Divine Inheritance: Chaos

Kable nodded to Paige, also noticing Lilith's uncertain face. He had to remind himself that Lilith was still a child. One that had, until recently, been imprisoned inside the very castle she had been raised in. So she wouldn't know most of the terms that the others in the group were already aware of. As Paige made her snarky remark about Kable finally winning a battle around her, Kable made a motion with his hand not suitable around small children. As Paige took Lilith to the side, Kable turned to Oryx and Voltair.

"While they discuss whatever they have to, should we start planning ahead on the battle? A little leverage might go a long way for us." Kable pulled out a map and rolled it onto the ground, using loose rocks to pin it down. "The closest outpost to us would be here," he pointed to a small dot roughly a mile out from them. "It shouldn't be too difficult to be able to get any useful information here. But we would have to keep Lilith out of sight until we actually reach Barisor."

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Haldor's kick surprised Lucius. The heel of his boot connected squarely with Lucius' chin, dazing him. The sight of his men bleeding around him infuriated Lucius even further. This man, for all his strength, used cowardly tactics. Lucius decided to use some of his own.

As Haldor swung his axe down to drive it into Lucius' skull, the general clashed his sword into the axe. The impact buckled Lucius' knees, but he was able to drive it to the side. One of the barbarian warriors happened to be running to by as the axe swung towards him and sliced half of his neck. The man began to choke on his own blood. Lucius grabbed up the soldiers leg and swung him towards Haldor. As he did, Lucius channeled his power into the man, causing him to explode and blood to fly into Haldor's face. Lucius dropped the remains and drove his sword forward.

 

"The plan should be we run right into the middle of the battlefield and fight everyone and anything that moves! Oryx votes for that plan..." It was obvious who wouldn't be in charge of tactics come this time around. Everyone seemed so keen on debating their plan of action, but this was an adventure! Adventures were last minute plans and make it up as you go along kind of things. Well at least for Oryx they were and they had gotten him pretty far in his journeys for the most part...

The Last Iron Lord needed no details, only that evil needed to be vanquish in the name of justice! By his blade and the power of Sol that burned in him, this deed would be accomplished. Anyone who had ever crossed them had been defeated, only one vile creature had ever survived unscathed. Someone he hoped to never see again. "I doubt there will be much intel to be gathered about two massive armies fighting to the death. However, if it gets us moving and closer to the front then so be it lassy." Oryx said as he crossed his arms.

 

"In fact I do, Lilith. I'm going to need you to find your resolve." she crossed her arms, "I know it's in there somewhere. But I saw your face the moment we started talking strategy. You aren't sure if you're ready for this... and you need to be. For the sake of anyone who chooses to follow you. You get me?" she raised an eyebrow before pacing toward a rather large tree, grabbing onto a branch over her head, and pulling herself up "So, what do you say we talk about what's bothering you so we can leave your doubts behind when we go to Barisor? Aye?" She knew her words would come across a bit bold. But she knew she was right, when it came to the innermost feelings of others she was never wrong. Except for with Voltair who she simply couldn't read, much to her annoyance.
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"BAHH!" Haldor grunted as he was suddenly blinded by the blood of his fallen comrade, and knocked back a few steps by the blast. He hand instantly went up to dig the carnage from his eyes so he could see. His other hand raised his ax in front of himself, it would seem just in time to block Lucius's sword from impaling him through the chest. He signed "A stab at my chest? How unimaginative for such a promising start!" he shouted, meanwhile he suddenly darted forward, allowing himself to slide through the bloody mud to crash into Lucius and take him down at the knees before he rolled to his feet and swung his ax downward to slice Lucius in half, his face was covered in blood, dirt, and char marks from the flames. About mid swing, a loud thunder like crash was heard as his swing broke the sound barrier.

 

If Tess was surprised by the young girl pulling at her it didn’t show. Merrick who was in the process of heading off in the direction he had seen Gerik had gone in earlier shot a curious glance over to the two of them. It was the most interaction he had seen the young girl make with someone other than Gerik and the few off words to Jaxx.

