Hero's Arms, Hero's Heart Redux

Adelaide followed, some base instinct making her scan their surroundings every so often. It never hurt to be paranoid when in such a shady place.

Briefly considering adding "My name's Calcol and I'm not entirely sure about this", but deciding it would be just awkward at this point, he decided to follow the group. His main concern was them and their get-ups looking just plain gaudy in comparison to the dowdy citizenry of this town (apparently called Lovak).

The rest of them didn't seem to have any particular issue with this, though, so maybe they had a little more experience with city life. He latched his helmet back into place, and walked along with the party.

edited 26th Sep '15 11:22:13 AM by wikkit

"Leilerenale... I've been to many places, but I haven't been to those you mention, human girl" says the elven warrior "However... you do seem familiar to me as well. Be it that somewhere... at some time we may have met. Your cloak is most distinctive, I must say"

On the streets now

Ezekiel had managed to make it out onto the streets after exiting the cellar, continuing to apologize profusely as he left. Once there, he looked out onto the streets and felt a chill run up his spine. He felt something amiss, as if there were some underlying sense of horribleness that ran through the streets and infected the populace. He moved forward and tapped on the shoulder of the first person he encountered. "Excuse me, terribly sorry, what is going on here?" he asked.

Vymia had wondered out onto the streets, sensing the dread of the area. It seemed the people were definitely heading towards something familiar to them. It rubbed the sorceress the wrong way. She tighten up the straps of her ornate shield on her left arm, walking briskly down the path to discover more. Someone tapped on her shoulder, and she turned around to the man.

"I'm as knowledgeable as you. Sometime not pleasant, I'm sure."

Though the cobbled streets were unfamiliar to the strangers, the push and press of the people wandering them was difficult to resist - more out of the feeling of resignation that emanated from the townspeople than any physical pressure. They streamed toward the Tower, a massive edifice that looked to be cut from black glass, an angular shadow against the pale morning sky. With the sun hidden behind the mountain range, what should have been the pleasant glow of dawn instead only made the Tower seem like a hole in the air itself, swallowing all light.

There was a wide plaza before the tower, and it was here that the townspeople were headed. The bell continued to ring, loudly and just a little off-key, as the plaza slowly filled, people streaming in from five or six major streets. Calcol, by virtue of being large and imposing, found himself in a small bubble of space with the others - two human women and an elf, of all people. There were others nearby who also stood out, something which the big orc had the sinking feeling might not be a good thing. A human woman with a sword on her back, one with a bow, one wearing what looked to be ceramic armor... they seemed vaguely familiar somehow. There was no time to worry about that, though, as a murmur rippled through the crowd, outward from the eastern edge of the plaza.

There was a dais of some sort erected in front of a massive black stone gate - what had to be the front gate for the Dark Tower itself. The dais was comparatively humble, though the gaping mouth of the Tower behind certainly gave it a threatening aura. There was a wooden scaffold built atop the dais, with four sturdy wooden posts affixed to it; four ragged and battered figures were tied there, lashed brutally to the poles. A middle-aged man, built like a soldier but run to fat; a young woman, her plain clothes ripped and her face a mass of bruising; a boy, bent almost like a bow with the cruel tightness of the ropes keeping his hands bound above his head; and a matronly-looking woman, the only one not looking down at her feet but out at the crowd. There was another wave of murmuring as the townspeople recognized the captives, and some shouts and cries of dismay; a minor struggle started halfway to the dais, but was stifled as the surrounding townspeople held a young man back. Then the whole plaza fell silent as a figure mounted the dais. "It's the Governor," someone hissed close by.

Slender and handsomely built, the man cut a striking figure in black armor. Though ornate, it was clearly not just for spectacle; a well-worn longsword hung at his right hip. "Good morning, people of Lovak," he called, his voice stilling the air. "I trust the dawn finds you well...?"

Leil didn't like the look of this.

Spinning her spear in her grasp, holding it more tightly in one hand she begins to approach... moving to a location where she may hear and see what is to happen more clearly... elven ears twitching lightly to catch the hushed voices, eyes looking at the distance and the man and people exposed to everyone.

