Private Tales Just Deserters

[Faerlin]

If Faerlin was in charge, the keep where the deserters had holed up would already be a charred husk.

Unfortunately for her (and luckily for the rest of the troops, which even she would admit if pressed), she wasn’t in charge of strategy and tactics. It wasn’t that she had a bad head for them; on the contrary, when she could get past her aggressive nature and tendency to charge in and obliterate her opponents and then ask questions later, she could come up with perfectly reasonable plans. After she had displayed her abilities as a paladin, she’d been trained in such by the Anirian Guard, in the hopes that one day she might be able to overcome her personality and become an officer. But the very thought of deserters from the city she held dear made her furious to the point of irrationality.

It didn’t help that they’d been camped here for a while, and that her unit had been paired up with a mercenary group. If the Houses hadn’t been divided, then the defectors from House Weiroon’s forces could’ve been dealt with by the whole might of the Guard. As it stood, the Weiroons wanted to show they could deal with internal problems on their own, without relying on anyone else. Which meant mercenaries, unfortunately. Faerlin eyed the closest of that particular group, a hulking brute of a man, Isaias Kildare While she wasn’t afraid of anyone, Faerlin would admit even she would think twice about taking him on in a fight. Granted, she’d mostly be thinking twice about the best way to handle him, but still.

As for the delay, if Faerlin had her way, this rebellion would’ve been dealt with swiftly and decisively, lest anyone else get ideas. After all, rumors of unrest had a nasty habit of spreading like wildfire, and one band of deserters might inspire others to do the same, or even the common folk to rise up and revolt. Vel Anir had built a mighty empire, part of which meant putting down uprisings every once in a while. They inevitably failed—the Guard was too strong, too well-trained, and always ready for a fight—but that didn’t stop fools from trying. Apparently, though, there were other considerations. Presumably they were trying to starve the deserters out or some such nonsense. It was a practical solution, but hardly the show of force Faerlin felt was necessary to keep others in line. She also simply despised those who would desert the greatest cause in the world. In her mind, the deserters were the lowest of the low, subhuman even. She would very much enjoy killing them.

Still, since she had been given the time, she might as well use it. She had dismounted and tied her horse to a nearby tree. The stronghold they were besieging was in a valley, with a mountain on one side and a river on the other. It was a highly defensible position, and Faerlin wasn’t exactly looking forward to assaulting it. But it would crack under the overwhelming pressure they could bring to bear. She eyed it as she knelt in the muddy ground, wet from early spring rains. Bowing her head, she cleared her mind as best she could before calling out in a fervent tone. “Nykios hear me! Let me be your champion upon the field of battle, and bring honor to your name. By your grace, let my hand and my mind not falter, and let me strike true and far. Let all who face me know they face your chosen one. I dedicate the coming victory to you, to your glory, and to the glory of Vel Anir.” She continued kneeling, her prayers silent now, but no less devoted. It was always a good idea to pay respect to her god before she had to fight.

An indeterminate amount of time passed before she stood. The sound of an approaching rider had roused her, and she turned to see a messenger ride into their section of the forces. She felt her blood rise in anticipation; hopefully these were the orders she’d been waiting for. Faerlin stepped forward so she could hear the conversation between the messenger and the commander clearly.

The messenger, a mere boy, dismounted smoothly and saluted. “Captain! We found the maps we were looking for. There’s a tunnel through the mountains that should lead you to the dungeons.”

The messenger took a map from the saddlebag and handed it to the captain, a grizzled older man with grey at his temples, a veteran of many campaigns. He examined the map, then nodded decisively. “Good job, boy.” The messenger beamed, then remembered his manners and saluted.

Turning, the captain bellowed, his voice trained to be heard over the clangor of a battlefield. “Alright everyone, listen up. Those damn deserters didn’t realize Vel Anir controlled this fortress once upon a time.” The soldiers nodded; most territory in the area had passed through the city’s hands at some point or another. “There’s an escape tunnel up in the mountains. While the main force attacks the walls, we’re supposed to make our way through it and open the gates from the inside. Mount up!” It was a good, straightforward plan, and as Faerlin mounted her mare and took her position in the ranks, the paladin mused that it was worth the wait. Now, though, she took a firm grip on her anger; she would channel it into sword and spell until there wasn't a deserter left standing.

