Eternal Bonds

[Kauria]

Maela drew back in surprise as Jack jumped down in front of her. Athvesa, on the other hand, was less fazed by their arrival and dipped his head in response to Leucrocuta.
The Wolf of the Evening truly is magnificent, he thought admiringly. Looking down, he felt Maela press behind his foreleg. That's no way to make a good first impression, he told her. No one wants to follow a coward.
Maela shot a glare at her bond, but he happily ignored her and smiled as he tilted his face upwards. Turning back to Jack, Maela gave a stiff, shallow bow in return, her earrings flashing with the motion.
Truth be told, she had never had subordinates before. Although Night Hunters were typically treated as officers, most were freelancers who operated independently of the military system. It was a bit daunting to suddenly become the authoritative force she had submitted to for so long.
"Get ready. We're sending out a small group of elite fighters this evening to take care of a weakened rebel squad. You two are coming with us," she said, her voice harsh from trying to appear certain.
Still looking at the ceiling, Athvesa raised an eyebrow.
"We leave at sundown."


(OOC: I DON'T KNOW EITHER. 'S better than nothing, though.)

[Morty]

((Oh s'awesum, fact.))

Jack grinned and saluted, showing rows of pointed teeth. "Honoured to be considered among the elite."
"Sundown it is." said Leucrocuta.
"I do hope we get to meet one of their commanders on the field. I feel rather abusive, starving poor Sophitia like this!" he said as he departed. "Briefing is in the West Wing war room, I presume?" he called just as he disappeared. Leucrocuta watched Jack bound away towards the armory then bowed to the Generals, taking her leave aswell, having to detour through the outside due to the narrowness of the passages. (presuming the "get ready" order was immediate.)
Try being professional for once, dammit, Jack.
You're just trying to impress the General. Jack chided.
Shut up. Don't you want to do your country proud?
See, I'm not even from this country. Your argument is invalid.
Leucrocuta shook her head as she flipped through the assorted plates of armour. "None of these things fit me." she complained.
"At least your thick skull will protect you." said Jack, aiming down the improvised sights of a heavy bone blowpipe. Leucrocuta snorted, smoke billowing from her nostrils.
"Besides," Jack continued, "I'd rather you didn't fight. Your death will most likely mean mine, you know."
Leucrocuta's eyes flashed. "I know, and I wouldn't hesistate to kill myself just to end your miserable existance." she said.
Jack rolled his eyes as he strapped the menacing blowpipe to his back, along with a pair of reed pipes and their ammo.
"Do you still have that lighter I gave you?"
"Yes. Right here in my pocket."
"Good. It was tricky to make."
Jack nodded in thanks, swinging up onto Leucrocuta's head again. "And we're set!"
Leucrocuta trundled off in the direction of the war room.

((Wargh.))

[Midnightmoon]

About two and a half hours later Amber walked into the empty strategy room. "How'd it go?" Firen asked, somewhere else in the hidout. Firen had learned a long time ago that when Amber went into "cold mode" the treatment didn't stop at the enemy. "He didn't know much of any use. He had been changed with that new technique they have going about a month ago when he and his escort went out for medical supplies. Seeing as only he and another got out alive I guess it's understandable. We'll have to track that second soldier down, put him in quarantine till we can figure out if he's been altered." "So we got nothing." "Not exactly..." Amber had wandered around the room and now stationed herself in the far shadowy corner. "There is something interesting I got. Apparently it's harder to change those high up in rank or those that are really strong at something, physically or other wise. The demon said that it took till a few days ago for it to completely take over the Doctor. And even then it didn't have complete control and had to use some of it's power to suppress the doctors mind." "I'd say that would explain why when some of our commanders or our strongest get captured we don't see them in battle for a few weeks." "Indeed."

(OOC: HAHAHAHHAHA I GOT THE 1000 POST!)

[Awesomoman]

Targus and Agate took the kid (still in his rock prison.) and went into a random room they found that was empty. When they got in, targus walked up to the kid and asked him something in demon. "Uuuuhhh, Targus, what are you doing?" Agate asked looking confused. "that scientist had all night to do anything, he may have done something that would seriously mess us up." "Like?" "I dont know, but im not taking any chances." targus asked the kid again in demon "What happened after we left? Did he do anything to you." Still no answer. Targus turned around as if to just walk off, then spun around and smacked the demon. "Your gonna answer me or ill find a new test subject, preferably one that will still be breathing." The kid just glared at him. "Fine, have it your way." Tarugs turned to Agate. "Your gonna want to leave the room." "What? I dont speak demon." "Wha, or right sorry, i sometimes forget im back with the elves. What i said was, your gonna want to leave the room." Agate just looked at him. "Why?......on second thought, dont answer that, ill just go." Agate walked out of the room and targus reached into his bag.

