Of Deceptive Intentions - (Celestial x Scout)

[Celestialvortex]

The illumination of a careless sun drifted down aimlessly across the fertile fields of the dawn, casting it's aimless rays across viridian grasses and sweet cobalt rivers alike as the light rippled across the earth's surface from the movement of the whispy clouds. Every once in a while an obelisk of stone would stand tall and sullen against the beams of light, casting long shadows from their craggy surfaces as they held their own against the sun. But these rolling hills supported no oxen or sheep with their plentiful grasses, and the gurgling of the crystalline rivers fell upon the deaf ears of the soil and it's wildflowers. No, it's beauty had become its bane, the sentry noted as his jet black wings beat through the scent rich air. His piercing green eyes scanned the landscape for tracks, or other traces of the enemy, falling over stone and crop alike as they did. No, the farmers had left long ago, threatened by the war that had overtaken the land.*

This was but a small portion of it's magnificence, and it was clear why his king was willing to put so many resources into obtaining it. From these fertile fields to the game filled forests and from the ore rich mountains to the gateway of the ocean, it would be an asset that was second to none. At least, it could be, if only they could obtain it. The raven absentmindedly beat his wings again, feeling the wind coursing through his feathers like the adrenaline in his bloodstream. The rightful king, Aberstine the Adamant, had found his claim at about the same time as a rival nation, who had refused to give up their claim to the almighty lord. Negotiations for the land had begun, but it became clear soon enough that neither were going to loosen their grip by a muscle for the other faction. When the other king turned his ears from reason, his kingdom of Riverslade had been forced to unsheathe it's claws and enforce it's claims upon the territory. It didn't take long for bared teeth and sharpened weapons to meet them in return.

Once mercenaries and soldiers began patrolling the land,most of the solitary farmers and fishers left, with but few a barn, silo, or shack left in their wake. Some Small towns refused to move, and so were sources of frequent skirmishes as the two nations struggled to keep their hold on the areas they had conquered and liberate the one's they had lost. But, at least as of now, both Riverslade and her foe had been neck and neck, the jagged line of captured establishments nowhere near either of the sides, and ensuring combat would last a good deal longer before negotiations would ever be called.

But, in the end, Riverslade would forever rule her rightful lands. There was no alternative. No matter how strong, how resilient, the opposing nation could never ever hope to overcome the great and mighty kingdom! The raven grinned to himself, so caught up in his country's aspirations that he nearly missed the tell tale paw print left in the dust below. His eyes widened when it crossed his vision, and his scanning became feverish as he sought out the next. Soon enough, another pair emerged in the dirt. He was able to track a small path, first from an individual sentry, then two from where the pair had met, then the trodden grass path that led to where the gleaming banners of their foe shone brilliantly, mockingly in the sunlight, bolstered by the sight of a camp of enemy troops, oblivious to the feather lined eyes spying down on them below. Taking note of the landmarks and group characteristics *of the beings below, the raven quickly turned around, speeding through the cloud layer back to his comrades, naught even a falling feather or two left to prove his existence.

It was rushed and out of breath that he returned to the bustling camp, his long talons padding against the ground as he took a second to orient himself, then walk disdainfully through the tents. On his left, two boars made crude jokes while they sharpened their axes, their tiny pig eyes alight with laughter as they squealed their jokes. On his right an emu fit a lion for armor, needing two monitors to hoist it upon the massive feline's shoulders, the reptilians flicking their tongues casually as the avian inspected his work. A roaring forge had been set up in the middle, and a metal faced bear was in the process of transforming ingots to weapons and armor in the makeshift fires.*

But it was a pair of icy turquoise eyes that watched the raven disappear into the superior's tent, , halting for a minute upon the building*emblazoned with the cyan chimera that was her country's insignia before turning back down to the sapphire embedded sword within her ivory paws. With quick, deft movements, her paws slid the sstone upon its silver blade, sharpening it's deadly bite with each stroke. The eyes turned occasionally, watching others watch her with interest, respect, and, from a few pairs, fear. She was called the Arduous Arrow, the Bladed Fist. It was claimed she had taken out a barbarian patrol herself, who, unarmed, had ripped out the throat of the bear leader when her weapon lay at bay, and that she had dived under the ocean to strangle an otter in its own home because it had stolen from her empire. While the likelihood of these stories ever holding real merit was low, one look into her fierce gaze could solidly persuade even a lesser beast that these fictional tales held more truth than one would care to know. Though shorter than many of the males by an inch or two, and less bulky in appearance, her dexterity provided her with a clear advantage over many of the lumbering brutes, while her muscles gave her the strength to plunge a dagger through a rhinoceros's heart. Her signature black gloves, currently on her lap, were tipped with large silver claws, each of which fit in with her own to create a deadly grasp. Her *ears were pierced twice through with small silver rings, and a silver pendant in the shape of a griffon hung about her neck. Few knew of her past, but she was renown within the squadron for her dedication and passion for the kingdom for which the white tigress fought. Her name was*Ciscera, her blade Nimaron, and her ebony and silver armor had been, for many unfortunate souls, the last thing their mortal eyes would ever fall upon.

Time passed slowly, and the soldier soon found her tail flicking in agitation, awaiting the orders that would send the group on the move again. An emu attendant came to check her armor, clicking its beak as the monitor associates waited patiently, then left. A black panther and a dingo debated the ideals of leadership, slowly deteriorating into who had entered the best brothel recently, but her keen ears remained trained on the tan tent before her as the words meanings slipped from kings to weapons to strategy to unmentionables. Within a few minutes, the doors burst open, the equine, canine, feline, and avian commanders shouting out orders as they rallied their troops. The enemy had been sighted! Pack up, then forward march.... To Battle!

[101 Scout1]

"Sir! Colonel Shar, sir!" A breathless ferret called out as he burst through the flaps of the officer's tent. The wolf sat in his medium-weight armour, geared for battle, his black cloak draped over his shoulders. The cloak was trimmed in gold and the symbol on the back was a golden pawprint emblazoned over two silver, crossed blades. The brooch that held the cloak together was of a similar style, though fashioned in all gold. Leaning against his chair was his falcata sword, and in his right hand, he held a small ruby pendant. It appeared as though a claw grasped the gem... An heirloom from his uncle, who had been his caretaker for nearly all of his life. His light green eyes turned up to his lookout and he smirked.

"Yes..?" There was a pause as the ferret caught his breath, "Well? Out with it boy!" He urged, his interest now piqued.

After a few more pants, the young scout spoke, "Sir... Their sentry... spotted the... tracks... He turned around and did not spot me..."

The colenol smirked as he released the pendant from his neck, grabbing his bow from nearby and sheathing his blade. "Good work, son, now go let the others know." He wanted the camp to be found... Something about the adrenaline of battle thrilled him. He followed the scout out, hands clasped behind his back as he surveyed the camp. His men ran about, gathering their weapons and armour, gearing up for battle. He turned his head toward the end of the camp which the tracks supposedly led to. It only took a few minutes before his men were lined up, uniform and ready. Sure, their armour wasn't of the highest grade, their weapons weren't the strongest, and their pay was low... But these men were serious, having more spirit than any other army in their modern world. Their country was growing poor as time went on... Their leader was not the most intelligent, but Colenol Shar believed that pursuing this new land would be bountiful for their nation. The resource could be helpful and improve their economic standing. However, Emperor Lyons was weak-willed and was in no fit shape to personally lead his troops. The colonel was not first-in-command, but he was definitely influential in their foreign war. He was also one of the best swordsmen in His Majesty's Army.

The wolf pulled out his bow before looking to his men, calling out in a strong, affirmative voice. "Ready?! MARCH!" There was a responsive, "Huh!" As they stepped forward in perfect step. The Colonel walked in front of all of them. He was clearly in command, and often officers would not march in the front, or battle at all, but he loved the feeling of each kill... The danger of combat. He got the first shot, the first kill, every time. Minutes later, he held up a hand, squeezing a fist. "Positions!" They were at an abandoned farm, a vantage point he had planned to utilize for this exact situation. The archers climbed to the rooves, hiding from the view of the opposing forces and many of the swordsmen took up their own positions hiding or being spread out. There were two Lieutenants on either side of Colonel Shar and two archers on either side of them, arrows drawn in their bows. Shar stood still, bow in one hand, an arrow loosely nocked with the other, but not drawn. The squad remained in their place, waiting for their enemies at a point that was one-third of the way between their original camp and the other force moving toward them.

[Celestialvortex]

Despite the numbers, the camp took little time to take down, all the tents falling back neatly into caravans of supplies, every item ticked off a list by a bored looking camel headmaster. Squires came and went, carrying their liege's objects in heavy hands while others assisted the warriors directly. Two of these, a weasel and a gazelle stood by anxiously, awaiting the orders of their kinight as she prepared herself for battle.*

Unlike the rhinos and elephants being assisted with bulky, heavy armor, and still different from the featherweight armor of the scouts and archers, her armor was heavy enough to provide protection against blade and bow, yet light enough to avoid any hindering of movement. The armor itself was constructed of silver, with ebony designs being incorporated into these shining plates, most noteworthy the Chimera on her upper arm and the griffin that was her own upon her chest. This, as well as the ebony lined silver plates for her legs, was placed over an extremely light mail, wide enough to allow her ivory fur to course through it but sturdy enough to reflect a few hits of axe or knife. This mail ran down her arms and legs to her boots and clawed gloves, the latter of which were fit over again with silver gauntlets. It was with great care that her squires finally placed her helmet over her head, the silver coming down to above her nose, her striped cheek fur emerging from the sides. The sapphire imbedded blade Nimaron was placed into her sheath, and her ebony bow was fitted to its place upon her back. Now Ciscera was ready.*

The dingo and the panther were still cracking off jokes when she shooed her squires away, and she approached quietly behind them as one reminisced of some female back in ledgerwood. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe this vixen back in ledgerwood. *She ran that little cafe, but ah.... She was gorgeous. Wonderful food, wonderful looks. That's what you want in a gal, my friend. " "That's sweet," Ciscera interjected, her voice silky as she padded forward, inspecting her sword casually as she walked between the two. "You've found yourself a little girlfriend. " her tail traced over the panther's half armored chest as she strode, looking into the eyes of the murky furred feline with interest. He began to stutter out an answer but she traced her tail up and over his mouth, silencing him. The dingo, knowing of Ciscera's intent, suddenly began to speak up before the clasping of her clawed gloves silenced him, resorting to finishing his armor nervously. "Hush..." she whispered, "There's nothing ....wrong.... with that is there...?" The panther shook his head slightly, indicating his answer. "of course not..." she confirmed. Suddenly, the silk of her voice hardened into malace as she grasped the throat of the feline in her taloned gloves. "Because when starstruck lovers like you get destructed, we need someplace to ship home the tatters of their bodies! Now pick up the pace, or you'll be left behind and the barbarians will clean your bones!"
"Yes ma'am!" the panther quickly responded as Ciscera released her hold, walking to her commander as he struggled to find his squires. The older tamarin was clad in golden armor, his black fur patchy from the wounds of previous battles. "Knight Cescera," he gruffly greeted her, his eyes never wandering from the map he hunched over. With a steady hand, he pointed locations as he spoke, saying "You and Knights *Nigel, Laddy, and Weirbow will be taking your Commands on a direct assault of the camp, which was last seen right here. Knight Xavier will be taking his command first to the south, coming around in a flank behind them. You know what to do, you may leave when your Command is ready. " "Thank you, commander," she responded crisply, respectfully bowing before leaving to ready her troops.

