Arc 5 (Continental): Hearts, Minds, and Souls

[Windrider37]

Raila jumped back, hand of his knife. "Thats a good way to get yourself killed...who are you, and how long have you been here?" He asked, glaring at the newcomer.He eyed him up and down, trying to read him, with little success.Not to mention he did not want to waste time chatting all day.He still had to check on the survivors, and scout the surrounding area to make sure that no more savage Lizalfos were coming for them. He made sure his Warblade was hidden beneath his sleeve, and well out of sight.Should this stranger turn hostile, it would most likely be his only chance of victory.

Sierra, on the other hand, was much less aggressive. She careful watched this stranger, and was able to at least sens that he was not hostile...at least for now."You don't even know what we are doing.Even WE don't know...shy would you offer your 'services' so openly, when we have no current Plan of action?" She asked, uneasily.

[VictorAYorke]

Lady Captain Elizabeth Westcliffe
Lucius arrived within a few minutes, his demeanour sullen. LaGuire then brought in a hastily dressed Cresser, still buckling on his vambraces and with his crossbow slung over his shoulders. She waited a few moments for the crossbow officer to finish meddling.
"I am willing to propose a change in our defensive strategy." She motioned to the glass-topped map, where she had already wiped off most of the troop deployments and had started adding more in a plain white wax. "I apologise, I have been blind to the full circumstances of the defence we are raising, and we cannot afford grant the full initiative to the enemy while we know neither their composition nor their preferential targets." She hoped that no one would mention the typical priority list of a modern Moblin warlord, but paused for a second anyway.

[Avatar of the Ice Wolf]

Sakotae the Guardian

Sakotae shook his head in disgust at the Hylian. The Guardian had spent the past few hours stalking them, all the while discerning their goals and gauging their strengths and weaknesses. It was nothing more than typical Hylian arrogance that led him to believe that they were capable of inflicting any harm whatsoever. If things came to blows, they would be dead before they realized a fight had broken out. It was for this reason that Sakotae approached the Lizalfos instead of the Hylian. Any given member of race of savages was still more reasonable than your average "chosen" one. Yet still they believed they were to inherit the world. Pathetic.

Every second spent on conversation was wasted preparation time for the objectives of the contract. As such, Sakotae did not even bother answering the concerns of either one of them. The choice was simply, and if they were not wise enough to grasp a golden opportunity when it came their way, then he was not going to waste his time with them. He prostrated himself, the stillness of the area becoming mesmerizing as the words began to form on his lips.

"You give me an objective; I carry it out. I can perform any deed of your choosing. In return, I may call upon you in the future to perform a single task of my choosing." Sakotae cracked his neck. The crowing of Guays became audible in the distance. "Accept or decline, but make your choice carefully. These are the terms and conditions of my contract. It is a fair trade."

Silence overtook the area as Sakotae awaited his answer. Not even the consistently active noises emitted by the various natural creatures dared disturb the tension. The Guardian's eyes remained fixated on the Lizalfos, demanding a reply.

[Attaxer]

Random Merchant

The day was starting like any other day. He rolled his cart out onto a side street from the main bazaar. Nothing bad could happen out here right? The man had sold several heads of cabbage that day. T'was how he made his living you see. An honest trade doing honest work. Tilling the land, getting it to the perfect size and flavor. His cabbages were the best in all the lands, and someday he would have a chance to prove it. He had worked a whole year just for this day. This would be the day his name was made. His cabbages would be famous. People would eat them with every meal. By themselves even, dipped in hot oil and covered in batter. Cabbages made the excellent side dish to the Sauerkraut it also provided. How could one not revel in their lusciousness. Such beautifully delicate degradation in the color scale from purple to green to a light bluish color. All of his dreams. his fantasies.

Ended as abruptly as they had begun, as a man in multicolored silk being chased by two birds destroyed his cart, and along with it. His fame and fortune.

" MY CABBAGES!" The man screamed out in horror. The agony filling the shriek likely piercing the very fiber of one's soul upon having heard it. A Life was ended this day... maybe not literally, but life has killed the dream in this cabbage man.

[Windrider37]

Rail grumbled, irritated at being ignored, and simply walked away to check on the others that were huddled in a small camp around a fire, many of them twitchy and scared. Even the slightest noises made them jumpy, knowing that every second, they were being hunted by those savages, who had once been their brethren. Rail stalked away quietly into the woods, knives at the ready as he circled the area, watching and listening for noises that indicated scouts, or an approaching group.

