EB p.2 The Dark Times

[Morty]

Leucrocuta twisted to look at her scathed leg and shoulders, her face going red. "If it is all right with the general, I think I will see a doctor." she said apologetically. "I'm not capable of flying at this time, I'll only be a hindrance."
They're taking down the rebel capital, and you're staying behind by choice. said Jack increduously.

[Midnightmoon]

The new base was more compact and underground then the last one. They were now located four hours hard flight south of the old base just inside the Air Clan boarder. It would be easier to defend but harder to traverse with between it and the outside, they'd find a way around that eventually though. Firen went off to eat. "So there was no trouble?" Amber asked. "We had to take care of a few scouts on the way. Guess they were doing recon before attacking the old base. Other then that everything went smoothly and almost all the defenses are up and running again. In a few more days everything will be set up and we'll be back to our previous operational status." "Good." "You should go get some rest, Ma'am. There will be a lot of stuff to do, not to mention there will be some stuff that will need your says so." Amber sighed under her breath. "Yes yes, thank you Carnell." Amber got up and headed for the door. "Mourstone has already told Firen where your quarters are, good night Ma'am." Amber waved over her shoulder in acknowledgment.

(Note: The Scout, Tinice, is a temporary character.)

Tinice now almost had the whole number of soldiers that Commander Amber had told her to take. She just had to find one more free hand. The relocated and reconstructing base was bustling and it had been difficult to find the ones she had. "How about... oh no, nononono. Not her anyone but her." Tinice thought to herself, veering her course sharply away from Ignis.

[Nohiki]

Ignis spit out some fire when she saw how the scout reacted to her. "Odin, why have you left me?" she thought for herself and closed in on Trinice. "Noone else available? Too bad, seems like you're stuck with me!" she said and fought the urge to stick out her tongue. "Don't worry, i'll make it easy on you the first time and actually follow orders." she said. "If i feel like it." she thought for herself and snickered so silently that it couldn't be heard. "So, where to?"

[Midnightmoon]

Tinice winced when Ignis came over and spoke up. "Darn." Clearing her throat she said, "Amber said she sent the last team over the mountain range and over the Earth Clan boarder into Fire Clan territory. She assigned them to attack a holding cell facility. Remember, we're just there as backup if they need it." The other people who she gathered up were waiting at the eastern base entrance. When they say who Tinice had with her they reacted in a mixture of shudders, shivers, winces and fidgeting. "Come on, follow me and stay quiet." She said, silently sympathizing. Mounting Whispan Tinice led the way out through the tunnel and into Berneneil.

[Nohiki]

"hmph... What a team. If they can't stand one gal being pain in the neck, how do they expect to win this war? The demons are not going to be any easier on them. Bunch of ladies. Careful or you'll get dirty! God... Give me an army of me and this war is over." thought Ignis, summarizing their chances. She followed into the tunnel. Good thing was that dragons aren't too fast runners and flying in the tunnel is rather hard, so she was able to keep up easily.
After some time, they approached the earth clan's border. They walked the last part of the way to keep low profile and avoid detection. "You see them yet?" asked Ignis, hoping for no action today. she wanted to know what Amber's warriors can do before she fights alongside them. From her previous assignment, she was used to high standards.

[Midnightmoon]

"No, though we should be getting close soon." Tinice responded in a loud whisper. No sooner had she said that they began to hear the sounds of battle. "Wait here, for a sec." She instructed, flying ahead. A few minutes later she came back waving her hands beckoning them to move forward and attack. She had seen that the Team wasn't fairing so well. It looked like they got most of the hostages back but were having a rough time retreating. From where she had been she could see that the enemy was moving around to cut them off. It would seam that the enemy had buffed up the security and their numbers since the last mission.

[Nohiki]

"There goes this plan." thought Ignis. "Hey, i can't fly, but you might use these!" said Ignis and tossed her pouch to Trinice. "Gem bombs. Rubys loaded with fire essence. I believe general Amber knows where i got them." she explained. then she walked forward. "I'll divert them, you get the others back, then drop the gems behind the demons, that should give me time to make my way out." she said, her gloves igniting.

[Kauria]

"Perfectly acceptable," Athvesa replied with a smile. "After all, you were once a general yourself, were you not?" He looked up sharply at the sound of wingbeats overhead. "Excuse me." Without waiting for a response, he galloped off after the rest of the patrol and leapt into flight.
"Do you really think it's wise to attempt to take down the rebel base so soon?" Athvesa whispered up to his rider, extending a wing to help the shaky flight of an injured dragon.
"It's been two years since the start of the war. I think that's enough time." Maela began stripping away the illusion cast over her bond, drawing slivers of shadow away from the ice dragon's scales.
"Leave it," he growled. "It might come in handy later."
With a sigh, the demoness reassembled the enchantment, pausing to admire her work before continuing. "The recent rebel attacks are the perfect thing to put the other Dark Clan bases on their toes, and we may be able to convince them to prepare reinforcements if the resistance turns out larger than we thought."
"We'll find out soon enough," Athvesa grumbled, spreading his wings for a landing by one of the great spires of Janahal.

[Midnightmoon]

Tinice took the bag with a thoughtful look. Sure most of the rumurs about Ignis were about her attitude and how she came to be like she is now, but more rumurs circled how she was a excellent fighter since then, even if she's best to work alone. "Fine then. Everyone else will come in at the sides to get them out." Tinice split the other nine into two groups, directing them what side they'd take. Then putting her fingers to her lips she whistled a high pitch signal not unlike a kettle. Her little group responded in their own native war cries and they charged.

