Open Chronicles The March of Progress

[Azula]

"I'm a little busy at the moment, Master Albrecht!" Azula snarled as she put her boot against the orcs stomach and used it to help her pry her sabre from the monsters eye. The death had been so quick the body hadn't seemed to realise there was no more reason to stand and she stalked past it on towards the King. The King who had now quite rightly worked out that Azula had marked him as hers.

Keiko screeched up above and wheeled about the carnage feeding her a birds eyed view of the battlefield. Her forces were winning and the orcs that had come were either beginning to break and run for the trees or were dying at the hands of her soldiers. As an orc charged for Christian however, the brave bird shot forward and gauged the monsters eyes out in a flurry of feather and claw.

"I will not forget this," the King snarled. He did not have the benefit of a warg to tell him his men were losing and the only option of survival was retreat. He gave a guttural shout and those that were still alive began to retreat.

"Good," Azula bared her teeth in a madwoman's grin and watched as the King turned tail and ran for his mountains.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Christian continued to marvel over the plate, turning it back and forth like a small child and drawing his finger over every little line. "Nonsense!"

He said, finally looking up again and noticing that the Orcs seemed to be...retreating?

His eyes flickered back and forth, and though his discovery was momentarily forgotten Christian seemed no less excited.

"Ah!" The Architect said, his head shaking as he walked over towards Azula. Finding her with a smile which clearly showed she was just as excited about the plate of armor as he was. "I see negotiations have concluded as I made my marvelous discovery."

The plate was held up as he displayed what was clearly their mutual prize. "Presumably they are running to fetch their possessions and will be joining our labor force?"

Christian asked, as if he had missed all of the fighting.

 

[Azula]

Azula turned to Christian with murder in her eyes. Perhaps for the first time, the disgraced General did not look at all human. She stared at him with that anger barely leashed and prowling behind her eyes looking for an outlet. Begging for it to be on the foolish architect who had caused all of this. One of the centaurs nervously drew a little closer as though he thought he might have to dive between the two. In the end she managed to restrain herself and pointed with a slightly shaking finger back towards the giant lizards who were cowering amongst the trees.

"Get. On. The. Lizard. Now."

 

[Christian Albrecht]

Oop. Miss Tamiko was angry about something.

But what?

What in the world could have upset her this much. It didn't make any sense? They had the Orcs, the centaurs had carried themselves rather well and proven an effective bodyguard force. Perhaps things had not gone...quite to plan?

The Architect slowly looked around the clearing, noticing that there were an awful lot of dead Orcs scattered about the field. Perhaps he had been mistaken and the Orcs would not be joining them, but that meant they had won the battle?

Still no real reason for Miss Tamiko to be upset.

What could it possibly be?

He frowned for a moment, and then shook his head.

"Very well." Christian said, deciding that it was best not to argue and that perhaps he might need to ask someone else about this conundrum. Miss Tamiko hardly seemed in the mood to be questioned, and it was best to keep the General on his side.

So far she had proven herself to be a most proven and able compatriot!

Without another word of argument, or observation, or anything at all really, Christian stowed the little steel plate and proceeded to mount his lizard.

 

[Azula]

Azula watched him go and the centaurs watched her. She didn't make a move until he was atop his mount and then she spat out a mouthful of blue blood and flesh where she had managed to tear off a chunk of the kings flesh before he had escaped. The centaurs eased their hands off their weapons.

"Let's go."

No further words were needed as they moved out, leaving behind the corpses for the animals of the forest to feast upon. During the trek back Azula played over the possibilities what had happened here would become an all out war. It was with those dark thoughts they returned to camp where she dismounted her own beast and didn't so much as glance at Christian before striding off to find a messenger.

A few centaurs exchanged coins; Azula had finally lost her patience with the architect. At least some would profit from it.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

On their journey, Christian had happened upon an idea that he was sure would cheer Miss Tamiko up from her dour mood.

He watched, and waited, as Azula slipped from her large lizard mount and quickly strode off to attend some sort of business. After a few moments, assuring she was gone, Christian pulled himself free as well and sought out one of the camps main managers; a man by the name of Boregard.

"Bo!" Christian said, approaching the large Gnoll man who was standing in a large open tent. Clearly some sort of quartermasters facility.

The gnoll turned, his expression shifting to one of immediate 'oh no'. "My good man! I have a task for you?"

"Y-es, Master Albrecht. W-what can I help you with?" Boregard said, looking around swiftly...probably in search of Azula.

"We need to throw a party!" Christian declared, Boregards eyebrows immediately raising.

"A-a party?" The Gnoll questioned.

"Yes!" The Architect countered. "The day has been rather trying, i suspect, for some, and we have made great strides with the work! Ahead of schedule by nearly four days. I believe we can afford a night off, no?"

Boregard stammered, clearly wanting to say something that would push down Christian's notion, but it was too late. "I am glad you agree! I expect decorations, a feast, and of course games!"

He paused, and then added. "Oh, and ensure Miss Tamiko does not hear until everything is prepared."

Yes, a surprise party would surely cheer her up. Everyone loved surprises.

 

[Azula]

Azula stomped through the camp and people - wisely - scampered to get out of her way. Keiko winged overhead letting her know in which direction to go to cut the quickest way through the camp. With the canal attracting new people every day their once small camp was now the size of a village and had begun to be organised like one too by god knews who - it certainly wasn't Christian. As such there was now what was affectionately being termed the 'quill quadrant' where artists, scribes and messengers seemed to have staked their claim. They were an odd bunch but it was helpful having a variety of communication methods now.

Including the curious mind speaker.

It was into her tent Azula strode with an urgent request to let the nearby army units know of what had happened here and those stationed at the foothills of the mountains. If the orcs attacked in retaliation, it wouldn't be them who first felt the hit.

Conscious eased the units would at least have forewarning, Azula made her way back through the camp some time later when the sky was turning the dark red shades of a glorious Steppes sunset. She walked past slumbering... but no, the camp wasn't winding down or beginning to settle like it should. There was an odd frenzy to it and her heart clenched; had the orcs launched an attack so soon? She hurried on through the camp back to the centre.

 

[Christian Albrecht]

At the center of the scene, as it turned out, was a massive fucking party.