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Fire Emblem: Dissident [RP Thread] [PG-13]

Tangeh

Well-Known Member
- Fire Emblem: Dissident -
(An AU RP based on Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
[Rated PG-13 for fighting and mild language]

*Sign-up thread
*Discussion thread

Please refer to the sign-up thread for NPC and world information.

...​

RULES

1. No god-modding / no Mary Sues (no perfect/ invincible characters. You cannot dodge every hit or land every strike!). Characters should be well-balanced, with defined strengths and weaknesses. Remember that you are still only a student, and would not be expected to be a perfect little soldier yet, and be reasonable with your Crest abilities should you choose to have one. The Academy offers training weapons to students for use without additional fees.

2. The character limit is one per RPer.

3. Your character is limited to a maximum of ONE crest, and a maximum of either TWO of ANY skill (see the list below), or up to three ONLY if they wish to eventually become a canon class in Fire Emblem: Three Houses that specializes in three skills.

Example: Your character could specialize in Flying and Reason [which does not line up with any canon class], or they could specialize in Lance, Bow, and Riding [which lines up with the canon Bow Knight].

4. Please do not use any classes that are canon in other Fire Emblem games but are not featured in Three Houses. (for example, Manakete)

5. Please ask if you have any questions, or want to suggest something to add to the world. This is a flexible alternate universe that will be melded based on the characters that are accepted into it. Please keep in mind other characters when you are designing your own and feel free to PM me if you have an idea for a specific niche in the plot that you don't want others to know about just yet.

...

Fodlan World Map
  • Note: I took the non-canon place names from approximations given in the sign-up. If anything needs to be adjusted or added please let me know and I will fix it!
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Garreh Mach Monestary / Officers' Academy Map

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  1. Cathedral
  2. Second Floor Dormitory - Students of noble lineage typically stay here
  3. Library
  4. Professors' Offices
  5. Training Grounds
  6. First Floor Dormitory - Students of commoner lineage typically stay here
  7. Classrooms
  8. Reception Hall
  9. Knights' Hall
  10. Stables
  11. Entrance Hall
  12. Marketplace
  13. Fishing Pond
  14. Greenhouse
  15. Courtyard
  16. Dining Hall
...​

RPer List:

1. Tangeh - Zella Redstone
2. Monster Guy - Princess Lillian Valecourt
3. Vern - Niko Arkwright
4. Schade- Luca Von Aurochs
5. GoldenHouou - Rowan Valecourt
6. Dragalge - Phina Bennett
7. TheSequelReturns - Risali LaFlamme
8. InnerFlame - Maximus Rothslyn
...
Zella Redstone
Classroom

"'Scuse me! Coming through!"

Zella pushed her way past some idling students, ignoring their shouts at her to "slow down!" and "watch where you're going!" In her left arm she was touting a notepad and quill, though given the large iron gauntlets on both of her hands, she was holding both items between her upper arm and chest. She already knew exactly how long it took to run between the training grounds and the classrooms, given how many times she'd done it so far this semester (and they weren't even a full moon into it yet) - she wasn't late, she was just perfectly on time.

Well, that was her opinion anyways - she received a few odd glances as she skidded to a stop at her desk just as the monastery's clock chimed that it was time for class to start. She released her gauntlets to the floor with a loud thunk, blew her brown bangs out of her magenta eyes, and looked eagerly to the front of the room. She'd been invited to an extra class today - and, by the looks of it, so had several other notable students, including the prince and princess of Fodlan. Zella stared curiously at them for a few moments, then forced her gaze back to the four professors at the front of the room.

The eldest of the professors - Professor Estevan - stepped forward and banged his wooden cane on the ground twice to gain the students' attention. He frowned at them, staring sternly through square glasses, and adjusted a list in front of him. "When I call your name please speak up," he said, his clear and commanding tone sparked with a Brigid accent. "Arkwright, Niko... Bennett, Phina... Eortiz, Vinna," - a tall girl with long dark hair, likely around eighteen years old, raised her hand and announced her presence - "LaFlamme, Risali... Redstone, Zella - "

"Present!" Zella enthusiastically shot her hand in the air and stood up slightly just to make extra sure she was seen. The Professor eyed her briefly then continued with his list.

"Scyne, Erwyn," - a small bespeckled boy with a bow and arrow nervously raised his hand - "Rothslyn, Maximus... Valecourt, Lillian... Valecourt, Rowan... Von Aurochs, Luca."

"Alright, that's all of 'em, then?" A large man with a scruff of orange hair - Professor Moritz - asked, stretching his arms behind his head as he grinned at the students in front of him. Zella noticed that Vinna Eortiz girl staring between his broad chest and large arms out of the corner of her eye, and Zella smirked to herself. "So which one do I get?" Moritz continued. Zella perked up. Professor Moritz was her favourite professor - and not because of his biceps. He knew way more about brawling than the other three did, plus he didn't even bat an eye if she showed up a little late - if she had it her way, she'd happily have every lesson in his class.

She didn't have time to eagerly volunteer as Professor Indra jabbed him playfully with the hilt of her silver spear and rolled her eyes. "That's not how this works. Maybe you need to pay attention just as much as the kids do."

Estevan turned his sharp gaze on his coworkers for a few moments, then looked back to the students. "Yes, do pay attention, because what I'm about to tell you could change the course of your life." Zella sat up a little straighter in her seat as Professor Estevan turned to Professor Gloriana - a red-haired lady with many strange markings running down her arm - and nodded once. Gloriana raised her left arm in front of a large wooden board that had been set up behind them - a few of the markings on her right arm flashed oddly when she did - and with a large burst of fire, she had burnt a perfect map of Fodlan into it.

"Whoa!" Zella exclaimed, rocking forward on her chair. "That was - !" She quieted and shrunk back as Estevan turned his strict eyes on her - she was always getting trouble in his class for talking too loud.

Estevan jabbed his cane at an X that had been marked not too far north from Garreg Mach. "There have been reports of rouges pillaging a town close to the monastery for some odd weeks now. The Church has made the decision that handling them it would be a good learning experience for some of our more promising students. You were all selected for different reasons, but now is your chance to prove yourselves and demonstrate what you have learned. We will be accompanying and surveying how all of you work as a team to handle the situation. The student who we think makes the greatest contribution to your victory today will receive private tutoring as a reward. This assignment will be graded."

"We will not be stepping in unless absolutely necessary," Gloriana continued smoothly, "so act intelligently and remember your studies."

"Dalanie and I will be circling the skies in case of emergency," Indra added.

"Not that you'll need it," Moritz said, flashing a thumbs up. "I've been watching all of you in action. You've got this in the bag. Those baddies don't stand a chance."

"We will meet in front of the Entrance Hall in one hour to depart. Collect your weapons, steed if you have one, and supplies, and ensure you're properly fed and hydrated in preparation. If you are late we will depart without you." Zella could have sworn he was staring at her when he said that. "Dismissed!"

Zella leapt up and grabbed her gauntlets. In her excitement she forgot about her notebook and quill, abandoning them on her desk. She had to go eat something and then review all of the techniques they'd reviewed in class - she needed to do whatever it took to prove herself to her four professors and earn that private training!
 
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Monster Guy

Fairy type Trainer
Princess Lillian Valecourt
Classroom


Lillian gracefully entered the classroom. Perfectly punctual as always. It didn't do well for the future Emperor of Fodlan to be late to meetings. Of course, some of her classmates clearly did not share the same respect for other people's time as she did. Zella Redstone just barely made it to class just as the bell rang. Lillian would not have paid her any mind, had she not dropped her gauntlets to the floor with a loud thud, alerting the entire room to her presence. Lillian just looked at her for a moment, but said nothing.

This particular meeting was not just an ordinary lesson. She had been invited to a special class today for reasons unknown to her. There were several other students as well, including her trusted retainer Niko, and her twin brother whom she hadn't spoken to in ages... They hadn’t had a proper conversation since her family's crest had appeared on her hand, but not anywhere on him. She wasn’t sure he’d seen him in the castle at all lately. She had been busy with all the training and work it took to become the future ruler, there was no time for casual conversation... She wondered if now would be a good opportunity to say something to him. Although, what could she possibly say at this point?

She didn't have much time to dwell on this for very long. Professor Esteven started calling names for attendance. Lillian raised her hand and said "present" when her name was called. After that, they finally got to the purpose of their meeting. There had been reports of rogues in the nearby village, and the church thought it was a good idea to send some students off to deal with the matter. They said it would be a good learning experience for them, but it still seemed strange for them to send students to deal with criminals. Still, for her, this would be the perfect opportunity to show that she capable of protecting them as the future Emperor. The Goddess gave her a crest for a reason, and she wasn't about to prove her will wrong.

Then they were given an hour to prepare, and were dismissed from class. There were so many things to do. She had to get into her armor, prepare her lance, go over the various techniques she knows, not to mention get some nourishment in her system... Then she passed by her twin. He was going on this assignment too, and there was no doubt they would be working together on this. She supposed she should say something... If only to make sure that there was no ill will between them. She took a deep breath, and approached her twin. "Hello Rowan." She said politely. "It seems we will be working alongside one another in battle..." She wasn't sure what to say after that. One would think a simple conversation with their own sibling wouldn't be so difficult... These weren't ordinary circumstances though.
 
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InnerFlame

Fire and Ice Combo
Maximus Rothslyn
Classroom


Maximus slinked noiselessly into the classroom shortly after the first student. Seating himself towards the back of the room with his back straight attentively. The boy's green eyes focused and took count of every person entry, there were a lot of tall, older students. Most of them gave off an elitist air. While he did recognize some of the other students, like the princess and prince, he was not personally acquainted with them. As the bell chimed a short, brown-haired girl entered full of zest. She attracted the entire room's attention, especially as she noisily plopped her gauntlets on the ground. After the final person took her sit, Mr. Estevan began the roll call. After going through quite a few of the names, he heard his.

"Present, sir," Maximus politely spoke up, even raising his hand to ensure he noticed his smaller form among the rest. After some minor back and forth the teachers began to explain the situation: rogues appearances north of Garreg Mach. It awakened a bit of sorrow as the pink-haired boy remember the brigands that pilfered his own home and kill his birth parents. But also, a sense of urgency as Maximus understood how important it is to deal with these situations as quickly as possible. This being an assignment that the teachers would pick the best student out didn't matter to the small boy, he wanted to protect people being tormented by the band of thieves.

There was an obvious fire in his green eyes that burn with strong resolved and determination. This time, he could fight off bandits instead of watching people he cared about get hurt and die. As they were dismissed, Maximus quickly gathered his things, hopped to his feet and headed for the door. He was going through his head of all the preparation he needed not just for himself but for his lovely pegasus, Zephyr.
 