[Nohiki]

"Wait for them to get occupied with me. Then it shall be easy to rescue the rescuers..." she said, thinking about how stupid that looks like. "Here goes." she said and growled as she called for her power. Her hair suddenly looked like flames, swirling over her head. Two large balls of lava formed around her hands and her cape also looked like a fire. She came from behind a dune, whistling at the attacking demons. "Hey, chumps! Over here!" she said and tossed the lava balls over to the battlefield. One demon had enough courage to jump after her, but Ignis swung her head and her flamy hair incinerated the creature. "My turn!" she said and her fist ignited. she slammed into the ground, and few fire pillars emerged under the demons closest to the group to be rescued.

[Midnightmoon]

(OOC: what were you meaning when you said "general amber knows where I got them", is that implying that she stole them? or "borrowed" them?)

With the back up now evening out the odds they had almost got all Team out of the pinch. They just had a few more out and into their ranks before they were ready to retreat. Tinice put away her nun-chucks and hefted the bag full of gem bombs. Whispan flew higher, riding on the hot winds all the fire was producing.

[Morty]

Jack raced up the staircases to the landing bay. "Welcome back, Generals!" he said cheerfully. "I finished interrogating the prisoners, as assigned. It's all written here!" He proffered the bundle of papers. ((What's written in them? YOU DECIDE. ... )) "Where's Lulu? Don't tell me she's still walking!" He peered across the vast expanse at an approaching black figure in the distance. He waved.
Hey Lulu, I can see you from here!
Go figure. said Lulu, flapping her wings, the equivalent of a wave.
Jack closed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. Lemme fix the wind a bit so you can get here faster. he said.
Don't pop a blood vessel. Lulu mocked. The wind flickered a bit and changed directions. Thanks.

((THAT'SALLICOULDTHINKOFBAAAAW))

[Nohiki]

Ignis saw Whispan heading to the air. "Time to go." she said, waved her hand and once the gem bombs fell, huge explosions popped behind the demons. They turned around to see what happened, and when they turned back, Ignis was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile she joined the group of the rescuees and covered their escape.

OOC: Neither. Keep thinking I suggest you finish up whatever is left for battle and get us to the base?

[Midnightmoon]

(ooc: I have no idea... all I can think of is maybe from the fire clan capital before everything was in ruin. and there is no battle. this entire thing was to into your character and humor you.)

Team 5 was cut in half from the struggle, all participants gaining some injury of sorts. They had recaptured 6 fellow rebel comrades and 14 refugees in the end. Tinices own temporary team had only lost 2 soldiers. By all accounts everything had gone ok, not the best expedition, but certainly better then what it could have been. The enemy didn't give much of a chase and the rebel group got back with minimal trouble.

[Kauria]

"Thanks," Maela said, taking the papers and giving them a quick glance over. "Hopefully, he'll have given some useful information this time." She looked up sharply, as if suddenly reminded of the more urgent task at hand. "Athvesa, go help gather any willing fighters or spellcasters not already in position. Try to get a couple of experienced trackers as well, just in case. I'm going to see if the other forts are willing to help us in the attack."
Crows swarmed the tower, turning the tiled roof into a living, squawking mess of black feathers. Several larger birds crouched just inside the windows, and all heads swiveled to face the approaching general as she entered the circular room. One of the shadow-ravens hopped towards, Maela, extending the leg with a scroll case attached.
Already? she wondered, pulling the roll of parchment from the tube, the raven beginning to preen himself.
She smiled. "We have the support of Essylia and the southern headquarters in human territory," she murmured to no one in particular. Several brief messages had been sent throughout Dark Clan-controlled areas immediately following the skirmish, but it was surprising nonetheless that two bases had replied so quickly.
Maela scribbled out a response and sent two birds out into the still, moonless night.

------

Athvesa tore through the wide hallways of the lower complex, weaving to avoid the soldiers and dragons that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. The once-silent passages were filled with the clatter of hundreds of demons preparing for battle.
With a small hop, the ice dragon slid to a stop near the quarters of the more-respected combatants. Almost all the rooms were empty, and the few warriors that remained were already sliding on plates of armor and selecting their weapons.
The spellcasters, on the other hand, were a little trickier to convince.
"I told you already, I haven't had the opportunity to practice my spells in real combat. I might lose my concentration," the purple-robed mage insisted, trying to close his door on Athvesa for a third time, his own dragon looking amused in the background.
Athvesa caught the door with a scaled hand, pressing it open again as he spoke.
"So what better place to gain experience in battle than during an actual battle? Look, the odds that the entire outcome will hinge upon your ability to concentrate are one in a thousand, but every pair makes a difference."
The demon opened his mouth as if to protest further, but his bond seemed to have had enough entertainment for the time being. She leapt down off the bed with a laugh and pushed past the flustered mage.
"We'll be there, General, don't you worry. Sorry for keeping you so long." The door closed for the last time.
"At least that one was honest enough not to fake illness," Athvesa muttered, making his way towards the section that housed the Night Hunters

(OOC: Aw, Midnight, I can't believe you're making all this lovely preparation go to waste. Shame on you and your rebels. )