Warfare of the Salizdorian Races

[Tiffashy]

Artaxes soared over the treetops, just narrowly avoiding the hard tips. He glided upwards swiftly in till he was far away from the ground in flight. He turned towards the blue odject in his eyecorner. Sphy. That blue dragon was still with the elf and human, along with another human with them. He can feel his anger coming towards him when he relised they were heading towards the Nomad camp he just left a while ago. Forgetting that he was heading back home, his mind switched to getting the humans, dragon and the elf away. Killing them or not. A ear splitting screech was unleashed from his jaws, he did a sharp turn in air and was heading straight towards them. His tucked in claws were unsteathed and his blood red eyes eyed them like prey. Artaxes folded his wings to his sides, swooping down at them at great speed, his claws swiped wildly as soon as he was close enough to reach them, but narrowly just missed. With a strong stroke of his wings, he was heading back up into the sky, getting ready for another magpie swoop...

[brisingrrider1]

((Sphy and Artaxes are actually half-brothers if thats all right with tiff))

Lief fumed silently at the human's remark, answering curtly, "You are a bit talkative yourself, human." The works came out in a scornful tone, Lief not entirely trusting the stranger.

Sphy sighed, slightly irritated at the elf but knew that he hated humans because he was not one of them. "I can carry you, since Kaeti and Lief have horses," Sphy volunteered courteously to the stranger, "Just climb on my back." Sphy promptly knelt down, privieing the human with easier access to the hollow at his neck.

[Tiffashy]

((Perfectly fine ))

 

"Were do you think you're heading?" he hissed agressively at them. Artaxes flapped his strongly built wings once more. He kept himself in air to avoid coming too close to them. A loud hiss was spilling though his lips. He swooped down at once more before shooting back up into the sky without touching them, he was only doing that to scare them off. But if they couldn't get scared off, he would have no choice but to unleash his red fire. Then he recongised the amour on the human that he didn't see before. "A Steel Eagle member? Why should my foolish half brother be helping you, fiend?" he questioned the human sharply while he gave another stroke of his wings. His black scales gleamed in the dawn light hamesomely, but his eyes looked bloodthirsty and dangerous.

[knightstemplar151]

Jason looked at Sphy then at Artaxes "Because I care about dragons, I am different from the other Steel Eagles, I am not some drone taking orders to kill dragons, or any other race for that fact, except the Nomads cause they attacked us first but thats beside the point, the point is to never judge a book by its cover." Jason says as he looks back at Sphy giving him an inventation to ride on his back "Wait for real? Thanks im getting tired of all this walking." Jason says as he climbs up onto his back then feels excited like a kid getting his first present on christmas "I have touched a dragon but never rode one." Jason says as he looks at Sphy then pats him on the neck "Alright im set." Jason says as he looks at Artaxes seeing if he is going to make another pass

[Tiffashy]

Artaxes swooped down and landed without a sound, his red eyes narrowed onto the human whom just climbed his half brother's back. His spines stood up like goosebumps but even more sharper. "If I letted you pass, I wouldn't get the gold that they promised me," his tone turned icy now, giving the shiver down their spines. He did a cat like walk towards them, dragging his long sleek tail along the ground. "Which leaves me no choice but to kill." He stepped on an old bone on the path, crushing it into dust. His great leathery wings spread out like a kite in the wind. "You Steel Eagles killed my parents," he spoke coldly as be stepped closer. "Made a death trap, left a pile of gems for the bait and then..." he was standing right in front of Shpy's nose. "Killed them. That's what kind of murders you are. The word 'dragon slayer' doesn't mean hero. It means dirty, disgusting creature that murders dragons. However, changing topic; pass, and get hunted down by me nonstop," he spoke threatenly.

[brisingrrider1]

I should have been more cautious, Sphy berated himself as he launched up from the ground, the human a mere blip on his gigantic body. His tail whipped furiously, and he clawed the ground. Impatiently he growled, "If you want to fight, fine then. Sky or ground, your choice."

