Forum Wars - Civil War

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Ashleigh considered the question for a moment in silence. Well, the room was silent, but a soft melody played in her head. She tapped a finger to the beat for a moment.
"You're a good fighter, and I've worked with you in the past. I trust you more than I do any of the others" Ashleigh stated, she was by nature a very paranoid woman "But also... you'd be a better soldier if you could be more disciplined, and honestly I think I'm the only one up to the task of keeping you under control. You seem uncomfortable under authority, but you need to realise sooner or later that many of us are..." she was about to say "more intelligent" but thought that was unfair "... more strategically minded than yourself. And besides, I'd rather have you by my side, at least then I can keep an eye on you"

"That is a horse Ms Kala"
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"The Xanahammah?" Ran mused as he held the hammer protectively "Ooooh, well. It's an ancient artifact. And the Hammers would pay anything for it. I could always go sell it to them... Ten Thousand Sarn Dollars, I'd accept from you" Ran stated with certainty. He then stared at the crystal. He wasn't sure about it, but he'd never admit that "Fifteen Thousand for the crystal. And I'd love to join. And it's not stealing, it's borrowing without intent to return. What would you like me to do?"

 

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Veera opened her mouth to reply to Ashleigh, then stopped. What could she say? She had thought she had kept her issues with Alpha discreet, but here was Ashleigh, telling her that she knew. Did Jayce know? Did the others? Veera flushed, looking away from the demi god as she considered her words. How long? How much? How many others? The questions roared through her brain, waking what Veera had just tried to calm into slumber.

"A F*CKING LEASH?!" Alpha exploded into fury, driving white spots into Veera's vision as she rubbed her temples against the sudden headache. Her nerves tingled, the same way they did when Alpha took over in battle. But she wasn't in battle. Veera shut her eyes and rubbed her palms against them, trying to clear her vision as Alpha screamed and raved in her head. "YOU'RE WEAK! LET ME OUT! THIS WOMAN WON'T HAVE HER WAY WITH US!"

Not taking requests. Veera wished, not for the first time, she could find the switch in her mind to simply shut off Alpha, tune it out. But she couldn't, not when her fingers were slowly going numb, her feet soon to follow. "Excuse me." Veera murmured before heading into the most isolated area of the transport she could find. Flexing her fingers against the pain, Veera punched the wall, one, two, three times.

Alpha was still shouting in her brain, but her sense of touch slowly returned to her, along with the pain. "Tell me. What would make you happy?" She whispered. Image of blood, power, fighting, war all filled her brain. Veera sifted through them, refusing to flinch. Alpha wanted her scared, and she could not show her other side any fear. It was only a part of her, after all.

She sorted through the thoughts, one by one until she came to what she really wanted, what Alpha really wanted. A memory of her pack, the adults lazing in the sun as the pups played among the dirt and gravel. It wasn't her memory specifically, but one that Alpha cherished. We'll find that again. I promise. Just please, give me time. Veera remained focused on the memory, keeping it the only thought in her mind until Alpha was once more calm. As the venomous thoughts died, so too did the lust for blood.

Veera let her head fall back against the wall for a moment, shutting her eyes until the headache was manageable before walking back out to where Ashleigh remained. This time, she took a seat and leaned back, closing her eyes once more. Her legs were too shaky to provIde the strength needed to remain standing.

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Kala stared at Aster, her eyes wide as she struggled to comprehend everything he was saying. "A horse." She repeated after Timothy, fiddling wither her sleeve as she watched him ride away. "A horse." She remembered the sound of bells, and tinkling laughter. Hers? "Timothy, I think I want a horse. I think I had a horse." She grabbed a piece of her hair, chewing on the ends as she considered the predicament before her. She wanted to take that horse before Aster got too far, but the words about that authority thing circled through her head.

Still chewing on her hair, Kala went back to sit between Reitan and Timothy, leaning her head against the metal plates of the robot's arm. "Where do horses come from?" She asked suddenly, stopping the mutilation of her hair for a moment as she considered the question. "I mean, what came first? The horse and people decided, yeah, let's ride that. Or did the people come first and somehow create a horse?"