“Of course” Tess said grabbing a bowl and handing it to Claire. The young girl took it and then sat watching Tess. Tess returned her look until she realised what the young girl was waiting for. Tess stood and went to her packs returning with a spoon and handed it to her. “Thank you” She said wiping the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. She began digging in seeming enjoying the meal. “Can I have a drink?” Claire said with some food still in her mouth. Tess stood their dumbly for a little while before realising that she had asked her. “Here” Tess said handing the young girl her water skin. She hoped that the others would make their way back to camp soon. The young girl was making her feel unusually uncomfortable.
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Loch had waited until the explosion to signal his men to attack. He and his crew set to work killing the imperials. Having killed ten men in the space of a few minutes Loch shouted with frustration. “You dogs aren’t worth killing!” He shouted bringing his axe down hard into another man’s skull. There was a sickening crunch of metal and bone breaking as Finnan’s axe lodged into the man’s head. A second man charged him sword raised hoping to catch him off guard. Finnan raised his shield and swung catching the man in the mouth with the rim with such force that the man crumpled on the ground surrounded by a puddle of broken teeth and blood. Removing his axe from the man’s skull by kicking the now dead body Loch drove his axe into the seconds’ throat ending his poor excuse for a life. Looking around for a challenge Loch saw that his men were handling the soldiers well enough on their own, when his eye fell on Haldor fighting Lucius. Again Loch felt disappointment as he believed the fight to be over.

 

The piercing thunder crack shattered one of Lucius' eardrums. He involuntarily cried out in pain and disgust as Haldor's axe charged at him. He could even see a hint of static pass over it. Lucius drew his power into his sword and attempted to use it to block the axe swing. An even more deafening crash sounded through the air. Everyone surrounding the dueling generals were thrown clear of the blast, so only Lucius and Haldor stood.

Lucius kept a tight grip on the hild of his sword. Thankfully, his sword was able to take most of the damage. His arm, however, was beginning to strain under the growing pressure of Haldor's strength. Lucius knew he wouldn't be able to hold this stalemate for much longer, so he pulled his fist back and poured everything he had into the punch. It connected with Haldor's axe and shattered the blade, continuing forward and striking Haldor in the chest.

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Kable only shook his head. "Oryx, that is the plan of a madman. Which, to be fair, is what we need. But we're only five people against two different armies. Both of which are probably going to want to kill all of us."

Kable then gestured to Voltair. "Do you have any ideas in that spacious head of yours, Voltair? You've been quieter than I usually am."

 

The stalemate between the two men lasted several moments, Haldor found himself having to use all his strength just to stop Lucius from breaking through his attack. Blood poured from both ears from the soundwave caused by the crash of their weapons. He grunted, pushing forward with all of his might. He could hear Lucius's bones beginning to give under the pressure. Haldor thought, for a moment, that they would give way any moment. His triumphant grin was short lived, though, as Lucius suddenly drew back an arm and punched forward with unexpected power, shattering right through Haldor's axe.

Haldor's breath was knocked straight out of him as a result of the punch, he was sent flying back and landed ungracefully against a tree. The tree broke in half upon the impact and fell over, crushing a few soldiers from both armies. Haldor lay there, stunned, for a moment, before he stood up. He burst into a fit of coughing mixed with laughter. "You're not as weak as you look, little general." he slapped his knee as he observed the now useless stick that was once his mighty axe. He cast it aside, suddenly reaching for the massive redwood that had fallen and swinging it at Lucius with almost as much speed as he had done with his axe before.

 

"What the fu-!?" Was all Lucius could retort before the redwood smacked into him. The tree lifted him off his feet easily and he went flying into the forest and through a few redwoods of his own. Lucius rolled to a stop and laid there, the view in front of him dancing and multiplying as his brain worked out what happened. Haldor advanced on him, still carrying the redwood.

This was when Lucius felt it. A single ping of fear. This man was a mere subordinate of Ilda, not even on her level. And he was still giving Lucius a fight of his life. By now, most of the soldiers in both armies were watching the duel go on. This would determine the fate of Barisor. Lucius used his sword to lift himself up and faced the giant barbarian.

"Haldor, you are a man of great strength. In any other circumstance, I would certainly share a tall glass of ale with you." Lucius then readied his sword. "But only one of us can leave this battlefield alive. And I have every intention of it being me." With a mighty war cry, Lucius swung his sword as hard as he could. The resulting shockwave toppled a few tries and they fell towards Haldor, leaving him no room to advance."

