the war of pirenne | dragons vs humans | closed

[cocogerber13]

Mathias Iversen ♠︎ Human Soldier ♠︎ Tags: Royal Army Forward Camp Delta; Titus

Mathias breathed in ragged breaths, hearing cries of joy or pain or even orders from the dragon's retreat. The man grinned at the break himself, taking a pause to close his eye for a moment. "That was a close one." He grumbled eventually. At the sounds of hooves pounding on the ground, the brown-haired trainee sat up with a dizzy head. The man, which Mathias couldn't see all too clearly with his pounding headache and limited vision, seemed not dissapointed at checking on the Mage. Mathias took this to be a good sign and gave an almost laugh in relief. Upon seeing the hand, the man took it with a nod of thanks and got to his feet with only a soft exhale of his nose at the effort. "Seemed like a more useful task then letting a half-blind man aim a bow and arrow." He chuckled, realising who he was talking to when he glanced at his face. "O-oh, Captian..." Mathias made a quick effort to salute to his superior before recalling the sitauation and sucking in a sharp breath. "Wait, was there not another Mage that was dropped?" The soldier had internally froze at seeing he was face to face with the Titus Eutherius and his own civil disobedience even within the army, but it was momentarily forgotten as he remembered the dragon's leave.

Kokyu ♠︎ Dragon Scout ♠︎ Tags: Woodland near human city; Jessica

Kokyu tensed ever so slightly at seeing Jessica bare her teeth at him, his heart skipping a beat when he recalled that it was a friendly gesture for the humans. "Yes, that would be great. Thank you." He eagerly accepted the invitation with a small bow of his head, hoping he hadn't just blown his cover. Of course he hadn't, though, since it was hardly noticeable and he was the Great and Noble deceiver (TM), but he didn't like taking risks like that. At the girl's comment the late teen gave a soft chuckle himself. "Yes, taking a trip off of it wasn't my individual plan. You see, the wind's decision to take my hat and my wish to catch it is what led me here." Kokyu explained with a closed-mouth grin. They continued walking in silence, which the black and white-haired man welcomed until Jessica's curious question. "Oh, do people here usually travel that way?" He arched an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. With a small shrug to himself, the dragon in disguise breathed out a sigh. "I suppose you can say that I willingly took on the danger to come here. I wanted to make it big and explore the world. No one else seemed to share my aspirations though- they called me things like 'crazy' and how I was a 'death-seeker'." He admitted, a smile once again on his face. His golden eyes flickered to Jessica, tilting his head a bit when he remembered his she had said that it was dangerous for humans. Had she seen him transform and was putting up an act? Kokyu grew a tiny bit hesitant at this, though he didn't show it. "What about you, then? What were you doing out in the woods?" He questioned. It wasn't an accusation, but curiosity- at least, that's what his expression gave off.

[seraphici]

Ahone Grays
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Prince | Riding | tags; General Xiao

Xiao’s remark about the soldiers instantly got the prince’s attention, causing him to let out a small sigh of relief she didn’t get mad at him. Yet with the soldiers, that left him both confused and curious. “Why do you say that?” It wasn’t the fact he was used to being respected and greeted everywhere he went in the city that got him confused by the not-so-warm welcome warning, but it was the questions that ran through his head right after Xiao had finished. Did she mean that they would ignore him or be, well, rude in any way possible. Ahone understood now why the general didn’t want him to keep watch so he made no further mention of it.

Nymerra
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Dragon Healer | Royal Army Forward Camp Delta | Tags;

As the dragoness approached the fire, she saw a larger, much more ancient dragon fly away from it, his voice booming across the land all the way to where Nymerra now hovered in the sky, eyes wide in both horror and surprise. Vrhaemar... as the ancient flew off, the jade dragon flew in closer to the fire to see humans hard at work restoring their camp and healing wounded. Looking around the area, her eyes landed on a giant crater in the middle of the human camp with a giant smoldering rock right in the middle of it.
Knowing better than to get too close, Nymerra stayed just out of range of the humans weapons and just watched in awe. She had never seen human elementals in action before and that’s what she was mesmerized by.