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Schade

Metallic Wonder
Luca Von Aurochs
Classroom

Luca was sitting by his seat in Professor Estevan's class. He had been the first to arriwe that day, as he had to catch up on some previous homework he didn't have the chance to get done due to some.. feline interferances; Who's idea was it to leave cats and dogs roaming freely around the monestary anyway? The infirmary has been swamped with students coming down with allergies, and Biff, the academy's lead healer, even opened up a small pet store for the tidal wave of kittens that will undoubtly start coming in within the next few months. Needless to say, Luca had also been swept away by this catastrophe, whose timing was less than purrfect, as he had ended up missing out on his homework as a result. The homework in question wasn't too hard though, as he only needed to revise some battle strategies and go over tactical history; The boring parts, in other words.. Regardless, it had made sure he was on time for the professor's announcement, whatever that might be.

Briefly looking up, he saw Princess Lillian walk in, looking as polished and snobbish as ever. He went back into his books. If she had arrived that meant it was time.. Yep, there rang the bells, signifying that class was in session. Luca furiously scribbled down One-handed Warfare theory while drawing a surprisingly detailed and good doodle of a man getting his head chopped off by a battleaxe. He then smacked his book together and looked up in the same movement, pretending he had been paying attention all this time yep no worries i got everything you said professor totally. Some students were late to the assembly, notably Zella, who made her presence known the best way she knew how: By dropping her gigantic gauntlets straight to the ground, clunking harder than the academy's own bells, alarming everyone around, and possibly waking up the snoozers in class. Hopefully no cats were harmed in this incident. She rushed in and found her seat in time for
rollcall. Luca didn't see who else made it in time, but was certain he would tell by their abscence once they got thrown into detention.

Luca did a nod and a clear "Here" when his name was brought up. Professor Moritz then stepped up to address the students. IT was a weird change of pace, considering Professor Estevan would likely have his head for interrupting his lectures otherwise. The almost comically large brute of a man, who's size was second only to that to his brother, the afforementioned head nurse, Biff. Quickly and effortlessly reclaiming the control of the class, Professor Estevan then continued on. Apparently there had been sightings of Bandits near the monestary, and the teachers had agreed that it would be a good exercise to make dispatching of them into a fun little class activity. Normally, one would likely question the immoral ambiguity of the scenario and how it would be handled, but Luca was excited. Finally, some practical education! He had studied so many books and theories surrounding warfare, it would be good to have something living on the recieving end of his axe for once. The professor then continued, saying the teachers wouldn't meddle in unless it became necessary, and that the affair would be treated as a graded test. This was what Luca was good at, and he was looking forward to it.

After class, the students had been given an hour to prepare for the upcoming fight. Luca knew everyting about battle preparations, and knew that he would have to go grab something to eat first, then go fix up his gear and let the food sink properly, and then warm up with a few solid swings of his axe. Exiting the classroom, he saw another classmate, prince Rowan Valecourt, whom he had befriended during their time at the academy. He was a strong fighter and a reliable leader, and the two just naturally clicked, and thus formed the base for a solid friendship. He walked over to him. "My lord, you want to go get something to eat before preparing for the upcoming battle?". Before Rowan could answer though, his sister, the princess stepped in. "Hello Rowan" she said, before making a comment about how they would work together. There was something in her tone that left an awkward aftertaste. Luca knew of the reason, and decided to change the subject. "Er-hem. Would her highness care to join us for lunch before departure?" he then said, upping his formal tone just a bit.
 

Vern

Why not both?
Niko Arkwright
Classroom


Niko stepped into the classroom two steps behind Lilian, habitually making his entrance secondary in typical retainer fashion. He didn’t sit next to her — there was no need to be that clingy, really, and being near the sides of the room gave him a better view of his surroundings. He’d barely just made himself comfortable, tilting back his chair to lean against the wall, when Zella barged into the classroom, slamming her gauntlets down onto the floor in perfect unison with the bell that signified the beginning of class.

He waved at Professor Estevan when his name was called — first, as it usually was, then slid down a little in his chair as he listened to the professors talk, smirking a little at Zella’s excitement as the girl marvelled at Professor Gloriana’s magical prowess. A group of bandits had attacked a nearby town, and they wanted the students to deal with it as a ‘learning experience’. The fact that they were to reward the student with the greatest contribution worried him — in matters like these, it was bad to incentivise people to seek personal glory. Working as a team was pivotal, and introducing the element of competition within the group may lead to trouble. He said nothing about it, though. The professors weren’t exactly the kind to listen to someone like him, and he wasn’t exactly on their good side anyway — it wouldn’t have surprised him if he was only chosen as part of the course because he came as a package with the princess.

As the others made their preparations, Niko once again took stock of the people in the room. Many were probably fighting for the first time, and even though they would probably be safe with the professors keeping watch, he knew more than well enough that a stray arrow was enough to end a life, and nobody flying above could react to something like that in time. Similarly, it was impossible for just two people on the ground to watch over everyone. It was his duty, as a retainer and a friend, to ensure the princess’s safety.

It'd be ideal if he could enlist someone's help on the matter. Generally, such things weren't too difficult to arrange, and just required gently reminding someone that the princess and future emperor might be in danger — the vast majority of people didn't really need much convincing beyond that, and in his experience most were more than happy to be of help.

Zella Redstone. While Lilian didn’t seem fond of her punctuality (or lack thereof), he himself had always liked the girl. They’d sparred a few times, and she was definitely skilled, and above all else, she worked hard. Even though she seemed good enough at heart, her naivety was a weakness. Judging by how eagerly she sprang up to get ready, it seemed she eagerly wanted the chance to prove herself, which meant she probably wouldn’t be receptive to orders, at least not from someone like him. She was also inexperienced, and people of her type were often unpredictable when placed under heavy pressure. He’d keep watch over her and try keep her out of too much trouble, but it’d be bad to expect too much from her.

The other kid headed for the door — Maximus. Niko didn’t know him too well, but his general demeanour wasn’t exactly reassuring. He’d entered quietly, and had a somewhat subdued, almost sombre air to him, which wasn’t exactly indicative of confidence. The fact that he’d left the room near-immediately, looking a little worked up, wasn’t good either — it hinted that he might be emotionally invested somehow, and that lead to rash thinking. No, I can’t rely on him either.

Erwyn Scyne. He didn’t know the boy, but his nervousness earlier didn’t exactly fill him with confidence. The fact that he used a ranged weapon was somewhat reassuring, though — at least that way, his own safety probably wouldn’t be jeopardised in the same way that it would’ve been if he had to fight up close with that sort of anxiousness. Either way, he couldn’t be counted on.

Now, that Phina girl… as far as he was aware, she was a lazy airhead who had no drive. She must’ve been selected for a reason, but even if she was skilled, her attitude sucked. Totally useless, for his purposes at least.

Risali. He’d sparred with her in the past, and she was definitely competent. While she was kinda stubborn and her piety could be a little annoying, she carried herself with the air of someone who was aware of her surroundings and was confident in her own abilities. And — this is merely conjecture, but — she seemed to Niko like the kind of person who’d been through something unpleasant in the past, and came out more or less okay. People of that sort could be counted on in dangerous situations. If shit hit the fan, he could count on her to pull through. Maybe he’d take the opportunity to ask her to remain close to Lilian later... two pairs of eyes are better than one, after all. And besides, he was curious about the girl.

And Rowan, of course… while he worried for the prince’s emotional state, he had no concerns over his ability to handle himself on the battlefield. He would be fine, and his friend, Luca… while Niko himself didn’t know him too well, the fact that Rowan had chosen him as a companion is proof enough of his worth. He seemed skilled, reliable, and appeared a nice enough guy. Ideally, it’d be good to stick in close proximity with those two, and Rowan would without doubt jump to his sister's defence if necessary, but it'd probably be inappropriate to explicitly ask them for help, given the circumstances. And as for Lilian herself… she ought to be OK, having had plenty of combat training. It was her first time in a true battle, though, so there was still some cause for concern. He’d stay by her as long as he could — his own personal performance in this little test mattered little to him. The teachers knew his skill, and he didn’t need the validation.

That’s that, I guess. He quickly went over the plan once again — stick with Rowan and Luca, try to ask the LaFlamme girl a favour, keep an eye out for Zella’s safety, and stay with the princess the entire way. Everyone else could be basically ignored. After stretching and letting out a yawn, he glanced over at the princess, and upon seeing her engaged in conversation with her brother, decided to leave them to their own devices for now. No point imposing his presence on a little family moment. That was one of the crucial rules of being a retainer — only making your presence felt when it needed to be.

Instead, he strolled leisurely over to Risali, catching her attention with a casual wave. “Hey, Risali,” he began, sitting himself down on a now-unused table, “Could you me out with something? I doubt it'll be too dangerous, so I won’t ask you to give up doing well on an assignment, if that’s important to you — but having one more person watching out for the princess's safety would help put me at ease." He paused for a moment, then grinned and gave a friendly laugh, "I'll treat you to a drink after if you'd like."
 
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TheSequelReturns

Faithful Crusader
Risali LaFlamme
Classroom

Risali had been early to the classroom. Not as early as Luca but not too far behind him. Punctuality was a virtue after all. And she wasn't going to let something as simple as being tardy leave a mark on her record. Being early had its upsides too. She liked to use the time waiting for class to begin to go over notes, review homework, or sometimes just read ahead to prepare for future lectures. That also meant she needed to spend less time studying during downtime though she spent enough time in the library or the training grounds as it was that her social life didn't exactly reap the benefits. Such was the cost of devotion she supposed.


Today was something different though. Not the usual class. And with four professors present no less. Something was up and her curiosity was making it hard to focus on the open book in front of her.

Lillian entered the classroom right on time, as usual, with her retainer trailing just behind her. And just behind him was Zella, moving at a furious pace and sliding into her seat with not a second to spare. She dropped her huge gauntlets with a loud thunk and Risali laughed silently to herself. There was certainly a much larger variety of personalities here than she had been expecting. But it was the lively ones like Zella that she found the most interesting. Risali would like to ask her a few questions sometime. Like what brought her to the monastery, and how she could stand to wield such heavy weapons.

She answered the roll call as it was given and waited patiently through the professors explanation. When Professor Estevan said it could change the course of their lives, she leaned in a little closer. And when Professor Gloriana used her fire magic to create a perfectly detailed map, Risali blinked. Would she ever be that good with magic? Probably not. She had a talent for it, yes, but that level of control... that was something she felt was firmly outside the realm of possibility.

The prospect of a reward to the student who contributed the most was intriguing, but it almost sounded like a trap. Teamwork was the important part here. Run off chasing glory and you'd get hurt. Or worse, get someone else hurt who you could have kept safe. But therein lied the trap. The reward was for contributing towards the team's victory. Solid leadership, a winning strategy, those were the qualities they wanted, yes? Not bravado. Not guts.

They wanted leaders. Officers. Not heroes. This could be a chance to prove herself, but would Lilian or the other nobles be willing to take orders from someone of Risali's standing? She seriously doubted it. Even if she tried to formulate a game plan and used her newfound nobility as a springboard, she'd almost certainly be overshadowed. What was the LaFlamme family when compared to the prestige of actual royalty? Risali let out a deep sigh and turned her thoughts back to the assignment until class was dismissed.

