Dreadlords Incursion

[Kristen Pirian]

(Credit: Best Wallpaper)​

The bright blue sky, the radiant sunshine, the tropical shores of the Baal-Asha River's eastern delta all served to belie the harrowing situation before the Initiates.

"Listen, she's gone," said Flavien.

"Only if we leave her!" Kristen protested.

An unlikely ally with her, Carter, one of Flavien's own group, said sheepishly, as if it were the height of error to disagree with Flavien, "We can't do that..."

"Yes we can," said Garrett, a dark-haired Initiate whose pragmatism hadn't abated in the slightest since the Revolution; he still looked out for himself above all others. "The mission's done. The lizardmen left their camp. Penny's plight isn't our problem."

It was slated to be an easy mission, the sort of thing which fell into the Proctors' laps as a free opportunity to give a bunch of Initiates more combat experience. Orokai Lizardmen, from the islands of the Cortosi Coast, had been making raids in and around the area west of Vel Vara, at the mouth of the eastern fork of the Baal-Asha. Vel Anir didn't mind so much when the lizardmen pillaged Cortosan territory, but Dreadlord Initiates were called in as a pre-emptive measure in case the scaly folk turned their sights (and they did) upon Anirian lands. The mission was simple: disperse their encampment, send the Orokai back to the dense jungle islands from whence they came.

The Orokai, however, proved to be stronger and fiercer than any other recorded incident with them in history. It was as if something was empowering them, granting them not only resistance to enemy magic, but gifting and enhancing their own favored blood magic (not anymore was it the exclusive domain of their shamans, but even their warriors had some use of it!). These lizardmen were not the training fodder they were supposed to be.

And Penny had suffered for it.

During the battle just outside the gates of the Orokai encampment, she had been taken captive by them. Dragged away while Kristen, Carter, Flavien, everybody was helpless to save her. Indeed, the Initiates had to engage in a fighting retreat, lest they be overwhelmed. When the battle was done and they'd recovered some, by the time they returned to the proximity of the Orokai camp they found it empty, all of the ships and loot gone.

Most affected of all by Penny's capture was Carter. It was no secret that the big, dim-witted boy liked her; she was, in fact, only alive today because Carter had taken to protecting her during the old way. She, like Carter, wasn't the brightest Initiate, often with saucer-like eyes from her tiny stature looking dazzled by the simplest explanations for ordinary things. They were to each other the only persons in whose presence that neither felt diminished or overwhelmed.

So while Kristen had no love for Flavien's egotistical antics and Carter's support of them as part of his posse, here at least she was glad that Carter had sided with her.

"Yeah," Flavien said. "What are you gonna do, Pirian? Swim after them?"

"You know we can go to Vel Vara. Find a ship," Kristen countered.

"Pfft. Why? Listen to Garrett, but more importantly, me. Penny's dead. Suck it up."

 

[Thraah]

A right hook struck Flavien in the jaw and sent him spinning almost knocking him down.
Thraah stood, huffing and furious before his motley little rabble.
"GODS BLOOD SHUT UP FLAV BEFORE I BREAK YOUR LEGS AND LEAVE YOU BEHIND, SEE HOW YOU LIKE THE IDEA THEN."
She then turned a flaming finger at Garrett.
"DOUBLE FOR YOU SUNSHINE, ARMS AND LEGS SO PUT A SOCK IN IT."
Her eyes burned with defensive instinct. She was ready to die for Pen-pen at that moment.
"Why don't one of you with a useful ability try to get us out of here, or give us cover or try anything that isn't flapping your damn gums."
She wiped blood away from her cut forehead with the back of her hand when she noticed Carter.
"Well? You gonna stick with these windbags or are you coming back?"
She asked him, no accusation in her voice just getting him to confirm what she already suspected. Before he could she turned back to Pirian.
"We are going back right?"
She was pretty sure they were but at any rate Thraah had already decided that she definitely was.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

"Thraah!" Kristen shouted in reprimand when she punched Flavien. There was, admittedly, a base satisfaction in seeing the class's most irritating Initiate receive a comeuppance—absolutely. But for the argument to escalate beyond words and into blows would in Kristen's view help no one, least of all Penny.

Garrett, as was his wont as a lone wolf, took a defensive posture when Thraah threatened him and pre-emptively summoned his Ethereal Knives, the magical blades whirling about his form slowly. "Punch me and you won't get that hand back, Thraah."

"Garrett! No! Disperse your magic!" Kristen shouted, again in that same reprimanding tone. Lord Aionus, could they not simply talk about this without tearing each other apart?