Brooding on her question, Kala descended back into thought.

 

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Kala seemed to be pretty transfixed by Aster's horse, which was another thing that he wasn't sure why it was the case. Though he's seen horses before so that sight was nothing special to him. Kala on the other hand, this possibly was the firs time she's seen one thus explaining her reaction.

And then came her question, in which Reitan didn't know how to respond. Partly because he didn't know how to answer that question himself in a satisfying manner, plus she technically did ask Timothy and thus there wasn't really much of a need for him to answer her. Unless she turned to ask him the same, then he would need to think of something.

 

Varraki had left the office and went to look for the one known as Zahariel whom he was dispatched with, he had met the individual before and the robes made him easy to look for as they easily stood out amongst all the soldiers. After a quick talk they went after their third man on their team. The talk was short and impersonal, introductions but without the niceties, the robed individual said that the Prince's performance would be judged by him and a word from Zahariel would go a long way through the entire organisation. Varraki didn't remark on it, but keeping Reitan's remark in the back of his mind to remained wary around the robed individual.

Eventually they found their third member in the form of David, Varraki looked at him, also robed. The Prince figured that once more he would have to remained wary. "We're deployed to one of our outposts, gonna have ourselves a little fight to defend it. That's all the Inheritor told me, we should head for the Shuttles at once, I have already told some of my men to meet me there. And David, you know this already, but just in case you have forgotten, I'm the one in charge here, is that understood?" Zahariel said, not meaning it as a question. Varraki merely watched, not interfering with this establishing dominance thing, he was a newcomer and therefore wouldn't allow himself to get caught in between these two. When David asked him whether he would join them the Prince nodded and simply stated "Yes I will be joining you." This would be an interesting operation that was for sure.​

 

Posting on behalf of Cal

She laughed dryly in response. "I may have a proposal for you." She had a small smile on her face. "People in my Kingdom think that I'm a saint, a God. Imagine if people thought the same of you. You'd have go Jayce running, if he thought..." Her voice trailed off. She had a downcast look on her face.
"What am I thinking? You wouldn't want to do something like that." She frowned. The remnant looked at Jaden with a kind of sadness, a puzzled look crossed her face as if she was thinking. She stood up, and paced around the room. "Of course. I could always do it for you. It would give you so much power..."

Jaden reclined in his chair and listened as the spirit of a long dead woman talked through the body of her descendent. It was an interesting proposal that she made. Her case wasn't strongly detailed, but he could already foresee potential advantages of this approach. Of course, there was one problem... It was a lie. And Jaden did not like lies that he could be easily caught up in. And there was something else, something deeper than that. Pride. The title of Inheritor in the Shards of Hope, it was about inheriting the legend. But Jaden didn't want to be just the embodiment of Aidan Samarost, he wanted to be more than that. His position was the tool to get there, but he would surpass his grandfather. He would not find himself carried by the legend of a man dead 150 years. He made a good cause, but the dead were dead.
"Tempting as your offer is, I'll have to decline Princess Calxiyn." He answered, clasping his hands together and setting them on the table. "If you could give me this ability for real... Perhaps you would sway me. Unfortunately this is not the case. I am not above deception, but this does not suit me. You see, I am more than just the next Samarost heir. I am not content with being thought of as Aidan Reborn. That isn't who I am. I am a different man, Princess. I bear the title of Inheritor as a path to something greater. I will not be remembered as his reincarnation, I will be remembered as a true successor who built on what came before! Besides, why would I want to claim to be the rebirth of a man who failed? And where would that make us stand?"
"It's a good deal for you, isn't it? You get a free pass to significance with no effort, and no right to it. Say what you want, but you're not one of us." Jaden's tone became deliberately scathing suddenly. He had to make his position clear. "These are not your lands any more, and I am not Aidan. Perhaps you were able to bewitch him, but the same shall not befall me."

