Blubaron45

Nocturne

@Claw2k11
Done editing. Sorry it took a while, didn't really know quite what to write. Hope it's sufficient for now.

Nocturne

@Claw2k11

Oh no, I think the fault is mostly mine since I should've probably refreshed before posting. No worries, this won't take too long.

Nocturne

@Claw2k11

Yeah, I didn't see your post until the page refreshed after posting mine. I'll just edit it haha.

Nocturne

@Claw2k11

I didn't see your post before posting my own response. Ooops. I'll try to fix that. Sorry.

Nocturne

As the meeting progressed, issues were discussed and discarded once a solution was made regarding them. They were handled in a professional manner as they usually were conducted accordingly in a major city. Amiartys smiled at the sleeping Arielle, who had yet to be disturbed by the higher council members for her sleeping as she is so commonly known for doing on her rare presence to council meetings. He could not wait to see the look on her face when she would be awoken from her peaceful slumber to a boring meeting. However, as time passed, the young, dusty boy was growing all the more impatient. Commodry tried to remain quiet and relaxed but for the love of his inflamed youth, the boy could not be still. Amiartys finally had enough of it.

"What's wrong? Why are you moving around so much?" Amiartys asked the boy, demanding an immediate answer.

"I hav' ta go ta bat'room." Commodry admitted, looking at Amiartys, as if to ask him for permission.

"Not yet, remember? Just wait for another break next session before excusing yourself."

"But aye' hav' ta go!" The boy demanded as he lightly stomped his leather boots against the concrete floor of the halls.

"Your loss, you should have known that before coming here. What did you expect coming here?" Amiartys replied jokingly to himself as he was not serious. He was hoping to hear the boy beg to the point of being in tears before sending him on his way. Though before admitting himself to the helpless boy, his eyes darted to the sight of the large, pale man that drew his attention earlier to see that he was walking towards him. Amiartys didn't really quite know what to make of it. Was he a German, astray from his land in order to fight for the side of Nocturne? Amiartys already knew plenty of mercenaries who had easily defected in exchange a pouch of coins as it was not uncommon to run into such normal men, but he wasn't most normal men. Perhaps this stranger knew him from somewhere? He was known for dealing with raiders in the north though that was many years ago and this man couldn't be an age over forty not to mention he had never seen the likes of such a man before in his "long" 120 years of life. Commodry stared as this large and strange man as he approached, all the more terrified with every step the man took towards them. "You'll be fine, Commodry." Amaritys tried to mitigate the boy's fear and stood directly aside of him just in case s if to reassure the boy.

"Um. Aye' dun' hav to go to tha' bat'room anymore..." He admitted apologetically. Amiartys then grew furious and exchanged a look with the frightened young man. Here, boy!? Of all places? He wanted to shout at the boy and slap him in the council hall. His eyes widened for a brief second, almost venting his anger onto the boy with his eyes alone. Commodry then immediately looked away as he recognized the look Amiartys gave him whenever he did something wrong. His face then flushed before giving a sheepish smile as he looked up at the giant man as he approached the Northern Swordsmen. Amiartys took a deep breath to relax before looking towards the strange man walking up the stairs, getting closer to them.

"Hello there." greeted the behemoth of a man, his voice deep and relaxed. Despite this large appearance seemed friendly judging by his tone, or at least he conditioned himself to come off that way. Yet some part of Amiartys struck him as an overconfident soldier though he had almost every right to be. The man was large and looked as if he could crush a man's head like a grape if we wanted to which is why Amiartys thought that if he were to ever project any sort of amiable approach towards others, it wouldn't be sincere. Though something about him seemed very much human the moment he spoke, even if he didn't appear that way on the outside.

Before listening to what he had to say next, the large man was subtly rebuked by the Bloody Count Alenios standing just a few feet away from him, courteously refusing the man to speak on a particular manner the giant had so eagerly wanted to mention, if he had had anything worth mentioning. A Count speaking on behalf of an Elder? Amiartys thought to himself, perhaps this will be a rather interesting meeting after all. Though the way the Count had responded was rather interesting to Amiartys, as if he were trying to protect her from this man who had just introduced himself. Amiartys had always known the Bloody Count for being rather protective to his Elder, though never quite seeing for himself since the Siege of Prague and now at the council meeting. He had almost forgotten how loyal and protective he was, Amelia was fortunate to have a soldier like him on her side. There was a painfully awkward silence that followed shortly after as Dukes and nobles of the higher classes became either unhinged or entertained by what the Count had just said.