 

[Isaias Kildare]

Experience brought patience. Isaias and his band of mercenaries had been in many battles and many sieges. Since they arrived and laid siege to the enemy held fortress Isaias had spent his time analyzing the walls and the best way to take them in a frontal assault. It was a strategic position, the terrain made it impossible to erect towers against the walls, and with any battle it would be difficult to bring a ram against the gates. The best option Isaias could see was ladders, which held its own dangers, but was the best option that he could see was available to them.

With his band of mercenaries, called the Band of the Juggernaut, he knew that they could pull off such an assault with ease and secure the walls for the invaders to pass through. His company consisted mostly of knights, powerful men and women in medium or heavy armor with thick shields and each one a deadly master with his or her weapon.
But they were commanded to work alongside the soldiers of Vel Anir, which they have done before and can do well, but for them it seemed like a handicap. They know each other and work well together, adding these soldiers of Vel Anir to the mix added an element of uncertainty.

Isaias stood by his horse as he surveyed the valley. Once his observations were made he turned and examined the soldiers that they would fight beside. All of them were good at what they did, no doubt, but they had synchronization with each other, and his people were not part of that unity. However, this was only a minor concern, he was confident in the abilities of his company.
As his eyes passed over the Vel Anir soldiers they stopped on the kneeling figure of a female soldier, even without trying he could feel a certain strength about her, and an energy that surrounded her. He knew this as an indication of a cleric or paladin, the presence of another god.
But besides this, she was undeniably attractive to his eyes, even with her armor and weapons she seemed to stand out to him, and this intrigued him.

He heard a horse riding up fast and saw the messenger speak with the captain. Finally, new orders. As the captain spoke himself and his men mounted up. They would split forces, some of his men will stay and help with the frontal assault, and Isaias would lead the other half with the Vel Anir to this secret entrance. A two pronged attack will bring a sure victory, providing no surprises lay waiting for them in the depths of this old keep.

Himself and his mercenaries fell in line with the column of soldiers that were to head up into the mountain, while he rode he prayed silently to his own God, asking for protection over his friends and all those involved, he also prayed that the hearts of the deserters and invaders alike would be softened, so that the deserters would surrender, and the Vel Anir soldiers would show mercy. Even though he was a mercenary he did indeed value life, and would seek any way to save a life over ending it. But of course he could not fool himself that taking life would not be necessary. He would need to kill, like always, to prevent others from dying.
He was focused on his prayers and soon found himself riding beside the paladin.

 

[Faerlin]

Faerlin maneuvered herself to her position on the outer edge of the riding column, years of drilling and practice making it second nature. She’d been trained to operate solo, true, to go in and out and complete whatever mission was required of her (something her particular skills as a paladin made her uniquely suited for), but as with every member of the Anirian Guard, Faerlin knew exactly how to fit herself into any company or group in the army. After all, their continued success relied not just on their individual skills as soldiers, but their ability to work as part of a cohesive whole.

It was something that set them apart and above the mercenaries she found herself riding next to. Isaias and the rest of his Band of the Juggernaut—pretentious name, that, and Faerlin was fully convinced they’d become stoppable and underwhelming against the deserters who were, after all, still Vel Anirians—might be a part of a band, might even be mighty heroes, but they couldn’t measure up against a military force as disciplined as the Guard. What also set them apart was the worthiness of their causes. While mercenaries only cared for gold, Faerlin and her compatriots fought for something far greater: the glory and cause of Vel Anir, grandest city and citadel in the world.

As always before a fight, her senses sharpened and a fire lit within her veins, almost as if her blood itself was eager to meet others upon the field of battle. And then, of course, shed it. Still, though she preferred to bring death and destruction to her foes, orders were orders, and she’d keep herself leashed until the appropriate moment. Still, Tempest picked up on Faerlin’s eagerness and the mare tossed her head, knowing what was to come. To distract herself—and to make sure the rebels didn’t catch them by surprise or spot their approach—the paladin found herself scanning the trees they’d entered into as they made their way up the mountain.

But nothing presented itself to her, and she soon found her attention drawn back to the brute of a man next to her. Feeding him and supplying him would be a logistical nightmare, she decided; luckily, that wasn’t her problem. Fighting beside him would be, though, so she decided to try and get his measure a bit. Pitching her voice low, Faerlin couldn’t help the hint of condescension that crept into her voice. “Hope you lot are ready for this. These aren’t some bandits, but real soldiers.” The emphasis she put on real made it clear she didn’t think the mercenaries counted. It probably wasn’t wise to be antagonizing her allies, but she needed to do something with all this excess energy coursing through her.