Flavien recovered, rubbing his jaw, looking angry for a moment before he deflected it away. He scoffed, smirked, and said of Thraah, "Too dumb to take free advice? That it?"

Carter, meanwhile, was looking torn. The big hunchback Initiate looked from Thraah to Flavien, from Flavien to Thraah, tormented and unsure. He owed his simple loyalty to Flavien, whom he admired for his "smarts", but Thraah had made quite the definitive statement in support of rescuing Penny, whom he fancied (but had never yet mustered the courage to say so to her, or anyone). He wanted to defend Flavien, but he also wanted to help those who actually wished to save Penny from the lizardmen. His lip trembled with anxiety. He didn't know what to do.

Kristen made her effort to keep the peace—what peace there could be in a heated argument, at any rate. She positioned herself between Thraah and Carter on the one side and Flavien and Garrett on the other.

"No one...is hurting anyone," she said. "Our true enemy is currently sailing away with our friend."

Thraah

 

[Leander Urahil]

“She’s not my friend.” Leander was not the most honest out of the group here, but in this case, honesty suited him. He put his hand in solidarity onto Flavian’s shoulder, staring down at Pirian and the unsightly form of Thraah. It made perfect sense to him why they would take Penny over those two girls. Pirian was far less unsightly than Thraah (what was with that hairstyle? Was it supposed to look like a limp curtain?) but Leander would have preferred Penny, just like those lizard men.

“Why should I care if some ugly scaly bastards have her when she let herself get caught? All of us made it out okay just fine.” The top of his cheeks and across his nose were sunburnt, as was normal even back in the Academy, but instead of being a pink with some charm to it, the color was closer to a blushing maiden in a whorehouse. The shell of his ears were doing no better and Leander was glad he couldn’t see himself in a mirror. Pale eyes narrowed. “Two years ago? We’d be thanking them for taking away our weakest link.”

Not that Penny had been the reason for their retreat. No, Leander felt rather responsible for that himself. As a Urahil he had a duty to lead, especially when it came to leading in battle. They would need to turn things around drastically, after all, in his autobiography he couldn’t have his record— far from flawless— sullied by another loss. Although, underdog stories were popular. That was why everyone liked Talus and Zana, those losers that became… whatever they were now. He’d create a far better legend for himself.

But to do that he needed to win. There was no way in all of Arethil that getting on a ship to chase after the puny fleet and to then… do what exactly? Get back Penny? So she could get taken on another mission while her heads were up in the clouds? The girl reminded him of a cow: slow blinking and far too content to be still, as if she had to think first about doing anything at all, even breathing.

“Maybe it’ll be a good lesson for her to learn how to get herself out of a problem she caused.”

 

[Livia Quinnick]

"Nice to know that I am no longer regarded as the weakest." Livia Quinnick rolled her eyes as she came into view from behind Leander, making sure to bump into him hard enough to make him stumble on her way to stand with Kristen and Thraah. Turning around so that she could address them all, those olive eyes settled on each of the gathered faces.

“Maybe it’ll be a good lesson for her to learn how to get herself out of a problem she caused.”

"I rather return with everyone accounted for. Although I do wish they had taken either yourself Leander, or Flavian. I would happily return to the Academy and inform them of your predicament." There would be uproar, no doubt, calling for the rescue of the Urahil Tower and... whatever Flavian meant to the little people concerned for him. Liv turned her back to the boys facing off with Thraah and Kristen, her expression turning dour.

"Please tell me we have a possible plan? As much as I love to prove those idiots wrong... I am not going to voice the sense they are making here..." They had not anticipated this. "All I am able to do is direct us the right way to find Penny... but we need a foolproof plan."

Liv turned her head to look at the others behind her, narrowing her eyes at Leander and Flavian. Gods, she wished she was present and in excellent view of that punch Thraah had thrown.

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Flavien made a sharp gesture toward Leander for the benefit of Kristen, Thraah, Liv, all those nitwits. See? At least somebody here knew what they were talking about.

Kristen grimaced at Leander's siding with Flavien. Wishful thinking had led her to hope that some kind of other motivation, a pursuit of glory or even a seething hatred of the lizardmen, might have prompted Leander to favor pursuing the Orokai back to their native islands. But like his fellow blonde-haired Initiate, he was all too ready to abandon Penny to whatever cruel designs the lizardmen had in store for her.

Livia asked for a plan, and Kristen was eager to provide one. Flavien, Garrett, Leander, and Carter especially, he who looked to be most in need of healthy persuasion, might possibly reconsider if they could but see that this was not some spur-of-the-moment, wild, reckless foray, but that a clear path was available.