Afterwards, she busied herself with collecting her scattered notes and books, her mind still wrestling with her earlier thoughts. She had just returned her belongings to a neat, orderly stack when Niko approached with a wave and a greeting as he took a nearby seat. Out of force of habit, she looked for Lilian and spotted her on the other side of the classroom. She still hadn't quite gotten used to all the ins and outs of interacting with nobles, but Niko without Lilian was agreeable enough.

"Good morning Niko." she returned the greeting with a smile before he continued.

“Could you help me out with something? I doubt it'll be too dangerous, so I won’t ask you to give up doing well on an assignment, if that’s important to you — but having one more person watching out for the princess's safety would help put me at ease." He paused for a moment, then grinned and gave a friendly laugh, "I'll treat you to a drink after if you'd like."

Oh? He wanted help with his duties as a retainer? That was interesting, but it might help her break the ice with Lilian and that alone made it appealing. Besides, trying to scheme her way into leadership wasn't her style anyway. She brushed those thoughts aside.

"You'd trust me to help protect the princess?" Risali said, "I'm flattered you think so highly of me." His smile and laugh helped to put her at ease. "So, a battle and a date?" she teased. "Quite the gentlemanly offer. To be honest, trying to think of a way to show off during the assignment sounds like it'd do more harm than good. So if you'll have me, I'd be happy to help."
 

Dragalge

"Orange" Magical Girl
Phina Bennett
Classroom


Phina slowly entered the classroom all drowsy as she made her way to her seat. Once she sat, she threw her books on the table and laid her head on it and began to start going into a deep slumber. She figured that she'd be able to at least get some more sleep going before having to actually do anything so she carried on with her desire.

"Hopefully this period goes...by fast..." Phina slowly spoke as she began to sleep. Her snoring was loud enough to get the attention of some other students. Unfortunately, her sleep ended when Professor Estevan walked in the class and slammed his cane on the ground twice. The noise of the cane was enough to wake up Phina from her slumber. As Phina was about to go back to sleeping, Professor Estevan spoke her name.

"Bennett, Phina!"

"W-what? Huh? Oh yeah here..." Phina quickly spoke before falling asleep again after Professor Estevan called her name for roll call. A student next to her shook her a bit before she finally woke up without quickly putting her head back on her books. Phina's eyes were not wide enough to actually see much but nonetheless, she just went with it. The professor explained a group of bandits were causing trouble near the monetary and that the students would have to make work of them as a graded assignment. When the class ended, Phina decided that she'd sneak in a 35 minute nap before preparing to take on the bandits with the rest of the class. As Phina walked out, she noticed two students with crests and spoke to herself about what she saw.

"Sigh...guess we have those kinds of people this year...now about that nap..."
 

GoldenHouou

antagoonist
Rowan Valecourt
Classroom


Though it wasn’t deliberate on his part, Rowan was up long before dawn. He woke with a startle, then spent the early hours of morning training, reading, or otherwise occupying his mind so as to forget the terrors of the night prior. It was an unfortunate routine; come every dusk, Leonard visited his dreams, only to die the same way he had all those years ago in the morrow. The feelings roused by his death lingered a few hours thereafter, until he could fight them away and face the day as a prince should.

The nightmares had left him for many a year, but ever since his most recent failure to reclaim heirship and the subsequent admittance to Garreg Mach, they had returned in full swing. Perhaps it was strange of him to mull over a single death to such an extent, particularly when he’d seen so much of it during his time with the empire’s forces. He’d even delivered it, with his own two hands. The church said that human life was equal - but it was not, was it? It might have been hypocritical of him to say so, but then, hypocrisy seemed to run in the blood of his family.

Rowan reached the classroom a little later than usual due to a mishap in the training grounds, but he was still a good hour early. Much to his surprise however, he wasn’t the first one in today; Luca was already at his seat, busily going through a stack of papers. The prince had known of house Aurochs long before he had actually met Luca in person - and was quite surprised to find that he, too, bore no crest. Though they hadn’t talked about their respective pasts, Rowan knew house Aurochs was strict and idolized crests, so he could imagine they had more in common than not. Perhaps that was part of the reason they got along so well, though Rowan himself attributed it to Luca’s dutifulness and reliability.

Whatever Luca was working on must’ve been important, so Rowan decided not to bother him. Instead, he found his usual place at the back of the class, a seat which he’d chosen to avoid obstructing the view of anyone unfortunate enough to sit behind him. He opened up a book on Garreg Mach’s history and let the silence take him.

The classroom started to fill soon after. Rowan was focused on his book and didn’t pay attention to every student flowing in, but he did raise his gaze to note the presence of his sister and her retainer - and was quite frankly torn from his thoughts by the onset of loud snoring. He turned to find a commoner resting her head on the table, sound asleep. Rowan couldn’t fathom it. What manner of madman had so little respect for education and the struggles of those vying for a spot at the monastery to sleep in class? There were thousands of commoners who would’ve given their left leg to be permitted into Garreg Mach. Perhaps a stricter vetting of students was in order.

The clock chimed the start of the class, and Rowan dutifully closed his book - only to jump in his seat a little when someone skid in at the last second and let her gauntlets hit the floor with a resounding thunk. He gave the girl a disapproving glare, not surprised to find she was of common birth, too. Were they not mandating classes for etiquette? No, common decency? Perhaps they should have, at least to be rid of behaviour that disturbed others. This was a place of learning. Tomfoolery had no place here.

His thoughts dispersed with the tap of Professor Estevan’s cane. Even the sleeping girl seemed to wake, and silence fell over the classroom. What followed was a standard taking of attendance - Rowan gave a curt “Present” when his name was called - and then the introduction of their first assignment in the field. Apparently, rogues were pillaging a town nearby, and they were to put a stop to it.

Rowan turned to look to his sister, brows knitted in worry. From what he knew, she had not been faced with a ‘kill or be killed’ situation before, unlike him. He wasn’t even sure if she’d truly fought before, mock battles not withstanding. If she had, he’d need to have a word with Niko and ask for an explanation.

One by one, students begun to stand and take their leave. They were given but an hour to prepare, so Rowan gathered his book and papers and intended to follow suit. Breakfast was in order, and he still had to get into armour. Then there was Artemis to prepare. At the very least, he’d already fed the mare earlier in the morning.

As Rowan made for the exit, he noticed that the rowdy gauntlet girl - Zella, was it? - had left her notebook on the table in her rush to be... wherever it was she was headed. He let out an exasperated sigh and went to pick it up. It was absolutely not his job to deliver forgotten items to their owners, but perhaps realizing she’d inconvenienced the prince would make her less likely to forget the next time.

“My lord,” came a familiar voice from behind him, “You want to go get something to eat before preparing for the upcoming battle?"

Luca. Rowan had little time do anything but note his presence when another voice, familiar yet so very foreign to his ears of recent, called out to him from the side.

"Hello Rowan."

Rowan turned to find Lillian approaching him nervously. He supposed the apprehension made sense. Occasional word here and there, it had been a while since they’d properly spoken to each other. Part of it had been deliberate; Rowan had purposefully kept his distance so as to not grow to resent her or end up hurting her with the bitterness that still scorched him. Such had been the case even before he’d begun to spend most his time training with the soldiers and traveling the lands for months on end. He’d only returned from his latest expedition a little before they’d been sent to Garreg Mach.

She’d grown, he noted.

"It seems we will be working alongside one another in battle..."

“It would seem so, yes,” was all Rowan could find in reply. His expression and tone mirrored hers in formality, but his voice always did have a natural warmth to it - and for once, it came in handy. There was a moment of silence, until Rowan felt obliged to fill it with, “You seem well.”

That’s good, was a thought he had, but could not put into words.

It was Luca that eventually broke the following silence. Perhaps compelled by manners, he extended a lunch invitation to Lillian as well.

“Luca,” Rowan reprimanded, perhaps a little too quick to seem natural, “It would not do to inconvenience the princess with an invitation she cannot accept.” He turned back to Lillian, blue staring into similar blue, “I’m sure she has a lot to prepare for before the battle - as do we all, certainly. Perhaps another time.”

“Lillian,” he gave her something between a nod of dismissal and a bow of leave, one arm behind his back, then turned on his heel and gestured Luca to follow.

“You were up early today,” he mused as he walked the corridors besides the noble, referring to his early presence in the classroom. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were catching up on assignments.” His lips curled into a faint smile, amusement in his tone. “I told you the cats would be the end of you, Luca. Tempting as it is, you should refrain from petting each on--- Oh.”

He spotted a familiar figure in the distance and raised a hand to have Luca stop and wait. “Just a moment,” he promised and walked over to Zella, clearing his throat upon approach.

“I believe you forgot something.” He stood still with her notebook in hand, patiently waiting for her to turn around and find it. Once she did, he furrowed his brows, fixing her a stern look. “I can only hope you aren’t as careless in the battle to come. I have seen grown men lose limbs for less blatant lapses in attention.”

With his piece said, he resumed his place a few steps in front of his friend as they headed for the cafeteria. He was usually not yet hungry at this time, and eating too much just before a battle was less than ideal - but for some reason, he felt as though he needed all the energy he could get today.
 

Monster Guy

Fairy type Trainer
Princess Lillian Valecourt
Classroom


“It would seem so, yes,” Her brother replied warmly. From the tone of his voice, he didn't seem to hold any bitterness torwards her. Lillian was relieved. The last thing she needed was to have to cooperate with someone who had an issue with her. These types of situations worked best when everyone was in agreement. “You seem well.”

Lillian nodded. "You as well."

There was a brief moment of silence, before a young man broke it by inviting her to have lunch with the two of them. She believed the man's name was Luca. Lillian was only aware of him because he came from the noble house Aurochs. She had to know who the important noble families were. She had seen him alongside her brother a few times, but the two had never actually spoke to him before. Lillian had wanted to scold him for interupting their conversation, but he had actually invited her to have lunch with them. Most days Lillian usually ate alone or with Niko. Someone else actually wanting her to join them never happened. Were people to intimidated to dine with their future ruler? That was most likely the reason.

Before Lillian had a chance to respond, her brother answered first. “Luca, It would not do to inconvenience the princess with an invitation she cannot accept. I’m sure she has a lot to prepare for before the battle - as do we all, certainly. Perhaps another time.” He bowed, and left with Luca following behind him.

While he wasn't wrong that she did have a number of things to do to prepare for the upcoming battle, who did he think he was to put words into her mouth like that? They may have both been children of the emperor, but she was the one with a Crest, and the one who would soon rule this empire. She was not going to stand there and let her brother decide what invitations she could and could not accept.

She didn't let the emotion she was feeling show on her face. Instead, she calmly walked over to Niko, who was having a conversation with a green haired young woman. She had seen her in the monastery before. This woman was apparently also of noble birth, and even bore a crest. Still, before attending Garreg Mach, she hadn't even heard of her family's name before. They must have been minor nobility. "Pardon me. I do hope I am not interupting something. I would like to have a word with my retainer. Good day Risali." Then she walked ahead, and gestured for Niko to follow.

