Fable - Ask Kindling Before A Flame

A roleplay which may be open to join but you must ask the creator first
Davios Agarwen would stand there on the peak of the city. His yellow eyes seeing the looming rumble in the distance. His yellow eyes would shift down to a small pebble on the ground that began to tremble and jump. Something wasn't right. His gaze would look up to see small dots on fire in the air. "Weird." he thought for a moment as they seemed a bit away but as they became closer and closer his eyes would widen greatly. "Trebuchet fire!?" he thought to himself as quickly the big balls of flame and tar began to come down upon the city.

Like rain escaping from a cloud the balls of fire came raining down on the city on every level. Whistling high in the air before its momentum being lost and arching downwards on to whatever lay beneath it. Smashing through houses and landing in markets killing those in its path and setting fire to anything that had kindle for it to catch. Bodies would be hit and be instantly torn into pieces and flung in every direction. Older or young, adult or not. None were spared through the bombardment.

A huge ball of fire and tar would come flying down towards the female Elf Ranger. Whistling heavily before impacting right by her location. If she was quick enough the move she would miss its impact but be sent flying from the momentum of the ball hitting the ground and sending a wave. Davios would watch from up top the raining hell storm being descended upon the city as a ball of flame came flying meters away from him and impacting a inn next to him.

Davios would take cover before standing up and seeing in the distance movements of troops massing together a push on the town as Davios would begin to run down the hill. His foot steps pacing hard on the cobble as bodies and those hurt lay around him. Species of all kinds began to take cover or try to put out fires as the Drow ran right passed the female Elf and towards the bottom of the hill and into the main district. His yellow eyes swiftly glancing at her but in the adrenaline dump not connecting the thought of why she looked familiar.

Shael
 
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It all happened before she could process anything, seeing a great ball of fire abruptly launching her way. She barely moved aside in time, but it was still enough to send her flying back and landing with a painful thud on the ground. Her sensitive ears were ringing as she looked up with slightly blurred vision, seeing chaos all around her. The upperclass nobles in their fancy attire were screaming as their expensive silks and embroidered fabrics caught ablaze. Wigs and sashes were on fire as people ran in every direction in an attempt to douse the flames.

Mortar from the siege weapons knocked into the towers and spires that rose in the city, sending debris flying and buildings crumbling. Roofs collapsed into themselves, crushing anyone dwelling inside. Somewhere in the distance an urgent bell began to ring to herald the state of emergency. It was clear that the city hadn’t been prepared for the assault and soldiers began to flood the streets with their armors and pikes, scrambling to get to their stations.

Outside the walls, lines upon lines of soldiers gathered. There were archers in the back behind a sea of cavalry and militia, spears and swords poised for attack. It was an all human army, and it was clear this was a war against non humans and a city that prided itself in being a haven for all.

There was a general on horseback that cantered across the front line, spear raised in the air. He saw the fruits of his initial volley and sought to send another. The trebuchets and ballistae were loaded up rapidly as he signaled for the archers.

“Raise! Nock! Loose!” He lowered the spear as the skies were blotted out with the black cloud of arrows sailing in an arc over the walls of the city.

The city soldiers that barely climbed atop their posts quickly had to duck and defend against the shower of arrows.

Shael was scrambling to get to the lower districts, far too outmatched to be caught in the middle of a siege battle. However, she only made it to the middle of a cobblestone road when an arrow pierced through the back of her calf, exiting the front of her leg. With a cry, she collapsed to the ground in pain.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would continue running down the cobble as the stone gaps from every placement leaving small little ditches in the stone work began to run a deep red of blood. The yellow eyes flicking around seeing people run out of their homes on fire and screaming. The blood curdling cry of pain as the flesh melted from bone and kids watched their families move on to a different life. The lifeless bodies toppling and the smell of death hung in the air like a thick fog. Davios would look up to see a dark cloud in the air.

It looked almost as if it was a thunder storm moving in but as it came down with heavy whistling he would see it was arrows. The first few landing merely seconds before the rest. Davios would dive to the ground and slide himself under a body like a shield as the limp body began to thud violently from arrows as they went up the corpses leg to his head. Davios being under him would watch an arrow pierce the back of the corpses head and exit his face only millimeters away from the drows face.