Meanwhile, the Captain negotiating with Ransak reached over and shook the thief's hand.
"That is a deal that we will be happy to accept. A pleasure doing business with you." A few moments later, a soldier came in with a large wooden case. He placed it on the table and opened it. The requested some of money lay there, ordered in neat bundles of notes worth 1000 each. "As for what you can do for us, give us some time to think. Do you have any questions for me?" The soldier took the goods and left. There was a medium sized research lab in the camp set up in one of the large warehouses, where they were delivered. Immediately, excitement rose in the research teams. One of them sent a runner for Jaden.

A soldier found David, Zahariel and Prince Andar wherever they were.
"Sirs, a shuttle is ready for you to leave when you're ready." He said.





Carissa looked at Kala with a bemused expression. How doesn't she know anything about horses? Who is this girl, and how could she be so ignorant of basic things? I assume Jaden had a good reason for sending them here
"We found wild horses a long time ago, and we tamed them. Now we ride them. I don't know which came first though." She answered. Perhaps she had some sort of condition. Severe memory loss? It was possible. She may just need re-educating. As the convoy progressed, very little seemed to happen, until...
"HOSTILE SHUTTLES! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
"Let's get out there! Move!" She ordered, grabbing her crossbow and opening their transport at the back. She could see an enemy shuttle landed there, stopping their retreat and Order soldiers began to exit, guns blazing. She returned fire with her crossbow, and so the battle began.




The shuttle that they were on soon arrived at their destination and they could see the convoy en route. They were supported by craft with other troops inside, but they'd need to make the most of this surprise move. They had three transports as well as some lighter vehicles and troops. He looked at the team that was assembled with him. He nodded to them and drew Duskfall, the huge weapon glowing red.
"Let's go!" The Demi-God ordered. The shuttles swept down above the convoy and the back ramps opened up. Kalak ran for the exit and jumped out, landing gracefully on the ground amidst the Shard convoy. Two of the shuttles landed on either side of the convoy, effectively blocking it. They were staging a battle - Here and now.

Meanwhile, at The Valiant, a soldier approached Ashleigh and Veera.
"When you're ready sirs, there is a transport ready. We should start the attack soon though." ​

 

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"Excellent" Ashleigh responded to A Soldier. "Let us not hesitate" Ashleigh gestured for her subordinates and Veera to follow her and they got to the transport.

A short flight later
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Ashleigh strode into the Order encampment once they'd arrived. "Soldiers! Status report, what does the camp look like? How many troops do they have?"

 

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Ana watched as Kalak drew his sword, the weapon glowing red. She fingered the ring on her finger before turning it to the side, the spike sticking into her palm. Clenching it, she barely flinched as the spike pierced her flesh, drawing blood. She let her hand fall to her side, fingers opening as her blood began to coagulate into a shape; the shape of a curved sword.

"The battle in sight and all men lose their manners." She sighed before following him out, landing lightly on her feet, sword held out at her side. "You missed a word. I'll give you a hint. The word is please." She murmured to Kalak before strolling past him, her face losing all its humor and taking on a grim expression.

"So boys," she faced the soldiers that were scrambling for their weapons, "who's first?"

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Veera trailed after Ashleigh, keeping a wary eye on the soldiers but otherwise remaining silent. She was too afraid that a single word would bring Alpha back with a roaring vengeance. It seemed to be beaten back for now, but the wolf spirit was never gone for long. She could only hope they would fight soon enough, and Alpha's bloodlust would be sated.

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Kala opened her mouth to ask Carissa another question, when the woman jumped up, and a shout went through. Kala darted to her feet, startled and eyes widening as the door opened, guns blazing and Carissa strolling out as if she were simply taking a walk in...what did people take walks in? It didn't matter, because Kala gritted her teeth. "Come on Timothy. We gotta help." She wasn't sure why, but that wasn't her concern. Wasn't that what command meant?

She ran out through the opening after Carissa, not bothering to wait for Reitan or Timothy. Outside, it was pure chaos. She lost sight of the woman, and whirled, screeching as a man reached for her. Her hood fell back when she ducked under his arms and grabbed his neck with her hands, eyes glowing a bright blue as she pulled her lips back in a gruesome expression, the force of his life leaving his body overwhelming all conscious thought and feeling. It was over all too quickly, and the man fell dead, as she stood there, panting. She turned her eerie eyes on the man's partner, and faced him.

