shock of bright red hair could be seen poking out from beneath his hood. Taff would see movement to his immediate right, and a glance in that direction would reveal that an orange, common wood fox had stirred in response to the warlock's waking, lifting its head to look at him with intelligent, grey-blue eyes. The white arctic fox aside it was curled in sleep, wrapped amongst its tail.

There was only a slightly shaky chuckle that escaped him in response to the man's protests. It seemed as though the paladin was about to reply, but more people had begun to trail in. Callahan let out a small sigh. More and more came everyday, it seemed. His eyes trailed the large group on the steps. Not many stood out to him, though that wasn't all that he was here to do. So he silently decided that this was everyone that had come. Now it was time to give a little insight. He moved over to the highest point of the steps. The height was just enough so that everyone could see and hear him clearly. Even so, Callahan let out a light cough in an attempt to clear his throat. He was feeling a bit more nervous than usual.

Either this trial will wield the types of fighters they were searching for, or they would have to wait for even longer. And they didn’t have that kind of time. Callahan sincerely hoped they would get at least one or two. After taking a moment to snap back to reality, he scanned the crowd once more for some sort of reassurance.

“Greetings all! I would like to start by thanking you for taking your time and coming here today. My name is Callahan, and along with my other colleague, who was yet to join us today….” he frowned slightly at the thought of the Virtuoso’s tardiness to such an important event. Typical. “....Erm, well, until does she arrive….I shall be hosting the trials on my own. But I must explain what these tests are first, don’t I?” He let out a slight anxious chuckle before continuing.

“So, there will be three tests in all. The first we shall commence very shortly; is a test of teamwork—you will be placed in random groups of four. After doing so, your leadership, and strength will be put to the test. We shall have each group fight a monster of an unknown species in the arena behind the castle. Only when you are put in the arena, you will know what sort of creature you are dealing with. You will have to work together to take it down.”

“Second. A test of wit. You will keep your groups from the previous test. Inside the castle, there is a certain treasures hidden away for you to collect—an golden chalice, an axe from a legendary warrior, and an ancient tome from centuries ago. There may or may not be hints for you to find as well…. The first three groups who have found the treasures first will move onto the final test.”

“And so, lastly, the third. This test is more straightforward than the last…. The groups that have found the treasure. They will have to fight against one another. Two of each member will go against one another. After completing said task, we shall deem who is worthy.” The paladin paused, letting the information set in for a few moments.

“....Are we clear on this?” He inquired, scanning the crowd.

The tests seemed rather clichéd but seemed fit for the situation. Madison nodded in response, unsure if the conductor saw her, she gripped her bag, ready. Though, the note on teamwork worried her. She had been a loner for so long, she questioned her abilities to cope with other people. When she had signed up, this was not a worry, but as anxiety grew, so did her insecurities.

Maybe I'll just... not lead, she thought to calm herself down. Glancing around, she hoped to have spotted someone she had met before, as they'd be reassuring, especially since she would've already worked with them, but was unsuccessful. She instead decided to remain where she was until ordered further.

The lightly armored knight listened intently as Callahan continued to speak. Already did he vaguely wish that his mount had already returned, though in this pressing crowd, Tempest would probably bring more attention than not. Sakui couldn't help but wonder what it was that had been irritating the Raiu, though he knew that the Aurae could take care of himself. He could only hope now that the spirit would show up when called just in time for whenever he really needed him...

The idea of working with a team caused a stab of cold to shear through his heart, though there was no outward sign of such. The memories flooded him, his friends, his comrades, and their blood strewn across the ground, the earth quietly accepting the offering... he shut his eyes and shook his head briefly to rid himself of the visions, pressing his lips together. He had failed them. He had--

No. He shouldn't fall into those thoughts again, lest he dig himself into another hole and lose sight of the goal on hand. He wrenched his attention back to Callahan, and to what was being said. "Seems straightforward enough," he murmured beneath his breath as he considered the trials that were presented. For now his black hair and emerald eyes were shadowed by a grey cowl. His red-lined sword, denoting the Eastern Kingdom origin, was out in the open, but it was not something that he felt he needed to hide. The Eastern Kingdom had already fallen to its enemies, and it was no threat. Not anymore. The thought squeezed his heart.

He was not worried about himself. He was well-aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. He often found the most frustrating aspect of it all to be dealing with someone else who just wasn't pliant enough to work together. Hopefully there wouldn't be someone like that in his group....