Lief looked at the blue dragon, then the black, as he tried to deduce any similarities between them. The blue said earlier that he loved gems. What could be wrong with taking a few lengths to get them? What is wrong with that? he thought as his black stallion whipped his head, sensing his anxiety.

[Tiffashy]

He bared his toothly grin, "I should just leave the fight to the Nomads, they fancy a taste of blood. Poor things been lying around waiting for me to come back with their boy. Maybe I should just let them know that you are around." Artaxes folden his wings to his sides, moving around the blue dragon and horses with an human and elf on top. He started to circle them like a shark, coming closer and closer every lap around them. "I want my gold, Sphy. You know my greed for them," he lashed his tail at his half brother, testing his strengh. It wasn't hard enough to cut though his thick layer of scale protection but it was enough. "I'm not going to waste my time on you, and your friends. I'll just give the heads up for the Nomads, just try and stop me," Artaxes smirked before he whipped his head upwards. Breathing out a long jet of red fire into the sky, away from the others. Using this as a signal to the Nomads to come over to investagate the direction of the red fire of the black dragon.

[knightstemplar151]

Jason held on and looked at Artaxes "Look im different then other Steel Eagles but those troopers went rouge and were swiftly delt with after they baited your parents and killed them and im sorry for your loss." Jason says as he gets off Sphy and looks at both of them "Look you two are brothers, you should not be fighting at all, brothers help each other out like family and care for each other and I care about dragons young and elder, So you guys need to knock it off." Jason says as he looks at Sphy with a worried look on his face "I do not want family blood on the Steel Eagles hands." Jason says as he yawns then looked at Artaxes and waits for his response "Look the Steel Eagles did do some good during the years, we did relief missions to many cultures, rescue missions, anti-terrorism missions, even peace missions, but now thanks to those Nomads they made a first move by killing our leader and now it is our turn to strike back." Jason says as he gets to Sphy's side hoping he would protect him

[Tiffashy]

"Half brother," Artaxes corrected him in a cold tone. "You may be different from the others but that doesn't make any difference. The Nomads should be on their way. I don't think I'm going to make things any easier for you guys. You may be different from others, so am I," he circled them more. His spines were rising like spikes, getting ready to stab anything that approach it. His claws dug into the ground, kicking up the dirt when leaving it. Artaxes didn't make any noise, but it seemed like the forset gone silent. "I wouldn't believe that they gone rouge. But I had. Killing for the love of the gold," he rattled his tail, lashing it to side to side. He could hear the running footsteps of the Nomads heading towards them. Artaxes scanned the forset and they weren't in sight yet, the humaniods wouldn't had sensed them yet but Artaxes and Sphy would. "Run," he spoke threatenly. His tail cracked like a whip. "Last warning."

[brisingrrider1]

"This is not your problem, human. Do not interfere," Sphy hissed coldly, his eyes changing to an almost white as he prepared himself for the battle to come. "Artaxes!" he bellowed, "Face me like the killer I know you to be! Don't cower behind those filthy grey things. You're still a hatchling if you hide behind them. They cannot help you. Face me like a king, you mangy dog!" Intending to make Artaxes angry and unthoughtful, he continued with his string of insults. Under his breath, he told Kaeti, Lief, and the strange human to leave.

[Tiffashy]

He hissed agressively at Sphy, hating his words and insults. Without warning, the black dragon swiftly charged at Sphy silently but quickly. A crash of scales rubbed togheir echoed around the forset. Artaxes hissed right in his ears as he raked his claws down the blue scales, splitting them open and the claw dug into his fleash to spill the crison blood across the ground. As so he was doing this, his wings flapped wildly, picking up dust and making a tiny duststorm as the dragons fighted. Making it a bit difficult for the others to see what was going on. Artaxes didn't care if the Steel Eagle was still on his back. He was being thoughtless and was trying to kill his half brother. Along with the Steel Eagle or not. Nothing was going to change his mind right now, he felt bloodthristy for his own half brother's blood. He felt his dark side approaching himself, he allowed rage to take over him.

