Chapter Two: The Auran.

The hour grew near to its close while Kath's company waited around the Blue Stone. It seemed to glow softly in the light, its unusual color so obvious in such a natural place as this. It, a creation of magic no doubt, was an oddity, standing in such a place, surrounded by trees, wandered around by animals of all varieties. But despite its difference from the natural growth in the wintery place, no one had decided to take it away just because of that very difference.

Kath himself wondered at the motivations of the Lumerians and their allies. Perhaps they were scared of the differences because they did not understand them. What else motivates such prejudice and war among peoples that seemed so similar from the outside? Do I not have two arms and two legs? Do I not have two eyes and a heart, a mind prone to thinking? What right do they have to abolish MY kind and our way of life? Within every light there lies a shadow BECAUSE that makes light what it is! Without shadow, would light be light or would it be an endless plain of sameness and stagnation? He paused his thinking with a soft sigh, causing Grevor to look up from his whittling. The dark man smiled and shrugged and Kath nodded back to him, a slow smile warming on his face to cover the gloom that had somehow taken over his thoughts. His hand lifted to his chest and he stroked the scar that lay under that armor, lucky perhaps that it did not run across his heart. Why did they have to kill my family? My mother, my father, my... my little sister... I hate them. I hate them! For that, how can I not?! They destroy through ignorance! Why?! WHY?! WHY?!!! He clenched his fists, one still nestled up to his chest over that long jagged scar that went from right shoulder to left hip, one that might have killed him oh so long ago.

Cordeau noticed the gesture. The Captain was reminiscing as he always said and that was a bad thing. The Captain was supposed to be a jolly fellow to raise spirits and not one to damage his own by sorrow-filled thoughts. Surely Soraya, Hivaro, and Veldrin would join up with them soon. "Hoy! Cap'n, whistle us a tune, would ja? A nice and jaunty one, yeah?"

Kath shook his head, clearing it of the demons that would not let him rest sometimes at night and smiled sheepishly. "Sure... if you need a tune, I can give you one. Lemme think..." His tune broke into a lovely bar jig about a maid who only liked to dance and, while quite flirtatious, would only tease the men and dance circles around their bumbling feet.

Lyavitt raised her eyebrow as the lieutenant laughed.

"Veldrin..." she repeated his name. She loved the way it rolled off her tongue. "Veldrin, better than calling you a lieutenant, I suppose. My name is Lyavitt." she introduced herself. She shook the fear away, he seemed trusting, better than the one with the dog. Much better. "Forgive me..." she continued. "A Sati's temper is quite volatile, and there is little we can do to control it." She bowed her head. Her fear was slowly disappearing as she cooled off. She was liking this man, she felt that he had been through much, and she respected him quite quickly... for a half-demon.

She listened as he talked about mentorship. She didn't bother to speak, of course the idea was absurd. Being taught by someone whose rank in hell was lower than hers... it was preposterous. But of course, she wasn't in hell, she was just as helpless on the surface as any them.

"Patronizing, of course not." she said, if anything else, she felt embarrassingly humbled by his actions. She was still afraid of the cambion, up here on the surface she knew that he was more than a match for her.

Lyavitt followed Veldrin to the crowd. "I'm sorry..." she responded to his question, "I don't know who you are referring to, and besides none of these men are undead, I can't tell if they've been to hell or not." she forced out a dry laugh. She watched the mock fight unfold before her, she remembered one of the men. It was the one with the dog from before, a little spite erupted within her, her hands lit up a fire but as she saw Veldrin she quickly let the fire die.

"Uninteresting." she murmured. "A show of testosterone. Such pigs." She watched as the familiar man took a stab at the other's side. "Is this what you do here at camp? Feed each others ego?" she hissed, still wanting to hurl a fireball at the arrogant man who was now teaching others to use the same move.

In a blink of an eye the broken man had his hands around the neck of a goat. His hands glowed slightly of a dark violet color. Obvious to his surroundings he snapped its neck. More apparent the violet color shrouded his left hand and spots around his back. He could feel that the swelling in his hand was gone and that in fact his hand was no longer broken. As the dark aura faded away around him in mere seconds, you could see that his burns and bruises were no longer there. Smashing a second goat into the ground with his right hand he could hear his collar bone snap back into place.

*One more is all I need*

He grabbed a chicken ending its life quickly. Something was wrong though. His last few cuts and burns didn’t heal. The energy from the chicken was numbing a new pain. Two arrows and pierced his left back shoulder. A third flew just past his head. The man turned to his attackers just in time to catch the next arrow with his hands. Snapping it into two he let the halves fall to the ground.

*Hot damn. First time I was able to catch one of those. Don’t get cocky. Need to focus. There are armed men everywhere. I can’t exactly talk my way out of this.*

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the bandaged man watching.

*Need to think of something fast*

He scans the area with just his eyes. The same time the shooters prepare their next shoots.

*There*

The man holds up a hand as a sign that he is not here to fight and starts walking towards them. He points to a piece of white cloth that’s half hidden on one of the men’s right pockets. On it is a symbol he doesn’t know.

*Maybe I can get them to think that I’m with them*

The other archers look at he cloth that was pointed out and their faces grow with anger. They each take a few steps back from the man who has the cloth. He was a look of extreme worry on his face.

*Well, maybe not with him*

Lyavitt could hear a commotion from behind: men shouting, the whistle of arrows, bones breaking... What on earth is this? Not only do the people here feed each other's ego, they're killing off one another. She guessed that it wasn't as different as hell.

She turned her attention to the noise, she saw the injured man from before and now he was being attacked by the archers. Her eye grew wide when she noticed the white flag he was waving in the air. It had a Lumerian insignia. Lumerian...

It was a wonderful morning, and Lyavitt had just woken from her slumber. She had just turned twenty-one on the surface, and she laughed, twenty-one years in hiding. She was proud of herself, unlike her sisters who believed that murdering men would speed up their aging process, Lyavitt chose a more peaceful path. She was pleased that it worked well, a cowards way, but still...

