| Infinity's Blades; A Tale of the Infinite Sea | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 4 2008, 10:28 AM (12,865 Views) | |
| Cataphrak | Aug 4 2008, 10:28 AM Post #1 |
Shut up, I know what I'm doing.
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Infinity's Blades A Story of the Milky Sea TABLE OF CONTENTS PROLOGUE The Mobius Legion is dispatched to the northern trading island of Azulae to defend against an Antari raid. CHAPTER ONE: PRIOR ACCOUNTS The Mobius Legion returns to the island city of Terra, and Caius takes steps to end Nephie and Cassius' feud. CHAPTER TWO: REUNION Cassius returns to his homeland on a mission to restore Nurich's voice. Caius and Nephie attend a banquet where the fate of a nation hangs in the balance. CHAPTER THREE: EVERYONE'S BLOOD, EVERYONE'S HANDS Caius and his enemies unleash their terrifying arsenals as Terra plunges into civil war. PROLOGUE: THE FIRST ARTICLE The Nineteenth Day of the Tenth Month of the One Hundred and Forty Fifth Year of the Edurian Dynasty This is the last will and testament of Sir Caius Leonis, Viscount of Xen, Captain-General of the Mobius Legion. Times change, and people with them. It's easier to recognize the change around you if you focus yourself. Unfortunately for most, they tend to try to take it all in as fast as they can; they miss details, apparitions, shadows skulking in broad daylight. It's a pity of course, but if it wasn't for that, people like me would be out a job pretty quick. I've fallen into this pit myself a few times. You'll see for yourself soon enough. I am writing this myself because I want to do more than leave my material belongings to those closest to me, I also want to leave a chronicle; a story of my life as seen from my own eyes. I want to leave the readers of this document with a good understanding of my triumphs, accomplishments and most importantly, my mistakes, so that they will not be repeated again. This is the first article of my will; I leave, to all of you, the lessons that I have learned, so that you will not have to repeat them over. I suppose I should start at the beginning. I could reliably say the whole thing started about two years ago. I was headed to the island of Azulae, north of Terra proper. I had brought along my own unit of cavalry; the Wild Cards, as well as the 5th Platoon and the Special Unit, commanded by Captains Nephelae Leuce and Cassius von Holt, who will, of course, be reading this document in turn. Granted, I had set my plans in motion long before then, before the armistice blessed the nation of Antar and my own homeland of Terra with a short, tense peace, but it was on that island that it truly began. That day was a tuesday, it started raining near noon... Sir Caius of Xen looked back towards his ship as the special unit of the Mobius Legion began carrying their gear down the steep wooden ramp leading from the side of their transport to the battered grey stone docks. The ship was called Invictus, it had been custom built in Terra's shipyards by Takaran shipwrights. It had taken half of Caius' own personal fortune to commission. She was fast, agile, steady in a headwind, could carry the entirety of the Legion's men and equipment on one trip and was fitted with 12 of the newest iron cannon. The knight of Terra paused for a moment as he felt a touch on his face, a cool, wet finger leaving a trace of moisture behind. Looking down unto his draped half-cloak he cursed; the heavy green cloth was already speckled with dark points of moisture. Wrapping the cloth around his rust-prone armour, he turned back towards the ship. The person he was looking for was easy enough to find, not only because of his markings as a captain of the legion, but because he was marked with the distinct arrogant angular face and pointed ears of a Takaran elf. Clearing some room around him, he stepped back and ran forward, leaping up as he reached the edge of the docks and landing quite handily onto the deck of the docked ship. He quickly picked out and approached the person he was looking for. He made the captain aware of his approach with a light tap on the shoulder. "Cassius, can you pick this up a bit? We should get the gunpowder off the decks before it gets soaked." Edited by Cataphrak, Dec 15 2008, 07:02 PM.
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   -----Smexy-----|----Smartass----|-----...Zeth----- Spambot Kills: x60 | |
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| Inuit | Aug 4 2008, 10:51 AM Post #2 |
You will be one with Mother Russia, da?