Monster. Monster! Evil! The shouts echoed in her head as the man pointed a gun towards her, fingers inching towards the trigger. Time seemed to slow as she watched, heart pounding. You can do this. You were born for this. The calm, gentle voice invaded her thoughts, cutting out the noise of the battle, the man's words as he screamed at her, everything but the pounding in her ears. I believe in you.

Kala jumped towards the man, arms outstretched.

 

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"Ms Kala!" Timothy shouted as she left the vessel. Kala was jumping through the air, sailing towards and enemy... when suddenly she stopped mid air. Timothy's metal hand grasped her and placed her back on the ground, before turning and punching the attacker so hard in the face he went flying backwards. "That was very dangerous Ms Kala, you could have gotten yourself hurt!" Timothy chided "Now I'm not going to stop you fighting, that's what we're here for after all, but you must be less reckless. Stay with me. They've got guns" Timothy leaned over Kala protectively as a swath of bullets came at them. Many of the bullets bounced off his thick metal shell, but some pierced through. "To cover, my lady!" He stated, as he grabbed her arm and dragged her behind the convoy.

 

"Your mind goes straight to lying and deception, should I be surprised?" She smiled. "But I am a warrior of light. I never mentioned such a thing." She put her hands down on the table.
"I'm not speaking about a fairy tale like lie. No. It's a truth. How do you think I did this to myself? It wasn't random, Jaden." She continued. "I knew exactly what I was doing when I did this. Effective immorality." She didn't smile but her eyes were dazzling with light.
"And I could give that same power to you..." Her voice trailed off. "But I guess if my services aren't required also take my business elsewhere." She shrugged.
"A Queen has to make a living too."

Jaden listened to her seriously, tapping his fingers on his desk as he waited for her to finish. She made interesting points, and most people would take that in a heartbeat. Jaden Samarost was not most people. Jaden Samarost was a proud man, one who had firm belief in his own abilities. If she could grant this power then she was simply too dangerous to let leave.
"My answer is no, Calxiyn." He replied with a tone of finality. "Your offer is interesting, but I have to refuse. Like I told you, I have no need of Aidan Samarost. His legacy is enough for my purposes, but I don't want his spirit. Why would I want it? He is a legend, and he is dead. Let him stay in the memories of immortals and the history books. I don't need another man in my head, one with his own regrets. No, I reject Aidan Samarost. Besides, if he was to enter my head then you'd be able to bewitch him again. I won't cast aside everything I have worked for." Jaden frowned at her.
"He is a broken man, fuelled by revenge. He failed to win the war, and it's time for a new mind to take his place. And immortality? Please, I don't need functional immortality from you. I'll earn it by the force of my genius and live forever in history." He looked Calxiyn in the eyes and smirked. "Your functional immortality makes you arrogant. Believe me, it will not protect you if battle comes to you. So far, all you have done is sacrificed generations of individuals for your own self-gain. You do not change, you do not learn. You stagnate. You are archaic, Calxiyn. Your ignorance of the wider world betrays your nature. You do not even know the world you live in, and the Hammers shall not help you find it. Why would you choose the losing side anyway?" He wasn't convinced by her at all. He didn't need the help of a woman out of her own time who was too afraid to accept her own death. He would not flee from his own mortality. His mortality gave him power, more than any foolish immortal or pseudo-immortal could understand. The will to achieve, to struggle for your very existence. He would prove that he was better than all of them.




The soldiers saw Teliana presenting herself as a target. They brought up their rifles and opened fire on the woman who presented herself as an obvious target.

Kalak saw the the soldiers opening fire on Teliana and took his moment. He leapt up on to one of the transport and then down, bisecting one of the soldiers with Duskfall as he jumped down. He rushed forwards and cut his way through the soldiers firing at his comrade.
"Got them." The Demi-God said gruffly. He moved on, heading for the next group of troops.