 

Paige knew of Lilith's resolve, and her physical appearance obviously put forward the impression of her being powerful. This was Paige's first chance to see Lilith as a normal teenager, which was slightly amusing. She smiled, "There she is. There is a normal kid in you after all." she laughed "I was worried the emperor had successfully beat that out of you." she dropped down to the ground and paced to the riverside "Let me ask you something, Lilith. What, do you think, is the reason your companions decided to follow you?"

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Haldor, with tree still in hand, watched as a large mass of other trees flew at him from Lucius's attack. He was quite impressed, and his grin returned "Well shi-" he began to say just as the trees fell at him, he let out a mighty roar and swung the tree at all of them like a massive baseball bat. The sound barrier was once again broken with the force of his hit. His tree shattered into millions of little splinters that rained down on him and everyone in the area, broken wood shards flew back at Lucius at bullet speed. The impact also sent a painful shockwave through his arms, indicating that he had pushed their limit. One of his shoulders was definitely dislocated.
Haldor, now weaponless, charged after them to close the distance between himself and Lucius armed with nothing but his fists.

 

Claire took a drink of water before looking back up at Tess. It almost seemed odd to her, talking to somebody without Gerik nearby. Especially somebody she hadn't talked to before. That being said, there was this feeling Claire had. A feeling that, perhaps talking to Tess wouldn't be bad. "You're... You're quiet, like me." She spoke, almost questioningly.

"No, nothing like that." Gerik replied as he took the water skin from Jaxx.. "Learning swordplay was simply something that was required of me, like certain other things. Admittedly I might be downplaying it when I phrase it that way. The way I fight is..." Gerik paused as he thought of a way to describe what he was trying to say, taking a swig of water. "Special, I suppose you could say. While my home does have a distinct weapon style compared to other places, such as here, it is different from my own. Only certain people are allowed to learn the techniques that I do."

Realizing how his statement could be interpreted, Gerik had to come up with a followup comment. "I probably make it sound more important than it actually is. How to say it... I guess you could say I'm simply a victim of tradition."

"Ideas for days." Voltair sarcastically replied to Kable. "Naw, um... Well I figured once we got close to Barisor I would scout out the area. Find out where the leader of the invaders is. Probably take them out myself. Though it would probably be best if Lilith takes care of them. I doubt too many would follow her if somebody other than her ended the war. So yeah, we get there, I'll scout it all out, and from there we can decide how quickly or how slowly we end the war. I'll be sure to pair each of you up with some exciting fights."

 

Paige smiled, listening to Lilith speak. She remained patient and quiet before allowing a few moments for Lilith's own words to sink in. After a moment, she drew a breath, breaking the silence. "That, my dear girl, is all you need to know. Those people out there all have their own reasons to follow you, I'm sure. But they wouldn't if they didn't truly believe in your dream as much as you. So let that dream be the leader for now, and count on us to get you through the rest, aye?" she crossed her arms, cocking her weight to one hip as she waited for a response.
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The stone floor was cold and unforgiving against the emperor's knees, he knelt next to the pit in the center of a large circular room. Just as before, he watched the events of his country, using the creature's powers of sight which filled the pit with visions.

We shall know, by the end of the day, who will claim victory in Barisor.

The voice spoke from within the vision shown of Lucius fighting Haldor at the walls of the fallen city. The Barbaric king truly appeared to be giving Lucius the fight of his life. Though Atticus remained confident. "And what of Carmella Sar?"

The image of the battle of Barisor rippled across the black fluid surface and was replaced by the image of Marcus Maximus and his men holding of the Barbaric invaders in the water.

The odds of your victory in Carmella Sar are low. Your armies are outnumbered. Their ranks shrink by the day due to the wars and desertion. If it is allowed to continue the way it is, even the aid of the Amazons will no longer be enough to stop the invaders from kicking through the main gates of Sax. Let us hope the tactical mind of your Colonel Maximus are enough to prevail.

Atticus grimaced, "Let's." he agreed, though he got the same tone from the creature as usual. It didn't care about the outcome of the battle, it only seemed to enjoy the sight of the wars raging. It was somewhat unsettling though Atticus brushed it aside, as it's power was too useful to be discarded, even with it's unappealing love for carnage. He cleared his throat, feeling a bit tense, before moving on.