She never grew hungry in the forest for there were traps around, she didn't know where they came from since all that mattered to her was the food they caught. This particular morning there was a nice plump rabbit hanging in of the traps, she took it and happily roasted it in her flames.

"I swear, something out here has been taking our game, and at night I see campfires about. I really think it's those damned bandits." a voice said through the clearing.

Lyavitt panicked, she dropped the rabbit and darted into her hiding place beneath the bushes.

"Look! Someone was just here!"

Lyavitt saw six men from where she was she noticed the Lumerian insignia tattooed on their arms. She watched as they observed the rabbit and the fresh fire that she made... she was growing frightened they could easily kill her.

"Only one person..." said one of them as he observed the tracks. "Probably a scout. He hasn't gone very far..." Lyavitt watched as they walked around and searched around the area, a young one went inexplicable near to where she was hiding. She crouched back.

SNAP

"Over here!!!" he yelled, drawing out his staff.

A blast of freezing ice hit Lyavitt at the side of her face, she flew back and slammed onto the ground. She screamed in pain. Stop it. Stop. It hurts.

"What the fucking hell is that?!"

"I've heard of those, they're fire demons. Blast it with more ice, Tova, it hurts it!"

Lyavitt struggled to stand up, she tried to fight back. She was afraid. Run. Hide. Better chance of living. Up tree. Through clearing. Decide. Think!

Another blast of ice slammed onto her chest, an arrow whizzed past her head. Lyavitt let out a scream that rivaled a banshee's. Another arrow flew.

"For the light!!!" they yelled in unison.

She fell back, her hand grabbed the arrow shaft that protruded from her right eye. She was going to die...



Lyavitt unknowingly let her hand wander to her empty socket... you did this to me "warriors of the light". She screamed and started to burn as bright as the sun.

Rocul wrote:
She turned her attention to the noise, she saw the injured man from before and now he was being attacked by the archers. Her eye grew wide when she noticed the white flag he was waving in the air. It had a Lumerian insignia. Lumerian...

((ooc: I'm not the one waving a flag. One of the archers has it at his side. I did intend for it to be a Lumerian mark though. This is the second post from you in a row that you seem not to know where you are. When Veldrin had asked you if you had seen this man in you part of hell before, he was refureing to me. Not Penthar and his men accross camp. How are you in two spots at once? ))

((OOC: The part about the mock-fight vs. your character's thing is a minor fault. We can still work under the assumption that both are in close proximity so that Rocul's RPing still works. It's fine! Don't worry.))

A soft chuckle could be heard from Veldrin’s lips as he walked with the Sati. ”Careful now. Not many people here can take insults with a grain of salt.” It appeared as if the cambion was planning on speaking more, but he silenced himself when the chaos with the livestock started.

”Men, stay your hands!” Veldrin shouted to the commotion. He barged through a section of the archers to enter into the fray, stopping in front of the stranger and looking down at him. Roughly, Veldrin pressed against the man’s chest with his booted foot, pushing him back so that he could look at the stranger’s face directly. He glanced briefly at Lyavitt, noticing how that white inner fire of hers was beginning to glow again. ”Lyavitt! Douse that fire of yours! Now is not the time!”

Veldrin arched his back to bring his poisoned face closer to the stranger. His voice was low, gargling, and unmistakably dark to the sound. Veldrin’s narrowed eyes seemed to exude a sensation of foreboding, and curiosity, all rolled into one deadly ball. ”You’ve seemed to take an interest in my soldier’s little…Lumerian trinket. It’s a trophy, actually, taken from someone else. Does this bother you?” Veldrin fell silent for a few heartfelt moments, his back straightening but his foot still pressing against the stranger’s chest. Suddenly though, the cambion’s demeanor changed, and he regarded the stranger with just simple wonder. No. He thought. It would be far too foolish for one of our enemy to point out his allegiance right in the middle of our camp. Right in front of me.

At that, the half-demon swiftly grabbed the cloth from the nearby soldier and held it in front of the other man. He stretched it so that the foreign insignia could be seen clearly. Veldrin spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, though his eyes were still threatening. ”Do you associate with this symbol? Have you seen it before?”

((ooc: Cool, I just didn't want her to nuke me with her fire powers if she thought I was the one holding the Lumerian cloth))



The man remained calm and stood tall as armed men stood all around him. Among them was the bandage man and what looked to be a women covered in flames. The Bandage man pushed the man back and spoke.
“You’ve seemed to take an interest in my soldier’s little…Lumerian trinket. It’s a trophy, actually, taken from someone else. Does this bother you?”

*Asking who I am perhaps? Or why I killed the animals?*

No one spoke a word. It seemed like hours. The bandage man grabbed the cloth and the archer and unfolded it in front of the shirtless man. There eyes never left each other. The bandage man spoke again.
“Do you associate with this symbol? Have you seen it before?”

*Why is he showing me this? Is this not their symbol? The way the other archers first reacted to it would seem to confirm it. I hope I’m right about this.*

The shirtless man spat at the piece of cloth. He then pointed to himself and spoke.

“Týr.”

He then pointed to the bandage man and repeated the first thing he heard him say to himself.

“Your name, stranger. Or we’ll allow you to join the rest on the battlefield.”

and

It had been an hour. No one had shown up and Kath was worried. No messenger, no shout of alarm, no anything. They had sat around useless by a blue stone for an hour and a decision had to be made. Where was Soraya?

"Men, we must move as waiting here longer only brings us more danger in the case that Lieutenant General Soraya was captured. I will only risk myself if you all prefer--"

"Oh Cap'n, bloody no, ya idjit! We're all gonna do as ya say because we're yer men, got it? Now give us some orders... Cap'n." Cordeau wasn't going to leave his captain to go and do something foolish on his own no matter what his captain was spouting. Nonsense was all it was. Kath himself just grimaced. It was just how it was. Even the silent and deadly Penny was grinning at him. The captain ran a hand through his sandy colored hair and sighed.