Thankfully, they broke through the trees soon enough. Before them, the entrance to the tunnel was little more than a slit in the mountainside, almost impossible to see if one didn’t know what to look for. Faerlin brought Tempest to a halt as she waited for the captain to give further orders.

It didn’t take long. “Scouts, check it out,” he commanded, and a lithe looking man and woman at the front of the ranks dismounted and crept forward until they were swallowed by the darkness. The paladin didn’t know if the mercenaries would send anyone in, not that it mattered; the scouts in the Anirian Guard were as competent as the rest of the forces. Faerlin gritted her teeth at this further delay, but it was smart. They waited a short while, and while the captain kept his cool, but she could see his relief when the male scout came out and saluted.

“Empty, cap’n! Tandry’s up near the front of the tunnel keeping watch. It’s too small for the mounts, sir.”

The captain frowned at this news, but nodded; Faerlin supposed it would be too much to hope for, although it was odd the escape tunnel couldn’t accommodate horses. Still, perhaps just digging out enough for people had been difficult. “Thanks for the report, Anbi.” Then the captain turned and addressed the assembled troops. “Alright folks, listen up! We’ll dismount and line up. Mages, make some light for us. Then, once we hear the horns, we go in.”

Simple enough. Faerlin wasn’t the first off her horse, but she was close. Tossing Tempest’s reins over a sturdy looking branch, the paladin tied them off, then checked that all of her own gear was in place. Sword was at the scabbard on her left hip, shield on her back, bow under the shield, and quiver with arrows on her right hip. It was all there, and after triple-checking her armor, she joined the line, which had formed two abreast at the opening, with the scout and the captain at its head. Mercenaries and soldiers were mingling freely, and Faerlin was a bit annoyed to find herself once again next to Isaias. Didn’t the man have someone else to stand next to?

Then the horns came in the distance, quickly followed by the sound of charging soldiers, and weapons and spells being fired, and their column broke into a run. The illumination created by the company mages was more than sufficient. Faerlin quickly saw that the issue wasn’t the width of the tunnel, but the height: mounted figures wouldn’t fit under the relatively low ceiling. Then, the pair in front of her stumbled to a halt. She skidded to a stop as well, confused at the hold up. It didn’t take long for the news to come from the front of the line that the doorway wouldn’t budge.

Faerlin cursed (verbally, not magically); to be brought up short by some old broken mechanisms or locks or whaever was ridiculous. Still, they’d find a way through soon enough.

Then, however, the earth itself started rumbling and screams came from the back of the column. Immediately, Faerlin drew her sword and shield, whirling around to face whatever threat the scouts had somehow missed. She was shocked to see the earth itself moving, chunks breaking off to shape itself into vaguely humanoid figures. Even as she watched, one figure, formed faster than most, swung its club-like appendages. In the cramped confines, the soldier that was its target dodged too slowly, and then screamed as the bones in the arm she’d futilely thrown up were broken.

Unfortunately, Faerlin soon had her own opponent to deal with. One of these golems, or earth elementals, or whatever—not that it really mattered, though the paladin would dearly love to know whether this was something set up by the deserters or ancient defenses, long forgotten and activated by the attack, or something else entirely—rushed towards her, and with a battle cry that had startled many a man, Faerlin threw herself forward. Her shield came up and slammed into the center of the figure, hoping to throw it off balance, while the pommel of her sword came up and over, angling towards the creature’s elbow joints.

 

[Isaias Kildare]

Isaias had met her kind, more often then he cared to count. At her comment he simply turned his head and met her eyes with his own. That was the only answer he deemed such a comment deserved. His soldiers were elite, and loyal to him and to each other. They had nothing to prove to anyone. They were hired for this job, so they will do it and to the best of their considerable abilities.

He waited for the scouts report and then fell in line with the Vel Anirian soldiers as they all dismounted. It would be foolish to ride horses into a keep either way, especially when they were told that the door came out into a dungeon, which was usually narrow and uncomfortable for even single file men on foot.

They charged the door, but came up short when the door didn't open. Isaias looked around and saw the perfect makings of a trap. A tunnel only wide enough for three to walk abreast, a blocked door, and the only escape behind them. He felt the ground shaking and saw the Amazonian woman draw her weapons and whirl around, also sensing a trap. Isaias turned in time to see three elementals emerge from the ground behind the column of soldiers with more being formed already, and begin tearing into the rear guard. The girl charged one that had singled her out and was currently attempting to find its weak points.