Once she was certain Niko was behind her, she started talking while heading towards the dining hall. "That friend of my brother's invited me to dine with them. Believe it or not, I intend to join them. I would like you to accompany us as well." Having somebody on her side would make this less awkward, even if she didn't want to admit that. She was the future ruler of Fódlan, and she couldn't handle a simple lunch with her twin. How embarrassing.
 
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Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Zella Redstone
Cafeteria


Zella headed straight for the cafeteria. She needed to grab something very quick, then head back to her room to review her notes and shine her gauntlets. No time for socializing, nor pleasantries. She grabbed a pickled rabbit skewer – mostly because it was easiest to carry given she already had two large gauntlets tucked under each arm, and took an apple to carry in her mouth for good measure.

She was rushing down the hallway toward her dorm when she noticed somebody walking toward her. She tried to walk past him but he cleared her throat, so she stopped in confusion – and abruptly realized it was the Prince of Fódlan. Zella blinked at him, her mouth full and unable to ask what he could possibly want with her. “I believe you forgot something,” he said. It took Zella a few seconds of blank staring, but her attention fell on the notebook she'd abandoned in class.

She shifted her apple to the hand that wasn't holding a meat skewer, and smiled. “Hey, is that my notebook? Ha, I'm always forgetting that damn thing, should probably get someone to sew it to my arm,” she admitted. “It's nice of you to bring it back to me though Mr., uh, Prince. Usually I just find it in class the next day, but now I can review before...” she trailed off awkwardly as she noticed he was giving her a stare reminiscent of Professor Estevan.

“I can only hope you aren't as careless in the battle to come,” he continued, and Zella immediately felt a flush creep up her face as she realized he was reprimanding her, as if he were a teacher or something. “I have seen grown men lose limbs for less blatant lapses in attention.”

Zella scoffed at him, trying to keep her cool as embarrassment and anger wrestled inside her for control. “For what, forgetting a book? You're serious right now?” she asked, shocked, but he was already turning away from her. “Whatever – guess I'll just have to prove myself in battle then, huh? Thanks, I guess.” She returned her apple to her teeth and swiped her notebook back.

She stormed off back to her dorm room, where she tore a piece of rabbit flesh off the skewer and rustled through her notebook to the first class of the semester, but her first interaction with the prince was still weighing heavily on her mind. She had no idea he was such a stickler for perfection. Now he probably thought she was just some careless oaf that had fallen into a situation she wasn't deserving of. Ugh...! Whatever! She'd show him! They'd both been put into this group for a reason, and she was just as curious to find out if he had real talent or just a prestigious birthright...

…​

An hour later, and the four professors were gathered in front of the cobblestone walls of the entrance hall, awaiting the last of their students to arrive. A young soldier standing by the stone steps saluted the professors and their students. “You're sure you don't want the church's help?” he asked, almost hopefully.

Gloriana smiled at him. “We have this under control, Remy. Just as we trust that Ivetta and the rest of your army have things under control here.”

Remy hastily bowed. “Of course, of course! Really, there's nobody else in these walls that would have things under control better than you.” He beamed and waved at the students before turning back to his guard duties. “Best of luck, everyone!”

Professor Moritz nudged Professor Indra. “Seems like just yesterday he was a student, huh?”

Indra laughed quietly. “Seems like yesterday I was just a student...” She turned her gaze to the sky and whistled sharply. A pure white pegasus appeared on the horizon and descended to greet them. Indra affectionately rubbed the creature's nose.

A short distance off, two green-haired children were giggling and straining their necks to take a look at the crew. They were diving back behind a wall whenever a student looked in their direction, but their laughter made their poor efforts to hide futile.

“Aislinn? Michan?” Indra called to the kids, who stepped out from behind the wall. “Did you want to pet Dalanie?”

“Yes please!!” they said in unison, running over eagerly for a chance to stroke the pegasus. The twins were nearly identical, despite being of different genders, except for an obvious crest on Aislinn's forehead that had only appeared in the last month. Most students were used to seeing the orphans exploring around the monastery – they were under the care of the church, but were fascinated by the older students and soldiers.

“We'll be leaving soon,” Estevan warned, glancing in the direction of the school clock.

Zella – fed, studied, and adorned in her freshly shined gauntlets, skidded to a halt. “Hey guys!” she greeted cheerfully, ignoring Estevan's harsh stare. As far as she was concerned, she was a full minute earlier than she needed to be, and that was more than enough.

The bell chimed the beginning of a new hour, and Estevan gestured the crew forward. “Let's be off.” Dalanie and Indra took to the sky, and Estevan led the rest off the monastery grounds. Despite his cane, he certainly didn't seem bothered by the prospect of walking all the way to the battle. “Aneed Town has been ordered to evacuate. Your top priority is to protect any villagers whom were unable to leave. You are to use what you've learned to overpower and, if necessary, kill any rogues who will not back down. From what we know, these are not trained soldiers. We should have a firm advantage.”

“What is with that, anyways?” Moritz muttered to Gloriana. “I keep hearing reports of untrained rogues pillaging villages.”

Gloriana glanced over her shoulder. “You shouldn't be speaking of this in front of the students,” she said in a hushed tone.

…​

Aneed Town

The students and faculty approached Aneed Town and the damages were apparent. Windows had been smashed in, doors broken down, and rubble lined the streets. The town looked mostly deserted, aside from a few cowering animals taking shelter amongst the wreckage: cats, dogs, and even a loose horse. “It's worse than they'd said it would be,” Estevan grumbled.

Mortiz glanced at him. “Should we go back?”

“There's no time,” Estevan insisted. A man, out of breath and his brow creased with stress, hurried over to them, and Estevan nodded at him. “Friseal, how can our students help?”

“Oh, thank you,” the man said hurriedly. “There's still some villagers that I can't get to. A young mother and her three small children live in the fifth house down, but the rouges are surrounding them. Her husband is a member of the army and is away – as are many of Aneed's most capable protectors. Ugh, I do not know if it is terrible timing or if these damned tyrants knew beforehand...!”

“Who else, Friseal?” Estevan urged.

“There is an old woman who lives deeper in the village who is unaccounted for – bright pink roof, you can't miss it. She's gone a little senile in her old age, I suspect her son is away at the moment as well. I doubt she even understands what is going on right now. There is one other person – Ruiseart, a member of the Church army, but present at the time of the attack. He's a large man with bright red hair and a voice louder than a dragon. I suspect he was trying to handle the situation on his own and was overpowered. There is very little I can do, are you sure you are able to handle this...?”

Estevan nodded and turned to the students. “You've heard your objectives. You may split up into groups if you think it would be more efficient, but do not go anywhere on your own.” He gestured to the sky. “Professor Indra will be keeping watch in case of emergency.”

Nervous at a chance for real combat, yet excited for an opportunity to prove herself, Zella stepped forward. “The mother is closest to here, right? Let's head there.”

They hadn't managed to get far before the rogues – mostly men cloaked in dark hoods and armed with daggers – spotted them and began gathering. “So they're sending a bunch of sheltered noble kids to stop us, huh?” one asked, laughing and brandishing his weapon. “Come and stop us then, kids!”
 

Monster Guy

Fairy type Trainer
Princess Lillian Valecourt
A bunch of places in this school


Lillian would have liked to have lunch with her sibling, and his friend. However, Niko reminded her that she had several other things to do to prepare for the upcoming assignment. As much as she wanted to argue, he did have a point. So, instead Lillian wound up going to the Cafeteria and getting a quick meal. The entire time she didn't even acknowledge her twin or anybody else in the cafeteria for that matter. That was usually how it went with her.

After she was done eating, before she did anything else, she made her way to the cathedral and made a prayer to the Goddess for good luck in the upcoming battle. After that, she ran back to her dorm to get her armor on as well as her lance. Finally, she went to the stables to ready her stallion.

---

About an hour later, and Lillian was ready to go. She arrived at the entrance hall atop her golden horse, Apollo, who was outfitted with his own armor that matched Lillian's. The four professors were waiting for them there. She arrived in time to see the green-haired twins petting Professor Indra's Pegasus. They were orphaned children that she had seen running around the Monastery. The Princess was fascinated by how close they were in spite of only of them having a crest. The same could not be said for her and her own twin...

Finally, everyone had arrived. Zella was barely on time... That was progress she supposed. Then they took off. On the way to the town, Estevan explained that their priority was to overpower, and if necessary, kill any rogues that refuse to back down. That shouldn't be too difficult. These were only common criminals. Their little group shouldn't have too much trouble.

Aneed Town

The group eventually approached Aneed Town, and the damage they had done to this small town was clear. Houses had been broken into, and the town was completely deserted. This was awful. A worried man named Friseal explained that there were several villagers in danger that needed help. It would fall to them to help these people.

Zella stated that the closest one was a mother and her children trapped inside their home. They were on their way to go save them when they were surrounded by a bunch of cloaked figures armed with daggers. “So they're sending a bunch of sheltered noble kids to stop us, huh?” one asked, laughing and brandishing his weapon. “Come and stop us then, kids!”

Lillian and Apollo stepped forward. "I beg your pardon? Do you have any idea to whom you are speaking? I am the future Emperor of this Kingdom. You have destroyed a small village for your own benefit, and I cannot allow this to continue. If you have any sense at all, I suggest you get out of our way."

One of the men scoffed. "Pfft, and what are you gonna do if we don't princess?" He asked in a condescending tone. "Send one of yer bodyguards to have a word with us? Please..."

Lillian's face was stoic, in spite of this man's stupidity. Apollo reared up and whinnied, then they charged forward, and Lillian stabbed the man with her lance, causing him to fall to his knees, and die.

It was her first kill, and for all the training she's had, Lillian was still disgusted by the sight of the man dying before her eyes. Even if he did deserve it. She couldn't bear to look at him. Now her lance was bloodied. Ugh, fantastic... "Does anyone else have anything to say?"
 
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InnerFlame

Fire and Ice Combo
Maximus Rothslyn
Lunchroom


After leaving the class, Maximus hastily made his way to the lunchroom for a quick bite before he began his preparations. Fortunately, there wasn't much of a wait so he was able to get his food, eat and start head out again promptly. As he was heading to put his tray away he was bumped into and nearly dropped it. As he reorientated his grip he glanced up to see the person that roughly collided with him.

"Didn't see you midget," the curt words left the mouth of an older dark-haired guy that Maximus knew all too well.

"Big brother Lance, don't worry about it. I am quite tiny and hard to see!" The small green-eyed boy gently replied to the cutting words with a cheerful smile.

"Hmph, you are not my brother," Lance rudely barked back before storming away from Maximus. Which made some nearby people comment about the two's interaction in hushed voices. Even though his older brother's rejection hurt, Maximus took it with a smile. At least his brother was willing to talk to him at all today, he tried to look on the bright side. With that thought, the young sixteen-year-old put his tray away grabbed an apple and headed for his room first.

------

Maximus changed into his dark navy blue with red trims robe and boots before heading to the stable to collect his pegasus. Resisting the urge to pet all the horses and pegasi there, he found his lovely Zephyr. Giving her the apple from lunch and a few pats, the bad feelings he pushed aside at the cafeteria earlier vanished completely. With the winged horse all saddled up, his preparations were complete. He went to the meeting place and patiently waited earlier than most of his classmates for this mission.

