[b]CHAPTER 5[/b] [b][i]Back at section post 15....[/i][/b] After the incident with the odd ${t_man} at the stall, your evening goes smoothly and you manage to catch up with the others. It takes a lot of effort to drag a drunk Sabel away from the beverage stalls and into the carriage, back to post. You and the horses have to suffer another round of terrible opera. Once you reach the gates, the captain carries a passed out Sabel back to her quarters. You and ${alistair} decide to retire to your barracks and play a game of cards. On your way to the barracks you see the troops are all collected in the courtyard around an enormous bonfire, having a jolly time. Sergeant T sees you both coming and calls out, "Oy Lieutenants! Come join us." Before you could protest, ${alistair} drags you by the elbow towards the men. Geoff who's sitting next to the sergeant calls out, "Oy! Get a mug for our lieutenants here." Two mugs of refreshing butter wine are passed to you and ${alistair}. You take a sip and let the warm, bitter sweet taste coat your tongue. "Damn....this stuff is good", exclaims ${alistair}. "Only the best for you Lieutenant.", says Geoff with a dimpled smile. "Geoff here is the son of a wine merchant, he knows all the good stuff", says another soldier to your right. "Wait, if your father is a wine merchant...What the duck are you doing in the army?", asks ${alistair}. "Well...Lieutenant, my pa threw me out", shrugs Geoff. "What did you do?" asks Sergeant T without a hint of sarcasm. This peaks your curiosity as well. It's rare for the sarge to be this...tame. "I may have...drunk about 25 barrels of fine wine....that my father had already sold to a nobleman", he says with a sheepish smile. "25! What the hell happened to you? Did your sweetheart leave you or something?", exclaims ${alistair}. *fake_choice # Yikes! Poor Geoff....you feel kinda bad for him...so bad for him that your toes are tingling..... # Huh....That's kind of cruel....would Dad have done the same to you....just the thought of it gives you goosebumps.....wait goosebumps in front of the fire? # You do feel bad for Geoff but...well that was a stupid move....so stupid it....makes you light headed... # That's hilarious...you remember how you and ${alistair} used to do stuff like this all the time.....yeah....still raises the hair on the back of your neck... # Wow...you couldn't care less....what's with the sweaty hands..... # What an idiot! Incompetency like this drives you nuts.....your hands are shaking..... # You roll your eyes....frankly you pity the wine barrels at this point...uhhhh you feel nauseous just thinking about that much wine.... The fire in front of you gets blurry and the voices around you go mute. Suddenly a pair of ruby red eyes stare at you from the fire. You try to take a deep breath but no air enters your lungs. Images of the divryns from your nightmare flash in front of your eyes. You see the walls cracking and the category D waiting behind them. The beasts smile at you, a strange cheshire smile like it knows that you can see it. Your body breaks out in cold sweat and goosebumps, even though you are sitting in front of a fire. You feel your teeth grit and grind of their own accord. Then you hear a voice, a cold and spectral voice. [i]They are coming....beware...they are near...beware...[/i] Your throat goes dry and you feel a cold hand slide down your neck. You feel it coast down your chest and wrap it's fingers around your heart. [i]Riisssseee....warrior....night....hunter.....[/i] You try to breathe but the grip around your heart tightens. [i]Only.......you......caaann...seee..[/i] Now you can feel the hand retract and almost lovingly caress your cheek before disappearing. [b]"${name}...blink twice if you can hear me...."[/b] The world snaps back to normal. You can suddenly feel the warmth of the fire on your chilled skin, hear and see the fire crackling in front of you. It feels like time continued on without you. "${name}, are you okay?", ${alistair} asks ${al_his} face contorted in fear for you. You can feel a strange beat coming from within you. No, it isn't your heart....it's something else. Something that was always inside you slumbering...but now it's wide awake and telling you to move. [b]"Fetch the Captain and gear up."[/b] says a bold voice. It takes you a moment to realize that it belongs to you and that you said those words. ${alistair} and the sarge exchange a confused glance. "What's the matter ${name}?", asks ${alistair}. *fake_choice # [b]......[i]Divryns[/i]..1...2..3[/b] # [b]......[i]Divryns[/i]...1..2..3[/b] # [b].......[i]Divryns[/i]....1..2..3[/b] # [b]......[i]Divryns[/i].....1..2..3[/b] "Geoff! Go fetch the Captain! Rest of you alert the others and move to the armoury to mount up!" shouts Sergeant T. "But sarge are you..." Geoff trails off. "Your 2IC just gave you an order you twit! I wanna see your butts a movin or I will personally put me boot up them!" snarls Sergeant T. Geoff nods hurriedly and scampers off to find the captain. ${alistair} stares at you with worry and opens ${al_his} mouth to say something, but thinks better of it. $!{al_he} then composes ${al_himself} before shouting, "You heard the sarge! You, Cady, Rico and Vix grab the others and spread the word! The others quit lollygagging! Report in battle formations!" Without turning to check if either of them are following, you start walking towards the last baseline wall. Sergeant T follows you while ${alistair} stays back to command the troops. You feel the beat grow louder, the vibrations thumping through your blood like a drum. You finally reach the wall and for the third time in the last 12 hours, you see... *page_break A crack in the brick line Sergeant T mumbles from beside you, "Fuck a duck and feed it to me mamma....a crack in the wall." You hear the captain and ${alistair} jog up to you. "Why the fuck, did you issue those orders?", snarls the captain. [b]"They are on their way....they are going to be here soon...I saw them.."[/b] ,you snarl like a rabid animal. "Woah! Easy there, who's coming?" asks the captain with a frown. [b]"Divryns" [/b] you whisper. "That's impossible! We haven't seen any herds patrol close to the wall in 13 years." exclaims ${alistair}. "There's a crack in the brick line", grunts Sergeant T. "Not possible, the engineers inspected the walls this morning. There was no crack then..." the captain trails off. You step aside and his eyes fall to the cracked brick line. His eyes widen in shock and horror as do ${alistair}'s as ${al_his} eyes fall on the crack. "There hasn't been a storm or any activity near this base line. The only possible point of origin for this crack has to be on the other side. We know what lives on the other side", you mutter. "Yeah, but it's gotta be the work of at least three average sized Category D's or two really big ones." mumbles Sergeant T. "Wait...what you are saying....is that there are 3 real life...breathing Cat Ds behind that wall waiting for us....and that they are going to attack..." asks the captain in a mocking tone. Taking a deep breath you say, *fake_choice # "They are coming, whether you believe it or not! We have to stop them!" # " Just trust me, Captain." # "[b]I am right[/b]" # (Death glare) # "32 years ago, the captain of the walls Venotaria and Haldirye made a mistake. Do you want to repeat the same mistake?" # "Go ahead, don't believe me. Just don't expect me to wipe your tears when I am proven right" "I believe Lt.