All in all, her division was small, but loyal, their ferocity evident as they lined up. Two rhinos decked in heavy gold and broadswords, a sure footed Martin and three bongo archers, followed by a lion, a fox, a wolf, and a honey badger. Vasco, the badger, was her second in command and her closest friend, the two clasping each other across the back before Ciscera took a position in front of her Command.

"Now.." she began, her voice as powerful and steady as the eyes that matched every soldier's gaze. "The battles have been long and tiring. We have faced plights from barbarians and rogues, we have survived disease and famine, we have forded rivers endured arrows, borne the blades of steel biting against our skin. But what does it mean, if this great land is lost? " she asked, beginning to pace down the line of soldiers as she went."we have lived in this land for months, endured its hardships, seen its beauty. And we will never know what it will mean to lose our land, because we will never allow it to slip into the hands of our foes! Our country will prosper, because we shall defend this land with blade and claw and tooth, never stopping till each and every vermin fighter is slated and cast back to the hell from which they were spawned! You hold the blades, you hold the power, you hold the might of Riverslade in your paws! Show this folly of a nation what we are made of!" she roared, and the shouts and cries of her comrades rose with her, joining the battle cry of every animal in the legion, the call echoing over the hills like thunder. The white tigress mounted a lesser horse before drawing her sword in the direction of their foe."Forward... March!"

And they were off, every division of soldiers led by such a mounted knight as they walked, armored birds of prey circling above and serving as messengers for the knights when needed. It didn't take long for *an old farm establishment to come into view, one that appeared to be holding together well despite its lack of inhabitants. Waiving down two of the birds under her control, Ciscera sent the harrier and the red tailed hawks to scout out the building for supplies, the army continuing to trod forward in their pursuit of their foe.

[101 Scout1]

The Colonel tended to keep relationships off of the battlefield. He was close with all of his men, but he preferred not to become anything more than comrades, brothers-in-arms. The march sounded and he drew his bow. The army of Tunay'ruk was ill-outfitted, and Shar knew that they would be outnumbered... But the sound coming towards them... How many did they have? His brow furrowed as he saw two figures moving closer... Scouts, no doubt. His men were unmoving, hidden in the darkest corners, the thickest weeds and brush, behind the walls of the silo. Shar stared at them as they drew closer and closer... They were nearly overhead. He laughed slightly before, in one fluid motion, turned his gaze upward and loosed an arrow. There was a cry as one of the scouts corkscrewed to the ground and landed with a sickening crunch and thud. Shar did not move as he moved his gaze to the other scout, readying his bow, but not firing. He wanted the beast to go and warn its commander.

The Tunay'ruk army was not as uniform as their opponents, their warfare was more guerrilla as well, being based more on close-quarters combat and pre-emptive strikes. His people also had a sort-of prejudice against the Avian kind. They faced a lot of discrimination and were not even allowed in the military, despite many of the army's commanders advising Emperor Lyons to recruit them for scouts... The hard-headed emperor was blind, as were many of the people and soldiers. Very few of them wanted any of the birds, the officers only wanting them as a strategy piece.

Colonel Shar's much smaller group of men breathed heavily... Many of these men were mere boys, conscripted and afraid... Those who had never thought that their life would turn to this. He knew that many of them may die in the hours to come. But Shar was confident in his leading capabilities, and they trusted him as well. He was known for the low casualty rate that his men often took, but he was also not one to fight a battle to the end with another force, he prefer to strike in small, quick jabs, lowering their numbers piece by piece until he knew they could overtake the others. This would be the first attack on this battalion's men, but Shar was not prepared to back down. "Wait for my signal..!" He called out tentatively, taking several steps forward, his personal guards all drawing their bows in anticipation.

From his belt, the Colonel pulled out a spyglass and stared down it. The forces were very close now, but he wanted to see their leader before they were locked in combat. Ciscera, the Bladed Fist... He shook his head... His men weren't prepared for this, but he refused to tell them that now. He did, however, debate retreat, wishing he could call for reinforcements. Why hadn't he been warned? The damned miscommunications of his nation's impoverished military made his job all the more difficult. Now, he was at the forefront of the farm, his bow reslung over his back and his falcata drawn. The marching and battle cries grew louder and the sound of his archers standing up from their hiding places filled the air with creaking of bows as they bent, strings being pulled... "READY! ARCHERS!" He bellowed. His soldiers who did not wield bows all remained crouched behind the house and barns, waiting for his signal.

Moments ticked by... They were like hours... Colonel Shar's falcata was still in the air as he looked around, the opponents drawing closer. "FIRE!!" The officer slashed his blade through the air and the archer's released their projectiles. Shar always made the first move. Arrows flew from all around him, soaring through the air, arcing before finally falling straight into Ciscera's troops. "READY!" He shouted again, giving them a moment to re-nock their arrows, "FIRE!" Another volley came very soon after the first. Each of the archers were ready to dive off of their buildings to kill the forces that drew too close and prepared to duck behind cover upon the first sign of retaliation from Ciscera.

If there was one thing that Shar loved more than the heat of battle, it was the moment leading up to it, he stepped forward, "Is that all you brought?! You have a fool for a king! Your army is a joke and your commanders are heretics!" There was an instant reply from the troops around him, giving their own supportive cries of pride and strength. Conscripted soldiers or not, these men supported Shar more than the Emperor, and they would stand beside him as long as he would have them. They may hate that they have to fight, but they were more than happy to fight with him. Loud clangs filled the air as the swordsman slammed their hilts against their shields. They stepped out and formed a strong, tight-knit squadron. "HOLD!" The Colonel called out as his men planted themselves between the house and a barn. The line formed at the front was fortified. Colonel Shar could taste the anticipation in the air coming from his men. He stood at the forefront without a shield, standing to represent his men, standing to represent his country, standing to represent land that rightfully belonged to them.

"The great Bladed Fist... The Arduous Arrow... Ciscera! It's an honour to finally meet you!" He called out with a smile on his face. There was laughter from his men as sarcasm dripped from his voice. Laughter, they had the gall to insult the opponent's commander like such. "I look forward to dropping you to your knees! Bards shall sing for years to come how the venomous feline who has felled so many great men groveled at the feet of your superior!" Another bellow of laughter from his and a bout of loud clangs as they cheered and slammed their blades on their shields. "FIRE!" He cried out, swiping his sword again and sending a third volley at the feline's men. "I don't think you're nearly as legendary as they say you are! You hide behind exaggerated tales and embellished stories!" One final round of battle cries and shield bashes before the tower shields of the front lines set themselves firmly upon the ground to provide a strong defense for the forces behind them.

[Celestialvortex]

It didn’t take long for the scout to return, his red tailfeathers flaring as the armored hawk dove down to his knight. “The enemy is there ma’am,” he began, his eyes becoming downcast as he added, “they took out Jeremy.” Ingenious… Ciscera thought as she acknowledged his reply. “Thank you Nico. He was a valiant bird, and we shall recover his body for you after the battle. ” “Thank you in return, Cescera. My talons are at your command.” The hawk finished as he saluted and joined his comrades back in the skies.

The opposing armies were smaller, but were notorious for their ingenuity. An old barn would be perfect cover against her forces, as it provided both easy access for archers and cover from her primarily ground based forces. Too bad she had already survived this strategy numerous times, and was going to burn his plan to the ground… literally. But first…

Ciscera called down two more avians, this time a pair of magpies saluting her from their arboreal positions. “Christa, fly back, then try and meet up with Xavier. Bring the flank around early, the group is miles closer than expected. Siertz, rally the blacksmith’s attendants. It’s time to bring down hellfire.” Both birds nodded, racing off to their objectives while she growled slightly to herself, ruminating upon the situation as the army plodded closer and closer to the enemy. Thinking to herself, she requested her shield be brought to her, an ebony and silver counterpart to her armor, echoing the same griffin crest in the dark wood, the light rippling like waves with each step of her mount.

The barn quickly came into a clear view, revealing the presence of a house and silo companion to the large building. Stone was difficult to quarry and obtain around here, but the nearby forest was plentiful, prompting the previous inhabitants to create them from the felled, study lumber. The barn had managed to get a stone support, and a little rooster wind vane still spun from the highest point, where the shadowy silhouettes of the tunay’ruk vermin could be seen if one eyed a place for long enough. At her raised hand signal, her army began to slow, and, calculating the distance from the barn, she called out “Magnitudes, ready!” A massive “HE!” was released in response as the largest and most heavily armored anthros – the gorillas, aardvarks, rhinos, elephants, and bears – removed massive silver shields from their backs, each marked with the symbol of their commanding officer. Crimson dragons, indigo owl eyes, cerulean nixies all stared back at the barn, though Ciscera had been noticing that far more had begun to bear her own black griffon on their glittering faces, giving the group a more uniform appearance. As long as they knew their duty and had a passion for it, she didn’t mind what they did with their armor.

As they grew even closer, her precaution proved correct, as a volley of arrows rose into the air like a black cloud. “Magnitudes, rise!” She roared, and with a massive “HA!” the shields were thrust into the air, the smaller mammals and reptiles using them for cover against the whizzing projectiles. She raised her own shield was raised before her, the clear thunk of a failed arrow ringing out like a raindrop amongst the storm of her army’s defense. A couple seconds later, a second wave hit, with far more resonating pings than the first. A few seconds passed, and Ciscera looked out upon the barn, the cloud of arrows having ceased to the mere sticks that laid at their feet. “Magnitudes, down!” She commanded, and the grunting creatures brought their shields down, holding them proudly, insigna out, to the fortified warriors. A few of her fighters had been unlucky, a couple bodies present who had not raised their shields early enough or who had been too far out of its protective shadow. It didn’t matter though, she still had plentiful numbers in land and air for combat.

