War Stories

[Darc]

(If Demi'd find out you called her magic longsword a rapier… Tsk tsk )

[Caoimh]

_The green haired bard walked softly through the Refugee camp, listening to all the cries, the screams from the field hospital and coughing at the constant billowing of smoke from the burning city to the North. She was still happy with what she saw, for everywhere those able to help were doing their best. A gnome taught lost, orphaned and miserable children songs, volunteers tackles the numberless masses of wounded in the field hospital and the more brave actually prepared to volunteer to serve at the front lines, or in dangerous strikes into the ravaged City itself. The beleaguered commanders in the De Facto Government stood outside the Tower, huddled together with their faces blackened from the constant ash blown south.

She began to get worried; there was no word of the two groups, which had headed into the City earlier. Her sister was with one of them. She made up her mind and stalked forward through the valley overlooked by the now teeming tower. Things began to get a lot more hectic as she reached the frontlines, Lavindo and Varid’s men running around stoicly, readying for any movements from within the havoc of the city.

With a flick of her hand and humming a few short bars, she vanished from sight, slipping past the milling defenders and volunteers towards the pandemonium of the Commerce District. She reached the gates and slipped cautiously through them, her heart pounding as she realised just what she was walking into. The city had been transformed utterly from when she first fled it, rubble and debris littered the streets and fires burned randomly all around. Thunderous reports of siege weapons echoed across the city, their blasts shaking the ground causing more scree to fall from the already damaged structures. There were groups of traitors everywhere, though it was impossible to tell who they were and she certainly wasn’t sticking around to give them a full inspection…they might hear her.

She had to stop at the commons though. The wreckage here was more poignant, the place where so much simple time she had spent, a large part of two decades she had lounged against that sundial, which was now nowhere to be seen, doubtless destroyed in the rampage. She shook her head violently and hurried on towards Bard Street, ducking and weaving through the ranks of enemies along the way, not a friendly face to be seen.

As she approached the Bardic College her heart fell. She was too late. The main doors were thrown open, vigorously forced down. She crept inside, and long the silent corridors. The theatre seemed empty, but she noted the door into the college proper had also been forced open. She moved forward into the Apprentice Wing, and looked over the destruction. Their rooms has been literally torn apart, looted and wrecked.

Sheets of parchment and scraps of paper or works the Apprentices had been working on littered the floor, and even the Apprentice Task Board had been cast down from the wall it occupied. Unable to look any longer at the Wing in which she had lived for over ten years she moved deeper into her wounded home.

As she advanced she could hear footsteps and the metal grating of armour. She made sure she was still invisible and edged further towards the main atrium. She saw one man, in Defender Armour, striding heavily towards the Library. He tried the door, and finding it locked he rose his blade and struck it a heavy blow, the old wood creaking in protest briefly before blowing back open. The soldier clanked into the Library and the elf’s green eyes widened in outrage as she heard the telltale sounds of destruction coming from within. The Library. Where she had often spent days at a time simply reading. Where she had often come with friends to research problems for them. Where Apprentices often worked on Tasks assigned to them.

Her gloved fingers slipped around the hilt of her rapier and she took a firm step towards the library. Then she spotted her. Demi Arkania Rei Can’dii. The girl was hiding almost entirely out of sight behind a pillar near the stairs down to the Master’s Quarters. The sight of her sister alive threw the elf’s outrage aside and she ran to her.

As the pair of bards whispered urgently to one another, the Defender’s comrades marched into the area, as the first one emerged from the Library, idly casting a tome aside. The Master Bards quickly slipped down the stairs together and locked the door behind them.

Below the Blue Bard chanted softly to himself, holding a scrap of paper aloft. Another man the elf did not recognise told her not to disturb her blue friend; he was scrying. She took a seat instead, wearied from the frantic trip through the city and disheartened by the destruction above her. The Master’s Quarter was as it always was. Cozy and warm, the fire flickering to itself in the hearth. Demi looked about to say something before there was a resounding thud. Everyone looked up, save the scrying bard. The Master’s door shook again as another great blow was levied against it.

The elf shot to her feet, drawing her glittering magical rapier and hefting her elven shield, her sister had already knocked an arrow at the doorway. Another thud and a crack split through the stout wooden door. They glanced at the scryer furtively, hoping he would finish, but too soon the door was slammed inwards, soldiers marching down the stairs with their weapons drawn.

The first arrow glanced off a soldier’s armour, the second hit one of them in the shoulder, but they poured down, too many, too many. The Elf began chanting aloud, a battle hymn as she stabbed her rapier through a chink in one of the soldier’s armour, blocking another soldier’s blow with her shield. More arrows sliced through the air at the soldiers she fought, the man whose name she knew not aiding them too. The Blue Bard had begun to move now, and bellowed for them to retreat through the emergency Sewer exit.

The Elf backed towards it, looking to be the first to reach it. As she did, the soldiers followed and she cried out as she felt a hot pain slice across her back, through her armour. She winced, expecting more blows, but turned in surprise as none came; the soldiers had been drawn away by her Sister, who was now sorely beset by them. They surrounded the lone Bard girl, and she blocked desperately with her own rapier, dodging many blows, but there were too many. Blood stained the floor underneath them as more and more blades found their mark on the pink haired Master.

The Blue Bard had reached the sewer door and called desperately for them to join him, but at that moment, one of the soldier’s blades pierced the human girl’s stomach and her eyes widened in shock before fluttering closed as she dropped to the floor. With a scream of rage and despair the Elven Bard gripped her rapier and charged towards her fallen sister, her rapier was knocked from her hand by a powerful blow and she reached for a small brown vial. She got it to her lips just as her side was pierced by a fierce thrust; she choked on the potion in horror, her form flickering momentarily from sight, before simply hitting the ground with a dull thud. The last thing she heard was Zephlin Re’cual cursing bitterly as the sewer door clanged closed. Then all was dark._