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Close by, a slim figure stood in the light rain, an oiled cloak totally encasing her body. The hood was down, which was necessary, but once in a while someone would get a whack for staring too long. Nephie sighed and strolled past Caius and Cassius. Seeing Caius's obvious discomfort in the rain, she made a subtle sloping motion with her hands, and the rain parted around Caius. Of course, the excess water had to go somewhere. And that somewhere just happened to be the top of Cassius's head. She laughed softly under her breath, then pulled up her hood. "I'll help. My girls can handle themselves and the men for a while without me." |
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| Cataphrak | Aug 4 2008, 11:09 AM Post #3 |
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Shut up, I know what I'm doing.
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The Captain-General turned around so that the three officers were effectively facing each other in a semi-circle. He looked up into the forest of rigging above them; the tangle of furled sails, ropes and masts kept most of the rain off the deck, even the wash of water being dumped on Cassius' head was a mere trickle, barely enough to get get his hair wet. Caius then turned to the crates of gunpowder arranged near the forecastle. They were covered in oiled canvases to keep from the moisture of the hold, but if the rain were to pick up, then some water would invariably leak through; even a tiny bit of rain was enough to ruin the entire crate. "Captain Leuce, if you could just keep the rain off the gunpowder long enough for my men to set up a second ramp and carry it to the warehouses provided for us, that would be good enough." |
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-----Smexy-----|----Smartass----|-----...Zeth----- Spambot Kills: x60 | |
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| Inuit | Aug 4 2008, 11:16 AM Post #4 |
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You will be one with Mother Russia, da?
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"Will do." Nephie nodded to both of the other officers, then turned to the area in which the gunpower was arranged. She made the same small motion with her hands, and an invisible roof appeared over the barrels, shedding the rain like a cloak. "Caius, If you want, I can move most of the barrels off myself. Keeping the rain off of them isn't that difficult. Just redirecting the rain, that's all. But if you'd prefer your men do it, I'll keep the wet off until they're done." Edited by Inuit, Aug 4 2008, 11:29 AM.
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| Cataphrak | Aug 4 2008, 12:36 PM Post #5 |
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Shut up, I know what I'm doing.
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Caius shook his head as he diverted a worried glance towards a knot of his cavalry officers further down the deck. They, unlike him, were dressed in a new style which was just gaining popularity among the mercenary companies. Unlike the dull, muted colours of Caius' own trousers and plate, the other members of the Wild Cards were clad in wide, flamboyant colours, slashed doublets and more plumage than a peacock in mating season. They had ornate army style swords at their hips. Their breastplates, lacking the magic rebuffing attributes of Caius' own polished black armour were shined to a mirror gloss. While Caius had spent his retirement pay on them, they had spent theirs on brand new weapons and armour. "No, I'd rather have my men do it. Having forty bored, heavily armed cavalrymen loose on a dock district with nothing productive to do never ends well. This is as much to keep them out of trouble as it is form unloading our powder and shot." For a brief moment, the Captain-General turned to that same group of cavalrymen. These were men he had known for a decade or more; he often acted with more familiarity to them than even to his family. "Jerrell! Lothair! Get your men rounded up and set up a second ramp! I want those barrels of powder in storage by the end of the day! Now! Move!" The mercenary commander turned back as his two cavalry officers sprang into action, bringing up their own troops of riders. He looked from side to side, from Cassius to Nephie. "Any problems on your ends? |
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-----Smexy-----|----Smartass----|-----...Zeth----- Spambot Kills: x60 | |
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| Experiment 1337 | Aug 4 2008, 12:46 PM Post #6 |
Can't see an invisible ninja.
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As the Captain-General turned towards his companion, a figure in a dark oiled cloak whittled on an adjacent dock. Nurich watched carefully. The Vykkian magocracy, suspicious as it was, had ordered him to monitor the actions of the Mobius Legion, despite the War being over for two thousand years. A smirk worked its way over Nurich's shaded face as he reflected on the foolishness of the Vykkian Emperor... Edited by Experiment 1337, Aug 4 2008, 01:25 PM.
