[Zurlane] Chapter 5: The End of a Kingdom

Throndir · September 12, 2018, 09:56:44 PM

《Chapter 5: The End of a Kingdom》

Soon enough the remaining Valkyrie began their retreat. What was once 300 Valkyrie remaining in the Hiedelswatch keep, now only numbered 80. All of the remaining surviving Valkyrie were injured or wounded in some way, but they fled with as much haste as they could southwards towards where the queen was to come with reinforcements.

The fires of Hiedelswatch continued to burn, making a natural barrier for the demons. The fires had quickly spread as well, and soon enough most of the fortress town was in flames. A couple Valkyrie looked back, sadness in their eyes as they watched the fires eat away and what remained of their country.

Most of the horses pulled wagons behind them, carrying the ones who were most injured, along with trying to fill each of the wagons with as much Valkyrie as they can.

Eydis made her way beside you, trotting her horse next to yours.

"Tis a sad day... The High General hath not yet awoken... And Alvilda looks like she herself looks unconscious. Hiedelswatch tis art last bastion... And now... tis no more."

Licel · September 13, 2018, 11:31:57 PM

"But remember Eydis, we are still alive and we can rebuild. We will take back everything the Valkyries have lost, and though we are not many... We can continue to fight, and we will fight even if it is against unimaginable odds..." Zurlane looks back at the fire and back at Eydis.

"I know no better cause to see to the end, and if need be, I will die trying." Zurlane takes a deep breath and a pause.

"You know Eydis, before I came here and came into your world I was on a battlefield, in a place very far away from here. I was a citizen soldier, drafted into a war and we were losing badly. We did not have proper weapons anymore, even and our numbers were few. We were losing but we refused to surrender. We numbered in the thousands and we were split apart from each other unable to communicate. At one time we numbered in the millions, but my company, as we were called, numbered just 70. We were attacked in the night, we fought with weapons that were very different than what you use in this word... We called them guns" Zurlane's face goes white as all of it comes back to him.

"Guns are like a little bit like crossbows Eydis, but they shoot flaming burning metal very long distances very quickly, hundreds of times a minute, sometimes even thousands, depending on how they are made... and when they hit a person... they make a very large hole in them... but that is not important... Anyway, I was in a battle fighting and running, trying to make it to a fallen tree when suddenly a man with a rifle shot me... and it hit me right here." He points to his head where he believes he was shot. "And... And I died."

"Then I woke up and I was looking into the eyes of the Goddess Urania... and she let me come to you, she let me be reborn as a hero." He says with a mixture of a smile and a frown and his expression balanced tenderly between the two.

"I want to fight for you, you know... so that you can live in a world without war... so that you can be happy Eydis and live the life that you want to." Zurlane says with a glimmer of hope in his voice. "I want you and Alvilda, Iona, Audhild, Winona, and all of the other Valkyries that I haven't met yet to be happy."

He looks back at Hiedelswatch burning behind him. "Want you to be happy..." He whispers.

Throndir · September 14, 2018, 08:00:32 PM

"T-thank you... mine hero... Surely, most of the Valkyrie want thee to be happy as well. Thy own world seems to be rife with strife. It would be a wonderful thing if all such wars are no more... If the demons art no longer here... t'would even be better."

"Praytell, this name thy speak of... Urania? Tis the name of the goddess of light? Her name itself is nothing that the Valkyrie hath recorded... She is simply our goddess. Thou hath met her? Hath thou seen the face of the goddess herself?"

Licel · September 14, 2018, 09:50:33 PM

"I believe that the one that I call Urania is your goddess of light. I found myself floating completely bare in front of her, floating somewhere way up in the sky maybe... somewhere unimaginably far away from here. It was as if she was made of stars herself, of vastness I could not comprehend. it was as if the whole's sky of stars themselves came together and combined to make her, no... more stars than that! Stars that we have never even seen... They made up her and her clothes, everything. The one thing that I remember most was her eyes Eydis, they were large and blue. I talked with her for a long time. She welcomed me to the after life and then instructed me that I was to be reincarnated, then we talked for a brief moment before I steped through a portal and was greeted by Alvilda and Iona... and I found myself here." He looked over to Eydis and met her eyes with a little smile.

"You know Eydis... she told me something... she said "On a clear night, look upwards. Where there are stars I will be watching." I'm sure she has seen you and knows you by name. Maybe she has even waved to you in some way, I can not say." His gaze returns to the unconscious Alvilda.