"Alright then. You give me no choice. Castor and Penny, stay here. The Blue Stone is yours and yours alone to guard if either the Lieutenant or the Lieutenant General should appear at the rendevous location. Grevor and Felix, go back to camp and see if you can find Lieutenant Veldrin there and, if he is, tell him that we have gone to look for Lieutenant General Soraya as she and Lieutenant Hivaro have gone missing past the specified time and we are mounting a search patrol. Henrick, you and Seven will be search squadron one. Go back along the old battlefield to see if you can find any traces of their hoofprints in the snow. Within a half hour, come back to Blue Stone to aid Castor and Penny. They will be our temporary base in case we need to regroup. Cordeau and I will follow the prints of the regiment coming off the battlefield lead by the person we believe to be known as Baran. It could be that Soraya and Hivaro decided to do more scouting than is advisable this day and missed the rendevous time. We will all, hopefully, meet back here in a half hour. Shadows keep thee safe!"

Kath and his men mounted up save for the two remaining behind. They plied their heels to their horses' sides and ran to the embraces of the shadows. Hold tight, Soraya! I will rescue you if you need me! I will not let you down! The wind rippled across his lithe body in the saddle, stirring up his shirt as if it was a crimson sail. Cordeau was behind him, his horse snorting. The roan and the bay stayed neck to tail as they raced across the land, seeking to find and follow what could be the hoofprints of Soraya and Hivaro. Kath knew that he would search for as long as it took to find her. Nothing could stand in his way. He would not let her down and leave her to become a toy for those cruel Lumerians to play with. His stomach clenched inside to even think on it, her beautiful body broken and abused. They were probably running out of time! He wanted to shout out her name in case she was near, but to do that if she was in hiding was to put them both in jeopardy. Oh Soraya! Why didn't you just take me with you? I could have protected you much better than that old Lieutenant...

(ooc: ahaha I wouldn't have nuked you, Tyr, it's way too early in the story for me to actually hurt someone)

Lyavitt extinguished her flame at once at Veldrin's orders. So that broken man isn't Lumerian at all... she really had to control her temper.

Briskly she walked up and took the flag from the ground and burned it to a crisp. "Seeing this symbol gets me all riled up." she spat at the smoldering remains. "Forgive me, you poor men." she said to the archer and the soldier with a touch of spite in her voice.

((OOC: LoL! That would suck XD))

Veldrin watched the stranger react. There was significant bewilderment that washed over the man’s face as the silence rolled on. Veldrin’s eyes stayed narrow, like two bloody slits that glowed with an inner malice, or simple intrigue.

”Týr…” Veldrin let the foreign word slide against his tongue. The name was strange, unfamiliar to the cambion. And he had his own share of various languages thanks to his life of travels. When the man spoke more, Veldrin tilted his head ominously. The stranger was repeating what he heard, as if he didn’t speak the common tongue at all.

Veldrin exhaled, and in one fluid motion, Veldrin drew his scimitar. Some of the men readied their weapons threateningly again, though the half-demon lifted his free hand to calm them. He took a step back and bumped the man’s face with the flat end of the blade. ”Stand.” The lieutenant could only hope that the stranger, Týr, would be able to understand that simple word. Veldrin spread out his arms on each side, demonstrating the state of standing upright. If he was going to regard this stranger any longer, it would be as two standing men; not one cowering before the other.

The cambion’s eyes turned to look at Lyavitt briefly in regards to her weakening fire. He nodded in satisfaction before looking back at the stranger. ”Týr, can you stand?” The look in Veldrin’s eyes was questioning, with the uplift in the brow that was characteristic of someone asking something. If the stranger couldn’t understand words, perhaps the cambion could signal him through the exaggerated motions of his eyes, which he used on everybody since his mouth was almost always concealed anyway.

The wind rustled through his hair as he loosed his nimble-footed horse and wended his way through the shadows. The bay, as always, tended to blend better within spectrums of light, but at Kath's urging, hurried along faster. Kath himself was stone faced, the brisk air skimming along his face, stinging as it came, his breath coming out in little steamy puffs before getting stolen away as he rode. His grip was white-knuckled on the reins, his back stiff and upright, shoulders back. There was a faint courage about his being, even so, he quaked softly inside. If Soraya were to fall into the hands of the enemy... He clamped his teeth shut loudly, their ivory surface grinding slowly.

Cordeau, on the other hand, was loose-limbed, riding easy, slipping in and out of the shadows at will like a wraith. His face held a smirk and the breeze held no sway over him as it caressed his bald head and whistled through his stubbly chin. His sword made no noise as it was, affixed to his side until danger was sighted. He would not let his captain down and he knew the rest of the men to be loyal... if sometimes odd.

The Captain resisted the urge to shout out Soraya's name, his adrenaline and tumping pulse getting the best of him, reddening his face even as the wind did for a completely different reason. The bay's hooves stuttered upon some rocks, but regained his steady gallop even as Kath hauled on the reins to right him.

The sporadic force remained spread out in the basin below them. Their dark bodies moving in between pale bark and snow covered ground. There still was dirt and blood, but in this part there was less. This should have been where Soraya had gone, Kath thought to himself. He slowed the horse and looked around as Cordeau matched pace, surveying the area as well.

"Well, Cap'n?" Kath shook his head. "We gonna ask?"

Ask...? A small smile blossomed across his lips. It was a smile filled with ice. These were Lumerians and their allies. Soraya... Beautiful Soraya could be anywhere amongst them, captured, tortured, raped... Something snapped inside him. It was not right to sit and hide when she might be in danger. Hivaro was old and, while a competent leader, could have lost his battle prowess years ago! Kath was still young, his reflexes swift and nimble. How could he not mount a bold rescue mission? With the spread out cells of Lumerian allies below, he had ample chance to select a small one to extract what information he could before coming back with all of the Sudao on his heels to crush them to get back their beloved leader!