"What news do you have of my daughter's mission?"

Lilith Newgate's support waxes, as your own wanes. The voice answered, as the image of Carmella Sar was rippled away, replaced with the image of Lilith and Voltair standing among others. She moves for Barisor, my guess is she intends to claim the city for herself with the help of her companions. Jaxx has yet to catch up to her, though she and the assassins gain on her. I am unable to see her. I haven't since the day of the Assasin's arrival, I can only assume the shadowy nature of their abilities block my sight from this distance.

Atticus gritted his teeth, he was not pleased with the fact that he was completely in the dark of Jaxx's whereabouts. But he knew she was at least alive. He managed to gain news of sightings of his daughter traveling with her companions toward Karsesh, where he had just learned Lilith was currently staying.

I did catch a glimpse you might find of interest. The surface of the pool changed once again to reveal the face of Raven, illuminated as though she was staring into a direct source of light. "You've found her?"

No. I was unable to reveal her location based on this. I was only able to see her for a brief moment, when a spell she used opened a window to the same plain I use. Her power is growing, even still. But something else here you might find interesting...

The image suddenly shifted to Raven's surroundings to reveal the inside of a sort of whirlpool of water and light. Standing directly in front of Raven was another person that Atticus did recognize. It was one of the assassins Atticus himself had hired to assist Jaxx. Atticus frowned, studying what it was he was seeing. "When did this take place?"

Who knows... within the past month at least.

Atticus waved his hand over the surface of the image, it instantly wavered and faded into black as Atticus stood up. "I will return later, to learn of the status of the wars."

He exited the saferoom where he kept it, being sure to seal the door behind him.

 

Lucius flew back from the giant, flaming barbarian that was intent on crushing his body. He spun his sword around and attempted to decapitate Haldor, but his body was slowly beginning to falter on its own. The sword missed as Haldor dodged out of its way. Lucius cursed himself and blocked against Haldor's next attack.

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Kable merely looked over Voltair. Something in the pit of his stomach warned Kable about thr man standing before him. The demon slightly stirred inside him, eager to interact with Voltair. Kable mentally pushed it back down. He didn't need those problems to surface right now.

"I agree, but let's try to make sure that she doesn't get killed." Kable responded back. "We should make sure to instruct her on how to lead. If her plan goes well, she'll have an army at her command and they will need someone confident at the forefront."

 

Haldor grunted as his arm rebounded violently off of the blunt end of Lucius's broad sword. His knuckles were in a bad way, he noticed, as he attempted to open his hand to find it was locked in a fist. He reached to the ground with another hand, raising his armored forearm to block another swing from Lucius's blade, which bit through his armor. Luckily, the armor did manage to hold the blade back enough to hold back any serious damage to his flesh. He picked up a stone the size of a canon ball from the ground, thrust his arm-and Lucius's sword- to the side and used the rest of his strength to swing the massive stone in attempt to knock Lucius's head clean off of his shoulders.

 

Lucius tried dodging the boulder, but it proved ineffective as Haldor was faster than he looked. He felt his armor crack from the pressure of the hit. He heard a mighty roar emit from Haldor's voice as he lifted the boulder with Lucius stuck in it. Lucius felt the boulder shift as Haldor spun around and launched it towards the nearby hill. The boulder and Lucius' world spun madly as it bounced towards the hill. The face with Lucius on it slammed into the hill and stayed motionless.

Haldor stood up tall and stretched his arms out. As he turned to survey the final moments of the battle, a tremor was felt behind the man. Everyone looked back towards the hill to see the boulder explode outwards. Different sized shards flew in every direction, shredding into warriors from both sides. Haldor grabbed a tree and swung it to catch all the shards flying at himself. He looked up to see Lucius, half of his armor broken off and the other half barely hanging on. His sword lay a few feet away from him, but Lucius gave it no care. He tore off the remainder of his torso piece and cracked his neck. Lucius was covered almost entirely around his chest wirh scars, both old and new ones alike. Blood soaked his body, giving him more of a red tint. Lucius advanced towards Haldor, determined to end this fight soon.