${name}, if ${he} says there's a threat, then there's a threat. I second the notion sir." speaks Sergeant T in a stern voice. *if (Relationship < 50) ${alistair} looks back at you doubtfully and frowns. "It's not possible....come to think of it. You are taking your nightmares way too seriously ${name}." $!{al_he} then turns to the captain and shakes ${al_his} head. *if (Relationship >= 50) ${alistair} stares at the ground for a while before looking you in the eye, "I trust ${name}. If ${he} says there is something wrong, then I believe ${him}." The captain stares at the crack before looking up at you, "I don't see the harm in being prepared just in case you are right. If you are wrong then it was just a simple misunderstanding...no harm done." "Alright sir. Now that's settled, what orders do I relay to the troops", asks the Sergeant with his arms folded. "Relay the head count first". *page_break "We have 250 soldiers." "Breaking it down, we have 25 archers, 25 artillery handlers, 50 cavalry and 150 infantry." "Let's use the Point line defence system. Any problem?", asks the captain exchanging a glance with all of you. You remember this battle formation. The infantry forms the first line of defence, and the cavalry acts as the second mediator. Artillery stays back behind the cavalry lines. The strategy is that the cavalry and foot soldiers act as distractions while the artillery uses base ball cannons to pin the divryns down. You shake your heads and he continues, "Hmmmm...divide the infantry into 3 platoons of 50 soldiers each. You, ${name} and ${alistair} command these and position yourselves around the three points. ${name} gets the point we are standing at, you get point B and ${alistair} gets point C. I will command the cavalry platoon and act as the 2nd mediator." "The Archers will be divided as well, 5 each for one squadron and the remaining 10 will be positioned at the eagle posts, artillery will be staying at the cannon posts and will operate from there at will." "${alistair}, I want you to brief the troops while ${name} sets up the alert signal. I and Sergeant T will take care of the armoury." With those final orders all of you scatter. Though you linger a bit longer. The beat just got closer and you can feel them coming. You hurry along with Sergeant T by your side. During day time and in training missions among others, smoke pistols are used. The smoke is colour coded like the flairs. Some Cat Bs were smart enough to figure the colour pattern and had to be hunted down to control the casualties. During the war, the engineers had invented a brilliant signal system in which a flare canon system fires flares into the air continuously in a certain colour pattern. For example, the pattern for [i]Under attack[/i] is, Gold-Red-Red-Blue. The pattern for [i]Send reinforcements[/i] is, Silver-Red-Red-Indigo. The pattern for [i]Red alert[/i] is Indigo-Red-Red-Silver. The pattern you have to use is, Blue-Red-Red-Silver. The pattern for [i]Contact HQ[/i] is Green-Blue-Red-Red. The pattern for [i]Quarantine[/i] is Red-Red-Blue-Green. The pattern for [i]Post secured[/i] is Purple-Red-Blue-Red. The problem with using normal fire signals was that the fire was tough to light in the field. If you dropped your matches and coal kit, not only you but your entire support squadron was in hot water as there was no mode of communication. The other fire signals didn't work because the Category Bs were cunning and managed to figure out how to use the signals. There's a chapter in one of your lore textbooks about how a pack of Cat Bs used the fire signals to lure in an entire battalion. It was a mass slaughter, nobody expected the divryns to have a brain. Hence the engineers made the flare system. *page_break Up the stairs you go... The tower that hosts the flare operation systems is the tallest building in each post and has a hell lot of stairs. You reach the top and see the large flare gun welded to the floor. It's got a large black cylindrical barrel and a row of levers for you to arrange in sequence. The levers all have colour labels attached to them. You wrap your hand around the levers and verbally repeat the sequence; *choice # Red-Red-Blue-Green *set Intelligence %-25 *set Leadership %-20 *goto idiot # Gold-Red-Red-Blue *set Intelligence %-25 *set Leadership %-20 *goto idiot # Green-Blue-Red-Red *set Intelligence %-25 *set Leadership %-20 *goto idiot # Purple-Red-Blue-Red *set Intelligence %-25 *set Leadership %-20 *goto idiot # Blue-Red-Red-Silver *set Intelligence %+25 *set Leadership %+20 *goto smart # Indigo-Red-Red-Silver *set Intelligence %-25 *set Leadership %-20 *goto idiot # Silver-Red-Red-Indigo *set Intelligence %-25 *set Leadership %-20 *goto idiot *label idiot "Oy! Lieutenant! That's wrong! The signal is Blue-Red-Red-Silver." exclaims Sergeant T with a frown and a shake of his head. "Sorry, I forgot." you say embarrassed. Sergeant T glares at you and moves around you to pull the levers in the right order. You take a deep breath and head for the exit, once the barrels warm up and start firing. *goto 32 *label smart You pull the levers in the correct order and the barrel warms up before it starts firing the flares. The long signal training course you were put through is still fresh in your mind. Blue-Red-Red-Silver stands for Alert level 8, which indicates trouble and to gear up. You turn around and see Sergeant T smiling at you, "You would have been one helluva an officer to work with during the war. You got the spark Lieutenant. I haven't seen it an officer for a long time." Smiling you nod your head towards the exit. *goto 32 *label 32 You and Sergeant T rush to the armoury where you have make your way through queues of soldiers who are gearing up. The beat is pounding in your head now and you feel them. They are nearly here. You can feel the tips of your fingers and toes tingling. Your palms are itching to wrap around a weapon. "Easy, ${sir}." Sergeant T says and places his hand on your shoulder. Practically vibrating with energy, you feel thirsty, for what you don't know. [i]Or maybe you know and are afraid to admit it.