As Davios lay under there from the volley he would shift his head to look around at the carnage. While in the process of moving his head the arrow from the corpse would scrape his nose from turning and make a cut. The pale face of the man he lay under staring into the drows soul. Blood oozing out of his mouth and onto Davio's throat as the drow managed to catch a glimpse of the female ranger.

It was something this city had never seen before as Trebuchets and arrows assaulted the city relentlessly like rain from a cloud. Defenders of the city would try to retake any damaged walls or man posts firing at will as the occasional trebuchet stone would smash the wall and send defenders screaming and flying. Davios amidst the chaos would push the body off him after the first volley and began to dart towards the Elf. Speed was an ally but the drow wasn't immortal.

The next follow of Arrows coming down would whistle as Davios growled and ran towards her with speed before eyeing a broken in half table on the side of the street. Making a run for it he would grab the sides of it and almost slide and fall right next to the ranger. Skidding his knees and legs out as let the table cover them up from the volley. The volley landing on them as they impacted all around him and hitting by his feet.

Arrows thudding and impacting the wood as Davios grimaced. Looking past the pair in the backdrop the volley would catch civilians in the open as they were struck by the arrows and toppled over lifeless on the ground and street. The burning orange embers and smoke filling the air. Davios would feel a shot of pain as he looked down to see a half cracked off shaft of an arrow sticking out of his side as he growled a bit. "Fuckers."

Shael
 
Shael was still reeling from the pain of the arrow, but she knew she couldn’t stay in one place. She didn’t bother taking it out just yet, gritting her teeth and she looked around for any kind of cover. She began to rise up to try limping away when another volley of arrows came. The Ranger winced as she prepared for the volley, having little time to get away.

However, the piercings never came.

She opened her eyes to see a dark shadow next to her and with a barrier to take the brunt of the arrows. One of them still managed to nick the side of her face to draw blood, but the bulk of them hit the table. Shael glanced to her side, her eyes widening in shock as she saw those yellow eyes again. Her jaw dropped in surprise, “Y-You?!” She gasped shortly before he was pierced by an arrow. Her immediate impulse was to jam the arrow deeper into his side, but she withheld. The elf still couldn’t process what happened or what he had done, but she knew they couldn’t linger here.

There was a pause after the second volley and she rose from where she was, limping off to the side to take cover inside a building. She glanced over at the Drow, despising herself for what she said next, “Can you move?” If he could, she would hoist him up and help him get towards the building. It was a tavern that offered temporary reprieve, but it remained to be seen how long it could stand the onslaught of mortar.

Meanwhile, the city defenses were finally at their stations and return fire was launched. The General’s forces took casualties and slowed down the attacks. Shael glanced down at her leg injury inside the tavern, taking a moment to breathe as she looked at the Drow. She looked as if she were going to say something, but she stopped herself, glaring at her own injury in silence.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would flick his eyes towards her with a grunt as he ignored her question. His hand would come up and snap the arrow shaft even more than what was sticking out as he began to move inside the building with her. As they came barreling through the doorway to the tavern as the assault of arrows and rocks continued to pound the city through hell and back.

The Drow would flick his glance over to the those who were hiding around the tavern. Their wide and scared eyes giving him no mind as others were full of blood and being attended to during their last breaths or heavy wounds. The drow would glance to the ranger as he looked at her arrow in her leg. Leaning down to look as if he was going to inspect it but instead snapping the shaft in half with great speed.

Whether she was pissed or not he would push through it and his yellow eyes with flicks of red would almost stare through her. "Suck it up. We can kill each other when this is done." he would glance over to one of the wounded as he walked over and ripped a piece of their shirt off without question. Coming over and beginning to wrap it around his own wounds up with it.

Before the drow or the female ranger would exchange mouthfuls of threats or vulgar the ceiling would get hit by a trebuchet rock as the ballistas and trebuchets remained un touched as the front troop were at a stalemate in the action. The ceiling would collapse as beams and dust came down all around them and blanketing the place in a pile of rubble. Davios would slowly open his yellow with red eyes as his face was covered in dirt all over.

