RPG The Lion War Revolution

[Raiha]

[color=royalblue][i]She steeled her nerves, which wasn't too hard, and adjusted her scarf. Beren put his arm around her, and she willed the blush in her cheeks to go away. The passed through the borders without so much as a batted eyelid. They knew who Beren was. Tall dark male that wore black leather and carried a sword. And a delicate female that looked like nothing more than a dancer and a sex object.

He led her through the roadways, and she hoped she didn't attract any more stares. This was getting to be annoying. But to be expected. She was wearing see through silk and gauze. And her scarf was another dead givewaway....[/i]

Beren: Afraid missie?

Vastus: No. Not now.

Beren: We're nearly there. Prepare yourself.

Vastus: .....anything to remember that's vital to my health?

Beren: Don't offend anyone. You're a slave. End of story.

[i]She showed very little emotion, when she felt like crying.[/i][/color]

[Patronus]

[size=1][color=000066][b]

OOC: Before you conclude everything, I know she isn't in the Ramza Batallion, but I thought she could be influenced.

-
Sean walked into the village of Wutai holding his scythe in his palm. With a mere sigh, he sought out Amai, a samurai.

If this rebellion was going to be successful, the Batallion would need her assitance. He stepped over the dirt road that stretched the entire length of Wutai Village, and the villagers looked at him with fear and curiosity.

He stopped in front of a building, which by the looks of it, was a tavern, or what thought of a tavern by the village folk.

[i]"This would be a good place to look for her,"[/i]he thought to himself. Walking in, very few people were even present. Of course, the village drunk was there. A few men and women sat along the wooden tables, drinking and chatting. Sean walked to the bar, and leaned down on it.

"Do you know Amai Zokushi?" he asked the bartender.

"Yes, yes I do," the salt-and-pepper haired man answer, "as a matter of fact, she just arrived home. She should be visiting Fernice right now."

"Can you give me the directions to his house?" he asked, suddenly quiet. As the man started to speak, all Sean could think was: [i]This is going to be hard. I don't know if I can ask her to come with me, or not. She isn't part of the Batallion, but still. Asking won't hurt...me, at least.[/i][/b][/color][/size]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Arik was having a nightmare. Tossing and turning in his bed, he made no noise, but if one could have seen his face during this time they would have seen a look of pure terror. Inside his mind, he saw fire, burning all around him. He cried out in the dream, but no one responded. The heat of fire was growing to be stifling, closing in around him. He cried out again, jumping forward; then the sensation of being crushed, trapped; and then he awoke, sweat puring down his face. He could remember nothing of the dream, except the feeling of pure anguish and despair.

Shaking his head to clear away the thoughts, he looked at a small clock sitting on the desk. Its hands were pointing at five and four; 5:20 AM, the sun just starting to throw its rays over the horizon to lighten the night sky. Running a hand up his face and back down through his loose hair, he stood up out of bed and walked to the door. Closing it softly behind him, not wanting to wake anyone else, he quietly padded down to the cafeteria.

Back in the kitchen area, Little Ted was fixing breakfast with a couple assistants scurrying about. "Breakfast ain't for another forty minutes," he rumbled upon hearing the footsteps behind him.

"I know," said Arik. "I need something to calm my nerves, though. Do you have any coffee on?"

"Coffee ain't gonna calm your nerves, Whit--" As he turned to look at Arik, Ted stopped short as he saw the look on his face. " 'ey, you look as though you'd seen a ghost, Arik. I'll put the coffee on."

Arik noticed Ted had used his real name. "Thanks, Ted. Coffee may not be the best thing to calm me down, but I might as well drink something that'll help keep me awake. No way I'm getting back to sleep now."

Shuffling back from setting up the coffee brewing, 'Little Ted' sat down next to Arik. He was, in reality, nearly twice Arik's size. "What's wrong then, eh?"

"Another dream," Arik replied. He had been having these nightmares ever since he had joined the battalion, but he never remembered any images. Only feelings, which he occasionally talked about with Ted. He was usually the only one up this early in the morning that he felt at all comfortable talking with. "I still can't remember any images or anything, though. Just the same feelings, over and over again each time."

"Hmm," Ted thought to himself for a moment. "I'd say you're experiencin' tension over the mission starting today, But I know ya been having these for a while now." He shook his head slowly. "I dunno what ta tell ya."

Arik sighed as Ted brought him a mug of coffee. "I know. I wasn't really expecting an answer, I guess. Just someone to talk to." He took a sip of the coffee, and seemed to perk up a bit. Trying his best to grin, he said, "Well, at least I can count on one thing. Your coffee's strong as always."

Ted chuckled and slapper Arik on the back (almost making him spill the coffee from the 'light' slap), and shuffled back into the main kitchen area. "Well, I gots to finish making breakfast here. If the coffee makes ya feel better, feel free to come on in and get some any time."

"Thanks," Arik called after Ted's retreating figure, before taking another sip of coffee and heading back to his room. It really was good coffee. "I'll remember that," he whispered to himself as he padded his way back down the hallways.

Back inside his room, Arik set about making the last preparations for the journey ahead of him. He had packed most of his stuff last night, but there were a couple things left. Picking up his solid oak quarter staff from its position leaning against the foot of his bed, he gave it an experimental twirl. Careful not to hit anything in the enclosed space, he practiced a couple of thrusts, parries, and swipes.

Satisfied, he set the staff down on his bed (neatly made before he had left the room), and picked up his journal. He'd had it with him for ten years now, and he wasn't about to leave it behind. He placed it snugly into his pack, also propped at the foot of his bed, along with a few fresh pens. It wouldn't do to run out of ink only days into the journey.

[center]-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --[/center]

After breakfast was done, Arik headed out to the clearing around the HQ entrance. It was a bustle of activity, with people scurrying about loading the three huge transports standing outside. Two were just about ready to depart, and his group would be with the third.

"Hey, Leo!" Arik walked up to the Lieutenant, staff in hand and his pack slung over a shoulder. "Look's like it's about time to get this show on the road. Look, there's Clavat, too."

"Am I late?" Clavat asked as he jogged up to Leo and Arik.