Entering the plaza with some haste, Michael slows and looks up at the dais. Clenching his fist as he slowly approached through the crowd. He did not like the sight of this and even while unarmed and against a sword; his instinct told him to stop this. No one deserves this kind of public torture.

Michael looked around hoping that he wasn't the only one who wanted to object to this. Though it seems the majority of were too afraid of this 'governor'.

Ash saw the prisoners and she saw the crowd. She still didn't fully understand where she was or what was going on so she decided the safest course of action would be to blend in with the crowd and wait. So she blended in with the crowd... the very front of the crowd, and she waited as patiently as an arrow on the string to hear what she was sure was a damn good reason for those people to have treated like this. Cursing her conscience under her breath with every step.

edited 27th Sep '15 4:38:55 AM by Yewleaf

Sarah had a little trouble worming her way through the crowds but managed to make it through them relatively untouched, alongside Adelaide. What the commotion was all about soon became apparent, with the three figures mounted as some kind of showcase to the folk. The bell was probably a call to action to come here, and now Huntress actually became curious to the nature of this event. The three near-dead, and probably wishing they were, people didn't seem to faze her at all. Almost like she's used to the sight. Sure, it was wrong to do this but it's probably standard punishment around this region, right?

Though the reason was unknown to the elven archer. That just served to make her more curious. Whatever it was for, good or evil, she'd have to see for herself, leaning on her bow for a bit of support. Everyone around seemed to be unhappy, and some of the more strange faces in the crowd disgusted. Like they weren't expecting this, maybe? Sarah'd have to see, though some form of grin crept across her visage. A man easily slipped through the crowd, like he owned the place... Which, to be entirely fair, he probably did. Sarah glanced over to Adelaide. "Quite the event, eh? I wonder what's about to happen."

"Oh, thanks Leilernale," Ruve said, interpreting what Leil said about her cape as a compliment, if only for the fact that the sentence make no sense otherwise. "Woven all of this myself, really. I imitate the design from a really charming guy and..."

She doesn't know why but she blanked out suddenly, feeling as she got washed over by a sea of loss and sadness.

"H-h-hey, where are you going?" she said, after she realized that the elf wasn't in front of them. She ran up to her, though slowing her steps a little as she came closer to her so that she won't poke herself with her spear. By that time, Ruve already knew the answer to her own question.

"Damn, that's a really big guy. What's he doing with those prisoners there?"

Adelaide grit her teeth, wishing she had her sword. "Yes... Quite a show indeed." The anger - and the fact that she was gritting her teeth - was evident in her voice.

"Terribly sorry to have woken you from your sleep for such a dull affair," the Governor continued, pacing back and forth along the wooden dais; his steps were crisp and practiced, ringing out into the silence. "But justice is a creed that we all must adhere to, here in Lovak, once the seat of our benevolent Lord's power. To do otherwise would shame the example He set for us." The sharp footsteps paused for a moment as the Governor looked out over the crowd. He was a handsome man, with strong features and thick dark hair; but there was a cruel set to his eyes that twisted what could have been a noble face into a monstrous one. "Are there any among you who believe that justice should not be meted out to evildoers?"

There was dead silence in the crowd. Not even the young man who had made the short-lived attempt to get to the dais said anything, instead staring down at his feet. The guards up by the dais numbered only six, and looked shabby at that, but none of the townspeople met their eyes. "That's right," the Governor continued, as the silence sank deeper into the crowd. "Upstanding citizens all, of course you believe in justice for the unjust."

"Sal Armsman," he announced, walking over to the large man, the ex-soldier. "Deserted his post in the Guard barracks in the Croft. The wall was unmanned for nearly an hour. Who knows what manner of wild beast could have breached the wall? Would you forgive, good people, if such a creature devoured your family?" The Governor shook his head sadly. "Death." And with a flicker of movement, a draw so fast that only the sharpest-eyed among the strangers caught the movement... the big man's head separated from his body, hitting the wooden dais with a thump as blood sprayed from the stump. Several people in the crowd screamed, but no one moved as the Governor moved to the next prisoner, his footsteps as sharp as the needle counting out the final seconds of her life.

edited 27th Sep '15 4:56:11 PM by RedSavant

Calcol reached for his side as if he was putting his hand on the pommel, but quickly remembered that he was robbed a brief while ago. In any event, he was conflicted. This town wasn't a safe place for anyone, obviously, and Calcol didn't want this to go on for the three yet to be executed.