Carissa opened fire on the soldiers that approached, loosing crossbow bolt after crossbow bolt. There had to be more significant targets here, somewhere. It was just a matter of finding them. Peering around the corner of her transport, she saw a pair dealing with a small unit of troops. They didn't look like the rank and file. They must be the leading individuals here. The tall, white coated one she recognised as the Demi-God Kalak Vasher disappeared out of her line of sight, but the woman remained in range. She raised her crossbow and fired a bolt at her.

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Spoiler

"Ha. Xanatos never lost. That's why I was on his team. Make no mistake, what I lack in knowledge about this world I have gained looking at other ones, and through this past 100 of years I have learned a great deal about a many of things. When you have all the time in the world, reading is the best past time. Obviously what I'm trying to say is that I know that I'm smarter then you." She smiled cockily at him, Calxiyn taking control for a brief moment. It was evident, as she played with her hair and leaned back in her chair. But not for long.

The Remnant raised her eyebrow at him. Was his word really final? She smiled as he called her arrogant, seeing how easy it would be to get what she had wanted from the start, using his own words against him. She gave him a sly smirk. "If you think that my so called arrogance will not protect me in a battle, then why don't we put it to the test? You're a man of pride, Jaden, and so if you do not fear me then my next proposition will not frighten you." She stood up. "You're a proud man, Jaden. I wonder what the others would say if they found out you refused a fight from a little girl. How could anyone have any faith in you in that case?"

She now spoke seriously, but without any fear. "Fight me in a duel, Jaden Samarost. Prove that you don't need Aidan's power to help you win this war by fighting the person who fought by his side. If I win, I get to summon Aidan's soul into your body. If you win, well, you decide your terms."

"So, what will it be? You aren't afraid I'll hurt you, are you? Afraid you'll get a little boo-boo. That must be why you sit up here while all these people risk their lives for you. Too scared to go into battle, the great and mighty Jaden." She taunted.

 

Jaden narrowed his eyes at Calxiyn's comments. His patience was wearing thin with her, and now she made grand accusations of cowardice. She had nerve. He would hand that to her.
"Aidan fought with him too, don't you remember? What you say proves nothing. And Xan has disappeared from this world. His son fights for him now. I'd say that's an admission of defeat." He pointed out. "So what if you read? So what if you claim to be smarter? Do you think that matters to me? Your books give you theory but your ability to practice your knowledge can be questioned. I am a general, a strategist. You are not." She was proving herself most ignorant.
"For someone who claims intelligence, you're rather foolish. The fact is this, girl, there are those who lead from the front. Aidan was one such person. I am not my grandfather. I fulfil my role in other ways. I plan and I allow others to claim glory. My place is not the battlefield." Jaden replied, refusing to be baited by her. "Do you think that my soldiers don't know that I don't take to the field? Of course they do. They rely on me for other reasons. They know that I fight the war my own way. I don't need to prove myself to someone who comes into my office and taunts me. I know that you fought beside my grandfather, and I know that you have magic. I do not have magic, and my grandfather was raised to be a soldier. Do you wish to fight a Samarost? I recommend my cousin Carissa. She is a born fighter, and I'm sure that she'll give you a run for your money. I have not received the same training. You likely already know this, and that's why you set your victory conditions to bringing Aidan into my head." He showed no fear in his response. The battlefield did not scare him, but it was not his place. He had to do what he did best, where he would make the most difference. Fighting alongside the rank and file was not that. Instead, he was best suited to leading from behind, constructing the plans and allowing his troops to see it done.

"Accept it Calxiyn, Aidan is dead. I am not him, and I will not be him. Apparently that is all you care about." His eyes intensified. "Perhaps you consider Aidan a better man than I. So do the rest of the Shards of Hope. You won't surprise them. I have nothing to prove on the field of battle." ​

 

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Spoiler

"Carissa... do you mean the girl my brother fancies?" Calxiyn laughed.

Her face fell for a moment. "It's not that I want Aidan back." Her voice trialed off, and she turned her back to him for a moment. "Aidan, Aidan wouldn't want to see me, anyway..." Her voice cracked, and heat came over her face as her eyes watered. She felt her sadness turn to rage, and she looked back at him with a deafening look in her eyes. "I'll beat Carissa. And then I want to beat you. I doubt she'll mind, my brother 'told' me that she likes the fight. But when I win, I get exactly what I asked for. Not only that, but if you're so sure Carissa can beat me like you say, then I'll add another layer: I want to lead along side you, as is my birthright."


