Zen Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 [size=1][center] [b][u]Enshian[/b][/u] [i]The Boss[/i] as Pra Chau Sua [i]Neuvoxraiha[/i] as Shai Guan [i]Revelation[/i] as Moon Alyeong the White Lotus [b][u]Silla[/b][/u] [i]Retribution[/i] as Taejong Muyeol [i]Engel[/i] as Hwang Zhejiang [b][u]Matsya[/b][/u] [i]Sandy[/i] as Hathi Jainar Parasuramana [i]Malkav[/i] as Vidura [b][u]Tsuchi[/b][/u] [i]Wondershot[/i] as Ichiro Satsuma[/center] In the 100th year of the second era, the world of Shijie is caught in the stalemate of an eternal war. Four great kingdoms of the great continent have been combating one another for supremacy, and no end is in sight. To the East, Tsuchi and their mighty samurai clans. In the West, Enshian with it?s many warlords and their mighty generals. Northward, the kingdom of Silla, homeland of the elite Hwarang warriors-officers. To the south, the massive desert-land of Matsya holds mighty forces and the power of the beasts that inhabit their land. These four great kingdoms, each with their own heroes and champions, are currently locked in deep blood feuds with one another, and have been for many life times. Each with their own motivations, they all believe that they are backed by their own patron deity to achieve victory and gain glorious renown. Each land has it?s own distinct culture, language, and religious base. As well, each land thinks all others to be completely alien. Few understand the many languages universally, and diplomacy is rare, if not absent completely. Due to lack of diplomatic capability or capacity, the universal language of Shijie has become warfare and bloodshed. The clash of swords has replaced words, the four nations battle one another endlessly using everything from common foot soldiers to magically-endowed spell warriors. Calling upon other-worldly forces to aid themselves in battle, each skirmish sees thousands of deaths. An unfathomable number of souls have been lost on the frontlines and oceans of blood have been spilt in the name of dominance. Despite this, the battles have become common things in the world, news of death being a daily fact; no one is fazed by the magnitude of loss. Each society has progressed in other fields other than warfare, each having a great population and large amounts of their own land, war is often far away from many citizens, the battles happening mostly on the borders of the nations. Life carries on while blood flows like rivers. The heroes of the era being the mighty warriors and officers who bring victory to the capitals, they have achieved a celebrity status amongst the people, and allow for unconsidered support towards the battle efforts. The dream of every child is to somehow become a great ?hero? for their nation. It has become glorified, and each land helps in the glorification. Heroes are celebrated, cowards are the flotsam of society and a death serving the nation is the greatest honor any one could even dream of. And so the war rages on, as these great fighters make their marks in history and in legend. [center]---------------------------------------------------[/center] [color=darkred] Pra Chau Sua alone walked steadily through out the gilded halls of the Enshian Imperial Palace? He had recently returned from a bloody victory over the invading warriors of Tsuchi. He made short work of their front line, and opened up a defensive stand-off point which allowed the main forces to finish the battle with ease. He would have gladly stayed to continue the wanton slaughter of the remaining warriors, however he received message from his employers of the Enshian Empire. He made his way back to the Palace immediately, nearly out of outrage. The smell of sweat and blood still coated him? Jewels of all different colors, gold and silver, decorated the walls and doors. In the distance, Chau could see his destination. A large balcony at the edge of the hall, looking out on the star lit city below the palace, several high-ranking officers and warriors stood around one another speaking quietly. They could feel the oncoming, powerful aura of The Tiger God King. Tracing their glances together after hearing his footsteps approach, the group of nobility watched the ruffian-warriors approach. The first two men to meet eyes with Chau were General Tso and Lieutenant Ping, two mighty warriors of the old school who were talented on and off horse back. The other two were women. Lady Shai Guan, a high mystic and a talented war-fighter in her own right, and her often time accomplice, the White Lotus. Stepping up to the four warlords, the two men bowed to Chau who simply snarled slightly and looked down towards them from over his cheek bones. Lady Guan and The Lotus both bowed slightly as well, causing Chau to give a respectful nod to the ladies. [b] ?Master Chau??[/b] spoke the delicate Lady Guan, [b] ?What brings us the pleasure of this visit??[/b] [b] ?Heh? I was called here by your messengers? so let?s get on with it.?[/b][/color] [b]OOC:[/b] Sorry for the terrible length of this post, my creative energy is shot and I was forced to do this by Raiha? anyways, she should pick up while my creative juices replenish themselves?[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiha Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 [font=times][color=darkorchid]"The Emperor will want my private report on how the battle was won." "You could just make stories up about how there was glorious death and victory by my hands. But I'd rather be there than in court. It was more exciting on the field." "I hear you're as death besotted as the next, but the Emperor will be glad to hear of it." [i]Chau looked over at The Flying Leaf, who was smiling sweetly at him, the silk flowers in her hair bobbing slightly with the laughter that drifted sensually from her lips and throat.[/i] "I certainly hope so." [i]While the military men chatted amongst themselves, Shai Guan and her only friend in the royal heirarchy, Moon, exchanged utterly bored glances. With half an ear attuned to what the General was saying. Quite honestly, the talk of war and death was a little beyond her, if not downright dull. Not that she didn't understand the main gist of it. Chau was giving details of the deaths and noted skirmishes when a gong sounded and Emperor Zheng himself swept into the room below them, surrounded by his servants and personal war attendants. The Flying Leaf stood quietly along with the others, straightening only to bow very slowly and revrently. Chua might have done the same but she didn't notice. She was too busy looking down at the marble floor. At the second gong, she straightend her spine slowly, the ribbons of her gown fluttering in their own private breeze. The White Lotus did the same, and the Emperor himself looked straight at the balcony where they were standing. Using one of the very obscure private signals that Shai had learned years ago, he turned his head to look back down at his court, and then the audience was over. Shai hid her smile behind a very quickly raised sleeve, the long fabric draping delicately across her lips and chest. Moon nearly mimicked her gesture, but flicked her own sleeve slightly in her own variation. Pra Chau Sua looked over at them, standing to one side, their clothes flickering as if they were standing before a powerful fan. Both swayed like bamboo forests, and he turned his attention back to them, report finished. Shai and Moon both raised their hands slowly and brushed them against his bare chest, nearly purring. Then, as if they were floating, turned and walked down the empty halls of the Imperial Palace, their country's champion following behind. Not a word was spoken as they walked, but soon enough, they were in one of the still, quiet rooms that Shai Guan had retained as her own right for her services. Once there, the door shut behind them without anyone raising a finger and Shai began to take the pins out of her hair, Chau turning around to see The White Lotus untying the elaborate sash that covered her hips.[/i] "So you two are my reward for my...service?" "What did you think you were doing here?" [i]He opened his mouth to reply, when he realized that he couldn't. Shai was already half naked, her robe falling down around her shoulders, lips pressed against his. With a swift grapping move, Moon swept her leg against the pair of them, pushing both against the bed, which cushioned their fall, Shai pressed up against the most dangerous man in the country. With a flick of her tongue, Shai nearly choked Chau with her body. He raised his head up slightly, taking the cup of rice wine that Moon was handing to him. With a slow drink, he tilted his head back and felt the instant gratification of both very strong alcohol and Shai's hands rubbing into his muscles. With a quick movement, she gripped his throat between slender fingers, dark hair falling down around her breasts and kissed him again, this time looking directly into his eyes. Quickly, she averted them and resumed her slow, sensual stranglehold. Chau touched her wrist very gently, and she looked back at him. His smirk told her that he'd both felt and acknowledged the slap of her aura against his. Moon refilled his cup and sat back, the folds of her dress revealing nearly enough, but not all.[/i][/color][/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malkav Posted June 16, 2007 Share Posted June 16, 2007 [size=1][color=DarkRed][i]After my initial encouter with the Avesavritra, the Asuras were summoned to take out a border village in Enshian, which would serve as a point to amass troops for the impending invasion of the kingdom. The Avesavritra had other things in mind however, he looked to attack indirectly through a smaller country to our east. Miniscule compared to our kingdom, if one village fell, out of fear of destruction, the rest of the country would bend to our will, so said the Avesavritra. I must say he would have had to do something grand to insure the cooperation of an entire country. So he proved me right... [/i]A lone guard stood in the night, exhausted from a full night's work. To his back was a great gate which protected the village from invaders, although if one truly wished to attack, the gate and wall would not be enough to hold back an army. The village was safe from vagrants and vagabonds, which was really all that mattered in these final nights. The moon cast an eerie glow into the distance, and the guard saw a lone beast wading through the water. This was nothing new, as tigers often visited the waters at night, when man was sleep fast in his bed. Perhaps out of envy for the beast, the guard grew thirsty, and decided to go to the river and get a drink before his shift was through. At the water's edge, far removed from the beast, the guard knelt down and cupping his hand, grabbed a taste of the water and sipped it. It was cool, refreshing even. The guard decided the use both hands this time and cup an even larger amount of water. He put both hands down into the water, all he remembered was the sharp pain between his palms as the sword pierced his skull... The sound of crickets drowned out their footsteps. The direction of the wind diverted their scent. The cover of darkness hid their movement. The Giants marched forward with sharpened tusks ready to impale and feet ready to crush. Into the open gate they marched, the gate was soon closed behind them. Those fleeting villagers who happened to open their eyes and see the humongous frames passing by dismissed them as bad dreams and closed their eyes once more. The village remained unaware. A lone light flickered in the night sky, coming from outside of the gate and