The other students and teachers show up one after another. Much like the orphan twins urge to pet Dalanie, his flying teacher's pegasus, he resisted the temptation to go up and pet Princess's and Prince's horses. They were very strong and elegant horses but it wasn't the time for such actions... He might upset them before a dangerous mission. Maximus decided to save it for after the battle with the bandits... hopefully, nothing will go wrong.

------

Aneed Town

As they reached Aneed Town the damage was obviously broke windows and doors that made it evident they were broken into... it was all too familiar sight for Maximus. A town being ravaged by brigands, his expression became very serious. The teachers seem a bit worried about the danger after seeing up close. Deciding it was too late for them to pull back now, they let the mission continue. They got the status of people who had not been accounted for: a mother and her three children, an old woman living toward the middle of town, and a man who is a member of the Chruch's army.

They were told to stick together and Max had a slight dislike of that. With his flying mount, he could probably locate and hurry to their location. Giving those that needed the help immediately... but such recklessness would only lead to his demise. He was only a young student that never seen battle and who's only means of attack was magic. If someone got close attack on him or he was shot down by a ranged attack he would just add to the trouble. Maximus knew his personal experience was making him restless and itching to rush in. He breathed in deeply and slowly. The young teen had to keep his emotions under control. It wasn't just his and Zephyr's life on the line... his schoolmates' lives were also on the line, he had to remain rational. Those were just thought as he pulling his hood over his head only having his green-eyes peer from underneath it.

He remained quiet and alert as the group moved into the battleground. Keeping his eyes open to possible sneak attacks at they head toward where the mother and children were. They hadn't made it far when the bandits wearing hoods and wielding daggers made their appearance. They laugh and taunted the 'bunch of shelter nobles' in front of them. Taking offense, Princess Lillian retorted only get back another sarcastic, underestimating response. He didn't even get his full insult out when the Princess on her horse took out the snarky men with a swift lance strike through the man's body.

As the man fell before the group, it shocked Maximus he hadn't seen a lifeless bloody body since his parents were killed... It wasn't time for such bad memories to resurface... he couldn't let it affect him... he had to make sure that something like this doesn't happen to his schoolmates or the innocent people still stuck in this town. He steeled himself as he glared out toward the enemies. The bandits didn't seem in much of a cheerful talking mood after one of their own was killed. The men appeared ready to get revenge on the Princess after her aggressive first attack. It was time to act.

"Watch out!" he shouted out as his Pegusas took flight and he conjured a powerful dark magic spell on another moving in to attack. The next man fell lifeless. Maximus had killed someone... no this what he had to do protect the innocent and comrades. Zephyr remained in flight high above the ground out of range of the close-range dagger attacks. The pegasus was ready to evade or come in closer to strike and support as necessary.
 
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GoldenHouou

antagoonist
Rowan Valecourt
Entrance Hall


Preparations made, Rowan was ready to depart. He waited outside the entrance hall with Artemis, giving the mare's nose a few pets here and there to keep her calm. She was itching for action, much like her rider. Sometimes people gave the pair looks, wondering why a prince had chosen a mare instead of a stallion. If only they could see Artemis agallop, they would wonder no more.

At last, the professors arrived - as did the last few students they were waiting on, and... the twins. Rowan looked away as the two children eagerly ran to pet Indra's pegasus. He could not tell why, but looking at the twins - one that bore a crest and one that did not - made him feel awfully melancholic.

Rowan shook his head. Even if their opponents were untrained, he had to stay sharp for the battle to come.

He glanced at Luca, and gave him a firm nod as they begun to move. "I'll be counting on you."

--​
Aneed Town

Aneed Town was a pitiful sight. Homes and businesses alike lay in shambles, with nary a soul in sight.

It wasn't the first time Rowan witnessed a town ravaged by bandits, and he knew it would not be the last. His grip on the reins tightened. Hopefully, the townspeople had evacuated in time - and had not met a more unfortunate end.

As their group entered the town proper, Rowan kept his ears open for possible cries of help among the rubble. All he heard were the occasional neighs of abandoned horses or the howl of a lost pup. Once, he saw movement underneath the roof of a collapsed building - but it turned out to be a cat. They really did have nine lives, huh.

An exhausted man ran up to them. His name was Friseal, Rowan gathered, and it seemed as though he was the one who'd sent for help. He let them know that not all the townspeople had yet escaped, directing them to a mother and her children, an elderly lady, and a soldier of the Church's army. Zella suggested they would head for the mother first, since she was the closest - but Rowan thought it best to split their efforts. He could handle rescuing one of the townspeople alone, if need be.

Whatever their individual destinations were, they didn't get far. Like rats startled out of their nests, hooded rogues gathered to block their path, daggers drawn. Rowan was about to draw his lance when someone stepped forward. He saw the pure white tail of a familiar horse, atop which sat an even more familiar figure. The prince froze. What was she doing? If she were to get hurt---

Before he could protest, Lillian had already charged forward. Her lance sunk into the chest of one of the rogues, killing him where he stood. Rowan was taken aback, both by the incompetence of their adversary, and the ruthlessness of his sister. So there were things they had in common after all.

Rowan wasn't sure if he was reassured by that thought - or unnerved by it.

In the end, he supposed it would have been more troublesome had she been averse to spilling the blood of those that threatened the kingdom's peace. One could not keep their hands clean if they wished to rule a nation. He would know.

He would know.

"Watch out!" someone called from the skies. Rowan turned to find one of his classmates - the Rothslyn boy, if he recalled - casting magic down upon the rogues. From the looks of it, they would have things under control here.

In which case...

Rowan spurred Artemis forth. He skewered a rogue caught too close to his gallop, and kicked another out of his way to carve himself a path.

"I'll leave the mother to you," he called back towards his classmates. While the mother and her children were the top priority, they were supposedly close by - and with this many people headed to save them, they would be more than fine. Considering the ruckus they were making, it was likely the rogues that had harassed them had already turned tail, anyhow.

Artemis was speeding up to a full gallop, and Rowan focused back on the road ahead. A house with a pink roof, or a large redheaded man caught in the middle of a fight. Whichever he caught sight of first, he would rescue.
 

Schade

Metallic Wonder
Luca Von Aurochs
Hero Class (Axe and Sword)
Classroom -> Aneed Town


“Luca,” Rowan replied following his sisters arrival. It sounded a bit like when a mother suntly scolds her child for speaking out of place, and Luca immediatly tilted his head downwards in response. “It would not do to inconvenience the princess with an invitation she cannot accept.” Rowan turned back to princess Lillian. “I’m sure she has a lot to prepare for before the battle - as do we all, certainly. Perhaps another time.”. He then politely excused himself, and gestured for Luca to follow, who acted even before the gesture. "I'm sorry, mylady." he said to the priness and gave her a slight bow.

Walking down the hallway, Rowan then spoke. “You were up early today, If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were catching up on assignments.” Luca could hear the smirk from his tone, and took it as a sign that he didn't have to be too formal now. The two had gotten closer during their time together at the academy after all, and while Luca knew how to behave around nobility, not to mention actual royalty, it was refreshing to have a liege that allowed such freedom. “I told you the cats would be the end of you, Luca. Tempting as it is, you should refrain from petting each on--- Oh.”. Rowan then said, alluding to the very poorly kept secret about Luca's own affection towards cats. It seemed he had spotted a fellow student further down the hall. He excused himself. Luca could only hear a little of the conversation that followed, and it sounded as if Rowan as scolding Zella for her forgetfullness. Luca chuckled to himself before heading off to prepare for the battle.

While he had wanted to get a semi-lengthy lunch affair set before they would head out to battle, it would seem the other students weren't so keen on the idea. This meant that Luca had to eat on his feet. There were a lot of preperations, after all. Getting back to his room, Luca would first and foremost find his weapon: The Aurochs Axe. He benched it a few times to make sure it balanced the way it was supposed to, and cleaned off a few stains from its last usage, before gathering a few essentials and heading out. He still had some time to spare, and while there were a lot to do at the monastery, Luca wanted to kill off some time by fishing today.

Getting down to the fishing pond by the docks of the monastery, Luca talked to the lead fisherman standing at the booth by the docks, who handed him a firm fishing rod in return. The bait for today would be Giant Crawler spawn. The desert-dwelling gigantic earthworms' babies made for excellent bait, and while they did exhibit a disturbing amount of awareness of their role as actual bait, once you ignored the ominously emotional wailing of a creature that knows its about to meet its end, one couldn't deny the effectiveness they provided when used as bait.

Stepping out on the docks, He pierced the doomed little wormling and made a near excellent throw, landing the bait far out from the docks. It wouldn't take long before the entire rod started shaking violently. He always jumped at that out of nowhere level of scare, but nevertheless, he could faintly see in the distance that a smaller blue-ish fish had taken an interest in the forlorn soul of the wormling. Knowing well that the smaller fish often tasted dry and somewhat stale, he waited it out until the fish lost interest. He would wait for a bit longer until something caught his interest. A girl with big, curly green-ish hair was very obviously hiding behind a barrel on the docks. "Ffiiishhh..." he could hear her muttering, as if she had met the god of her religion in person and had a nice teatime with them. This was Blayn. she was new there, and was a bit creepy in her obsession with fish. she was normally spotted in areas like these, trying to snag people's catch of the day before they would notice. How such a person managed to land a spot at a prestigous academy like this was beyond Luca''s imagination, but there she was, smelling like the thing she loved the most.