Of course, these thoughts were folly, but Kath was a man of poetry and action, of song and spirit. He could not think these things without the fire that filled him. It warmed his muscles and he spurred the bay on without a thought to his personal safety... or Cordeau's for that matter. Cordeau, despite the unpredictability of his jovial captain's flippant moods, was at his captain's side in a matter of moments.

The group of three looked worn out, despondent, though even that could have been predictable after days of burying the dead and cleaning up after holding the ground from the Sudao army. These Yeidin were tired and weak in the arms after such work. The terrifying creature had torn apart friend and foe alike without concern and they had been terrified. They would not go on with the regiment that had left. Who knew what other kinds of dark magicks those strange allies had had in their arsenal? No, these three had just stopped to mop the sweat and grime from their faces with snow when the sounds of hooves came their way.

A dark haired man managed a shout of alarm before the hooves of the bay ran him down. Kath's eyes had taken on a haunted appearance even as he jumped down from his running horse, sword and dagger unsheathed.

"Sudao!" It was a woman, her staff raised defensively, her small hands tight. Cordeau rushed out after his captain, dragging his blade across the neck of the horse trodden man.

"Umbrovian scum!" The remaining man spat on the ground and rushed in to meet Kath head on. Swords met with a jarring clash and Kath brought the dagger in his left to bear even as the other man hooked Kath's leg with a sweep. The snow kept their footing loose and Kath tumbled down onto his back, though he was prepared with a kick to the leg of his opponent. The Yeidin man fell foreward and to Kath's right, the blade of his weapon nearly cutting Kath's arm as the Sudao captain rolled opposite, attempting to get back to his feet first. The woman, seeing this, brought her staff down upon Kath's right shoulder, losing him his near advantage even as Cordeau squared off with the staff wielder.

The swordsman was standing again, his sword sweeping towards Kath's neck as he knelt. With a whoosh, it passed over his chin, his body leaning back. It had been too close.

"Where is she?!" Kath growled as he thrust himself up, his sword and dagger, crisscrossing before the blade of his opponent, their faces close enough to feel each other's breath.

"Who?!" The question through the man off-balance and Kath was able to push him back, the ring of the metallic slide clearly audible. Kath pressed the attack with a thrust, catching the man across his sword arm. Recoiling, Kath sprung again, his lithe body dancing through the swordplay, his strong arms leading him forward once again.

"You know who!" It was a dreadful hiss from his mouth, set in a grim line, beads of snow and perspiration mixed on his forehead. Kath's advance was blocked. Parry, counterthrust, block, block, duck, thrust, parry. The captain launched a kick and the man leaped just as Kath's dagger whipped around from the side, taking him in the ribs. The Yiedin cried out a little before, clenching his teeth shut. So! The cowards have some strength in them yet!

"Cap'n! Stop playing wit yer food! Finish him. I've subdued this 'un." Cordeau, faithful Cordeau.

Kath nodded coldly, the icy smile lighting up his suddenly cruel face. He pressed the attack and his opponent was not ready for such viciousness. With a growl, Kath, thrust into his chest, his dagger blocking the sword as best as it could. Ignoring the chill of the blade that was cutting into his arm, Kath twisted his blade, planted in the man's flesh before kicking him off with a well-placed foot. The woman, held tightly in Cordeau's caging arms, gasped, grimy tears running down her dirty cheeks. Kath held no pity for her in his heart.

Blood dribbled out of the wound in his right inner bicep even as he pulled out a piece of long gauze, tightly binding it by pulling an edge with his teeth. After it was tied, he regarded the woman, her small frame showed no strong fighter there.

"Please! I'm just a healer! Why are you doing this?! This is a time for the dead!" Her mouse brown hair hung limp, her staff cut in three pieces lying some ways away. It was strange how she looked at him, her eyes teary and full of some hint of fear. Why was she here when she obviously could not fight worth her weight in rations? Healers were fine, but so far out here, away from the rest? No... She had some other purpose, but now was not time for that. There was Soraya to worry about.

"Where is she? Where is Soraya?!" She pulled back at the vehemence that laced his voice. The woman shook her head, her eyes wide with fear.

"I don't--"

"TELL ME! Gods damn you! Where is she?!"

"I don't know who you're talking about!", she cried out. "I haven't seen anyone!"

Kath closed his eyes and sheathed his dagger before rubbing his face, sweat smeared with dirt painting him with a spotted mask. Cordeau held the squirming woman tighter to his chest, her wrists caught up in his caging grip. She gasped as he pulled on her arms. Crying loudly now, she blinked furiously.

"What have we ever done to you?!" Kath's eyes, now weary and sad, looked up from behind his large hand. His breath came in softly and he straightened himself before her, his eyes thawing to their regular gentle outerior.

"You support the kind who had commited atrocity against me, girl. You are the reason that I am alone in this world. You have picked this. What have YOU ever done to me? I should ask you why you desire to keep all those who are different from you oppressed. You who refuse to share and place beneath you all who are different. There would be no such thing as light if it weren't for the shadows that defined it. So you AND your ilk decide to exterminate us like vermin. Ask me for mercy."

The last sentence caught her offguard. Her eyes blinking back tears as her throat gulped near audibly. "Please... Mercy!" Cordeau closed his eyes even as he held her.

"You didn't give me any."

The dagger was swift, startling her even as she slumped to the ground, being released slowly from Cordeau's arms as he moved to the side. The Yeidin woman was dead along with her two companions. It probably wouldn't be long until a patrol came around, raising an alarm.

"She answered wrong..." There was a sadness in his voice even as he wiped off his weapons to resheath them. Cordeau patted the man on the shoulder.

"I know, Cap'n. I know. We should probably keep moving. There's bound to have been someone who's seen 'er around here. We'll keep on looking."