[jules_]

X I A O ---M E I
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rank ⇌ general
location ⇌ riding
tagged ⇌ Prince Ahone
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"You're a prince, you've had a pretty good life I'd have to guess. These soldiers have been in the service before they were even adults, some as young as 16. I personally have been in training to be a soldier before I had even been alive a decade." Xiao said, staring straight ahead. "Most nobles have no idea what it's like, it's not about honor and knights in shining armor. It's about living in constant anxiety, always moving until the day you die." she continued on, keeping her voice a flat disinterested monotone. "See, people care if you die, your highness. When you're in battle that makes you a liability. Soldiers are expected to keep you alive at any cost, watch your tent when you sleep, use their life to shield yours if they have to." After a lengthy pause, she turned to look at him. "I'm only five years older than you, did you know that?" she asked solemnly. "I'm only in this position because my mentor died. He was young too, and I'm even younger. That's the reality of what you're about to step into. Everyone but you out there in the field is completely, totally disposable. We're all fighting this war, and we're going to fight it until it kills us while the nobles sit pretty in their golden towers. Do you understand now? "

[seraphici]

Ahone Grays
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Prince | Riding | tags; General Xiao

Ahone didn't say a single thing and simply nodded, his gaze shifting away from Xiao to the path ahead. Keep me alive at any cost? They should be worrying about their own safety, not mine..

Not a single word was spoken as they continued down the path, Ahone not wanting to hear anymore, feeling terrible for joining in on this war. He has no training with anything except his magic and because of this he would probably slow everything going on down. He was joining at an age that could be considered 'old' for those in the war which just made it even worse.

Glancing over at Xiao, he couldn't help but feel, what was it... pity? sorry? He couldn't tell what it was, he just knew that the fact that the general was barely older than him shook him to the core, the life expectancy shaking him up even more. Looking back ahead of them, Ahone just listened to the partially sound of their horse's hooves hitting the dirt path and just breathing in the smell of the forest and smoke. Smoke?.. With sudden realization, the prince puled back on Calico's reins and stopped her mid step. "General?.."

Nymerra
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Dragon Healer | Royal Army Forward Camp Delta | Tags;

As the dragoness approached the fire, she saw a larger, much more ancient dragon fly away from it, his voice booming across the land all the way to where Nymerra now hovered in the sky, eyes wide in both horror and surprise. Vrhaemar... as the ancient flew off, the jade dragon flew in closer to the fire to see humans hard at work restoring their camp and healing wounded. Looking around the area, her eyes landed on a giant crater in the middle of the human camp with a giant smoldering rock right in the middle of it.
Knowing better than to get too close, Nymerra stayed just out of range of the humans weapons and just watched in awe. She had never seen human elementals in action before and that’s what she was mesmerized by.

[FLYBOY]

Titus Eutherius
The Captain || Location || Royal Army Forward Camp Delta || Tagged || Mathias, Nymerra

As the one-eyed soldier got to his feet, Titus gave him an encouraging smile and clapped him on the back. None of the expected commander's aloofness could be found here; he just wanted to congratulate the man on a job well done, through his own method of cheerful camaraderie. Titus knew better than most how easily such feats could go unnoticed in the wrong situations, and this was one of them. With the camp bustling with post-battle activity, most of the attention went to mitigating the damage and saving the soldiers they could. There was little time now to congratulate the battle's heroes, but the captain did not want his brave actions to go unnoticed- hence his decision to personally make sure the lad got the recognition he deserved.

Beside them, two medics hurried to load the unconscious mage onto a stretcher. They worked quickly and efficiently, as did everyone else around them. This was what they had trained for, after all. Even in their current ragtag state, the every soldier was like a cog in the well-oiled war machine of the Royal Army. For those uninjured, the real impact would hit them later. The majority tuned out the real meaning and reach of the disaster until after their jobs had been done, until they could afford to collapse in exhaustion and a fair amount of shock. The wounded, those burned and bleeding on the ground, needed them to hold together for them now. If they gave up, stopped, or even slowed, they were letting down an injured comrade who could die from their negligence. So they put aside their grief, their pain, and they worked. Titus watched over it all, a grim sort of satisfaction on his face. As bad as the circumstances were, he was proud of his battalion's abilities.