On the other hand, there was no way he would be able to take on the Dark Lord's forces alone, let alone unarmed. It would be suicide! Heroic suicide nonetheless, but there didn't seem to be any fellow Orcs around to impress. The others around him, a very suspicious group, they certainly seemed to mind it as well. The only difference is, some of them were armed.

He nudged the staff-user and whispered, his eyes still on the dais. "Do you think we could do something about this?"

edited 28th Sep '15 11:46:46 AM by wikkit

Adelaide nudged Huntress and muttered "Do you have a sword I can use? I need to stop this man from killing any more innocents."

A heavy, dull thumping sound suddenly resonated through the horror filled quiet of the plaza... as a spear butt was struck suddenly and hard against the stone floor.

The one responsible for such a sound was none other than Leil... holding lightly onto her spear, clad in her gallant armor as she serenely looked upon the Governor "We agree, human lord... Justice should be met out to evil doers" she says simply, smiling gently for a moment...

Before in a flash she spins her marvelous spear around, letting it fall onto both of her hands, tip aimed forward while holding onto the pole tightly with both hands... knees bending into proper posture as her expression became hard and as terrible as what had just happened before her. Her elven eyes now full of cold, furious determination. Though eventually as she saw the reaction of the foes she was just making a grim smile formed on her lips... as she began to march, walking through a crowd that would begin parting at the advance of this crazy elven spearwoman... and just as the first guards may begin to approach her...

She vanished.

In a sudden burst of mist, the woman was nomore... fading right into the wind... and reappearing right at the edge of the wooden dais, spinning without missing a beat, thrusting her spear securely and deadly into a startled guard, pulling the now bloody weapon as she once again crouched down... the eyes of a predator, a warrior then set onto the Governor as she got into battle posture.

"...Move." Huntress commanded Adelaide, gripping the bow in her hand a lot tighter now. The display that governor put on just now was anything but justice. Sarah wanted to see what horrible crimes these people had committed to deserve a public execution, but this... This was just a butchery. Being in the crowd had a few... Downsides, though. For one Huntress wouldn't be able to get a good angle, and stretching her arm would be a pain as well...

She reached for the quiver on her hip and drew one single arrow. It'd seen its fair share of uses but that didn't matter right now. It rested on the tip of her finger...

...When a woman rushed in from the crowd head on. "...Is she crazy?!" Sarah was going to go and try to be SUBTLE about all this, but that other elf just up and charged in there without thinking! That... Straightforwardness reminded her of something, vague and at the back of her head but... Screw that, everything's changed now! "Ugh!" A crystal coating crept across the arrow on Huntress' bow, her closing the right eye and drawing back the arrow, aiming...

And the arrow flew. Not for any of the guards, but one of the ropes, more specifically the woman the governor was walking towards. Sarah tried to retreat backwards from the crowd, trying to get out of the masses. She'd have to cover from far away and in order to achieve that, needs a better location to shoot from.

edited 28th Sep '15 12:10:46 PM by Nickpws

"What on Earth..." He was cut off as the man was executed, he stood in shock, his mouth agape.

Ezekiel was disgusted at what he saw. This was...

There was no way he could allow this to stand, he could not let this happen. With a grim face, the Solar Priest took a stride forward before two things happened.

1: The woman with the spear. She seemed...familiar, although he could not place her name or face, he definitely recognized her...but where from? It was the same with the woman at his side at this moment in time...where did he know them from?

2: The arrow, or he assumed it was an arrow. He thought he had heard the sound of one being set loose, cut through the rope that held the girl. He should do something, was all he could think of.

"Stay here...unless you wish to help me?" He asked the woman before moving forward with purpose, his hand moving down to grip the shaft of the large hammer at his side.