Sierra sighed."I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?"She sighed, rubbing her eyes out of exhaustion, defeated.No doubt he had some dark plan in mind for her in the future.But right now, she struggled to remain focused on the present, and force those thoughts out of her mind for the time."So what can you do then? What are you capable of? "She asked quietly, as she began walking back to the small camp, tail twitching as she listened to the forest around her, noting how quiet it was.

[Emrys]

Beric

Inquisitors. They were an unwelcome sight at the best of times and now they were in Beric's city commanding him. Beric dismounted with two of his knights to speak to the posted guard, to figure out what was happening here.

"I am lord Beric. This is my city. As for my business, that is not your concern. Who is in charge here?"

[ZeR0199X]

Lucius

Lucius could not believe his ears. After all the planning that they had done, Elizabeth was throwing it all away. "If I may," the captain spoke trying to bite back his rage before it exploded, "I feel it is unwise that we change our strategy now, knowing that we could be attacked at any moment. Goddess knows that they could right in the area!"

Knight Captain Cresser

"Now hold on a moment Captain Cousland," the Knight Captain spoke, "I believe we should let the her speak her plan, before we go jumping to assumptions. Did you not stop and think that perhaps this new plan could prevent any more losses than we really need to suffer. Shut your mouth and apologize to the Captain Westcliffe."

Lucius

He seriously wanted to rip his tounge out of his mouth and show him what he could do with his prized knives. But that would have to wait for when things were quieter. He turned his attention to Elizabeth, and bowed as he spoke, "Cresser is right," he strained to said, the taste of vomit in the back of his mouth coming from the urge to vomit for what he said, "I should not of criticized your decision. We are all edge, and I shouldn't of snapped. I apologize to you, my lady." He rose up from his bow and walked over to the map. "What's the plan?"

[Wolf link]

Angaos

Angaos had encountered many a Forest Blin in the wilds, and while they were nothing compared to their Bigblin cousins, they could sometimes provide a decent challenge when in large numbers. A lone Forest Blin wielding a large stick as his weapon of choice however, gave the Zola little joy in defeating. Not wanting this fight to end too fast, Angaos decided to prolong his victory, charging towards the Blin and aiming his axe towards his extend limbs, hoping to come out with at least an arm in his attack.

[Wakerz140]

Captain Fengar ---Freya
He was entirely unperturbed by the speech, he was used to those by now. "Ah but we do not care what Hyrule thinks, we do not answer to them either. We are simply here to stamp out Majora's corruption." He did a quick look over her belongings. "Everything checks out, though I must ask if you would meet with our commander. He could use any local information he could get and I'm sure we could spare some supplies for your efforts." He could tell there was something different about this one. Balorun would know better how to handle this better, plus they had been unable to spend time gathering inforation after all.

Sergeant Major Aedefal----Beric
He was amused by the Lordlings attitude, typical NobleHylian "General Balorun, though I doubt you'd have heard of him. If you really are the lord here then perhaps you can explain we just executed a fairly large cult a few leagues north of here? Poor showing if you ask me. We can't just let you in you know, perhaps you're an accomplace. Either way you'd have to meet with the general before we let you wander the city." Perhaps the sight of a Darknut would throw off the whelp and knock him down off his high ledge.

[Avatar of the Ice Wolf]

Sakotae the Guardian

Once more, Sakotae was thankful for his veil, for he could not suppress the wicked smile that forced its way unto his face. Of all things this group lacked, it would appear clarity of purpose would also count itself among them. Now he held full control over the situation. But perhaps he would do well to be generous...

"I am capable of a great many things. Considering your present predicament, I could easily secure safe passage from the forest. Or perhaps..." he turned his back and extended his arms, "...you have your sights set higher! Within a day, I could clear this entire area of your savage brethren. I require only your consent."

He returned his position to its previous stance, his left hand casually pushing back a strand of blonde hair which wandered in front of his crimson eye.

"Your wish is my command."

[VictorAYorke]

Lady Captain Elizabeth Westcliffe
"Thank you Knight Captain." Elizabeth nodded briefly to Lucius regardless, working with his short fuse was typically difficult and so making some concession was always a good idea. "Our intelligence should be correct, Lucius." She brought the map to their attention. "As much as we have been studying our situation, this map does contain a glaring omission; outside you will have noticed a small marsh to the southeast which has been making construction of the palisade much more difficult, and due to its presence we have needed to work through the night to complete the main pallisade. However, in every map in the village this area is unmarked.

"More importantly, the expected direction from which the beasts will arrive would take them through this marsh. The presence of the wooden causeway to the eastern gate indicates that it is too deep or treacherous to ford through or otherwise navigate, meaning our defences there would be poorly placed. Therefore we will need to deploy our soldiers to the palisade at the southern edge," She began to annotate the map again, this time more broadly, "or against the causeway." She glanced eastward, looking down again when she saw nothing but the wall of the town hall's spacious atrium. "I shall speak to Corporals LaGuire and Homewood about destroying the bridge, preferably when it is filled with Moblins. What are your thoughts?"