However, he felt his blood chill when the man beside him asked a question he had been hoping would not come to light. Titus had a feeling no one could have survived that fall, and as far as he knew, none of their resident mages could have conjured a spell to save him so quickly. Even his own guardian magic could not protect a man from impacting the ground from such a height, even if he had been in range to cast a spell. But... He hesitated. He didn't know, not for sure. He hadn't seen the corpse. Though he was secretly almost glad that he would not be forced to be the bearer of bad news, he always disliked admitting that he didn't know something, even more so when he was admitting it to one of his men. But lying was out of the question. He hated lying. So he told the truth, uncertain as it was.

"There was," he admitted. "I do not know what happened to him, but I suggest you take comfort in knowing you have already saved one life today." He paused, perhaps realizing how hopeless his own words sounded, even to his ears. "Perhaps you should check in with our healers, thereabouts." He pointed with one arm towards the large medical tent, which was quickly becoming swarmed with the wounded and those helping them reach their destination. Some arrived on stretchers or carried over the shoulders of another soldier, some limped in and collapsed. Many more worked while they ignored minor injuries; blood mixed with ash and dirt on armor and bare skin, but they could not afford for everyone who had taken a small hit or two to go running off for healing. Titus himself had been caught by the wooden shrapnel of a snapping tent post, and sported a gash on his cheekbone and several on his arms where his armor did not protect him, but they were nothing to him. As he looked over Mathias' bruised and battered appearance, he suggested, "And check in with them yourself while you're at it, you--"
The words trailed off as Titus began to notice something was amiss. The camp had gone strangely still; slowly, the activity slowed, people fell silent, and all eyes turned in one direction. Finally, a lookout on the edge of camp turned and yelled what everyone had been thinking: "Dragon!"

Not again. Not so soon. They could survive one attack, but he doubted they would hold so well against another. If they waited, it was sure to move in closer and launch an attack of its own, taking advantage of the camp's weakened state.
It was time to take the fight to the beasts.
Titus lunged for his warhorse and quickly swung himself up into the saddle, taking his spear in hand once again. "Stay here," he ordered Mathias, easily slipping from the friendly fellow soldier into the authoritative commander once again. "You're already injured, I don't want you becoming another casualty." With those grim parting words, he kicked his heels into Dragonsbane's sides, and the horse galloped away from the one-eyed soldier.
As he rode around the camp, Titus rallied his men, raising his spear above his head in an almost defiant gesture as he called out orders. He was not going to sit down and wait for the beast to attack, and neither should they. "Cavaliers! Those of you fit to fight, mount up! We will meet this beast on the battlefield, not cowering here!" The men began to muster, riders racing to their horses and hastily throwing on their tack. Those who would not be riding helped where they could, saddling horses and providing weapons. No time for the horses to be armored; they would be vulnerable, but they would be fast. Their strength consisted of several mages, and some capable archers, numbering just over a dozen in total. Together, they were a formidable force.
Cheers followed them out of camp. Spirits were raised by the sight of the riders charging past; they seemed strong, capable, and above all, brave. Humanity could not be beaten so easily, and the cavaliers were now living, breathing proof as they rode into danger to protect their wounded and vulnerable brothers in arms.