He nodded quietly when Callahan inquired of understanding, hoping that others' lack of cooperation wouldn't subjectify his own worth. He subtly bit the inside of his cheek to keep his attention on the present, so that his mind wouldn't wander off.

~~~~

The entitic breeze blustered through the forest, the magic singing to that within its veins. As much as Tempest hated to leave his companion so soon after he had regained some touch of life after years of withering away, the spell had called to him, and compelled him to come. Not that he minded too much. Someone needed help. Even all the way from Skeio, he'd heard the call.

The gust of wind shifted uncertainly when it reached the spot to where it had been called, seeing nobody there.

Coalescing into its ethereal equine form, Tempest pawed at the ground with a note of annoyance, the thunder and lightning crackling beneath its silhouette. Something had happened. He knew that. But whoever it was, they were gone.

For now, he would dissolve into the air, and wander. Perhaps he would find something.

Taff woke up in a startled gasp feeling aprehensive, though it had been but a minor flashback from the snake biting him.

He sat up in a shot and rubbed his eyes tiredly, yawning and stretching afterwards, then he tugged the skins and blankets closer to him when he realized he was not alone.

"Hello.... are you friends or foes?" asked Taff unsure if he was a captive they were simply taking care of or if they were help of any kind that had come to him in the hour of need

He gazed at the surroundings taking in the settings, it was clear that, whilst this shelter was quite out of sight, it was equally clear that there were no alternative exit points should things turn sour with the strangers.

Then he gazed down at his wrist, seeing a bandage here, and craddled his wrist a few moments looking back up at these strangers.

"Thank you... for this..." muttered Taff, even if they were captors they were somewhat caring ones which made things better than with the frosty creatures.

Duran ducked between the flanking guards, using Callahan's explanation and the growing crowd as distractions. There were just too many variables now and Duran needed to calm his nerves a bit. Which getting out of the people-box would do wonders for. Which was good, he thought.

He'd need a clear head to make a getaway, if something spooked this herd of people into a stampede.

Although, in ducking without looking he almost bumped into (bowled over?) another hopeful. He jumped, spinning to see this stranger with wary eyes. The features Duran could see hinted at youth, but the stranger's gray hood hid anything defining. He had a nice-looking sword, though.

"Sorry, bud - didn't see ya there." Duran flashed an apologetic smile. He hoped it looked apologetic. He hadn't tried to flash one of those to a stranger in years. Not a real one, anyway. Did he even know how to do those, anymore?

He nodded to himself and took a deep breath. "Yeah, it's the nerves. Just gotta calm down, 's all."
Calm down, figure out what to do next.

He'd probably get his spear back when the teams got divvied up. Probably wouldn't do him any good to ask for it now, especially looking as rattled as he probably did. Did he look rattled? That wasn't good.

The challenges to take on were teamwork, wits, and skill. Or strength, or speed, or whatever special thing the people fighting preferred... Probably magic spells and spirit-talking, too. Or--
No. No, focus.

He sighed, finally scanning all these new faces. And thankfully they were all new faces. No adventuring types who'd tangled with his old band. Or, well... none he could recognize. There were plenty of people in hoods and masks and other mysterious trappings of mystery who could be anybody.

"Teamwork, huh? I hope I get put with Miss Madison, then. Always nice to have an archer, especially one that's mobile." He mumbled, then nodded again. "And I bet she's got a mean kick if someone gets close."

The wood fox had looked up at Taff's stirring but had flinched a bit with the sudden waking. However, the warlock seemed to calm, and the fox mirrored him. Naturally, the fox didn't seem to acknowledge nor answer his question, but it nudged its white-furred companion a couple of times. The arctic fox lifted its head and stretched, before the wood fox indicated Taff with its snout. The pale creature glanced over at Taff, before nudging her hued companion towards the entrance. They seemed to momentarily bicker about which of them would be going out before the orange wood fox acquiesced and trotted off, barely giving the sleeping man a glance.

Once he was out of sight, the arctic fox looked over at Taff, its eyes the hue of ice, or water that wasn't quite deep enough to appear blue. It padded over to him quietly, and as it did, its form began to shift before his eyes. White gave way to rivulets of royal blue, the shape of the bestial creature shifted, until crouched before the druid was what appeared to be a young humanoid woman, wrapped in a royal blue, hooded cape-cloak. Flaxen bangs peeked from beneath the hood and the bottom half of her face was covered in black cloth, her eyes remaining that same hue. Her skin was quite pale. A single feather hung from the junction of where the fastening of the hood met just in front of the small of her neck. A round of grey minklike fur circled the neckline of what appeared to be a magenta bodice, just beneath her collarbone. The same fur line circled the wrists at the edges of her long sleeves, and padded brown fingerless gloves adorned her hands.

"It's good that you're awake." Her simple and succinct voice was low, but even then it seemed impossible to misunderstand her. With the transfiguration complete, she sat back on her heels, kneeling comfortably. "We were worried that you might not have made it. However, it's quite the surprise that you're still alive. Akon poison is quite potent." She began fumbling around with something at her waist, and the clink betrayed glass. There seemed to be small glass bottles that she kept at her waist, and after a few moments she chose one, looked it over, and held it out towards Taff. "Drink. The fever's gone away, though now that you're awake, you'll be much easier to treat." She glanced over at the other slumbering man, whose cloak matched her blue one other than the fact that it was a matte orange. With her free hand she picked up a small pebble and tossed it at him.

He grabbed his head, jerking as he woke rather rudely with the stone. "Ow! What the hell..."

"Up, Toymaker," the woman chastised.

The Toymaker, as the man had been called, rolled lazily up into a sitting position, rubbing his eyes. Like the woman, he also wore a black cloth over the lower half of his face. His hood had fallen off in the process of him getting up, revealing his mussed hair that was a bright red. "Gods, Snowy, would it kill you to be a bit nicer about these things...?" Eventually he sighed and let his arm drop. Only then did he see that Taff was awake. "Oh, you're up. That's good...I guess."