[/i] Captain Raskouri and ${alistair} stand next to the Arms master. The Captain looks up at you with a grim smile and says, "Gear up and grab your secondary weapon as well. Just in case." You nod and move towards the helmets rack. You grab a helmet and a weapons harness. You grab a traditional switchblade and shield along with a; *choice # Expandable Bow and Quiver sling of assorted arrows. The bow when folded for storage looks like a thick tree branch of average length and is made of alloyed metal. It has a clasp which when pushed up, extends and forms the bow. The bow has a hook which buttons back to string the metal fibre wire and keeps the wire securely in place, the quiver is a leather case with expandable metal arrows whose tips are covered by cartridges. Length of both the bows and arrows is adjustable according to the Archer's tastes and the arrows themselves are assorted. Some are dart arrows, gas arrows and others are ordinary spearhead arrows. *set wp "bow" *goto 33 # A pair of brawling daggers. These daggers are medium sized and their hilts fit perfectly in your palms. They are perfect for close quarter combat and are sharper than a divryn's fangs. *set wp "daggers" *goto 33 # A long double edged curved sword. The blade is long and gleams in the candlelight whereas the hilt is ornate and has a hook pull it out from the sheath on the weapons harness attached to your back. All you have to do is lift your hand and bring the sword sideways so that you don't make the same mistake that Cruger did. *set wp "sword" *goto 33 # A Prototype 2 Spear. The spear has three switches on the handle, once clicked these switches swish open and form three spiked knives. These are perfect as once your pierce the spear into the creature, you press the switch and they help latch onto the body of a Divryn and drag it around. The spear is also retractable and can be used as a battering axe or a club with spikes. *set wp "spear" *goto 33 *label 33 As you strap on the weapons and pull on your helmet, you feel the beat thudding louder....closer. [i]They are almost here now....[/i] A smile instinctively graces your lips. A strange thrill envelops your senses. Your breathing grows heavy and your heart beats faster. Blood sizzling with restrained adrenaline and nerve ends tingling with blood lust. When did you become this? With that thought in mind, you settle the last buckle and walk out of the armoury. You and Sergeant T are the last people to walk out of the armoury as all the others have already taken their positions. Sergeant T walks ahead of you as you make your way through the lines to the field points of the wall. Taking your positions, you wait. The rhythm pulsates in your blood. You can feel a change in the air. Taking a deep breath, you smell the change too. It's got a wicked and heady scent to it. You let it coat your tongue and revel in the taste of it. Scanning the faces of the soldiers around you, you notice that they can feel a change too. None of them have ever seen a live divryn before. Other than the sarge of course, he's seen it all. An evil shudder works it's way up your spine. The rhythmic beat is now in sync with your heart. Small hair on the back of your neck rise in anticipation. You smile to yourself.......[i]since when are you this cruel.[/i] [i]They are here..[/i]... [i]Little do those monsters know that this time, you will be ready for them....[/i] [i]All these years they plagued you in your sleep.[/i]... [i]You remember the taste of your fear.[/i]... [i]This time, they will fear you.[/i].... [i]And you wonder....[/i] *page_break [i]What does their fear taste like....[/i] The air buzzes with tension. Everybody holds their breath waiting..... *page_break [b]BOOM![/b] The ground trembles and you catch the soldier standing next to you and hold him steady. Another crack appears in the brick line, branching like a poisoned vein. *page_break [b]Boom!....Clap!....ssssccccrrrreeee![/b] Now there's that scratching sound you were listening for. This time the brick splits and there's a long hairline crack along the vertical direction. Sergeant T mumbles, "A few more to go...." Everyone's gaze is fixed on the horizon, beyond the broken wall. The horizon resembles a lake during a dark moonlit night. Black waters trembling, hiding a monster in their depths....Jumping out and grabbing victims...pulling them into the dark waters.....drowning them....eating them alive. You risk a glance at the faces of your soldiers. On some faces you see fear, on others you see mortality. Some of them whisper prayers under their breath while others console one another. There was a huge signboard at the back of your academy classroom. [i] A few words spoken before battle can either sculpt a warrior or break a man[/i] The words you speak now will matter because these may be the last words these kids ever hear. These words will either pull them back from the cliff or push them off it, all is upon your shoulders and conscience. *choice # A few kind words should help soothe their nerves. "Easy kids. Keep your heads screwed on and look out for each other. You are going to be fine.", you say in a soothing tone with a kind smile. The soldiers take a collective deep breath before releasing it. "We will follow you ${sir}", says Geoff with a sharp salute. "Aye, ${sir}...we got your back." *set Leadership %+20 *set Genuine %+15 *set Compassion %+15 *set Easygoing %+15 *set Friendly %+15 *set Merciful %+15 *goto 35 # Nothing as effective as a bucket of ice water. "Calm down, remember that you volunteered to be here. You trained 10 hard months for this. Now is the time to prove yourselves worthy of Sienna's emblem.", you dictate in an icy tone, keeping your face dry of emotions. The soldiers look at each other before mumbling affirmations. *set Leadership %+15 *set Genuine %+15 *set Compassion %-15 *set Easygoing %-15 *set Friendly %-15 *set Merciful %+15 *goto 35 # You could scare them and push them down a bit. It will help toughen them up for the long run. "Cheer up idiots! The only ones left tonight will be the good eggs, the ones dead will be....well...dead eggs. Remember that divryns tend to be slow eaters and will chew their food, unlike half of you filthy pigs here. It will be a very painful death, so try your best not to die morons!", you jeer with a scowl. The soldiers look at you with eyes wide in fear. Some of them start mumbling prayers while the others try to brush it off as gallows humour. *set Leadership %-20 *set Genuine %-15 *set Compassion %-15 *set Easygoing %-15 *set Friendly %-15 *set Merciful %-15 *goto 35 # A little bit of sarcasm and jokes will help these dorks get in line. "Anybody who needs a change of pants before we begin is free to change up. Trust me, it is going to be very tough and uncomfortable fighting a divryn in soiled trousers. Besides we need all the manpower we can get, so run along while we still have time." you say in a deadpan tone. "Private Niles could do with a change ${sir}" snickers a soldier at the back. "HEY! SPEAK FOR YOURSELF RAILYN! WE ALL KNOW YOU STILL WET YOUR BED!" "I DO NOT!" "THEN WHY DO YOU WASH YOUR SHEETS EARLY IN THE MORNING EVERYDAY?" "BECAUSE I USE THEM FOR SOMETHING ELSE AND IT DOES NOT CONCERN YOU!" A strangled laugh escapes Geoff and you, as all the soldiers in your squadron make faces and exclaim "Ohhhhh...grooossss" "We did not need to know that...." "Geoff, if I live through this remind me to wash my ears with acid." "Yes, ${sir}....", mutters Geoff with a smile. *set Leadership %+20 *set Genuine %-15 *set Compassion %+15 *set Easygoing %+15 *set Friendly %+15 *set Merciful %+15 *goto 35 # Determination and Passion is the way to go. "We are going to fight. This is what we trained for. We stand here today so that our brothers and sisters can sleep in peace. The people of Sienna have laid their trust and Life in our hands. Do it for yourself, do it for your family and do it for Sienna!" "FOR SIENNA!" they all roar. *set Leadership %+20 *set Genuine %+15 *set Compassion %+15 *set Easygoing %+15 *set Friendly %+15 *set Merciful %+15 *goto 35 *label 35 [b]"Release Arms and Fall Back!"