His hand would push through the rubble as beams from the ceiling laid around him and dirt. mangled corpses of those inside would be slightly showing through the heaps of wood and rubble as the drow would look for a moment to see if the female ranger had made it or not.

Shael
 
Shael grunted in pain as the arrow was unexpectedly snapped and pulled through. Who the hell did he think he was?! She shoved him as soon as he did it out of instinct, rage burning in her eyes. The wound on her leg sputtered blood and she quickly tore off part of her tunic to wrap tightly around her leg.

“What the hell are you playing at?” She hissed at the Drow. Why was he behaving this way? It only worked to infuriate her. She thought of all the ways Drow were known for their trickery and deceit, and she was sure this was all a part of it. Why, then, did she buy into it and drag him in here? She had no time to chastise herself as the building collapsed above them.

For a moment, she was thrown into complete darkness and thought for sure she had died. However, she coughed and sputtered, moving and shoving the debris above her as she gasped for air. The Ranger limped out, spitting out blood and looking around the cloudy room filled with debris smoke, corpses and a fire slowly starting.

She didn’t glance over for the Drow, hobbling out towards a back exit. If the Drow was still near her, he would hear her coughing a few times before she spoke. Her face and hair was completely covered in soot, “I’m going to try and kill that general,” She half croaked, “And put a stop to this,” It was a lofty and, quite frankly, ridiculous plan. But this was one of the last free cities in Arethil and she wouldn’t see it fall.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would hear her sputtering. His eyes covered in dust as he would slowly push himself out of the rubble and watch the female elf begin to exit. His eyes focusing on her wounds bleeding heavily from her leg even though it was wrapped in a tunic. Pushing everything off fully and getting to his feet as he slowly staggered to his fete and began to follow just behind her as he stepped over the rubble and bodies in his way. Blood trickling down his hip as he leaned against a beam for a moment for support.

Her words were of hope and anger but it was more than likely for vain the drow thought as the city never had the defenses to hold off such an attack but none the less the drow found himself with her and in the middle of this absolute shit fest as he made his way out the exit and back onto the cobble streets. The scenery was only worse and now the sky darkened with black smoke and embers floating in the air as screeches and whistling was heard with fires roaring.

Davios would hold his side for a moment as the pair still were a bit aways from the front of the city where the gates were being held and the front of the assault was happening. The drow would begin to move in that direction as the occasional volley or trebuchet round in the air would send him into cover until it passes and continuing his movement. Not looking behind to see if she was keeping up as the drow either would have her dead or somewhere behind him.

The main element of the troops assaulting would begin having siege towers mount the walls and troops pouring onto the walls. Killing many in their way as they began to pour more in the front. Bodies would fly off the high walls and down into the ground laying limp as the sounds of swords clashing and yelling was all that could be heard. The enemy was plunging itself further into the city like a plague and spreading quickly and deadly.

Shael
 
Shael was in pain, but she knew her injury wasn’t as bad as the Drow’s. What did she care anyway? She was surprised to see him making his way towards where the assault was taking place. He hadn’t said anything in response to her declaration but his actions spoke for him. The Ranger darted to the side as another volley of arrows and mortars came, rocking the entire city and causing more buildings to crumble.

She began to half run and half limp towards a tower next to the front wall, determined to use the vantage point to shoot the general. She was almost there when the tower collapsed and she had to double back to avoid the debris. The Ranger gazed up hopelessly towards where the tower once stood. Was this it? Was there truly nothing she could do? Was she just trying to be someone she wasn’t - a hero in a story that wasn’t even hers to tell? Shael looked all around her and suddenly felt incredibly small and insignificant. She saw people running and scrambling while ignited in flames, she saw people pierced with arrows, she saw people begging for mercy that never came.

It struck her like a cold blade in her spine - fear. Her eyes widened as the scenes all around her began to grip her. She had her lofty goals of changing the tides of this war, but the reality was that she was a nobody. She was a single entity in a sea of thousands - thousands much more adept and qualified to deal in warfare. She was a mere Ranger in the woods.