[knightstemplar151]

Jason was standing next to Kaeti in shock and looks away from the blood then looks at Kaeti "I cannot just sit here and let him die, Sphy is the first full grown dragon i have touched, I dont care if I die or get wounded I will fight with dragons!" Jason says as he puts his assault rifle on his back then pulls out his combat knife and jumps onto Artaxes back and looks at him "Get off him!" Jason says as he thrust his knife into Artaxes back and pulls it out then repeatedly stabs his back then jumps off him quickly then slashes his leg making a deep cut then runs behind a tree covered in blood on his chest plate and helmet "Forgive me Sphy for interfearing I cannot stand to see you die." Jason says to himself as he stays behind the tree waiting for a good time to strike

[Tiffashy]

An angry screech was unleashed from Artaxes's jaws. The metal dagger dug into his back and he can feel the pain shooting though his back, striking him like an arrow or a bullet. He was already busy enough fighting Sphy and didn't have enough time to notice the human already raking his dagger down his back. Artaxes shot his head around to see were the human was now when he saw his chance to look away, he saw the human already was behide the tree. Waiting for the right time to strike. He wanted to kill them both at once but it seemed too difficult to handle a human and a dragon. It might not be too long now in till the elf and the other human attacks him. He is already outnumbered. Remembering that he was still in combat, he screeched outragestly loud before busting out red flames at the tree were the human was lurking behide. He just needed to drive the human away from the tree so he could strike him from distance with his tail while dealing with his half brother. The red flames caught the tree on fire and it almost turned black instantly to the heat of his flames, it was breaking down slowly. The red fire was doing its work as Artaxes kept on attacking Sphy.

He could already hear the Nomads really close, he can sense their eyes on him but he didn't turn away from the blue dragon. Not willing to give him another chance.

 

((What kind of weopans do Nomads use? I know that they use swords but would they use guns or bows and arrows?))

[colourcodedchaos]

Grey Lancer Base 014 (Codename Peacekeeper)

 

Vincent Graleder was many things to many people. To the board of directors of the Adar Vapora Beer and Cider Price Allocation Subcommittee, he was what one got if one cross-bred a bureaucrat with a bemused elephant seal, all jowls and blubber and general air of tiredness. To those privy to knowledge of the Grey Lancers' inner workings, and they were almost as few in number as the Lancers were themselves these days, he was an immensely intelligent and resourceful man, fought in just about every war going and a towering presence in naval weapons research. To the Lancers he ran, he was the kindly old stick with a mind like a razor beneath a face like an elderly apple who had more tricks than a circus act. That was his gift, you see. The ability to be all things to all men, and all women too. To be seen exactly as he wished to be seen, through manipulation of dress and manner and, most importantly, power. The power of government.

 

So when he strode into the dormitories underneath Mt. Skarran and dumped a battlefield commission on the only trainee Lancer he had, it was with a very heavy heart. The image he'd tried to project, needed to project, had become... corrupted. The dragons hadn't just killed his top agent. The dragons hadn't just ripped apart two young women. They'd made everything he'd said to his trainee, his girl, a lie. And he was furious about it.

 

For her own part, Violet had become utterly distant. She went to her lectures and copied down notes and turned in quality assignments, but her tutors had noticed she was not coping well at all, especially Dr. Samuels (who was, in fairness, being paid to watch her). It was like she'd been put on the very strongest drug program they could give without leaving the patient a giggling vegetable, but every tox screen showed up clean.

 

It wasn't helped by the fact that she barely even slept any more. Every spare moment she had was spent on the ranges, perfecting her aim. Her markswomanship instructor said she'd never seen such dedication, but when she'd pressed her about it all she'd got in reply was "to be better."

 

Simply put, something was very, very wrong with Violet Clayton.

 

It was affecting the whole base, too. The Lancers had always been close, and Lauren's death had hit them all very hard. But Violet's descent into ice and shadow had been the catalyst for a huge series of screaming matches between all the women that had even ended with violence. They were at war now, Vincent had explained to them, and people died in wars. They had to remain above it if they were to get revenge.