[/b], you call out. You hear the collective swish of the switchblades and shields opening. The soldiers of your platoons fall back like you ordered them and get in position. You pull Sergeant T by the elbow and position yourselves a good 9 feet from the wall and stand there waiting with bated breath. Another boom and the wall cracks and splits by a hairline. Sergeant T turns to you and whispers, "Whatever said and done, the fuckers sure know how to build a wall..." You whisper back, "That they do. If only they knew that cowering behind walls can't keep them safe..." Sergeant T chuckles dryly, "In all my life, I have seen only one person do what you did tonight...." Another loud beat echoing like thunder and the wall splits further, all the way to the top. One more hit is all it would take for the wall to shatter. You take a steadying breath, "What do you mean Sarge?" Sergeant T gives you a crooked smile, "You got to live through tonight, if you want to know." "But what if you die sarge?" you ask with a smile of your own. "Well, then it would be one hell of a fuckin cliffhanger, Lieutenant." says Sergeant T with a smile that would make a mother Category B proud. You feel it coming before it strikes and the last hit booms like thunder. The wall shatters like glass and dust flies everywhere. You stare into the expanse and see a pair of glowing ruby eyes staring back at you. "Not this again...." murmurs Sergeant T beside you. *page_break It emerges from the shadows and into the moonlight. You had seen various paintings and illustrations of divryns, Category D divryn posters were a very common sight during your childhood. The Lore textbooks estimate a Category D's size to be 8 to 9 feet. The divryn in front of you is definitely a Cat D with it's armoured body and horns, but it must be at least 12 feet tall. Even with the armour, you can see its strong rippling muscles. [i]No wonder it broke through the wall, but where are the others....[/i] [i]There were 2 Cat Ds and three Cat Cs in your nightmare....[/i] [i]Where's the twist in this...[/i] You take a deep breath to collect your senses. The turmoil in your soul has now tuned down to a soft lullaby. All of you just stare at it, mouths and eyes open in horror. It lumbers closer and the stench becomes stronger. Wow! The stench would make your eyes water.....if you were affected by it. Thankfully all the years of serial nightmares have made you immune to the stench. The Category D takes a step closer and you lock eyes with it. It stares back at you for a moment before shifting it's gaze to scan the others. Lumbering forward on it's thick tree trunk sized legs, it moves towards the front line. You can see the large battering ball attached to it's spiked tail, shine in the moonlight. Sergeant T calls out, [i][b] "NOBODY MOVE A MUSCLE! ITS VISION IS BASED ON MOVEMENT!"[/b][/i] Everybody freezes. *fake_choice # You close your eyes and take a deep breath, knowing that you've got this. *set Fimp "Determined Fear" # You mentally shake your shoulders to brush off your nerves and hold steady. *set Fimp "Nervous fear" # You grin and hold your position. This is going to be your first kill and you are going to make it memorable. *set Fimp "Harley quinn" # Yeah right, like this is supposed to scare you. Not the first divryn to charge at you like a mad bull. *set Fimp "Seen scarier stuff" # Huh...its a lot uglier in real life. It looked a hell lot better in your nightmares. *set Fimp "ugly" # Okay....breathe in breathe out...${name}, do not panic...no panicking ${name}! *set Fimp "Panic" # [i]ITS BEAUTIFUL! [/i] Look at the sharp spikes jutting out of its body! The eyes are gorgeous. *set Fimp "Love at first sight" # Well that's it! You have had enough! You have to wake up! Wake up ${name}! You idiot! You are dreaming AGAIN! *set Fimp "Unbelievable" # KILL YOU I SHALL! YOUR BLOOODDDD I WANT!!! *set Fimp "Bloodlust" # And the hits just keep on coming....First Cruger, his father and then this guy. Why can't the universe just leave you alone? *set Fimp "Fed up" The silence is deafening. You can't even hear yourself breathe. 7 Hells, you can't hear the troops breathing either. The Category D stomps up and peers at each one of you. It comes closer and starts sniffing at the troops. The smell is near unbearable now and you can see the faces of your men strain with discomfort. Your soldiers hold it together and nobody even blinks. Any normal crowd would have lost it by now. You feel your chest swell in pride at the bravery of your troops. The Divryn then narrows in on a young recruit. He can't be more than 18 years old and looks like he might run at the slightest huff from the divryn. It closes in on him and starts sniffing his hair. The boy doesn't even blink and tries his best not to move. Just when you think it might move on it growls and bares it's teeth. The poor kid holds on and the divryn moves along. Then the boy faints, falling to the ground. Before the boy could fall however, another young soldier breaks formation and jumps forward to catch him. The divryn turns and sees the young soldier lift the boy. It rears and roars, a loud and harsh cry before charging towards the soldier. Sergeant T shouts..... *page_break Divide! The soldiers break off into groups as trained and scatter around. The divryn turns around and shakes off the debris. It then bares its teeth and glares at you, before charging like a mad bull. Everyone breaks off in different directions. The cavalry line led by Captain Raskouri is right behind your point and has to scatter. The Cat D rushes past with it's head bent down and it's horns pointed down. It crashes into one of the pillars that hold up the eagle tower, crushing it to bits and bringing the tower down. The Archer in the tower has to jump for his life and would have fallen to his death if it weren't for Sergeant T's squadron who catch him. [b]"Look out ${name}!"[/b] You turn around and see the hulking brute running towards you. The divryn swings it's tail at you and you duck, avoiding the blow. Your feet remain stuck in place as you stare in horror at the large beast. Suddenly you feel a pair of arms wrap around your shoulders and pull you away. The divryn's feet smash the tile bricks on the ground and dust flies everywhere. "${name}! Snap out of it!" shouts ${alistair}. "It's rearing up again! We have to move!" The divryn swings it's spiked mace of a tail at the both of you. ${alistair} heaves you to your feet and you both jump aside at the last second. Furious at having missed, the Cat D snarls and roars at the both of you. ${alistair} takes a step back and wraps ${al_his} hand around your arm. "Okay...all we need to do is think our way out of this..." You don't get the chance to reply as the divryn swings it's tail at you both again and you grab ${al_his} arm as you jump back. Just as you both are scrambling to your feet, you see Captain Raskouri waving his switchblade in the air. [b][i]"Oy! Ya Filthy Animal!"