landing squarely upon the hide of one of the beasts. The resulting roar woke not just this village, but every other village for perhaps 10 miles. This beast's cry signaled the others to attack, and the rampage began. Before the villagers could even get out of their beds, they were crushed, stabbed, flattened, and maimed by the stampede of the mighty elephants. Those who could manage to get out of their houses ran towards the gate, only to find it unopenable. The Elephants soon broke the wall down in their effort to escape the village. Their exit signaled another monster's entrance. The Asuras were quick, efficient killers. Not only did they kill however, they burned, they raped, they plundered, they decimated. Watching them as a Lion would his pride, Vidura stood atop the gate, his second in command and a scribe each stood to his side. "Sir, should I send out a party to retrieve the elephants?" asked the second. "No, Let the regulars retrieve them. We Asuras make for the border." "Sir, what message should I send the king?" "Tell him he has his path, he would be wise to utilize it." The scribe wrote frivolously into a scroll all of Vidura's words. He looked down at the village and saw the destruction. The country would be wise to submit, even if this attack was a bluff, from the sheer scale of this act, they will think surely that the whole army is behind Vidura. Suddenly, from behind a house an Asura was seen gliding across the ground. From behind the same house came a man holding no weapons, a martial artist. Vidura watched as his man got beaten, hoping that the Asura would stand and defeat this warrior. Eventually Vidura grew bored of this display, he grabbed his second's spear and threw it, striking down the martial artist. Vidura then lept from the gate and drawing his weapons ran into the fray. His was a simple strategy, if they weren't his color, they died. If they were a woman or child, they would be wounded. By dayfall, the village was little more than a pile of ashes, strewn with dead bodies and crying women. All of them had been taken that night, and as Enshian tradition went, they were not fit to belong to any man any more. The children were eventually slaughtered as well. Only one boy, perhaps 17 in age, was kept alive, and he made for the capital to tell of the horrors. [i]And so the deed was done, and the Avesavritra began marching north. Along the way the Asuras killed all of the men and children above ten years of age. Young girls were picked depending on their age. Some were raped and left, others were turned to slaves, although only a few were taken. The Avesavritra however, did not partake in the joys as did his men. Perhaps the women of the Enshian kingdom did not appeal to him. Maybe their wine did not quench his thirst. I remember a certain day where in we came to a costal town. It had a very active port and the Avesavritra felt a navy would benefit from such victory. The men felt we had separated our selves from the main force too much, the Avesavritra however had continued to push forward. He decided that he would take the city. That day he and I took a small detail into the city and met with the chieftan. He brought me along simply because I spoke one of their most common languages, at least the one of those Enshian living along the border... [/i]Vidura walked into the small home of the port's chieftan. He was standing to greet the Avesavritra, possibly scared after hearing of Matsya's bloody march. "I am Avesavritra Vidura, and I come with a proposal." said Vidura, never loosing eye contact with the Enshian tribal leader, his scribe translating his words flawlessly. "I will hear you out, Avesavritra Vidura." replied the chieftan, the scribe translated. "As you have heard, the Kingdom of Matsya is on the march. Already we have destroyed many tribes, and easily we may destroy your tribe as well. I wish, rather than to burn this village, to stop, and secure a place for my men and I to set up camp. If you will simply accept our ships into your port and my men into your land, I will do you no harm." The chief looked to his council behind him and back to Vidura. He was in a terrible position, he could either betray his lord and allow the armies of the Matsya in, or face destruction. He stood silent for a moment, before making a decision. "Avesavritra Vidura, your offer though generous may not be in the best interest of my people. I do have a third solution which may be of interest." "Go on." replied Vidura, intrigued. "My son, Fei On, is the greatest fighter in this town. If he defeats you in battle, then you move on. If not, then you are welcomed without us putting up a fight." Vidura smiled, "challenge accepted. I will return at sunset." [i]Sunset came and the Avesavritra stood at the center of the town. The people had come out to watch their hero battle this foreigner to them. They had not heard the legends, they had not seen him before. They were not ready... [/i]Vidura cracked his knuckles as he watched the movements of his opponent. He was indeed in perfect shape, and to display this he broke boards with his hands and feet. Vidura chuckled at this display of intimidation. The townspeople cheered him on, while taunting and cursing Vidura. His opponent grabbed a short single handed sword and began to display his prowess with it, twirling it and cutting at air. Vidura drew his weapon. The battle began. Vidura, not being the patient sort made the first move. His opponent wasn't expecting it as immediately he was put on the defensive. Vidura's strikes were short, they were precise, and they were accurate, whereas his opposite's defense was flawed, Vidura chose not to exploit it just yet. He delivered one final blow which sent his opponent sliding back in the dirt. After regrouping he rushed Vidura, striking wildly, Vidura stopped his attack with a short jab with one hand to the stomach and promptly removed his attacker's arm with a twist of his blade. Vidura then began to pummel his opponent with jabs and kicks before finally lopping off his head and felling him. [i]The day was done, and the port was ours. The town only had one casualty, we had none. The townspeople soon grew to enjoy us and saw that we were not a blood thirsty lot. Truthfully if properly defended, they may have been able to defeat us, but the Avesavritra's cunning saved us. The town was more than happy after this day to feed us their finest dishes. The women were willing to give themselves to us, the strong foreign invaders who decimated them not. Once again the Avesavritra ate only the rations we brought with us, and took no woman to bed with him. Eventually the ships soon arrived and we began preparing for the journey north. The war was under way. ~ur-Shulgi Malkav, a History or the Second Era. cir ?? [/i][/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 [SIZE=1][COLOR=Sienna]She was a mere woman slave walking in the vast halls of the Enshian Imperial Palace. That's what everybody believed. Wearing plain, a bit ragged beige robes that blended to the wall, her dark hair shaggy and unclean... She could've fooled anybody. If it weren't for the third eye in the middle of her forehead. She tried to cover it with a hood, but still she had to keep her bright turquoise eyes - all three of them - on the floor, praying to the gods no-one would address her. She was [I]Hathi Devidurgha[/I], the Seer. She was on a mission for King Samitr of Matsya. The whole desert kingdom and all the maharajas were on the move against Enshian, their greatest rival. Quicker, smaller bands of mercenaries were already sent to cause more havoc on the border, while the Royal Army rallied troops in the inland. Because of her special abilities, she had been appointed as a scout. In her disguise, she could infiltrate the Imperial Palace with ease. The snakes of Enshian were really overconfident people. Let them choke to their confidence! When she passed one of the doors along the corridor, she heard soft moans and wailing from behind it. She chuckled a bit, but then she got a vision. With her third eye, she could see a man and two women, all of seemingly low influence, making love inside the room. She looked deeper, and saw that the other woman was the Court Dancer. It meant that though the woman was a noble of lower rank, she would still have access to the quarters of those of higher status. Getting acquainted with her would be very beneficial to the mission. Hathi decided to wait until the woman had finished her... session, and then would approach her under another disguise. [I]Hathi Devidurgha[/I], one of the avatars of the Peacock Maharaja, walked onwards with a whole new plot building up in her mind.[/COLOR] [B]OoC:[/B] I'm loving the ability I chose for my character! ;D[/SIZE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engel Posted June 17, 2007 Share Posted June 17, 2007 [color=#40826D][size=1][i]Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. - Lao-Tzu.[/i] ----- The sun rose slowly, crawling it's way over the sky. It took it's time, like every day. For millenia to come, the sun would repeat the rise and fall of it's heartbeat, until it burned out and it's heart beat no longer. Today, however, would not be that day. And that ment that Zhejiang's skills and knowledge were still needed in Silla's fight to unite the known world. That day may not come today, or tommorow, or next week, but Zhejiang's fight was one that was without haste, and yet without rest. [b]"Patience is the allowment of time to ripen both mind and spirit. However, apathy is death. When you take no action, you become stagnant, the fruit of your efforts begins to rot."[/b] Zhejiang told himself as he carefully dressed, slipping the robes over his shoulders softly. A a long, but almost invisible scar made it's way across his right shoulder, terminating at the upwards curve of his neck. Subconsciously, he traced it with a long, dextile finger before fully pulling the moss green warrior-robe all the way up and tying it off at the sash to keep it in place. While long, careful fingers tied his blade into the second sash underneath the first, he looked down at the sword with a sense of timeless wonder. He spoke slowly, his tongue working the words out slowly. After all, they'd been on his mind ever since the weapon's creation. [b]"My friend, you've been in my posession for a long while now, and still I have no name for you. I wish I had a proper name for you, as I rather dislike calling you "my blade" or, "my weapon". You deserve a name, and I shall come up with one for you. Perhaps...perhaps battle will inspire me."[/b] The weapon said nothing. Which was expected, as inanimate objects aren't the biggest talkers. Making his way through the lonely hallways of a palace long forgotten by common folk stashed up in the mountains of Northern Silla, Zhejiang knew he had a purpose this morning, unlike any other. This was only confirmed when a soldier stationed at the front gate informed him of the arrival of a carrier hawk. Raising his eyebrow, Zhejiang nodded and crossed his arms beind his back, moving to the War Room to recieve the parcel of the carrier hawk. The sleek bird fixed the newcomer with a single black eye, before casting it's gaze elsewhere as it fed on the food provided by the local chefs. Such a bird of burden deserved such, as the letter it carried was simple, short, and still full of valuable information. [center][i][b]The Matsya move quickly and rashly. An Enshian border town has fallen to their front forces. We have a feeling that they may either amass troops along the border while capturing more towns, as to establish a defensive wall before their invasion, or they may simply make a line for the captial while capturing cities and towns along the way. Do with this information what you will. Signed, Hwarang Officer Sau-Zhi.