Some time later, Luca figured it was time to head back and meet up with the others by the designated meetup spot. He returned the fishing rod and carried his impressive load back to the kitchen, where the cafeteria lady offered him a generous amount of money, and a sword for some reason, for his fish. Blayn followed him, but made a sad hissing noise when he didn't give her a piece of his catch, before disappearing into the shadows. Ignoring her, like all the awareness posters posted around the academy had instructed students to do, he walked towards the meetup place. For whatever strange reason, he was the last one to meet before they headed out, and he silently cursed himself and how he let the pure excitement of fish get in the way of actual important matters again.

~~~

Aneed Town was worse for wear than Luca had imagined. Windows were smashed in, buildings were collapsing, and pretty much everything was on fire. There weren't that meny people around, as most were in hiding, but there was a man that came to them and gave them the current situation. It was bad, and the students had no time to waste in trying to help the townspeople out. Every one of the students ran off to meet their targets and to rescue the villagers, leaving Luca to dwell on the best course of action. Watching as Lillian swiftly dealt with a rogue in order to save a family, he also saw Rowan heading off towards the other two objectives. While he was faster than him due to his mount, Luca figured helping the older woman in the pink.roofed house was the better option of the ones presented. The elderly needed someone to protect them, and the man had said that she was all alone in there.

Making his way towards the house, he readied his axe in case any rogues would ambush him. And speaking of the devil, there they were. There were two of them. Men clad in needlessly revealing leather attires hinting at their poor life situations and lack of ambition with daggers drawn. Daggers like that were often used in close combat, and while he could fight off one of them, it might be bad if they both attacked at the same time. Regardless, he clunked the axed end of his weapon to the ground, making a loud thud before speaking confidently: "I'll give you this one chance to retreat.". He didn't need to say anymore. Words were often wasted on scum like these. Just as predicted, one of them spat back while posing femininely. "Or what, eh? We're gonna rob this town blind now that the war has all the able fighters occupied. Be a good little kid and run back to your mother or something". Luca arched an eyebrow. Had these bandits even fought real soliders before?

Regardless of that, Luca sighed and picked up his weapon. He gently swing it around, gaining momentum. "H.. Hey, what are you doing!" The other bandit said, obviously taken aback by Lucas sudden aggressive stance. They obviously didn' expect an actual fight during this raid, that's for sure. "Told you you should've retreated". Luca said as his axe gained momentum. The feminine bandit charged at him with his dagger, but Luca's axe had already gained enough momentum to deal serious damage, and he swung it with great force just as the bandit came within its reach, cleaving the bladed sides deep into his abdomen, cutting off his left arm in the process. The bandit was thrown to the side, and didn't get back up. Luca stumbled a bit as he stabilized his axe, and the other bandit saw this as his chance to attack, running toeard him. ****! At this rate, i wont be able to counter, Luca thought as the bandit was suddenly on him. He felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen as the bandit flung himself at him, tackling them both to the ground. Luca dropped his axe and wrestled the man on top of him, managing to kick him off him. Yanking himself to the side, he got into crouching position. Damn his stomach hurts! It was reckless to take both bandits on like that. Damnit damnit damnit!.

By pure chance, or maybe luck. Maybe divine intervention, who knows. Luca don't, and while he would never admit to this later, in that exact moment, he went through every single prayer to the goddess he had learned from the monastetry. Every. Single. One. Literally anything to help him in this situation. That's when he saw it. a child, no more than 7 years of age, lying face down in the dirt almost right next to him. He was obviously struck down as he was fleeing, but from his back stood a single Steel Sword. Angled just right for Luca to grab onto if he could just lean out a little more... Damn! That f**king hurts! He did it! He felt the handle of the sword in his hands. Quickly pulling it out, he turned just in time to face the other bandit, who was up on his feet and came charging at him again, this time going for the killing blow. Luca held the sword out just as the bandit lunged at him, piercing him right through the chest. He then fel on top of him, and Luca felt another sharp pain, in his shoulder this time. One thing you had to give bandits credit for: They knew how to bypass armor with their swift strikes. Feeling the weight of the bandit's limp body on top of him, Luca's vision blurred, but his fight was over for now.

Gods this was awkward. Not even that, it was downright embarrassing. Being taken down like this, by mere bandits. Luca could still hear the battles going on around him, but it was all kind of echo'y to him. damn sh*t f*ck! this was an uphill battle. Feeling his energy deplete, he mustered up his willpower to make a call for help. Trying to yell caused him to cough up blood tho, but he made a second attempt. "Anyone.. Please.." he muttered before blacking out.
 
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Vern

Why not both?
Niko Arkwright
Classroom —> Aneed Town


“You'd trust me to help protect the princess?" Risali said, "I'm flattered you think so highly of me."

Well, it was less that he thought highly of her, and more that the others around were incompetent. But Risali’s skill wasn’t exactly in doubt, and there was no harm in a little flattery, so Niko brushed aside his initial urge to say so. She accepted his request and the offer for drinks — teasingly calling it a date, for good measure — and echoed his sentiment against using the assignment as a chance to show off. Before he could respond, he saw the princess approaching from the corner of his eye and cut himself off. Something about her manner suggested that she wanted him for something — which appeared to be the case, as she more or less said just that.

“No, we were just having a chat,” Niko laughed, brushing aside her suggestion that she might’ve interrupted something, “Well,” he said to Risali, matching her teasing tone, “Duty calls, so I’ll take my leave now. Thanks for humouring my requests — both of them.” He turned away from her with a good natured wink and wave, then fell into pace besides the princess as she left the room.

After a while, the princess explained the situation to him — apparently Luca had invited her to lunch with him and Rowan. She was planning on accepting the offer, and wanted his company. That was certainly… surprising, but perhaps it was good news. He’d always thought that it’d do both Lilian and Rowan good if they managed to repair their relationship. The fact that Lilian seemed unopposed to the idea herself was good, too.

But then again, it made little sense to start off on a rushed, awkward lunch with a battle looming on the horizon. It’d be much better if she entered the fray with one less thing on her mind, after mentally preparing herself. “Are you sure, Lilian?” He said, pensively, “We've got to leave soon, so we should probably just use it to finish preparing. It’s a matter of life and death, after all — we can always have lunch some other time.”

Thankfully, the princess seemed to agree, and the two grabbed a quick lunch from the cafeteria before separating to get dressed and otherwise prepared for battle.

///​

The town was definitely not a pleasant sight. It definitely looked like it had been pillaged, and there seemed to be no people around. Not a pleasant sight. Hopefully the townspeople were safe, although that wasn’t the most important concern at this stage.

Niko pulled his horse to a stop next to Lilian, his eyes darting back and forth as he tried to identify any places potential danger could be hiding away from sight. He only took cursory notice of the man who stumbled forward, listing everything that needed paying attention to — he only had one real job today, and that was to keep the princess safe. All this talk of ‘objectives’ could be handled by people with less important duties.

As they moved into the town, they eventually found themselves face to face with the rogues, who took it upon themselves to taunt the assorted students a little. When Lilian stepped forward to face them, Niko did too, placing himself by her side and in position to defend her if anything unexpected would occur. Later, he’d think to lecture her about the importance of not being on the front lines — that was his, and other normal soldiers’ job — but for now, his attention was entirely focused on the situation at hand. With his spear held casually by his side, he exuded an air of confident nonchalance — but if anyone were to look him in the eye, they’d see that glint of intense focus.

When Lilian charged forward, Niko followed immediately after, using his spear to force the rogues, with their shorter weapons, to keep a respectful distance away. Glancing over to Lilian, he saw that she’d impaled the taunter with her lance — the man was dead. Her eyes were turned away from him — a good sign. That meant she wasn’t focused on the act of taking a life. The first one, and almost certainly not the last. It’d affect her, that was for sure, but he was glad the worst hadn’t sunk in just yet. The first time he’d killed someone, he hadn’t been able to sleep for a long time. It was better she go through that now than later — for now, at least, the stakes are still low. That was the extent of his thought on the matter. For now, there were more important things to pay attention to.

“Watch out!” Someone shouted from the skies as a bolt of magic flew down and the battle began in earnest.

Niko didn’t need the warning — he’d already leapt off his horse (although he could ride, he fought better on foot) and was standing in front of the princess, spear in hand. “I’m counting on you, Risali!” He called out, hoping that the girl would understand that he wanted her to keep an eye on the princess’s other flank, which he wasn’t positioned to guard. He trusted her to do what she’d agreed to.

Niko knew that these kinds of rogues typically weren’t well-trained, and very few had any sense of honour or pride that would trump simple fear. They tended to be just normal people who’d turned to unpleasant methods out of desperation, or some sick lust for power, and could very typically be persuaded to scatter if sufficiently intimidated. Unlike, say, Rowan or Luca, Niko didn’t have the physical size or face to appear naturally fearsome, so he had to make up for it in other ways. Sometimes it worked, at other times not so much. But it was worth a try.

“Look, why don't we talk this through? We're just here to make sure everyone's safe, and nobody wants more bloodshed,” he said, directing his words to the rogues standing in front of him. To punctuate his words, he spun his spear in a dramatic arc and held it out threateningly in front of him with one arm, pointed straight at the rogue standing closest to him, looking straight into his eyes. “So how about you guys get the hell out of here while you still can?"
 
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TheSequelReturns

Faithful Crusader
Risali LaFlamme
Enterence Hall -> Aneed Town

After Niko parted ways with her with a wink that was still puzzling over, Risali made her way back to her dorm room to prepare. She had been in mock battles and even a few real ones, but those had been small stuff. Petty thieves, other students, a half-drunk rouge, but this was something real. This was a town besieged by bandits. Real life or death situations. She would probably have to take a life. Riasli knew that this day would come, she was at an officer's academy after all, but knowing its out there and staring it in the face are two very different things.

If she though about it too hard, it'd only make her nervous. And nerves got you killed on the battlefield. So, Risali busied herself with her preparations. Rations, weapon maintenance, checking her armor for damage, the works. Finally, she said a long prayer for the safety of the villagers and her classmates before grabbing her things and heading to the entrance hall.

She was early, as was her usual habit, but not as early as she would have liked. Perhaps her prayer had been a bit too long. But she still arrived in the middle of the pack, fully equipped and ready to go. Her armor was polished and clean, her hair perfectly secured in its curls, and a basic, but very functional sword hanging from her waist. She didn't have to wait long before Professor Indra summoned her pegasus. That was a sight Riasli would never grow tired of. A majestic white winged horse, gracefully descending to the ground. It was such a shame that Risali was terrible with animals.

Aislinn and Michan were here too. And as the two kids ran over to greet Indra's mount, Risali found herself watching them instead of the professors. She couldn't help but feel a certain kinship with them. They were orphans too. And though Risali now had a family, of sorts, she knew what it was like to live as a child in the care of the church. That had been her life as well until such a short time ago. She wasn't even fully used to having a real last name. Nolan had insisted that she not use his and she had been too young to remember her original. She wondered, in this school filled with nobles, how many of her peers could relate to that sort of life?

Zella skidded to a halt in the back of the group with a cheerful greeting, which meant the bell should be ringing any-

The bell chimed, perfectly on time. Risali could probably set her schedule by Zella's arrival times, the girl was as reliable as the bell itself.

