Dreadlords The Siege of Wissburg

[Sable Pembroke]

Unleashed onto this close quarters environment, Sable was much like a bull in a pottery shop. Perhaps he'd been too eager to barrel into the fray, but Heathren hadn't stated what to do after the door was removed and charging further just seemed like the appropriate course of action. Before Edric had even stepped in behind him Sable had smashed one of the militiamen into the floor with his mace.

"Sable, cover me!"

"I'm on it!" Sable hollered back, shield up once more as he rushed on in pursuit of Edric, swinging his mace over his back to crush the ribs of some unfortunate soul who thought to strike them in the back.

Sable was no speedster by any stretch of the imagination, more akin to a charging rhinoceros when he got moving than the agile tiger Edric was. Still, he did his best to keep pace, coming in just moments behind his comrade. He heard the familiar *CLACK* of a crossbow loosing and he reflexively cast more wards.

With such little time to do so, they were frail things, each one popping up directly in front of Edric, where the bolt was most likely to be coming from, Sable assumed. At such a short distance, three of the four thin barriers instantly shattered by the bolt, smashing apart like amber glass before fading from existence. The bolt finally splintered into fractured pieces as it lost all momentum against the last ward, then it too vanished.

"Get the rope, I've got the others!" Sable cried out as he charged past Edric and into the gate room, mace intent on breaking the hands and weapon of the crossbowman before he could rack another bolt.

 

[Samantha Black]

To Noels surprise Ralene Banick pinned Dreadlord Ilversmith to the wall. Hard.

Shed known her classmate could be heavy-handed from time-to-time, truth be told it was part of the reason Noel respected her, but to attack their commander was unacceptable. Theyd spent their youth and thus their entire lives trying to earn the approval of their betters within Anirian society.

That apprehension softened though as Ralene explained her case. Apparently, she knew him well enough to remember that his name was Gilheed. He saved both of their lives (why was Edric always getting himself into trouble anyway?).

So, when Ral pleaded with the allomancer before her Noel immediately nodded. Got it.

Without further discussion Noel opened the door to her right and left it ajar.

Initiate Schwarz, kill that man and subdue Initiate Banick, we have a job to do here.

A collar of metal flew off of Noels armor and formed a u-shape. It pressed into Ilversmiths lips and then bolted itself to the wall behind him, ensuring he was held firmly in place unless he found a way to separate his head from his body without dying.

What are we doing, Ral? Any man whod risked his own station to keep one of her classmates alive deserved the courtesy of not being murdered.

If she wanted to store Ilversmith in the room that would be simple enough and Noel would remove the metal that held him against the wall. If she wanted to store Gilheed there that was fine too.

"Your brother brings me no end of grief, too," Ralene growled at Ilversmith, who angrily glared at her from behind his metal gag, "trust that I know more about this situation than you, Sir. Take point Noel, I just need a few moments..."

She'd be getting in trouble for this for certain, but Gilheed had done too much for her and Edric to simply waste him like an enemy mongrel. Not when there was a chance he wasn't even an enemy. Pulling the unconscious man through the open doorway, she sat him up against the wall and rifled through her utility pouches to find a small phial of smelling salts. Unstoppering the cork, she waved it under his nose and waited.

Gilheed roused almost immediately and startled as he found himself with a dagger to his throat and Ralene crouched over him. She tossed the phial aside and lifted a finger to her lips.

The man's wide eyes quickly narrowed as he recognized her, "S-Sam?"

Ralene nodded.

"What ... what the hell are you doing here? How did you get in?"

"I came back to save this city and stop these fanatics," Ralene replied quietly, "and I need to know whose side you're on."

"You shouldn't have come back," Gilheed shook his head, "there's no saving this place from what they've done here. You can't stop them. The Priests have this place bound up like puppets, they're too powerful."

"We can stop them if you help us."

"What do you expect you can do Sam? You're a good kid but you're just a blacksmith. Orin may have beaten through the guards at the gates when you left, but it's not like that now -"

"I'm not a blacksmith, Gilheed," Ral eased back, withdrawing her dagger from his throat while watching him carefully as she uttered an activation spell under her breath. In that moment a glimmer of white energy passed over her head as if forming a helmet, a flash of light illuminated the room at the back of her skull.

Gilheed blinked in surprised, "A mage? ... you're a Dreadlord? But you're just a kid."

"We all start there," she admitted with a quick glance and nod to Noel in the doorway before looking back to the man as she stood, offering him a hand, "we need to find the Priests and break their barrier spell. Are you with us?"

"This is madness," he wiped a hand down over his face and then nodded and grasped her hand to pull himself to his feet, "but if you think you can do it, I'll help you. When the children started disappearing shortly after you and Orin left, I knew things were only going to get worse."

 

[Noel]

Ilversmith glared at Noel as Ral took the captive man into the room behind her. She could see it all in his gaze, he was going to ensure the two of them spent some time in the pits after this mission was completed. It would be worth it, to be sure, because while Noel craved perfection she knew her classmates well enough to know that the request Ralene had must've been worth it.

And as the conversation continued with this Gilheed fellow she realized there may be a very easy way for them to avoid punishment when they returned home.

"Point us in the right direction," her address towards the man they'd just recruited was said in a gentle, calming, voice.

Success erased all crimes in Vel Anir. If they could dispose of the priests, expel the barrier, and have someone with them that the Guard could get to fill in the gaps of what had happened in Wissburg? They'd not only avoid the pits for what they pulled with Ilversmith but they may get a pat on the back.