Kath nodded and whistled for the bay. The horse came trotting back, a little skittish from the stench of blood. And together they galloped onward in search of Soraya and old Hivaro.

((Soraya))

Both Sudao warriors rode as fast as they could, Soraya could feel the rise of tension and shift in energy through the shadows; they had slipped away quietly and undetected from town, but obviously the others had been seen as the alarmed Azrians spread the word that Sudao were present in their territory.

The change in tension in the dark Aura around them increased even further, as the dark whispers of a struggle echoed about, and Soraya’s sense of excitement turned to panic; were her men alright? Were they under attack?

She and Hivaro sped through the fields far beyond the battle grounds as they headed towards the blue stone, praying that she would find them all there waiting for her, unharmed and ready to flee. They both raced along the shadows but staying out of it for now the umbrovians of the Yeidin would certainly be watching every dark spot for a trace of the Sudao intruders... they would have to ride further out before using any patch of darkness to return to their own territory.

Then Soraya felt something. She yanked on the reins, her horse protesting as he had to so suddenly halt and swing around at his mistress’s command. “What is it?” Hivaro called, he too pulling his horse to skid to a stop after passing Soraya. A moment’s concentration, and Soraya confirmed that the Aura she had just picked up indeed belonged to the captain and the others. “The men! They’re near by!” she shouted, pointing towards the direction from where she felt their dark Auras.

A moment later, and Soraya found her men… and the body of the Azrian girl. She rode her horse into the circle of men, eyeing each one to assess possibility of injuries and the extent of battle and damages, but they seemed fine… all save for Kath, his hard expression unsettling her. “Captain, are you all right...?" She looked about her, searching for traces of the Yeidin. "We need to go before more arrive! Now!” She urged in a commanding voice, concealing her anxiety. Then she realized someone was missing, and this time could not hide the apprehension on her face.

“Where… where’s Veldrin?” She feared that she had now lost one of her men...

((ooc: nothing's really happening now, eh? :<))

Lyavitt watched as Veldrin attempted to make the stranger understand. This is pointless, she thought. Whatever the half-demon did to this man was a waste of time. She was tempted to teach that stranger a thing or two about english by hurling him all over the place.

It probably wasn't a good idea... what she needed was trust from these people, and judging by the shaky movements of Týr, he needed the same thing.

The sound of hoofbeats caught Kath's attention quickly. It was too late. The Yeidin had found them! Or so he thought, he turned quickly, hand on his hilts before he realized who it was who had come into his vision. Soraya's dark hair whipped around in the breeze, her eyes roving over the two men and the scene before her. The Captain's weary visage looked upon her, relief starting to settle into his thin frame. Thank the gods... She's okay.

Cordeau got a half smile off towards his captain's back and saluted the two incoming Sudao leaders. Kath straightened himself as Soraya questioned his well being. There were three bodies laying around them, the girl and the two men, one horse trodden, the other stabbed through the chest, and the girl's wound like an evil smile from her pale fleshed neck.

"I... I am fine, ma'am. I left... I left two of my men at Blue Stone, two others are out searching and will rendezvous at Blue Stone shortly, and the remainder of my men went back to camp to see if... if you had shown up there. We had... we had worried for your safety after the appointed meeting time..." Kath's voice seemed unsettled even to his own ears, tinged with both relief at Soraya's sudden appearance as well as what was possibly remorse for what had occurred...

I killed them... The girl... she was telling the truth. Oh Soraya... I... I was so worried, but so... blinded by it...? She was innocent. Perhaps I'm no better than-- But... No. She was still apart of... Oh Gods above and below, forgive me for I have transgressed! My anger... Vengeance... Kath's thoughts were jumbled and upset and unseen pain ringed his eyes even as he remembered the makeshift bandage on his arm, his own blood beginning to show through the coarse weaving.

Then came her question of Veldrin. Kath wiped his forehead with his fist and began his report. "Lieutenant Veldrin and I went to the source of the red light and found a badly injured man who doesn't seem to be able to speak any known language of these parts. He seemed to fall unconscious and Veldrin said that he'd take him into camp for medical treatment as well as to see if he could provide us any information on the enemy... if he is indeed a known spy or enemy himself. I was sent on to the Blue Stone to gather the information about your whereabouts as well as the information my men were able to gather... and then..."

"What the Captain means ta say is, ma'am," Cordeau put in. "Is that we feared fer yer safety and thought the worst. The Captain said that he'd go alone to seek yer whereabouts, but meself and the others don't let him do things like that alone and requested to come wit' him. An' now we find ye here and we can leave before those Yeidin scum find us. Lieutenant Veldrin is probably waiting fer us at camp with the strange man." Kath nodded wearily his acceptance of his second-in-command's summary of the goings on and mounted up onto his bay horse. Cordeau did likewise in preparance to follow Soraya back to Blue Stone and onward to camp.



The scouting party returned to the Blue Stone rendezvous site empty-handed with no indication where Soraya had gone. Their Captain had not returned and they were starting to get worried about both of their leaders, but stoic to a man, they would not show their fears or worries to the others. All there was left to do now was wait in silence and in the shadows for their Captain to come back and... if he didn't, to go back to camp, messengers of failure and foreboding. But one thing that had always remained consistant was that the Captain always came back.

---*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*---

The two soldiers riding back into camp sped their horses along. They asked a few soldiers along the way to point them to Lieutenant Veldrin and it really wasn't hard to find him, the burning Sati, or the strange gibbering man next to them. Felix stepped up towards the man whose mere glance could cause a person to itch and saluted briefly, indicating his urgent message.

"Lieutenant Veldrin, I am Soldier Felix Difuiyel and I bring a message from Captain Katharsys. He is out looking for Lieutenant General Soraya as she has not returned to the rendezvous point at the specified time. He sent me to tell you thus in the hopes that you could aid in this search if he could not personally find her in another hour. We are using the Blue Stone as our temporary base of operations just in case the Lieutenant General arrives there, albeit late, and was not captured or detained by the enemy. Are there any messages you wish me to convey to my Captain?" The raven-haired man, youthful and precise in his deliverance, waited upon Veldrin's response with an eagerness. His clear gray eyes looked upon Veldrin with no fear or loathing of his appearance.