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Releasing control art restriction systems 3… 2… 1. Approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing the Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent. I have no name, only a bar code. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword...when launched out of a rail gun. By day, test subject. By night, ninja. Nightcrawler is the original BAMF. I'm just a fig newton of your imagination. Blink and you're dead. | |
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| Inuit | Aug 4 2008, 12:59 PM Post #7 |
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You will be one with Mother Russia, da?
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"Nope. They're all working well, I haven't had any problems yet. Besides the usual. But it's nothing a few good whacks can't handle." She laughed under her breath. "I forgot to put my hood up." Never taking her eyes off the gunpowder barrels, she lengthened her invisible roof so that it extended to the storage area. It wasn't the easiest thing, but it was easier than giving each barrel a roof that would follow it around. Her hood fully hiding her face, she stretched her hands, splaying out her fingers, then whispered, too low to be heard, in a strange tongue, and turned back to Caius. "That will hold for as long as needed, I'll come back to dissolve it when I need to. Anything else you need me to do, or should I go help my platoon? They can manage without me for as long as I'm needed elsewhere." Edited by Inuit, Aug 4 2008, 01:02 PM.
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| Cataphrak | Aug 4 2008, 02:16 PM Post #8 |
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Shut up, I know what I'm doing.
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Caius looked to the other end of the deck, at Nephie's troops. They made up the bulk of the soldiers he had brought to the island; the others were either back at the Eastern Redoubt on Terra or on other, more minor jobs. The 5th platoon was a special unit really. It was made up almost completely of petty criminals, gamblers, thieves and asassins. They were people you would loathe to meet in a dark alley but seemed somewhat less harmful in broad daylight. Caius had taken them in, hired them for an exorbitant amount of money, and trained them into one of the best light infantry units in the world. The really strange thing about the unit was of course; the sheer proportion of women in it. Aside from Nephelae's four bodyguards, there were another twenty six women in total. In a society where fighting was completely considered a man's job, Caius had been lucky enough to get that many young women and girls who knew how to hold swords the right way at all. The Captain-General had truly moved heaven and earth for this platoon, and he felt it was worth it, anything to get Nephie onboard. In twelve years of military service, Captain Nephelae Leuce was the most talented mage that Caius had ever seen. Even during her trials, she had singlehandedly beaten the most highly paid and well educated contract-warmages in the country. Even then he could tell that she was holding back. On the battlefield, a good mage was like giving everyone a third sword arm, and Caius made sure that his troops got the best, damn the expense. "No, see to your own unit. Unless Captain von Holt has a problem that he needs you to deal with, I'll leave you both to your own devices. Just get your gear stowed in time. Our employers have already arranged for accomodations, Briefing will be at the officer's barracks at sunset. We move out dawn tomorrow." |
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-----Smexy-----|----Smartass----|-----...Zeth----- Spambot Kills: x60 | |
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| Inuit | Aug 4 2008, 02:27 PM Post #9 |
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You will be one with Mother Russia, da?
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Nephie, in the safety of her hood, rolled her eyes at Cata's response to her obvious trust in her platoon. "I'll be there." She nodded and left, walking as fast as she could over towards two of her men. They were in a fight over a sword, both thought it was theirs. It took one look to see it was neither of theirs. Both their swords were on their belts. Sighing, Nephie casually grabbed the sword in question's hilt, and said quietly, "Alaster, John, let go please." The response was quick, almost comical. Alaster and John let go of the sword like it was on fire, and stood at attention, hiding winces. "Your swords are on your belts. This is Kara's. Now smarten up and get to work. No fights until we're settled here. And even then, at least TRY to control yourselves, you two." She turned away, handing the sword to Kara (who glared furiously at the two men), and then left to help a couple of her people move one of the heavier boxes. Edited by Inuit, Aug 4 2008, 02:29 PM.