"Maybe... if you would like, on another clear night you can gaze up at the stars with me and we can try and forget about the problems of the world for a little bit... if you feel like it."

Throndir · September 15, 2018, 10:27:10 AM

Eydis began to blush as she continued to ride with you southwards.

"I would much like that, mine hero..."

QuoteLet me know if there are other actions you would like to take, or we can move on to the next scene.

Licel · September 15, 2018, 10:36:04 AM

QuoteI am ready for the next scene.

Throndir · September 15, 2018, 09:13:31 PM

The next half hour the horses and the wagons they pulled continued on their journey southwards, Eydis had recovered enough of her mana and had given up her horse to one of the wagons to ease the load, and she began to soar into the skies to serve as a watch.

The Valkyrie themselves set up a scouting perimeter as the caravan moved southwards. There were mounted Valkyrie around the caravan, they were far enough that they could barely be seen, but close enough that a call on a horn would alert the rest of any danger. They were wary of any potential surprise attacks from the demons, or any other dangers on the road.

Thankfully none had come.

There were abandoned farms as well around this area. The farmers and families that had lived here had already evacuated southwards due to how close the front lines were to them, though, there were still some of the hardier men who worked the fields who greeted the Valkyries as they came storming in. The farmers themselves were already prepared for such an occurrence, so the moment the Valkyries made their way south, many of the farmers had already mounted up their own horses and wagons, carrying as much as they can to the road southwards. After all, if the Valkyrie were no longer at Hiedelswatch, it would be a matter of time until the rest of these unprotected farmlands were taken from them.

There were some reunions from some of the farmers and ranchers with some of the remaining Valkyrie. They had shared tearful hugs and short kisses. Though, there was one farmer who still had their daughter with him, which only drew him the ire of a Valkyrie, presumably his wife, about the danger of letting her still be so close to the front lines.

Along with 80 Valkyrie, the caravan now consisted of 14 farmers, and 4 children, along with 20 more horse-drawn wagons.

Eydis flew down.

"Mine hero... I suspect we'll be catching up to our queen's forces in another half an hour... When we meet up with them... What then?"

QuoteWith the extra wagons, you could assume that you had placed Alvilda in one of them, rather than carrying her around on your horse. She is still completely unconscious.

Licel · September 16, 2018, 01:06:56 AM

Zurlane thinks for a moment to about putting Alvilda in the cart with the other wounded. "I... should probably leave her with the others... she needs medical attention..."

"When we meet them... We give a full report of what happened... we listen to the queen's wishes and we give her counsel on how she would like to proceed I suppose. Then we follow her orders." Zurlane said with a shrug. "What is the queen like Eydis?"

After he listens to Eydis's explanation he says. "Thank you, Ohh I almost forgot I was going to congratulate Audhild for stepping up to the task I gave her so suddenly." He looks around. "Do you see her?"

Perception

Rolled 1d20+3 : 8 + 3, total 11

He makes his way over to a cart with the wounded, asks for some help and gently hands Alvilda over to the Valkyries. "Please sisters, take extra special care of her... I know she is your beloved princess, but she is a very good friend of mine too." He says with great concern as he hands her over.

Zurlane then rides over to Audhild. "Good day commander." He says to her with a smile.

Throndir · September 18, 2018, 05:16:25 PM

"The queen is benevolent of course... She's done her best to manage our country, along with relations with the southern countries. T'was why she was far south, gathering both our allies, and sending a call to any other Valkyrie so that we mightst bolster the defenses of Hiedelswatch. Though with the fortress falling, tis a fact that we mayst need to find a new home."

Eydis pointed to the distance, Audhild was on a horse as well.

One of the Valkyrie helped you move the unconscious Alvilda to the wagon.

"A-ah! Tis thee, hero!" Audhild said, noticing your presence beside her as the two of you continued to ride southwards.

"If mayst only that this day be a good one... Though, I shalt take that as a wish for a good day." Audhild said, smiling bitterly.

"Rumours hath been going around since thee declared General Iona was attacked by a demon... Mayhaps have been a demon skilled in stealth and assassination to get behind the Valkyrie so easily... To think that we hath failed her."

"I hope we findeth the demon that did this to her. Then put it out of its misery." Audhild said, her tone of voice surprisingly sharp.

"But please mine hero, call me not a commander, for tis true that I only took that position temporarily at the heat of the battle."