Isaias quickly analyzed the situation. Lives depended on quick action to either get them out of this tunnel, or to destroy the elementals before they could cause more damage. And with more still rising for the stone of the mountain it seemed fighting them would result in many losses.
Isaias set his own priority, getting through the door.
His men formed up, placing themselves before the Anirian soldiers to face the elementals. They were mercenaries, so they were expendable in the eyes of the soldiers. So they formed up and began harassing the elementals, bottlenecking the bulk of them at the tunnel entrance and giving the "real soldiers" time to recover from the initial onslaught. The mercenaries fought well, almost immediately adapting to this new enemy and suffering no damage or casualties as they kept the club armed creatures at bey, and allowing the wounded soldier to be dragged to safety.

Meanwhile, Isaias turned to the stone door. There was no handle and the door seam was too narrow to fit gold coin through. Drawing his sword he placed his ear to the stone and gave the rock a hard knock with the pommel, sounding its thickness. It was considerably thick, and if it was guarded by elementals it was probably guarded by magic that couldn't be beaten down with a solid tree trunk.
Isaias sheathed his sword and took a step back from the door.
"Here's to hoping it's not enchanted..."

He drew back a fist and then suddenly slammed it into the stone. There was a resounding crack throughout the tunnel, soon followed by the slight shock wave. The door seemed to develop a large crack through its left half.
Isaias drew back once more and let fly another punch, this one sent an even larger shockwave through the tunnel and sent both halves of the door crashing down.

He looked down at his knuckles, only slightly bloody, it was enchanted after all.
Drawing his sword and shield he called back to the captain of the Anirian soldiers, "The door is open Captain, let's get out of the elementals territory!"
With that he charged through the tunnel to relieve the rear guard and help hold the line till everyone made it inside. He found himself face to face with an elemental that raised one huge clubbed arm to crush him, Isaias smiled.

 

[Faerlin]

The tunnel fight against the earth elementals was short, and brutal. The cramped quarters and the hardiness of the foe meant typical tactics wouldn’t work, and they were at a very real risk of becoming overwhelmed.

Faerlin was too focused on surviving her current opponent to worry too much about the rest of their forces, but that thought was at the back of her mind. But the troops above were relying on them, and she wouldn’t die in this godsforsaken hole in the ground because of a bunch of rebels. Her shield did indeed knock the creature before her back and off balance, and her pommel connected, sending shockwaves up her arm. However, cracks appeared in its elbow joint, causing a fierce smile to cross her lips and laughter to bubble up. Terrifying as this was, she was enjoying it.

Pressing the attack, she shoved again with her shield, sending the earth elemental toppling to the ground. Then, before it could recover, she slammed the edge of her shield with as much might as she could against its neck joint. This time, when her attack connected, her whole arm went numb.

But it worked: the thing’s head cracked clean off, and it immediately stopped moving. Faerlin one, earth zero. She didn’t have time to celebrate, though, as she whirled around seeking another opponent. Shouting was coming from the front of the tunnel, and out of the corner of her eye she saw the brute of a mercenary punch the doorway so hard that it cracked and fell open. Making a mental note not to let him ever punch her, she was relieved to see the captain immediately begin to usher the troops through the now open doorway. At least the enemies on the other side could be felled more easily.

Isaias, not missing a beat, charged to the back of the tunnel, where the stragglers were being harried by the elementals. Not wanting to be shown up by a mercenary—and knowing it was her duty to hold the line until her compatriots made their way through—the paladin resolved to join him. She needed a better weapon first. Sheathing her sword, she stomped down on the fallen elementals weakened elbow, and when it broke off from the rest of its body she scooped it up. It was heavier than she expected, but she was strong and could handle it.

Breaking into a sprint, she saw an elemental raising its arm to smash into the brute. Though he could no doubt handle himself—after all, he’d already punched through a solid object today—Faerlin wasn’t going to take that chance. Coming up beside him, she used the momentum of her run to slam the end of her makeshift club into the elementals head (which crumbled along with the rest of it) before coming to a stop before Isaias. “Thanks for the distraction. You make a good target.” Only breathing slightly heavily from the exertion, she settled in as yet another elemental came for the two of them, this one simply charging straight ahead as if to trample them. Retreating to the door would suck, but they had to hold off until the rest of the soldiers made it through, so Faerlin settled in for a brutal scuffle.

