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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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 Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2010 10:55 pm
((Mmkay, so when no one's on, or no one is posting in the RP's, I get extremely bored. Usually, i just surf the internet, and when it comes time to post, i encounter this strange and evil entity known as Writer's Block™, which decreases my post potential by threefold. It's quite depressing, to say the least. But before i turn this into another thread in which i whine about my strong sense of boredom, i should introduce what this is, right? This story takes place in the Fire Emblem universe, and is going to be about a very interesting rogue and maybe his friend, depending on what happens when I'm bored. Without any more time wasting, i present to you Battlelines(-o-doom). Enjoy!))
The Unskilled Assassin
The sun's light shot through a gap in the leaves, landing upon the man's closed eyes. Irvine stirred- albeit slowly at first- and sat up. Sleeping outside had always been detrimental for him and everyone around him; he would always wake up with a headache and a bad attitude, which would no doubt affect those around him, as his tongue grew sharp. Normally he would purchase a nice room at an Inn, but this job required him to sleep outside, far from Darthem, the nearby village. He regretted the job already, only having accepted it the previous night in a drunken stupor. As a hired assassin, he was contracted to kill someone. As an amateur assassin, these contracts were rare enough for him to drop everything he was doing to pursue.
Irvine was sober enough to make camp near a small river delta, so his first action that morning was to bathe in it's clear waters. The cold water shocked his mind into alertness, and made his thin, but muscular, frame shiver as he dove in. While swimming, he planned the day out in his mind. First he had to enter Darthem to learn the lay of the land, then he would examine his target's place of work for an easy way in. Simple enough.
Shaking his short, dark brown hair, he slowly walked to shore, enjoying the feeling of the water against his bare flesh. He was almost to shore when he slipped on a smooth rock and fell face first into the water with a large splash. He cursed loudly as he trudged back, unaware that his yells had attracted unwanted attention. Irvine quickly dried himself and dressed, sighing when he tied his boots. Two daggers rested in sheathes on both of his hips, and his dark leather armor fit snugly against his body. "Time to go to work..."
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 2:12 pm
It would suffice to say that there was a reason why Darthem would appear on no map. The entire town consisted of three buildings: an inn, a pub, and a blacksmith's forge. There were houses, oh there were houses, but they were all built at the treeline, about two hundred yards away.
Irvine's target was, according to the envelope of information, supposed to work at the pub as a bard. The information only provided his description and how he might be armed, not what he did to earn such a price on his head, which peaked the young man's curiosity. This was his first job as an assassin for hire, and because of this, his nerves were acting up. He had never killed another person, Laguz or Beorc, before, and now he was having second thoughts. How would it feel to rip the life from someone? Could he bear the look of his victim as their life seeped away? Could he watch their eyes grow lifeless?
As he entered the 'town', he watched his reflection in the windows of the inn. His unkempt, shaggy hair and the stubble on his chin and jaw gave him a scruffy look. His dark brown eyes were filled with dread. His face wore an expression of worry.
Irvine would botch this job.
He knew he would, deep down, so he turned to the only thing he could to calm his nerves- his dark sense of humor. Heh, I'll probably end up killing the guy by dropping my knife on him, he thought, instantly realizing that the joke was a poor one as he pulled open the pub's wooden door. Inside, the lighting was mediocre at best. Irvine made his way to the bar, his eyes still adjusting to the poor lighting. "Barkeep!" he barked, "I'm looking for a man named Drake. Where can I find him?"
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jan 04, 2010 10:06 pm
The barkeep was kind enough to point out Drake from the crowd before demanding that Irvine purchase a drink or leave. The young man purchased a glass of water, which he quickly downed, and pushed his way through the crowd of noisy patrons. "Excuse me, are you Drake?" The light haired man looked up.
"Hm? What was that?"
"Are you Drake? The bard?" Irvine looked into the man's blue eyes and furrowed his brow.
"Yeah, I am. Can I help you?"
"Yeah, uh," Irvine did not know what do say or do, so he went with the truth. Kind of. "You're supposed to be my first..."
"What?"
"My first kill. I'm an assassin, and I've been hired to kill you," he said nervously.
"Ah, I see. This is troubling."
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2010 9:22 pm
Drake had convinced Irvine to sit and have a drink while they talk about the latter man's job. "So, Irvine was it? Who hired you to do this... Job?" Drake asked, taking a sip of his rum.
"Some nobleman named Hawthorne or something. Paid me half up front, promised the rest when you were dead," Irvine finished his shot of liquor and slammed the glass down.
"Hawthorne, that idiotic pig. Listen, kid, you're in way over your head. I think you should leave before you do something you regret."
"What? Why?"
"I'll give you a few reasons. One: I'm not your average target. Two: You're inexperienced. And three: You won't last three seconds in a fight against me."
"How do you know? You're just a man in a bandanna with a small knife at your hip."
"Ugh, your ignorance is blinding..."