The sun was beginning to break through the clouds at last, and the horses' shadows stretched out in front of them as their hooves thundered across the marshy flatlands. They ran together, Titus in the lead; slightly behind him, their standard-bearer flew the royal colors proudly from his saddle. Banners were unnecessary in times of war against an enemy so unified; dragons did not care which colors their victims carried. But the men cared. The flag was carried triumphantly into battle, it was raised in victory and as a challenge to the dragons who would tell them to back down, to hide. It was a point of pride for them, a unifying banner they could rally behind in their defiance of the monsters that plagued their lands. The sun shone through the brightly-colored fabric as it snapped cheerily in the wind. The jade-green dragon in the distance was quickly coming into view as the horses ran hard, the riders and their mounts pushing each other to their limits. The dragon seemed an easier target than the one they had driven off, and confidence swelled among the troops as the archers began to draw their arrows and mages prepared their spells. A clash between the humans and their dragon adversary seemed imminent.
It was moments like this that Titus lived for.

[seraphici]

Ahone Grays
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Prince | Riding | tags; General Xiao

Ahone didn't say a single thing and simply nodded, his gaze shifting away from Xiao to the path ahead. Keep me alive at any cost? They should be worrying about their own safety, not mine..

Not a single word was spoken as they continued down the path, Ahone not wanting to hear anymore, feeling terrible for joining in on this war. He has no training with anything except his magic and because of this he would probably slow everything going on down. He was joining at an age that could be considered 'old' for those in the war which just made it even worse.

Glancing over at Xiao, he couldn't help but feel, what was it... pity? sorry? He couldn't tell what it was, he just knew that the fact that the general was barely older than him shook him to the core, the life expectancy shaking him up even more. Looking back ahead of them, Ahone just listened to the partially sound of their horse's hooves hitting the dirt path and just breathing in the smell of the forest and smoke. Smoke?.. With sudden realization, the prince puled back on Calico's reins and stopped her mid step. "General?.."

Nymerra
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Dragon Healer | Royal Army Forward Camp Delta | Tags; Titus & the soldiers

"Dragon!"

Nymerra's head snapped in the direction the shout came from to see a young human facing the rest of the camp, hands cupping his mouth so his voice would resonate and get louder. She watched as soldiers ran to their horses while others, probably the ones that were partially wounded from Vrhaemar, saddled horses for the strong. Hovering, the dragons watched all the well humans gather, all pulling themselves onto their horses and, at the human who wore the blood rep cape across his shoulder, they charged in her direction.

Lowering herself down to the ground, she heard the cheers and shouts of humans as the soldiers on horse back raced by. Planting her broad, taloned feet on the ground, she stared straight at who she assumed was in command, not in the slightest deterred by his cape nor the other humans flag. raising her wings, she spoke with a voice so loud that it would resonate with the humans, just as the ancient's dragon had done before. "You're used to us being in the air, you should try being more prepared for what lies beneath you.~" Wings now outstretched, she roared, the ground itself seeming to shake from it, or so the soldiers thought, until the world itself seemed to shoot up from the ground, vines sprouting everywhere, one or two hitting a horse and it's rider as it protruded from the dirt and stone. "You never know what can happen.."

[Banana Dancer :)]

Kokyu ♠︎ Dragon Scout ♠︎ Tags: Woodland near human city; Jessica

Kokyu tensed ever so slightly at seeing Jessica bare her teeth at him, his heart skipping a beat when he recalled that it was a friendly gesture for the humans. "Yes, that would be great. Thank you." He eagerly accepted the invitation with a small bow of his head, hoping he hadn't just blown his cover. Of course he hadn't, though, since it was hardly noticeable and he was the Great and Noble deceiver (TM), but he didn't like taking risks like that. At the girl's comment the late teen gave a soft chuckle himself. "Yes, taking a trip off of it wasn't my individual plan. You see, the wind's decision to take my hat and my wish to catch it is what led me here." Kokyu explained with a closed-mouth grin. They continued walking in silence, which the black and white-haired man welcomed until Jessica's curious question. "Oh, do people here usually travel that way?" He arched an eyebrow, feigning ignorance. With a small shrug to himself, the dragon in disguise breathed out a sigh. "I suppose you can say that I willingly took on the danger to come here. I wanted to make it big and explore the world. No one else seemed to share my aspirations though- they called me things like 'crazy' and how I was a 'death-seeker'." He admitted, a smile once again on his face. His golden eyes flickered to Jessica, tilting his head a bit when he remembered his she had said that it was dangerous for humans. Had she seen him transform and was putting up an act? Kokyu grew a tiny bit hesitant at this, though he didn't show it. "What about you, then? What were you doing out in the woods?" He questioned. It wasn't an accusation, but curiosity- at least, that's what his expression gave off.