Estevan took the lead, walking them out of town. Risali took one look at the mountain they had to descend to leave the monastery and looked up at the departing pegasai with just a bit of envy. “Aneed Town has been ordered to evacuate." Estevan was saying. He continued the briefing, ending with the fact that the bandits were untrained.

“What is with that, anyways?” Moritz muttered to Gloriana. “I keep hearing reports of untrained rogues pillaging villages.”

Gloriana glanced over her shoulder. “You shouldn't be speaking of this in front of the students,” she said in a hushed tone.

Risali's ears perked up at the hushed conversation. Bandits on the move? That struck a cord in her. Her hand found its way to her blade and she gripped it tightly. Bandits had taken everything from her. Rouges who went around attacking random villages were worse than beasts. But... her hand slowly loosened its grip. She could not give into anger. That was not the way. The bandits would be brought to justice. And if they refused, they would pay for their crimes in blood.

-+-+-+-

The sight of Aneed Town would have put a tear in Risali's eyes if it wasn't also boiling her blood. The damage was severe... homes destroyed, lives ruined, and for what? Spoils? The theft of what others had worked their hands to the bone to create for those they cared about? Despicable.

Lilian made her way forward, as was appropriate. Once she knew where the princess was going, she took up a position to her side, opposite Niko. She wouldn't falter on her promise. It was her job to help look after the princess. That, at least, might keep her grounded.

With their objectives given, the group of students made their way down into the town and were immediately confronted by a group of the rouges in question. Unkempt hair, shaggy beards, dirty leather armor, there was little difference between these rouges and the ones that still showed up in her nightmares from time to time. It was Risali who was different now. She wasn't a helpless child anymore. She was strong. Capable. Able to strike back at the monsters this time.

The rouges turned to face them, drawing their weapons. Risali wasted no time in drawing her own sword.

But it was the princess who made the first move. Lilian's horse charged forward and she killed a man with a single well-aimed strike of her lance. The rouge fell, and suddenly everyone had a weapon drawn and was moving forward. Risali steeled herself, her own blade held up in a guard stance.

“I’m counting on you, Risali!" Niko shouted from her right. She turned and saw him at the ready, his spear keeping the bandits at bay. He wasn't even looking her way anymore. He really did trust her to do this.

"Right!" she shouted back. She closed in on Lilian's other side. Her sword wasn't as good for keeping the rouges as bay, but she was fast and their cheap leather armor had plenty of gaps to exploit. But this worked well. Lilian was mounted and wielding a lance,a true threat. Niko was on foot with a spear keeping them from closing in in tight groups. And if anyone tried to close in and strike at Lilian's mount, Risali was there with a close-range weapon to fend them off. This just might work.

Risali still held her guard stance as Niko tried, one last time, to convince the bandits to stand down. But with one killed by Lilian's lance, and another by what looking like a magic attack, Risali was worried that full hostilities would erupt before any more talking could be done.
 

Tangeh

Well-Known Member
Zella Redstone
Aneed Town


The princess began confidently berating the opposing rogues in front of them. Zella respectfully stood back, curious as to how the to-be ruler of Fodlan would handle the situation. She warned the rogues to back off, and when a man responded with a taunt -

Zella's eyes widened as the man fell lifeless to the ground, and she stared in awe at the princess. Unsurprisingly, more rogues moved in, yelling angrily in retaliation for their fallen comrade. When one got too close to the princess, another of the group – a small boy atop a pegasus – blasted the life out of him too with a powerful dark magic attack. Zella was suddenly feeling pressure to make a kill herself – but no, that wasn't necessarily the objective, was it? Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Prince Rowan's horse galloping away. Ugh, he was probably trying to one-up her – er, them - by saving the others all by himself, but it looked like his buddy wasn't far behind him.

The rogues were hesitating now – after all, two of their most headstrong allies had just been rid of as easily as a fly. That's when the princess's retainer spoke out, insisting more bloodshed wouldn't be necessary if they left while they still could. A few of the rogues took his word to heart, rationalizing their departure with a chorus of “I didn't sign up for this” and “we've gotten what we needed; let's go.”

The braver members of the group took this more as a challenge, including the rogue Niko was pointing his spear at. “I'm not afraid of a bunch of kids,” he spat at Niko and drew his dagger. He glanced briefly back at his remaining allies. “Get the princess!” he insisted before charging at the boy.

Zella grit her teeth as two other rogues charged at the princess and her steed, daggers drawn. But the princess had more than one ally flanking her, and had already proven she was capable in a fight – Zella's attention instead went to their original target – the house with the mother and kids. If she could just get to them, prove that her focus was in the right place, then maybe...

“What're you lookin' at?” Zella started and whirled around, two thieves approaching her. They were following Zella's line of sight, and Zella glanced backwards at the house, finally noticing a young woman with an infant clutched to her chest peering fearfully out her window. “Must've missed one,” the man grunted, shrugging his comrade onward to the home.

“I don't think so!” Zella shouted, intercepting the closest rogue with two swift punches from her reinforced gauntlets. He fell back with a groan of pain, but the second rouge leapt dagger-first at Zella, who recoiled as she awkwardly traded blows, not in a proper position to deflect it properly. She held her injured shoulder with a wince as both rogues were firmly focused on her now, weakened but certainly not down. “Uh... a little help over here?!” Zella called to her classmates.

Enemies
  • Rogue with dagger (x5)
    • Targeting Zella: x2
    • Targetting Lillian: x2
    • Targetting Niko: x1

Deeper into the town, the young nobleman of House Aurochs lay alone in the streets. A building not even half a block away suddenly gave way to structural damage and collapsed, the echo of which could be heard for miles. An old woman peeked out of her house in response to the noise, and - without so much as laying an eye on Luca - glanced around then closed her door again.

The remaining bandits were attracted by the sound, and within several minutes had begun gathering in the shadows, eying Luca and Rowan and weighing their odds. As the leader quietly emerged to make a finishing blow, a throwing axe appeared out of nowhere, severing the man's hand. He shrieked in pain and staggered backwards as the rest of the rogues gathered forward and turned their attention to a large redheaded man, who limped out of hiding and stood defensively in front of Luca and Rowan. “Stay down kids,” he directed, grimacing at Luca. “Dammit, he's lost a lot of blood...” He drew another axe. “My name is Ruiseart, hang in there, okay?”

“Was wondering where you'd gone off to,” one of the bandits hissed at the man. Ruiseart didn't look much better off himself – he was bleeding both from a deep cut on his forehead and a gash on his left side, and was panting just from the effort of standing. “Surprised Thalia let you live...”

The noise of strong wingbeats echoed overhead. Ruiseart looked up as Indra readied her spear, prepared to intervene if needed. “He needs medical attention!” Ruiseart called up at her. Indra nodded to show she understood, but otherwise didn't move.

Just then, an old woman in a nightgown bent over a cane exited the house with the pink roof, glaring in the general direction of the thieves. “What is all this racket about?!” she demanded, causing all five of the thieves to hesitate.

“Did we miss that house?” one of them muttered.

“Nah,” another responded. “She let me in. Thought I was her grandson. I nicked her glasses too; bet she's blind as a bat without 'em.”

The thief with one hand opted to retreat, tucking his injury into his chest as he hobbled away. The remaining four closed in on the pair, and Ruiseart braced himself for the worst.

Enemies
  • Rogue with dagger (x4)
    • Targetting Luca & Ruiseart: x4
 
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GoldenHouou

antagoonist
Rowan Valecourt
Aneed Town


The further into town Rowan rode, the more conscious he became of the silence. There were no signs of rogues or fleeing townsfolk. Even the dogs he'd used to see wander about seemed to have disappeared. It was just him and the deafening clap of his horse's hooves.

Then came a loud crash. Even though Artemis had been trained not to startle easily, she let out a surprised neigh that mirrored her rider's gasp. What was that?

"Artemis, we turn," Rowan mumbled, pulling her to head back towards the way they'd come from - or at least, close to it. He took a few different turns among the streets, his attention caught by a cloud of dust in the distance. He found its source soon enough; an old building, collapsed from the damage it had sustained. Rowan rode around the rubble for a moment, but found no signs of life.

The prince scoffed. He was wasting time. If he wasn't being useful here, he ought to return to the others and give them his aid instead.

Before he could get far however, he spotted a building of particular interest: an old house, with a rosy roof. As Rowan approached, he noticed bodies strewn in front of it. A boy no older than seven lay stabbed in the back, and two men bled stacked on top of each---

Rowan pulled his horse's reins so suddenly the mare let out a unsettled neigh.

Underneath the lifeless rogue lay a familiar figure. Black hair, disheveled from a fight, and symmetrical features. The man's eyes were closed, but Rowan knew they were blue.

No. No, it could not be.

For a moment, Rowan found himself back in the dimly lit corridor of the castle, the sound of torn flesh ringing in his ears. He saw a man slump down in front of him. His eyes were closed, but Rowan knew them to be blue, too.

"Leonar-," Rowan gasped, only to realize his error mid-thought. No, Leonard had been dead for years. This was-- "Luca!"

The prince's memories dispersed, and he found his legs. He dismounted from his horse as fast as he could and ran to where his friend lay bleeding. With a glare, he kicked the dead rogue off unceremoniously, then knelt to examine Luca's wounds. His hands trembled. Luca had been stabbed. Twice. He was breathing - but it was labored. He was unconscious, and losing a lot of blood besides.

No, no, he could not... not lose someone again.

Hastily, Rowan tore off a piece of his cloak, wrapping it around the man's wounds the best he could without moving the daggers. He knew not to touch them. But apart from that, he was powerless to help. He looked down at his hands, red from Luca's blood. If only... if only he knew how to heal like his sister. All his magic was good for was to hurt. He needed to get help, and yet he couldn't leave Luca's side. At this rate--

Artemis neighed.

The prince turned to find they were no longer alone. Rogues lurked in the shadows nearby, watching, waiting. One of them stepped forth, weapon drawn. Rowan stood, his own hand flying to his lance, when--

An axe came whizzing through the air, cleaving off the offending rogue's hand. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream and staggered away. A man with red hair limped to stand between them and the remaining enemies, barking orders - and calling them kids. Rowan bristled.

"Your concern is misplaced. I'm no child," he declared, stepping up to stand next to him, lance in hand. "You're injured as well. It is you who should stay back."

Ruiseart, he'd called himself. So this was the man he'd been looking for. He'd done well to fend for himself in a rogue-infested town such as this, but it was time he take a step back. Rowan would not let the old fool get himself killed. The rogues would not hurt a single soul more on his watch.

The sound of wing-beats from above caught Rowan's attention for a moment, and he turned to find one of the professors in the sky. Ruiseart called up to her about Luca's condition before the prince could do so, but infuriatingly, she did not move. Was this some manner of a test as well? Grades aside, a life was in danger!

It was no use. Very well then... Rowan turned to find Artemis a little distance away, exactly where'd he'd left her. He picked up a piece of debris and threw it near her hooves. "Go!" he shouted, "Go back to the others!"

She whinnied nervously, not understanding what was being asked of her. Rowan threw a few pieces more, making dismissive gestures. Horses were smart, and knew to return to places and people they knew. So when Artemis finally begun to gallop away, Rowan trusted she'd head to his sister. Perhaps the sight of her without her rider would alert her to come find them.

Until then...

Rowan turned to their adversaries, veins hot with anger despite his outward calmness. For every drop of blood Luca had lost, he'd make the rogues lose a gallon more.

"I'll have you know your place," he hissed, then charged. From the corner of his eye, he could see Ruiseart do the same. The prince knew that being the first to charge was disadvantageous - or at least it would have been, had the reach of his weapon not tripled the rogues'. They spread out like the rats they were, and Rowan knew he had to catch them before they could surround him.