Leo grinned, still a little impressed with the people forming up behind him. "You're just in time."[/color]

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[b]OOC Edit:[/b]
[color=seagreen]Sorry about this, but I'm going to be gone from tomorrow until Saturday, or the 4th through the 9th. Again, sorry; just keep playing my character while I'm gone, and I can catch up when I get back, okay?[/color]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=indigo][I]Kattarin sat down quickly, in part because she was off balance, partly because the rock was suddenly a foot lower...

Her head spinning, she waited for Ayrael to start talking, since apparently she didn't know anything about the real world.[/I]

Ayrael: The first thing you need to realise is eighty percent of people and places are hostile. The second is that a lot of things that remain hostile are strange looking. Third thing is anything even remotely like nationalism, or any other kind of politics, should be avoided.

Kattarin: That was easy enough.

Ayrael: Wait for your head to calm down. Then it won't seem so easy.

Kattarin: I'll take your word for that.

[I]Kattarin reached up to massage her head. To her surprise, blood stained her hand when she brought it down. Ayrael gave a slight exclamation, and had her lie back, her head in Ayrael's lap. Ayrael doctored the wound quickly, it wasn't serious. However, Kattarin had apparently decided consciousness was a secondary concern. And the cramped quarters meant there really wasn't anywhere else Ayrael could put her. Ayrael sighed, and leant back, attempting to get some sleep without the benefit of semi-consciousness.[/font][/color][/I]

[Zidargh]

[size=1][color=darkblue] After about half an hour, it had seemed that the HQ had been completely emptied out of its troops, the [i]Defensive Platoons[/i] had already left to reach their destinations, some were still near to the HQ, others were smothered in mist providing less visible conditions for people to look over them. There was no sun, or there was, yet the mist had overcome the entire surroundings causing a mixture of an eerie and yet a calm atmosphere. All was to be expected.

Leo turned back to look at his platoon, however this resulted in him being awe struck at the lines of troops that eagerly awaited Leo's command. Nerves had overcome him at this point causing him to stutter a little in comparision to the other Commanding Officer's giving their speeches with confidence. Finding that his three friends were also standing statically at ease staring at Leo, provided a form of confidence. Coughing and clearing his throat, Leo began to speak.

''Men and women... I... uhhh... well today's the big day! Haha.'' After laughing at his own pathetic excuse for a joke, their was silence travelling down the ranks as they failed to see the hilarity in Leo's comment. Continuing, Leo became more serious. ''Today we begin our journey to Bankai as you know, I sure as hell hope you packed all the stuff you needed because its too late now. You are all probably wondering if there is going to be any resistance, well I'll be honest, I really do not know. I suppose we could classify it as a 'Light Risk' yet I'm sure the Empire want to keep their hands on this little village. You'll see what I mean when we get there I guess. So staying in the ranks that you are, follow the platoon before us, then I'll try and get us to merge together.''

The entire platoon turned ninety degrees to face the backs of the platoon in front and after 10 metres had reached between them, they all started walking in a more casual way, Leo hated the military standards so he tried to keep to normal as he could. None of them looked back, only forwards to see the path that was ahead, it was nearly invisible the path and Leo began to wander out of line, however he jumped back in front and carried on. The mist was more like a form of smog, the dirt paths were giving off brown shades of dust while the sun's feeble attempt to penetrate the surface illuminated their surroundings.

There were no leaves or trees to be heard as the dew was settling, all that could be heard was the exhausted mutters between the ranks and the heavy boots clashing with the path. The mist was due to dissappear within a few hours so Leo thought just to persevere until he was questioned by a female chemist who was juggling with a couple of potion bottles.

''Erm, Leo, sir.'' Asked the chemist with high respect.

''Yeah, what's up?'' Leo replied with a smile.

''How long is it going to be until we reach Bankai?'' The chemist stopped juggling with a concerned and tired look on her face.

''I'd say a day, we'll probably reach there by nightfall. Just dont forget about the threat okay?'' Leo somewhat shouted in anxiety.

With this the chemist nodded and waited until her line caught up with her. Leo turned back around as he waited for one of his friends to approach, after all he was very restless.

----

OOC: Sorry its not a great starter to the journey. ¬_¬[/color][/size]

[terra]

Rydia relaxed as the platoon walked through the mist. It reminded her of her home. Lots of things were doing that nowadays.

The rest of the troops didn't seem quite as easy among the gentle white clouds. In fact, most of them seemed to be murmuring complaints that it was a bad omen for their travel. Rydia resisted a laugh; after all, it would look strange for her to be talking to herself.

Her pace slowed as she fell to contemplation. The last time she'd seen these lands she'd been on the run, exhausted and nearly starving. But she'd managed, she'd lived the whole long journey from the Civil Grounds. And now she was heading back ... But not alone anymore, with an entire platoon.

Rydia looked up and realized that she'd been walking slower than she thought; she was one of the last of the platoon. Far ahead she spotted Arik, chatting (and probably flirting) with some girl; she allowed herself a small smile. At the head of the pack was, of course, Leo, who hadn't quite been able to hide his cute nervousness as he gave a little speech in the morning. Rydia glanced at the blond next to her and started a little bit. He looked incredibly young and innocent to be the sergeant that his badge proclaimed him to be. He was striding along with purpose even though he was nearly last in his line; one hand was on the hilt of his sword as if ready for an attack at any time.

He glanced up, feeling her gaze, and smiled. "Hello," he said.

Rydia realized she'd been staring and laughed to cover her embarrassment. "Hi," she said. "I'm Rydia."

"Clavat Bunel," he returned, lifting his hand off his sword to shake hers. "Nice to meet you."

Rydia smiled to herself. She honestly thought he looked like he was about ten.

"A chilly mist, isn't it?" Clavat said conversationally. "It should let up pretty soon, though, if we keep walking at this pace."

"Oh," Rydia said, unable to keep the disappointment out of her voice. Clavat raised an eyebrow.

"You sound sad," he remarked. "Most of the platoon seems eager to get out of it."

"It's just mist," Rydia said. "It can't exactly hurt us. It could even help us, allow us to sneak up undetected."

"It could also give some cover for a sneak attack on us," Clavat commented.

"That's true, I guess," Rydia said. "But we should probably keep up a little optimism."