[/i][/b] While the divryn is distracted by the captain who is waving his arms like a drowning man, you and ${alistair} slip away and run towards the signal tower where Sergeant T is shouting orders. "${name}, you were right. We need to signal that the wall has been breached." Sergeant T turns around when he notices you both approaching, "Lieutenants! The Cap is distractin the beast for us, but he won't be able to hold it off forever!" "Lt. Basri, I need you to fire the flare and get the engineers. Me and Lt. Dexer here will help out the captain." ${alistair} nods ${al_his} head, "On it, Sarge." The most random idea pops into your head. Grabbing ${alistair}'s shoulder, you say, "Wait....after that I need you to grab as many soldiers as you can and try to patch up the breach. If the other divryns see the breach, they'll swarm in and we won't be able to fend them off." ${alistair} grins, "That's genius....where the hell did that pop from...." "Trust me...I have no clue...." With a parting pat on the shoulder, ${alistair} runs off to fulfil the objective. "Lt. ${name}, you need to come up with a plan. Trust me when I say this ${sir}, I got no clue as to how we are going to kill a beast that big. The cap is sufferin out there, if this continues half of our troops will be squashed to death by the rubble itself." *fake_choice # "Don't worry Sarge, I can cook up a plot." "I ain't worried, not with you around." "Awww Sarge, I knew you loved me." "Pffff, I don't even love me own arse." "Can't blame you there...." "If you get eaten, I will kill you" With that final remark, the Sarge graces you with a parting grin before running off to assist the Captain. *set Leadership %+20 # You nod at him and say, "Good luck, Sarge" "Don't need it....with you around ${sir}." Your lips twitch into an involuntary smile as the Sergeant runs toward the divryn. *set Leadership %+20 # "Really Sarge? And here I thought that you were our wise old shaman who knows all", you snark. "First off, I ain't old! Second, I am wise and that is why I am leavin the decision to you! Third, I haven't seen a brat half as bad as you!" "Wow, I appreciate the compliment but aren't you like 150 years old or something?" "${boy}! Don't make me whip your butt! You are 2IC, if something happens to the Captain....you're gonna be CO." You huff and wave him off as he runs off towards the divryn. *set Leadership %+15 # "HEY! You can't just drop this on me!", you snarl. "Listen ${boy}! You are the 2IC! If something happens to the captain, then you are CO!" "#$@$@!" "Grow up Lt. Dexer.....the troops need you to guide them." With those parting words, he runs towards the divryn as you glare after him. *set Leadership %-10 # "Me....I can't do it.....I am not sure....", you stutter like a deer caught in a trail light. "No, Lt. ${name} you can. I know you can. In all my years of serving as the Sergeant Master, I have never met an officer of your calibre. You got this...." You take a deep breath and nod at him. He looks at your face one last time before running off towards the divryn. *set Leadership %-10 # "I shall do my best, Sergeant Treelawney." "Well...then I know that we're gonna win." Eyes shining with pride and respect, he salutes you one last time before charging the divryn. *set Leadership %+20 The Divryn maybe huge but it is incredibly fast. You are going to have to weaken it, before you can finish it off. Turning your head, you look at the office barracks to your right. You rush towards them, hoping that the map of the post is unharmed and call out to Geoff and your soldiers to follow you. All of you hurry through showers of dust and trails of debris towards the office. The roof is caved in but fortunately, the mahogany shelf that holds the maps is safe. Geoff and a few soldiers push aside a rather large boulder from your path, you along with two other soldiers unhinge the large wooden door. Once your path is clear, you run up to the shelf and brush your fingers along the leather binders till you find the right map. You remove it from the binder and hand one end to a soldier standing next to you while the other end is held by Geoff. A soldier named Marco lights a torch before illuminating the map. The offices and soldiers barracks have been decimated by the divryn, so no point looking for inspiration there. You trail your finger across the map and try to plot out anything that could help defend your post. There is the MO clinic, there will be a lot of chemicals and medicines there that you could use as a weapon but that would require sufficient knowledge of medicine. Then there is the old 15.2 kg calibre cannon mounted on the west tower. It became obsolete after the war due to the invention of better artillery but is still there. Though it is halfway dismantled because it was too much of a hassle to uninstall. However it should have a few shells lying around and does pack a decent punch. Operating that old thing would require brilliant engineering skills. Your finger travels along the west side of the post, to the clock tower. The damn thing is 10 feet tall and has a sharp rusted iron spear at the top. A marvellous tactician might be able to use that to their advantage. Or perhaps instead of going through so much trouble, you could try to use the knowledge you have about divryns against that overgrown meat sack. [i]After all to beat one's enemy, one must know their enemy.[/i] You bite your lip, this is life or death. The lives of the soldiers is in your hands. Best if you go with, *choice # The clinic was stocked the day before yesterday, so what you need should be there. *set St "M" *goto 36 # Let's see if you can get that cannon working again. *set St "E" *goto 36 # You know just the war tactic to use here.... *set St "T" *goto 36 # You remember reading about an exceptional case study on divryns.... *set St "L" *goto 36 *label 36 Your eyes scan the map for a clear route. Entire buildings have been decimated, the streets are lined with rubble and you will need to be careful. Your mind made up, you roll the map and hand it to Geoff who stuffs it in his boot, in case you need it later on. You march out with your retinue following at your heels. As you tread through the rubble, you see the Captain and the cavalry swing their spears at the large beast. The divryn swings it's tail and manages to hit 4 of the horsemen, narrowly missing the Captain. Soldiers scramble back and pull their injured comrades to safety. *if (St = "M") Feeling a sense of urgency seep into your bones, you rush in the direction of the clinic. Closer now, you can see the board with a huge red cross on it. The roof has been caved in and the patients have been evacuated. You see the Medical officer of your