[/i][/center][/b] Folding up the delicate paper, Zhejiang's eyes closed slowly as he began to think what to do. There were at least two possible courses of action. One, wait for Enshian to divert their attention and forces towards the growing Southern Matsya threat at their doorstep and strike from behind, or wait until the Matsya had devoted their war efforts to Enshian and attack without warning. However, either way led for an attack by Tsuchi, which might be dangerous. However, the rewards were greater than the risks. Opening his cold, sky blue eyes, Zhejiang took a quill and a piece of parchment. [center][i][b]Lord Taejong Muyeol, The Matsya have captured an Enshian border town. They may be amassing their soldiers and waiting to attack, or might stay on the move. Either way, we could wait for Enshian to divert their efforts towards fending off the Matsya and lead an attack from behind, or attack the weakened lands of Matsya. I feel either will be as effective, although we would be open to Tsuchi attack if we commit a full scale attack on either, though a feint may be possible in luring the Tsuchi into the open and testing the water. Signed, Nobleman and Second Commander of the Hwarang, Hwang Zhejiang.[/i][/center][/b] As the ink dried on the paper, he gingerly attached it to the carrier hawk and sent it to the captial of Silla, where the Prince surely was. Zhejiang breathed in deeply as the hawk took flight into the morning, with purpose and elegance. He could see that war, much like the sun, was already dawning.[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revelation Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 [size=1][color=#8B008B]White Lotus sat with her back against the head of the bed, sipping the cup of rice wine. She leaned over to refresh the heavy breathing champion and kissed him gently on the neck. Once Pra Chau Sua was finished with the wine, White Lotus lifted her head and looked to her friend. Shai Guan looked back with leering eyes and licked her lips as her gaze dropped to Chau, who was moving one hand from her wrists to her shoulders. With the other he lifted himself halfway up and once he was in a comfortable position, he pushed Shai down onto the bed. She smiled as sweetly as she could and leaned up to press her lips against his. Setting the cup down, White Lotus moved her robe off of her shoulders and let it fall to her hips, revealing porcelain skin. Chau turned to gaze at her and watched as her delicate fingers wrapped around his shoulder muscles, releasing them from tension. White Lotus moved her hands to his back and slowly massaged her way to his stomach, kissing and gently biting the battle scars on his back. Shai Guan diverted his gaze back to her and dug her tongue into his mouth again. As White Lotus and Shai Guan were releasing the suppressed tension locked within Chau, a messenger shouted from behind the doors of the quarters. Shai began to stand to deal with the interrupter but White Lotus laid a hand on her shoulder. The two women began to dress themselves as properly as they could but without any concern. The messenger was allowed in and he immediately averted his eyes to the ground as he knelt before the three. Agitated, Shai Guan addressed the messenger, [B]?I presume you come with news worthy enough to disrupt our evening?? ?A massacre has risen in one of the villages. Lord Chau is needed in battle.?[/B] As Chau gathered his effects, Shai wrapped an arm around his neck and the other around his waist, while White Lotus lazily looked on. She wasn?t nearly in the mood for a sexual encounter as Shai was. She closed her eyes and heard the light moans escaping from Shai?s mouth and the footsteps to follow. [B]?Men and their battles.?[/B] Shai sat onto the bed and felt White Lotus? magical fingers sliding across her chest, just above her breasts. She took a cup of rice wine into her hand and sighed. [B]?It truly is a pity that Master Chau had to leave us quickly. I was looking forward to seeing him tame the hungry tigress.?[/B] White Lotus took back the cup and refilled it, sipping it herself this time. [B]?But I suppose it was for the best. This Matsya warrior would prove to be quite a challenge, perhaps even an enjoyment for our champion. I?m curious to see what he truly is- a man or a god??[/B][/size][/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retribution Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 [size=1]Taejong was roused midmorning by a royal messenger. The man was laden with deference and absolute respect for the Prince, and began apologizing thoroughly as if he were afraid for his life. ?My greatest apologies, Lord Muyeol. I know nothing I say can remove this most vulgar transgression, but I beg your pardon.? It was curious that the man?s voice did not tremble, for he bore shocking news. ?What is it?? ?We have just received notice from Lord Hwang Zhejiang that Enshian and Matsya are poised for war at their borders. The Lord wishes permission to attack Enshian so as to create a two-front conflict. I await your orders, for the matter is most urgent.? Indeed, his instinctual first move would be to flank Enshian and bring the kingdom to its knees. However such a move would leave Silla open to a two-front war with Tsuchi, which would drag all four countries into total war. Bitter conflict, raping the land of its vitality and needlessly murdering civilians, innocent casualties of a monarch?s arbitrary decision to invade. ?I deny the Second Commander?s request to begin attacking Enshian. Send a diplomatic envoy to Tsuchi immediately, and ask for a vote of confidence from them. Ask the Peacock Maharaja for a temporary and highly secret alliance.? His clouded mind raced with the new developments, swirling about with the chaos of making an accurate decision in a very finite amount of time. A miscalculation, either diplomatically or militarily would lead to certain ruin, and he had no wish to return to the divided and weakened Three Kingdoms from whence he rose. ?Is that all, your royal highness?? ?No. Have border forces mobilize and man all fortifications. I do not wish for their conflict to bleed into our nation. And do stress our envoy to be calculated and firm, but approach the Peacock as a friend.? ?Your will be done, sire.? He flew away with great speed, sending his message to both his envoy in the capital and his prized Second Commander. The news would be ill received; the Silla military had not seen conflict in quite some time in comparison to the other war-ragged countries, but he had no intention of sending them headlong into death. The sun was already high in the sky, coating his glorious nation in a quilt of gold, spanning throughout the countryside and upon his capital?s prominent turrets. It would be a good day for Silla.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wondershot Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 [size=1]Though the sun had only begun to grace far eastern lands of Tsuchi with its rays, the young apprentice of Ichiro Satsuma the Sleeping Crane, a child by the name of Ukyo Watanabe, was already risen and preparing to greet his master upon his awakening. Though he knew he would be punished severely, the Watanabe boy began his glide up the hallways of the manor where his master was resting, and waited patiently outside his master?s bedroom door, careful not to let even a single leaf rustle that might disturb the Sleeping Crane?s slumber. To the boy?s surprise and chagrin, a low rasping voice beckoned him from behind the thin door. ?Come, Ukyo, I am already risen.? Ukyo Watanabe slid open the door cautiously, as though disbelieving his master?s words. Indeed, there was the Sleeping Crane, Ichiro Satsuma, sitting on his knees, facing away from the bedroom door. Ukyo bowed his head to the floor. He began his flustered apology, but was interrupted by Ichiro Satsuma?s words once more. ?There is no need to concern yourself, Ukyo. The gods had me rise from my bed some time ago, and told me of your arrival, therefore you need not take any shame in your actions.? Ukyo began to thank his master for his graciousness, but was interrupted again as his master rose from his place. ?Today, Ukyo, we depart and I will tell you about the state of the world. I would ask that you also bring something to ward off the rain.? Ukyo stared at the skies above, barely a cloud was present, but he knew that the Sleeping Crane would surely understand something so trivial as the weather through the words of the gods. He he ran to fetch his master a parasol immediately. Before long, the two of them began their walk down the manor?s road, careful to avoid the prying eyes of guards or lords who would surely demand that the Sleeping Crane return to his quarters. Ichiro Satsuma spoke slowly. ?Ukyo, you will remember that because of the events of the previous night, I asked that you keep faith in what the gods say and understand that this war is not where you must hold your attention.? Ukyo nodded slowly, he understood that his master was not to be interrupted when speaking about the war, but the fire in Ukyo?s heart wanted to hear his master?s predictions soon, so that he may learn the fate of his country. ?The gods have spoken, Ukyo. The lands to our west, south, and north have begun their machinations, and will seek to ally themselves with each other, so that they may also seek to kill each other. Many of them will wish to establish peace with us, only so that they may strike us at our weakest. This land is degrading into a battlefield, and there will be no one left for the people of Tsuchi to have faith in.? Ukyo waited to ensure that his master was done. A sudden blast of wind through the trees prompted him to open the parasol, but no rain fell. Ukyo looked at his master, eyes burning, and the Sleeping Crane gazed back solemnly. ?I can see that you ache to respond, Ukyo. Speak.? Ukyo burst forth with a sea of questions, whether the gods would smile on the land of Tsuchi in the war, what must be done to win their favor, and who would make the first move against Tsuchi in the coming struggles. Ichiro Satsuma waited quietly for the fires to fade, and another burst of wind prompted Ukyo to ready the parasol, but again no rain fell before them. The Sleeping Crane spoke once more. ?Ukyo, you seek to understand the actions of the gods. Instead, you should seek merely to observe them, and not have any presumption as to what their actions mean to you. Perhaps, in Enshian, someone seeks to understand why I, gifted as I was in my youth, escaped to this land and now assist your country in the coming war, when I could have just as easily done the same for the land in which I was born. Why this is the case is of no significance to humans. It was what the gods had wished, and that is all that matters.? Ukyo stopped to consider this. The gods did speak to the Sleeping Crane, but to receive words and follow actions devoid of logical meaning seemed absurd to the young student. Without waiting, his barrage of questions continued. He demanded to know why, then, Ichiro Satsuma would choose to abscond from his own home country, arrive in Tsuchi, change his name, and then assist the people of Tsuchi in their war against the western lands. Shocked at his own rudeness, the Watanabe child bowed to apologize to his master, but stopped as he noticed another gust of wind, He turned towards it again, but the rain did not come. The briefest