"Yeah. We might need it," Clavat replied.

[Zidargh]

[size=1][color=darkblue]OOC: Well guys, to envelope a further diversion in the story, I may occasionally write a sub-story which will involve the Kelost Empire's perspective in the world, this will give us vision on what is occuring on the other side of the world. Do not worry, I will not leave my main character, just I feel it needs to be done.

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[b][u]Kelost Empire Palace ¦¦ 09:00 hours [/u][/b]

An egg, or so it seemed, an incredibly large egg. Encasing all that was placed in it, but was never to be removed, like a small hand-crafted ship placed into what appears to be an impossible fit of a bottle. Of course, leaving this 'egg' would have to be because of the surroundings being destroyed by somewhat unnatural cause but more of a deliberate act. And so this theory was enforced by walls manned by gunners and archers cosntantly on the look out for any form of a threat. An invincible Kingdom it seemed, yet the elegant surroundings hid a darker cloud that contrasted with with the brightly lit halls.

There he sat, a man of a handsome face and tall stature, covered in garments and robes that overwhelmed his body. Always looking out in thought, or occasionally in pleasure as he satisfied himself by the use of reluctant [i]tools[/i], Emperor Kelost's tools appeared to be beautiful women that he seduced and made a physical grip upon. Emperor Kelost was of an incredibly attractive man but he lacked the warmth in his heart, hence he found it upon himself to use feat to manipulate those under him.

Emperor Kelost opened his eyes to find himself sitting in an incredibly crafted seating arrangement that also sat on a red carpet with gold edges that spanned outwards towards the end of the halls. This huge carpet was sandwiched between High Knights of the Dark order. The sun had just finally peered through the dark cloud of mist, shedding light onto the marble flooring that followed upwards elegantly towards the ceiling.

After all the concealed silence, a man of age who appeared to be Kelost's head servant and commander in rank walked proudfully to somewhat inform Kelost on the situation. ''M'Lord. The plan is going with great caution. It is said that the rebels will be met within a span of half an hour to an hour.''

Kelost looked up and nodded in satisfaction. ''Excellent. They'll get their surprise, our spies have definitely done their work. Yet our men will most likely find them dead as the rebels appear to be quite perceptive. Bankai is not a village to be tampered with. I presume you sent trained troops this time?''

''Yes, the best of the best M'Lord. I am just concer--'' The chancellor seemed to be interrupted by a huge conclusion full of rage.

''What!? Concerned!? I ask you with confidence!? You betray me with your foolish thoughts! Unless you are wanting to leave without your head on you shoulders Chancellor.'' Kelost screamed while jumping up, this was until he sat down and cleared his throat, veins throbbing at his head.

''N-no M'Lord. I apologise for my insolent behaviour. I bid you adieu.'' The chancellor stuttered quietly as he walked out of the halls in a hurry. Kelost fumed at the thought as he followed him with eyeshot, glaring at the walls in shock.

-------

[b][u]Civil Grounds ¦¦ 09:11 hours[/u][/b]

Leo noticed the sun rising which caused the mist to fade away within a matter of seconds. As the sun constantly rised, more light was shed providing colour in the world once again. It was a comforting omen for Leo, however it had its consequences as a chain reaction of the entire field of rebels yawned at the sight of the sun. it was an amusing sight as he chuckled. After about two minutes, it was noticed that the offensive began to move to a large hill where a foundation of rocks sat isolated. This was where they stopped for a water break.

Even though it would only last for a short while, all the breaks were worth it. It stood out and made any man or woman appreciate that they were still alive. Following one after the other, Leo's platoon headed over to sit down at the base of the hill. Each soldier was told to make use of this time and prepare for whatever was ahead, perhaps more of a water break.

Finding himself in a larger growth of grass, Leo placed himself down to find that Rydia was behind him gulping down the water our of her carton. It seemed like she was dehydrated in the desert. They had only walked for at least three hours.

''Shouldnt you keep some of that?'' Leo giggled at the sight of Rydia aggresively nourished.

''Eh? Ah I needed this.'' Rydia turned with a blush in her cheeks as she grinned.

''Well okay, just dont come crying to me if you need more, that means I'll have to share. Anyway, you noticed something moving in the horizon? Only a small mound constantly nearing but they seem like they're about 10 miles away.'' Leo asked with a concerned tone in his voice.

Rydia immediately stood up and used her hand to shade her eyes from the incredibly bright sun. She then sat down. ''Nope, I cant see anything, you're becoming more paranoid Lieutenant.''

The duo couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the title, still Leo found himself looking at Arik's attempts of flirting, while Clavat kept attempting to slice the same blade of grass. Everyone was busy, restlessness must have been inherited.[/color][/size]

[James]

OOC: How on earth did we arrive at Bankai so soon? Look at the map. It's literally more than half-a-planet away. I thought we'd have stopped at a few places first, to let some of the personal stuff unfold between characters. It seems a bit quick to jump straight into battle, I mean, the Chocobos would need to run pretty fast to carry an entire convoy that far so quickly. Maybe we can be a bit more cautious later?

In any case, I don't want to mess with your plans, Zidargh. So, I'll try to make my post believable and open-ended. ^_^

By the way, sorry for my absence lately. I've been extremely busy with school. X_X

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[color=#707875]The base of the hill opened out onto what appeared to be a large grassy plain. The fog had cleared somewhat and the platoon were able to see the village of Bankai just beyond the plain. It was only a small village and was surrounded by simple wooden fencing. Clavat privately wondered why the Empire would take interest in such a small and seemingly insignificant place. But he then remembered where he'd bought most of his travel potions; Bankai. Bankai's history of potion making was quite significant and Clavat remembered that his father frequently ordered large shipments of potions from the village. It was ironic that Bankai did most of its business with the Kelost Empire, when this was the very force now bearing down on its little cottages. Of course, this was the way it worked. The Empire was the world's superpower and most small villages had little choice but to export their wares to its enormous, bustling markets.

