Private Tales Those Fallen

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Saul would see the oddest thing in the water if he just looked down-- a little blonde head swimming fiercely towards the boat in the far distance. It wasn't moving fast, apparently not an adept swimmer. In fact it seemed to be splashing a lot.
 
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Saul didn't see it at first, too focused on his own little world to even realize there was something else. He frowned as he thought about just how they would search for Ana. Doing so would be all but impossible if they didn't want to get caught, not to mention the danger of someone trailing them back to the ship.

They had to consider the safety of everyone on board, not just the eight of them. Owin would be able to move through the city freely, as would some of the others but he wasn't so lucky. "Myrelle, you ca-"

He paused for a second as he spotted something moving within the waves.

The Harbor of Alliria was located within the straits. The water was choppy, the current strong. Add the ships moving about and the cargo haulers moving between the two sides of the city and it had long since been true that the Harbor was not a safe place to go swimming.

His frown deepened.

"What is it Saul?"
Leane asked as she stepped up behind him, but by the time she spoke Saul was turning and rushing towards the door. "She's in the water!"
 
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Chaos broke out, bodies moving and voices ordering. The rowboat was dropped, several bodies inside of it. Together with Saul, Leane rowed fiercely towards the blonde, who had stopped trying to fight the current all together and now struggled to stay up. The sight of them closing in to grab her renewed her efforts and she remained above water and sputtering by the time Edwin reached out and hauled her up.

She spilled sopping across the the boat floor, coughing wretchedly through the words, "They're coming."
 
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Saul lips thinned almost as soon as she said the words. "Back to the ship."

The order was followed faster than he had actually given it. Leane plunged her oar back into the water, knucjling Saul to do the same. Without another word they steadily rowed back to shore, Saul casting a concerned look at Ana as Edwin pulled a small blanket from beneath somewhere.

The water of Alliria was not frozen, nor was it cold outside today, but a blanket always helped.

Though it took them a few moments, the four Templar quickly made their way back to the ship. A rope was lowered for Ana, and Saul quickly helped Edwin tie it securely around her hips. The others used a ladder built into the side of the ship, quickly scaling.

"To the Ballista!" This ship had three of them. "Get your bows, crossbows, swords."

They would have to fight soon.
 
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Ana leaned heavily on Berrick, fingers digging into his clothes as she shook her head at the orders. "Not now, but soon. Today. They backtracked your last actions and found that noble of yours, Saul. They pulled him in this morning, they know everything by now. The ship, it's name. They'll send out a navel ship if you give them a chance. It's not safe in the harbor, pull out."
 
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He paused for a second. "We can't."

The Commander's tone surprisingly held none of the panic that he now felt. His head was going a mile a minute with a dozen different scenarios of what could now happen, his lips thinning.

If they sent a ship the City Watch had to be involved, and if the Watch was involved Arrawaith was likely paying them, but with what? He had no money, no artifacts, no bonds. Not anymore. Unless he didn't tell them about the Bank Robbery or lied about something there.

A frown touched his face.

"None of us know how to do much except unfurl the sails." His fingers tightened. "They'd catch us the minute we left the harbor."

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
 
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Ana gritted her teeth, everyone on that ship knowing at once what that meant for them.

Leane stepped forward as Berrick guided Ana away for a change of clothes. She moved fine, however she had gleamed that information, it had costed her nothing but an exhausting swim across questionable waters. As they went under, he could be heard murmuring questions burning in their minds. Where had she been. What had she done.

"Sir," Leane spoke low, her expression alight with an idea. "If they come for us, they'll use full force." Excitement was in her voice, ever the tactician, she clearly saw an advantage there and was imploring him to explore it with her.

If Arrawrath put most of his men on a ship ... who would be left behind for the compound.
 
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Did they keep the ship or take the compound?

"Arrawaith won't be with them." Saul sounded so confident that it was almost assuredly a fact. The man had never been one to lead from the front, and thus he would stay back in the compound waiting for word of how this all shook out.

The City Watch would be ferrying Arrawaith's remaining Templar, likely helping in the fighting...but most of it would still have to be done by their wayward brothers. That meant the majority of Arrawaith's forces would be there.

"Get everyone off the ship." He told Leane quickly. "Use the lifeboats, life-vests, ask the other ships around us. I want everyone on shore in an hour."

He ground his teeth. "Leave the treasure if we have to."
 
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The order rang out, and while most of the others ran to handle their things, it was Myrelle and Valerie that broke for the treasure. Bags were commandeered, clothing left behind, precious holy swords were strapped to spare hips. And soon Saul would find that a majority of their conquests, gathered by three armfuls in the vaults, were easily spread across the many hands of his people.

The few boats they had were filled to the brim and sent off, Edwin stepping to Saul's side. "The last of the ship is just being stripped. I think we can all fit in the next round." The many hands on the boats were taking turns rowing, and Saul would be pleased to find that in a short thirty minutes they were already making steady pace in their evacuation.