A figure stepped out from the upper floor of the barn, calling out to them, and she held out her fist for silence as the opposing foe spoke. “Is that all you brought?! You have a fool for a king! Your army is a joke and your commanders are heretics!” the canine voice shouted, pacing along the roof of the building as he did. The forms of four protective archers guarded the wolf, and Ciscera bared her teeth in a smile that was anything but friendly. But she let him continue, noting the stoic glaring of her army at the old building, unnerved by the meager insult. What pricked her ears, however, was the feeble sound of swords against shields in support of their leader's words. With the silent archers aside, her troops would far outnumber that of her foe, even further than anticipated. This battle would probably be short, with a response like that!

The opposing troops began to flare out in the spaces between the barn, house, and silo, each space like half of a command. She knew the soldiers would be lined up behind them, making this battle far simpler to ignite. As they set themselves, the canine representative spoke up again, addressing her directly, his voice booming out to the ears of her comrades, "The great Bladed Fist... The Arduous Arrow... Ciscera! It's an honour to finally meet you!" His voice was laden with sarcasm, but she took it in check, even though the snickers of his troops began to ring forth from the establishment. Encouraged, he branched out again, "I look forward to dropping you to your knees!" He shouted, "Bards shall sing for years to come how the venomous feline who has felled so many great men groveled at the feet of your superior!" Ciscera called back to ready her specialized troops and her magnitudes as the opposing army cheered, glad when another volley was mostly succesfully avoided. Again the Commander vilified her. "I don't think you're nearly as legendary as they say you are! You hide behind exaggerated tales and embellished stories!"

That comment spread silence throughout the 2 armies as the guessed at the response to the scalding verbal attack. She waited a few moments, removing her helmet honorably as looked up at the roofing where the enemy leader stood. "Noble words from a noble commander. If my ears do not decieve me, is that the noble General Gartok before me? No, wait. I slayed that whelp months ago. Sargent Cortis? No, i seem to have killed him too, while these soldiers slaughtered the vermin you call comrades. Captain Thomas? Colonel Miras?" She paused slightly as she spoke, and smoke began to billow with the pauses as roaring fires were gave birth to her weapons, having been reestablished in the blacksmith's steel cart while they spoke. "No, Miras was the one before you. He put up a decent fight, your precursor, but i felt the life slip from his body like all the rest. How many of you are left of your crumbling nation, Colonel Shar? " She asked, watching from the corner as birds dove down to pick up packages from the cart, before dissapearing into the clouds far above. "Because the bards already sing... of the glorious victories of Riverslade!" Simian, reptilian, avian, canine, feline, the anthro's of her army roared their agreement, their shields bashing and lungs calling out in a battle cry that put the opposing nation to shame. She could almost feel the quickening of her opponents' breath, the shivering with fear, the pounding of their vermin hearts as they realized the trouble they were in first hand. Ciscera held her hand for silence, smiling as she waited. "And they shall add this glorious victory to the verses, singing of the moment your troops flee like the cowards you are and the minute i snap your neck!" Replacing her helmet, she drew her sword in front of her, but said no command as her armies raged with the roars of thunder, and her plan was put into action.

From above the old barn, her birds brought the lightning for her thunder, dropping spheres of burning scraps and materials, coated with flammable oil with streaks of fiery light. Upon hitting the ground, they broke apart, scattering the pieces and the oil pots within and igniting the surrounding areas and soldiers in bursts of flame. Any soldiers hidden about the property would have their cover blown, and would be forced to escape into the open or face severe burns. It would force those in buildings to rush out, and level the playing field for her ground based soldiers, allowing them decimate the fleeing soldiers. Furthermore, she had seen good men go insane from the trauma of being trapped in a burning environment, giving her men, who had used this tactic several times before, an additional advantage. And as if the areal bombardment wasnt enough, rats and weasels grabbed torches to further its spread, rushing forward as the inital drops began to occur. And stillCiscera waited, her forces like demons as they roared throughout the ordeal, before she finally reared her horse with the simple order of "CHARGE!"

Her avian archers began to fire down arrows while the rest of her forces huddled beneath the shields of the larger animalians as they approached the establishment. Within, the soldiers prepared to lash out at enemies who got too close, four such "magnitudes" staying back to cover a contingent of archers who awaited stragglers. She scanned the area quickly, taking in the environment, before adding in her own roar to the mix and charging into the thick of battle, sword spinning through the air as she beheaded her first target.

[101 Scout1]

She had no right. NONE to say his name. Gartok... The name was slandered merely by touching that whelp's lips. She knew not what she said, not really. Shar reached to the quiver that hung by his side and raised his bow, firing into the sky. As the opponent's forces charged, one of the birds fell from the air with a squawk, dropping its molten munition on its allies. "Archers! Aim for the saboteurs!" He called out as their ranks began to light as well. "Form together! GET OUT OF THE FLAMES!" He bellowed. His men, now racked with fear, listened and made for the clearest area possible. It was absolute chaos, to put it lightly, as men screamed and cried, their flesh melting and burning alive. He glared at the approaching army, they may have had the resource and ability, but they lacked the honour. "Get off the building!" The commander cried to his archers, who quickly made their way off the sides and out of the building before it too burst into flames. The colonel remained for three more shots, dropping two of the aerial attackers before they could bring their own fiery hell upon his men. He already knew that this would not turn out well... He had false intel, but he needed to find out who had provided it later. The flames grew higher and he leapt from the barn, bending his knees to cushion his fall as he hit the thick weeds below.

"Hold your place! They have the numbers, but we have the skill and endurance!" The commander placed his bow over his back and yanked out his blade. As his guards rejoined him on the ground, he was supplied with his left hand's weapon: a one-handed warhammer. He smirked as he tested the balance on it, standing in front of his men. He would appear a fool to the charging forces before him as he stood, poised for battle. The two guards closest to him wielded no weapons now aside from their bows, slung over their backs. When the forces clashed, these men would be important. Tunay'ruk was not a rich country no, so its forces were not outfitted as well in the equipment department. However, this poverty caused many of the officers to seek out whatever advantages they could get. A moment just before the forces of the two armies clashed, a large circle of men were thrown into their comrades, causing great surprise among their friends. The Colonel commanded his men as one single unit, but after the chaos begins, it is hard to bark anything but motivation or retreat. Ciscera was farther down the line as the colours of the armies pressed against one another, surely getting her fair share of damage on his men.

The four guards who pushed their way in with the Colonel began their own fight. The five of them were highly skilled, but two were especially strange as they moved. Masters of unarmed styles and, their ace-in-the-hole, magic. The first blast was usually what weakened them the most, but it was vital to the group getting into a safe pocket for their own battles. Shar himself spun about with ease, ducking blades and bashing his hammer into backs. His blade would slide easily through armour as well. "Don't just defend! Get me to the commander!" He called to his guards, who began to move with him down the line. One went down, but it was one of the two swordsmen. However, one of the magicians turned to comrade, who was now on the ground, bleeding out. "Lieutenant, on your feet! I need you over here!" He called as one of their opponents moved to come down on the magician. He suddenly stopped before a sickening crunch sounded, his knee caving in on itself as he fell to the ground. Shar took a few deep breaths as the wind felt like it had been knocked out of him. "Be strong, Tyrus," He said as his blade flew behind him, parrying an attack. He spun and lopped the attacker's head clean off. However, Shar couldn't help his Lieutenant much... The officer was soon taken out in a weak moment. He could tell his men were thinning as he moved across the field toward Ciscera.

"CISCERA!" He shouted as loud as he could. There had seemed to be a pause in the fighting as others started to avoid them. A bear, one of the biggest fuckin' bears that the colonel had ever seen, charged. Fools... the greatest of warriors can be taken down by the simplest of attacks, he thought to himself as he charged toward it as well. The hammer in his hand was gone, soaring through the air before crushing directly into the behemoth's skull, shattering and killing him instantly. If only he could have had more magicians... A greater force... If only their country could afford this war... then perhaps they would be able to win this fight. "FALL BACK, MEN!" He cried out, knowing that they were doomed. "Get back to the generals!" This was lost... He was no more.

His guards, however, were not to listen. They weren't allowed to return without him, it was their duty to protect him to the end. However, with an entire army boring down on them, Shar stared at them. They could not return... They had to leave, though... Amidst the bloodshed, he called to them. "Go!" He shouted as loudly as he could to them. They would have to find life outside of the Tunay'ruk army... He just hoped they could. The Colonel knew he had little left to fight for... He just had to get to that feline... They could do whatever they wanted with him so long as he got her.

"Ciscera! We forfeit!" He called out, his leg lifting and slamming into the opponent in front of him before the soldier was beheaded. "Leave my men alone! They'll be no good to you, now." Now, a circle of enemy troops had surrounded him, providing for no escape... It was as if an arena opened up. Lykos gripped his blade firmly as the Bladed Fist stepped out into the empty circle. He would not be leaving this place a free man, if he were even alive, but he knew one thing: He would kill the one who had taken his uncle away from him. General Anicetus Gartok, brother to Nike Shar and brother-in-law to Adonis Shar, was killed in battle by the 'great' Arduous Arrow. If he could have just one thing before his death, Lykos wanted to sink a blade into her, to hear that beautiful noise of blade-through-flesh one last time, to get his vengeance.

"You are very skilled, commander," He noted to her, his blade twisting around his hand absently as he watched her. "I am alone now... Surely you have some honour among your people. From one officer to another, I wish to have one last request. A single duel, one weapon each. If I am to die here, my body shall be sent home and you shall take my pendant to your king to prove my death. I plan not to survive this ordeal, Ciscera, I have only the single fool's dying wish. Oblige me," He offered. "We shall even fight by your rules, to make it fair."

[Celestialvortex]

The battle was, in all honesty, quite wonderful. In fact, it was probably the most enjoyable that she had fought in so far, she thought as she pulled her blade from a fox, not even hesitating as it emerged with a slick wet sound and dove into a coyote comrade. Sure, it didn't have the challenge, but her men were getting the experience and the morale booster, which was handy, especially for *the green ones. With an almost casual air she blocked an incoming scimitar with the edge of her shield, slicing across the ferret's neck with but a gurgling sound and a spray of blood left over. She barely even noticed the fire, except to chuckle slightly at the screams of the fallen and fearful as she passed.*

The buildings were beginning to collapse now, every warrior, living and dead, now present on the flat earth. The battle had barely begun, yet already some young bloods from their foes had begun to flee to the forests out of eyesight, a gesture with her sword turned the avian archer's strung arrows to these cowards instead, slaying or crippling them as they attempted escape. Satisfied that stragglers would no longer return to the opposing nation, she continued to move through the battlefield with ease, even leaping from her horse to slash a swine across the chest, the taloned gloves shearing through the cheap armor and spilling his guts into the roasted landscape.*

But her heart stopped cold when she noticed a group of her finest soldiers thrown into the air, landing stiffly with loud cracks as they fell, leaving only a dark robed individual in their wake. Her fangs bared in disgust, even the thud of another Martin's skull smashing into the ground was lacking in satisfaction from the bile that began to form in her stomach.* Magic. Weakling powers from an unknown source, their users often became dependent on the power for survival. It was like taking someone out with disease, unhonorable and mocking of the abilities other soldiers took lifetimes to develop. Needless to say, her next target was this being, who, after blasting away another of her comrades, was greeted by the sinking of her blade into his spine. She shook off the carcass with revulsion, then continued her path of destruction.