"Salve, young man." Amiartys interrupted amiably, veiling the social mask of a well-balanced man who had not just been told that by his apprentice of awkward nature of this predicament. With a wave of his hand, Amiartys signaled the man to come over. Suddenly from behind him, just to his right, Mycandros, his trusted silver-haired vampire guard who had been by his side for forty years drew his sword slightly from his blade four inches from his scabbard the moment the large man turned to them again. It was a sharp, menacing, and familiar noise that echoed throughout the hall, drawing not only potential bloodshed, but attention from those around the group. Though he was tallest among the Northern Swordsmen who often stood tall even among tall men - was easily dwarfed by the giant standing before them. Mycandros was a loyal, experienced companion like Alenio was to Amelia, even perhaps one of the most loyal person Amiartys had ever worked with in his 120 years though despite this, he was well-known for being quite over-protective and therefore needed to be reminded otherwise. "Mycandros. he looked down and smiled amiably before turning his fully head towards Mycandros "If you could please keep your hand away from that handle you are holding so very... Delicately in your right hand." He ordered politely. In return, the vampire bodyguard slowly let go of his long-sword Bellica, as the loyal guard called "her", his leather gloves releasing the handle of his sword, dropping the ivory sword of his forefathers he had so long carried in his strong, pale hands back into its dragon-decorated long scabbard.

"Grazie." Amiartys gracefully said before turning his head back to the man that was over three heads above himself, he had to look up considerably high just to talk to make eye contact. "I do apologize for him, it's not common that we should to see a man such as yourself who isn't entirely hostile to us. I hope I don't mean to offend." He smiled apologetically before turning his head briskly to the right in the direction of Mycandros and turning back to see the large man once again. "I am Amiartys, the leader of the newly formed and thirty-year-old mercenary company known as the Northern Swordsmen. Why don't you come over and sit with us, I'm sure the Count would not mind, would you dear old Alenios? Now to who do I have the honor of speaking to, my endearing young man?"

@Claw2k11@Fetzen

Nocturne

I probably won't write about Arielle's POV until later since she's fast asleep from the meeting XD

Nocturne

Thanks guys!

I woke up this morning feeling sore from the fight that I barely won last night lol. I almost got knocked out cold! Head is clearing up after a long sleep. I look forward to reading other future posts!

After the End

Interested. Will write a character soon, either today or tomorrow.

Nocturne

Sorry if my post isn't the greatest, haven't really written in a while and am disoriented from a boxing match I had earlier today lol.

Nocturne

Amiartys rode from dawn, the sun following behind him as he and his Northern Swordsmen arrived to the Elder City of Valeria from the east. Thirty years since the siege of Prague did Amiartys last gaze upon the most opulent and populated city in the world, a time in which he fought alongside many of those who were willing and brave enough to put forth their own lives for a cause that was said to be certain to fail. Though the same could be said against their adversaries during that instant. A grave reminder, as many memories were of battle, written into a person's head as fate is so often written in stone.

It was an old, almost desolate memory, one like many others he wished to forget had he not remembered the valor of many soldiers who fought during that battle. Though valor and honor were common themes to write about in the many grand tales, poems, and songs of an artist, hardly any names of the many souls who fight and died are seldom mentioned and quite often are those names lost in the sands of time. War is hell, they say, for those willing to risk gain either pretentious fame, or serve as lost and once living voices in the eternal sea of echoes were still nonetheless destined to bare witness the horrors of battle. The Siege of Prague being the most recent and bloody battle that Amiartys was ever a veteran of and many considered Amiartys to be an great and forgotten hero, as he led many company men and men-at-arms when they could not find any shred of motivation to fight in this battle though he was not the only leader of this battle nor the most important. Nonetheless, he did lead, and quite possibly contributed heavily to the victory of this battle.

Amiartys, however, could care less about the historians who chose to not write about him. For only in living so many years and the experience to fill in those many days did he learn and accept modesty as an important developing behavior in contrast to his younger self. So many defeats, and victories, so many distant memories that made him again realize why some vampires and those born 'unnaturally' (as he liked to put it) who are destined to live extended lives sometimes envied humans. Time on this earth for humans and mortals are far more valuable than all the coins or all the valuables in the world, and like currency, it must spend it wisely and meaningfully, something a vampire could easily forget later in the course of his or her unnaturally extended life.

It was rational therefore that the majority of Amiartys's company members would rather prefer to spend their own time outside the affairs of a typical city council gathering and spend time in the city itself, either visiting family or to find recreation as they typically did when reaching a rather large city. Valeria was certainly no exception. After arriving, Amiartys had almost forgotten how formal and intricate political discussions were, not to mention in a major city like Valeria. Perhaps attending the meeting would teach him something of value in his old age of 120 years, though he did not appear an age over 30 he was quite knowledgeable about the world.