"All that we need to do," Kristen said calmly, "is make haste back to Vel Vara—'tis less than a day's travel, we can arrive before sunset. From there we find a ship willing to take us on; commandeer one if necessary, let any complaints be forwarded to the Academy. Livia shall act as our guide, and in so doing save us precious time sailing from island to island to investigate each one. We then make a swift incursion upon wherever the Orokai are keeping Penny, recover her, hurry back to the ship, and sail away."

Carter pointed to Kristen, and then with a meekness that was completely at odds his with his large stature, said to Flavien, "That's a good plan."

Flavien huffed. "No it's not. Carter, come on, what's gotten into you?" And Flavien's chiding visibly deflated Carter's will to go against him, his eyes lowering down to his feet.

Garrett spoke up then, "We're just supposed to go outside the bounds of our mission, huh? Risk reprimand, criminal punishment, for Penny's sake? Fuck her."

Thraah Leander Urahil Livia Quinnick

 

[Thraah]

Thraah kept her eyes on Carter while they were speaking and threw her head back in an exasperated sigh when he got barked down.
"Don't do what they tell you Ox-cart and before these two start..."
She flipped off Flavien and Garrett with two flaming birds.
"... Don't listen to Kris or the walking divining rod either."
she motioned to Kris and Liv in turn.
"Sure as shit stinks don't listen to me I can't plan for camel cock."
She took a step closer to him. Got close, hands up not threatening, just closer.
"But what does Carter want to do eh?"
He was slow and rarely thought for himself but she knew he liked Pen-pen, least she thought he did. Hoped he did. He just had to follow that feeling to the answer. The one that lets folk face down a burning building to save a baby.
"Come on, what do you want to do?"

 

[Leander Urahil]

One foot came out to steady him from Livia’s shoulder check. He hoped it felt like walking into a stone wall for her. He wouldn’t say anything however, listening to her then Kristen and the loudmouth. When there was a pause as everyone waited on Carter to answer— which was ridiculous but surely an unfortunate effect of the Revolution and turning Vel Anir into a republic— Leander took that moment as the opportunity to put the trio of idiots in their place.

“Pirian, do you not realize how stupid that idea is?” Leander said, sighing as if he were exasperated but there was a glimmer in his eyes that matched a chess player readying to say their favorite word. “Let’s say we all agree to go off and save Penny, let’s say that happens. As you pointed out it’ll take hours to get to Vel Vara, then we take a ship, perhaps even using force to get what we want like one of Gilram’s rogues. It will take further time, even with Quinnick’s… ability,” to call it magic seemed far fetched to the young Urahil, but he moved over that quickly. “Plenty of hours have passed. What do you think that would mean?”

He didn’t wait for Kristen, or any of the others, to answer.

“It means we’re going on their home turf, the islands they know like the back of their scaly hands and they have had hours upon hours to prepare for our arrival. I think it’s a trap. Why else take Penny other than to bait us into following after them with all the false grandeur of a rescue mission? Do we really want to embarrass ourselves and get low marks by walking into the most obvious trap of the year that even Kor could see it without his birds?” Checkmate. Leander leveled a hard stare at Thraah who seemed focused on Carter. Wasn’t it clear that Carter would clearly choose the right side, which was the side that used logic and reason instead of emotions?

“But the lizards chose wrong, because they have brains the size of peanuts. Penny is not important. No one is going to miss her back at the Academy. We go back there, tell them what happened, and the proctors won’t even care. Or if they do then they can organize a rescue mission themselves— maybe put Lumen in charge of it. That’s all she’s good for anyways.”

Livia Quinnick Kristen Pirian Thraah

 

[Iscandor Karon]

Iscandor sat back, listening to everyone bicker amongst each other and Thraah try to convince Carter to cut the bullshit and do the "right thing." Finally, he stepped forward, unable to take all the arguments on a venue as beautiful as the ocean. He became angrier and angrier as they wasted time bickering instead of deciding what to do. The ocean was decisive, and followed through on every wave that crashed into foam, and he would not allow this to continue.

Striding forward, he'd stand next to Kristen and begin to speak "Leander, if you don't like it, just jump off the boat. Might help your sunburns, honestly. Flavien, stop being argumentative and provide an alternative plan if you know so much better. Garrett, you aren't as unbearable yet. Keep it that way. Kirsten, you have the best plan. I can make us go much faster using water manipulation, so all we'd need is a ship." He then and there decided to lay down the truth and be realistic.

"I mean, unless you'd prefer to deal with the punishment that comes with having the ability to save a magic user and not doing anything about it. " He'd shudder involuntarily, imagining all the creative ways the proctors would lay down the law. He doubted any of them actually cared about Penny, but it would be an excuse for some of the more vengeful ones, and lord knows this group (besides himself) probably deserved it.