The enemy's numbers were thinning, and fast, she could tell not only by the overdose of cyan emblazonments but also by the path of bodies she had carved with her bloody sapphire blade. The colonel seemed to realize this too, shouting a retreat, and, a few moments later, a total forfeit, causing a wave of the vermin to flee in the opposite direction. She roared in victory, her voice rising above the chaos of war as both a noise of success and one of command. All the avian archer's changed their targets, aiming to cripple or scare rather than kill with their precise firing. On the ground, soldiers left in the thick of battle were slaughtered, while escapees were killed, crippled, or captured depending on the generosity of their captor. Few fought on, but they we're struck down, leaving it simple and easy to locate and surround the colonel and his closerallies. The robed one was immediately struck down - Ciscera's disgust was not a personal one but a societal one, from where magic was banned to all save the king's advisors and other special exceptions - leaving the wolf and his remaining guardians. This was easily remedied: his companions were slaughtered, the commander herded into a circle of her own warriors. She grinned as she strode into the circle, as the opposing leader, it was her right to deal the finishing blow on the behalf of her troops and her army.*

As she walked forward, brandishing her sword, the wolf remained cautious and alert, holding his sword before him. Her respect for the commander grew - leaders who collapsed into tears and begging sickened her, as they lost all ideals in the hopeful trade for their lives. She gave them a trade, all right. She sold their soul to the devil and their body to the earth. But Colonel Shar was confident , or at least as much as one can be facing death.*

"You are very skilled, commander," He noted as he stood, but she didn't respond. . "I am alone now..." He tried again, beginning to twirl his sword as he talked. " Surely you have some honour among your people. From one officer to another, I wish to have one last request. A single duel, one weapon each. " A couple chuckles arose from her crowd of troops; He used the name, but did it not occur to him that Bladed Fist had as much to do with her gloves as it did with her swordsman prowess? But it was uncustomary for officers to duel in the army, especially if they were from the opposing army. Too many chances to take out a key general, especially with the ruffians tendency for the cheater power magic. But the prospect intrigued her. She avoided the attack on her honor, her tail beginning to flick from the tender subject, and instead pondered the options. It would be a good way to get in the challenge of the battle she had missed. She listens as he continued. "If I am to die here, my body shall be sent home and you shall take my pendant to your king to prove my death. I plan not to survive this ordeal, Ciscera, I have only the single fool's dying wish. Oblige me," He offered. "We shall even fight by your rules, to make it fair."

"As it is requested from a dead man, I grant your request." she uttered shaking her neck fur and hearing the clatter of the mail hidden beneath the fur. She handed *her shield and clawed gloves to Varasco, only her sapphire sword in hand, and the armor on her body. "We will outfit you with any weapon *should you choose another, but, as the armor you wore into battle, you must fight in it. No magic. " she added briskly, hearing the snap-to of archers training their bows on the wolf.*

She waited a moment for him to choose to be outfitted, then lowered herself on crouched legs, ready for any incoming assault as she regarded her foe with her fierce turquoise eyes. Remembering how she had seen the shadow nearly flinch during her rattling off of slain officers, she smiled as she waited, a hint of a purr tinging her voice as she said ,"Your fearlessness reminds me of your kin Gartok. * I remember him. Noble, wise, yet I found the sound of my blade piercing his heart to be quite satisfying. "

[101 Scout1]

The wolf stood, his back erect, posture proud. He would not die a coward. He knew many of the officers which had been slain by her hand, and several them had, in actuality, begged for their lives. Lykos wouldn't dare. Was it arrogance? Pride? Or pure strength of character? Most likely a fusion of all three. "For defeating you, magic is the farthest thing from my mind," He noted with a smirk and a shake of his head. When she offered him a new blade, he rose a hand, waiving it away. "The blade I hold now is the one that I shall grip in my death," He said venomously, his free hand reaching up and unfastening the brooch which had held his cloak, allowing to fall to the ground. He was unfazed by the sound of strings being pulled around him... Funny how calm one can get when faced with certain demise. In that moment, a blade pressed to his throat would only make him laugh.

She referenced his name again... The vile feline. However, Shar exhaled slowly before merely returning a smile to her, "He was indeed a great man... I fail in comparison, really, but that is neither here nor there."

"I pray you offer a greater challenge than your kin, then." came the tesponse from the tigress, eyes alight with meschievious intent. The black and white emblazoned feline was already coated in the blood of her enemies, her appearance made ever more feral by the stark contrast between the greyscale fur and armaments, the crimson splatters of blood, and the iced azure eyes. The soft rumble of a purr emerged again as she twisted her sword before her, catching the light of the sun in its bloody silver surface. "All in all, it was quite dissapointing how little it took for his blood to spill."

The wolf's tail easily slid from side to side, "Now, shall we begin?" He offered as he too put himself in a fighting stance. However, his was offensive. The first move belonged to him, always, that was his rule. The wolf took several quick advances, though they weren't charging steps, and brought his down toward the feline. Really, it wasn't meant to be much of an attack; it was the beginning of the duel, the starting point for the blocks, blows, and strikes that would ensue shortly after it.

Ciscera brought forth her own steel, but, rather than slam it into the incoming blade, she took a step gracefully to the side, less attacking than directing the weapon, adding just a tad of her own strength to throw off its balance. It took but a millisecond, but a small twist of her wrist brought the blade back from a minute circle before she thrust the studded sword back at his chest, closely watching her foe's body for telltale indications of his next move.

Shar felt the redirection of his blade and moved with it. He preferred to fight smoothly than violently, so he avoided pushing against resistance, preferring to flow with the deflection, rather than sending him reeling with unbalanced weight. He quickly caught himself on his back foot, taking a small step forward and twirling with the momentum. His vambrace led the spin, knocking away his opponent's advance. If he had planned to live through this ordeal, he would have thought about the bruise that would surely form on his flesh in that spot, but he ignored the throb that ran through his bone, his right hand following suit in another slash.
The tigress growled as the agile wolf took advantage of her move, casting the sword far left of its original target. She brought back her own sword to meet an incoming slash head on, taking a step back as she did so. The clash of blade upon blade rang out upon the intersection, her arm numbing slightly at the force of the collision. Her tail fidgeting slightly from the unpleasant feeling, she stepped forwards with a feint, aiming as if to slash at his right leg.

The wolf felt his arm as it jarred with the connection of metal upon metal. He snarled animalistically as the two of them pulled back and moved to meet again. As he saw her move to slash at his right leg, the wolf fell into a backward somersault, coming up in a very low crouched position. He launched himself forward from the ground, all of his body weight being forced quickly at the feline before him. It was fast, yet braced as to avoid being fatally wounded in a single move.
Ciscera became frustrated when he didnt follow up in the feint, and she pulled her blade back quickly, albeit not quickly enough. The colonel sprung up from his position with amazing speed, his blade shattering the light mail on her arm as she dove away from the animalian bullet. When she crouched back down, she hissed as a fresh stream of blood matted her splattered fur. Slight murmuring amongst the bystanders as they realized the impact - first blood was drawn!

With the stings of pain amplifying her movements, she brought forth a powerful swing at the canine, first aiming back for the leg, the changing the angle sharply to hit a higher zone.

The colonel smirked, knowing he had caused the first real strike of the battle. The next attack was one that, at first, he was ready for. However, he did not expect her to change the angle and attempt another feinted attack -- it was a mistake. He tried to recover with a dodge, but he was just a second too slow, his foot was caught and blown out from under him, causing him to fall on his back, now with a cut along the mid-section of his right lower-leg. He landed on his back and the wind left him with a powerful "Oof!" The wolf opened his eyes to look at the feline, but it was so hard to breathe... Every time he tried to inhale, the air got caught in his throat... He wouldn't let it end like this, though as the feline bore down on him. He pulled his legs in and kicked the mouth as hard as he could, aiming to hit her in the diaphragm or chest and buy him some time to catch his. It was hard enough to muster up the power to hit her, but he could slowly feel his breath coming back.

Ciscera smiled as she walked towards the fallen canine, mouth open in anticipation. She knew it was very difficult to survive a match once one had fallen, and the blood now pouring down his leg made her own injuries seem wortit's very jab. She began to duck in for a slash when the wolf's leg shot out, aiming for her face but plunging into her silver chest plate, throwing the feline off balance. She stumbled back a few feet, but quickly charged forward with a sweeping of her sword, hoping to take advantage of his falling position before he recovered.

Shar regained his breath enough, and as the blade came down, he rolled over on the ground, narrowly dodging the sweep. He grabbed the feline's wrist and shoulder and pushed her forward, sinking her blade just over halfway into the soft dirt around them. He used his momentum of pushing her to stand up all the way in a very smooth move upward which flowed into an easy twirl with his blade coming around with him to slash at the feline.

Ciscera snarled as the seemingly confident attack was manipulated against her, the vermin's paws using her momentum and disarming her in the same move. But once he had latched on, she refused to let go. With her now free paws, she unsheathed her claws, sinking them into the soft flesh above his wrist as he pushed her, dragging him back down into the dirt near her blade. The move was not without consequence, his sharp blade biting through the mail into her now exposed side, a fresh stream of blood coating the ground beneath them as she rolled them desperately to the sapphires shining mockingly in the soft soil.

The wolf felt his blade leave his hand after he had cut his opponent. It fell to the ground several feet away as he was yanked painfully down, his wrist beginning to bleed. He snarled vehemently as the feline tried to move for her blade. "Cur! You insignificant whelp!" He cried out as he tumbled over her only inches from her blade. His knee came down hard on the elbow of the arm that reached for it. "This fight is mine!" One of his arms slid under her free one, locking it in place as the other took a monkey-grip on his injured wrist and began to apply pressure with his weight against her throat. "I shall not perish as my uncle did, nor shall it be in vain. This day is mine!"

What? Impossible! The tigress thought as she glared at the wolf pinning her to the ground. Her arms were pinned, the trusty Nimaron tantalizingly out of reach. And, as he roared his victory into her ears, she could already feel light building into her vision as the pressure began to knock her out....

Wait, it doesn't get light, it gets dark! she suddenly realized, as this, well, whatever this was began to take over her vision. She tried to move her muscles, first in an organized sort of fashion, then a resort to mere flailing, her legs unresponsive and tingling with a sparkt electricity with every attempt. But it didn't make sense, unless... That whelp! He was using magic against his word! The light began to travel down the color shades to black, and she struggled, fidgeted, tried anything she could, trying to muster some sort of strength to beat this otherworldly energy...

