Zool

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Almost there.

Sprint.

She was confident in her speed and it took her past the next set of bolt-firing traps cleanly. Drawing her main one-handed crossbow from the clip at the small of her back, one shot fired. Bullseye. A dive, a commando roll and back into sprint. Two shots fired. Bullseye.

Don't think... feel.

Up the slope of the balance beam she went. The traps did not allow her to slow down. The beam took her high up. She would not allow herself to waver. The third and fourth target forced her left hand to draw the crossbow on her right hip, the weaker weapon joining her primary weapon in dual wield action. Double bullseye.

Input from the senses are your commands. Let your instincts move your body.

Triple pirouette - an old ballet motion. As simple in practice as it was on the precarious balance beam. How far her balance and agility had come. She danced through the first half of the swinging weights like a blue breeze, her azure cape whirling with her. The second half, the traps fired off again. She fell forward off the beam. Not by accident. Her magical grapplehook fired, the Ranger defying gravity, swinging under and around, up and back onto the beam, clearing the second half of the swinging weights.

Reloading dual crossbows was undoubtedly the hard part. Especially whilst running along the beam. She cheated.

Blue flames danced on her hands and up her arms as she activated her Deadly Flurry. Using her practiced Long Jump technique, she lept forward off the end of the beam, into the air, tossed a handful of bolts in front of her as she sailed, and in a blur of godspeed handmovements; one, two, three, four, five, six bolts hit the bullseyes of six moving targets. The traps firing back stood no chance.

She landed and launched back into a sprint to the finish line, concluding the course. Her breathing was heavy as she wiped the sweat from her brow. Septimus deactivated the training ground, allowing her to walk back to the beginning and start another training course. She headed inside, about to ask if, in Septimus' opinion, she might be able to handle a Platinum difficulty, but the applause of another figure her sharp eyes hadn't even noticed was what drew her attention.

"Well, that was certainly a show there! The rumors weren't kidding about the Second Chance folk." Whilst taken aback by the sudden appearance of the woman, MacKensie still managed to put on an air of humility and smile at the praise. "But honestly..." the older woman shrugged. "I'm not here to see the fancy shooting skills. MacKensie, right?"

"Yes. How do you do?"

"You're not from around here, are you? Or I guess I should say, from this world."

And that's when it hit her. That accent. Not nearly as thick as Clive Michel. Not quite as noticeable as even Adam Philips. But most assuredly, undeniably American. It left her speechless for a moment.

There is another. But...?

How? Who knows. Who cared. A new, more heartfelt smile spread across her face and she opened her mouth to speak, not quite sure what to say. "I..." she blinked thrice as she struggled for words. "Yes... I mean... no - No, I am not." A soft snort of a one-note laugh left her as she took in the full visage of the woman, her casual demeanour and cool expression. "Nor are you!" It came out louder than she intended, her excitement clear as she took a step closer to the woman. "How...? When...?" So many questions, all falling out at once. "Are there more of you?"

Septimus the Soundless, nothing if not consistent, was unimpressed, uncaring and abrupt as he shut down the computer and walked off. "I'll leave you two to your little reunion," he said dryly.

MacKensie spared him a brief glance before turning excitedly back to the mysterious woman who seemed to know a lot more about MacKensie than MacKensie did her. Subconciously, she noted the roguish clothing that fit right into the backdrop of The Brass Monkey, but she knew not to judge a book by it's cover. Barracker Kassel was proof enough of that. "How have you been, umm?" She waited for a name before saying, "You simply must meet the rest of us."

Any inquiry as to Second Chance getting to the bottom of the great mystery; Why they were here - MacKensie would admit that they were not doing too well on that front, but they did have some strong leads, aswell as a Source Comm message that the woman would be better off reading herself. However, she would, if pressed further, endevour to explain all that she could.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

<Snipped quote by AvaP>

Amazing intro! Bravo!

@xenon

Truuuee!

I'm so tempted to go again before deadline xD

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

She was tired. It had been a long day at the Military Centre. But she was not so tired that she couldn't detect the nefarious energy in the Brass Monkey. Lecherous eyes, weird smells to the smoke, aggressive voices in the ambience - Have I come to the right place? Is this really it?