smile crossed the face of Ichiro Satsuma. ?Ukyo, you are like an ember that gasps for air so that it might turn to flame. You turn to face every gust of wind so that you can protect me from the rain, but no rain comes. You believe that you should understand why the gods said that it would rain, therefore you fear the coming of the rain and do everything you can to prevent it from falling. Instead, what you should do is entrust your senses to the gods and believe that they will tell you when the rain will fall, and only then will you start to understand the gift that I have been given.? Ichiro Satsuma continued his walk, and motioned to prevent his student from following. ?You will wait here, Ukyo, and stop the rain when it comes. If you try to stop the wind again when it does not rain, then you will return home and not see me again until tomorrow. If you do stop the rain, then I will return and we will talk further. Until then, remember that you cannot know when the rain falls without first attempting to hear the words of the gods.? Ukyo watched his master leave the path and then waited there, shivering at every gust of wind that approached. His master?s words continued to echo through his soul. Perhaps there was meaning to what the Sleeping Crane said about the wind and rain in relation to the war that the people were fighting. There was cause to jump at every new skirmish and message from the front lines of the battlefield, but the Sleeping Crane understood that there was no point in the generals reacting until the time was right, just as Ukyo need not raise his parasol until the rain started. When the rain would start falling on the battlefield, though, was something Ukyo wished to know, much like the generals in question. However, he continued his wait, until, many hours later, all feeling in his body had escaped him. Another blast of wind blew, and a voice rang in Ukyo's ears. Though he could not understand what it told him, his eyes watched in surprise as his arm raised up and held the parasol above his head, and in the same instant the raindrops began their steady pattering on the tops of the trees around him. Not a single drop reached his own head. Returning up the path, clothes soaking wet, Ichiro Satsuma smiled as he could see, in his mind?s eye, his proud student finally entrusting himself to the gods.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiha Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 [COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][i]Meanwhile, Shai Guan and The White Lotus were both lounging lazily on heavy pads with a large variety of colorful quilts. Shai had opened the screens leading into her miniature garden and was trailing one toe in the reflecting pool that had been recently put in. Moon sighed and leaned back as well, her hair loose and long over the bed. One sash drifted lazily of its own free will, also swirling the clear water in the equally clear pond and Shai tilted her head back over, her hair swirling up with her movement.[/i] "Do you [b]have][/b] to make the clothes do that?" "Well do you have to make the hair do that?" [i]Shai crumpled up her mouth in annoyance and let her hair lie still again. The two leaned forward to reach for their white tea and sipped almost simultaneously. On a whim, Moon leaned forward and knelt in front of the water. With a slow exhale, she began to press her face against it. The white of her skin bleeding into the water and her body reforming into an empty, fathomless spirit. Her friend smiled and leaned forward, with her face very close to White Lotus's. The voice of the shen of the water echoed very slowly around Shai's quarters, sounding displaced and hollow to her ears.[/i] "In the place of cold and dark, two men fight for dominance. One will take the daughter of the tiger as his fatal prize. The other will kill in her name. Kill for the blood of the gods." [i]The Flying Leaf whispered at the place where Moon would've had ears to hear.[/i] "Tell me about the battle. Who fights against Enshian?" "Matsya....Matsya....Men from beyond the sands come with machines of war. Animals that will overwhelm our defenses. All shall be lost." [i]At this point, The White Lotus became agitated, her body nearly melting completely into the water. Shai clapped her hands three times quickly and drew a swift invisible circle over White Lotus's head and grabbed her body, pulling her up out of the water, Moon's face reforming instantly back into the same perfect features as before. She shook the water out of her eyes and breathed pure oxygen very slowly. With a slow sigh, she nearly fell back into the water, but Shai caught her and eased her back into her lap very gently. The daughter of the tiger stroked Moon's damp forehead slowly, patting it gently with her ample sleeve.[/i] "Breathe dearest. You did very well." [i]Moon coughed delicately, the water clearing swiftly from her lungs and rested against her friend's lap. The Flying Leaf looked up to the sloping pine roof and exhaled in a form of meditation. The White Lotus had many visions, and not all of them were always true, or always completely true. Shai didn't doubt that the men were in fact from Matsya or that the daughter of the tiger referred to her, but as far as all being lost? Maybe if neither of them did anything and Chau switched sides. But who knows? "I suppose we will all see."[/i][/font][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 [SIZE=1][COLOR=Sienna]Hathi Jainar Parasuramana's secret infiltration to the Imperial Palace of Enshian proved to be less fruitful than he had hoped. A mere slave woman was denied entrance to the vicinity of the most important people. That honor was only given to the highest servants and escorts. There was a whole hierarchy of servitude in between him and those in power. [I]These snakes sure loved to keep underlings[/I], Hathi thought bitterly. He had now retreated to his hideout - an abandoned warehouse at the Silk Streets. It was midafternoon, and thus time to take contact to Kandra, his most trusted man back home at Ramana. Hathi took out a decorative handmirror and uttered magic words to release the spell sealed within the object. Soon Kandra's image replaced his on the reflection. [B]"Report"[/B], Hathi commanded. [B]"Honorable maharaja, we received an envoy from the kingdom of Silla. They are approaching you with an offer of alliance, since your region is the closest to their border"[/B], the much older man said. [B]"What do they want?"[/B] Hathi inquired. [B]"Apparently they are seeking aid in bringing down Enshian. They are aware that Matsya's army are on the move towards north-east. Milord, with the help of Silla we could force the Enshianese vipers to a two-front war!"[/B] [B]"Hold your elephants, Kandra. The Enshianese might be snakes, but the Sillans are greedy rats. This offer most likely has something buried in it... I have to think about it. Kandra, do not say anything to King Samitr or the Council of Maharajas yet. I will contact Silla personally."[/B] Hathi had met Prince Taejong the True Marrow before, although not in the most pleasant circumstances. The ruler of Silla had to wait for one night, though, since Hathi had a date with destiny. Calling upon himself the avatar of [I]Devidurgha[/I], he became a she again, and then set out to return to the Imperial Palace to seek out the Court Dancer.[/COLOR][/SIZE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malkav Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 [size=1][color=DarkRed][i]I must say things had gone smoothly for the weeks to follow our capture of the port town. Within hours of the Avesavritra's first duel, word was sent back to Matsya for troops to arrive. The army was subsequently split. Half would cross the border as originally planned by the generals before the Avesavritra's interruption, and half would arrive by sea at the captured port. For weeks the townspeople, under marshall law, continued to live their lives, although with some blaring differences. Craftsmen went from creating toys and crafts of wood and steel, and became as weaponsmiths. The town's horses, which were used by its merchants, became groomed for war, being pierced and armored to better match something a Matsyan warrior might ride. Why the townspeople were so eager to help, I in my life may never know. One thing I do know, it was not out of fear, for they had the power to defy we 200 odd warriors. Maybe in the Avesavritra they found a new hero, a new loyalty not to Matsya, but to the Asuras, and to Avesavritra Vidura. One fateful morning, their loyalty was put to the test. Word had spread that Enshian forces were marching along the river which feeds into a delta by the port. The question of course was simple -all eyes turned to the Avesavritra- what now? Besides the two hundred odd Asuras, only a fraction of the forces due to arrive at the port had made it, swelling our numbers to perhaps 1200, while we were expecting at least another 2800 before the end of the week. Our scouts put the Enshian forces at around 2500. We were sadly outnumbered. Our officers met and began devising a plan of action. The general consensus was to defend the port town. It's walls were made of wood, and there was no way to reinforce it before the Enshian appeared on the horizon. There were no nearby mountains to gather stone from, so if the gods were on our side, then we would be able to hold out until our forces land. The Avesavritra was absent from the initial discussions. When he heard the plan, he was immediately against it. I remember the day... The Avesavritra said he would not give them the chance to hold the town at siege with such poor defenses. Another scout soon appeared, and told us that on the Horizon, ships could be seen. Our forces were arriving early! They were sailing along the coastline. The Avesavritra then looked at a map of the area, he found a sandy beach by the delta in which he would begin the battle. The beach had high dunes as well as hillside further inland for which he would use to surprise the Enshian. If he was correct, the ships would see the battle as the passed by. A cold rain began to fall. Vritra, the Asura for whom the Avesavritra was named, gave his blessing this day. His rain would give them their cover, and the Avesavritra would give them their victory... [/i]The Tiger God King marched through the mud and sand. To his right lay the river, to his left a gently sloping hill. It was a spotty rain, the kind of hard rain that goes as quickly as it came. He gave it an hour at the most before it cleared up. He needed this rain, as marching for days on in under the sun became grueling. Looking around he saw the all too familiar ranks blurred by the rain. He suddenly saw one within his rank slipp and fall into the mud. The Tiger God King watched his clumsiness with mild disappointment. Suddenly, another soldier slipped, and another, and another. The last one was directly next to him, he looked down and saw a long wooden pole pertruding from his neck. Instincts suddenly took over as the Tiger God King turned to see a spear heading in his direction, he immediately parried it with his fore arm. Somewhere out there, above the sounds of the rain hitting the grass, the sand, the mud, and the river itself he heard something almost unexpected, we're under attack... Above the sloping hill looking down upon the Enshian forces stood Vidura. Weapons in hand, he was ready. The rain hitting his tatooed back gave him an aura. From behind him, if one could see through the rain, spears were hurtling towards the sky and down onto the rival army below. Vidura raised his