Licel · September 18, 2018, 10:12:01 PM

After listening to her talk Zurlane felt guilt pang in his chest. "What am I going to do about Aurora now?" He thought to himself.

"If this assassin shows it's head again I will take care of it personally. You did not fail her Audhild none of you or your sisters did. I must ask you to do your best to dispel any rumors you hear, rumors are the last thing that we need... It is only proof of her strength and many years that she still draws breath today and for that we can be thankful." He says grimly

After a moment Zurlane's attention returns to Audhild. "If I may... would you consider." He pauses "Could I convince you otherwise to consider developing your skills as a commander? I would like to work with you to develop stratagems that your people could use, strategies from my world that I can not pass on if I am felled in battle, for I almost did not survive today. I truly believe that you have the makings of a competent commander, and we do not know for how long General Iona will be unable to join battle. I believe that it was only fate that we crossed paths at that moment in Hiedelswatch." He says with more hope.

"What say you? Of course the choice is yours."

Throndir · September 19, 2018, 03:14:31 PM

"Back during the height of our kingdom, someone such as I, wouldst not hath been considered for such a position... But if the hero requests it, I shalt strive to be able to lead. On this day we hath lost o'er 200 more Valkyrie warriors... Even if I mayst become a true commander, there would be of little point..."

"What strategies does thy have, back in thy own world? If the times were different, hearing thee tell stories of your world during a hearty meal twould hath been grand."

A horn was blown, somewhere far in front of you. It was three short calls. Eydis who flew over head yelled then to the rest of the riders below her.

"The queen's forces are in sight!"

Licel · September 19, 2018, 05:34:28 PM

"You are too hard on yourself sister. I see great potential in you, I mean it. Come find me later if you are interested in training with me, and remember, as long as we are still alive there is always time for feast and stories." He places his hand on Audhild's shoulder, looks in her eyes with a smile and then rides off quickly in the direction of the horn.

Zurlane tries to see what he can see of the queens forces.

Perception

Rolled 1d20+3 : 1 + 3, total 4

Throndir · September 21, 2018, 01:43:15 PM

Audhild smiles back and nods.

Perception: 4
You are not currently able to see the queen's forces. Looking farther south into the distance, you could see the rolling fields and crops that the farmers would have had, but nothing that was evident of the army of Valkyrie. The Valkyrie around you started to cheer among themselves.

Another few more minutes of riding south however, you were able to have sight of them.

According to what you had heard from Alvilda, the army that you saw in the distance should have numbered 500, and indeed, riding on horseback, they were riding hard towards you. Eydis above called her horn again, and in response a call of a horn came from the other army.

QuoteFeel free to state if you want to do anything before then.

Licel · September 21, 2018, 03:19:32 PM

Zurlane decided to slow down so that the rest of the Valkyre passed by him. He still moved forward but he did not wish to meet up with the rest of the Valkyre just yet. Unsure of what to do he looked for Winona. How would he explain what had happened? Would he lie about what happened? Could he really trust Winona? Did he trust Aurora anymore? Then his mind went to darker places. Could he trust Iona? What would she remember? Would he be killed for something Aurora had done?

He looked around. Was it too late to escape this place and start over anew? What was there for him in this place any longer? This place seemed to cause him far more misery than his old life had given him. He had no guidance and his moral compass pointed him nowhere.

He looked to his left and right and navigated his horse out of the path of the group he was traveling with and dismounted. He was at a crossroads. He knelt at the ground and looked up at the sky. Though there was no stars he asked for guidance. "Urania,
please hear me. I am lost. Help me know the way for I have no one left to ask, I do not know if you can see me, hear me on a clear day, but I am lost. Every path I see before me terrifies me. What... What would you have me do?"

With that he stretched up his arms, looking for an answer.

Throndir · September 23, 2018, 01:22:48 PM

There was some Valkyrie who noted your actions, but they didn't seem to pay much mind, as they were all too excited for the prospect of meeting up with their queen.

The place you had found was a small clearing in the farm fields nearby. The stalks of crops that they grew were tall, and was enough to completely leave you hidden from sight once you unmounted. You called out to Urania, but the only thing that responded back to you was the wind rustling through the stalks of shrubbery, along with the sounds of galloping and wagons getting fainter and fainter.

It would be another 10 minutes perhaps, until the survivors of Heidelswatch met up with the queen's army of 500 strong, with both sides galloping towards each other.