"We'll take the back roads over. Best to avoid any of them in the street or by the gates," Leane reasoned.

Berrick stepped up with Ana, both holding bags of all that they owned.
 
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Saul frowned slightly. "Ana?"

In truth she was one of the few things still on the forefront of his mind.

They had an opportunity to strike now, to attack and perhaps end all of this before it truly ran away and caused destruction...but it would be for naught if they weren't together for the end of all of this. Saul would not leave a single person behind on this ship, not if it meant certain death.

That went doubly for Ana.
 
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Ana swallowed hard, rocking back on her feet as the shifting attention to her felt heavy and unwanted. Her gaze held his, hard and full of sorrow. "...Save our order, Saul. Just.... do what you have to do." She looked away, her shoulder slumped as she chose Templar over herself for the first real time in her life.

Everything else she has endured, it had never been a sacrifice. Not truly. This was her passion and she felt no qualms over the cost of their jobs. Until now. Until more of their brethren had to die to assure the order itself could survive.

It broke her heart. In all the ways a Templar was trained to not have one.
 
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The Commander hesitated for a moment, hearing the pain in Ana's voice and seeing it on her face. His lips thinned for a brief moment and he wasn't quite sure what to do. It was only Edwin's stern gaze that snapped him back into reality.

There was work to be done, and as much as he wanted to hold himself forward, as much as he wanted to take Ana away from all of this...he had his duty. A breath filled his lungs for a moment, steady, calm, but a facade.

"Abandon ship." He said quietly.

The words pained him. He knew very well that the City Watch would likely confiscate this ship and even if they managed to take the compound they would never get it back. It was an asset lost, but...it would be worth the sacrifice.

"We're taking the Compound." He saw Leane step up behind Ana, putting a hand on her shoulder to lead her away to the boat. "We're taking back our home."

Then this would be done.
 
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Ana drew strength from Leane's hand, standing up a little taller as the last boat was loaded with the 9 and a few spare others crouched on the floor. They dropped softly into the water and took off, watching their men hit the shoreline first and start their systematic dispersal through the city streets, different gates all to be taken out of Alliria before meeting up at their randevu point on the west edge of the woods.

Ana looked at no one, her face pale and set in its determination. There was no shying back from her duties here. She was the best fighter among them, they would need her. And she would do it.

She could be torn up about it later.

She took an ore out of Edwin's hand and paddled fiercely.
 
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The trip to shore was surprisingly uneventful, though that perhaps had to do with the fact that they set themselves far on the eastern dock.

As they landed Saul pulled a spyglass from his coat, glancing back towards the Harbor. There he watched two ships approach the one they had just left. They were smaller vessels, not mainstays of the Allirian navy but instead marked with the flags of personal command of the Watch commander.

He frowned.

What did that meant?

Was the Watch not in it after all? He puzzled back what Owin had told him earlier, the two commanders meeting with Arrawaith. Perhaps he'd only managed to bribe one of them and left the other honorable. Lips thinning the Commander replaced his spyglass and joined the others.

Inside of two hours they found themselves upon a hilltop just five miles from the compound, most of them readying their weapons.
 
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Orin returned from the depth of the woods, his hands covered in dirt and the treasure effectively hidden for later retrieval. It was at that Leana nodded, pulling up to Saul's left, Edwin on his right. "We're ready for you, Sir."

Edwin murmured in agreement. Myrelle bounced on her toes, eyes already locked and planning on the wall.

"They won't be prepared for this," Valerie assured him, somehow looking put together despite their many days on a boat with no bathes or brushes.

Ana stepped up and placed a light hand on Saul's back. A wordless reassurance, unnatural for her. But it at least it came all the same.
 
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A breath shuddered through him as Ana placed a hand on his back.

"The secret entrance." It was a childish thing to call it, but then again the tunnel was something they had discovered when they were just children.

After this they would likely need to seal it up. Most of the Templar they had with them could be trusted, but a secret was not kept well among two hundred people. The Secret Entrance was a tunnel beneath the western wall, one that the ten of them had discovered at a young age.

Once, he supposed, it had been used as a way to get contraband and such into the Compound, though when they'd found it the thing had long since been abandoned.

"We use it, storm the compound." No one would die in the assault that way. "Everyone else takes whatever prisoners they can. We go straight to Arrawaith."
 
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"Right, this way then," Edwin said to those behind him. And with sharp gestures, he started leading their men around towards the side, where the sewage drainage laid.

Anyone that says invades are glorious business is either a liar or has never truly done one before. Ana walked with others, ducking under a hill to avoid detection as they went. No amount of nose pinching would save them from the scent, but the prying of vines off the walls would reveal the entrance besides the drainage pipes along the walls.