Jessica Marie|16|Human|Kokyu

The young female kept her hands folded over one another resting on her stomach as they walked. Taking a few glances, this man seemed strange and something was definitely off about it. Though it would be chalked up at the mention of wanting to catch his hat. “I don’t think a hat is worth getting lost for.” She commented and kept her eyes straight ahead of her on the ground. “Many stick the road. I rarely find travelers in the woods. Most have fallen sick from the harsh elements at night.” She have a small shrug and continued listening to him. A small smile came across her face as she remembered her fathers words and repeated them out loud: “Death is never the end but a new beginning.” The words always gave her comfort as she herself was an adventurer and looked at everything she did as chapters in her life. Turning her head to look at him, she smiled kindly and gestures behind her. “There’s a lake back there that I visit. My parents used to take me and it brings me comfort.” She explained and turned her head forward, watching as the town was coming into view. “Please be more careful around town. I wouldn’t want to see something bad happen to visitors.” She added.

[FLYBOY]

Titus Eutherius
The Captain || Location || The Plains || Tagged || Nymerra

The dragon's earsplitting roar echoed across the plains. Progress at the camp slowed as the soldiers paused what they were doing to watch the now-distant figures on horseback. Some uttered prayers for their safe deliverance from the jaws of death and their victory against the scaled beast. Others merely remained silent and hoped.

The charge turned chaotic as the very ground turned against the riders. One horse screamed as its rider was violently dismounted, both thrown into the air by a large vine unearthing itself directly beneath them. They landed hard, but both began to struggle to their feet immediately after, dazed but still alive. A second horse stumbled and the mage atop it cried out in alarm. The steed was now running slower, and favoring one leg, but it was still on its feet, and did its best to keep up with the rest.
Titus was undaunted. Even the dragon's toxic green eyes staring him down struck no fear into the warrior. He had a duty to do, and troops to protect. He had not come this far to back down now. He glanced over his shoulder, checking on his men- even with one down and one lagging behind, they could still fight. Raising his voice to be heard over the galloping hooves, he shouted, "Split!"

The formation instantly divided down the middle. Six horses charged off in one direction, five in another. Running in ragged lines, they moved to flank the green dragon on either side. The soldiers began to take aim. They had to do so while their horses still ran, for to hold still this close to a dragon was a death wish. They could not afford to make themselves easy targets, even if it meant sacrificing some of their own pinpoint accuracy. All they could do was run around the beast, harass it and try to land a few good shots, and hope that it tired before they did.
As his men split off from behind him, Titus continued true on his course. Dragonsbane ran directly for the beast, head down, as his rider raised his spear. Both hands off the reins, he took aim. The horse required very few cues from his rider in order to understand his task; the two were a team, years of training and fighting together had lent them an impressive synergy only a soldier and his horse could hope to accomplish. It was a bond forged through surviving the impossible together, over and over again. They trusted each other completely; both would readily put their lives in the other's hands, and they already had many times over. To charge straight at a dragon seemed like suicide, but Titus trusted Dragonsbane to carry the two of them safely past those dangerous claws, and the shot he saw was too important to pass up.

Magic charged the air as the horse drew closer and closer to the dragon. The spear Titus carried had begun to glow, a bright blue-tinged white light that spread along the weapon's length, and then covered his hands nearly to the elbow like a pair of gloves. His eyes burned with a matching light as he felt the power flow through him and into the weapon. The dragon was practically looming over him now, and he watched the distance close, waiting for the exact time...