"If you think that I can't defeat Carissa, that shouldn't be a problem for you. And if she does win, I'll do whatever you ask of me." Her voice wasn't desperate, but it was filled a madness. "I think that's fair. I'm risking complete servitude, and you apparently have nothing to lose if she's any good."

She couldn't turn back now. She wanted what she had came for.

 

Jaden laughed.
"Does he now? Well, good luck to him. Carissa is known for having an icy heart. He will find it difficult to make headway." He commented. "Many have tried, all have failed. I don't believe that she is interested in such things as romance. Nevertheless, try. One might succeed eventually." He listened to what she was saying. Apparently this was not in fact about wanting Aidan back. He hit a nerve it seemed. Good. Her offer was risky. She was apparently fervent about this plan, but why she insisted on Aidan entering his mind was something quite beyond him. She finally got to the bottom of what she came here for, gaining power. He was not surprised. She seemed to believe that she had a right to their power, but she was mistaken.
"How can you possibly believe you have any right to power? Your birthright lies solely in your city. You do not take our last name. Some of our blood you may share but you are not one of us Calxiyn." Jaden reminded. "You have not been through the trials of our family and you have not been brought up as our family. Our souls are fundamentally different. You are an aberration, the product of functional immortality. Why would I ever deign to hand over power to you?" There was more.
"Your servitude? So you can assassinate me when I let my guard down? So you can keep close, and eventually try to win me over? To keep yourself in close proximity so it appears that you are more than you really are to the people? You know full well that I will not simply kill you - You could have far more uses. Ultimately, you benefit far more from these terms than I. If you want this deal so much, then let us add a condition." He gave her a wolfish smile. "If you have birthright to my kingdom, then I have a right to yours. If my cousin wins, then your kingdom belongs to me. Not just through you as a puppet governor, as the true ruler. I will be your emperor, and all my family to come. And to have Aidan would be to lose myself, to destroy my own pride. Your pride for my pride, my nation for yours. If you will agree to those conditions, then I can see this deal being worthwhile. Just remember that no matter what happens here Calxiyn, this deal is made out of my own grace. I have no real reason to accept it." He had to ensure that if this battle went on, that Carissa had the best possible chance of winning. He'd commission advanced, state of the art equipment that would allow her to defeat Calxiyn for sure. What she had right now would be good enough, but he was not content with good enough. He wanted certain. Some might accuse him of not playing fairly, but Jaden Samarost did not play fairly. He played to win. For the sake of his pride, for Carissa's pride, for the Samarost family's pride, he was going to make sure that they won this battle. That country and its power would be his, she would be his servant forever. If he could win, he would find a way to turn Project AVENGER against her and rid himself of that functionally immortal witch who should have gone to her grave one hundred and fifty years ago. ​

 

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Spoiler

"I would never hurt you. As far as I'm concerned, if you're Aidan's blood then you're like family. I loved Aidan more then anything in this life, and I would never hurt his children, or his descendants. I feel his presence here." She rose her voice slightly, emotion cracking in his voice.

"But I know you're not as honest, and I bet with everything I've said today you want to destroy me. Even if you could get my Kingdom, you'd still need me. You won't understand anything about the Kingdom, and you don't have the Keyblade." She continued.

"But, if it is my servitude then I could assist you with knowing the ways of my people, and even give you that powerful weapon in order for them to accept you. They'd destroy you otherwise. You need me, and you would need me for the rest of your ruling line, so here's your first lesson." She said a matter a factly.

"It's said that those with strength of heart, turn into a Heartless, and A Nobody when they are defeated. If both of those monsters are destroyed, the person will return to their full form. There is no death in my Kingdom, Jaden. Keyblade Wielders fight in order to protect the world but also bring those with strong hearts back from the darkness. I've seen it happen, to those who wield the Keyblade, it's almost certain."