"Thraah, stop asking him that. It's just a whole lot of pressure. I've found that sort of interrogation just leads to a reluctant answer people tend to not be able to follow through on, or they get sick of your constant questioning and choose the answer you most want them not to." He'd say this with a staying hand, catching Carter's eye as he looked over uncomfortably.

"Carter, think about it as a simple question of odds. On one hand, if we leave Penny, we have a hundred percent chance to live and she is guaranteed to die or worse. On the other hand, if we go, we have a more than decent chance of living, and she has a better chance of surviving. Take your time on the answer." He'd then move back to the bench he was resting at, observing them all with a bored disinterest.

 

[Livia Quinnick]

For someone so pretty and logical, it was wasted talent on Leander Urahil.

Liv arched a brow, a show of defiance to his reasonable explanations of the plan, turning her head to look at Kristen. Both cases were strong contenders on a pro and con list, but to cut their losses so soon... "It was implied were were all to make it back to-" but she was drowned out by the sudden appearance of Iscandor. Getting a word in was difficult as he commanded the moment, leaving Quinnick to glance at Kristen and roll her eyes.

"I am going to have words with whoever chose these fucking idiots to accompany us." How was Thraah the least insufferable of this group, the Initiate that delighted in stirring up Livia for the benefit of seeing her magic's corruption begin to crackle. The Initiate was still going, causing Livia to roll her eyes skyward and pray to whichever deity for patience.

"Leander, look, none of us are faulting your logic. We did as we were tasked with doing... but Penny is part of this team. Even if they took you, or Flavian, or even Garret," Livia shrugged, as if to say her answer was so obvious. "We would go to hell just to get anyone back." She would even risk using her magic if it meant it would help the assembled group get closer to Penny, but she would not voice that thought. Quinnick stepped right up to Leander, looking up at him like she had at the Dance and they were partnered up. "Please. We are going to need everyone's help... especially from you. One of the best suited for the task, in my opinion." Surely if he agreed, the rest would too? Was that not how cavemen behaved?


Kristen Pirian Thraah Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Leander took the time to pick apart Kristen's plan. And while she was adamant about trying to rescue Penny while there was still hope, unfortunately, Leander did have one good point: the Orokai would be fighting on their home ground, and they might just be cunning enough to lay some sort of trap. It was not as though Kristen expected this rescue to be without danger, of course not—the battle with the lizardmen here on the coast was proof enough of their newfound formidable prowess. But the thought that if they weren't careful the situation could be made worse, other Initiates captured or even killed, was enough to at least give Kristen some pause.

Pause which was duly filled by Iscandor's input on Penny's plight. It was reassuring to hear from him that he thought she had the best plan, this doing no small work in alleviating the doubt instilled by Leander. And better yet, he made a fantastic point in support of the effort to rescue Penny: his powers of water manipulation, used in conjunction with Livia's tracking, could cut down the time it took to reach and find Penny even further. Time...that which was now made precious for Penny's sake.

As Livia went to sway Leander, Flavien finally had a chance to retort to Iscandor, "I am. The plan is: we return home, as ordered, mission complete. Like Leander said, if the Academy wants to organize a rescue, they'll do it. Penny is not our problem."

Garrett rolled his eyes at Livia, then said to Leander, "Don't fall for that shit, she's just using you."

Kristen, heartened from Livia's comment (despite the spot of profanity) about the folly of some among their company, stood up for her. And as well, she hoped that by deflecting Garrett's attention away from Livia and Leander that the former might have the space to convince the latter to join in on the rescue effort. "And what of you, Garrett? I know of your reputation, how you make a habit of using others purely for your own benefit. None among us should heed a word you say."

It worked, Garrett turning then his fuming gaze onto Kristen. "You're not even a real Dreadlord Initiate. Shut your fucking pampered mouth, Pirian."

All the while, Carter looked to Thraah as she encouraged him to make a decision, looked to Iscandor as he broke down the situation into a question of odds. Carter wasn't that good at math, wasn't good at truly understanding chances and probabilities, not at all, but he knew what a guarantee was all right. It was just like a promise. Carter, in a nervous gesture, started to rub his bulky hands together, turning them over and over.

Sheepishly once again, Carter, the biggest Initiate now with the tiniest voice, said to Thraah and Iscandor both, "I don't want Penny to die..."