(OOC: Im gonna cut off here just cuz i cant think of what should happen when Targus is done. ill add to it when i think of something.)

[Kauria]

(OOC: Only for the entire EB board. ;D This post makes 1000 for the thread.)

Maela pressed her palm against the cool leather of the saddle and vaulted into the air, swinging her legs across Athvesa's shoulders. The large dragon pulled his wings in partially as he ducked through an arched doorway that led out onto a flight platform.
Earth dragons seemed to have difficulty with standing takeoffs, so the designers of the city had cut away an even slab of stone from the top of a cliff. Maela signaled up at the pair of sentinels stationed on a ridge above them before Athvesa surged forward, wings shooting out as he spiraled off the edge of the plateau. The ice dragon twisted up sharply, circling the ridge.
We just need to send out a few messages to the others, and then we can go to the conference room, Maela explained, squinting towards the darkening western horizon. I want to make sure that we have some proper scouts and get in contact with our spies near the rebel base.
Athvesa flared his wings open and landed lightly on a stone peak next to a small tower. Maela dismounted and strode inside the wooden structure. She flipped open a small door and allowed a large raven to hop out onto her arm. Although the birds had been tainted by shadow magic, they remained inconspicuous enough to be effective messengers to undercover agents. The demoness slid a tightly coiled scroll into the case on the raven's leg and released the messenger bird, watching until its silhouette had been swallowed by the growing darkness.
"I alerted the Angels of the Void of tonight's raid," Athvesa rumbled as he came up behind his rider. "They assured me that we'd have at least a couple of their scouts accompanying us."
"To the West Wing war room?"
Athvesa nodded and crouched lower to the ground, allowing Maela to get on. He launched himself from the perch and eased into a glide above the fortress. A few powerful wing strokes later, the pair came to a landing in the western courtyard.
The deep echo of the clock tower's bells rang out over the captured city, and Maela dismounted quickly. We're going to be late to the briefing if you don't hurry up, she thought as she darted into the hallway. Athvesa only snorted in reply.

(OOC: Just realized I have no idea how to give a briefing. Oh well. Sorry for not giving you something to post off of, Morty. )

[Morty]

((Angels of the Void homgawd I want to make a character of these. .____. What do they look like? And you know, just statistics and stuff.. How many are we facing, how far are they from here, take prisoners or no? And what state they're in, stuff like that. ))

Jack flicked his forked tongue as the General darted into the briefing hall. Leucrocuta rumbled in greeting from the window she was peeking through, not liking the confined spaces of the war room. "Generals." she said gutturally.
"I can't wait to spill the blood of those annoying rebels." muttered Jack, balancing on two legs his chair, his feet on a desk. Leucrocuta huffed. "Feet off the table, Jack." she growled.
Jack made a mock sieg heil and sat up straight.
"So... What are the plans, General?" asked one of the soldiers, waving her hand in the air.

[Kauria]

Athvesa stood obediently by the door as Maela yanked the rolled map from the case slung over his side. With a flick of her wrist, the map unfurled, rustling in the air She stabbed one dagger into the upper left-hand corner of the parchment and whipped out another knife to pin the right corner to the wall.
"The rebel group we're targeting," she began, gesturing towards the map, "is here, at least according to the most recent reports. They've hemmed themselves inside this canyon since Amelia's last attack." Athvesa winced slightly at the mention of the former general. "Most of the dragons are severely injured and no attempt has been made to seek aid from the main camp. The warriors are accompanied by a number of civilians, apparently evacuated from a nearby village." She circled the area with a gloved finger as Athvesa continued the explanation.
"It's likely that the few able-bodied warriors are reluctant to leave the rest of the squad unguarded, so they have effectively placed a siege upon themselves. However, it's only a matter of time before these elves are desperate enough to try to establish contact with the rest of the force. We need to strike before then."
Maela spoke up. "The estimated distance is approximately forty-five kilometers northeast of here. The civilians are inexperienced, the warriors are injured, and all are weakened. While this makes for an easy victory, it also means that we won't be turning any of the pairs we find there. The costs of creating and healing the new demons will far outweigh the benefits. No prisoners are to be taken. Not a single rebel must make it out of that pass alive."
Outside the war room, night had fallen over the mountains like a sable cloak, draping everything in a darkness so thick it was almost tangible. Maela glanced out the window, her characteristic smirk widening. She climbed onto Athvesa's back and spread her own feathered wings as the dragon shifted beneath her.
"No survivors."