Soraya listened carefully to Kath’s words, relieved to hear that they had not lost any men, and that the rest were either safe at the blue stone or that Veldrin was already back at camp. But it was not easy for her to gather all of what he said as her nerves were ready to snap. All around them the energy of the Aura rippled into chaos – the Yeidin knew they were there and would be upon them very soon if they did not move. Further more it was Kath’s expression and eyes that worried her – the man said he was fine, but she was not so sure.

“Thank you, Cordeau.” She replied, tearing her eyes away from the captain to regard his comrade. “But now is not the time, we must find the rest at the blue stone and head back!” And with that she whirled her horse around as all four rode fast back to the blue stone. There they found the waiting men, and continued to ride, Soraya warning them against the use of the shadows just yet for the allied umbrovians would certainly be watching and they were still much too close to Azrian.

A little less than an hour later Soraya pulled on the reins of her horse, brining the group to a stop. “We try the shadows now… be careful.” The Umbrovians scanned the darkness within the shadows searching for any presence of their enemies, but the Aura was clear and clean. Giving the order, they went through, and seconds later they were on Sudao territory, their camp clear in the not so far distance.

Now within the safety of their kind, the soldiers rode lazily back to the camp, all silent until Soraya once again held them to a stop and turned to Kath. “Alright, Captain. I would like to hear the full report now.” Hivaro looked up, curious as to why should Soraya choose to hear the young man’s words now rather than at the camp.

and

They rode silently onwards towards headquarters, following Soraya and Hivaro. Kath's men could sense something of distress in the way their Captain carried himself. His naturally straight back seemed to have slouched slightly and the bloodied cloth wrapped around his bicep told them only a little more. Their jovial Captain did have mood swings every now and again which they were well aware of. Cordeau called them his "remembrances" though now the weary Kath was reliving the scarce few minutes before Soraya had discovered them.

Soraya called a halt and the horses pawed the ground, whickering at the smell and sight of their temporary home and the possible food stuffs that awaited them when they arrived. The men were curious as to why they did not go all the way into camp until their Lieutenant General asked for a full report.

Cordeau grinned before speaking quickly as Kath began to open his mouth. "I think we mere soldiers need not wait around fer the Cap'n's pretty speech. We be dirty men, ma'am. Forgive us if we ride on ahead." The bald headed second-in-command bowed in the saddle before signalling the remainder of Kath's men back into camp, leaving Kath alone with his superiors suddenly at a loss for words.

His eyes held a deep, unending sorrow in their depths even as he attempted to meet Soraya's eyes, fair as they were. Surely she saw through him like a wall made out of paper. He wanted to believe that he, unlike those he killed in the name of war and all that was right, was a just man, kind and doing the right thing, and not just a simple murderer.

"Ma'am? Have I not already told you... told you all that happened? Veldrin and I found the man and parted ways, Veldrin for camp and myself toward Blue Stone. Then when you had not shown up, we went to look for you, but you found us instead. We are all happy that you are safe." Kath swallowed hard, hoping that Hivaro would leave and that Soraya would not ask him about those he had killed. His eyes glittered softly with a thin sheen of moisture that he blinked back as he squeezed hard upon the reins in his lap. Soraya, I beg of you! Please send Hivaro away if you are going to ask me about the dead... I do not... I do not want to cry in front of another man. I would not want to disgrace myself in that way... Oh lady, please... Send him away...

He remained mounted on his horse, the breeze rustling through his sand-colored hair, aware of the slight tremor in his shoulders that he hoped was not noticed by either party. He was a captain! Captains were not remorseful nor did they make wrong decisions. Part of him wished that Soraya would ask him about what had happened that he might release the tension in him, that she might forgive him of his deed and soothe him. He just wished that Hivaro had left so that he might hold onto however much dignity he yet possessed.

“But… hold on!” Soraya’s expression was somewhat bewildered, her voice commanding and loud enough to halt the men who continued to ride forth and call them back… did these men not find any valuable information as they spied over the people of Azrian? “ Why… yes, of course I know that part… but you men went off on your own, did you not?” She gestured to two of Kath’s comrades with her hand holding the reins, then to both Cordeau and Kath “And the two of you… did no one find out about the aftermath of the battle? Of the man who released the Abbadon? All me and Captain Hivaro had been able to gather was that the Eslinian general, Vasilios, has left with some of his men to join the battles in the north beyond the Gora mountains…”

Soraya did not miss the distressed look on Kath’s features… nor the stain of blood. She did her best to ease him, she smiled. “I suppose perhaps we were not cut out to be spies! I should have paid the two brothers then.” She kidded, then in a quite voice she regarded his wrapped wound. “If you are not well enough to speak, Captain… then we can leave it for later… that is IF indeed there is anything to speak of at all."

and

Kath startled. Of course! The main purpose of the expedition! He had nearly forgotten. His men looked quite abashed for attempting to leave. Cordeau too seemed to have forgotten their purpose after such a willy-nilly ride to find Soraya who had not been captured at all.

The Captain cleared his throat. "Uh... no! No, ma'am! We did find that out that a small regiment started out on its own. Their traces were easy enough to find as if they wanted us to follow them. My men found out just as much. It seemed that whispers of Baran were there again. I believe that he is this leader of which they speak. I apologize, Lieutenant General Soraya, for being forgetful. I have failed to be timely and for this should be punished accordingly. Forgive me, my lady." He bowed low in his saddle even as his men looked on, ashamed at their own failings to report, so wrapped up in their secondary objective to find Soraya after the rendezvous time had passed.

Kath found that this day had not gone quite as he had planned. His feelings of remorse were only strengthened as he found that he had not only failed his morals, but had failed Soraya and his mission by being lax and forgetful. The thought of punishment seemed almost an atonement for some of the crimes that laid heavily upon his back now.