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 1:48 am
Irvine had learned from Drake that Hawthorne owned several plantations in Bengion. This didn't surprise him, because most of the Begnion nobles owned plantations, and actively used them to gain more riches. He was shocked to hear, however, that the nobleman did not require payed workers. No, Hawthorne had several dozen Laguz slaves. This is why he hired Irvine to kill Drake- the man had snuck onto one of his plantations and tried to free several slaves, before he was chased off. He did not get away unscathed, however. Just before Irvine had bumbled out of the pub with a roll of parchment with Drake's description and location, he remembers Hawthorne telling him that one of his guards managed to strike the man's shoulder with an arrow. But here he was now, conversing with a man who should be screaming in pain.
"So, Hawthorne wants me to kill you because you tried freeing his slaves?"
"That is what it seems."
"I won't do that. Hell, you tried to do the right thing," Irvine slammed down his shot glass.
"I thank you. If you followed through with your job, you would have found me a very interesting person to fight," Drake chided, raising an eyebrow. "I apologize, your fees will go unpaid... Unless we could work something out."
"Such as..?"
"How about you help me release the slaves? I will gladly pay you twice the amount he promised."
Irvine couldn't resist the offer. He'd have to be crazy to refuse! With that amount of gold, he could buy a new set of daggers! Oh, he longed for the set at the forge in Begnion's capital city, Sienne! The off hand dagger had this hook that would allow for him to trap an enemy's blade-
"So can I count you in, or do i have to kill you here?" Drake was tapping his foot impatiently, and every so often a lock of his blond hair would fall from under the bandanna, only for him to shove it back, never moving the bandanna. Irvine found it odd that the strip of cloth covered both of the man's ears, but he quickly shrugged this off as he nodded his head.
"I'll join you in freeing them. That b*****d shouldn't be allowed to keep slaves."
"It is a dire time, my friend. Nearly all the nobles in Begnion keep slaves."
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Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 2:17 am
The more Irvine talked to Drake, the more he noticed about the strange man. One of the first things was that the 'bard' wore a dark red bracelet adorned with five silver stars. It appeared to be made out of painted metal. He found the man's pants interesting also. The legs were especially puffed up, as if he were hiding something in them. "As I was saying, Irvine, our entry will be a delicate one. Guards now swarm the grounds after my last attempt at freeing the slaves."
"Okay. We'll be doing this under the cover of darkness, right?"
"No, we're to skip right up to the door singing songs while holding hands and tossing about flowers." Drake grinned, showing a mouth full of white teeth and prolonged canines. "Tonight, when we get to the plantation, we'll split up. I'll distract the guards while you release the slaves."
"You'll distract them by what? Dancing around and singing songs? Or will you tell them stories until they can take no more and off themselves?"
"I have my ways, kiddo." Irvine immediately scowled at that word. He was nineteen, not four. Why must all those older than him call him such names? Hell, Drake did not look older than twenty, and here he was calling him 'kiddo'. "Meet me here, at sundown, and we will depart."
"Got it," Irvine went to stand up from his chair.
"Oh and Irvine, do be careful. I'd hate to have to come and rescue you." Irvine left the pub and headed back to his makeshift camp where he would wait until nightfall.
*****
Irvine left his camp after eating a meal that consisted of a trout he caught in the stream. The sun had yet to dip behind the distant mountains- he wanted to be early because he still had a few questions for the odd man. The pub was nearly empty, save for several drunks, the barkeep, and Drake. "You're early."
"Yeah, I know. I have a few questions that I want to ask you." Irvine sat and ordered a half pint of ale.
"Well, go ahead. We have a little while before we must leave. Ask away," Drake spread out his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"You aren't really a Bard, are you?"
"Well that depends on what you think a Bard is."
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:44 am
"Isn't a Bard one who travels and tells stories through songs?" Irvine finished his ale, and looked back to Drake, who was watching him with a curious look. It consisted of a rather odd smirk and amused eyes. "What's that face for?"
"Your youthful ignorance. It is quite amusing," the man eyed him before speaking again. "Irvine, you are correct in the sense that i travel and tell stories through songs, but wrong at the same time."
"What?"
"Come now, you are an intelligent young man. You should be able to figure it out. If not, i'll just have to kill you." He smiled patiently.
"Why yes, i am- wait, what?"
"I'm just joking, of course. But singing is not all bards do. I'll gladly tell you some day. But now, it is time for us to leave. The sun is down, is it not?"
"Uh, yeah, i guess it is. Lead the way," Irvine stood, and waited for Drake as he payed the bill.
"We've got to traverse a misty forest! Don't wet yourself if you get to afraid," Drake said with a grin, waving his arms about.
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Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:41 pm
The forest was not misty, nor was it frightening. Since it was autumn, the leaves had yellowed and fallen from the branches, and each one produced a satisfying crunch when Irvine and Drake stepped on them. Each crunch made Drake stop and raise his hand, signaling Irvine to stop as well. Irvine found this comical- even when he stepped on a leaf himself, he raised his hand and halted. If it was not for the fact that this 'mission' was supposed to be done discreetly, Irvine would have gone out of his way to stomp on every leaf.