post, clearing out their desk as you barge in. Their black uniform glistens with blood as they turn to face you. You notice a bleeding purple bruise on their forehead and they stare at you with blood shot eyes. "Lt. Dexer, the clinic has been compromised and a makeshift emergency room has been set up at the signal tower. If you are injured....." You shake your head and hold up a hand interrupting them, "No Xr. I need the ingredients for a Lengard cocktail." The Doctor simply blinks twice, before responding. " I can't remember" *if (St = "E") Feeling a sense of urgency seep into your bones, you rush in the direction of the west tower post. The climb up the steps feels far too long, making you anxious as the walls of the cylindrical tower echo with the hurried footsteps of your troops. When you reach the top floor, you see the door to the auxiliary cannon shrouded with a cover of dust and cobwebs. Fortunately, the door is still open and one of the unit's archers is standing next to the cannon covered with a shroud. Their forehead has a bruised gash and dried blood is marring the other half of their face. "Lt. ${name}! What are you doing up here?" "Figure it out dumbass!" snarks Ymir. You move forward and pull off the shroud, billowing clouds of dust everywhere. Waving a hand to ward off the dust, you pull down your sleeve and rub the thick layer of dust off the nameplate. "15.2 kg calibre Cannon. Installed on 31/12/2245", mumbles Geoff. "Damn Lt. ${name}, it's older than Sergeant T!" Your lips twitch into a short smile. You move around the cannon, studying every inch of it. The base is still intact, though you will need to put the parts back together and fix the ammunition compartment as well as the target orientation. One more thing seems to be missing. "Where are the ammo shells?" "Ummmm, I think I know.....but I can't seem to remember.....", mumbles the archer. *if (St = "T") Feeling a sense of urgency seep into your bones, you rush in the direction of the clock tower. By some Miracle, the clock tower which is the tallest building in the entire post is still standing without a dent or scrape. The cellar underneath the clock tower acts as a secondary storage room for explosives. Barging in, you order three soldiers to retrieve the explosives, while you kneel down on the floor. You draw the positions of the divryn, soldiers and the surrounding buildings into the mud, creating a makeshift map. To get your plan on its feet, you will need at least two flare guns. The problem is that only the sentries and the MPs are allowed flare guns. "Where do we keep the flare guns?" A soldier from your squadron comes forward and speaks, "I am an MP, ${sir}. The Ammunition Chief keeps the guns and rifles locked away. But since the flare guns are used by the guards on duty, he keeps them locked up somewhere else." "Well, where exactly is this somewhere else?", snarks Ymir. *if (St = "L") Feeling a sense of urgency seep into your bones, you rush in the direction of the armoury. As you near the armoury, you can see the crossed swords sign that hangs on the door. Like all the buildings around it the armoury has seen its fair share of damage. You don't need to use the door as one of the pillars has tumbled in breaking the wall. All you need to do is tread carefully over the debris and you are in. A soldier standing next to the Marksman section startles upon seeing you. "Lt. Dexer! I came here to restock on arrows ${sir}" Seeing the pile of arrows littering the floor, you nod and ask, "At ease. Where are the Flare powder barrels?" "The chief showed us a week ago, ${sir}. I just can't remember...." *choice # You take a deep breath and speak kindly, "Please try and remember." They bite their lip and frown as they try their best to remember. After a second and more, their eyes go wide as they exclaim, "Got it!" *set Compassion %+10 *set Easygoing %+15 *set Merciful %+15 *set Leadership %+10 *goto 41 # You take a menacing step forward and snarl, "Look, I don't have time for this!" "You have 10 seconds to remember, before I throttle it out of you." "Hey! Its not like I forgot on purpose!" "I don't have all day!" They scowl and tap their feet as they try to remember. Suddenly they look up and exclaim, "I know!" *set Compassion %-10 *set Easygoing %-15 *set Merciful %-15 *set Leadership %-10 *goto 41 # You nod and cross your arms. Patiently waiting for them to recall. "Sorry, Lt.${name}. Just give me a few.....", they trail off trying to discern the location. Hardly another minute passes by, when they suddenly exclaim. "I have it!" *set Compassion %+10 *set Easygoing %-15 *set Merciful %+15 *set Leadership %+10 *goto 41 *label 41 *if (St = "M") *goto 37 *if (St = "E") *goto 38 *if (St = "T") *goto 39 *if (St = "L") *goto 42 *label 37 "I believe, we keep the antibiotics and antitoxins in the cabinet under the washbasin. But be careful, the damn thing just slammed into the building and its still unstable. The basin could have crashed down and smashed the bottles." You nod in response and without wasting any time, move towards the back rooms. Your MO was right, the entire room is a mess. The wooden beams have split like toothpicks and brought the entire roof down. It's a miracle as to how the washbasin and cabinet are still intact. You carefully make your way towards the cabinet and settle down on your haunches to open the cabinet. Some of the bottles are crushed and there are pieces of broken glass all over. You gingerly put your hand in and wrap your fingers around a bottle labelled 11-B. As you pull your hand back, a sharp piece of glass cuts into your arm. You hiss and gently pull your arm out. Geoff plucks the bottle out of your hands and Ymir rips the sleeve and pulls it off. Gently with the same sleeve, she pulls out the shard and wraps the tattered cloth around your arm in a makeshift bandage. You pat her on the back in thanks and move your attention to the bottles, Geoff and the other soldiers are gingerly pulling out of the cabinet. *set wounds +1 *set Exhaustion %+5 *set Health%-5 A divryn's blood has a high level of delta toxin cells that act as its red blood cells and carry oxygen. Instead of being bonded with haemoglobin which gives human blood its red colour, in divryns the oxygen binding pigment is delta toxin. It gives divryn blood its black colour and is toxic to humans. The volume of DT cells is very high in divryn blood, making it thick and gooey like tar. Since they have higher levels of oxygen in their blood, divryns are more efficient and have to maintain very high body temperature. During the war, many patients had to have their limbs cut off or were poisoned in their sleep once their wounds were exposed to divryn blood. The wounds used to fester and the pain was near unbearable, a lot of the poor souls used to beg for death to be rid of the pain. The DT cells tend to snatch oxygen from one another, by forming clumps and destroying the other cells and harbouring their oxygen. They did the same to the red blood cells present in human blood, destroying them. The problem was that the