When she collapsed on the ground, suddenly freed from the spell. Her breath fell from her body in ragged gasps as she sat there, hands and knees on the...erm...ground? as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. Her vision was entirely gone,and though she thought she felt grass within her talons she couldn't be sure in the only darkness. As she picked herself up, she realized her armor was absent, replaced with some sort of cloth garment, perhaps silk from its texture. Her sword was nowhere in the feelable area, making her feel slightly nervous, as she was rarely without her sword. Who knew what kind of creatures were here in this hell..or heaven...or place.

Ciscera waited a few minutes, then, understanding the safest place would probably be out of he open area where she perceived herself to be, lowered herself into a half walking, half Crawling into the darkness, ears alert to any the sound of danger that might disrupt the perfect silence of this strange location.

One moment, the feline was dying at his hands... The death of the mighty Bladed Fist was at hand. However, the next, everything was dark. The wolf was kneeling in the darkness and he blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes. What happened? Was he shot from behind? No honour... Those 'people' had absolutely no virtue in their duels. However, Shar looked around... What could have caused this? To be sure he wasn't blind, the wolf held out his hand, his fingers curled slightly. A moment later there was a ball of light floating in it. It was a soft green, matching his eyes. He tossed it in the air above him. Despite the green hue of the magical energy, it cast blank light around it, absorbing shadow. The Colonel's body was lit and he looked down to find that he was in his cloak once more, but his armour and falcata were gone. He was wearing a pair of silken black pants and white cotton ankle-wrappings, but no shirt. He looked around, his lips curling back slightly as he looked for the source. The light that was over his shoulder moved into his hand once more as he took a few hesitant steps in the darkness. The ground beneath him held soft sea-green grass... Such an odd colour... Like it somehow lived and thrived without sunlight. Colonel Shar looked about him and took a deep breath as the light spread.

"Hello?" He called into the darkness. It seemed to echo... but... how? Off of what? There were no walls...

In the darkness Ciscera crawled. How long did this go on? How far did it strech? She hadn't heard any response from the environment, whether natural or ethereal, just a rolling sea of what she assumed was plant matter. Were there cliffs? She didn't feel any change in the ground's angle, but, honestly, in a place like this, she would expect such a thing to occur. She walked forward a bit, before an ivy colored will o' whisp appeared in the ink, proving, at least, she wasn't blind. It was far off though, a small light that emerged from nothing, then rose up an inch or two in her vision, lighting a sea-green floor and a figure beneath its pleasant rays. A voice called out from the figure, echoing around her like vibrations through water, the simple word "hello" wavering around her aslone vibrated of, as if a lonely collection of syllables wandering sadly away before suddenly being absorbed back into the silence. She stumbled torward the silhouette and the light, feeling the voice pulse out from her as she replied with a simple returning, "hello?"

Shar looked around as he heard a voice call back. It repeated his word... The sound was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. He stepped towards it and the two met only a moment later. The colonel was slightly more surprised than he should have been to find the tigress in the strange place. "Ciscera? What the hell is this?" He asked, looking around.

"You think I know?" she spat back, though inwardly her spirits dropped as she realized the figure was none other than her would be killer. "I'm not the one dishonorable enough to break his word and use magic." the last word came out as if it had a foul taste as she glared at the wolf before her. The light was handy, however, as she discreetly checked out the surroundings as best she could. The grass was strage, of that same cyanshe noticed before. The garments she wore did appear to be of black silk, a simple tunic and pants pair. His armor appeared to be gone as well, surprisingly.

The colonel looked at her strangely, his brow furrowing. "Using magic? What? So that I could see in this godforsaken place? I figured that the duel was off considering the circumstances, you dishonourable whelp... Accuse me of cheating! Pah! I come from a country where we honour our word, thank you." The wolf shook his head, "And how do I know you didn't have some half-assed spellcaster send us here by accident? I know damned well the difficulties your people have with magic."

"Our people do not have difficulties with magic, we damn the spectral arts entirely, believing them to be blasphemous and addictive, robbing people of their true strength as they focus on deception and corrupt themselves instead of becoming honorable and bearers of valient behaviors," She retorted, her tail flicking with irratation at his false remarks.

"Oh, yes, I'm very sure that that's it, seeing as I did not just beat you in single combat." The wolf waved her off, rolling his eyes, "It is not deception or false strength. It is strength of the mind, the body, the soul... It teaches one to take control of themselves and their surroundings. You call it heresy because you do not understand, because you are afraid of its abilities, that it will control you. Do not hide behind the facade which your commanders have created for you. You've been told so many times that it is dishonourable because your leaders are afraid of what it will do to the people who can learn it themselves, afraid to give them power."

"I am not afraid" she hissed, bringing herself closer to Shar with a snarl and flexing her claws against her fingers, enraged. "I know what is natural, and where mortals should keep their claws away. You people are like drunks, always taking more power, but not realizing what it does to you. Ive seen soldiers go insane from attempting magic beyond their abilities, witnessed the corruption of powerful warriors as their dependence on magic whittled their very bones away. In your people's stupor, you lose the sense of true power. As for the duel, how do I know you weren't cowardly amplifying your abilities? If you become fully aware of your environment, why are we here?"

"You know not of what you speak," He told her with a laugh, shaking his head. "One's connection to magic is entirely natural. It only becomes unnatural when they make it so. You cannot force your will upon those forces... You must accept them." The wolf looked around, "However, I'm not a scientist... I do not study the magicks of the world... I only harness them... You only need to open your eyes," Shar said, squeezing his hand. The light was extinguished, the area going dark. He knew that the feline would expect him to pull some sneaky, underhanded move and attack her in the dark, but he did not. Moments later the light came out again and he rose an eyebrow. "I have no clue what this place is..." He looked around once again, brow furrowed in concentration. His body was toned, or at least what was not covered by his cloak and pants, and the light reflected the soft, dark browns of it, complemented by the green of his eyes.

Ciscera growled slightly as the light came back on, still face to face with the ego centric wolf. While surprised he hadn't pulled some sort of maneuver, she had remained in the same location, teeth slightly bared in anger from his words. "Why then, are some born blind to this 'sight' if it is natural? The inconsistencies between your words and the studied truth do not fall side by side, and do not lay evenly beside each other on the ground. " Tired of the arguing, and more than pissed off at the colonel's insolence, she finally turned away, albiet at a slight angle so that she could easily react should he attempt such a low attack. "This is no time to spend our time arguing like pups. I already nearly died once today, and who knows what company we have with us."

The Colonel looked at her, the small smirk still on his face. "What does not align properly in your eyes makes perfect sense in mine. We do not see eye-to-eye, Ciscera, but if you could view it from another angle, you would know," He said as his light floated over his shoulder and he crossed his arms. "However, I agree... Though I feel we have all the time in the world... There is little to do here..."

"At least there is enough sense in your head to agree with that," she finished bitterly, selecting a direction at random, and looking as far out as the light would allow her. "Let's move, before something else makes us."

Shar nodded and the two began to walk, a few steps between them as the light hovered at the midpoint. He looked over to her for a moment before his gaze turned to the front again, trying to figure out what everything meant. What had happened and what others saw of he and Ciscera... Did they disappear..?
The tigress walked silently, seething inwardly at the attacks upon her country and her courage. In fact, she almost became so caught up in her swirling rage that she barelynoticed the presence of another light joining them in the only darkness. It was see through, the spirit, an oblong shape, filled with some sort of illuminescent tendrils, floating above the viridisn light already present. It didn't appear to be dangerous, with nothing sharp or imposing about it, yet she couldn't help but be wary of the newcomer. Large structures became visible, waving in an absent spread whose appearance looked like branches smothered in multicolored jelly. Other tree like things held bulbous yellow sacks from bare branches, with lights flickering on and off sullenly. Every once in a while, another spirit would arise, then disappear again, only the one floatingabove Shar's light maintaining a clear focus as the landscape moved around them.

Shar's gaze would shoot to the corner of his eye, looking at the tigress every now and then... He could tell he had affected her... It was, in all honesty, unintentional. The wolf stopped and turned to her, "Ciscera, I... I did not mean to offend you, it was not an attack on you or your people... I understand the avoidance of magic, it is a very strange power..." However, the figure floating above his werelight caught his eye now and he looked up at it. "What the hell is that?" He asked, recoiling slightly and raising his hands, gazing at the... thing above his light.

"No idea," she responded simply, in a nearly monotone fashion. First he insults her, then her people, then believes a simple apology will cover his ass? No wonder his empire was crumbling, his emperor probably just apologized for every mistake he made as the senile man slowly cast his nation into oblivion. Still, the flailing of her tail slowed to casual flicks, watching the strange beast as she walked. "Doesn't appear to be dangerous, or at least for now."

The colonel furrowed his brow at the thing behind him. He cared not if his 'apology' was accepted. The feline couldn't mean less to him at this point. "Is that sort of judgment how you earned your place? If it seems docile, it is? I highly doubt it... It could easily be preparing for anything... I may sound paranoid, but at least I'm careful," He commented. He moved his light slightly, the thing remained between him and Ciscera. "In my regiment, there's a ferret... You would never expect this little bastard to be dangerous, but he's the fastest soldier I know and he can take down a bear in full armour if his opponent isn't prepared for his speed," He said in a plain voice, still staring at the thing floating between them. "What are you?" He asked, the question slightly directed at it as they walked.

"Yes, actually," Ciscera responded, "I've been observing it for a good few minutes longer than you have even known of its existence. It hasn't changed any behavior besides the instinct drawing it to the light. My people depend on my judgement, on the decision of which is most deadly, where is the least likely place of ambush, etcetera. Absolutes like whether this spirit is dangerous are unknown. The knowledge that there is probably something far more dangerous out there is an observation-based on fact, of which the ignorance of such could cost is our lives. As for the ferret... I knew him. And damn right you were, watching him slay one of my finest elephants. You stepped over his body getting to the dueling ring." She finished, smiling slightly.

Shar froze, looking down and clenching his fist. "You think I don't know that?" He asked coldly, his breathing sharp as he stared at the ground. "He was a good soldier and a devoted scout... He enlisted, he wasn't even drafted... There by choice..." The wolf's hand came up to his chest, aiming to grab the pendant... It was gone... It had never been with him in this strange place... He patted himself down, "What the hell?" He asked flusteredly... That pendant was his most prized possession. No matter its monetary value, the sharp ruby held in its claw was an heirloom. "Wonderful..." He muttered before he started walking again, his gaze forward. He completely ignored the rest of Ciscera's words. It was his turn to be angry with her, insulting his men... Call him anything you want, call his family anything you want, but title his men with false labels and you've struck a nerve. He dared the feline to push any farther, to accuse him of not caring for his soldiers...