hand signaling his volleys to stop. Above the rain Vidura roared, "You know your mission, you know your enemy! We are not kind, nor are we compasionate, we take no prisoners this day and we leave non alive except for those fortunate enough to kill us first! When the rain clears, look to the horizon, the Gods will reward us justly for our duty!" The army roared a single grunt and the ground rumbled under Vidura's feet. "Asuras! Countrymen! At a ready!" Frontline swords and spears were drawn, another grunt, this time accompanied by the sound of hundreds of weapons escaping sheaths, roared across the hilltop. "Send the yellow bastards into the river!" With that the Vidura set off at a run down the hill, his army behind him. They were outnumbered, and truthfully total annihilation of the enemy's forces was a pipe dream at best, but numbers and strategy were ony part of the war. Morale, loyalty, and leadership could win a battle just as well as any strategy. In any case, under the rain the enemy would have trouble estimating the forces they were facing. Just as Vidura wanted it. [i]And so from atop the hill I saw them engage the enemy. The surprise was effective as quickly our forces broke their lines. The problem however arose when the enemy, who far outnumbered our forces, were able to regroup and the battle became messy and uncontrollable. Enshian generals, who did not ride into battle with their men, could be seen in the distance watching the battle through spy glasses and sending envoys out with orders. Our officers were sadly lost in the heat of battle, we had no generals in this land yet, so our officers could be seen giving orders in the fracas, trying to regain some order to the chaos over the sound of men and rain... [/i]Another Enshian soldier layed limp under Vidura's blade. How many was it by now? 20? 30? Vidura lost count, but quickly he was about to add another to his growing list. An Enshian soldier attempted to attack Vidura from his back, only for his sword strike to be parried by Vidura and his head to be nearly severed. Only a strand of flesh kept it connected. Vidura then turned his attentions on his next opponent, moving with the speed of his godly host he impaled the poor soldier and quickly removed his blade before blood could be spilt onto it. Another, another, and another was felled by Vidura. Despite his success on the battlefield, one could tell the obvious, the Matsyans were loosing. With their superior numbers and admittedly better battle tactics inherited from a long history of war, the Enshians were slowly but surely making a comeback. Vidura stepped away from his latest kill and noticed that he was standing in a puddle of water. Looking down into the delta he saw that it was clogged with bodies. Both Enshian and Matsyan regulars lie dead, unable to escape the water because of whatever wounds they sustained, they drowned. Vidura looked up at the sky, letting the water hit his face, what seemed like forever to him may have been but a fleeting second to everyone else. He knew what he had to do. "To the Beach!" yelled Vidura, ordering his diminishing forces to make a drive for the beach. Non would argue with him, and his forces made a slow move towards the beach, Vidura ahead of them. A single dune was separating him from the beach, and Enshian forces were already atop it, archers mostly. Vidura ran through them, swinging precisely to keep anyone who dared to get in his way at bay. Those he wounded, the soldiers behind him finished off quickly without hesitation. After a hard fight, Vidura and those with him had but a single Archer left. The archer took aim and shot, missing Vidura barely and hitting a soldier behind him. Vidura took his weapon and flung it at the Archer, impaling him. Vidura took the dune. As he set foot atop it, the rain suddenly let up and light from a missing patch of cloud raced towards the sea. In the distance, not far from their position. Dozens of ships and hundreds of rowboats filled the sea. Vidura smiled, he knew the battle would bring their forces to this coast, allowing for the port to be saved. The Asuras and regulars who had came to the beach with him cheered their soldiers in the distant waters, and the officers quickly began calling the rest of their forces to the beach. They would regroup and commence the attack. The Enshian, noticing the sudden shift in battle, began reforming their lines. Vidura looked inland to see a single warrior, drunk with battle pursuing Vidura's forces, striking those he caught down not with any weapon, but with his fists. An archer made to shoot him, but Vidura put his hand on the archer's bow. Choosing not to reclaim his weapon, he saw the great strength in this lone warrior and rushed down the hill to meet him... [i]I watched from the distance as the boats came in. The Enshian probably couldn't see above the dune, although because of my position, I couldn't tell. Strangely enough, I heard a chanting from the boats as the pulled ever closer to the shore. "VIDURA! VIDURA!" I could not believe my ears at first. I'm sure the ships were heading towards the port town, only to be stopped by the sight of the battle, and the realization that their countrymen were dying, that the Avesavritra fought for them this very moment. I brought my eyes back to the Avesavritra however, and saw that he was not with our troops, but standing to do battle with a lone Enshian warrior. This would not be my nor the Avesavritra's last time meeting this young warrior. Later it will be revealed to me his name, and that name was Tiger God King. ~ur-Shulgi Malkav cir.?? [/i]OOC: You're up boss, if something needs to change, let me know. [/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zen Posted June 23, 2007 Author Share Posted June 23, 2007 [color=darkred][size=1] [i]The battle had indeed been glorious for the warriors of Enshian, despite the cowardly ploys used by our enemies from the sand. Amongst our warriors, one mighty man stood apart decimating the opposite side with not but his rope-tied hands. The Tiger God King was truly an honor to watch in action as he massacred our foes. However, in the distance I lay my eyes upon a fast approaching Matsya soldier. His appearance was quite distinct from those of his country men. Tattoos and ink adorned his body and a unique weapon accompanied his already unorthodox appearance. I sensed this foreign man?s power, and I readied myself to view quite the clash?[/i] Pra Chau threw both of his elbows into the chests of a pair of warriors, shattering their armor and rib cages on contact. Looking in front of him, he could see a man wading through bodies steadily, corpses spilling through the air like a boat cutting through water. Chau licked his fang-like teeth in anticipation and cut into a fast sprint. With a running start, Chau leapt into the air elegantly and called out angrily. Dropping down from the air onto his opponent, the tattooed warrior brought up his guard as Chau thrust his stone-hard knee into the man?s foreign weapon. Chau bounced off the man?s guard and landed hard onto his feet as the other warrior slid backwards in a strong stance, the Earth softening beneath the force of the push. [b] ?Fight me, warrior!?[/b] the dark-skinned warrior spoke hastily in his native language. Chau simply grinned excitedly and ran forward towards his opponent, hands and arms extended as if he were going to swallow the man within them. The foreign warrior answered with his own charge, double-bladed weapon to his side, ready to swing out and attack. The auras of the two fighters could be seen expanding off of them in the form of heated red glows. Chau unleashed a beastly growl in his advance which was replied to by his opponent?s foreign battle cry. The two met quickly, the Matsya warrior swinging first, but dodged low by Chau who then rolled off to the side and struck out with a sweep kick, that was similarly missed as the Matsya fighter leapt above the attack. Switching to a stabbing attack, the Matsya fighter went to fall upon Chau who had bent upon his back and neck, thrusting his extended leg into the warrior?s stomach. Releasing a grunt of damage, he flew many feet into the air, doing a short flip before regaining his composure. Chau looked up, ready for his prey to return. However, the Matsya warrior had other plans. Twisting his blade at ungodly speeds during his descent, great winds accumulated around his weapon before he launched it downards at Chau. Pra?s eyes widened as he watched the gale covered blade swiftly approach him. Leaning back quickly, he fell into a back hand spring and backflipped narrowly out of harms way as the weapon landed harshly into the ground, gale winds flinging all of the warriors surrounding the area of attack. Shortly after, the Matsya fighter fell upon his ground of attack and ripped his weapon up from the ground, and quickly pursuing Pra Chau once again. Awaiting his opponent, Chau was greeted by a flashing blade across the bridge of his nose, causing a small gash to open beneath his eyes, blood tipping the blade. The Matsya fighter didn?t skip a beat, sweeping once again, this time attempting a cut slash. Chau cleverly dodged however, leaning back, curving his spine downward as the blade passed him harmlessly over his navel. Coming back up immediately, Chau threw his elbows into Matsya man?s forehead, causing him to stagger back a few paces before being caught once again by a knee into his chest. Chau had entered a state of battle rage, but he wouldn?t be left unanswered, the man coming across Chau?s face with a heavy fist. Chau bent to his side harshly, but came back across angrily with his own right hand across the man?s face, causing a similar reaction from him. Then he answered exactly the same way, and the two came pummeled one another?s face for several seconds, before a single warrior came over to stab Chau in his back. However, Chau sensed his killing intent and leapt to the side, the blade plunging into the right shoulder of the Matsya fighter. The fierce warrior snarled at his countryman and ripped the blade from his body, back fisting the foolish peon into death as he flew into a mound of other fighting soldiers. The wound gushed with blood. While it was not life threatening, the Matsya fighter was obviously slightly impaired. Chau snarled at him for a moment, frowning in dissatisfaction. Looking to the wound, Chau nodded once, and then flung his head to the side. [b] ?Tend to your wound, warrior? victory on an injured man would mean nothing?.?[/b] Looking into his eyes, the foreign fighter seemed to understand, however unhappy this may have made him. Both men had inferno?s coming from their eyes and kept watching one another as both stepped back into retreat. They knew they would once again meet again, they had to, for both had found a worthy opponent. It was just a matter of time before the greatest fight ever seen would happen, had it not happened this day? [b]OOC:[/b] sorry for the unforgivable shortness, but I gotta go to the mall soon, peace out.[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiha Posted June 23, 2007 Share Posted June 23, 2007 [COLOR=DarkOrchid][font=times][i]Both the daughter of the tiger and the White Lotus slept for a time, wrapped in silk, resting on pillows, laying against each other. If anyone had seen, they wouldn't have been able to tell whose clothes and hair were whose. Black and black, white skin, and pale, brightly colored threads dazzling the eyes, even when not moved. With a near audible snap, Shai's eyes opened in a parting of dark curled lashes. She rose to her feet without the help of her arms and Moon roused herself as well. Both drifted towards the door, but there were no soldiers, no servants or even slave girls.