Private Tales Left Alive

[Arn]

Arn looked over at the man Rhidian had pointed out, his face growing a bit more pale as he imagined a swath of metal literally cutting through the Cortosi encampment.

A familiar chill running up his spine as he did. "I...c-cool."

The Farmboy stuttered, remembering the death that Rhidian alone had been able to deal out, and wondering what a more experienced Dreadlord could do. For a moment he seemed to stall, swallowing, then returned his attention to the task ahead.

He felt safer but he most certainly did not feel better.

With a shocking amount of stealth, the Anirian Combat Patrol quickly moved out and down into the valley.

It was not long before they found themselves a new perch, the cadre of soldiers and Dreadlords stopping just short inside of some bushes where they were able to observe the odd contraption they had seen earlier. True to what Arn had thought, it was a balloon, just one large enough to carry what appeared to be a small carriage.

Small fires were lit around where the balloon had landed, but no major patrol hung around. Instead only four men stood there, each dressed in heavy plate armor, each wearing the same red robes as the man Rhidian and Arn had fought...well, more the former than the latter. "This...hardly seems like an attack."

Arn whispered to the Dreadlord, hearing the distant sound of hoof-beats as another party approached.

The Dreadlord Rhidian had pointed out earlier immediately signalling to the Anirian's to stay down and wait for just the right time to strike.

 

[Rhidian]

How were they expected to not engage when there were the undeniable sounds of a thunderous group on horseback? Strange contraptions floating from the sky? Enemy territory nearby?

Rhidian remained low, eyes watching the Dreadlord. His hand went to his side, where his Tyrian Iron sword waited to be used again.

"Reckon it's our friends we were chasing after?" He whispered, but knew Arn would hear him.

The small group waited, listening and trying to make sense of anything in the dark. Clouds covered the light of the moons, but Rhidian was sure dawn would break soon.

"Stay alert." The order was quiet, but their group nodded nonetheless, even if they could not see in the night's darkness.

 

[Arn]

Arn frowned for a moment as Rhidian whispered quietly in his ears. Realizing that even though the Dreadlord was around the same age as him, he had a much greater depth of knowledge when it came to...well, all of this. Was that the training as an Initiate? He said he'd been a guardsmen before, but he supposed the Academy was different than the Barracks.

His thoughts however were redirected as someone ordered them to stay quiet. The sound of hoofbeats echoing out as the horsemen came into view and neared the strange large ballon. Arn's face turning to a frown as he did indeed recognize one of the figures.

Gently he tapped Rhidian on the shoulder, pointing out a man with the same crimson cloak as the others.

The man had been there during the initial assault on their original patrol. In fact, he had lead it.

Yet it was not that man the other Anirian's seemed to catch their eyes on. No, their gaze was drawn to the figure riding in the middle of the small squadron of cavalry. There upon a resplendent white horse sat a woman, her hair long and blonde far passed her shoulder.

She wore no red cloak, but instead the coat of a Dreadlord. "That's Tsarra."

Someone said from behind him, and it took Arn only a second to realize it was the same that had told him and Rhidian to be quiet. Confusion tinged their commanding officers voice, and he silently added.

"She's of the second, what the hell is she doing here..." Quickly the riders came to a stop, the Dreadlord among them dismounting and quickly beginning to engage in a friendly conversation with those who had come with the Balloon.

Arn turned his head, looking at Rhidian and mouthing one single word. Traitor?

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian shrugged at Arn, brows furrowed at the revelation of this new intel.

Out of the things that could happen this night, he didn't expect to see a Dreadlord amongst those that opposed the Anirians.

"Tsarra... I don't know the name, but she looks familiar. Might have seen her in Vel Hetren once upon a time..." But that would have been a few years ago, and since the Revolution, it was known there were many that exiled from the duty of Vel Anir and went off on their own. Rogues, it seemed they were always branded that no matter the reason for leaving...

"What would you like us to do, sir?" Rhidian's question was quiet, but heard by all in their patrol. "What's her magic? Can anyone recall?"

 

[Arn]

“She's a pyromancer.” The answer came quick and made Arn frown ever so slightly. Using what little education he had to piece together the meaning of the word and not liking what it stood for one bit. His stomach twirling as he pictured burnt corpses and armor in his head. Eyes closing as he took in a deep breath.

what the fuck is it with these people. The Guardsmen thought to himself ,but didn't add anything.

Rhidian would know of course that Pyromancers were common enough at the Academy, though most varied in strengths. Though Dreadlord's all had individual talents, when it came to the primal magics of elements such gifts were usually far more common. The fact that Tsarra was a second level though made her dangerous.

“Initiate.” The Lieutenant said to Rhidian. “Take three troopers and cut around to the other side.”

Arn frowned, knowing that he would likely be one of those troopers. “When you hear the nightingales song, blow that balloon.”