The Empire's size and power was also why many villagers had left their homes, from all corners of the globe. These people had travelled to the Empire for a better life. Those who were lucky (especially if they knew someone who already lived among the upper echelons of society), were able to get themselves a cushy office-job. Or, perhaps they were able to work as an assistant or a maid. But many who departed for the Empire usually ended up living and working in the lower, dirtier sectors of the inner city. Either that, or they ended up living in the expansive ghettos that surrounded the Imperial City itself. Most of the upper-class who lived in the Empire had lived there for many years. And most of those people didn't have ties with anyone outside the continent's fortified walls. It was simply a case of two worlds existing side-by-side, each one having little to do with the other on a personal level. The Empire's only interest in the outside world was money and land resources. Some small villages were propped up by the Empire, but only because they happened to be situated on oil fields. Other villages only existed because they provided valuable goods for the Empire -- goods that often couldn't be made by machinery. Potions and hand-weapons were only ever worthwhile if they'd been hand made, by an expert craftsman. Emperor Kelost reluctantly traded with villages like Bankai. And those villages that objected to their land being used for mining? They were usually wiped out by the Imperial Army. And so, most villages had no choice but to live under the tyranny of Emperor Kelost.

Clavat was sitting against the cloth that covered one of the caravans. Several other members of the platoon were inside, sharpening their blades, checking their equipment and packing their potions. Clavat stood up and walked toward the front of the caravan. At the front, a driver was holding the reigns of six Chocobos, who were obediently pulling the caravan forward. And, just behind the driver, sat Leo. He was sharpening his two short swords. Clavat sat down next to him and smiled.

"Do you feel nervous?" he asked with a grin. Leo smiled, but didn't look away from the job at hand. He continued to examine the blades closely.

"Oh, you know. I feel alright," he said. "How about you?"

Clavat nodded. "I feel good. But I am wondering something," he said as he unsheathed his own sword.

Leo looked at Clavat briefly. "Oh?"

"Yeah. I mean, why is the Empire attacking Bankai? Don't they have some sort of trade agreement with them?"

Leo smiled. His smile indicated that he'd been asked this question several times before.

"Well, they [i]did[/i] have an agreement. It's gone sour."

"Why?" asked Clavat.

"Bankai requested more money for their potions. The Empire was paying them 50% less than they pay shopkeepers who sell potions within the Empire. Those shopkeepers sell a lower quality potion, yet get paid more simply because they are within the continent."

"Oh...so Bankai was simply asking to be treated fairly?"

Leo nodded. "Yeah. Big mistake, huh?"

"Yeah, I'll say," Clavat sighed. "So...the Emperor wants to go to war just because he's not willing to pay a fair price for potion?"

Leo nodded again. "Yes."

Clavat's eyes widened. "I can't believe it. It sounds like my father..."

"Your what?"

"Nothing," said Clavat. He smiled awkwardly and stood up. "I should go and get ready. My stuff is at the other end of the caravan. We'll be nearer the village soon..."

"Oh. Okay then," said Leo as he saluted Clavat and then went back to sharpening.

[/color]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Standing at the top of the hill, Arik was practicing with his quarter staff, twirling it about in between various strikes and parries. With a final twirling spin, he flipped the staff back into a walking stick position and bowed to a few girls that were watching his small performance. He was getting to be pretty popular among the female chemists and priests in his small group, though he had never really considered a serious relationship with any of them. The other males in the group seemed to be a bit jealous of him, however, and Arik found that slightly amusing.

"Thank you, thank you," he said as the bit of clapping died away. "Shows are every hour, on the hour," he said with a wink, causing a few small laughs as the group dispersed.

"Quite the ladies man, huh?" came a voice behind him.... A familiar voice.

"Hmm, wishing you were in my group?" he asked teasingly. He turned around to face Rydia and winked with a grin.

Rydia laughed at the sly grin. "I can see why they like you; you're quite the charmer."

"Well, I try," he said with a mock sigh. "But the pretty ones always turn me down on dates." Another wink.

"Oh great, now you're flirting with me. Stop that."

Arik's face immidiately went blank, and he spoke in a monotone. "Okay, I will stop. Please forgive me; it will not happen again."

Rydia did her best to keep a straight face, but couldn't quite manage it. In between small giggles, she said, "Right, and I'll hold you to that, so you'd better not."

"Right, no flirting," he spoke in his normal tone as he nodded, and then abruptly turned and walked away, leaving Rydia to ponder her encounter with the priest. Arik could be an odd one at times. It wasn't really that he was girl-crazy, but more that he [i]was[/i] quite the charmer, and he knew it. As far as he could tell, Arik had never actually been in love. Sure, he had had a few fancies during his travels before joining the Battalion, but just as now, nothing at all serious.

Looking around, Arik watched the various activity going on about the caravan. It appeared that they were about to depart once more, so he gathered his stuff and headed up towards the head of the caravan.[/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]Clavat examined his sword closely. It was high noon and golden bars of sunlight were pouring through the caravan's large rear opening. Clavat was not sure how old the sword was. He only knew that it had come from his father. And he remembered the day he had received it very clearly. It was his eighteenth birthday -- rather than have a party, Clavat had decided to undertake some fencing practice in the little courtyard outside his room. It wasn't that he didn't like parties, it was more the fact that he had very few genuine friends. Most of the "friends" he'd come across in school were people who were only interested in his father's money. Either they wanted to laze about in Clavat's opulent home, or they wanted a job with Cerion-Gall. Yes, he remembered that day very well...[/color]

[color=royalblue]Clavat walked out onto the balcony. The sky was beautiful that night, like dark purple satin covered with thousands of brilliant white jewels. It was summer and all of the windows to Clavat's home were wide open. A soft breeze was dancing through the great corridors of the manor. And in the distance, Clavat could see Fountain Square, with hundreds of affulent shoppers crowded around its cobblestone streets.

Despite the activity in the city, Clavat's own home was rather quiet. Although, this was not unexpected. Clavat's mother was never home; she spent most nights out around town, socialising with Kelost's upper crust. However, Clavat's father [i]was[/i] home, which was quite uncharacteristic. He was home, but a visitor to the house may not know it, as he was sitting alone in his office, which was inside an enormous tower at the north end of Bunel Manor.