It was the place. In a recpetion area adjacent to the tavern taproom, MacKensie found a wiry old man who looked her up and down with dispassion as he placed his hands on the desk. MacKensie noticed the Source Crystal on the back of his left hand.

"What?"

"Umm..." Clearly not the polite type. "I'm here to use the training grounds."

"Class and Tier?"

"Ranger. Silv- no, Gold."

A single eye of the old man narrowed with suspicion, but his expression told her that he quickly decided he didn't care if she was lying. He waved his hand to follow and made for another door at the back of the reception room. MacKensie tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and tentatively followed. They eventually ended up in a long hall that was much like a garden room extension of a house. Through the long line of large windows, MacKensie could see the training grounds, the targets, the combat dummies, the obstacle courses and much more. Within the hall, there were many machines and computers sporting that distinct Mytherian look: Stone blocks with magical screens overlaying them, gold plating and piping covering what must have been the wiring. Even after being in Valhiem for this long, the french heiress was still in awe of it all.

"We'd ordinarily charge," the old man said. "But the bosses are gone, the city's a hair's breadth from destruction and business has been shit this last week. And most pertinently..." he looked at her grimly. "...I'm bored." MacKensie smiled nervously. "So you're in luck." She nodded eagerly. He explained that he was about to set all electrical, mechanical and magical settings to Gold Class but warned her, "It won't be easy, if you're lying about being Gold Tier. This place can and will try to hurt you. Kill you, if it can. Are you sure you want Gold?"

"Yes please," MacKensie answered. Memories of Second Chance's last mission flashed through her mind - the Greater Wraith and the Listener. Zigmund the metal ninja. Second Chance may be Silver Tier officially, but they were clearly more powerful than their rank suggested. "I think I'm up to the challenge."

"Suit yourself. Should make a good show, at least."

He turned to a stone computer and began inputting commands with his fingers on the strange screen that hovered a few millimetres above the surface. When he was done, before he had a chance to speak, MacKensie went first. "I am MacKensie. MacKensie Trydant." She offered her hand. He looked at it for a second, then decided on giving her a weak handshake.

"Septimus the Soundless."

MacKensie gave a small smile of appreciation. She was glad to know who she was dealing with, good etiquette ingrained in her upbringing. With a gesture, he showed her the door she was to go through and she obliged, stepping out into the crisp evening air of the yard. There were a few branching paths from here, but the one that drew her attention was the most difficult-looking. Her sharp eyes looked down what was an obstacle course of sorts, with balance beams along the course, hampered by swinging weights that would knock her off if she wasn't careful. She also noted the pillars with bolt-firing mechanisms and the targets - both moving and stationary - dotted along the way.

This was exactly what she needed. Those regular archery ranges at the Military Centre were nothing compared to this.

"When you're ready, MacKensie Trydant." Septimus' words came from speakers in surround sound. She looked back at him, seeing him at the computer, watching her through the window. She nodded, then looked back at her chosen path with determination.

Calm. Focus. Don't forget to breathe.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

I'm back xD

I've just caught up on everything - great writing as always. Welcome @AvaP, looking forward to writing with you. I'll get a post up ASAP.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Oh alright, Tyrion's lovely too lol

I'm all for it, keep the posts coming xD

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

I adore Eren and Isabella lol xD

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Out on the training yard, the block named The Rabbits split in two, half going with MacKensie onto the archery range while Grimes took the other half for sword and shield training. She was glad to have Grimes around, a man who understood the technical aspects of melee combat much better than her. She, herself, relied purely on instinct, speed and lightning reflexes to carry her through any close-combat scenarios. This was unteachable. What she could teach, however, was sound archery fundamentals.

"Engage your core," she instructed to Wendel. He didn't understand her terminology, so she gave his abdomen a pat with the back of her hand. "Tense your stomach muscles as you draw." He did so, his posture straightening up. "Good. Feel how your hips and spine have aligned? This is how you should feel everytime."

She smiled encouragingly and left him to keep shooting.

"Tamsin. Lean forward slightly so that you feel your weight on the balls of your feet."