The Lieutenant spoke quickly, his orders exacting and leaving no room for questions.

“Rest of you get arrows ready, eh? Turn Tsarra I to a porcupine before she turns to ash.” The words rang in Arn's ears, and he took a deep shuddering breath as he tried to keep down the terror which was now slowly slipping into him. Eyes opening as he looked towards Rhidian, ready to follow the simple order to move out.

Ready to do his duty as a member of the guard.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian exhaled heavily.

"Arn." He motioned for his brother-in-arms to follow him, his hand tapping on the shoulders of two other guards. The four of them walked within the veil of night and soon, came to stop a distance away from the balloon contraption.

His orders were for them to keep the balloon grounded, and Rhidian began to search the ground for any loose stones.

"Keep a listen out." Rhidian told the two guards before beckoning Arn to help him in his search.

"A Dreadlord taught me this neat trick once. Small stones for a larger result. I think the Lieutenant wants us to keep that balloon going up, and I know the most inconvenient way about that is to ruin the balloon." He said, blindly feeling the ground and picking up stones at least a few inches wide.

"I don't want to be the person that just... uses their magic to harm. Not like that camp. I was..." Rhidian sighed. "I wanted us to get to safety the quickest way possible, and not have them follow us." He thought he was fighting for both their survival.

 

[Arn]

Arn felt a pang of guilt ripple through him as he watched Rhidian's face change. His lips pressing to a thin line as he realized the terror he'd been feeling about the Dreadlord had been perhaps misplaced.

True, Rhidian could turn him into paste with the snap of a finger…but…he wouldn't. In fact, the other boy had saved his life. If it wasn't for the Initiate Arn was entirely sure that he would have been dead. There simply wouldn't have been a way for him to get back on his own, and even with another Guardsmen he would have been overwhelmed.

Rhidian's magic was terrifying, but the Initiate himself?

”You did what you had to.” Arn said, trying to inject some of his newfound confidence in his voice. Though quickly realizing that it was more difficult than he would have liked. The battle ahead still making him half shit himself.

The Farmboy wondered if he would ever get used to it.

”I…” He frowned as he sat on his haunches, waiting for the bird call. ”I'm not going to lie, what you did scared me.”

Arn said honestly. ”But I would be dead without you, and after what we've been through…”

The hulking Farmboy smiled. ”I'd be glad to call you a friend.”

 

[Rhidian]

Relief flooded him and resulted in a chuckle. "Warms me to hear that." He grinned, clapping Arn's back.

The smile faltered, his attention back to finding any rock suitable to be used as a projectile. "I scared myself Arn. I... still feel like this magic I have, this power? It ain't mine to have. It's like Kress just handed it to me instead of dying when I was supposed to and I... just got to figure it out now." He had gone 17 years without thinking about it, until suddenly he was carted off to the Academy and waking up to be told he possessed the magical ability to delivery deadly blows.

"I used to hate it, but then a Dreadlord helped me understand magic, and have fun with it." Well, he figured out the fun part. "I can place my magic in each of these stones, as if I am charging them up. Throw them at that balloon, and then have my magic do it's thing and---" Rhidian, in the dark, make an exploding gesture with his hand, sound effect in accompaniment.

"It's wicked fun to do." He grinned.

 

[Arn]

Okay, even Arn had to admit that was cool. Something in the back of his mind still screamed at him to be weary. The little lessons he'd been taught about magic squirreling deep away within his mind. Dreadlords were dangerous, there was no doubting that.

Arn had nearly been killed by two of them.

But Rhidian wasn't like every other Dreadlord he had met. They were the same age, and as far as Arn could tell, held half the same attitude. Why did it make it so different than he could wield magic? It was like someone judging Arn because he was a head taller than them. It just didn't make any sense, it just wasn't fair.

So instead of feeling fear, instead of letting that spike of terror grip him, Arn just smiled. He listened to Rhidian's words carefully, amusement playing over his features as the other boy described what he could do with the stones. Then suddenly, an idea sparked in the back of his mind. He scrambled, and then quickly plucked an arrow from his quiver. "Can you do that with this?"

He asked, pointing at the arrowhead.

"We might not even have to get close!" Meaning they could stay well away from the woman who could potentially set them on fire.

 

[Rhidian]

Rhidian wanted to laugh loudly at the idea Arn brought to light, had wanted to throw the stones he had picked up, but in order to keep quiet and hidden, he settled on the largest, shit-eating grin he could muster.

"You fucking bet I can." He dropped the rocks as gently as he could, moving to stand upright. "That would work much better."

Rhidian turned to the other guards and quietly told them of the plan, watching them fan out so if things went wrong, they were not all caught in a group.

"Arn." Rhidian called barely above a whisper. "Nock that thing and I will charge it. It will note detonate until I feel it come in contact with the balloon, well away from you. Alright?" He clapped the back of his friend, hoping his words inspired something other than fear of his magic at such close quarters.