The council room itself was fairly crowded, though was large enough to house a host of many others who would wish to take part in political discussion. Many of the faces of the nobles who stood among the higher pedestals were recognizable as they were clients of his who had hired Amiartys for several tasks need to be occupied by a mercenary. A mercenary they knew they could depend on and were never disappointed. He looked around the room with his radiant brown eyes until he saw Amelia the Elder who he had not seen in thirty years since the seige and many others including Alenios the Bloody Count, Anriette Argentine, and Arielle Dyrell who seemed to be bored out of her mind and almost fast asleep listening to typical political discussion. There was also a strange-looking, pale human who looked like a veteran of trained combat who Amiartys thought was another mercenary looking for a job. He wore tribal-like armor which Amiartys found to be rather impractical, though it was his height that drew his attention. He was the tallest man he had ever seen! The man certainly could have not been human for he was eight feet tall and had skin even more pale than his own.

All of Amiartys's five vampire guards remained by his side during the course of the council meeting with the exception of Daramous who needed to attend to a blacksmith in order to purchase ingot for preparations for their next potential job offer. In his place, was a human boy, a fresh recruit to the Northern Swordsmen Company who decided to spend his time in the council hall and remained at Amiartys's side. He was 12, almost 13 in a month and given to Amiartys under certain conditions in which he would not otherwise accept with such meager experience. Although the boy proved that he was an exceptional fighter, he was still just a boy with all the youth and passion life had so temporarily gave him and the rest of his race.

"Have you eva' been ne'er or even seen an Elder before?", he asked almost excitingly, referring to Amelia. Amiartys could almost see the glow in his eyes through his peripheral vision.

"Yes, a few years ago." He exchanged quietly, almost uninterested in what the boy had to say while still keeping an open ear.

"And how long ag'o was tha'?", the boy asked, knowing that a few years for a vampire could easily mean more than fifty to a mortal man well past his prime.

"Thirty. Since the siege of Prague. Didn't I already tell you?"

"I wasn' ther', rememba'? I was ou' into town fetchin' the rations that we so gladly paid those farmers for. Thos' muffins were quite tasty. Ye rememba' don't y-"

"I believe that was Aeros that I intended for that task. Did he make you take his place instead?" He calmly and quietly groaned to himself, already knowing the answer.

"Yes. He tol' me you wanted me to do it." Amiartys almost wanted to sigh. That lazy buffoon he thought to himself. Although the boy was three-months fresh, he was not the only new recruit. Aeros himself had not even been two months introduced to the group when the boy himself was taken in, though he was far more experienced in conflict than most his age. Aeros was also young, being 23 in the height of his own prime. An excellent swordsmen, but an even better bowman who Amiartys could rely on, though not when it came to keeping him in his place as he slowly began to realize within the past month.

"If I wanted summon you for a task, I would've sent you myself. Understand" The boy then nodded. "You should not always do what others tell you to do." He said carefully.

"Oh. So, doe' tha' mean I shouldn't listen to ye" He asked, almost sounding like a tease.

"Yes boy, only if you wish to go back to Milaria with your five older brothers." Amiartys smiled playfully with the boy though couldn't quite tell whether or not he was serious. The boy in return gave a shy grin before looking down submissively. Amiartys wanted to just assume the boy was either stupid or foolish, though he wasn't, in fact not even in the slightest - even if he did look and sounded that way. Naïve was the more appropriate term for a young human boy. The boy was of house Dresos, a noble family who had earned their revenue from farming wheat and corn to the west. Amiartys almost forgotten what it was like being young, truly young. The boy was raised by the Dresos who owned a subtle, modest community which Amiartys believed to breed some of the most competent human farmers and peasant in the land, and they were very well-to-do, even as peasants. Commodry was his name, a boy given to him only because Amiartys gave his word to take him under his wing. A skinny and ragged boy with crooked teeth, brown hair to complement his dusty appearance, and an unorganized complexion. From the beginning of this journey, Amiartys just knew he needed to work on this child and make him into a man as he so promised his family.

In the meantime, there were manners in the council hall that needed to be attended and the conversations transitioned from unimportant, manners to more important and disconcerting ones as the meeting progressed. He could tell just by the looks of Amelia, who always tended to have a poker face. Rumors were beginning to form that Germans just north of the border were patrolling the parameters of Nocturne more frequently and seem to be collaborating with one another. Men of different tribes are often now seen together, sometimes exchanging important conversation in an alarmingly discreet manner, and have been seizing their raids. Dealing with raiders was not uncommon for Amiartys as he dealt with them so many times. So much in fact, he is infamous for slaying many great Germanic warriors though that was long ago even before the battle of Prague. If these rumors were in fact true, he would perhaps be of service as many other mercenaries could be during these potentially troubled times.