[TheHylianJuggalo]

***Igotaros***

Paranoia and delusion was commonplace illness throughout the kingdom. More often than not, you would find people suffering from extreme cases of PTSD, to skitzophrenia, all the way to straight up madness.

Igotaros was one of the many who had been affected. Along with the thousands of drafted brethren. He looked off in the distance, taking note of the towering blue-shingled spires that screamed the presence of the almighty Hyrule Castle to the world with one obcene finger in the air. He looked to the obelisks in the distance, then down to his sword, then to his newfound ally (the latter a tough word to say), before flicking the reigns as the chariot and Ishvara sped off. The would have to pass by the Hyia Marine and the grand lake it emptied into on their way. Igotaros looked to his recent addition, then down to his sword, and took note of the man's cracked ribs.

"Do you wander this world looking for spar with the mortals often? It's foolhardy to draw more attention to our kingdom."

***Foos***

The deku stood, brushing off a few hot embers that had landed on him. He looked to his now wrecked campsite, then to the structures ahead of him. Perhaps he would find peace in the quiet mountains of snowpeak. Or even Hyrule Castle Town, where he would find assured saftey from Majora. The Pine looked to the towers, calling him like a beacon, or a safe haven. He then looked to the towering mountains in the distance. One, covered with a veil of ice and snow, would be a suitable home for his likeness. The other, Death Mountain, brought nothing but horrid memories.

With a sigh, the deku made his trek forwards, closing the gap between Snowpeak and Hyrule.

"One of them is bound to help me in the long run..."

[Avatar of the Ice Wolf]

Forest Blin

His swing missed and the Zola hit him in his club-arm with a crude-yet-effective axe stroke. Groaning in pain, he dropped his club. As fate would have it, the club landed on his right foot, causing further pain in disorientation. Not wishing to fall this quickly to prey he thought he had killed but a moment a go, the Blin raised his good arm and swung his fist at the fish's head. The big fish was strong, but he still had a skull. Skulls can crack.

[Attaxer]

Freya Valleja

Freya picked up her belongings. " You're asking me if I will meet with your General." she said as she fastened the clasp on her fur cloak back around her neck, but she still kept the lance in her hand tight. She walked past the captain eyeing him carefully as she did so. " And so, since you were so polite as to ask me. I will have to politely decline." she started past him. " Good day." she called out to him not turning around.

She walked down the street maybe to the next block and looked down the street to see Beric communicating with the men. She stopped and looked back at the captain, then back down the street then shook her head as she started towards the lad. " What is this nonsense!" she called out to the men harassing him. " You have no business here! This is our Lord Aldritch's grandson and I'll be having no harassing of our good nobles around here." Her mastery of the mountain accent was impressive to say the least.

" You've no right buttin' in to the affairs of the mountain and you'd best be on your way. There ain't none of the folk here that be worshipin' the foul one. You can be sure of that." she eyed the Sergeant Major threateningly and paid a casual glance to Beric. She had no idea whether or not her bluff would work, but she would try her hardest to get Beric out of this situation. He had saved her life, and these people didn't sit well with her.

[Wolf link]

Angaos

Angaos hardly had time to enjoy the pained expression on the Forest Blins face as its club landed on top of his exposed feet, as the Blin had swung his other arm down at the Geozards large skull. Angaos was barely able to get his shield up in time to protect his head, but the force of the blow smashed his fragile shield into a thousand specs of dust, leaving nothing but the handle that Angaos still griped remaining. Casting what was left of his only form of defense onto the ground, Angaos used his now empty hand to send a deadly punch straight at the Blins wounded arm, hoping to weaken his foe further, and give him the Zola an easy kill.

[SilverLich]

Jakadan

He gazed out into the distance while he had awaited the response of the hollow knight, wondering where hos mission would take him and what else inhabited this land. He heard of lizard men that dwelled in the forests to the east of Ordona, beings whose skin was as hard as rock, fish men and the hybrid children some had sired with hylians, all three of them long gone for one reason or another. To the west, he heard of pig like brutes who preyed upon Ordona from their own shattered kingdom, a race of women who dwelled in the desert, cursed to never bear sons, master swordsmen who made their homes in the cliffs of the same desert, wielding armor and weapons forged by a race that were said to craft the best armor and weapons in all of Hyrule and were known as masters of combat, all that and more had come and gone during Ikana's time in Termina. He wanted to know all of them, and know if they could be counted as friends.