Thraah Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon Livia Quinnick

 

[Thraah]

"Then let's go make sure that doesn't happen eh."
She offered Ox-cart her hand to lead him over to the "save Pen-pen camp".
Thraah was glaring at Iscandor. She was still very sore at his sucker punch on her and maybe it was the concussion he beat into her mercilessly after tricking her onto letting her guard down with an outright no good dirty lie but she didn't recall any apology.
Which didn't surprise her from his blatant arrogance, just stepping in on her conversation with Ox-cart like he automatically knew better. Which he didn't. Anyone who swapped two words with Ox-cart knew he didn't give a damn about logistics. Boy was all heart and strong arms. Gods Breath if he'd only leave her be. She spoke to him in a hushed tone to not draw attention.
"Do you mind? I got this crab boy, go convince shit-kicker over there to come with us before he upsets the walking compass."
She tilted her head at Flavien who was still free to disrupt their attempts at convincing the group.
Ox-cart was strong, she once saw him crush a pebble to sand with his bare hands on a dare. In a weird way she felt Pen-pen would be lucky to have him looking out for her. Today he might just save her life.

 

[Leander Urahil]

Leander looked down at Livia and her green puppy dog eyes. Now, he wasn’t as stupid as to fall for it immediately, obviously Livia wanted something and she thought by being sweet to him out of nowhere would get her what she wanted. But she had a point, if she went off with Pirian, Thraah and Iscandor, there was no way they could rescue Penny without someone of Leander’s might and magic present.

They needed him. And that was unfortunate, because Leander didn’t feel like he needed them to go back to the Academy. There was one other issue: he didn’t like the idea of them being divided, with one group going after Penny and the other going back to the Academy.

A part of him thought about how much easier it would be to just have everyone against him disappear for good. Maybe a swim in the sea that they never came back from. He had to push the thought away.

“Sorry, Quinnick.” Leander said to Livia. “My dad’s motto has always been ‘under pressure you don’t raise to the occasion but sink to the level of your training.’” One of his large hands went up to brush the hair off of his brow. He was sweating like a whore in church. “And Penny sunk to the level of her training.”

 

[Iscandor Karon]

“Convince who, Flavien? That guy is literally a brick wall. Screaming stone cold facts at a wall does not break it down. I’m pretty sure the only one who could convince him is Leander, and Livia just epically failed at her obvious seduction attempt.” He’d whisper, looking her in the eyes as though to emphasize just how serious he was. “If you manage to get Carter firmly on our side, we outnumber them five to three.
Actually…I have an idea.”

He’d sigh with disappointment, as “Now that I have looked back on things, Leander and Flavien and Garrett do have a point. So I propose that instead of trying to break out Penny by force, we try stealth instead. Whoever wants to go back to the academy can, I just need a team of myself and one other person who can handle pretending to be someone they’re not. If more people want to come along, I suppose that’s fine as well.

With that, he took about a hundred gallons of water out of the ocean and began to transform it into the shape of a large dinghy. When it looked about right, he froze all of the water as much as he could, and the pain that emanated from his hand when he punched the side of the impromptu vessel gave him hope. There were little to no details and no sails, but it would hold six people. It would have sank, but he anticipated this and was currently holding it up with his water powers.

Stepping on to it, he’d look a bit refreshed. “Looks like I forgot something for a second there. We don’t need a ship from a place hours out, seeing as I can build my own. It’s a simple design, but this thing, although shabby looking, is faster than anything you’ll find in Vel Vara.”

He knew this reveal would come with some laughs, but it was really thought out. Although ice sunk in the water, it did not matter, because the key principle is that according to science ice is just solid water. Therefore, he could move the entire thing with no difficulty, steering and all.

“Kristen, do you understand why this is huge? I could fly this thing up and down into the center of the island if I wanted to. It would be so easy to move this creation of solid water through the air. You’d all just have to accept some…unconventional safety measures.”

 

[Livia Quinnick]

Livia displayed her disappointment on her facade, dropping her gaze as she took a moment to be quiet despite Loudmouth drawing attention to himself once again.

"Real shame. I was looking forward to killing some lizards with you." When her eyes lifted to his pale ones, she pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to him. The sun was high above them and unrelenting with the rays scorching upon them as shade was hard to come by here on the shore.

Livia half turned now to see water move fluidly into shape, carved by the thoughts and magic that belonged to Iscandor.

"I am sorry..." She was not. "Did you say, 'we try stealth instead'? And you plan for a number of us to travel in something so out of the blue and obvious, surely their scouts will spot us miles away?" Liv was going to get a headache with the amount of eye rolling she was doing within these minutes of arriving to the beach.

Quinnick moved towards the gentle waves rolling onto the sand, ignoring the water-made flotation craft. "No matter who joins us, we stick to Kristen's plan. It does not matter how soon we get to her, I can sense she is still alive. They took her because they have a reason, and it is not to kill her straight away." Livia fell quiet, going over Kristen's plan once more in her head. Stealth would be at night, the cover of stars and the guidance of moonlight.