Shael could hear her own heart pounding and she was aware of her breaths. She looked up and glanced at the Drow. Did he have a way underground from here? It shamed her to even consider it. She wouldn’t dare ask. Her gaze lingered on his for a long moment, and he would see the raw fear in her eyes.

Giving up her original plan, she hobbled towards a nearby stable, bringing out her new blade to cut through the rope of a mare tied there. The horse resisted and neighed in terror, but she had her ways of calming the beast. Her priority was to dash out of here and not look back. She hated herself for it. As she pulled the horse with her, she glanced over her shoulder to look at the Drow.

Davios Agarwen
 
Davios Agarwen would continue limping his way to the front of the city. He stepped down the cobble stone streets soaked in blood and bodies as those running and not paying attention would be tripping over the dead and dying, children, adults. No one was spared from the volleys above. Holding his side tightly as his white tattooed arms half revealing from being torn by the rubble and chaos as blood trickled down his leg. His yellow/reddish tinged eyes looking ahead a still as this time when a volley came he never dove for cover.

"Fuck this." he mumbled as he continued to hobble forward. "I'm done hiding." he would sputter almost out of breath from moving in severe pain. His peripheral vision would glance movement to his side as he glanced over past those running and dying to see Shael make a run for the tower only to be heading back in retreat from the crumbling stone that now came down to the ground. Those near it being crushed by large slabs of the tower as screams and mulching of bone and blood would be heard instantly.

The drow seen her, through it all she looked broken, defeated, tired and if not..helpless. For the hate one another had for each other he wouldn't blame her. He never blamed her a bit for breaking. Many reaching their final straws of mental hardship and knowing when to cut the cord and to think of yourself. His facial expression remained the same as he looked almost through her as she pulled the horse closer to her. In the backdrop of him a trebuchet stone would smash into the already dead bodies just to dismember them and send them flying.

The ember and soot rising high with the black smoke in the air as the drow continued to move forward. Going further towards the front as he now seen those fighting hand to hand. Swords clashing and shields thudding as yelps of slashes and stabs mixed with cries of anguish as the enemy slaughtered any in their path, innocent and wounded were not spared. The drow would continue breathing hard as he made his way closer. Leaning down to pick up a spear and push himself a bit quicker in a faster limp. The spear tight in his hand as it was soaked in the previous owners blood.

Stepping into the fray he would do his best as he began to engage with the enemy soldiers now entering the cities walls and flooding it. The drow ducking as a soldier swung a sword before the drow lunged upwards and drove the spike into his unplated side and send him down in a thud. Gripping the dead soldiers sword out of his hand and trying to push forward. In the scheme of it all the drow was doing nothing to stop the flood.

It was as if a single stone trying to hold back a rivers flow as pockets poured around those defending and continued to branch out in the city. Running through houses, pillaging, killing and hollering in glee with war cries and chants. The drow would feel a blade run across his back as he turned to swing the sword and drive it into the side of a soldiers face. The crunching thud of impact as the sword drove into the side of what looked like a young boy. No older than 18. His eyes wide open and frozen with the sword half buried deep in his skull.

The eyes staring almost through the drows soul as Davios stared at him for a moment. For all the blood shed and battles he seemed caught. Looking into the eyes of a dead kid he butchered. His own hand causing the ending of this kids life. It didn't make the drow sad but if anything disappointed. It was short lived however a body would drop around him to bring him back into the fight. Pivoting for a moment to engage again only for a body to topple on top of him and send him down.

The weight of the full grown man and armor along with the Drows wounds would have him pinned down under the body as lay there helpless. The horde of enemy now running over him as they gained ground. Those who fought alongside Davios now dead or dying as the Drow could only look one direction with his head and body pinned down by the dead soldier. As he lay there, Davios watched hundreds of foot steps pass him and continue to move forward.

His yellow/reddish eyes remaining the same battered look as he caught the eyes of a defender laying down only meters away from him. He had sword jammed into his back as he lay flat on his stomach. He was alive but tears ran down his eyes as he seemed scared and hurt. Davios couldn't do anything but watch as he felt sympathy for the soldier. Defending a city from invaders but now lay there helpless. The young defender would catch eyes with the drow as tears ran down the soldiers dirty face. Leaving a clean trail behind of fresh skin that was washed away.