delta toxin is toxic and cannot be broken down to simpler compatible constituents by the human body. Then the clumps started to clog the blood vessels causing them to burst, resulting in internal bleeding and a very slow, painful death. Doctors named this condition Toxic vein infection or TVI for short. *page_break .... However a Medical officer from Tasryn discovered that the delta toxin or D toxin is made up of the same biochemical elements as Nagin Venom. Nagin is the most venomous snake species known to mankind and can kill a grown man within 6 minutes. The tribes of Tasryn consider this snake to be holy and believe that killing this snake is a sin. Since it is kept in many of their temples, the tribesmen have an old venom remedy that dates back centuries. The TVI antitoxin or Lengard Cocktail, prepared reverses the clumping effect of the DT cells causing them to burst and die at an alarming rate. Well alarming for the divryn of course. One little glitch in your plan is that it has never been used against a Divryn. It was just made to treat wounds, not poison divryns. *if (Medicine < 60) Your grasp on the theory is muddled at best. Now that you think about it, you can't really seem to recall the recipe for the antitoxin cocktail. You remember the ingredients but the concentration escapes you. Hissing in annoyance, you pick up a bottle of rubbing alcohol and drain it in the sink. Picking up the chemical extracts, you pour them randomly in the bottle before giving it a rough shaking. *if (Medicine > 60) Your grasp on the theory is still strong and you can recall the recipe on the tips of your fingers. The remedy includes extracts of certain herbal and medicinal plants like Disraj, Jasmine root, Sayior flowers and Blue rose leaves. Pleased with yourself, you unplug the stopper of a 500 ml bottle containing iodine. One of the many rules to remember while making the antitoxin is to rinse the container in iodine. You measure out the chemicals and medicines and triple the concentrations. Shaking the bottle, you plug it closed with a piece of airtight gauze. You hand the bottle to Geoff, who hold its by the neck, "It's ready. All we need to do is get it into its system." Followed by your soldiers, you run towards the divryn, with the bottle of antitoxin strapped around your waist. Up close you can see a bloody and bruised Sabel charge the divryn on top of her mount. The divryn swings its horned snout and rams into Sabel's horse. Sabel falls to the ground and her head lands on a boulder with a sickening thud and she doesn't rise. It's foul gaze never leaving Sabel, the beast stalks towards her and raises the hammer end of its tail. All the soldiers including you watch in horror as the huge ball like end flies down. The blow would have connected and smashed Sabel's skull like an overripe melon if it wasn't for Cpt. Raskouri. Running into the fray, he pulls Sabel's body away at the last second. The impact of the divryn's tail with the ground is so strong that the ground trembles. Losing his balance the Captain trips to the ground with Sabel's body shielded in his arms. The divryn swings its tail again and the captain rolls away throwing Sabel into the arms of Sergeant T, who rushes to help him. Pulling Sabel onto his shoulder, Sarge retreats. *page_break Now comes the tough part.... Alone and with the divryn's gaze pinned on him, the captain and the beast move in a strange game of cat and mouse. You can see the exhaustion in his movements and the will to fight in his eyes even from this far. "Lt. Dexer, you have got to do something! At this rate the Captain is going to get himself killed." You frown and remove the bottle from the band around your waist and hand it to Geoff. "Okay, which one of you has the sharpest aim?" "That would be Ymir, ${sir}!" "Corporal Ymir, I am going to try and save the Captain. I'll distract the divryn and pull the captain out, when the moment is right I need you to throw the bottle into its mouth." "Yes, ${sir}!" Geoff hands the bottle to Ymir, who rolls up her sleeves and pins the bottle to her waistband. If your plan works and your cocktail is effective, it buys you time. It might not kill the divryn but it may weaken it considerably, if it works that is. You take off towards the divryn, if you don't get there in time the captain could lose his life. The captain is doing his best to duck and avoid the blows, but the divryn shows no sign of stopping. In fact, it seems to get more furious at every failed attempt. The man is running on fumes now, and time is running out. If you are not fast enough, he will die of exhaustion before the divryn gets him. Though there are other ways you can do this. *goto 43 *label 38 "I remember seeing a wooden crate with 15.2 kg shells in it. The Armoury Chief keeps them in the back with the other Artillery shells. It is quite heavy and I will need at least two more people to help me lift it." You order two soldiers to accompany them and retrieve the ammo, while you get cracking on the cannon. Geoff holds the lantern for you, while Ymir crouches next to you and hands you the tools. *if (Engineering < 60) Your knowledge of engineering could definitely use refreshing. The different gears and screws are confusing you and at the end of it, you simply wing it. Consequences of your choice weigh heavily on your mind and you hope that your plan doesn't backfire. *if (Engineering > 60) Your hands work swiftly as you put humpty dumpty back together again. The blood flowing in your veins is beating like a drum in your ears as you pull back the gear switch and mount the secondary piston. Feeling confident in your skills, you think that your plan might just work. You order Ymir to oil the pistons and grease the ammunition compartment, while you clean and grease the mouth of the cannon. The soldiers return with the wooden crate holding your precious ammunition. They gently set it down and Ymir cracks the lid open with a crowbar. The artillery shells are huge and look heavy. No wonder they call it 15.2 kg. It takes three men to load it into the compartment, as you latch it closed. After setting the calibration, you pull your team together and give them their orders and positions. While setting the cannon's orientation, you see the troops down below fighting the divryn. You signal Geoff to pass you the binoculars. *page_break Now comes the tough part.... Up close you can see a bloody and bruised Sabel charge the divryn on top of her mount. The divryn swings its horned snout and rams into Sabel's horse. Sabel falls to the ground and her head lands on a boulder with a sickening thud and she doesn't rise. It's foul gaze never leaving Sabel, the beast stalks towards her and raises the hammer end of its tail. All the soldiers including you watch in horror as the huge ball like end flies down. The blow would have connected and smashed Sabel's skull like an overripe melon if it wasn't for Cpt. Raskouri. Running into the fray, he pulls Sabel's body away at the last second. The impact of the divryn's tail with the ground is so strong that the ground