Cordeau rode up beside Kath again. "I too apologize, ma'am. The Cap'n has been under a lot o' stress lately..." Kath looked over to his second-in-command and held up a hand, beseeching the man not to comtinue to make excuses.

"Cordeau, the fault is mine. I am your Captain and our failing is my responsibility. I shall not fail again." His eyes hardened even as he stiffened his back. "If we fail here, we fail completely. Only discipline can strengthen us to succeed in this war. Those in command are those that guide and I have failed. I will be punished accordingly. I need no excuses for my behavior and I accept my responsibilities."

His blue-green eyes were shadowed, mired in remorse and a pain that did not reside on the physical plain. He looked to his superior. Her guidance would be the prod that drove him onward. Fair, beautiful Soraya. He had most certainly disappointed her. Even her smile had only served as a minor comfort. Someday he too wished he could smile for real, but for now he'd be content to whistle during the times he sat in the confines of comradery.

((Penthar))
Penthar returned to his tent to clean up. It had felt good to train with the troops, and had found some very suitable soldiers to enlist in his personal cause as time went on and they proved their worth. He was soon greeted by Ylva, who had entered almost unnoticed with a look of content and a full belly.
"So, found some suitable prey, my pet? Good. Come, we have plans to make" was what he had said quietly as he finished changing.
Penthar was already expecting retaliation from those loyal to that pompous fool lieutenant and his family. The healers said he would be back on his feet tomorrow, but he would always have a wicked scar there for the rest of his life that would not fade over time. Penthar grinned devilishly as he thought about that, and touched a faded scar on his neck as he thought to himself "All those pompous and powerful Umbrian houses. They never really understood true power, as I have come to. Their moneys, lands, and influences won't do much for them soon. I will repay the 'kindness' they and their overseers showed my family as we worked their lands in indentured servitude.One house in particular will soon rue the day I earned my freedom."
Ylva cocked her head and looked up at Penthar as he thought, her fur rippling into shadow as he felt the malevolence grow inside him. She growled low, now exhilarated by the emotion she sensed from her master. This usually meant feeding would be better soon than the pitiful snack he gave her earlier.
Penthar soon focused on more immediate matters. No updates on their enemies and their movements had been reported from the spies out in the field. "What could be taking these fools so long" he thought to himself as he looked back over his maps. Capture was not likely, as the Lumerians were almost surely busying themselves with regrouping and reinforcing their current positions. Lieutenant General Soraya and the her remaining group had not returned to camp as yet, but were spotted just outside camp by the sentries.
He went back to the map briefly before heading out to the shadows for a time. He needed to focus his attentions on his magic in preparation for the coming days and nights ahead...
((Not much of a post folks, sorry. If anyone has ideas for interacting and side plotting, let me know...))

((Not your job to apologize, penthar! My absence held us back from any interesting RP… but now as we are getting back we definitely must interact! ))



Soraya’s eyes widened at the mentioning of the Surdan’s name, if it was correct, that is, and now itched to hear the details, but then her men seemed to crumble before her eyes.

A moment of silence hung heavily between the riders before Soraya’s pleasant laughter would break it. She sighed, placing a hand on her hip as a mother would when scolding her children, she quirked an eyebrow at the great bulk of embarrassed, apologetic men before her now looking very much like oversized mice. “Oh do tell, boys… Have I suddenly taken on a resemblance to The General Penthar?” She feigned surprise, smiling down at her warriors who tried so hard to serve her well, completely ignoring her old Hivaro’s angry rumbles; Hivaro constantly praised the General as a great leader, how dare she mock his name?

“If you so desire for pain and punishment, he would be happy to oblige… however you have gotten the information I wanted, so I have not reason to skin your hides.” She kidded with exaggerated malice in her voice. “Now tell me what you know… I want to know more of this… Baran… It angers me a man wielding the sacred and ancient magic of the Surda should serve the Lumerians. I want this information between only ourselves as I fear for this man’s life… Sudao leaders… such as Penthar himself… would be more than ready to hang the man rather than try and win him back to his own kind. So tell me now what you all know.”

and

The men laughed at Soraya's imitation of a fearsom General Penthar though the difference was quite apparent. There was no more evil or sadistic man than the General Penthar and Soraya was mostly the opposite of evil and sadistic and most certainly opposite of a man. Yes, her joking manner even made Kath grin slightly even as he kept his shoulders bent in supplication. Cordeau had to smirk at old Hivaro's discomfort however as his preferences were well known.

Kath cleared his throat, an unsteady smile still holding upon his face. The inner twinkling of his eyes spoke volumes as he pushed away the thoughts of the deaths on his hands and the wrongs he had committed. Other commitments were in front of him now. He shook his head. "No, ma'am, you are most certainly not the General and I would prefer to keep all the skin on my hide. As for Baran, it seems that he headed out with between 50 and 200 men based on the size of the trail that they left through the snow. It is difficult to judge though we know which way they went after leaving the main body of the Yeidin forces. Baran also most certainly was the one controlling the Abaddon though some of his own people felt that the gates of hell had opened up to destroy them all, demoralizing quite a number. Some reports have some of the Lumerian forces saying that the gods have allied against them or that the Auran was destroyed during the fighting between our two sides..."

Kath stroked his chest and the scar buried beneath his shirt in thought briefly. "I just had a thought, Lieutenant General. What if we pretended to have the Auran? I mean, we could lead the enemy to believe that we may have it and perhaps draw out the real Auran if the legends are true. It could potentially decrease morale in the Yeidin Alliance as well as increase those of our allies. Perhaps it would also call Baran to us... even as we pursue him. And maybe he would be more willing to change his allegiance if he believed that the Sudao would have more of a chance to win this war with such a powerful tool in hand." He paused as his face reddened. "Of course, this is just all an idea. Nothing much..."