He thrust towards the closest one, hearing a familiar clink of metal as the rogue parried the tip of his blade and staggered back. Rowan gave him no quarter, just as they hadn't to Luca. He pursued, angling his spear upwards so that he stabbed right past the man's dagger - and jammed his weapon through the man's throat. He was gurgling as he fell to the floor, where he twitched for a while before death finally claimed him.

Rowan had no time to admire his handiwork; another one of the rogues attacked him from behind. He turned just in time to have a blade meant for his neck catch him in the shoulder, drawing blood. Rowan felt a sharp sting - and then nothing more. The adrenaline stole the pain for now, but he would no doubt feel it later - that was always how it went.

The rogue jumped backwards to dodge a potential attack from the prince, only to catch Ruiseart's axe in the back. He gasped and collapsed, lifeless.

This time, Rowan was prepared for the rogues' dirty tactics. Without turning, he swirled his lance around, thrusting it backwards instead of forth - and catching a rogue trying to stab him in the back by surprise. The lance tore a gash into the man's side, and he fell with a gasp. Rowan turned to him.

"Please," the man pleaded, holding his bleeding side, "Please, I was only-"

What he was only, Rowan would never find out; his blade slipped through his eye and impaled his head, stealing whatever words he'd meant to let out.

Ruiseart was engaged in a fight with the last of the rogues, and though he seemed to be holding his own, Rowan knew he was bleeding too. The sooner this was over, the better. He conjured up a pulsating sphere of miasma, then flung it at the offending rogue. It exploded upon impact, engulfing the man into a suffocating cloud of poisonous mist. The louder he screamed, the more of it he inhaled - until he could no longer make sounds at all.

Rowan allowed himself a long exhale, trying to steady his breathing. It was over. He held a hand to his bleeding shoulder, then gave Ruiseart a silent nod - a wordless "well done" until he could catch his breath enough to speak again.
 
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InnerFlame

Fire and Ice Combo
Maximus Rothslyn
Aneed Town


The shock caused by the defeated bandits made some of the bandits decided to leave with what they got. The rest decided they wouldn't be intimidated by a bunch of children and got into their battle stances. The tension was high as the bandits seem to focus mostly on the Princess. After his magical attack, Maximus's green eyes locked onto the Prince taking out a bandit and galloping off toward the center of town alone. The young teen froze for a moment as the battle continued, wondering if it was really alright to just let him go off like that. The worry feeling about him advancing alone in a bandit infested town won over him, the Pegasus Mage flew after him. The Prince had got a good head start on him with his initial hesitation, but Maximus was confident he could locate him.

Maximus searched as he transverse over buildings for the man on the black horse. Through the rushing winds, he heard something going on from the town below him. He got Zephyr to fly in place and spin around so he could scan his surroundings. Spotting another Pegasus in the area, his flying teacher Indra with her spear in hand. That told him something was happening over there. Swiftly the white, winged horse flew over to the area. The Professor glance at him for a moment to acknowledge his approach but continue to watch below her without a word or movement. His eye's shifted down seeing people... some lying on the ground... in blood?!? Maximus worriedly looked back at Professor Indra. By her eyes, she had no intention of interfering.

The teen simply couldn't just do nothing. He needed to get closer and help. The Pegasus rider lowered carefully, getting a better look at the carnage. Several bodies on the ground... one a small child, a bandit and his schoolmate..... Lou something? An elderly lady stood at the door of a house they were supposed to look for. She was one of the people they were looking for, and the bandits luckily seem to have no interest in her. There were four rouges versus the Prince and a redheaded guy with an axe... the other person they were supposed to find he believed.

The Prince was giving off a ferocious aura that made even Maximus tense up despite not being super close to him. With quick movements, he thrust a lance right through one of the bandit's throat. Immediately another bandit was at his back slashing. He got confirm cut the Prince's shoulder before being cleave in the back by the redheaded guy. Smoothly stabbing behind himself, the blond man halted another sneak attack attempt by the third bandit. He finished him off with a well-casted dark magic spell that filled the area with sounds of coughing and screaming in agony.

Shivers crept down his spine as he witnessed the battle. The whole time Maximus felt he should of intervene, but there was no room for him to squeeze in back up help. The only thing he could do was watch in amazement as the Prince went head-on against multiple opponents like that. Maximus hoped that if he trains hard enough, eventually he could be strong like that and be able to boldly go up against several foes without worry. Putting his admiring of the Prince's display of skills aside, he saw the axe guy taking care of the last bandit. The older man appeared to be injured as well. Maximus decided to assist him in this fight. With a wave of his hand, there was a flash of light and grumble. Lightning fell from above and struck the unexpecting bandit. It was a successfully casted Thunder spell.

With the bandit taken care of, Maximus glance down streets and narrow passages. Not spotting anyone else from his aerial view, Zephyr descended down slowly next to his injured schoolmate. His wound had been hastily bandaged though a dagger remained lodged in his abdomen. From its position, it didn't appear that he was pierced in any vital spots. Blood was already seeping through the patch-up job. Maximus dismounted and made his over to the downed comrade. The pegasus stood strongly nearby, alert of her surroundings with ruffled feathers. Both the overpowering stench of blood and sloshing under his boots were all too familiar. It made him quite unsettled and nauseous. Although not the same, this reminded him of his parents... his real parents. He teared up a bit, but the boy pushed through those emotions and hurry over to the injured man's side.

The pink-haired teen could only frown as looked upon him... It looked pretty bad. Unfortunately, Maximus didn't have as much talent with faith magic as he did with reason magic. Otherwise, he would be more helpful in this situation. Loosening the bandages, he poured a vulnerary directly over the wounded area. It wasn't a miracle potion, but it would stabilize his condition a bit until they could get a healer to tend to him. Maximus rewrapped the bandages neatly and efficiently. He had much practice in bandaging up wounds thankful so he could be a little help in that regard.

The only person Maximus knew could do healing magic was the Princess, she was well-known for it. They had to get the injured over to her. Since Zephyr and he could get through the area without worrying about obstacles, it would be best if he did it. Ignoring the smell of blood and stains on his hands and clothes, Maximus loops the man's arm over his shoulders before supporting his back. He then pulled him up into a sitting position with much effort. This Lou guy was quite heavy... This definitely was because of the height difference, the armor, and Maximus's lack of muscle for a sixteen-year-old boy, but man he's heavy. Even if his Pegasus got lower for him, there was no way he could lift him on.

"Prince, some help, please. I'll bring him over to the Princess for more healing." Maximus looked up at him, which made his emerald green eyes and the crest on his cheek perfectly visible to the taller man.
 
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Schade

Metallic Wonder
Luca Von Aurochs
Hero Class (Axe and Sword)
Aneed Town


"Anyone.. Please..", Luca heard himself mutter, the sentence ending in a strange echo as quiet befell him. He laid there in relative silence, just enjoying the piece considering the feelings of distress and tenseness he had felt mere moments ago, who were gone now. The ground was kind of pleasant, actually. His eyes were still open, but he couldn't actually see that much. He saw the sky, for the most part. It was all pretty blurry actually. Wait, was that a person? He saw a mop of red hair as a character came into view. There was a face as well, but he couldn't clear out the details. ugh just let me rest he caught himself thinking. He heard weird sounds then, it sounded like speech but at the same time not. Were they under attack again? Heck, he had to get up.

A sharp pain in both his stomach and shoulder left that plan in tuin. Heck, was he damaged? It didn't feel like it, but the pain felt as if the gods themselves wanted him to lay still and relax. Maybe get some good shut-eye....

"Get up!" Lancelot said, poking Luca with his spear where he laid on the ground, panting. "We're going to get that crest showing today whether you like it or not." A strict man. He always was. Anger. He had told him that was good. Let the anger in, and use it. Crests often surfaced under great stress, which was how he had excused his actions. Luca managed to stand. Damn.. His leg was hurt, he wasn't able to move the way he used to. This won't do... He managed to use the Aurochs axe as a cane in order to get up. He was badly damaged, and hadn't even gotten one strike in on his father.

"Again!" his father said, reading his axe. Even if it was a training weapon, its edges hurt; Lucas scars could confirm that much. He was persistent.. No.. He was Desperate. His sister had already propped her crest, and he was tailing behind.
far behind. It was ok, he had told himself. Once the crest shows itself, the torment would stop, and he could get on with his life. Alas, that day was not the day his crest showed itself, and nobody visited Luca at the infirmary.

Another day, another beating. Father was hands down one of the greatest fighters in the kingdom, and he would not show any restraints during their matches. They had grown apart now. Nobody dared speak of it, but everyone in the household knew. After the last blow, he was on the floor again. The floor he had almost grown attached to, the amount of times he had ben knocked down. The floor was there to welcome him. "Don't worry, it's over now" it would every so often say. This time was different though. Laying on his back, he felt his head and upped body carefully lifted, and in his blurred vision, he saw the blonde head of his sister, Hannah.

"You did good today, Luca." she would often say. Tilting his head to the side, the exit his father had gone through without a word, as he had done so many times before, the door was almost bright and illuminated. The exit had always been a welcome sight in times like these, but something this time told him that if he entered through that door, things would be different. The beatings would end, and he could finally be free of the physical and emotional torment he had endured for all these years. If he could only get up to walk towards it.....

His sisters hands were still holding onto his head. "No, Luca." she said with her warm smile. Allthough fadsed, he could always tell when his sister was smiling. "Luca... Luca.." Was her face becoming clearer? Did she get a haircut.. what?

A familiar voice yelled, snapping him out of his own mind, and back into reality. What? Rowan? Wha... His train of thought was interrupted when he felt his body being moved. It sent a quiver of pain down his side, and he weakly winced. He then felt pressure being applied to his abdomen, somehow making it fel better once the initial pain subsided.

The sound of battle resumed, and Luca felt himself fade into unconsiousness again. No.. Not this time, he thought. He had to be strong. As strong as he had been all those times when his sister had comforted him after his father's training sessions. A mop of pink suddenly appeared in his blurry vision, however. He could then feel a string of pain again in his stomach, before an almost numbing sensation went over the area of hurt. It was almost euphoric, being offered a few moments of pain-less lucidity.

Shortly thereafter, Luca felt himself being yeeted off the ground, and supported against.. someone? Was it a someone? Too short to be a pillar, and it gave away at his weight too. Regardless, he was lucid enough to cooperate, and tried shifting his weight as to not overwhelm his rescuer. Luca was now in a sitting-position, which gave the vulnerary added to his abdomen quite the run for its money, as the pain was there even after its effects had begun. That being said, the pain was a lot less prominent now, and allowed Luca to get a... clear-ish view of what was going on around him.

"Prince, some help, please. I'll bring him over to the Princess for more healing.", a meek yet troubled voice spoke. Turning his head, Luca saw that the pink mop was actually Maximus' hair. They were in the same classes, but hadn't actually socialized too much. Damn.. The fact he went out of his way to do this for him.

"T.. Thank.. You.." Luca muttered, and coughed in responce to an ache in his abdomen as he spoke. He was looking up at... Ugh, his vision was still so unclear. Dark armor and a blonde head. there was little mistake to it, it must be Rowan. Oh sh*t, if he saw him like this. Luca hated being viewed as weak, and if Rowan, of all people, saw him like this, he would definitely think lesser of him. Cursing his own lack of skill and durability, Luca tried moving to his feet, trying (and failing) to gently move himself from Maximus in the process.

"It's... ok. I'm sure I.. I'll manage.. Ugh!" Another aching jab in his shoulder made him wince, and lean on a nearby structure. Panting heavily, he endured the best he could. "I'm fine.. Don't Worry.". Nobody bought that, he knew that, but he could at least make the effort to not be a deadweight in the midst of battle. That being said, he would surely be useless until an actual healer could get to him and heal him..
 
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