She patrolled the line of archers, correcting bad habits, periodically blowing her whistle to signal ceasefire so that all could go and collect their arrows. At one point, she was stood in place of one of her soldiers, showing him the correct way to place his feet while aiming, when her eyes caught the gaze of Zell across the yard. She quickly looked away, stumbling over her words and losing her train of thought.

"Why don't you try again and I will talk you through it, yes?" she said. The attempt to disguise her discombobulation was feeble, but it worked, the soldier none the wiser.

They trust I know what I'm doing, she thought to herself as she came around to the other side of the archer so she could put her back to where The Lions were training. They are counting on me to get them through this. And here I am, enveloped in my own drama. I have failed myself but I will not fail them. Your duty - above all else, Mac.

When Fenna brought some of her Falcons over to the range, she and MacKensie spoke briefly. Fenna mentioned that she had been enchanting the crossbow bolts MacKensie had given her, using her mana each day to make an equal amount of fire and ice bolts.

"Thank you so much," MacKensie smiled and touched the older woman's arm. "I will collect them this evening, before dinner."

Enchanted bolts in combination with her new, upgraded one-handed crossbow would be a monumental increase in her ranged damage. The new crossbow had replaced the old, fitted at the small of her back, easily drawn with her right hand. But she did not abandon her original crossbow, and wore it on her right hip, easily drawn by her left hand. Dual wield firing would require some alone time to practice - particularly the reloading aspect - but MacKensie was confident that she could make it work, at least for short periods of time in battle when she needed the extra firepower.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

@LoksfjoerHave fun!

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

1. Arrive early.

For the second morning in a row, MacKensie was on the yard of the Military Centre before dawn, helping organise the equipment and performing other odd jobs that were considered 'below her rank.' As the sergeants under her command rolled in, along with a few of her soldiers who were also early-birds, she greeted them with a positive, energetic attitude.

2. Respect and courtesy.

She greeted everyone she pragmatically could with a handshake, by name if she knew it, and made sure to ask if they'd eaten breakfast and slept well. Those who hadn't eaten were sent off to the mess hall, with note of permission, to quickly go and get something in their stomach.

3. Embrace all duty and responsibiity. Go the extra mile.

"Water? Okay, I will go."

"Here, let me help. Come. Take a seat, I will get the first aid."

"Worried about your mother? Let's talk for a moment. Grimes... will you take over please?"

4. Set high standards for yourself.

"I will be running the mile with you, but I will be carrying eighty pounds of equipment in this backpack. Don't let me best you."

Later, during lunchtime, MacKensie got up from the tables to take her plate back to the kitchen, grabbing anyone's plate who was done and taking theirs back for them too. She offered to help the kitchen porters wash up, but they warmly refused her, appreciating the sentiment. Before heading back to the tables, she saw Grimes at the water cooler and went to him.

"I'm thinking we run another emergency drill, during the afternoon sparring," she said to him. They had been using a special whistle to signal the block to drop what they were doing, equip themselves with proper gear and make their way quickly to their designated street to form up for battle. Then they would make their way, as fast as possible without getting disorganised, up the tower and to their place on the wall, with the archers taking up position, nocking an arrow and being ready to fire. MacKensie would time this procedure from start to finish, hoping to improve the speed of their response each time.

Grimes nodded briskly. "Affirmative, ma'am." He watched her for a moment as she scanned the tables, then changed the subject. "Morale is good. The soldiers know that their captain cares about them. It goes a long way. And we sergeants have been enthused with your energy, helping us perform to our best too. You are a credit to the garrison."

"Thank you," MacKensie returned. "I am glad to be of help."

"And I am glad to serve under you." He saluted with a smile, then walked away with his water, while MacKensie realised that Grimes had never smiled a single time before today. He seemed a naturally stoic individual but it never stood out to her that he wasn't one for giving out smiles. So now she felt like she was most certainly doing something right. It was heartening.

THE WAR FOR MYTHERIA - Isekai Adventure

Thanks, GM. And true! Everyone has been on top of their game, lately xD

Sorry for how long that last post was. We trimmed sooo much out. Like 40% of it. Saiyan had to take the collab and rewrite it as a single post to smoothen it out. And it still ended up like a book!