The horses around them pawed the turf restlessly. Perhaps the wind of change was blowing for the good of all Surdans.

((Penthar))
The aura of the shadows disrupted as The General stepped through and near the group. hearing the end of their conversation as he stepped through.
"You would be surprised what I think, especially of the ideas and strategies of those around me, Lieutenant General Karmani." He stopped a few feet from the group, and looked around at the men and at Soraya, his arms folded.
"Your Lieutenant's suggestions hold merit. I also agree with both of you that this Odei Baran should be convinced to side with his Surdan brothers and sisters. I will back your suggestions when you present them before the other generals. Of course, I do ask one little favor in return."
Penthar simply stood there after finishing his sentence,awaiting Soraya's response.

It was sometime before Soraya would speak again after Kath and his men were done with all they needed to say, as she took the information they had gathered, if accurate, and turned it over and over in her mind again, assessing it’s meaning, value and of the action she might need to take next. The biggest question ringing through her ears was why Vasilios had sent off some of his men away, and where, when he would need all his warriors to fight in the bigger, more ferocious battles raging on in farther north beyond the Gora mountains?

She wanted to know, for there must be something there. Finally, she looked up at her men, her lips parting as she was about to speak, when the deep voice of Penthar cut through her thoughts. She cursed inwardly as she turned to find that the man had joined in on their private conversation. She did not want him there, she did not want him to know of their little details; Penthar served the army as much as she did, but the man always went off on his own agenda and his own plans.

This was her business. Not his; he was more likely to take her mission, and mold it to his liking. Already he hinted that she should first speak to the generals of her plans.

Her browse lowered, feeling shocked that Penthar had considered ‘convincing’ the stray Surdan to join their side, rather than his habitual impulse to execute ‘weaklings’ and traitors. “An odd streak of compassion on the traitors’ part, General…” she said quirking an eyebrow at the man. “As for the other generals? I am Lieutenant General Soraya Karmani. They have no say in my decisions or plans.” It was unlike Soraya to boast of her title and power to affront other figures of authority as she chooses to stand alone with her own identity, and build her own foundations of which people may find reason to respect her and fear her just as they do her great uncle Hikram or lorven himself, yet at the moment she could not help but feel Penthar’s approach as somewhat patronizing.

“… I make the decisions around her. The ‘generals’ follow. So what is this favor you ask of?”

((Penthar))
Penthar kept a blank face as he listened to the foolish girl posture of her title and position. She really did not realize the scope of what she was up against. He has initiated the game with her now, and he analyzed her strategy before speaking before her and her men.
"Yes, you are, Lieutenant General Karmani. We underlings have no say in your decisons or plans, we only recommend and give our support, when they are sound. I want victory over the Yeidin army and over the lumerians as much as any umbrovian, but we will not accomplish this if we continue to posture and fight amongst ourselves. Your uncle now agrees my strategies have merit. After analyzing our loss, he now agrees that if the plans I submitted had been carried out, we would have been victorious. If it weren't for one commander in my regiment deviating from my orders, all of my men would be back at camp. Still, my regiment incurred the fewest casualties."
He paused for a minute to look at each one in the group, then fix his eyes on Soraya.
" I am not posturing here, or patronizing. I am a soldier, and I follow, even unto the death. We need to unite fully in this cause. The favor I ask is that you consider me as your strategic adviser. As for the 'traitor' Odei, we can use his strength and power in this war. I would be a waste to kill him if we did not try to first convince him to rejoin his brothers and sisters. It would also go a long way in demoralizing the Yeidin army, more so than killing him. So, do not mistake it for compassion, my leader, it is simply a tactical move."
Now the final part of Penthar's move was complete when he dropped to one knee and bowed his head before Soraya , still seated on her mount " I await your orders, my lady...."

Soraya’s teeth flashed white as she smiled, silver eyes studying the features of the latter as he spoke of unity and loyalty. Whether it was pride at the patriotic, truthful words of the general or laughing doubt at some irony that brought on the smile, no one could tell.

Why his rather acquiescent approach? What did he want? Funny… her ‘permissions’ never stopped him from doing what he wanted before…

She dismounted, holding the reins firmly of her impatient, black steed as she came to stand before the over towering man, her voice gentle. “Dear General, you know quite well my ears are open only to those who have proved their loyalty in the past. I find it odd that such a free willed leader as you felt compelled to first ask me of this… ‘favor’.” Soraya turned her head slightly to regard the man, studying his Aura before her eyes would drop to the small stains of blood about one of his boots. Fresh, Umbrovian blood. Her eyes remained fixed on the darkening droplets as she continued to speak, her voice slightly harder now; “And I am also glad that you understand the uselessness of fighting among our own kind or ‘posturing’… mayhap now you will choose to stop terrorizing our own men, General Taranis, and keep the sharp end of your swords pointed only towards the enemy.” She looked up, meeting his silver eyes, stark against the dark, scarred yet handsome features of his face, not wanting to hear the explanations of what might have gone on during her absence.

“I accept your offer, General.” She smiled one last time at him before turning away to walk in a circle speaking to the rest, noticing the fire in old Hivaro’s stare, yet making nothing of it… she knew she would get an ear full later. “The battles rage on beyond the mountains in the north. It is our duty to join our forces there… however I’m… mystified by this small regiment, so suddenly dispatched from the rest of the Lumerian army. We will rest now, and within a few hours it will be dark, we will use the shadows to track them down quickle… and discreetly. There will be no attack on the regiment, as firstly I care to understand where they are going, and why. Are they lead on by the Surdan warlock…?” she paused in thought for a second. “Vasilios would not send off such a powerful advantage as a man who could unleash the Abaddon to protect a small regiment, when he would be needing such power on a battlefield… unless of course there is something of importance there. Once we understand the reasons of this traveling group, then we’ll decide what needs be done next.”

She waited for any comments from her men, twisting around slightly to look over her shoulder to Penthar, “Do you agree, general?”