Dreadlords Coming For The Crown

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen rocked a little bit from Mieri's slap on the back. Kept within those slender arms and smaller hands was a physical power that most, Kristen included, would find utterly surprising.

Mariana shared the same sentiment that Kristen did, and she would have done something about the soldier's indecency if not Mieri hadn't inadvertently seen to it a moment later. This, though, gave Kristen an affronted pause:

It's beautiful and should be appreciated in all it's forms.

"...No," Kristen said flatly, as if it ought to be obvious why this was not and should not be so. This was hardly the time or the place for an in-depth discussion on propriety and decency, even if Mieri didn't just go shooting off the moment Varian asked his question and she provided her own answer for herself (an answer the Trien soldier simply nodded along in agreement with).

With a stunned incredulity, Kristen watched for a moment as Mieri's form got smaller and smaller with distance.

"She's going to get herself killed," she said to Mariana and Varian, this almost like the reading of some banal statement about the weather: big gray clouds on the horizon, rain is coming, ho hum what else is new?

Mariana Varian Armata Mieri

 

[Mariana]

Mariana was an artist and in theory should be able to agree with the older redhead. However, Mariana also believed in choice and she hadn't chosen to see this man's peepee. He hadn't chosen for people to come through the wall, either, but STILL. At least it was taken care of. Perhaps she'd paint this scene later and share with Alistair Krixus.

Little head swiveled between the two older, big kids.

"You can follow her if you want to. I think I want to go find some snacks. And some art supplies." Looking up the road, Mariana trundled up the same path Mieri had zoomed down, albeit a lot slower and not with the crown in mind.

 

[Varian Armata]

Varian found himself at a crossroads with their group. He could follow Mieri's lead and speed past everyone with little regard, focusing on his success. Or he could hang back here; Mariana seemed to want to take a slow pace; how she handled herself within the city was the complete opposite of his fellow student leading the charge.

Either way, choosing a balanced approach was out of the question as it would leave him in a pace unable to match either. He would be dead in the middle all by himself.

Varian sighed, shaking his head, unable to make a sound decision. He turned to Kristen, who he assumed was having a similar dilemma of wanting to keep the group cohesive and together.

"Should we chase after her? Running in without knowing what's over the horizon isn't the best course of action."

As he spoke, his ears picked up the faint sounds of filed footsteps, a multitude marching in unison. It was apparent their entrance did not go unnoticed.

Mieri Mariana Kristen Pirian

 

[Mieri]

As it turned out. Mieri really didn't make it that far.

It was an observation that all of her fellow Initiate's would be able to make for although she outpaced them easily. The path ahead was in fact a relatively clear shot towards the palace, left empty by people flocking to various shelters.

They would witness Mieri's sprint, her blurred form as she rushed directly towards the Keep in the distance. Then, they would see a spear suddenly jut out from an alleyway. A spear which did not stab into Mieri, but simply appeared at exactly the right down.

Either never spotting the pike, or simply too excited for the crown which would make her name, Mieri clothes-lined herself directly into it.

Running against the bar with her full momentum. Her body crashing into it with such impact and force that she was suddenly thrown from her feet and directly into the pavement. Causing a loud crack to echo out as her magics poured the kinetic force of movement into the cobbled streets.

Sending a massive shock-wave out, splintering the stone earth into a massive crack of spiderwebs.

"Ow." Mieri said into the ground.

 

[Kristen Pirian]

And then Mariana went shuffling off, this for reasons wildly in disregard to her environment and all its present dangers. A pall of dismay descended briefly upon Kristen. Six Divines give her the strength.

To Varian, Kristen said in a manner heavy with resignation to the inevitable, "Proctor Magomo has a saying, hesitant as I am to repeat it."

That sound of marching, echoing off the thick walls of the city and the exteriors of the perimeter buildings, hit Kristen's ears as well, and reminded her of how little time they had.

Kristen, nevertheless, quoted Proctor Magomo: "'If you're going to be wrong, everybody needs to be wrong together.'" The fact that this was first said to her in Vel Acan of all places, a locale which housed...not so fond memories of utter failure, counterbalanced in her mind what wisdom there was in Proctor Magomo's words of unity.

And, proving Varian to be less a Dreadlord and more a prophet in that moment, Mieri, running in without knowing what was over the horizon, found out that, indeed, it may not have been the best course of action. Her rapid advance was checked rather hard by a jutting spear from corners unseen, and Mieri took a hard spill onto the streets, even breaking the cobbles.

"Snickerdoodle!" Kristen cried, her old habit of blurting that out as an exclamatory word (long story involving cookies and red hands behind it) something that, while fading, had yet to truly be laid to rest. Moving right past it, hopefully so as not to give Varian time to think much of it or, worse, comment on it, Kristen said, "Let's go!"

On the way toward Mieri, Kristen was sure to take Mariana by the hand and force her to run along with them. What Initiate in their right mind would even think to search out snacks—and art supplies?—in an enemy stronghold?