[/i] "It's quiet. The war should've begun by now. ...can you take us to the battle ground?" "The armies would've stuck close to the water and rivers. I think I can take us." "Afterwards, I can complete the rest." [i]Moon nodded and took her friend's slender hand in hers. Silently, she bypassed the silk screens that guarded her quarters and preserved modesty, and entered the courtyard. It too was silent, with the sun very high in the sky. Their clothes rippled in the still air, creating the sound of displacement, and the swish of fabric. Eventually both came to the edge of a deep pool, fed by underground springs, adorned with lilies and trailing vines. The daughter of the tiger flinched back as Moon raised both her hands and clapped them over her head. At the sound, the water's surface turned solid, at least to Shai's vision, and she took her hand again, stepping out. The two stood very still, and then for Shai Guan at least, the world turned upside down. The White lotus clasped her body close and nearly smothered her with sleeves and all around her was the sound of rushing roaring water. Eventually there was silence, and the soldiers of Enshian standing near the river's edge saw two pale heads break the surface very far out, and then two bodhisattvas rose from the water. Like glittering pools of light, The White Lotus and The Flying Leaf floated delicately above the water. One held the other's hand firmly, and both were perfectly dry. Moon turned to Shai, who had narrowed both her eyes and begun to focus.[/i] "Do you see the men?" "Give me a moment." [i]Her hair flew out behind her, and her garments snaked themselves forward, serving as center points for her will. Slowly, she turned her body until the forms of a Matsya warrior and Chau himself were within her sight.[/i][/font][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malkav Posted June 24, 2007 Share Posted June 24, 2007 [size=1][i]Our forces arrived at the beach, yet by the time enough were there, the battle was over. [/i]Vidura looked down at his injured comrade. He was hurt by Vidura's own hands, and he bled from his mouth. Despite the pain he felt in his right arm, Vidura offered a helping hand to him. A foolish mistake, but still, this was his countryman. "Stand, you have done your part this day." said Vidura, helping up the soldier. "Sir, I am sorry, I only wanted to help." grunted the soldier, scared to meet Vidura's eyes. "You did only what you thought was right, the God's are in our favor this day." "What of the lone warrior? Will you not give chase?" "Right now he is of but a trivial matter to me." Vidura lied with these words, and truthfully felt insulted by the warrior. In his lifetime of war, he never showed pity to any one bold enough to stand against him, in return he expected the same. A flesh wound is the same whether recieved from his opponent or his own man. Vidura, not concerned with the politics of war at the moment made his way to the river and knelt beside it. The wound to his arm was small, and it would heal. The wound to his pride however, would need more time. Looking deep into the water he saw his reflection. Did he loose the battle? No, the battle was ongoing, it was yet to be over until one of them lie dead. A light rain began to fall, washing away Vidura's blood into the river. His reflection became distorted in the water, then he saw something strange. From beneath the water, he saw another set of eyes, not his own. A goddess maybe? Vidura dismissed it as superstition and walked back to his base camp. [i]The Avesavritra stole away that night, beyond our sights. I could only imagine where he was going. I felt it was not my business to follow, nor was it anyone else's. Stories circulated as to why he left his people, but he did return, perhaps he found whatever it is he was looking for. [/i]Blindfolded, Vidura stood in the center of the river. The water came as high as his chest, and he felt relieved. His arm was somewhat healed, as he took hot iron to it earlier. Many miles were between he and his army and the enemy could have been anywhere around him, but he did not care. He breathed steadily, and allowed his body to become one with the water. He had been there for hours, and all manner of life had become accustomed to him. The current wouldn't move him. "Vritra, host of my soul. Lend me your strength..." Lightning struck Vidura. Lighting up the night sky only for a brief moment, yet lighting Vidura indefinately. An aura pulsed from him, and if you were close enough to see his glow, you would see also all manner of sea life around him dead, floating to the surface of the water. Twice more, lightning struck, and after the final strike Vidura whispered calmly, "Thank you." Vidura removed his blindfold and allowed it to float away in the water. He felt healed, but something in the distance caught his eye. Under the cloudy night sky, Vidura could see a figure in the water. A glowing pale figure, a spirit. [b]Varuna[/b], Vidura thought, the god of the oceans and sky. He exited the water and began walking towards the figure, he dripped not as he exited. His host, being the personification of drought, would not let Vidura enjoy the feeling of cool water on his skin. At least not tonight in this ritual. Collecting his weapon, Vidura approached the figure, slowly, carefully. Vidura knew how to let the sound of the trees and water mask his movements, as he had been taught this before. It was a woman, Vidura realized as he got closer to her. [/size][font=Verdana][size=1][color=#000000]She had porcelain skin, palest face, eyebrows like smudges of moth. She looked so lovely, and fireflies danced around her illuminating her beyond the aura she radiated. She bathed naked in the water, and Vidura, never quite fancying himself the pervert, watched her with a distance and respect he never once showed a woman of his homelands. She turned in the water, her eyes meeting his in the moonlight. There was no fear, no shame, nothing that Vidura could see. "I..." Vidura began to speak in his own language, but stopped himself when he realized she wouldn't understand him. The clouds suddenly gave way, and moonlight illuminated the countryside. The wind changed direction subtly, and Vidura knew someone was behind him. He turned and swung at air, only to find nothing behind him. Footsteps could be heard in the grass, although they were few and far in between. As if this assailant wasn't running, but skipping across the land. Vidura glanced back to find the maiden in the water, but she was gone. In her place, he found a sharp pain in his jaw feeling as if the air had hit him rather than a fist, luckily for him it wasn't made of glass. A shadow appeared above him and looking up he saw a dark figure cross the moon above him. That was his opponent. Vidura took the offensive leaping into the air to meet this opponent. Upon closer inspection he saw it was a woman, not the water maiden, but another. As Vidura closed in, he suddenly stopped mid air, something invisible kept him from attacking her, and the two of them fell back to the ground. Two long ribbons hurtled towards Vidura but he swayed back avoiding their respective strikes. The woman then brought her arms together, making the ribbons as one and swung them in a half circle to bring them down onto Vidura. Barely dodging the strike, Vidura looked to the ground beside him and observed a small crater where the strike was centered. Impressed, Vidura continued his assault, dodging the ribbons as he ran towards her. When he finally got close enough, the woman twirled sending a gust against Vidura. It stopped him, but did not blow him back and Vidura delivered a well placed kick to her stomach. She fell back, but quickly regained herself before her feet even hit the ground and with another twist sent another wave towards Vidura, this time knocking him off his feet. Vidura flipped once in the air and landed. The battle was stalemated. Vidura, surprised by her strength, decided that on the offensive he would not win this battle. He held back his next attack as his opponent, who's whole being seemed to be swaying in the wind, began making circular movements with her arms. Vidura saw her aura and realized that she was prepping another attack. He would not see the blast, he thought, but he then looked to the grass under him. It would sway with the attack, he'd have to time his attack just right. Without warning the blast came, and just as predicted the grass began to sway. Vidura dodged the blast and hurled his weapon towards the woman, she contorted her body backwards and dodged the weapon with ease. As she came up however, Vidura was on her and punched her in the chest with a blow that sent her flying several feet in the air, knocking the wind from her. As she came to she saw Vidura standing above her with his sword in her face. "Stand down, No more fighting." said Vidura, speaking in an Enshian to the surprise of the woman. She lied there, not so much defeated, but only incapacitated. "I do not know whether to be impressed by your ability to speak my language, or by the fact that aside from being a barbarian, you are also a pervert." Vidura brushed off the insult and examined the woman from head to toe, she looked on with a mildy seductive look, at least in Vidura's eyes. "Are you injured?" he asked, his accent heavy. The woman did not answer him, although she did feel a pain in her ribs, they were probably bruised from his blow. "Put down your weapon and see for yourself." Vidura put his foot down on her ribs and applied pressure, she shook with pain, but did not cry out. Maybe they're not bruised, she thought, the bones may be broken. Vidura took his foot off of her and using his hand lifted her up. Her ribs shot with pain as he grabbed her. Despite the pain, she stuggled and bit and squirmed as he held her. Vidura dropped his weapon and forced her to the ground and pinned her arms above her. She spat in his face, but Vidura held his grip. Suddenly, he felt his torso being constricted as well, he looked to his side and saw that her legs held him in a vice grip. "You make worst...the pain." he said, realizing that as air escaped, her grip grew tighter, as a serpent constricting it's prey. He took her arms in one hand, and with the other, he took her neck, and began choking her as did him. The moment had become strangely intimate as the two lied there, their lives in each others hands. Ever so precious minutes went by as both found themselves becoming short on breath, Vidura also found his face getting closer to hers as he choked her. Slowly they came together, to the point where their lips almost touched, then in rage, the woman bit Vidura's cheek, but did not have the strength to hold the grip. Vidura retaliated by bringing his head back and swiftly headbutting the poor woman, knocking her unconcious. Her legs lost their strength and fell from Vidura's torso, allowing it to regain it's full girth. Vidura stood and looked at her unconcious body. He felt a trickle of blood running down his forehead, but didn't bother to wipe it away. He collected his weapon and was about to set off, but one last observation of this warrior woman convinced Vidura that he would rather not leave her there. Throwing her over his shoulders, Vidura looked one last time for the girl in the water, but could not find her. He set off towards the basecamp. [/color][/size][/font][size=1] [i]~ur-Shulgi Malkav cir. ??