"I want..my momma." the soldier mouthed as Davios stared at him for a moment before the hoof of a horse running towards the inside of the city came smashed through the soldiers head before Davios's very own eyes. Like a mallet to a watermelon as pieces of skull and flesh splat everywhere from the impact. The horses hoof quickly disappearing as it happened like a whistling of a arrow. Fast and forgotten. The foot steps of the enemy still in the backdrop all around them as the Drow was now stuck.


Shael
 
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Shael smelled the stench of burning flesh and her sensitive ears were growing slowly desensitized to the neverending chorus of anguished screams. She finally calmed the horse and jumped on its back, pulling on the reins and lining up with the exit. She glanced back one more time to see the chaos behind her, spotting the drow standing by himself amidst a throng of attackers that attempted to surround him and now lay at his feet. The waves wouldn’t stop and the influx of soldiers wouldn’t slow down. Towers were pushed against the walls as soldiers began to spill onto the ramparts, hacking and slashing at the archers that were poised there. Though the general took heavy casualty, he had come prepared with a massive army. He intended to overwhelm with numbers and force.

A man began to rush towards the Drow, ax raised. However, that was when the mare rushed by, cutting into the Drow’s line of sight. Shael had her blade drawn, sweeping in horizontally in one fluid motion to remove the man’s head from his shoulders. She drew her blade back before the body even hit the ground, glancing down at the Drow.

“Up,” She commanded simply, extending a hand to help hoist him up if needed, all without the horse ever coming to a standstill. She said nothing else, allowing him to sit behind her as she motioned for the mare to bolt away from the scene. She nudged the horse to leap over piles of bodies or fires, a mere blur as they darted through the gates. She didn’t look back and she didn’t think about the implications of a city like that falling. Perhaps one day it could be retaken, but it wouldn’t be today. One of the last safe havens for all races to coexist in harmony went down today and she had been unable to do a single thing to stop it.

She didn’t even think about the fact that she helped a Drow escape or that he could very easily kill her right now. None of that mattered, not when she could look back and see the thick plumes of smoke rising up from the trade city. She said nothing and she had no real sense of direction, but the horse charged ahead and put distance between them and the complete annihilation taking place behind them.

Davios Agarwen
 
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Davios Agarwen wouldn't think twice as he pushed himself on top of the horse. He never had much time to think or react as soldiers tried to rip them off the horse as they flowed in like a raging tide. As they went farther away from the pouring gap in the wall as The Drow looked around to watch the chaos continue and fires burn even higher. It was pure mayhem and carnage as those left behind were not spared from the murderous attack. As they pushed further and further the Drow finally broke the silence. "Fuck.".

One archer would knock an arrow at the bolting horse and aim it directly for the back of Shaels head as he made a effort to hit the rider and stop them from escaping. The arrow would be let loose as a whistle would be heard coming from behind. Davios heard the whistle and jolted his body a bit to the side to cover her back like a shell as the arrow pierced his back left shoulder and exited it through the other side. He never stirred or made a sound as the Drow only held a glare of rage and bit his tongue.

Feeling the blood trickle down his side and leg as he started to get a bit light headed. Holding on a bit tighter as they continued to put more distance between the city and themself before eventually they would end up in the far hills that over looked the forest tree line a few miles away. Though it was safe it never stopped the view in the far distance of red and black smoke rising high in the air with the embers glowing a orange dust cloud in the distance.

As the horse drew closer to the hills a small village would be nestled on one of them as they got closer the lines of those fleeing were on either side of the horse. Wounded, dying, being dragged by family or friends with whatever they could take on their backs as the pair got closer to the gates, Davios couldn't hold on before slowly falling off to the ground. A hard thump in the mud as he lay there with holes pushing massive amounts of blood out. For once the hard ass, sword swinging Drow was now in that of a helpless one. Burdened with heavy bleeding and not being able to defend himself as he was now at the mercy of the ranger...What could go wrong?

Shael
 
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