Everyone quickly entered in, Leane on high alert as she watched over the hills they came from.
 
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The sight was a rather ludicrous one.

More than a hundred men and women sneaking through the underbrush and making their way through a fortresses shit tunnels. Any other day Saul might have laughed. Any other day he might have said something to someone, but now he just remained quiet as he moved at the head of the column.

Moving quickly Saul ducked through the inner entrance of the tunnel, pulling a large rack of wood to the side and doing his best to remain quiet. "Bella."

He calledto a female templar.

"Take twenty and head to the gate house." The woman nodded and orders were passed down the like. "Thea, take fifty and take the stables."

So it went, splitting their forces and directing them until only nine remained. "Come on."

Saul said quietly as they headed towards the Compounds manor.
 
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It wasn't as Ana had pictured it. Silently stalking halls, Myrelle up ahead and swiftly taking down a lone Templar before they could approach themselves and assist with the restraining.

Orin covered their backs, though it proved largely uneeded. Leane was right, not many men remained behind. And the children and tutors that did were already being handled by other groups.


There was some comfort to be found in the nonviolence of their approach. A great appreciation that the blood spilt in the square would remain most of what was lost. At least, today.

It was at the Commander's office door that they halted. Ana stepped back, wordlessly exchanging a solemn look to Saul as Leane and Edwin took his sides, preparing to barge in with him.
 
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His boot landed square against the heavy wooden door.

There was a loud crack, the sound of splintering wood echoing down the empty hallway. The lock broke, and with a slam the doorway jarred against it's opposite wall.

"What the he-"

Arrawaith's words died within his throat, absolute shock painted across his features. Surprise colored his cheeks, eyes wide as Saul stepped through the doorway quickly followed by Leane and Edwin. All three of them held their swords, apparently more than ready to use them.

The massive chamber of the Lord Captain of the Broken Sword had been garishly decorated. Golden furniture, tapestries, and everything else in between. Saul scowled. "Looks like you raided the vault before we did."

It was the only thing he said as he began to cross the room towards Arrawaith.
 
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It was a hard matter to bring in more men, so Myrelle creeped her way to the next intersection, standing guard. Leaving just Ana and Valerie, Berrick lingering behind to deal with the few Myrelle had already subdued.

Ana casted Valerie a watery expression, listening to the commotion from within.

"You're under arrest," Edwin growled, sword pointed firm as Saul moved to apprehend him. "For treason."

Arrawraith removed frozen in shock for a moment more before snapping into action. His eyes betrayed his next movement a moment before he took them-- a leap toward the edge of the desk where his sword laid. Too cocky. Not even properly armed.
 
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Saul moved quickly.

He'd never been the best swordsman, far from it, but he was fast. The steps he'd already taken helped him a great deal, and as Arrawaith sprang for his blade the Commander dashed forward and brandished his sword.

The flat of his blade smacked against Arrawaith's palm, a loud crack of bone ringing out as the blessed steal slammed against flesh. The instant after Saul closed the rest of the gap between himself and the traitor, his armored boot jutting up to strike the man in the chest and send him against the wall.

His blade flashed forward a moment more, ending right before the mans neck. "Your schemes are finished."

The temptation to kill him, to end all of this was strong, so strong the blade pressed to the mans neck began to shake.
 
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Leane and Edwin did not move to stop Saul, both believing the decision was entirely in his right to make. Silence descended upon the room, filling with nothing but the soft pleas falling from Arrawaith's lips as he faced his death. It was at that noise though that Ana stepped around the corner, eyes seeking out the cause.

"Saul?" Came the unsure tone. Was he... actually considering this, or just having a moment of angry weakness? She stepped forward, her brows furrowed. Saul wasn't often one to lose himself to him anger, but the way his hand shook had her speaking before she could think.

"Don't do it. You're not a murder, Saul. You're the hand of justice ... he needs to see a court," she implored softly.
 
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What Court?

Templar? Allirian? It would have been so much easier just to execute him here, end it all and make sure everyone knew who had won. His fingers tightened for a moment, his grip on the sword turning his knuckles white. A breath filled his lungs and his entire body seemed to shake.

Then he pulled his sword away.

Relief washed across Arrawaith's face, but before he could take even that Saul's boot came up and crashed into the man's nose. There was a loud crunch and a scream as the man fell to the side, his hands reaching up to clutch his nose.

"Shackle him." Saul said as he turned and walked away, his body visibly tense.
 
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Edwin and Leane pushed forward to do just back. Ana took a stumbling step back, her breath leaving her in a woosh as Saul left through the space she made. She wavered without confidence in place, watching the others maintain control over the situation for a pause ... before turning and rushing after Saul.

She grabbed his arm to stop him before he could roam far, much of this compound still unsecured.

"Hey... You did the right thing."
 
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