Seeing Shar uneasy brightened Cisceras mood, though she disn't press further. Two could make provocations, but In this sort of magical environment - of which it was still highly plausible that he was the one who teleported them, who knew what sort of advantages he could use if he got enraged. Instead, she focused on the environment and the task at hand -figuring out where the hell they were and how she was going to escape. When he began to freak out about his missing pendant, she realized that the one thing of hers she had with her was her own, but the griffin's eyes were alight with azure fire. She shook her head at the insanity of this place, then continued onward into the strange landscape.

More of the luminescent bulbous things had begun to drift out of the darkness to Shar's light, casting weird colored shadowsupon other spirits. The jelly fans and bulb fruited trees became more frequent as well, lining their path in circular patterns. And yet the atrocities continued. Obelisks of purplish honeycombed stone rose in horn shaped mounds, and more creatures began to float in, each stranger than the last. Creature that mimicked the horned chameleon face but whose legs and bodies trailed into a multitude of fins held back behind the stone structures, while things that looked like marbles orbiting multidirectionally around a core of rounded cheese approached the figures directly, some of the marbles hitting the two as they passed, with no effect. But what caught her eye was the shape of a humanoid amongst the lizard finned creatures. It hunched over like an old creature, with a thin layer of slime visibly oozing off the smooth surface of its body. Neon blue stripes ran down it's bare body and it's arms, which ended in heavily webbed fingers. Instead of a customary head, however, it simply looked like one had placed one of the first creatures on its head, albet a smaller one, with the long luminous tendrils hanging out the back like hair, and shortstubby ones rubbing against eachother as some form of mandibles. It didn't have eyes, but she had the odd impression it was looking at them, brandishing a spear of amorphous light as it stood within a cluster of the fan like flora. Ciscera hesitated, then nodded her head in the direction of their new companion, alerting the colonel to the new presence.

The colonel did not move his gaze from in front of them as she nodded. "I know," He spoke flatly, "Keep walking. Unless you would prefer that I toss my light over by him and we see what he really looks like?" Shar offered, looking over at her. He would rather not go up against an enemy he didn't know anything about, but he would oblige the investigation if Ciscera cared enough about it. She was so... strange to him. Foreign, really, and he wasn't sure what to make of her. He had never seen her without combat gear on and she almost looked approachable. The wolf was fully aware of the spectres which had surrounded them... the strange reptile-like creatures which had slowly been coming and going around them. He wondered why neither of them was as aggressive or inclined to fight as they normally would have been. The place seemed to stretch on forever... Especially because they had no idea what they were looking for.

Shar rose his hand and a ball of electricity appeared only a moment after a disgusting avian-like creature came down, hovering in front of them. It let out a loud squawk... The thing was hideous. It had webbed wings with a pink, purple, and dark blue neon designs running around them. The face had no beak and the torso had two stubby legs and arms apart from the wings which ended in claws. When it opened its mouth, there were two tongues and the 'squawk' that came out was horrid, like nails on a chalkboard. However, the next moment, it bolted, as it had seen the energy called to the colonel's hand. "Disgusting wingèd beast..."
Ciscera mused silently over the creatures, nodding a negative on his request as they evenly kept pace. The environment certainly was strange here, with glowing creatures making little atonomical sense and flora that tested the realms of one's sanity. Her right hand was awkwardly flexing it's digits; without a sword to rest upon, the unnerving environment seemed to contain even more danger, and the only thing she hated worse than being caught off guard was to be caught off guard and weaponless. And even familiar things seemed to take an unusual twist - she couldn't understand why, but the glowing of her pendant's eyes rattled her beyond all reasonable expression. Maybe it was that she had recieved the silver figure long before she could even remember, having had to replace the chain twice in her lifetime to make up for the effects her active lifestyle imposed upon it. Or perhaps it was that she had always felt secure emblazened with the charm, a study figure that wouldn't grow ill and die like her mother, or be slain through the heart like her father.... Ciscera's eyes darkened as her earliest memory came to mind, but she quickly shook it away, as she didn't want to be affected by the remembered trauma. Instead she focused on the road, and her rival, and the soft lights beginning to slowly close around them...

Ciscera blinked. It was true. They appeared as if from nothing, slowly fading into view as if composed of illuminescent smoke. A whole troop of the humanoids, their neck lights flashing in patterns as they arrived from total oblivion, each brandishing the same tribal spear as their companion from down the road. Most of the head tendrils were focused on her and Shar, though some faced to the sides, as if speaking to their comrades. She turned around, bending down into a ready position, and reaching for the sword that..... wasn't there. Grand... But, as she waited, a small snarl begining to form at the edge of her mouth, the beings simply stood there, as if eyeing the creatures that dared enter their territory. There were most definitely too many for them for the two to successfully defeat, but she couldn't quite tell whether their hunched forms held aggressive, friendly, or even neutral intent as three of them began to walk towards her, spears brandished, but only, it appeared, as a precaution. She stepped to the side, and the three grew ever closer, their slimy forms making a sort of humming sound as she did so. The shapes of three more began to walk torwards Shar, but she found herself caught up within the protected triad of the three massive humanoids as they began to walk her on a suddenly illumined side path. She certainly wasn't pleased, but she made no audible noise as she staightened herself, walking within the slime ridden triangle of the three captors. Whatever they wanted, they seemed intent on bringing them to some location. She wasn't going to argue... for now.

Shar felt a chill run up his spine, but he was intent on resisting the urge to shiver. His fists clenched at his sides... He had no idea what he was dealing with, so it wasn't like magic could be relied on to defend himself. His eye caught Ciscera as she seemed unbalanced for some reason... Her eyes darkened and she appeared as though she were going to do something irrational. He surprisingly found himself wondering what her story was, but he pushed it out of his mind... He wanted his things back, he wanted to stand over this feline, blade at her throat, and have both of their lives ended on the spot.

What do these things want with us..? He thought quietly to himself as his lip curled back and his hands came up in a fighting stance. In unarmed combat, Shar always fought open-palmed, it allowed for easier movement, grabbing, and he felt he could put far more power behind the heel of his hand than the mere fingers at the end. Plus, he was really known for his ability to throw just about any opponent. He was an unarmed champion in Tunay'ruk and had a very high standing for his prowess in single-weapon combat. As he was surrounded by three of the spear-wielding spectres, he decided it better to follow Ciscera's lead... Though he desperately wanted one of those spears, if only to even the playing field. The wolf kept on his guard as they walked, though, and he looked over to the feline, "Ciscera... Do you even know my first name?" He asked curiously... He found that Shar was far more well-known than Lykos, and so he generally would go by that or Colonel. Sometimes it piqued his interest to find whether somebody knew his birth-name or not.

Ciscera couldn't help but snort at the question. Here they were, in some strange place, being led off to some unknown location by some even stranger beings, and he wanted to know whether or not she knew his name? It was no wonder his military was lacking if they promoted buffoons to such high positions. She couldn't really look back with her three guardians closely guarding her, but she tilted her head down to see him, walking with his own guardians, out of the corner of her eye. "No, Shar, I don't. However, I believe we have far more pressing matters on hand than becoming familiar with one another." She replied, turning her head back as the left guard "eyed" her suspiciously. The group came to an ubrupt halt, with only the tigress's quick reflexes saving her from colliding with the slime slathered back before her, and then, for a minute, simply stood still. A spiraling staircase materialized before them, much like the tentacled creatures, twirling twice or thrice before ending in the middle of the air. Without further ado, the illuminescent warriors strode onward, directing the two commanders closer and closer to the invisible ledge...

Shar rose an eyebrow. "Oh, I forgot... You come from a society of brutes... The kind of people who care not who they are fighting with or against, so long as they are shedding blood," He said disdainfully, dropping the subject. The Colonel looked around the being in front of him as he was ushered forward. "What the hell..?" He muttered to himself as he slowly stepped forward. He felt one of the spears come close to his back and he cocked his head, letting out a small snarl, "Don't touch me, curr," He threatened, his fist clenching at his side. He had no weapon, but he was apt with magic. He put a foot on the first step, which he found to be surprisingly solid... It was strange... Was it magic which controlled this world? Or was it something completely different? What was this place? Perhaps it was not magic, perhaps it was their true physics or technology... He looked at the feline quizzically, "If we ever get out of this place, I am going to relish the feeling of running my blade over your throat, revel in your crimson gold before killing as many of your men as I can before I meet my fate," He reminded her with a small smile on his face. "I was not sure if there was enough on your mind," The wolf shrugged before facing forward and continuing up the mysterious staircase... If only he could get one of those spears... Or some kind of weapon.

Ciscera's ears flew back as she hissed quietly at the whelp of a colonel. If these creatures weren't so close, if their spears didn't loom protectively over the colonel, she would turn and slay him herself, right here, right now. She had made... mistakes in the duel. She had been too confident, too awash in the victory that had occurred, and it had muddled her judgement and her reflexes. But if she had the chance... the wolf would have breathed his last gasp of air. "Because you were probably too busy patching the makeshift shacks that make up your excuse of a country, you might have, somehow, blindly mistaken the barbarians, the beastly warriors that roam the land that is Riverslade's to conquer, and recognized their brute strength, in your primitive eyes, as power." she growled, turning to the wolf as they ascended the steps." But, in fact, you are mistaken. Our kingdom has established colleges of science and strategy, and our king and Knights are patrons of the arts. We march into battle with pride in ourselves and our country, we have utilized the resources we have and put them to use in our armories and societies. Take a look at yourself, you who follow an emperor so incompetent his poor judgement is ripping apart his nation, you who hide poorly equipped soldiers in ambushes and other trikcks in order to fight with deception rather than skill, you who summon green soldiers to their deaths as they fight unbeknownst of the beastly nature of war, and fall protecting ideals that fall apart at the seams." A prod from a spear butt urged her onward before she could say more, however, and she was forced to continue. He was insignificant in the big picture really, though the reminder rested uneasily in her mind. She had lead armies to victory in even the faintest of hopes; there had to have been something she was missing, some last light before the mangy commoner exinguished her own. But for now, the empty end to the staircase loomed ever closer, with nothing 'poofing' into existance as they walked.