Adelaide did as she was told, stepping back and letting Huntress do her thing. She cast around for a sword someone had dropped, and her eyes landed on the weapon dropped by the guard the woman with the spear had gotten the drop on. She wove her way through the ground, her slim frame and tiny height giving her an advantage. She made her way to the dais and snatched up the guard's weapon, then proceeded to the nearest prisoner and made to cut through their ropes.

The plaza erupted into chaos as the strangers moved, the townspeople near the dais scrambling away and nearly pushing over the people behind them. The guard Leil had struck through pawed desperately at Adelaide's foot as she stripped him of his blade, an ugly but functional piece of steel, and expired. The other guards drew their swords with more haste than skill, forming a makeshift line - leaving Adelaide and the middle-aged woman on one side, and the elven spearwoman and the Governor on the other. The young woman and the boy had already vanished into the crowd.

"You're not from around here," the Governor remarked, his brow furrowing as he slid into an easy guard stance, keeping the point of his sword low. "Troublemakers don't prosper here in Lovak, elf. Whatever you hoped to accomplish here, I'm sorry to tell you you've failed." As he spoke, the tip of his blade wavered a little, almost imperceptibly; a skilled lancer could take a strike into that gap, risky though it would be.

In the meantime, Adelaide found herself squaring off against five somewhat disheveled men with swords. They wore a haphazard mix of chain and plate rubbed with oil and soot, nothing impressive next to Adelaide's gleaming armor, but their blades were sharp enough, and they were quickly regaining their lost nerve as they worked out the odds. The middle-aged woman spit at them, saliva mixed with blood. "Cowards," she barked.

Seeing a bunch of people diving forwards, Michael could not hold back even if he only had his armor. Dashing towards the dais using the confusion of the crowd, using it to remain unnoticed. Jumping up with a slide across the dais to tackle and disarm one of the guards in the line.

He wanted to help out the person who was fighting the governor but he needed to first help the armored individual and get himself a weapon. He didn't want to take on guards barehanded if he could help it.

He then moved to armored individuals, regardless if he got the weapon or not. "Can't let you take them on five against one." A strangely calm smile on his face; yet still filled with hatred.

edited 28th Sep '15 3:59:46 PM by darkdestinysoul

[1]

Adrenaline rushed through Adelaide as her armor began playing an upbeat battle theme only she could hear. She nodded to the man offering help, then let out a "Hah!" of exertion as she darted towards one of the guards, aiming to knock him unconscious with her sword pommel before moving on to dispatch the rest.

edited 28th Sep '15 4:57:31 PM by Tojin

Ciel looked around as the plaza exploded with the bold actions of the Elf with the spear. "Huh. Somebody went to work before me, I like her initiative..." She commented as she drew the bastard sword sheathed at her back. "Well then, seems like there's a battle to be won." As the guards started to attack one of the others, she raised her blade and made her way forward, aiming to slash at one of the Guard's unprotected backs.

It was rather unfortunate to see an execution like that for Ruve's first impression of the city, it earned her a few creeps down her spine. that feeling soon got overridden with all kinds of emotions and thoughts when Leil suddenly charged forth, and at such speed so fast that she looked like she teleported or something like that. All Ruve could do was saying "What in the world-?" and chased after them. Ruve was all about giving people's rights and dispensing proper justice and stuff but she rather do it in poetry and not direct confrontation of the authority.

There's just so many things going on around her, with arrow flying, guard moving about, the captain doing his monologue for some reason but at that time, she has a goal in mind: saving the prisoners. She circle around the dais, hopefully far enough that the guards won't took much notice of her, approached the boy and the two ladies with her arm outstretched and whispered "Ey, ey, come with me, let's get outta here."

"I'm not from around here indeed, human Governor... otherwise, you would have stopped drawing breath a long time ago" says Leil confident and sure of herself where the Governor's wary blade belied a certain sense of worry... had someone gotten to use to not being challenged?

Regardless, the elf had no compassion for such a being... and the moment she saw the blade waver she moved, striking suddenly as fast like a viper, crouching low in a single step, extending her spear to near the entire length in a single powerful thrust before she pulled it back, bringing it back in control with two hands prepared to parry a possible retaliatory strike.