 

Vincent didn't get angry like other people did. He never raised his voice, he never lashed out. He was not, in fact, a violent man at all, which was peculiar given his vocation. What he did do was slip into a very calm state in which he constructed elegant plans of action in an old, leather-bound notebook. Once he finished planning and checking and cross-checking and double-checking and accounting for all the little nuances that he could conjure up, then he initiated them. They tended to work; his enemies tended to die.

 

"I have invited you all here," he began in a soft, deliberate tone, "to inform you of how we are going to avenge Operative Faust. It involves stealth, deception, no small amount of killing, and an incursion into the territory of two major world powers."

 

Rosa, who would normally have said something along the lines of "Yay, we've got a day trip," stayed silent. Somewhere, a clock ticked.

 

"First order of business is to collect data on the dragon lands' whereabouts. Operatives Piper and Gillan, you will be outfitted for gathering intel in a desert environment. Dress code is hoods up, obviously. QE-visors will be supplied via the armoury. Operatives Sykes and Fairbairn, you will be outfitted for gathering intel in a magic-rich environment. No QE-visors, you know what magic does to them, but you two are the best interrogators we've got. All units will be provided with full-spectrum negafractive cloaks and light ACE units.

 

"Operative Longbridge, you will be providing heavy backup for Piper and Gillan. Your role will largely consist of coordinating supply drops and air assets. You'll be provided with a full range of weapons and a heavy ACE unit; more details will be available from the quartermaster. Operatives di Torta and Clayton will fulfil the same brief but with additional responsibilities, namely making sure that all the unit's technology is kept running and unaffected by the area's magic. Operative Clayton in particular will be charged with servicing the unit's energy weapons.

 

"We have been granted passage aboard two Seatiger-class attack submarines. The crews have been kept under the impression that you are important officers from the General Staff; only the captains know that you are who you are. Uniforms will be provided. Once the intel has been gathered, you will report to Base 002, codename Longknife for further instructions. Set times for radio contact will be issued at the armoury. Any questions? No? Good. You are dismissed."

 

The slightly shellshocked Lancers filed out of the room, Rosa and Vi the last to go. Vi looked even more robotic than normal; straight-backed posture, dulled eyes constantly facing forward, barely moving, barely breathing. She'd grown much stronger-looking, too, possessing a kind of wiry strength. That had to have been the lung transplants. Biotech was so very useful. Maybe, one day, if the wind was fair...

 

He might see her smile again.

 

Palace of Iora

 

"You know, Razeth, that ent really freaks me out."

 

Hawthorn stood and said nothing - at least, nothing the elf soldiers could comprehend. What it actually said, in the peculiar whistling tongue of the Old Trees that elves no longer spoke and the new ents barely remembered, would have involved great and varied use of the censor Mudkip so beloved of this site and nowhere else. That particular embuggerance aside, the huge tree wasn't happy anyway. The adamantine shackles at its attack-branches chafed like hell and it didn't like the magic ice projectors one damned bit. They were unnatural, too based on the technology of the humans that had caused such devastation in the War of the Arnadrim Succession. It reminded him of the poison rains, the strontium and the caesium, the dreadful Eye-So-Taupes that killed everything they touched with a slow, grim sickness. Still, it had to be trained in its use or the elves would cut it up for firewood... like in the Harrying.

 

Grumbling slightly to itself, it marched off to the range and began to train with the ice projector. Pulses of energy smeared themselves across targets, freezing them in place as surely as if time had simply stopped for them. Had Hawthorn had a mouth, it would have set into a grimace. It had seen the great city of Chrace's death, seen the shadows on the walls. Human magic... no, it thought, stopping itself from having that thought. They had no magic, only the dreadful science. The elves had barely survived after Chrace had been incinerated; indeed, there had been peace between them for a very long time. It paused in the rune-laying drill and thought some more as two of its younger, more pliable compatriots started racking the bolts back in their heavy crossbows. Then it gave an Old Tree-equivalent of a small sigh and returned to its ice-projector. They had ordered the big trees to be proficient in it.

 

And, after all, a soldier follows orders.