The wolf smiled and looked over at her, shaking his head. "When you are successful, anybody would be willing to stand by your name... But when you fail, that is when you truly know how strong you are. You believe our ways of battle are deceptive and dishonourable, but that's sadly mistaken. You are, Ciscera, very afraid... All's fair in love and war, is it not? If you are strong and smart as you believe yourself to be, you would know how to win a battle against forces smaller than yourself. My tactics are dishonorable? You made it rain fire down upon my men from the sky with your feathered allies, how is this not dishonorable? Rather than running my men through, you chose to burn them alive. That, is barbaric," He finished venomously, continuing to walk. "I have mistaken nothing about your people, cat, and your assumptions about me are ignorant and blind." Shar continued his stride at an even pace, it was proud and confident, as it always was. "You call me primative, but I embrace change and the future... You, your people, your leader... All of you push that away... You shun change, because it may take your own power away. Because, as we advance in areas which you are merely basic in, you fear that such power shall be ours."

"Says the man who set his motley crew in a position that would have slain my men from poorly defendable positions! There is no honor in hiding, leaving us with but two options: seige, which would have weakened your already pathetic troops and made the fight honorless, or fight the enemies with the amount of honor they offered us. There was no alternative, no honorable defense, so an honorable attack became impossible. I would not waste my men on fools errands that would turn out the same with every alternative!" She spat back, the stairs approaching far too quickly for any other utterable retorts. It wasn't as if her words were put to use anyway, the Colonel was delusional, creating excuses on behalf of his country as if the honeyed syllables would change their upcoming defeat. It was unpreventable, yet they still seemed intent on fighting to the last breath. Admirable.... or at least, it would be, if they weren't running themselves further into the ground in the process. And, with another passing second, they were there. Her bootless toes hung gingerly on the edge of the stone staircase, with but a horribly steep drop awaiting the two mammals. Her insides turned gingerly... they were much higher up than a normal staircase would have been, which meant this one used magic... How horrid... Her guardians appeared to be waiting for her move, though they also looked like they were rushed, and would make one for her if she did not respond quickly. Despite the pressure, however, Ciscera refused to let height nor sorcery get on her visible nerves, and, taking a deep breath, took a step into the wind churned air...

As if she had simply stepped through an ordinary door, the land of darkness dissapeared before her eyes, her foot coming to a rest on a clear, smooth stone floor. She couldn't tell the material, be it crystal or diamond, but the cool stone was utterly translucent, and a strange ocean of indigo goop swirled around in a giant whirlpool beneath the textured stone. Small flashes of light and ribbons of vibrant color seemed to jump through the murk as it churned in a circular pattern, as if part of a giant whirlpool. The strange floor stretched about this room, which was decorated as if a king's chamber; pillars of barely visible rock held up a celing made of bright, yet barely visible orbs, a throne crafted out of the strange substance aptly placed in the center, above the center of the swirling sludge. As her keen eyes peered at the material, her brain registered the clarity as a color, yet the color was unprocessable by her brain, and still yet known as the most "colored" color imaginable. A quick glance behind her revealed a simple doorway made of obsidian, slightly pulsing to the spins of the slowly moving floor. A portal, or so she guessed, having known that only powerful wizards were able to create successful ones, though none were present in her kingdom. She had come from that, most likely. Or perhaps from one of the dozens lining the wall behind her, as she suddenly couldn't remember if she had walked to her current position in front of the throne, or just appeared there. Magic... Disgusting...

Suddenly, another being was there, materializing from behind the colorful/colorless throne. She.. if it was a she... appeared to be entirely covered with an ivory silk, each layer ending in an intricate lace veil that overlapped the lower sheets with in a fluidly elegant effect. She was neither canine nor feline nor avian, yet all of them, white feather hairs hanging like a shawl at the top of her dress. Vibrantly grey eyes... an oxymoron, yet a truth, stared back in an expression neither kind nor hostile, while an arm calmly rose before her, gloved fingers pointing at her and... Shar. Grand. So the foe was still alive. Though illogical, she had hoped that he had somehow died in the transition. The environment was unpredictable enough for that to be the case, though apparently not unpredictable enough. The being before them continued, taking a... step?... so it appeared, yet didnt', like so much else. Within her head erupted a symphony of sound, bright, dreary, dark, powerful, slow, fast... no adjective described the simple utterance of the word "Sit..." as she found herself subtly forced down into a seat that arrived behind her. A light growl that begun in her throat was silenced by the mysterious force... likewise her arms no longer worked autonomously...What the hell was happening now?
"You find my tactics to be disgusting, how ironic... All is fair in love and war, cat" He almost spat the word hatefully, "My tactics may seem backhanded to you, but it is merely because I would have outsmarted you. Normally, I would commend you for the horrid idea of burning my men alive... despite how macabre it is, it was absolutely ingenious. The part that bothers me is the hypocrisy of your words... How am I at fault for dishonorable warfare, a pardoxical statement in itself, when you took such a tactic yourself," He shrugged as Ciscera stepped through the door and... vanished? The Colonel shook his head... Despite his nation's advances in the study of magic, he had never seen the usage of portals be completed successfully... He'd seen it performed improperly, yes, and the devastating effects were macabre. Shar braced himself, took a breath, and stepped in himself. He felt unable to breathe, as if he were being crushed between two walls. Though it only lasted a moment in real time, it was ages while he experienced it. The soldier came out the other side just as he went in the first, finishing his step onto the crystalline floor. It was... beautiful, to say the least. From behind, Shar saw how the ominous light of the room glanced off of Ciscera, but he pushed the observation from his head and stepped forward to stand beside her. His eyes grazed the many surfaces of the room... it was so strange and yet so wonderful... fantastic. The magic inside emanated from everywhere, the colonel could feel it in his bones. It wasn't as though the room were enchanted, but as if the magic had been naturally built with whatever plane of existence they were... In his world, Shar knew that magic was a natural force... But here, it was not only natural, it felt as though it was necessary to its existence. It was truly an amazing sight.

When his eyes befell the throne, he saw a figure... a female? appear from behind it in a beautiful dress. The scene felt strangely comfortable, and Shar almost stepped to her before she commanded them to sit. Her voice was almost... musical, to him. Had he wanted to resist, he would have felt something push him into the chair that materialized, but rather... he felt no need to fight the order as he lowered himself to the seat, staring at the being before him.

Outwardly, she was a source of defiance. Though her throat had been silenced, her glare still charged out from her body in an aura of ferocity and strength, and her claws slid mere millimeters from their sheath as she attempted to fight the force holding her down. It was clear that every ounce of her body that wasnt shaped into a calm individual was focused on breaking the invisible hold, escaping the binds of magic that held her place. But on the inside, she was a a splattered mess of emotions testing every hold, every inch of muscle in a feeble attempt to escape the barrier, budge it, or even push against it, somehow confirm the lie that she was stronger, that she would overcome this restraint. Magic itself left a foul taste in her mouth, but to be held powerless by it chilled her bones to their core, to know that this was something she could not outwit, or outmatch, having been reduced to a pawn held in the clutch of a frozen claw. To be led in by armed escort was one thing, as one could always fight, or at least had the control peer their body to grant the illusion of freedom. But here, any such illusion evaporated. Though her muscles clutched at invisible chains and her voice cried out in a desperate, silent whimper, no showing of her terror or her rebellion made it beyond the first crucial ideas, as she was held there like a doll upon the clear bench, her terrified soul seething in a pot held off the furnace.

The creature could obviously feel her struggle, her discomfort, and the seductive being drew itself closer to her in response. Grey, pupilless eyes stared back at her from the hells of oblivion, and she felt herself being warped into them, her very spirit being drawn out of her and into those vast grey voids until the monotone color faded into the murky whirlpool beneath them. Ciscera's eyes widened as the gunk drew itself up in an amorphous blob through the very stone beneath her, oozing into her fur and climbing through her hairs in a coating of slime. But despite all intentions, she could only watch helplessly as the goo slithered its way up her body, eventually blotting out even the endless grey voids as it enveloped every pore of her body....

And suddenly, she was somewhere else. Or, at least, she thought it was somewhere else. She could clearly see herself, feel her body stiff and cold, held in the goo's embrace, but she could also see the vast fields of the battlefield they had arrived from. There were no windmills, no traces of animalian owned farms. Instead, beings like the tentacled warriors plowed the fields with etherial instruments, housed themselves in glowing houses of a small town. LIttle beings shot pulses of light playfully at each other, elders with staffs of violet and cyan sat together in circles, humming in unison in some sort of practice. Ciscera suddenly realized she was looking out into the past, to before the rise of her kingdom, or even of her species.

But what caught her eye was the glints of shining armor that adorned the two knights of this town. It appeared to be made of crystal, of the faintest hues, yet the grandest, adorned with ancient patterns and shimmering in their own power. As two knights dueled, it was clear that both the sword and the protection were powerfully charmed, a missed throw embedding a deep into a tree's trunk, the falling of branches having no more than a flinch in response as the soldier recalled his sword to his hand with a flick of his tentacle. Despite the use of magic, it truly was impressive.

But, as if tired of the exquisite scene, a cloud seemed to lower itself upon the city, and fade into the hilly ground. From the dirt clambered demonlike creatures, horrifyingly disturbing in gait and appearance, pouring out like ants from an anthill to collect at the diamond gates. The two knights, flanked by rows of archers, surrendered themselves to the coming storm, sacrificing themselves to allow the city to warp away, most likely to the demension they were in now. Only at the hand of a traitor could the The demon creatures devour them, burying themselves beneath the soil once more, the light of the armor somehow still visible as they burrowed their way into the mountains on the far side of the territory, their bellies aglitter with the treasure as they fell dormant once more.

Then, within her vision, she saw her own country burst to life on the horizon, oblivious of the danger as they grew. She saw the moment Varasco discovered the land, was present as he put down the first sword claiming it for riversdale. On the far side, she saw the enemy do the same, so far apart that it was impossible to tell who really came first. Both began to expand outward, towns becoming established, farms becoming productive. Then the two countries met, and the war began, inscect sized fighters assaulting each other for control. All the while, the sleeping demons snored away in their cave, the warriors as oblivious as ever. She saw the battle of two months ago, last week, today... watched the fires of her army reign down, saw the duel between herself and Shar, though the armies were gone before she could determine the victor. Now, she assumed, the future. The war continued on, but as resources were drained from their opponents and her own colors seeked an easier solution, her populace becoming discouraged with the fight, the sides began to mine the mountains, into where the two sleeping giants dozed. And then, with spike and axe, the two countries broke through, releasing all of hell in their wake.

Not just in the mountains, but all over the land the demons rose, and decimated all in their wake. The two countries fell, the vibrant would fell into one of dust and decay, not one life left. But then, as if someone had turned back time, she saw the battle of this morning repeat itself, but the faint forms of the white tigress and the wolf leaving their armies and travelling to the mountains. The two donned the armor, then fought back the creatures as they arrived, the clouds coming down to pick them back up and leave the countries in peace. The murk then faded from her fur, and she was left in the room, the celestial being staring back at them in a questioning silence. But all that Ciscera could think of, despite the graphic destruction of all their kind, was a simple thought.... How much wine had these beings been drinking?