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| Cataphrak | Aug 4 2008, 03:05 PM Post #10 |
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Shut up, I know what I'm doing.
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Caius nodded and turned towards his own men, the bulk of whom were just setting up the ramp to allow for the easy unloading of the gunpowder. There were still a few that were only loitering around. There were some lazy ones in any unit, atleast in this one, Caius knew them by name. "Jorran! Kelson! Help me with this thing." The two horsemen in question quickly looked up as their commander tilted his head in the direction of the one the gunpowder barrels. Responding immediately, they headed over to one of the barrels. They had been serving with Caius for more than a decade each, they could read his movements well enough to know which barrel he was heading for before he was even there. The three each took a hold of the barrel's rim. "One, two three!" With a heave, the three tipped the barrel on it's side, being careful to keep the barrel within the deck space covered by Nephie's magic. Slowly rolling the volatile explosive up to the edge, they slowly brought the heavy container up to the ramp as the other two horsemen clambered over dockside to control the barrel's descent. Step by step, the barrel was lowered down the ramp slowly. With a dull, soft thump, the first gunpowder barrel of the Mobius Legion set foot on the Azulae docks. |
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-----Smexy-----|----Smartass----|-----...Zeth----- Spambot Kills: x60 | |
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| Inuit | Aug 4 2008, 03:22 PM Post #11 |
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You will be one with Mother Russia, da?
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Walking cheerfully down the ramp, Nephie whistled a little tune to herself, a tune that called to mind a windy day and sunshine. In front of her, a small barrel of arrows hovered in mid-air, seeming to dance along with her song. As she made her way to the dock, a breeze blew the hood off her face, and several of the men who weren't used to seeing her stopped what they were doing to stare. Without stopping her whistling, Nephie pulled her hood up again, and as her foot touched the dock, her whistling transitioned into a song that flowed like a moonlit river, her voice adding a soft undertone to the sounds of work. Some of her troops followed behind carrying more barrels, smiling at their Captain. One of her bodyguards, Tally, a human, and "Corro", an elf from Takara, stepped up beside Nephie and joined in, becoming the tenor and alto parts, while Nephie's pure soprano soared above them. This was a usual thing for them. They liked to sing. It made the work more fun. In fact, the nickname of 5th Platoon was The Singers, though there were other reasons for the nickname. Namely, the fact that when they shot their arrows in a fight, it sounded almost like singing. And their Captain could do some very interesting magic when she sang. Edited by Inuit, Aug 5 2008, 08:38 PM.
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| Experiment 1337 | Aug 4 2008, 03:50 PM Post #12 |
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Can't see an invisible ninja.
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Nurich listened to the song with scorn, envious that he was unable to sing, even to speak. The experiments they had subjected him to had drained that ability from him, if only to enhance his other abilities. Still, it was something he missed dearly. He noted the female's voice, almost unhumanly beautiful. Perhaps the Takarans had made a deal with something of another world... he recorded this in his whittling board, using a cipher only known to him and a few select others. |
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Releasing control art restriction systems 3… 2… 1. Approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing the Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent. I have no name, only a bar code. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword...when launched out of a rail gun. By day, test subject. By night, ninja. Nightcrawler is the original BAMF. I'm just a fig newton of your imagination. Blink and you're dead. | |
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| Inuit | Aug 5 2008, 04:22 PM Post #13 |
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You will be one with Mother Russia, da?