[Tiffashy]

((Hmm, I still don't have an idea on what to do with Rasi :3 I'll just wait for the knight and ubby to post something to fight againest Artaxes ))

[knightstemplar151]

Jason felt the inferno and quickly ran at Artaxes with combat knife drawn and jumps on his back and looked at the same wound that he did earlier then looks at Artaxes and stabs the wound again this time making the wound bleed then quickly jumps off and runs behind a different tree and switches to his assault rifle then hears the Nomads "Overlord I need a squad of Grey Lancers to my position ASAP!" Jason says as Overlord responds "Copy that a squad of soldiers will be there ETA 2 minutes." Overlord says as he disconnects and Jason loads his assault rifle and marks his position with a signaling flare "Come on bring it!" Jason says as he aims down his sight looking for any Nomads

Edited February 7, 2012 by knightstemplar151

[9pmg5665]

(( Bloody hell man! You can't just bring in an AH-6 over watch! I can understand Grey lancers with high tech but come on! They're right outside the fricken' human city! TO EXTREME ))

[knightstemplar151]

((Ok just calm down i will edit the post just calm down))

[brisingrrider1]

((Sorry))

Sphy winced in pain, then flashed above Artaxes and landed on his tail, carefully avoiding the deadly tip. "No, human. I told you to stay out of this!" he yelled as he glimpsed the grip of the man's knife in his broodmate's back.

Lief looked over at Kaeti, and, seeing that she was stunned from the recent events, grabbed her horse's reigns and backed off, directing both horses away from the skirmish. When they were far enough away, Lief got off, telling Kaeti to stay there. He ran back across the ground toward the origins of the small earthquakes.

[Tiffashy]

Artaxes unleashed another low screech of pain when the dagger dug into his back again, this time in the same wounds as the human last attacked in. This time, he jerked away from Sphy, wanting to get rid of the human before attacking Sphy again. Just like a race horse trying to get rid of a fly on its nose while it's racing againest other horses. Hearing the Steel Eagle calling for the Grey Lancers, the dragon swiftly turned to flee. He took one shot at Sphy, showing his hate towards him just though his eyes with unexplainable words just before he bolted into the woods with dark red blood dripping from his shoulders. He knew that it would be too dangerous to fly, everyone would see the black dragon in the sky so he was running though the woods to make another run for it. At least he hold them off for long enough, enough for the Nomads to understand that people were on their tracks. Artaxes leaped over a fallen log, nearly stumbling into the ground from his wounds. A sharp snap of pain hitted him in the back, a low curse was muttered from him before bolting again. Artaxes couldn't tell if they were on his tracks now, he wasn't going to cheak behide him, far too risky. Thoughts nagged him on how he didn't get to kill any of them but then a more calmer voice came, explaining how he shouldn't had attacked his half brother. Artaxes felt the stronger voice telling the calm version that Artaxes gave them a chance and they just ignored it. For now, his gold was safe. He did warn the Nomads after all, they should had left now to hide in the forset while the black dragon is still trying to get far enough to take flight...

[colourcodedchaos]

((Okay, knights, I haven't read your posts in that much depth because stupid brings me out in hives, but apparently *dons a Deep South accent* you an' me gots ta have us a talk. Your character would not call in Grey Lancer support for a variety of reasons.

 

#1 - The fact that they're multiple people and not, as the legend of the Lancer says, a single invincible death-goddess in a grey cloak is a closely-guarded government secret. Common squaddies, even protagonist ones, WILL NOT BE AWARE OF THIS.

 

#2 - It's awful tactics to call specialist assassins into a pitched battle. This isn't TF2 - you put a spy on a battlefield like this and they'll immediately be killed. To death.

 

#3 - They're in no way affiliated to the human army. I've alluded to this before; the Grey Lancers are, like their boss, primarily a naval concern. It'd be like saying that the Navy SEALs belonged to the National Guard.

 

#4 - THERE. ARE. SEVEN. OF. THEM. FULL. BLEEDING. STOP.