"Thraah, think you can make up some steam around the islands we get near? If we cloud their vision, perhaps we can sail on by." Liv turned to grin at them all. "We could even smoke them out of their islands, give them no refuge or even distract them." Quinnick shrugged at Iscandor, as if to say he tried but his plan was not foolproof.

"Hate to break it to you, friend, but not only is my corrupted magic volatile when I use it, there are circumstances where I can corrupt another's magic. The chance of me corrupting a ship made of water held by magic is highly likely and I do not want to experience swimming in the ocean."

Kristen Pirian Thraah Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The most notable new development in the discourse of what to do was, of course, the manifestation of the frozen ship by Iscandor. By Aionus, the versatility, the command of his magic! And it was just what they needed. They could set off in search of Penny right now, leave those like Flavien and Garrett to retreat back to the Academy of their own accord.

Yet Livia, a crucial component in the search for Penny, brought up a good counterpoint which gave Kristen more pause, reducing the clear excitement in her expression back down to thoughtful consideration again. Astra's divine grace, Kristen didn't know...that about Livia's magic, that it might corrupt via proximity another's magic. She'd a nickname, the "Faulty Compass", and now it became clear why this was so. The conundrum then: yes, time was precious for Penny, but the risk that Livia's magic could interfere with Iscandor's was one of real possibility and one which threatened utmost disaster.

Kristen went to confer with Iscandor (Garrett swiping a dismissive hand her way as she turned to do so), cordial in her approach—the last thing she wanted was to make his offering feel unappreciated, through such carelessness perhaps driving him to take Flavien and Garrett's side. "Save your magic, and your strength. Livia is right; a ship made of mundane material is what we require."

However...there was still some great potential use for his ice-forged vessel once they made landfall on the Orokai's home island.

"But be ready to summon your vessel again. We might well need it for a..." Kristen toyed with some wording, "...dramatic entrance. Or, mayhap, a quick escape."

Meanwhile, Carter looked to Thraah for guidance, and she gave it. Go and convince "shit-kicker" Flavien to come along on the rescue mission. But Carter frowned, lacking the confidence and the courage to stand up against Flavien's wishes, even when he very much wanted to save Penny.

"I...I don't know if I can," he admitted quietly to Thraah.

Flavien, growing impatient and irritated with the whole debate, glanced Carter's way. "What are you just standing there for, Carter? Come on. Leave these idiots."

Thraah Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon Livia Quinnick

 

[Iscandor Karon]

(Post saved to retain turn order)

 

[Thraah]

Thraah tossed only a brief glance at Iscandor's needless display of power.
"Forget it I'm not getting on anything that melts if I do much as sneeze."
Then with a smile she turned to Liv with a smile guaranteed to invoke ire.
"I can make as much as we need if you don't mind staying away from me."
Thraah pointed to the massive be ship of solid ice.
"I can start with that."

But these were hasty words she needed to focus on Ox-cart.
"Don't listen to that walking afterbirth Ox-cart." She waved dismissively at Flavien. "We're going back to get Pen-pen, come on. Be brave, I know if it was me I'd wouldn't want anyone to give up on me because some bozo said so. I'd want the biggest, toughest fighters to get me outta there!" She shoved a thumb at Flavien and then poked Carter with her index finger to punctuate her closing statement.

Turning about she stretched her arms and walked away from the boys.
"Right, we moving? Times a-wasting."
Thraah was getting bored of the conversation. She wasn't going to debate it all day and some of the boys were just being pricks. Who was going was going.

 

[Leander Urahil]

Leander took the linen and used it for his brow. He would’ve made an excuse about how heavy his armor was, although it wasn’t even the metal that was making him sweat as much as it was all the padding underneath it. It was partially why he wanted to go back to the Academy instead of sail around on the sea and then get in a fight with the Orokai.

He ignored Iscandor’s impressive, but annoying, display of magic at this very moment. Or tried to ignore it. Now under the shade of a boat made of ice, Leander felt a much cooler waft of air greet his sunburnt face. He sighed, keeping Livia’s handkerchief. He’d give it back to her once it was clean and dry.

“You know what,” Leander said, having enough of the bickering himself. “Who fucking said this was a vote? It’s not a vote. I’ll knock you idiots out myself and drag you back to the Academy. Carter, you’re going to be first if you don’t start marching your dumb ass back to the Academy. Quinnick.”