"FIRE!" On either side of the dragon, the archers and mages unleashed a barrage of arrows and spells. They aimed for weaknesses in the dragon's natural scaly armor, like the wings and eyes. Finally, Titus threw his spear, feeling the magic practically tug the weapon out of his hand. The spell accelerated it far beyond the speed and reach of an ordinary spear, aiming to plunge the glowing weapon into a vulnerable spot just beneath the dragon's left wing. On most dragons, the scales were weaker there to allow the wings more freedom of movement, and a well-placed shot could badly damage the flight muscles, or if they were particularly lucky, pierce between the ribs and gravely wound the beast. But he had no time to see if his attack had been successful, for he was already grabbing at the reins once again to steer the charging warhorse away from the dragon's deadly claws.

[seraphici]

Nymerra
¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*' ¯¨'*·~-.¸¸,.-~*'
Dragon Healer | Royal Army Forward Camp Delta | Tags; Titus & the soldiers

The green dragon was not a huge fan of battles, more specifically doing the actual fighting, so when the small group of soldiers split up to surround her, a plan formed into her mind within seconds, all she had to do was wait for the perfect moment. As she waited for that perfect moment, the vines grew and stretched at alarming speeds, darting out to knock riders off their steads, one of them stabbing right through one of the horses, lifting it off the ground and flinging it to the side, throwing the archer that had been riding on it to fly out of his sale and hit the hard ground which had turned to stone just before impact.

Nymerra was focused on the young human charging straight at her, spear in hand. Holding her ground, she watched him, acting as if she was not longer paying attention to the soldiers riding around her at that very moment. "I really don't enjoy fighting." Wings folded but not back against her sides, she kept watching the human until his spear started to glow a bright blue-ish purple. It was small at first but it caught her eyes as it started to get brighter and brighter, along with the eyes of the human. "What kind of?-"

"FIRE!"

When everything started to fly at her at alarming speed, especially the spear, she new it was time to enact her plan. Her eyes flashed and a growl rumbled deep in her throat as a couple arrows hit her, yet just before the spear could do any damage, she shrunk. Her wings folded into her sides, her scales fading out and becoming soft tan skin. Within mere seconds, a young lady, still in the same attire she had been in earlier, now stood in place of where the giant dragon once was. The spear sailed over her head as she stayed where she was, her left arm with two arrows protruding out of them, blood slipping down and dripping onto the ground.

Nymerra's vines stopped growing and moving but didn't disappear.

[FLYBOY]

Titus Eutherius
The Captain || Location || The Plains || Tagged || Nymerra

The spear sailed in its high arc and landed with a soft thump in the ground many yards away.
That wasn't right. Titus had been expecting the clatter of scales or the slightly sickening sound of a spear plunging into yielding flesh. Not the quiet whump of... grass.

One by one, the soldiers reined in their horses, slowing and finally stopping in uncertainty. Back at the camp, a low murmur of confusion went up among those watching, for the dragon seemed to have vanished entirely.
Almost dreading what he was going to see, Titus brought Dragonsbane to a halt. The horse's sides were heaving from his hard run, and he snorted and shook his head as the two slowly turned to face their enemy.

Titus would have preferred if she had stayed as a dragon. The soldiers weren't trained for this, for an enemy who looked like one of them. It was much harder to fire weapons at an unarmed woman. Men who could stare down the fiery maw of a dragon could be unnerved by the site of such a transformation, and Titus, damn his soft heart, was one of them.

The captain steeled himself. Determined not to lose his resolve so easily, he brought Dragonsbane around in a false charge, meant to frighten the woman- no, the dragon- more than it was meant to actually harm her. As he went, he reached for his sword, unsheathing the blade as he gained ground. Finally, at the last possible moment, he yanked on the reins and brought his steed skidding to a halt, hooves kicking up turf.

Titus was a hell of a sight. The glow was finally fading from him; the blue-white light in his magic lingered a moment longer than the rest of the magic, rendering his bloody, soot-streaked visage that of something almost inhuman. When the light faded, his brown eyes were harsh and suspicious beneath his heavy brows. The sunlight gleamed off the blade of his sword as he leveled it at her neck, and demanded; "What is this trickery?"