 

I am sick and tired of having to explain things like this to people who cannot be arsed to read the thread through. It's just common courtesy. Therefore, I hope you will substantially edit any posts concerning the material discussed above. I also ask that you post things that aren't entirely devoid of wit and charm, and while I'm on the subject of impossible requests could you please fetch me Princess Celestia, as I desire to ride her to Mars.))

[athania]

((@ EVERYONE, Calm yourselves. This is so biggie. HOWEVER, Knights should have read up more before posting something like that, and therefore will have to edit his post. But cut him some slack. He joined less than a month ago and only has 24 posts. He's a complete newbie.))

Edited February 8, 2012 by athania

[knightstemplar151]

((What should i do post edit wise athaina))

[brisingrrider1]

((You could call a friend or something...))

[colourcodedchaos]

((Sorry... it had been a bit of a long day and I've explained this at various points in the thread about a thousand times now. It just kinda got to me. Plus, when I talked to one of my tutors about the whole chair-throwing thing, he said I should have seen it coming given the "lifestyle choices" I've made. *raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaage*))

 

Palace of Iora

 

The big, elf-shaped lump of steel turned and hacked its greatsword down towards Hawthorn's head, the blow easily capable of ripping the ent in twain. Cursing softly in Old Tree, it blocked the blow with a great crashing ring of steel on adamantine and threw the swordsman off-balance, redirecting the motion of the slab-like blade safely into the ground with a simple twisting manoeuvre. Hawthorn followed up with a thunderous punch to the steel golem's head, knocking it to the ground, then brought its bracers down upon its foe's exposed back, the blow making a massive dent in the steel shell and almost shearing bits of the golem's backplate off.

 

"HALT! The trial is over. Adept Teyrin, you will explain why your professed 'superior machine' could not overcome a single ent in a full report to your own superiors. All of them."

 

"But I-" Teyrin sighed defeatedly and looked at her slippers. "Yes, Magister. It shall be as you say."

 

"Indeed it will. You had better hope that the Grand College's indulgence of your projects continues as unchecked as it has done so far, Teyrin." The old elf swept imperiously off of the raised dais, his robes billowing out behind him in a manner that reminded Hawthorn of someone airing a particularly rancid bedsheet. It said so, but nobody heard.

 

Teyrin slowly climbed down to the arena as the crowd filed out, their thirst for gladiatorial combat sated for the day. The ent watched her impassively, a slightly interested expression crossing what passed among giant trees for a face while the elf drew complicated runes of repair and life-giving in the air over her creation and, when they didn't work, tried the ancient method of booting it in the head and swearing at it before collapsing to the ground and sobbing.

 

"I... I was so sure... I thought I'd got it right. I thought..."

 

"þes wæsne sum hréþsigor, déoreu," Hawthorn rustled, louder than it had meant to. To its shock, the elf span on a dime and looked up at it.

 

"What did... I mean, um... hold on, hold on... ácwiðeest Geongre? You speak Elvish?"

 

Hawthorn paused; never had the elves understood it before, not since dark days indeed. A little longer, and it decided to be brave. "Yes."

 

"Oh, my... this is so fascinating! You must be so old, to be able to speak... you must have been a loyal servant, to survive this long with the Elftongue in your mind..."

 

Depends on how you look at it. "Yes. I am... Hawthorn."

 

"This is amazing. Absolutely amazing. I'll have to tell-"

 

"No."

 

"But-"

 

"No. They will come as they came for all the... the reccereas."

 

A hint of worry came into Teyrin's voice. "Who will come?"

 

"Bælblysemanna."

 

Teyrin stopped, translated in her head, and simply let it go at that. Hawthorn bowed its branches, as was traditional custom, and strode away to the magic ranges. It had been too hasty, ever the curse of the Old Tree Speakers, and now someone knew. An elf, no less.

 

It looked towards the setting sun with dread, and feared the coming of the fire.

 

((Quick point - the seemingly random strings of letters in bold are in fact Old English, which I'm using to represent old Elvish from when Hawthorn was a mere sapling because, well, it should be pretty friggin' obvious. PM me if you want translations.))