With surprising speed, Leander went to the brunette and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. He thought little of Quinnick’s well-being, whether his armor could possibly scald her or whether or not he was being gentle. Leander wasn’t a man known for his gentleness and had never made efforts to become gentle. He was at the Dreadlord Academy, not Etiquette School. “We’re heading out, let’s go.”

 

[Iscandor Karon]

“You couldn’t even make water I touched with my daggers melt when you were pumped up. I apply heat resistance to this and you might melt before it does.” He’d counter Thraah’s remark with a smirk, easily transitioning to the next topic. Melting his boat into steam would not help them at all to obscure their position given steam was totally transparent. “Also, you’d get more steam going in the ocean and pissing yourself off or however you gather your fire body than melting my comparatively teeny tiny vessel.”

Sighing, he’d turn to Livia and give her an incredulous look.“Quinnick, it’s in the name. You cannot use “steam” to “smoke out” something without an incredibly complicated process. That much should be more than obvious. Also, if you think this ship is not stealthy, think again. Not only can it fly, which makes it a hundred times more unpredictable than a ship they’ll be watching out on their beaches for coming from the sea, we could use the cloud layer as cover.”

Actually, it could be even better than that. If he could get close enough, he could just shroud the entire thing in a cloud. Clouds move all the time, and who would suspect a cloud? A cloud is made of water, so it could work.

“I think we don’t really need to argue about this anymore, though. It’s getting annoying. Whoever wants to go can, and those who do not can just go back.” He’d say with a huff, deciding that if everyone did not shut up in the next ten minutes and decide a course of action, he would just go back to the academy. Even so, when Urahil began throwing his weight around, he turned and delivered the most grave look he could muster.

“Still, don’t be threatening anyone, Leander. You know the water is my element, and because this is the beach you have to have at least some idea of the truth: I could beat your ass with a single hand.”

 

[Livia Quinnick]

What was this world coming to?

Before she could even argue with Loudmouth, Leander was marching over to her in easy strides, her mouth snarling the start of a string of words before he stooped before her and lifted her effortlessly. Heat rose from the surface of his armour, warming against her own fighting leathers.

"Leander Urahil." Thrashing against his person would yield nothing, but Livia was persistent in her attempts to further annoy him. "Put. Me. Down. Now." Born into a minor noble house and taught to be the perfect wife to a nobleman was all forgotten as soon as the Walking Oak Tree began to leave the beach; Quinnick screeching and fighting fruitlessly against Urahil's hold on her.

"I want to stay! I am going to save Penny! Listen to me you fucking idiot!" Even if she were to tap into her magic, Leander would easily nullify it or counter any attack.

Why did he have to be so tall?!

Her boots were too high up for her to reach the sand, and nowhere near any vulnerable spots for her to kick into. "Are you really going to be a good boy and go back to the Academy?" Livia sneered at him. "Did not think you would be like Maseno." Truthfully, Maz probably would have stayed, but Leander did not have to know that. All she wanted to do was make him angry for stealing her away from the plan she helped put together with Kristen and Thraah.

Kristen Pirian Thraah Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The decision point was nigh at hand. Words, some calmly delivered, some hotly delivered, were flying all among the small grouping of Initiates like an exchange of arrows. And even this was proving not enough, for action was being taken, putting definitive stamps on the words which preceded them.

Most notable among said actions was Leander's brazen acquisition of Livia.

Kristen didn't have much time to wonder over Iscandor's appraisal of what she had said to him. He had addressed Thraah, Livia, but before he could make his way round to a response to her Leander had acted. This garnered Iscandor's attention, and Kristen's as well.

"Leander!" she called after him. "You barbarian! Release her at once!" The last thing she wanted to happen was for a fight to break out. If Thraah's punch had the potential for it, then this most certainly did: if force was needed to make Leander heed any notion of reason, it would without a doubt take a lot of force.

Garrett just had a quick snicker to himself, watching the drama play out. That stupid girl Livia didn't even know that Leander was doing her a favor.

And all the while amidst the unfolding events with Leander, Livia, Kristen, and Iscandor, there was Thraah (though she'd walked off some) and Carter and Flavien.

Carter, bolstered by Thraah's implication that he was one of the biggest, toughest fighters, took in a big breath that inflated his chest and then said defiantly to Flavien: "No."

Flavien recoiled as if some foul stench graced his nose. "No? What do mean, no? Are you actually listening to that bald bitch?"

"She's not bald."

"Half-bald then. Look, Carter, come on, man. After all that I've done for you, this is how you're going to repay me? Huh?"

His big form nevertheless trembling with anxiety despite the courage inspired within him, Carter said firmly, "I wanna save Penny."

Flavien scowled. Jabbed a finger down at the sand beneath his feet. "Carter. Get the fuck over here, or it's over between us."