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As Nephie approached the warehouse, her song changed again, becoming a little darker, with a faint longing winding its way through the notes. Inside was dark except for the light let in by the open door. But there were some torches along the wall, which Nephie lit before heading to the far corner of the warehouse. Her troops followed behind, each carrying a barrel of arrows. When they neared the corner, the song became cheerful again, and each of Nephie's soldiers released their barrel, one at a time. The barrels moved swiftly through the air and stacked themselves neatly in the corner of the warehouse. The barrel Nephie had been "carrying" sat on top of the others. "Okay, you guys go get some more, I'm gonna clean this place out." It was clear what she meant. There was rubbish, scraps of clothing, pieces of wood, and dirt everywhere. Maybe Nephie didn't really need to clean, but it couldn't hurt. So she pointed at the open door. The pieces of stray wood arranged themselves into a neat line and flew out the door, landing in a pile outside. Next, the clothing wove itself into one large piece of cloth, then went to sit by the wood. "Now for the dust." Nephie raised her hands, palms out towards the door. A strong wind rushed in, swirling around and around the warehouse, picking up every speck of dirt. Then it left out the door again, taking the collected dirt with it. "If only we could get better light in here. I guess the torches will have to do." She was joined by Tally, Coral, Jana, and Malaysia, her best friends/bodyguards. Jana and Coral were both human, Malaysia a Takaran elf. The 5 grinned at each other, celebrating the end of their journey, and then, almost unintentionally, broke into song. The song was an elven one, a cheerful song about the rain and the blessings it could bring. As always, Nephie took the lead part, the soprano one. |
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| Experiment 1337 | Aug 5 2008, 04:35 PM Post #14 |
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Can't see an invisible ninja.
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Nurich stood up suddenly. He had just decided on a brave course of action. He was going to defect to the Mobius Legion. After all, what had the Vykkians ever done for him? They had fed him, clothed him, taken him in, but all the while they had known he was an outlander, and treated him as such. The servants shunned him in the halls, left his room as quickly as they could, eyes always darting around looking for an exit. As he looked on this scene, he realized that there were crew members of all different cultures. Terran, Takaran, Antaran, were all present. And they were being treated as equals. As Nurich walked along the dock, he thought of how he would break this to the Vykkians. Perhaps a letter? That seemed to fit. He started writing the letter in his head as he walked towards the Captain-General. |
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Releasing control art restriction systems 3… 2… 1. Approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing the Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent. I have no name, only a bar code. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword...when launched out of a rail gun. By day, test subject. By night, ninja. Nightcrawler is the original BAMF. I'm just a fig newton of your imagination. Blink and you're dead. | |
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| Cataphrak | Aug 5 2008, 04:41 PM Post #15 |
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Shut up, I know what I'm doing.
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Caius and the two other cavalrymen had managed to bring down another barrel before the rest of his men readied up the ten remaining containers. It had only taken them a few moments to manhandle the barrels of explosive onto the docks. From there, they were easily capable of rolling the dozen cork powder containers down the road and to the warehouse. When the Captain-General went to open the door for the others, he was met by a hot blast of wind and dust. He looked around as he calmly wiped the stuff off his face and out of his hair. Looking around, he quickly saw the origin of the offending force; Nephie and her bodyguards had unloaded their supplies on the other end. Her end was also sparkling clean. It seemed that Caius wasn't the only one to notice that. "Caius, it looks like Captain Leuce has blown all the dirt onto our side. I think it would onlt be fair if we could get her to get rid of this mess altoge-" The mercenary commander stopped his subordinate with a single wave of his hand. "Like hell. We've been on ship for the past week and a half, we need the excercise, Captain Leuce doesn't. Stack the barrels outside, Gerran, you're on watch. Lucius, Arranby; find me some brooms. Hamilcar, you and your troop find me the nearest well and some buckets. The rest of you, get those torches lit, after that you're with me on floor duty. I want this floor clean by dinner; it better be because you're eating on it, and so am I. Now get going!" As his men moved off to do their jobs, the Captain-General sensed somebody else behind him. Turning towards the door leading outside, he found himself face to face with someone he hadn't met before; well, not personally. He had, of course, seen the man spying on his troops as they landed but the chances that an Antari spy would approach him directly was low enough for him to take the risk. He inclined his head respectfully at the newcomer. "Good day, and who might you be?" Edited by Cataphrak, Aug 5 2008, 04:44 PM.
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-----Smexy-----|----Smartass----|-----...Zeth----- Spambot Kills: x60 | |
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