[Morty]

((O it is raeptiems nao plz ))

Jack flashed his pointed grin and hopped onto the windowsill, then leapt out onto Leucrocuta's battered head. Or so he thought he would.
"Just kidding!" Leucrocuta laughed, snagging Jack's belt with one claw before he hit the ground.
"Erghk.. What is this I don't even--" Jack groaned as Lulu plonked him unceremoniously on her back.
"Okay.. So I deserved that. Let's get out of here, eh?" Jack wheezed, winded. "Yip yip!"
Lulu rolled her eyes and joined the demonic soldiers already filling the skies, her leathery wings unfurling like a sail.
"Forty-five kilometers eh? Not far, really. We'll be there in less than an hour!" chorused Jack, cheerful despite having almost become a gristly pancake.

Humming to herself Leucrocuta banked lazily as they passed low over the rutted canyon ground. "You see anything up there?"
"Who-whaa?" Jack started drowsily. "Oh, no, nothing yet. General Maela failed to tell us whether we were storming the camp or sneaking up on them." he complained.
"Were you asleep?! Ugh, never mind. I for one vote we just dump some rocks on them. Pity about the civilians, but hey, collateral damage." she sighed, shrugging in mid-flight.
"I see lights up ahead. Shhh.."
Leucrocuta's wings made not a sound as she brushed close to the cliffside, hooking onto the wall like a bat. She crept forward, dislodging few rocks as her talons gripped the solid rock.
"Ready when you are." she murmured, clinging upside-down to the canyon wall, looking down at the small encampment, a nest of fireflies in the dark. Jack reached behind his back and unclipped the heavy bone blowpipe, balancing precariously as he ran the length of Lulu's neck and onto her head; the only flat surface available. And old brass telescope was attatched to the blowpipe; it served as a makeshift scope. He peered through it.
"Not much point trying to snipe; they're all in bed at this time." said Jack, disappointed.
"Don't worry, I think there's going to be quite a ruckus once the real fighting starts." Leucrocuta said, grinning wolfishly as the demons soundlessly assembled.

[Midnightmoon]

Almost everyone was asleep but a few of the guards. All were tired from the past few days of fending off the Shadow Clan, a few had even died. Pyhrros rolled his shoulders only to hiss a intake of breath as he agitated the partially healed slice on his back. "Are you sure you don't want me to take your watch?" His dragon asked in a softly. He looked over his shoulder,"No, Sara, you have worse wounds then me. I can stand to stay awake till the end of my shift." Pyhrros turned back to the fire in front of him. Whispering to the coals the fire rose to his call and burned brightly again. Everything was quiet. There was only the crackling of the other fires around the camp, and the animals of the night. A long while later, before the shift change, another noise entered the night symphony: the clatter of pebbles and dirt falling. Saratheen had gone to sleep long ago so her dragon hearing didn't hear the noise. Neither the exhausted rider, or any of the tired inhabitants of their "safe home". Non were aware of the bloody chaos that would unfold...

[Awesomoman]

Sid sat by a fire unable to sleep, like always his cowardliness had gotten the best of him and he avoided all possible contact with the enemy. While this left him unharmed he felt that he had let down his group. "Don't worry about it. The captain says that you can make up for it by staying on guard seeing as your the only one who still has the energy." Maruk was trying to boost Sid's moral so that he would be able to fight better if danger did come. "Yeah, but what kind of warrior just runs and dodges the enemy while his comrades are out getting killed?" "Well you did the logical thing. If you put your skills against the demons, i would say you had a 34.50982% of surviving." "And that makes me feel better how?" "Your alive." "well i guess that is a good......." just then there was a noise off in the distance. Sid dove under Maruk and covered his head. "Calm down Sid it was probably just a wild animal." Sid slowly got back up. "Y-yeah that must be it."