[/i][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revelation Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 [size=1][color=#8B008B]As White Lotus hid behind the brushes near the waterfall, she could see from the waters that the fighting had ceased. The foreign man had taken her dear friend captive and all White Lotus could do was hide as he walked away with her over his shoulder. She vowed to never appear weak again and yet she ran and hid, only to see her friend become a slave to this man. [i]This man knows not what he?s doing. He makes the gravest mistake of his life. I must warn Pra Chau Sua.[/i] As White Lotus? sleeves dipped themselves into the water, she closed her eyes and began to sink in with her sleeves. As soon as nearly half of her body was below the surface, her arms and sleeves fanned outwards as if she was falling. When White Lotus opened her eyes, they became a transparent white that seemed to cover her dark brown irises. The sounds of nature were silenced as she searched for any members of the Enshian Providence. Finally her eyes settled on Pra Chau Sua, the Champion of Enshian. The warrior was sitting near the river where White Lotus and Shai Guan were once at. He seemed to notice a disturbance in the water and readied himself for battle. As the disturbance grew, a figure shaped itself into that of a female. Upon closer inspection, Chau had seen that it was the Silla courtesan. Chuckling, Chau asked, [B]?What brings you here to the battlefield, Lady White Lotus??[/B] He sat back on the ground and watched as White Lotus walked towards him, completely dry. [B]?Did the Emperor send you here as another reward??[/B] His face was filled with some satisfaction and he leaned back onto his arms. [B]?I don?t see Lady Shai Guan with you; is she resting back at the Palace??[/B] The water goddess stood at the edge of the shore but still stood on water. She held her hands together in front of her, in a demure way, with her head slightly hung. Chau stiffened his pose slightly and sat up. [B]?Pra Chau Sua, there is something that I must show you. It is of most urgency for I fear something grave will happen.?[/B] White Lotus turned and lifted the water to become a mirror. Pra Chau stood close to White Lotus as she touched the surface delicately. In moments, the bout between Shai and the Matsyan warrior was shown. White Lotus looked on into the mirror as she relived the memory of her friend being taken captive. Without turning to the Tiger God King, she could feel the tension in his aura and body. White Lotus let the waters fall back into its place. [B]?By taking Shai Guan, he becomes a lamb to the slaughter. I won?t stand for this, Tiger God King. Return Shai to Enshian and...?[/B] Finally White Lotus turned to Chau and with fury in her eyes, she said, [B]?destroy that man...by any means necessary.?[/B][/color] [B]OOC:[/B] There you go, not the best. But at least it?s a post.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raiha Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 [COLOR=DarkOrchid][FONT=Times New Roman][i]When Shai Guan came to, she realized three things. One, she was in a very dark tent, it was probably 2 in the morning. Two, the Matsyan dogs had made the gross mistake of not restraining her. And three, she had not been raped yet, but she wouldn't put a thing past barbarians at this point. She stood, her form so slight she barely came halfway up to the tent's roof. There was very little around her, no food, no ropes, nothing she could use as a weapon, but the idiots hadn't bound her sleeves behind her, nor had they cut her hair. "The fools. ....they should've gutted me on the field....." She checked, and the flap of the tent wasn't secured. Using slender, pale fingers, she undid the loose knot holding it shut and stepped out into the main camp. There were spear wielding guards, grunts really, and no main officers that she could see. Steeling herself, she slithered against the wall, her sleeves held loosely at her sides, and surprised one. Before he could shout an alarm, she was on him, her hair and sleeves both around his neck, wrenching it 180 degrees in the opposite direction. With a horrified moan, the other guards watched as she leapt from his falling body and landed not one foot away from it, his neck sticking out an in impossible direction. They chattered in their own language, a frenzy that slowly built into a hysteria.[/i] "Come to me, give me your blood, barbaric dogs." [i]They didn't understand her, instead they heard her hissing voice, her tongue deftly pronouncing words foreign to them. Then they charged at her, spears forming a bristling wood, more than twenty all aiming at her. She swirled her sleeves, one and then the other, creating a shock-wave that leveled them all and shook the tents. Her hair shivered in the night, framing her white face. One particularly brave or stupid soldier ventured too close to her swinging sleeves and she caught him up in them, her hand appearing to wrench his jaw from his face. She dropped him, stepping over the corpse, and saw the Matsyan who had captured her coming in her direction. Instantly, she dropped her guard and let the men get closer to her. They swirled in like fall leaves and she eyed the nearest one, who had a short sword. He held it out in front of him, and two soldiers clapped gauntleted hands on her shoulders. She looked over her shoulder at them, then looked directly at her captor. All of a sudden, a broken smile crossed over her face and she looked at the man with the short sword. The warrior shouted an order, but it was too late. She'd flung herself forward, wrenching free of their arms and impaled herself on the sword with the sickening sound of ripping flesh. The soldier screamed and dropped his weapon, Shai Guan falling to one side, spitted through her side. She looked up at the sky, vaulting over her vision and she sighed once. The warrior leaned over her and she smiled up at him.[/i] "You should've killed me on the field." [i]Her body shuddered over, and she crumpled down, her head dropping to one side. Her sleeves fluttered by themselves, and then they paused as her consciousness faded away. As long as they gave her a chance, she'd cause more trouble than she was worth in hopes that they'd just kill her.[/i][/FONT][/COLOR] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malkav Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 [size=1][i]The captured Enshian may as well have been a wild animal. Her point came across in the most dramatic of ways, "Death before dishonor." was her saying. The Avesavritra, however he had his way with her, never once let her stay dead. [/i] "Stupid girl." Vidura said in his own language, replying to the Enshian woman. After her suicide attempt, Vidura, not convinced she was at all about to die, but rather just being a nuisance had her bound at the hands and feet and once again put back in his tent. Then after the clean up and a brush with the generals about his captive, Vidura returned to his tent only to see her sitting up, as if not at all hurt by the blade that went through her. Her clothes were colored crimson with blood. "Why fight?" he asked her in his broken Enshian tongue. She said nothing. "Could least give answer." Once again she said nothing, she let her eyes trail off into the opposite direction. Vidura, then, walked out of the tent, returning shortly with something wrapped in a cloth. He knelt down at the girl's side and reveal what was in the cloth, it was some type of roll. "I feed you, eat." said Vidura, holding one piece up to her mouth. She took a bite and chewed for a minute before spitting the bread back into Vidura's face. Fighting the urge to back hand her, Vidura regained his composure and sat the bread rolls down beside her. "When ready, you will eat." Although her wound healed unnaturally fast, Vidura did not enjoy the next few days with her. She ate nothing, refused food and water, and at night when he slept, she would kick him with her bound feet. The sickening smell of blood creeped into his tent, along with musk and other things a woman would smell foul of if she were not cleaned. On the day the encampment was about to move on, Vidura returned to his tent and to his surprise, he saw her laughing, not at him, but at nothing. "I'll...kill...you." she managed to say between bursts of giggles, "you've poisoned me....but I won't...die." "No poison." replied Vidura, "only hashish, to calm you." Vidura unbound her and took her in his arms. She was incredibly light and the sheer amount of hashish in her was enough to subdue her struggling. Vidura took her to a tent much larger than his own. Within, a host of women sat: concubines, prostitutes, courtesans. They all belonged to the generals and officers and existed only to make the trip less of a chore. "Clean her up. Replace her clothes and have her put on the cart with the rest of my belongings. Oh, and make sure she's bound. Don't bother gagging her either, she's quite quiet." With those not so subtle words, Vidura left her in their capable hands, and continued preparing for the march north. [/size] [i][size=1]The women worked magic with the girl. Her Enshian silks were done away with and replaced with matsyan cotton. She was bathed, and rubbed in Matsyan oils, the ones which would burn her skin into a lovely brown, as opposed to Enshian porcelain. Her lips were painted black, her eye lashes and brows were darkened. Her nails were painted ebony, and her feet crimson. They gave her jewels and pearls common among our women, and delivered her as promised. I believe the Avesavritra did not see all of this coming to her. If not for her fiery eyes, one would forget that she were Enshian. The Avesavritra, known to not bed with women nor take part in the carnal pleasures of his men, began to second guess his stand on the matter. ~ur-Shulgi Malkav cir. ??[/size] [/i] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Engel Posted June 27, 2007 Share Posted June 27, 2007 [b]OOC:[/b] [i]Retribution[/i] granted me control of his character for a post. Forgive the lack of detail in some parts. --- [color=#40826D][size=1]The sun was already high over the lands of Silla, shining down in it's red-golden brilliance to highlight every blade of grass, sparkle over every body of water, and shine on the tops of every snow-capped mountain. Looking out with frozen blue eyes upon the warm landscape, the Winter Leaf drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. In many ways, he was like an evergreen, persevering in both winter and in summer, able to survive in any climate, tough and resilient. His fingers drifted down to tap the hilt of his blade, drumming a four half-note beat. Tick-tick-tick-tick. Letting a small smirk play across his thin lips, he whispered to himself in that serpent's tongue of this. [b]"The drums of war are calling to me...the prince must require something from me. Or, I'm very, very thirsty for some blood to be shed upon the land. Either are fine with me."[/b] Closing his right hand around the hilt, he continued to play the four note beat on the metallic cap at the very top of the hilt. Turning on his heel, the Winter Leaf began his descent into the darkness that shrouded over the dark walls of the mountain-fortress. Everything was always dark inside, always permeated with the very feel of death and decay. As the Second Commander of the Hwarang approached the battle-map that documented the current miniature war taking place, he fixed the messenger with his eyes, asking the question, "What is it?" without saying a word or lifting a finger. Fumbling around out of surprise, and a slight bit of fear, the messenger nodded and withdrew the roll of parchment from his leather carrying case. With a single glance, Zhejiang saw two other scrolls -presumably blank - a quill, several bottles of ink, and a stamp of the official palace. [b]"Sir Hwang Zhejiang, Second Commander of the Hwarang, you are hereby summoned to the palace by Prince Taejong Muyeol for a briefing on your next assignment. You are to leave the fortress in exactly 25 minutes from the moment this message is read."