Shar watched in amazement as the history of the lands enlightened him... It was absolutely beautiful, in some sadistic sense of the term. The way in which the story unfolded without the exchange of words, showing the perspective of a third party who was forced to watch their lands being taken from them and claimed for selfish and greedy purpose. The colonel had always believed that his campaigns were justified because his own land had been plagued by wildfires, poverty, and a quickly diminishing supply of resources. The waters were being polluted and crime was on a very steep climb... He had grown up in that nation, had become the man he was today, and he had watched it go from being a superpower, glowing and throbbing with beauty and wealth, into what it is now... He wished to restore that, to find what was beyond and recreate that nation which he had grown up in. But they were blind... Both sides, no matter their reason for being there; it was not their place to seize the land. On top of that, it was no longer safe... Those cretins who now lay dormant in the mountain would awaken if something was not done.

When he returned to reality, Shar slumped from the chair to his knees, staring at the ground in complete astonishment... He hadn't even noticed who the winner of their duel was, but he focused for a moment, needing to preserve everything which he had just seen. His king, he knew, would not pull from the lands, no matter what Shar said. No matter what any of the officers said, of course, but especially Shar, as it was he who had proposed the initial plan to voyage there. He now regretted it strongly. His gaze was empty as his eyes rested upon the floor, as if he was lost... His mind was empty, guilt racking his every thought. His eyes turned slowly to Ciscera, confusion now held within. In the show, the two of them had come together to fight those... things... But, why? Why them? Was it merely a prediction, or was it a prophecy? His people were supersticious, their beliefs were strong. Shar himself was not religious as many of his kind were, but he still believed that there was more, he believed that something like this, whatever was happening here, was not just for their entertainment or to help them prepare... It was a warning... It was, as cliche as it sounded, their destiny. Though, if thise were not a prophecy, and was more of a prediction, it was merely what could be... Not what will be. Why should the two band together and become deserters of their countries if it was to be in vain? Shar had no idea what to think at that point...

[Celestialvortex]

Ciscera sat back in her chair, calmly contemplating the situation. For all she knew, it was a lot of hoarde dung. The demon like creatures appeared to be figments of imagination, stories the elders would tell if anyone gave them their time. Strange inhabitants being driven from the home... it was a story brought to life, no doubt. And if magic could bring to life creatures like those that surrounded her now, who was saying that the beings weren't but hallucinations, the work of a practiced wizard? Ciscera sat back up, suddenly alert. What if Shar had brought up this hallucination as a way of toying with her, a way to manipulate her into embarrassment before he dealt the final blow. Was this a mere bringing of insult to injury, causing her to ponder a scenario where they worked together? Rubbish. Their countries were lifelong enemies, raining blows from the very break of introduction when the fools from that sty of a nation refused to see reason. Why the hell should she work with them now? To quest against fairy-tale monsters while reality kept moving on? It seemed more like a reason to keep fighting, now that their foe had resorted to simple tricks to lure those mighty patrons of Riverslade away! It was all a folly!

But the shining armor yet clung to the edge of her vision, its shining faces of illusion appealing even to her knowing mind. It seemed like it called to her, had some connection to her very being that begged to be found. She tried to focus on breaking the illusion, escaping this labyrinth, but the armor persisted, bringing back her mental focus to look upon it. What powerful magic this must be, if it drew her very mind into its seductive grasp!

But She wasn't called the Arduous Arrow, the Bladed Fist for nothing. Titles are meaningless if they fall upon a dead warrior, serving only to bring back the past. But she was alive, for now, and the tenacity that felled countless great warlords and slayed the kin of Shar would not fail her now! Ciscera gathered her strength, and, with a strained push against the bonds that held her down, she felt the air thicken, as if being stretched with her mental push. It tensed against her, but she persisted, gritting her teeth against a sharp pain that began to dig into her fur. The female creature looked towards her, frowning, her eyes darkening to a soulless black as she held out a feathery hand to the tigress, white fire emerging from her fingertips and whisping in tangled knots to Ciscera's struggling form. But Ciscera pushed...and pushed... and pushed.....and...



SNAP!



The invisible bonds that held her fast broke apart, sending her stumbling forward on the crystal floor. She caught herself, and, with a flick of her tail, growled back at the strange female. She would break her way from this place of illusion, bring herself back to her conquered land and make the wolf pay for his blatant disregard for honor!

Ciscera stalked towards the feathered being, but did not charge. Although larger, more powerful and most likely more well versed in combat, the other was a user of magic, and her abilities could be highly unpredictable. As predicted, tendrils of fire came charging her way, crawling along the crystal like a mutant vine. She jumped them, and they grew the mouths of snakes, rearing back and striking with sparking teeth. Her other arm was likewise seized, and the curling snakes both curled themselves around her, bringing her to her knees with searing agony, their tails rooting themselves into the ground as they crackled with ivory flame. She roared with fury, the pain threatening to bring forth clouds of darkness to her eyes, begging her to falter, fail for just the split second needed to wrap their shadowy grasp around her vision and take her back to the realms of oblivion.

But falter Ciscera did not. From her spasming body her eyes rose from their unknowingly bowed position, shooting an ice encrusted glare at the creature standing mere inches from her face. The obsidian eyes stared back, emotionless, into her own, but then faded back into the silver sheened globes Ciscera met upon entering the chamber. The pain too, faded, the snakes of flame dissipating into nothingness, though the tigress' body was too pained to move. The soft sound of panting was all that broke the silence of the room, and the creature watched her, as if curiously inspecting the tigress's attempt at recovery. The glare remaining unbroken, the creature spoke, the sound that entered her head yet was entirely non existant softly booming a short chuckle. " Your determination is enviable, and even your skepticism shows merit, if under the right circumstances. These attributes were why you were selected from your pompous nation, though other characteristics will draw you back to this quest. " Even despite the situation, at being at the mercy of a powerful wizard, Ciscera snorted. The being continued unflinchingly, "My only wish is that you come to accept this fact before it is too late for your nation, and your world. But should you need some guidance..." The fire erupted from it's hands, a blue this time, that slithered down in a knived creatured form. The ebony flame buried itself into her talisman, which ignited with a dark fire, burning against her skin before fading back to the glowing pendant it was, albet marked with a strange insigna. "And to thou world..., Return!"

The world became a vortex, the slime of the underfloor rising up and merging with all around her as it sucked in everything in the room. Her vision faded to white as the goo coated her, drew her down into its airless depths, creating a wall of white that pushed against her vision.....


A vision filled with a victorious Colonel Shar.

Her side erupted with agony, as did her arm where she had been cut in the duel, the pain as fresh as when it was first inflicted. The heavy weight of his furry arm was pressed against her neck, his breath warm upon her face, the last syllables of whatever he had said still fresh from his mouth. A glint to the side revealed Nimaron, her blade still out of reach as one leg pinned an arm, the other arm pinned by his, no appendages left to grasp.. His lighter armor kept her heavier body plates pinned, but she was given a second chance, and she sure as hell wasn't going to die today!

Summoning her strength in the waves of fresh pain, she pressed her legs against a stone rooted deep in the ground, and, using that as a brace, twisted her body, shaking his leg from it's position and sending the weighted appendage into the dirt. The sudden change of surface threw off his balance, to which she threw her upper body forward, breaking his hold upon her and freeing her from certain death. Now free, she grabbed the sword that previously lay inches from her paralyzed hand, the crowds cheering the revival of their hero with cries of support and approval. With icy eyes, she glanced over to the colonel, accessing the situation before making her next move.

[101 Scout1]

Shar's brow was furrowed, still trying to decide what to make of everything. His dark, green eyes stared at the floor as he heard the tigress next to him. Escaping the magical bindings was near the bottom of the list for his worries now, for they had posed no threat to him. The canine was ever-weary of the beings' presence, though they seemed more as allies now than enemies. He was rational, defensive, and steadfast in his beliefs. He differed greatly from Ciscera, as she was always pushing forward and adapting to what was around her, aggressive and strong while he held an even pace, a level head, albeit he was not quick to trust others, he would still assess a situation before acting against it. A strategist, the antithesis to the white tigress before him. However, his eyes sharply turned to her as she broke free of her bonds and he noted the attention of the mysterious woman had turned to the female. It gave him the opportunity to look at his own body, knowing full well that now was the time to leave, despite the fact that he had not minded being bound to the chair. It was a strange magic, very different from what he had studied himself, but that did not mean it was complex. His brow furrowed in concentration as he slowed his breathing, moments later pushing against the invisible restraints to have them fall away with ease, as tissue paper would. He turned his attention back to Ciscera and the woman, who were now at an ends with one another... It was strange, to the say the very least, but he did not wish to bring a fight he was not prepared for upon himself.

Finally, as he found himself staring upon a scene that could cause the death of the feline, he rose a hand, closed his eyes and pushed it forward. There was a powerful gust of wind from seemingly nowhere, the flaming snakes dissipating with it and he looked over to the woman. "You wish to share your information with us, but then you hold us against our will... Madame, with all due respect, you must understand--"

His statement was cut off as his vision disappeared, everything around him shifting. This was a horrid feeling, truly, but when his eyes did see again, he was staring down at Ciscera, his arm pressing upon her throat as his words were uttered, "... This day is mine!" They no longer felt as though he had said them, though, it felt like so long ago... Now he doubted his choice, but he would either die now, or she would... Or... No, no he remembered now... The vision had shown that if he killed her now, an arrow would be quickly lodged in his head and his corpse would be presented to Riverslade's leader. However, if Ciscera were to win... Perhaps the vision would give her heart the turn it needed to spare him, if only to discuss what had been seen. There was no time for it before, but surely if he were captive by her choice, she would be hte one place in charge. As much as the idea sickened him, he knew that his own king would believe him dead, that his kinsmen would not search for him.

He felt the feline rise against him in his moment of contemplation... Damn it all, he decided and gave in to the fight, though it would not appear as such. She was now on top of him. Her hand reached for the blade, but she had been foolish to forget his own arm. The colonel's free hand, which had been forgotten, shot to her throat, clenching it, but not squeezing, merely holding it to gain a tiny modicum of control. His voice was low, but he knew that Ciscera would hear it when he said, "You know as well as I do, Ciscera, that killing me now will lead to the destruction of your people and mine. If you cut my throat now, I will be glad to not see the day when your foolishness brought about the means to end life as we all know it," The wolf lifted his chin to give her access. Lykos would not die without pride. His ego was probably his largest negative quality as far as making war was concerned, but his pride and his name were two things that he would not have tarnished; not by some Riversladian feline, not by anybody.

A knife rested upon his thigh, within reach of the hand upon Ciscera's throat, but he did not go for it. It was her move. Live or die, the colonel knew that he would not be around to witness the end of his kind.