Nobody ever entered that tower. It was dark, eerie and frightening. And quite often, Cerion-Gall used his office to hold private meetings with business partners. Sometimes those business partners emerged a couple of hours after entering the office, with expressions of nervousness on their face. And sometimes they never returned from the office. Clavat didn't ask his father questions, for he felt that his father didn't value him at all. In fact, Clavat often wondered if his father saw him as more of a stumbling block to greater profits. Afterall, Clavat had invested all of his time in his schooling and fencing. These were two pursuits that he treasured above all else. And he refused to work for his father's mining company. So, he was essentially contributing nothing to the household.

That night was Clavat's birthday. There was no cake or candles. No birthday card. Nothing. But that was okay with Clavat, he didn't want a fuss. He just wanted to be alone.

And so, he took his fencing sword and made his way through the manor's expansive corridors until finally, he emerged at the courtyard below his room. The courtyard was one of his favourite places. And that night, it was bathed in deep blue moonlight. The courtyard itself was surrounded by highly manicured shrubs and bushes, with a small-yet-elaborate fountain sitting in the center. The fountain included a statue of Emperor Kelost in the center, with a garden of flowers at his feet. The Emperor was holding a small book in his left hand (which contained the Imperial Powers Act) and in his right hand, he was holding a long sword. The sword was engraved with the names of the territories of the continent that had fallen. Many of the rich saw Kelost as a wartime hero. But Clavat wasn't so sure.

Clavat withdrew his sword and began sparring with an invisible opponent. He gracefully darted forwards and backwards, tracing artful linework through the air with the tip of his sword. He dropped low to the ground, balanced himself on a single foot and dodged nonexistant attacks. After several minutes, Clavat stopped to dab his forehead with a handkerchief. As he did so, he heard soft clapping from a shadowy corner of the courtyard. Clapping of large, gloved hands.

"Very good, my boy," said a voice that, at first, was frightfully deep and menacing. Clavat's immediate sense of worry escaped him when he realized that it was his father. Although, he still felt reserved when in his father's presence.

"Thank you," said Clavat as he sheathed his sword.

Cerion-Gall walked into the moonlight and crossed his arms. He was much taller than Clavat, with wide shoulders and a square chin. His hands were covered in thick black gauntlets, which extended to his elbows. He wore a fine satin shirt of red, with a thicker black shirt over the top. The black shirt was buckled in several places with large golden rings. And over that, he wore a heavy black jacket, with gold and silver trimmings. The jacket ran down past his knees and over his leather boots. Facially, Cerion-Gall was nothing like Clavat. Clavat was more like his mother. Rather, Cerion-Gall's eyes were squarer and smaller. His eyes were a light grey colour and his face was defined by sharp edges and angular lines. He never looked happy. But tonight, he seemed to be in a somewhat pleasant mood, as he paced around the courtyard and admired the scenery.

"Quite a skill you've got there. Glad to see that my money isn't going to waste," he said in a deep, monotone voice. Clavat couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or serious.

"Thanks," repeated Clavat awkwardly. "Fencing is my life...I'm very appreciative that you are putting me through lessons."

Cerion-Gall nodded to himself. "Yeah, you have a natural talent. That kind of skill might get you in good with the Emperor," he said.

"The Emperor?" asked Clavat.

"Yeah. He's always looking for recruits. I told him that you might be interested." Cerion-Gall briefly glanced at Clavat out of the corner of his eyes, to gauge his son's reaction.

At first, Clavat said nothing. He wasn't sure what to say, afterall. His father knew the Emperor...and now it seemed as though both he and the Emperor were only satisfied with Clavat's progress for one reason.

"Isn't the Emperor's army large enough already?" asked Clavat hopefully.

Cerion-Gall let out a deep, spluttery chuckle. He grinned, showing his oddly-sharp teeth.

"Who said anything about his army? I was talking about a far more interesting prospect..."

Clavat rubbed the back of his neck uneasily. Cerion-Gall stepped closer and lowered his tone of voice.

"Did you know that the Imperial Guard is looking for new recruits?" he breathed.

Clavat merely shook his head slowly.

"Well, they aren't looking for any recruits publicly...but as you know, the Emperor recruits those whom he trusts. While having lunch with him last week, I suggested that you might be a fine candidate," said Cerion-Gall, with an air of satisfaction in his voice.

"Oh..."

"Aren't you excited?"

Clavat looked at the ground. "I guess so...yeah," he said, forcing himself not to sound too depressed.

Either Cerion-Gall was foolish, or he merely ignored his son's attitude. Clavat knew it was the latter.

"Of course, with those skills of yours, you'd be able to carry out assassinations...or you'd be able to spy on neighbouring villages. The possibilities are endless! This would also be a tremendous winfall for the family business, you know...all those lovely mining contracts," said Cerion-Gall. He himself seemed to be getting a little excited by the prospect.

Although Clavat understood that this offer was motivated primarily by his father's greed and desire for power, he also knew that it was not wise to argue or disagree. But already, he knew that it was time to leave home. He simply couldn't stay, knowing what he knew. But for the time being, he needed to play along.

"Okay, sir. It does sound like a fine opportunity," said Clavat.

Cerion-Gall nodded approvingly. "Yes! It's a marvellous opportunity, of course. You would be foolish not to accept it. So, you'll give it a shot?"

Clavat nodded slowly. "Sure," he said.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Cerion-Gall. And before Clavat could move a muscle, his father had produced a silver sword, with an impressively-decorated hilt. "Here," he said happily. "This is for you. It's a very special sword. It has been in my side of the family for many generations. I want you to have it..."

At first, this sounded like the first truly kind gesture that his father had ever made. But it soured when Cerion-Gall finished the sentence..."

"...I want you to have it because it will [i]really[/i] impress the selectors when you try for the position. They are more swayed by money than anything else. If you flash this expensive sword around, I have no doubt that they'll be impressed. Of course, you'll need to have your skills about you...but an impressive wallet wouldn't hurt either!"

Clavat simply nodded once more. And before he could say another word, his father had already left the courtyard and entered the manor. Clavat stood there, holding the sword in his hands. He knew that this sword would remind him never to be as greedy as his father...[/color]

[Zidargh]

[size=1][color=darkblue]OOC: The RPG SHALL live on, Ive put too much ambition into this baby. ^_~
------------

It had been a while when the caravans had left again. It was also made apparent that night was beginning to fall upon them. A perfect opportunity to get moving, it'd be difficult to spot a trail of caravans that are not giving off any form of light. The only obvious notice would be the creaking and crackling of the rickety, wooden wheels that turned and rotated for end upon end.