Varian Armata Mariana Mieri

 

[Mariana]

“HOLY CANOLI!!!!!!!!!” Mariana yelled as she saw Mieri’s fantastic wipe out. “DID YOU GUYS SEE THA—oof,heyHEY!” Her short litttle legs tried to keep up with Kristen. It was a lose-lose situation and the tall girl probably all but dragged the youngest Krixus along.

An artist and creative who was the farthest thing from an initiative. Mariana was pretty sure. No, most definitely sure that after this she’d tell Alistair she’d rather go to another school. Maybe he’d let her go to Elbion? Or maybe there was an art school somewhere.

And in protest, the language from her mother’s side began slipping out.

“Dios mío, al menos trata de hacerme lucir más genial frente al chico lindo!” Her cheeks warmed as she snuck a glance at Varian Armata.

 

[Varian Armata]

Despite their situation and the sudden shifting and moving of the pieces in this little game, Varian kept calm, shifting back into his metallic form once more as they sped off again. He glanced momentarily at Mariana, giving her a nod in reassurance.

His eyes shifted, catching sight of a giant stone statue depicting a knight standing guard at the wayside of their route—a possible delay for those pursuing them. He stopped, staying behind for a moment before bringing forth a series of strikes at the base of the stone, each causing chunks to fly as if they were made of straw. Eventually, the statue would fall, collapsing onto the pathway behind them.

"That should buy us some time." He called loudly while attempting to catch up to the other three. He shook his head at the thought of the crown, his instincts now forcing his concentration on to ensure his fellow initiates were kept out of harm.

He arrived just in time to see Mieri and her incident with the pike, halting at the forefront of the group as he waited for whatever was holding it to reveal itself.

Mariana Mieri Kristen Pirian

 

[Mieri]

”Ow.’ Mieri said quietly to herself, not noticing the soldiers who were quickly moving up the alleyway to corner and surround her.

She lay there, eyes closed and unmoving, face against the ground. Her red hair was splayed all over the back of her head, and she tasted blood coating the inside of her mouth. Shadows flickered over her form, and she shook her head.

”Guys.” The young Initiate offered into the cobbles, muffled but loud enough to hear. ”I think we should stick together.”

The words were said without irony. ”These streets are danger-”

As she spoke, Mieri turned herself around. Being greeted not with the sight of her friends, but instead half a dozen spears pointed directly at her throat. Each one held by a Soldier, and each one with a face that said they meant do to her arm. Eyes flickered at each and every one of them in turn, an wry smile flickered over Mieri’s face as she raised her hands slowly.

”I surrender.” She said with a weak chuckle, eyes darting through the throng of soldiers and towards her quickly approaching dreadlord companions.

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Mariana's protestations were certainly of a uniquely unintelligible character, but at least they stayed at words spoken in a foreign tongue instead of graduating into a full physical struggle. Things were going even better when Varian created an impromptu blockade in the street behind them. Smart thinking!

If only things could be going so well to their front, though.

Mieri, unfortunately, had a change of heart just a little too late. Stick together, she said; at least Varian and Kristen (and Mariana, perhaps, if one could overlook her wandering interests) had and maintained the same notion, or else...well, Mieri would've been in an even more sorry position, all on her lonesome with no less than six deadly spearpoints threatening her neck.

These six soldiers stood between Mieri and the three Initiates.

And then another six soldiers, completing the unit of twelve men, came out from the same alley vantage as the previous six. These new six soldiers now had their backs to the previous six and so formed a palisade of spears in either direction.

Kristen let Mariana go. From her porcelain palm Kristen summoned forth a Withering Chain as she ran, whipping it forward in an attempt to lash every soldier in front of her, this to stun them and leave them vulnerable. But to the utmost credit for the soldiering skills of the man on the very left, he swiftly shifted his spear upwards and blocked her Chain, the Conjuration wrapping around the weapon and managing to disarm him as she pulled the Chain back—though this was hardly her intent.

Curse the luck!

Kristen skid to a halt before the soldiers, taking up the newly acquired spear in her right hand. She began to chant a verse, the beginnings of another spell, but Varian and Mariana and Mieri in these seconds would have their time to act.

Mariana Varian Armata Mieri

 

[Mariana]

Kristen was so stinking strong. Mariana managed to get her footing when the tall girl went into fight mode.

Oh wow. She could see why her brother liiiiiiiked her. Then she pictured them kissing.

Ew, gross.

Picturing her brother kissing anyone was disgusting.

“You HALT!” Two of the spearmen had come around Kristen and were now pointing their weapons at her. If she yelled that she surrendered, would they not kill her like that redhead girl? Should Mariana follow that example?

No, no. Varian was back there and it was making her blush. Plus, they were trying to stick her brother’s future girlfriend.

Reaching in her pocket she took out a scrap of paper. And then another. They already had drawings on them and when her hand touched them, they activated and lifted free from the papers as a swarm of killer hornets. A buzzing filled the air as they went straight for the guards, slipping between their armor and face plates to sting.

The guards immediately began screaming and running into each other, bumping into some that were still surrounding Mieri and Kristen.