Thraah Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon Livia Quinnick

 

[Thraah]

Thraah turned slowly and placed a hand casually on her blade, a simple half sword.
She didn't say a word for a moment as she took in the scene with Kris.
No threats no bullshitting, not this time.
She tried to decide who to go for first.
Leander was the biggest target, also the toughest.
Garrett, he was a worm but he was skilled and dangerous. With Leander they'd be too much for them and he would make a move as soon as anyone struck Leander.
Flavien was a straight up cur. Decent in a fight but no thinker and he was distracted with Ox-cart at the moment. So the turn order was simple enough.
Kill Garrett, then Flavien folds and finally stop Leander.
Maybe break his legs.
"Thanks Ox-cart." He was sticking up for her. Good for him.
"Least someone knows fashion when they see it."
Keep it light, keep it fun.
Don't let them notice yet.
"Say Kris. You ever play Anirball?"
She asked her armoured associate while staring straight at Leander's knee. Then she turned and gave her a wink with that smile, the one that came right before trouble.
"You ever see the Hydra's charge?"
To Anirball fans it was a classic play where one attacked the rival possessor while another took out their support from behind. When done well it meant more players advanced together and ideally they score but it was always a risk to divide your strength like that.
But this was a risky situation.

Livia Quinnick Kristen Pirian Leander Urahil Iscandor Karon

 

[Leander Urahil]

Iscandor’s comment got him first. “Still, don’t be threatening anyone, Leander. You know the water is my element, and because this is the beach you have to have at least some idea of the truth: I could beat your ass with a single hand.” Leander paused, stopping not because of Livia’s thrashing and words but because there was something about Iscandor’s beliefs that just rubbed him the wrong way, even more than Livia’s sly comment about Luana. Pirian called him a barbarian. He’d much rather be a barbarian than some hick out in the fields dancing for rain.

Underneath the simmering anger that Leander felt, there was something more. Something Leander wouldn’t have liked to admit to feeling but it was propelling him to face Iscandor. There were currently three young women, some prettier than others, but women nonetheless. It felt like Iscandor was trying to emasculate him, to assert his own authority onto Leander Urahil.

Backing down and agreeing with him was the same as a lion giving up his pride just because some new blood came in. He wouldn’t back down without a fight.

Leander turned around, eyes narrowed at the water mage who thought he could even come close to beating him in a fight. It seemed not only he had stupid ideas about saving Penny but he also had even stupider ideas about his martial and arcane abilities.

“Wanna say that again?” Leander put Livia down, even as he bent his knees so her feet could touch the ground, his eyes wouldn’t leave Iscandor’s stupidly smug face. Leander pushed Livia away. He needed space. He thought about grabbing his claymore, but had a different idea instead. He spread out his arms, holding his palms out toward Iscandor. He looked all at once tense and relaxed, a wide grin on his face.

“Better yet, prove it. I’ll drown you on this beach. And there’s no one here to stop me.”

Iscandor Karon Livia Quinnick Kristen Pirian Thraah

 

[Iscandor Karon]

"Hm, my barb finally pierced the uncaring shell of the great Leander Urahil. Actually, better yet, you put down your captive, so I must have really pissed you off. Well, if you insist I prove it to you, I will." He'd then cast a lover level version of conjure water at the speed of thought, forming and freezing it into an icy spear with great speed. Then, he would force his manipulation magic into the object while holding it backwards, sending him rocketing in the opposite direction and away from Leander's honestly capable fists.

The water would rise up to meet him as he forced the projectile to quickly slow down a few yards from the island and he would freeze the two streams into an icy hand and arm while still levitating with the spear. Depositing himself upon the icy statue which was more than tough enough to hold his weight, he'd close his eyes and imagine a statue of Poseidon, specifically pinpointing his trident.

Holding up his hand, a massive version of the weapon began to form above him, maybe three hundred gallons of water rising up. The ice required no magic to stay frozen, and he was only holding the water, so he took all the accumulated droplets out of his lungs with one hand (There was so little given he had only really frozen and moved stuff it took like a second.) He'd draw his heat resistance granting dagger, tag the formation he was sitting on, and then the most dangerous thing of perhaps all his defenses began to occur at another wave. Every bit of water in a twenty foot radius began to bubble and boil, quickly becoming as hot as what you would use to soften pasta.

"Eh, maybe more than one hand, but you get the idea. Try to swim towards me, and the heat you'll feel will make your sunburn look like polar ice. Plus, there's an extra surprise headed your way." With that, he'd launch the trident, using a hand to force every single bit of water it was made up of to move. "An odd move to fight me here, of all places. The only area worse would be the deck of a ship."