Leo was sitting nearest to the back of the caravan which even though not open, contained a large slit that would provide light. Inside was an open space that was contained by a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Men and women of all classes sat either trying to rest, polish their weapons, read or sleep. A typical expectation for a platoon, and Leo was proud of how they kept so calm. All the men and women were seated on a newly constructed bench made out of wood that seemed to be stable, yet it would be definitely vunerable to fire.

Moving straight away from this sudden negativity, Leo looked up at the 'window' and found the sky a reddish, orange colour. A welcoming sight as the sun was out of vision due to the angles that were made visible. Standing up and finding himself too tall, Leo bent his neck down and brushed himself down due to the hourless travels eventually affecting his legs. Noticing Clavat staring at his feet, it appeared that he was frozen or a [i]Stop[/i]spell had been cast. Leo certainly hoped it hadn't.

''Alright?'' Leo bent down to look Clavat in the eye and smiled.

''Oh...'' Clavat appeared to had not paid any attention but immediately snapped out of the dazed and looked aghast as Leo's what seemed, large face closed in on him. ''Oh, yes! Sorry Leo.''

''Ahaha, it's fine. Look lively my boy, these are indeed dangerous lands.'' Leo stared trying to keep a straight face but with no avail and immediately cracked up, followed by Clavat. ''Hmm, try and get some sleep Clavat, we might not gain the welcoming we are hoping for''.

''Leo, trying the old charm again eh? Of authority I mean.'' Leo turned to notice Arik staring at him with a smirk. Drool seemed to lay beside his mouth as his hair had seemed to be disturbed. Sleep had occured obviously.

Winking in recoginition, Leo turned around and used his hands to find his place next to a sleep eyed Rydia and then sat down. Yet the peace no longer lasted.

[i]Crack[/i]

The sound that became so loud seemed so loud that its pitch was beyond that of an arrow. The penetration of air and the leather exterior of the caravan echoed throught immediately, Leo was then deaf except for the sound of a windy cavern that would not halt to eerily blow.

Immediately his heart began to race, looking around in shock, Leo noticed a huge bustle of the platoon inside due to the panic began to build up the pace of the caravans, the chocobos were obviously now running as fast as they could. Rydia seemed to have frozen as if her nerves were no longer working it was only shock. Clavat had placed his hand on his sheathe who appeared to be screaming at Leo alongside many other troops, while mouthing out [i]''Leo! What should we do!?''[/i].

Leo made nothing to reply as he seemed to be under a narcotic daze himself now as Arik picked him up harshly as an arrow barely missed his shoulder. The deafness was only temporary, the incoming recall of screams and shouting was ear splitting and Leo had now found what was causing this. Clavat was shaking the knight that stared outwards so harshly but there was not an even flinch. All that seemed to be disturbed was his forehead. The knight's head trickled with a small stream of blood down his nose, while a small hole that would only allow a ball at a very high speed enter caused the leak. He had been lethally shot in the head.

This disturbing sight caused Leo to then grasp his katanas and immediately cut two slashes into the leather back 'door'. Darkness was outside and all that could be heard was the deafening shots and twirling of ballistics and arrows, while the clanging of sword upon shield could be heard like a parrying steel factory.

For all that could be seen was darkness. Pitch black sky, while fire burned brightly upon an overturned caravan. This was due to the fact that Leo was not staring into the sky but the grass that obstructed his view. Fire and the destroyed caravan could only be seen reflected in the corner of his eye, he had fallen out without noticing.

Turning over to see the red sky, Leo was met by one Gunner with a pistol, and two were of the Knights. They were dressed in dark robes and cloaks, all of them. And there shone the emblem on each of their clothing. The Badge of the Kelost. A sharp urge of adrenalin led from Leo's pancreas was leaked, this was due to the recognition that somehow they'd been intercepted by the Kelost Empire.

[i]''Kill him quickly, you are aware of his rank, do it damnit!'' Spoke the masked knight signalling to the Gunner as he forced the Gunner's pistol to Leo's neck.[/i]

Nodding, the Gunner lowered the pistol further to point just between Leo's eyes, contracted the back of the pistol that would trigger the spring, began to squeeze the trigger with his gloved index finger, and dropped the pistol dozily. A finally decorated sword had been forced into the Gunner's stomach. Clavat had saved Leo's life.

Leo couldnt close his eyes in relief yet even though he was in the middle of a massive battle, the other two Knights turned around and both made an attempt to get a slice of Clavat. This was until the 'dog' of all three of them was blown mid air bent in the legs and arms forward three metres as a glowing fireball made impact with his stomach. Once again, another major troop had been secured. However the one that seemed to lead the other two that had only been encountered had not been dealt with.

As the blood from the made hole of the stomach of the Gunner leaked out gruesomely and fell, Clavat pulled the sword out and span around to meet with the side of the chest of the other darkly dressed Knight, continuing to sever the rib cage and finally exit just before a blow had been made to Clavat. Each had been killed in one hit, and Leo was obviously incredibly thankful. Being lifted up from the bloody first carcass by two serious looking friends being Arik and Clavat, Leo and the other two waved their arms towards them at the remaining platoon in the halted caravan. It appeared the Chocobos were now being used in battle.

''Get out now! Time to fight!'' Leo shouted for the first time in his life incredibly angered... [/color][/size]

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Arik was out and roaring orders beside Leo, trying to mass his group of priests and chemists into a coherent group. "Everybody out of the caravans! Priests, form barriers around the wounded and cast support spells on the fighters! Chemists, tend to the wounded and call a priest if a wound requires magic! Move!"

Now a shout from Leo. "All fighters, protect the priests and chemists from in front of the barriers! Don't let them get to the caravans! Push them back!"

[i]Any[/i] more [i]of the caravans,[/i] Arik thought grimly as he watched one of the overturned vehicles burn, wounded sprawled across the ground nearby. "Come on," he said as he motioned to Leo and Clavat. "Let's do our part."