[/b] Digging his hands into his messenger bag, he withdrew a coin - to be used to gain access to the palace beyond the front gates. Handing it to Zhejiang, he gave a sharp bow. Zhejiang had to stifle his laughter before it began. This man was still so nervous. Placing his hand on the messenger's back, he patted it twice and spoke in his lilting voice. [b]"Thank you, messenger...ah...what is your name?"[/b] [b]"Mhejul, sir."[/b] [b]"Messenger Mhejul. That has a certain quality ring to it. Thank you, Mhejul. I'm assuming there's transportation outside?"[/b] The messenger replied with a sharp nod, and then hesitated. [b]"Does that mean you're already ready to go?"[/b] In return, I gave the same type of short nod, and motioned for him to lead me there. Quickly, and with a nervous purpose, he led me out the front gates. I nodded to my two guards that were stationed outside, and we quickly made our way outside, and left for the palace. --- The captial city of Silla was always a beautiful sight to behold. It was inside a basin, that lay within a mountain. Providing an easy choke point to bottleneck another's forces, the city was both beautiful and well-defended. The Winter Leaf allowed a chuckle at his expense as he surveyed the city. [i]Even now, I still think about the best ways to route an enemy's attack force, when I'm supposed to be enjoying the aura of the city and it's inhabitants.[/i] His fingertips returned to their former place, drumming the beat with a curious intensity. With a long stride, Zhejiang made his way to the palace, and from there, into the front gates and beyond. An escort followed behind him, to ensure that he wasn't an assassin or a spy, or the like. It was such custom, even though they knew each other by face. Instead of the throne room, Zhejiang was brought to the Prince's personal quarters and sent in, with the escort standing watch outside of the door. Slowly, Zhejiang shut the door and looked at Taejong Muyeol, who was finalizing a city bill. Looking up, the prince regarded Zhejiang, and asked him to sit. With a short bow, he did as asked. [b]"Zhejiang, you know why I have summoned you here, correct?"[/b] [b]"I cannot know the specifics of it, but I'm assuming it has to do with the envoy sent to Matsya."[/b] [b]"That is correct. They have ignored our envoy, saying nothing. He returned two days previous."[/b] [b]"Such arrogance. To ignore another country's offer of help and a possible ally."[/b] [b]"I could not agree more. Instead, I have an assignment for you."[/b] Zhejiang couldn't help but smile at Taejong's words. [b]"I like the sound of this. What do you mean?"[/b] [b]"We must teach the price of such arrogance. Perhaps this will lull them into our way of thinking."[/b] While he spoke, the Prince withdrew a handful of documents, handing them to Zhejiang. Looking over them with his cloudy eyes, he glanced at Taejong. [b]"We cannot let them know it was us. That would be very unwise."[/b] [b]"I see what you're saying. Do you have a suggestion, Zhejiang?"[/b] [b]"Quite, sir. Simply put, I sneak in, alone. I do this very quickly, very softly, and make it look like Enshian incited this as a result of our envoy."[/b] [b]"Alone...? I suppose so."[/b] [b]"Have you lost your faith in my skills?"[/b] [b]"Not at all. When can you leave?"[/b] [b]"Give me ten minutes, and I shall be ready to depart."[/b] [b]"Very well."[/b] After a few more words, the two left each other to their own devices. In exactly eight minutes after his leave from the room, Zhejiang was at the palace gates, and on his way into the south, guided only by the unnatural swiftness of his feet and the keen sense of danger that seemed to shove him out of harm's way when necessary. Having been aided by several distracted shopkeepers, Zhejiang was faced with Enshian territory faster than he would of thought. It did help that he was deployed from the very southern tip of Silla, where the heart of all the land in the known world was. It had been maybe three days since he'd left. He'd expected it to take five. His lips parted and rose up, revealing teeth that were a subtle, but clean white. The canine teeth had been literally filed to a point. Zhejiang was ready to use them as weapons if someone had the upper hand, such as choking him, or pining him down. Inhailing the air, Zhejiang nearly winced at the smell and taste. It seemed so much more fowl down here, than up in Silla. Wrinkling his nose, he put two fingers out and closed his eyes, whispering and drawing symbols in the air. Looking around, the Winter Leaf tried to think of the best way to make it past the gates. It was nighttime, so a claim of being a trader wouldn't work as he lacked actual goods to trade, and no traders usually made their way in at night. A horse stable lay to the right of the gate, with most of the horses asleep. These horses were routinely rented out to traders or travelers, and could find their own way home. For all their training, they were still roused easily. Slipping into the shadows, Zhejiang prowled his way through the sands, up to the stalls. Three of the horses were asleep, and the other two stalls were empty. One horse would of been enough to cause a suitable distraction, but three just seemed like a good number. Scaling the wall of the horse's stables, he withdrew his blade and turned it so the blade's flat edge would strike instead of the actual bladed edge. Looking at the horses, he wondered the best way to do this. Not wanting to hurt or maim them in any way, Zhejiang decided that a quick strike to the hindquarters would be best, as they were less sensitive there than on other parts of their bodies. With three firm slaps of the flat side of the blade, the horses were braying out in pain, easily breaking out of their stalls and neighing loudly, attracting the attention of the guards. With a swift, and yet powerful leap, he cleared the horses and managed to stay in the shadow of the wall, skriting his way along the wall and slipping into the gate. Inside the city was were the spells would take effect. They were not complex by any means - no, actually, they were quite simple - but they were surprisingly effective. It effectively placed the Winter Leaf out of perception, almost like he was part of the landscape. It made his presence known, but not known at the same time; like he was always there, and blended into the landscape. The minds of the simple were easily bent by such incantations. Unfortunately, for Zhejiang, the guards were a bit more difficult. They squinted at Zhejiang as he moved in closer, trying to look at him but finding their eyes drawn away. They finally rose their eyebrows and asked the Winter Leaf their question - although they were looking in the opposite direction from his face. [b]"What is your business with the Palace at such a late hour...traveller?"[/b] Zhejiang's lips split into a curiously friendly smile as he spoke. [b]"I simply bring gifts to donate. Is that such a problem?"[/b] [b]"You should know that there are no offerings until the sun rises, traveler."[/b] The one on the left spat, looking at him with a sort of disgust. [b]"Ah, very well, I see. Thank you for your time, gentlemen."[/b] Turning about-face and walking away, he began to use his powers of sense-control, implanting the sound of a crash in the nearby bazaar to both of the guards. They looked at each other and nodded, dashing off to the left towards a perfectly safe and sound bazaar. Smiling to himself, Zhejiang ran his fingers through his moss-green hair, striding through the front gates and looking at the walls. Using the stone as a foothold, he began to climb up the side of the castle. The Winter Leaf's robe and hair both looked as black as the midnight sky, allowing him to blend in quite easily when combined with his perception-shift. Reaching the top of the wall, Zhejiang swallowed dryly, realizing how narrow it seemed. Standing up on top, he placed one foot in front of the other, slowly at first. And then his training began to take over, allowing him to run along the top of the outer wall, despite how narrow it appeared and felt. He did not know what he saught, only an open window. Any high-up would do if it was anything like Silla's castle. A single candle still burned in an open window, and Zhejiang took the chance. Beginning to run across the wall, he pivoted right and leapt, flinging himself through the open window silently. The man at the desk was too absorbed in whatever he was reading, looking on only to himself. Taking advantage of the situation, Zhejiang slid up behind the man and withdrew his sword - his own carefully handcrafted blade, oh, how he loved it - and placed it on the man's throat. [b]"You have ten seconds to turn around and tell me why you should not die. Sir."[/b] Zhejiang said, his voice almost ringing with laughter. He may of been calm and collected around others, but when doing what he loved, it was almost sort of a manic glee. The man in the chair turned around, slowly, even as startled as he was. [b]"How did you get in?!"[/b] [b]"One more remark as loud or as stupid as that, and you'll be lacking a head, good sir. Now, please, answer my previous question?"[/b] [b]"I...I am a General underneath Lord Hathi Jainar Parasuramana...Praja Haelvolsgir Ramuh..."[/b] [b]"I see. Then this was worth my time after all. Give my regards, sir. You're free to go."[/b] Taking his blade off of the man's throat, Zhejiang was almost bursting with gleeful laughter. The General's eyes widened, looking up at Zhejiang. [b]"You...you mean this?"[/b] [b]"No, good sir! I am simply messing with your mind,"[/b] Zhejiang let out a chuckle as his eyes darkened considerably. [b]"Goodbye, Praja."[/b] Flipping the blade around, he drove the same handcrafted blade into the general's throat, leaving him to gasp in a quiet, and futile manner. Picking up the quill that he had been writing with, Zhejiang dipped it in the ink, looking down at the quickly fading General as he tried to grasp Zhejiang's robes. Annoyed and preoccupied, Zhejiang's foot snapped out, catching the General in the chin and breaking his neck. He then began to write in choppy manuscript, so they wouldn't be able to track his handwriting. [i]For meeting with Silla, you have incited our wrath. This is what happens when you try and form alliances behind another's back.[/i] The meaning was simple and straight to the point. The Enshianese would suffer, and so would the inhabitants of Matsya. Perhaps the death of a general - though he seemed fairly incompetent at battle, or he would of seen it coming. Perhaps he was a strategist - would cause them to rethink their easy ignorant dismissal of Silla's envoy. Leaving the palace in a just as secret manner as he'd come in, he began to make his way out of the palace and the city, soon in the country itself, headed with all haste back towards Silla, towards the land of the rising sun. With a tap of his fingers on the hilt of his blade, he sounded the drums of war, a small little [i]tick-tick-tick-tick[/i] that would rise and grow, in intensity and in speed, as the battles drew ever closer.[/color][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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