All Rhidian needed to do was put in a small charge of his magic in the arrow head in order to result in a massive shockwave of magic.

 

[Arn]

The prospect of him being the one unleashing the magic...well, at least in a way, was both thrilling and utterly terrifying.

It was also a mark of how Arn was trying to show Rhidian that he trusted him. He might have been afraid of the unknown, and might have been afraid of dying, but there was no doubt in his mind that the Initiate would do everything he could to make sure the Farmboy was safe. He'd already proven that with their venture across the border.

Now it was time for Arn to do the same. Using the arrow would keep Rhidian away from their enemy, and that meant keeping him safe. It was a small token, but it was what the Guardsmen could do for his companion.

So with a breath, he took the arrow and knocked it into his bow. Waiting for a moment more as he crouched down, eyes narrowing as he watched the meeting below unfold. The traitor Dreadlord continuing to speak with the members of the Solar Choire until eventually they seemed to shift and turn towards the balloon.

That was when the bird song rang out.

Almost immediately Arn nodded to Rhidian, pulling back the string of his massive Mantirecore Horn-Longbow. The bone bending and stretching, using the hulking farmboys enormous strength. He held it, aiming, giving Rhidian a second to charge his shot.

Then loosed the arrow directly at the balloon.

 

[Rhidian]

The arrow head glowed in slight, like a sheen of magic bathing the tip in dark red glints. He watched as it soared in the night, only just able to be seen in it's trajectory, but the most beautiful of displays was when Rhidian felt his magic come int contact with a force.

He ignited the connection.

A wondrous explosion lit up, bathing them in momentary warm light, and all watched as the balloon came to burst. It was loud, hurting his ears, but Rhidian watched on as pieces began to gently float down; the strings attached to the balloon and base falling as the tension now slackened.

He could not cheer, could not whoop, but instead, Rhidian thumped Arn's muscled arm three times with his enthusiasm.

"That was fucking magnificent!"

 

[Arn]

Arn flinched back from the blast as cloth and rope were torn away all at once. The Balloon suddenly bursting and and the ground shaking as Rhidian's magic exploded as it always did. A swear echoed out from one of the Guard behind him, but the Farmboy's ears were ringing too loudly for him to truly make it out.

The scene below, unfolded quickly after the balloons explosion.

Though none of them had planned it, the Guard and Dreadlord's on the other side knew well enough to take advantage of a situation. In the small valley below the Red Coated Radiant Churchmen moved and scattered in a panic, the soldiers of Vel Anir striking in that moment.

Arrows and slivers of metal shot forward, cutting through men and women and bringing them down to their knees within the span of a breath. Like a rogue wave the Anirian's suddenly seemed to appear, springing from the underbrush and cutting their way through the members of the Solar Choire within just a few seconds. Marring and marking their path by blood.

Even Tsarra was caught unaware.

The traitor Dreadlord brought down before she ever had a second to respond. A piece of metal sent directly into her spine by the Dreadlord that Rhidian had earlier pointed out to Arn. By the time the Farmboy's vision cleared and the ringing in his ears stopped, the valley below was teeming with Anirian Soldiers. "Holy shit."

Arn said with a wide grin to his new friend.

"We did it!" And they had done it well too. He couldn't wait to tell Owain about this.

 

[Rhidian]

The sight of their combined efforts bringing in the guardsmen, the Dreadlords, the ruined balloon... it was hard not to celebrate with Arn. Rhidian grinned, laughed, and turned to his friend and whooped. "Amazing shot! Absolutely fucking amazing!"

It had been Alistair Krixus that taught him to channel his magic like that, had brought Rhidian to appreciate the gift that manifested into such a destructive force.; To learn even the most violent magicks had a soft use...

Rhidian was glad that Arn got to see him use his magic this way, to show him despite their similar experiences as guardsmen, Rhidian had not changed all that much. "Shall we go down and lend a hand?" Surely, there was not much else for the four of them to do, but each of their small group began making their way in, watching as the Anirians were victorious.

 

[Arn]

"Probably should." Arn said with a nod of his head, though glancing down into the valley made him think there wasn't really much more to do.

The Guard had worked quickly, as they always did, and when the explosion had torn through the area the members of the Radiant Church had been caught completely off-guard. It was a small victory, in the scale of conflicts like this, but it was a victory nonetheless.

As the four of them came stumbling down the small hillside into the valley their Commanding officer held up a hand in greeting.

"Not sure which one of you blew that balloon, but good work." Arn glanced at Rhidian, practically beaming under what he took as joint praise from the Officer. "Tsarra's half deaf, and the others aren't going to be saying much, but we'll leave the interrogations to the Vigilite."

The man said, clearly pleased as punch. "We may have lost a patrol, but thanks to you boys we might have prevented something far worse from happening out here."

Though just what that was, still remained to be seen.