"Shouldn't you help with the wounded?" Clavat asked.

"Part of being a priest is supporting the fighters. You'll do a lot better with an experienced priest backing you up. The others can handle wounded." To put action to words, Arik cast three spells in a row: Regen, Haste, and Wall, the spells encompassing all three of them. "And I'm not totally helpless, either," he said as he brought his staff up in a defensive position.

"Let's go, then," said Leo as he drew his twin swords, and the three of them stepped into the fray. The clang of metal on metal rang out through the night, backed by the red light of the burning caravan. Leo and Clavat stood in front of Arik, the two knights slashing and stabbing at the enemy as Arik provided healing and protection spells. The three fought on for what seemed like hours, but there was no end to the enemy soldiers in sight, and the Battalion troops were beginning to tire. What started out as a fierce counter-attack was now a slow retreat as Leo, Clavat, and Arik were pushed back towards the halted caravans with the rest of the troops.

"We can't keep this up!" Clavat yelled over the din of battle.

"There's too many of them," came Arik's voice. "We can't go on like--get down!" Arik shoved the two knights aside as a huge fireball flew through the ranks towards one of the relatively undamaged caravans. Casting Reflect, Arik swung his staff, appearing to bat the fireball back the way it had come to incinerate the enemy wizard that had cast the spell.

He could see it coming; it was a clear set-up, but Arik didn't have any choice. As he stepped out from the protection of the two knights, he saw the lancer's long spear stab out towards him, penetrating his left shoulder as he deflected wizard's spell. Falling onto one knee with the shaft still in him, he gasped as the pain washed across his body.

As Arik fell, Leo and Clavat leapt forward as one, dispatching the lancer with their combined blows and quickly resumed their defensive posititions in front of the priest. Arik was still gasping, his face contorting as he yanked the shaft from his body. Regen had warn off much earlier, so he hissed out a Cure 3 spell between clenched teeth and stood up again as the wound closed and healed.

"God help them if I ever learn Holy," he growled.[/color]

[James]

[color=#707875]As Clavat fought off hordes of low-level knights from the opposing side, he wondered why the battle wasn't taking place within the village itself. He managed to catch a brief glimpse of the village -- he could see a whisp of black smoke rising from the thatched roof of a hut. The whisp of smoke developed into blossoming clouds within moments.

Clavat looked at Leo. "Leo, they're attacking the village!" he yelled over the noise.

He saw Leo nod and gesture forwards, toward the village itself. Clavat nodded and began moving forward as the opposing ranks thinned down somewhat.

Clavat was able to momentarily look behind him. He saw various mechanics pouring out of the caravans and assembling small and medium sized catapults. Large balls of heavy cloth were being loaded onto them and set alight. Some of the balls were tainted with magic, however. Clavat noticed that one ball had been enchanted with Demi, to make it as heavy as a block of iron. And another had been enchanted with Ice, to allow it to shatter upon impact. He felt a little relieved at this development and he knew that now, the remaining members of the force would be able to defend the caravan with the injured inside, while priests and white mages performed their important healing work.

Clavat felt a large object hit him gently from behind and he spun around quickly to confront it, thinking it was an enemy soldier. But rather than see an enemy soldier's angry glare, he was met with a large beak and yellow feathers. It was a Chocobo. Arik had apparently gone back and called for several. Being the well-trained and battle-ready creatures that they were, the Chocobos immediately followed their riders into the most dangerous situations without question.

These particular Chocobos were covered from head to toe in battle armor. Their headplates bore the Ramza Batallion Emblem. The mere sight of the emblem inspired the greatest of confidence in Clavat and his comrades.

Clavat jumped onto the back of his Chocobo and noticed that Leo and Arik were already preparing to ride out. The Chocobos, for their part, were quite defensive creatures. If [i]any[/i] enemies came nearby, they instinctively reared up and prepared to defend their rider (one swift kick from a Chocobo's powerful talons would be enough to severely damage most soldiers in battle).

Clavat's Chocobo came up alongside Leo and Arik. Leo's face was covered in sweat and he had an extremely serious expression on his face. Generally, he was quite happy to joke and poke fun. But now he was deadly serious and even though Clavat expected it, he'd never really seen it before. Leo understood the seriousness of their situation; if they weren't careful, the battle could turn very quickly indeed.

Leo pointed to the village. "We need to go in there. I know what these guys are like...if they think they're loosing this battle, they'll burn down the village as they retreat. They don't care for the civilians at all. We must go in there and secure it!"

Clavat and Arik both nodded. "Will they be able to hold the position out here?" asked Arik.

"I sure hope so," said Leo, glancing back at the catapults. "I'm pretty sure they can handle it."

Leo tapped his heels against the Chocobo gently and it obediently trotted forward toward the village. Arik and Clavat followed alongside him.[/color]

[terra]

Rydia was pissed because she'd written a reply and then it was deleted, and she had to start over.
Oops. Let me try that again.

-----------------------

Rydia glanced out to observe the battle scene, somewhat annoyed. She knew she should be either terrified or pumped full of adrenaline at the surrounding fight, but she'd been ushered unceremoniously into a protected caravan as soon as it had begun, presumably because she was a female armed only with a staff. Though some of the wounded had been brought to her caravan and she'd summoned Mogri to at least ease their pain, she was still feeling summarily useless.

Around her the battle was still raging, catapults flinging enchanted objects towards the enemy in what seemed like an effective offensive. She also spotted three chocobos covered in ... battle gear? They were galloping off somewhere, and Rydia recognized the familiar long brown ponytail of Arik and the strict, upright posture of Lieutenant Leo, as well. After a moment of squinting, she realized the third looked a good deal like Clavat.

Rydia sighed and was about to resign herself to returning to the caravan when the cheery yellow feathers of a chocobo approached, ridden by a mass of silver and copper-scented red, which turned out to be a badly bleeding knight upon closer inspection. Rydia immediately jumped out and helped him off his steed, recklessly ripping off the hem of her own dress and wrapping it around one of the wounds on his arm to at least slow the bleeding.

"Go inside and rest," she insisted, and the Knight reluctantly agreed, realizing himself that he was no longer in much shape to contribute.