"And thus, you'll never be truly rid of me. I'm willing to accept your deal, but with this in mind, are you? Is the only reason you're accepting is because you think that you'll be able to destroy me? Because that's not likely." She had a smug smile on her face as she spoke to Jaden, with unwavering conviction. "But, if you're okay with the possibility of having me around for the rest of your life, then we could proceed."

 

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The next person to exit out of the vehicle was Reitan. The battle had already started since his arrival to the scene. His eyes started to scan the area for someone that looked to be a decent challenge and whole that was arrogant thinking, he knew for a fact that random foot solider would pose no threat to him. That said he couldn't disregard their exist completely, so while he did this Reitan was certain to defend himself against their oncoming attacks.

The first person he's eyes noticed was Carissa and the one she had fired an arrow off towards. It was a female, one dressed clearly differently from the other random foot soldiers. Call it a hunch or the weapon that appeared to be made of blood that she was using, but he felt like he could get a challenge from her. Thus with a quick spin of his lance, an orb of light appear in front of him and was fired off towards Teliana.

 

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Teliana was having a bad day. First Kalak was a little slow on the uptake, and didn't take out the soldiers she had so helpfully distracted. Choosing a few not so nice descriptions of her comrade, one of which rhymed with "ducking bassmole", she managed to dodge all of the bullets except three, two of which grazed her skin, and one that pierced her shoulder.

That was only the beginning. As she struggled to control the flow of blood that stemmed from her injuries, she caught sight of an arrow. A d*mned crossbow bolt, to be exact. She threw herself to the ground, grunting as the air was forced from her lungs while the bolt whistled overhead, nearly taking some of her hair with it.

And then, just to put the cherry on top of that delicious ice cream sundae, a man fired a lance towards her. "Oh come ON!" She screamed, throwing her hands out in front of her, the sword morphing into a shield. She felt the energy drain dramatically, and stumbled to her feet, sweat glistening on her forehead. "Guess I won't be going on that date." She muttered, her arm shooting out to reform the sword as she narrowed her eyes. She raced across the battlefield towards the two most competent, and therefore dangerous people; Carissa and Reitan.

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​

Kala gasped when she was stopped mid-jump, and then smiled up at Timothy as he set her down. "It'll be okay." She said confidently, even as he dragged her to cover. She could see Carissa and Reitan both focusing on an enemy who.."That's gross." She commented, pointing at Ana's weapon of choice. "And it doesn't look very healthy." There was another man darting around the battlefield, but Kala lacked the confidence to attack him just yet. Instead she darted out from cover for a moment to attack another guard, gritting her teeth as his life shoved its way through her veins. She stumbled back towards Timothy, her eyes darting up to the robot.

The man's voice filled her head with screams before going quiet, joining his comrade in...wherever they were in her head. "Watch out!" She told the robot, trying to shove him down as another guard took aim at them. Something grabbed her arm, and she whirled, shoving it away from her, breaking contact before the jolt of death filled her body again. The gun pointed straight at her chest, and she hissed before batting it aside and pouncing on him, her hand pressed to his face. The energy left his body quicker that way, and she panted as yet another life was taken.

Something was uncurling inside her, purring with each bit of energy captured, hissing as the flow of life was cut off. More. It demanded. And Kala was only too happy to oblige.

 

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even after everything, she would so readily give herself up to Aidan Samarost. She was so dedicated. His grandfather truly was a fool. He may have loved Rosanne, but Calxiyn was a tool that he could have used well. Now, assuming Carissa could win he would have access to that tool as well. He wasn't sure whether he believed her when she said that she couldn't harm any of his descendants. There had to be something deeper than that. He didn't trust the unconditional loyalty she appeared to show in the slightest. He knew that he'd make the same overtures in her position, regardless of the truth of it. Then she went on to explain the mechanics of her soul, body and other things. It was good to know, and already his brain was comprehending ways to break down that system and destroy it. He concluded that it was well within the possibilities of the fully completed AVENGER. That suited him perfectly. He matched her smug smile with a smirk of his own.
"I have nothing to worry about. I've got plenty to learn from you about these weapons apparently. They could help me win my war." He spoke in perfect coolness. "I think there' plenty for me to gain and I trust Carissa. I know what she is capable of. Did you know that she killed Jayce's sister? The leader of the Demi-Gods' sister. And the rest. Believe me, she is more than capable of winning this battle against you. You might have functional immortality and all that, but that robs you. You can't beat Carissa. Do you know why, Calxiyn?" He set his hands on the table, clasped together as per usual and explained it to her as plainly as he could.
"Humanity is strong because we struggle against the abyss. We are keenly aware of our mortality, the frailty of our being and so we struggle. She is the very incarnation of the struggle to survive, a killer impulse given form that exists to destroy everything and anything that would threaten that survival. Your much vaunted immortality robs you of that." He explained. "You have powerful weapons and magic, but she has the tools of her trade and she has the will to survive. She has the knowledge that any mistake could be her death. She knows her life balances on a knife edge, and a single misstep will make her fall. What is death to you, Calxiyn the Remnant?" He grinned and shook his head, seemingly amused.
"You don't stand the ghost of a chance."