[Kauria]

Maela dropped from Athvesa's back, landing in a crouch with her wings half-open. Athvesa caught the metal tip of her halberd with one claw, eliciting a puzzled glance from his rider.
It's just a minor enchantment, he explained, running his hand along the weapon. Makes it stronger, more durable. I've been studying it since that battle with the water dragoness. He pulled his hand away, the faint glow of the spell quickly fading from the steel head. It just made me feel so useless that I couldn't even hit the old cow.
Maela grinned, flipping the enhanced polearm away from her bond. Cheer up a little, okay?
Turning her attention back to the now-assembled Dark Clan force, she crept closer to the edge of the canyon until she could see the glow that emanated from its depths.
Athvesa relayed her mental messages to the entire group as Maela punctuated the orders with the occasional hand signal.
We enter in two waves, close-quarter fighters going first. Anyone with decent ranged weapons will remain up here and assist. The signal for the second wave to attack will be given when the enemy finally recovers from the initial surprise and manages to assemble themselves properly. Professional archers are to remain and pick off those who try to escape. Athvesa padded forward, stopping just behind his rider.
But there may be escape routes sheltered by the rocks, so even swordfighters will be responsible for making sure no one gets out of there without our knowledge.
Maela stood to her full height and flicked the hood of her cloak over her features, her halberd raised.
You are the elite fighters of the Dark Clan forces in Janahal. We're facing average elven rebels and a cluster of civilians, weakened by injuries and a lack of resources. If you find some way to get killed by them, then you weren't worthy of coming in the first place. I want no fatalities on our side.
Athvesa broke off the mental link with the rest of the fighters, watching intently as Maela reverted completely to hand signals.
First wave ready... Her raised weapon swiped down through the air.
Attack!

[Awesomoman]

They heard more movement before Maruk finally let out an. "Uh oh." Right then several demons burst out with their weapons out charging towards the camp. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" Sd got up and tripped over a log trying to run away. "I thought you were trying to prove you WEREN'T a coward?" "NOT ANYMORE! IM GETTING OUT OF HERE!" Sid tried to run but Maruk grabbed him. "There are plenty of people here in worse condition than you that are going to risk their lives to fight, and from what i can see, if you run you have a very very LOW chance of survival." Sid's jaw dropped. "You're not saying i have to...." "Be a man and fight, yeah. Because thats what im going to do." Maruk got up and took off towards the enemy." Sid just sat there for a moment then took a deep breath. "W-wait for me."

[Morty]

A-okay, Athvesa-sama! replied Jack, grinning and leaning over the edge of Lulu's snout to watch the first riders plunge into the abyss.
Leucrocuta lowed mournfully, watching the dragons ducks and dive, several of them spitting fire at the all too flammable tents. "As soon as the second wave starts, we're getting in there, you hear me?" she whined. "And get your ass off my nose."
Jack pouted and crawled away from the edge, sitting between her ears instead. "But I wanted to use this fancy thingamajigger."
"The blowpipe? Use it now. Look, there's one with a bucket of water." said Lulu, pointing to the person.
"Oh, goody!" said Jack, aiming the blowpipe and firing. "Fifty points!" he exlcaimed as the victim went down.
Lulu chuckled. "Fifty for civilians, one hundred for armed men."
"And children?"
Jack felt Lulu's brow crease in disapproval beneath him. "Minus one thousand."
Jack sighed, then became cheerful again instantly. "Look! That one fell over a log." he said, aiming and firing.

[Awesomoman]

Sid started running when something bounced off his armor. "WWWAAA!" He jumped looking to see what looked like a blow dart on the ground. "You ok?" Maruk said turning to see what made him jump. "N-nothing, my armor blocked it." "Well how about you go and show who ever shot it a thing or two?" "W-well i would but i-i dont know where they are." Maruk rolled his eyes. "its simple logic, where did they hit you?" "Um, right here." Sid said pointing on his armor. "then thats where they are." Sid looked in the direction and didn't see anything. "Th-theres no one there." "Thats because their far ranged and are hidden, find where they are and you can take them out." "Okay." Sid said turning and running the way Maruk told him.

[Midnightmoon]

Taking Pyhros by his word Saratheen had dozed off, twitching in her sleep. Pyhros, though still on watch and awake, was starting to doze unintentionally. Because of this he didn't realise the attack on the small party till the yelling was right on top of them. With a adrenaline spike he was up, sword in hand, in seconds. He stumbled back away from a black shrouded attacker, deflecting it's slash. Phyros bumped into Saratheen and with a start she too awoke. With a bellowing snarl she lashed her tail and just knicked the attacker. It was it's turn to stumble. While it was unbalanced Pyhros took his chance. Darting forwad he swing his blade around to it's side. It parried.

The lethal dance continued, Pyhros attacking with a speed that one would not have thought possible with such a large blade. Saratheen attacked other enemy's, still protecting he riders back from a rear attack. Then he pulled back and the feiry red dragon was the one attacking the intruder, though only for a second, then the fire elf was back. Blade before him and for finger to his mouth he finished the spell. Fire burst forth and enveloped the intruder in a roar that overlaid the shriek. Pyhros went to the next enemy.