Soon they had reached the edge of the forest, and the lights of the plantation were visible in the darkness. The low building was made of bricks and wood, with a guard post located several yards from the main door. "I'll distract them. Shouldn't be too hard after the hijinks I pulled last time. The slaves are located on the northern side. Be careful," Drake slipped into the shadows, and soon Irvine heard shouts emanating from the plantation.
It was his turn now.
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2010 11:57 pm
Stealth was Irvine's specialty.
He slipped past the guards, and silently made his way to the slaves' chambers, where he quickly unlocked every door he came across. As soon as he exited the hallway, the doors were pushed open and those locked inside surged out and fled the compound. Just need to find Drake now... He thought, slipping out of the plantation.
Irvine was not far from the compound when he heard shouts. He turned in time to see several dozen guards rushing straight at him. Not wanting to converse about the night, he turned and ran. He could hear the soldiers rapidly approaching, but he did not notice the bushes on his right rustle. He did not see whatever it was that tackled him and pulled him away, into the darkness.
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Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:18 am
Irvine's vision was blurred from the impact. He was on his back, and when he went to sit up, he found he could not. Something was sitting on him. As his vision slowly focused, he found that the creature was a huge, light colored wolf.
His first reaction was to flee.
With a low growl, the beast sank low on his chest, it's paws were on either side of his head. There was no way he was going to flee. The wolf's eyes bore into him with something that he could best equate to intelligence, and without warning it jumped off, dashing into the undergrowth. As it did so, he heard a metallic clang. "What the hell?" He panted, his body unmoving in case it came back.
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2010 11:27 pm
Irvine soon realized that while the beast was essentially sitting on him, several of the soldiers that were pursuing him passed by without even knowing he was there. He stood and took off running down the trail, skidding to a stop just outside a nearby clearing.
"About time you made it," a voice said from the shadows. Irvine recognized it as belonging to Drake, only deeper and scratchier. "I was beginning to think that I hurt you," a shadow emerged from the bushes, it's shape strangely wolf-like. As Irvine watched, the large light colored wolf began changing- it's hair fell away as clothes grew on it's body, which was taking more of a human form. The snout and ears slowly shrunk into a man's face. Soon Drake was standing before him.
"Wait, so you're a laguz? A wolf laguz?" Meeting a Laguz in Begnion was rare, meeting a wolf laguz was rarer still.
"Why yes, i am."
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:55 am
Irvine was furious. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" He yelled, no doubt drawing the attention of any nearby soldiers.
"Hey, you never asked. Look, we can argue about specifics later, okay? Right now we've got to get the hell out of here," Drake brushed past the confused and angry young man, eager on leaving the grounds of the plantation. "Are you coming? We don't have much time. Plus, i still have to pay you."
"I'm still angry," Irvine said, following Drake out of the clearing and into the forest.
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:11 am
The Lost Archer
The man wore a unique quiver on his back and a dagger at his side. In his hand was an ash bow, a gift from his grandfather, which was decorated with images of elk. He was hunting, and his long, dark green coat helped him blend in with his surroundings, and the rustling of the leaves concealed the sounds of his movements.
He had notched an arrow, and was prepared to let it fly when he heard shouts emanating from a nearby stream. The elk bolted, leaving him alone in the forest, save for the source of the screams. Sighing heavily, he tied back his long red hair as he crept forward to investigate the shouts. He found they had come from a man in the stream. "Idiot. Doesn't he know that the streams will be freezing at this time of year?" He left as the man began drying himself off. His name was Drem, and he was late for a meeting...
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Posted: Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:47 pm
Drem arrived a few minutes before the meeting was to take place. His sister, Eldrin, was supposed to introduce him to her suitor, something customary in the village of his birth, but by the stories he'd already heard, Drem wasn't convinced. Something seemed odd about the sudden appearance of the suitor and Eldrin's sudden infatuation, but he simply shrugged it off. Now was not the time to worry about such things.
Drem had heard rumors of a Laguz invasion. He simply dismissed it as idle gossip, but earlier that day he read a report of Ravens invading the coast of Begnion. He found this much more intriguing than the marriage of his sister. Hell, anything intrigued him more than a bunch of squawking women in white dresses fretting about the future of a woman who'll probably die in childbirth. He knew this view was rather pessimistic, but he didn't care.
Drem decided to quell such thoughts with alcohol.
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Shale Darksnow Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Feb 11, 2010 11:46 pm
An odd silence fell over the tavern as the doors opened. In walked Eldrin, looking beautiful as always, her long blond hair thrown haphazardly over her shoulder. At her side was a rather gruff looking man, a massive sword strapped to his back. Drem instantly hated him. Eldrin introduced him as Balar, a name which made him chuckle.
Halfway through their dinner, the suitor excused himself and left the table, heading in the direction of the washroom. Now was Drem's moment to speak with his sister. "Eldrin, why is he armed?"
"The same reason you are," she responded, a strange smile on her face. "Drem, little brother, I can look out for myself."
"Right, well, I'll be right back." Drem excused himself, and also headed towards the washroom. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, and he was going to find out what.
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