Kalak saw Teliana under heavy attack, and he recognised that lance attack. There was only one person from whom it could have originated. That lancer from the Tower. He was here? What luck. But then he spotted something else. A woman, and she was seemingly absorbing the life from soldiers through her touch, and there was a robot with her. Curious. Kalak approached, Duskfall in both hands and swung at Kala, deigning her as the greater threat for now.

Carissa saw Teliana rushing towards them and drew up her Crossbow again. She probably didn't have to give Reitan any instructions, he'd know that he ought to keep in front of her as he was the melee fighter of the two of them. She didn't want to use any of her special bolts yet, so she instead fired off a pair of standard bolts towards the woman who seemed to be using her blood as a weapon. ​

 

David's pov:



'We're deployed to one of our outposts, gonna have ourselves a little fight to defend it. That's all the Inheritor told me, we should head for the Shuttles at once, I have already told some of my men to meet me there. And David, you know this already, but just in case you have forgotten, I'm the one in charge here, is that understood' It made sense that he was asked to go out to a outpost and help fight defend it. He wondered what outpost it would be. He would find out in time he guessed. The last battle at the tower had not gone well, but he was sure that this would change. He hoped that that shards would not lose again. Go to the shuttles right. As for who was in charge he could care less as long as said person showed some smarts on the battle filed he could care less who they were. That said he was not going to get his hopes up here. So far he did not like what he had seen in the last battle to the whole Rose thing. He would just have to see and go with whatever happened. He did not see Zahariel fight so he would have to see how that turned out. The other man was joining them. "A marksman should be useful out there." A soldier found them and said something about the Shuttles being ready. "Right." He head off toward thee shuttles without another word. He was ready for whatever task Jaden had set for them. When he got back he would have a word with Jaden and hope that he would not be pushed back again for something elce for what he had to say could made a difference.

 

David didn't seem to answer him, probably lost his tongue or more likely was sensible and knew when to shut up, no matter as long as he wouldn't second-guess his orders on the field all would be fine. A soldier came to them saying the shuttles were prepped for launch. "Very well, we shall go." Zahariel walked with the Andaran Prince towards the shuttle, before boarding he pointed the Prince to an ammunition stock. "Bring more than enough, our enemies will not be left wanting." The Andarran Prince stocked up on munitions for both his weapons and boarded the shuttle where he saw six other men all armed to the teeth already sitting on seats lining the walls of the shuttle, backs against the hull. These were Zahariel's Ironwing.

When everyone got on board the shuttle, the back ramp rose and the shuttle launched towards it's destination. "We all know why we are here, the Hammers are pushing, we will not give them an inch, it falls to us to hold that ground and you will not want for targets. You are the Ironwing, your actions today will be watched, you will be judged on your performance, though you all know that this is nothing new when working with me. You have made it this far, do not disappoint me." Zahariel spoke as he stood in the shuttle holding on to a grip attached to the ceiling of the shuttle. He looked his men over, two LMG's, their operators carrying SMG's as side arms. Three riflemen, with extra ammo and grenades and a single tank hunter, just in case. They would hold that ground, between the Ironwing, the Ancient God and the two other operatives they would hold that ground.​