He was torn away from his thoughts by a comment the knight made about his fighting with the farmers, pulling his robes tighter over the cracked bone. "It is not by choice that I fight them, my mission is quite the opposite in fact" he replied "I seek to get to know how much this world has changed in our abscence, the allies we could make, the enemies that must fall, there is so much Ikana must know" when he had traveled through Ordona during the first few weeks of rooting out those who stayed with the three and subjugating the land, he marveled at how beutiful it was, and the people that inhabited it, and wished to see the rest of the land for himself and the kingdom.

"Do you have a destination in mind, honored knight?" he truly did wonder where the knight was intending to travel to ever since he accepted his offer.

[Avatar of the Ice Wolf]

Forest Blin

The attack missed. Crumbling wood could not be considered a hit. This frustrated the Blin, but said frustration was soon forgotten amidst crippling pain as his already wounded arm was subjected to further injury. He keeled over, grasping the arm, oblivious to the threat still facing him.

[Windrider37]

Sierra shuddered, not liking the vibe this guy was giving off...it was making her incredibly uneasy...but nontheless, they were all going to die here without help, so they didn't have much of a choice. When Sierra arrived back at the camp, she saw that Rail had a map on a small wooden table, his face an inch from the worn parchment. "What are you looking at?" She asked

Raila glanced at, throwing a dirty look at their new "Companion" before looking back down. "I think i may have an idea...What IF...we took Ukshulut? A walled town seems like it may be our best bet for survival. Plus it would it give these Lizalfos here a place to live, as well as shelter from the elements...What do you think?" He asked.

Sierra sighed."Sounds like a long shot...what did you say you could do? Remove all the Savages? With the exception of us and the Villagers? How would that be done?" She asked, skeptical.

At this statement, Rail's head jerked up, eyes staring right at the Stranger."Wait, WHAT?! How is that even possible? Just who, or what, are you?!?" He said, glaring. He had no problem with that plan...but how would he have such power to make something like that happen? I t just didn't seem possible. Not only that, but WHAT was he expecting from Sierra in the future, if he was willing to do such a thing?

[Avatar of the Ice Wolf]

Sakotae the Guardian

Once more, Sakotae proceeded to ignore the annoying, blabbering Hylian. His mouth was going to get him killed in the most horrendous of fashions one of these days. However, the Guardian realized that he couldn't care less about the fate of such an insignificant fool. The ironic question was how the Lizalfos could tolerate the noise. The Hylian's presence was a blight on the usually quiet and serene forests. Sakotae would be more tolerant of such action back in more civilized areas, but such behavior in the wild was suicidal at best and arrogant at worst. Those who disrespect nature often find that the land is more hostile than one would expect. The pattern of irreverance and the eventual destruction of the defilers was something Sakotae had witnessed an overly redundant number of times, starting from his childhood. Hyrule is shaped by those with power. The forest has a much greater quantity of power than all but the most knowledgable give it credit for.

Breaking off from his musings caused by the Hylian's general idiocy, Sakotae returned to the subject matter. The Lizalfos's lack of faith in his abilities was insulting but not unexpected. However, this was still a general waste of time. Rather than address these concerns, he continued pursuing the contract.

"My only question to you is this. How many do you want dead and how much of the town do you want left intact?"

He crossed his arms and stared uncaringly into the distance, not bothering to maintain eye contact with his clients. They had two minutes left. After which, he would spend his time elsewhere.

[ZeR0199X]

Lucius

"I agree with your plan. But in order to get the beasts onto the bridge we will need to lure them onto it. I suggest that myself and a couple of units station ourselves here on this side of the bridge," he said as he pointed to the side of the bridge leading out of the town, "We will engage the beasts when they show up and then feign retreat across the bridge after a few minutes of battle. With any luck, the Moblins will give chase to us, and when a huge chunk of them cross the bridge we blow it. We can then proceed in killing or routing any stragglers, with the use of of infantry in close range, and our crossbowman from long range." Lucius stepped away from the map and turned to his fellow captains. "Does that work for you two?"

Knight Captain Cresser

He listened to Captain Cousland's contribution to the plans. Despite the man being a rude, snide, and inconsiderate jerk, the man had a way with coming up with plans. "No wonder he is Captain Westcliffe's second." Cresser walked over to the map and spoke, 'I suggest that along with your plans Captain Cousland, that I send a squad or two of my crossbowmen to cover your retreat across the bridge. They just need to be placed near the town side of the bridge. That is all I request." He stepped away from the map and turned to Captain Westcliffe, "Is this plan acceptable, Lady Captain?"