Rydia was about to follow when she happened to glance over toward the chocobo, still dressed in its battle armor and waiting patiently for a master. She looked around at the chaos and made her decision in an instant. She clawed her way rather ungracefully onto its back, but it didn't seem to mind, turning to look at her in the eyes trustingly. Rydia grinned.

"Let's go," she said, and with a flick of the reins, the chocobo was headed in the direction of Leo and the others.

Rydia soon realized they were approaching the village somewhat cautiously, and as her chocobo was running at nearly full speed, she caught up to them relatively quickly. Not wishing to reveal that she'd in effect stolen a ride, she slowed her pace and followed them. It appeared that they were hoping to protect the little village from --

[i]Kelost.[/i] A few soldiers came into sight in the village, brandishing torches, with the symbol of the Kelost Empire clearly branded on their uniforms. Rydia watched in shock as one of them deliberately pushed his torch against a house, watching the flames lick slowly up it as a woman frantically ran out into the street, dragging her children with her, a look of desperation on her face.

Leo, Arik, and Clavat immediately charged forward, and Rydia followed. As the chocobos dashed, Rydia came to her senses and pointed her staff, bellowing, [i]Shiva![/i]

A wisp of a shimmering white dragon emerged from the end of her staff, and a moment later the real one appeared above her in the sky, effervescent wings glinting in the sun. The monster beat its wings easily toward the flaming house, and the woman shrieked in fear, holding her children close to her. But Shiva blew gently at the flames, and her icy breath immediately put them out.

Rydia saw Leo and Arik glance back briefly, but she ignored their raised eyebrows and urged her chocobo forward to join them in protecting the village.

[Desbreko]

[color=indigo]Arik watched the look of surprise spread across the Kelost soldier's face as his torch was extinguished by the icy breath and deftly steered his Chocobo in that direction, raising his staff as he saw the soldier fumbling to light another torch.

"Slow," Arik whispered, and the soldier seemed almost to stop in place. Steering farther away from the others and urging his Chocobo forward now at full speed, straight towards the soldier, Arik swung his thick quarter staff. The blow connected squarely on the side of the soldier's helmet, knocking him to the ground unconscious. Circling around behind the other soldiers, Arik saw Leo and Clavat take out two soldiers of their own, their heads falling to the ground beside the decapitated bodies. Glancing back at Rydia, Arik saw the shock on the girl's face, but all the same she followed through with her attack, mimicking Arik and striking the remaining soldier with her staff as she rode by.

As Rydia rode past towards Arik, Leo and Clavat circled around and came at the soldier from opposite sides, one swinging high and the other low as they passed by on either side. Rydia's blow had been too weak to knock the soldier out, but it had stunned him long enough for the double slash from Leo and Clavat to do its work. The soldier fell to the ground dead, deep gashes in his neck and torso.

"Crisis averted," Arik said as Rydia rode up. "At least for now." She nodded, the slight shock now gone from her face. "Good timing on that spell."

"So what now?" Clavat asked as he reigned in his Chocobo next to Arik and Rydia.

Leo looked around through the seemingly empty streets. "There's got to be more of them around here. We have to protect the village."

"Let's go then," Arik said, tightening his grip on the reigns. All three of them glanced at Rydia, questioning looks on their faces.

"I'll come with you," she said.

Leo shrugged, turning his Chocobo to face down a side street. "Quickly, then! There's smoke rising!"

Spurring their Chocobos forward, the four shot off down the street in the direction of the smoke. Coming upon another party of soldiers, this one farther along in their task. A house was already completely ablaze, faint screams escaping through the roar of the flames. A pair of wizards were with this group, standing side by side casting fire spells on the large house.

Coming up from behind the group, Leo's party held the element of surprise, and they weren't about to waste it. Arik aimed for the two wizards, the rest for the soldiers. Holding his staff out by its middle, Arik burst through the gap between the wizards. They never saw it coming, either end of Arik's staff slamming into the backs of their necks, snapping them on impact. As the pair crumpled to the ground, Arik felt something tingle in the back of his mind... A new spell? Arik didn't have time to pay attention to it now, however.

A yell from Clavat: "Arik, look out!" One side effect of charging the wizards meant that Arik was heading straight for the burning house, his Chocobo running full speed.

"Don't worry about me!" Arik leapt from the Chocobo's back, flying in a straight line to crash through a window. Rolling as he landed, Arik jumped up and looked hurriedly about. The screams were still audible, and louder now that he was inside. He had to get anyone still alive out of the burning building, and fast.

"Arik, the building's going to collapse! Get out of there!"

"Tell me something I don't know!" Arik yelled back as he dashed up the stairs in pursuit of the screaming. Running through room after room, Arik listened to the creak and crunch of the house's wooden frame giving way under the lick of the flames. Sweat was running down Arik's face and smoke was clouding his vision, flames all around him. The house had become an inferno.

"Help me!"

Arik could make out the screamed words now--he was getting closer. "Where are you?" he yelled back, ducking low under the billowing smoke as he dodged around burning furniture, running through the rooms.

"Up here! Hurry!"

Arik dashed up another flight of stairs, using his staff as a battering ram to break through the door. It was a large attic, all manner of burning items littered about on the floor. The roof had already begun to collapse here, and there was a woman trapped underneath some of the rubble.

"Hold on!" Adrenalin pumping through his veins, Arik threw away the rubble. "Can you stand?" She nodded, and Arik pulled her to her feet.

"Arik, get out of there now! There's no time left!"

Arik looked about desperately; there was no way he would make it all the way back downstairs in time. "Hold onto my hand. Don't let go," head said as he took the woman's hand. He had just learned it, but now it was their only chance. "Warp," he said, closing his eyes and picturing the street outside the house in his mind.

"Woah," Leo said as he watched Arik and the woman appear in front of him in a shimmer of light. Behind them the house finally gave way, the ancient timber falling into a heap of burning debris. "I never knew you could do that."

"Find shelter," Arik said to the woman, ignoring Leo for now. "The streets aren't safe." The woman just nodded again, turning to stare at the remains of the house, as Arik jumped onto his waiting Chocobo. "Let's go," he said, and the four of them rode off in search of more Kelost soldiers. Their job wouldn't be over until every soldier was driven from the village.[/color]