 

[Edric]

Edric paid absolutely no attention to the crossbowmen.

In his mind, they would either bury their bolts directly in his throat or Sable would stop them. Those were the two options, and he could do nothing about solving either of them. The problem was simply ignored and entirely thrown away.

The ability to do that, not to worry and simply charge forward was part of what made Edric so dangerous.

He moved with no hesitation, no thought. Darting through the room in an instant and catching up to the knife wielding man within the span of a breath.

One bolt went off before Sable found his foes, crashing just too high over Edric as the boy closed the distance between himself and his primary foe. The dagger wielding Guard turned, slicing his blade at the Initiate's torso in hopes of biting a gash into his flesh.

Edric's palm came up, slapping the blade away and using his other hand to catch the man's wrist.

There was a loud crack, followed by a scream.

Blade went tumbling into Edric's palm, fingers wrapping around it in an instant as he shifted and jammed the dagger into the mechanism of the portculus. Making it so, at least, cutting the rope would not send the thing flying closed.

 

[Samantha Black]

"Right, they'll be in the lower levels," Gilheed wiped a hand over his face as he mentally collected his marbles before looking to Noel with visible trepidation.

"Best not to tarry," Ilversmith hissed as he hastily straightened his robes with a venomous glare at the two girls.

"There's only one way in and out of there," said the Captain with warning, "we go down there ... we might not get back out again."

"We all came here knowing that of Wissburg," Ralene assured him, "it's a risk we have to take."

Gilheed nodded, "I can pass off the other two as outside recruits but you'll be recognized, Sam. If I bring you in as a captive, that may give you an opportunity to catch them unawares." Turning to his downed companion, he sighed and leaned down to take up the jailer's keys and a set of manacles. Ralene stepped forward and raised her hands without complaint though she saw Ilversmith narrow his eyes.

Once secured, he took her by the upper arm and lead the way back down the hall. They moved through the temple without interruption and barely a second glance from the guards or people within. Coming into the main atrium, Gilheed turned them down the central corridor where at the very end they stepped into an iron gated lift, "You two found her down in the camp trying to stir up a rebellion among the refugees. Don't speak unless directly spoken to."

He pulled a rope that rang a bell lower down. After a moment the lift began its descent.

 

[Sable Pembroke]

There were two soldiers left that Edric had not already dealt with, both of them touting their crossbows. The one that had fired dropped the contraption and reached for a shortsword on his belt. The other's eyes were wide and wild, unsure of whom to fire upon first, apparently, or at least uncertain of whether his bolt would even be effective. Sable would make the decision for him.

The young titan felt a growl form within his bosom as he charged, shield still lofted. The crossbowman tried to scream some obscenities and turn his bolt thrower towards Sable as he closed the gap; too late. The flanges of the initiate's mace cleaved down and through the crossbow, splintering it to pieces and smashing the soldier's left hand to a bloody pulp in the process. More pained screaming began to fill the room.

Simultaneously, the swordsman drew his blade and took a swipe at the very large threat that had just presented himself. A sharp *clang* rang out as the shortsword met the slab of steel that was Sable's shield. The titan had swung the shield outwards as he rushed in, predicting the soldier's aggression the moment he saw him reach for his hip. The shield slapped the sword aside and continued on to smash into the swordsman's face, sending the man reeling to the ground.

 

[Noel]

Noel simply nodded along as Gilheed laid out the plan. The fact that Ral trusted the man well enough to allow him to shackle her was a good enough sign that they could trust this turncoat. Though she'd want the full story after this endeavor was behind them.

A crow's smile flashed upon her face as they stepped into the lift. "I can pass as a mute recruit just fine."

As the tiny box they found themselves in descended Ilversmith's face was still full of fury. If they were lucky the priests that awaited them in the atrium would think he just was upset about whatever endeavor it was that led to Ral's capture. If they were unlucky their captain wouldn't be able to set his emotions aside and realize that the two initiates had done what was necessary.

Or at least, if anyone in command asked, Noel would insist this measure was necessary.

After a short ride the lift came to a stop. "This it?" her question was barely a whisper.

Gilheed just nodded as he led them forward into a quaint space. In her mind she'd imagined it as an elaborate and spacious area but the location they stepped into appeared dirty and in disrepair. Perhaps it was simply the lobby before the main entrance? Or maybe these priests believed in some sort of ascetic lifestyle?

 

[Edric]

There was a loud crack as another of the guardsmen died. A metallic clatter echoing out as he fell onto the ground with a thump. His sword scooped up a second later Edric finally retrieved a blade for himself.

He turned his head, searching, but found no one else alive.

Beyond he could hear the panic spreading, soldiers and militiamen rushing about in panic as they tried to reinforce their fellows and also stimmie the flames which were now coming. Most however, headed not towards the enemy within the gatehouse.

Instead they moved towards the gate itself, for they knew what was coming; The Anirian Army.

That had been the whole point of their part of the mission. Open the door and keep it open until the army could flood inside. There were no breaches in the wall yet, so if they could hold the door now...it was very likely that the siege of Wissburg would be done tonight.

"Break that fucking thing!" The Dreadlord shouted.

"We keep the gates open!" Edric glanced over towards the gate mechanism, letting out a curse as he turned and began to smash the massive pullies. "WE KEEP THEM OPEN!"

The Dreadlord reiterated once again, as if psyching herself up. Shouting as in the distance massive armored figures began to move towards those in the gatehouse. Not militia, not soldiers, but Knights. Those who in Wissburg were almost sacrosanct.

Those Edric had been supposed to join. The first real challenge.