She was grinning all the while.

 

[Isaias Kildare]

As Faerlin destroyed the elemental he nodded to her. He didn't seem to be a man of many words, nor one that enjoyed company, but he was glad to be holding the rear guard with this Anirian paladin. What she lacked in grace or wit she made up for in conviction and enthusiasm.
Even though he was focused on the battle ahead, he did notice her gleeful grinning in the heat of battle. She enjoyed fighting, and she was good at it.

As the stone elemental charged their position Isaias spoke, "You go high, I go low."
With that he charged to meet the elemental in mid charge. At the last moment before impact he ducked low with his shield in front of him, taking the force from the nine foot tall elementals moving legs but still charging like an unstoppable force, the juggernauts that his mercenary band are named after, destroying the creatures legs. Isaias came up on the other side of the creature, before it fell Faerlin would have a chance to destroy it.

In the mean time Isaias was faced with more elementals. He decided to bide his time, since he had a companion in this defensive he chose to use that tactical advantage and provide support for her to make the next offensive against the monsters. He stopped his charge and holding his shield over his back he ducked low, providing a ramp for Faerlin to jump from.

 

[Faerlin]

Isaias didn’t respond to Faerlin’s words, which was fine. The paladin’s blood was singing, and she didn’t really need anything more than the thrill of the fight. Thankfully—though maybe not for their stealthy assault—there was plenty of fighting to go around. The earth elementals continued to press forward, moving surprisingly quickly for what was essentially a lump of rocks.

Then again, avalanches moved quickly too.

She wanted to quip back that, considering his height (he positively towered over her), he should probably go high, but they didn’t have time for that seeing as he was already charging ahead. As he slammed his shield into its legs and then flipped it over his shoulder, Faerlin reflected that maybe he had the right idea even as she slammed her makeshift club into the fallen elemental’s head.

Her weapon, already weakened from repeated blows, crumbled from the attack, though not before pulverizing her latest opponent. She reached down in an instant, and picked up another chunk of rock that had broken off. Seeing as the mercenary was providing her with a nice bit of ramp, she charged forward and then leapt. It was a flashy maneuver, but she needed the extra force. Mid-air, she chucked the stone in her hand as hard as she could at an elemental to her right, glad to see it cave the thing’s head in, causing it to fall apart. As she fell, she angled her shield so that it slammed into the neck of another elemental, this one to her left. It sheered off the elemental’s head, though the paladin had to grit her teeth at the impact.

Temporarily weaponless, Faerlin darted around a third elemental’s back, slamming her shield into it as hard as she dared with her slightly numb arm. It was enough to send it stumbling back towards Isaias; after all, given that he’d set her up so nicely just now the paladin figured she shouldn’t be having all the fun.

 

[Isaias Kildare]

As the elemental stumbled towards him he took the opportunity. the elementals were formed out of stone, and any moving part was of segmented rock probably held together with magic or whatever force animates the stone. As the elemental stumbled he positioned the edge of his shield at the crack between the head and shoulders of the stone monster.

Faerlin's destruction of one of the elementals by simply destroying the head was a good strategy that he imitated now as the unbalanced weight of the elemental came down on the edge shield, popping the head off and causing the rest to crumble.

The rest of their strike force had finally made it inside the secret entrance. He cast a glance at the remaining elementals and then at the paladin.
"The real battle awaits us inside, Paladin. I suggest a strategic withdrawal into the dungeon to face the real enemy."
He began to slowly back towards the broken door with his shield raised. His heels pushing aside the crumbled remnants of destroyed elementals.

About fifteen feet from the door the elementals would stop short and pursue them no farther, leaving them free to turn and focus on the task at hand.
The soldiers were gathered inside a long hallway with alcoves along its whole length where their scouts hid and kept watch up ahead.

Isaias was received by others of his band with light punches on the breastplate and slaps on his pauldrons. There might have been a slaughter had he and the paladin not held off the assault. Silent congratulations made they returned their attention to the task at hand.

Normally this is where the mercenaries would be sent ahead to make the initial assault and potentially the brunt of the casualties while the main assault group remained behind to take advantage of their sacrifices. Isaias was ready to give the order once instructions were given, but these Vel Anirians were proud, he wondered if they would do anything he expected of regular clients.