trembles. Losing his balance the Captain trips to the ground with Sabel's body shielded in his arms. The divryn swings its tail again and the captain rolls away throwing Sabel into the arms of Sergeant T, who rushes to help him. Pulling Sabel onto his shoulder, Sarge retreats. Alone and with the divryn's gaze pinned on him, the captain and the beast move in a strange game of cat and mouse. You can see the exhaustion in his movements and the will to fight in his eyes even from this far. "Lt. Dexer, you have got to do something! At this rate the Captain is going to get himself killed." "Okay, which one of knows how to operate artillery?" "That would be Ymir, ${sir}!" "Corporal Ymir, I am going to try and save the Captain. I'll distract the divryn and pull the captain out, when the moment is right I need you to fire at will." "Yes, ${sir}!" Geoff hands the binoculars to Ymir, who rolls up her sleeves and pins the binoculars to her waistband. If your plan works and the cannon is effective, it buys you time. It might not kill the divryn but it may weaken it considerably, if it works that is. You take off towards the divryn, if you don't get there in time the captain could lose his life. The captain is doing his best to duck and avoid the blows, but the divryn shows no sign of stopping. In fact, it seems to get more furious at every failed attempt. The man is running on fumes now, and time is running out. If you are not fast enough, he will die of exhaustion before the divryn gets him. It's now or never. *goto 43 *label 39 "There should be an extra smoke gun in the sentry posts on the wall. I could swipe at least 10 if I had a few people with me." You order two men to go with the M.P while the rest stay back. Analysing the rudimentary drawing in front of you, a certain plan comes to mind. You learnt an old hunting formation back at the Academy. In the cold mountain state of Serifi, winters can be cruel to man and animal alike. During a particularly brutal winter, a man-eating snow leopard plagued the villages and towns. The wild bucks and other prey had become scarce and the snow leopard had to shift its diet to humans for survival. Human flesh is very addictive and nutritious. Once it started hunting humans, it never stopped. Even after the winter was over and spring came, it still hunted humans. Children and babies were abducted from their warm beds and all that was left were the remains. The people believed it to be a demon sent to punish them for their crimes. They called it the white div. Various hunting parties were sent to hunt it down but they either came back defeated or didn't come back at all. The M.P finally fed up of the white div, hired the services of a retired Vanguard Archer hailing from Ferosi. His name was Reinar Murtoff. The old hunter outsmarted the leopard and instilled the fear of god in it. He cornered and distracted it by throwing fire and coloured smoke in its face and then shot a flaming arrow right through its heart. You plan to use the same tactic but on a divryn. Only problem is that a arrow would just bounce off its armour. *if (Tactics< 60) Try as you might, you can't seem to recall the schematics. You rack your brain and decide to improvise. The plan is the soldiers equipped with the flare guns will fire at the divryn cornering it against the dilapidated yet strong ruins of the barracks. While the divryn is busy with the smoke flares, you will swoop in and try to kill it. Even in your mind it sounds like a complete disaster and you wish you could turn back. But its too late for that. *if (Tactics > 60) The cogs in your brain begin to rotate as the plan comes alive. The soldiers equipped with the smoke guns will bombard the divryn while the others poke it with spears and arrows. Your divryn will then slowly be pushed back and cornered against the dilapidated yet sturdy ruins of the flag tower. Geoff and Ymir will lead two teams of three soldiers each and set dynamite blocks on the weak pillars of the clock tower. If your calculations are right, the top half of the tower will come crashing down on the divryn, hopefully killing it or to the most breaking a limb or two. After briefing the team on their roles, you set off to find the Captain to tell him about your plan. On your first step out the door, you hear the divryn roar and see the Captain shouting orders from the flank. You run towards the Captain while dodging all the rubble and feeling the air brush your face. Up close you see a bloody and bruised Sabel charge the divryn on top of her mount. The divryn swings its horned snout and rams into Sabel's horse. Sabel falls to the ground and her head lands on a boulder with a sickening thud and she doesn't rise. *page_break Now comes the tough part.... It's foul gaze never leaving Sabel, the beast stalks towards her and raises the hammer end of its tail. All the soldiers including you watch in horror as the huge ball like end flies down. The blow would have connected and smashed Sabel's skull like an overripe melon if it wasn't for Cpt. Raskouri. Running into the fray, he pulls Sabel's body away at the last second. The impact of the divryn's tail with the ground is so strong that the ground trembles. Losing his balance the Captain trips to the ground with Sabel's body shielded in his arms. The divryn swings its tail again and the captain rolls away throwing Sabel into the arms of Sergeant T, who rushes to help him. Pulling Sabel onto his shoulder, Sarge retreats. Alone and with the divryn's gaze pinned on him, the captain and the beast move in a strange game of cat and mouse. You can see the exhaustion in his movements and the will to fight in his eyes even from this far. "Lt. Dexer, you have got to do something! At this rate the Captain is going to get himself killed." "Change of plan! Geoff, I need a soldier capable of orchestrating the plan in my place." "That would be Qurien, ${sir}!" "Corporal Qurien, I am going to try and save the Captain. I'll distract the divryn and pull the captain out, when the moment is right I need you to fire the first flair. "Yes, ${sir}!" Geoff grabs Ymir, who rolls up her sleeves and pins back her hair before following him and the others. If your plan works and the tactic is effective, it buys you time. It might not kill the divryn but it may weaken it considerably. You take off towards the divryn, if you don't get there in time the captain could lose his life. The captain is doing his best to duck and avoid the blows, but the divryn shows no sign of stopping or tiring. In fact, it seems to get more furious at every failed attempt. The man is running on fumes now, and time is running out. If you are not fast enough, he will die of exhaustion before the divryn gets him. Its now or never. *goto 43 *label 42 "They are stashed next to the swords and assorted blades section. There should be about 15 barrels left since half the building has collapsed in." You order three men to fetch the barrels, while you formulate your plan. Geoff pulls out the map from his boot, while Ymir wraps a bandage around your wounded arm. In all the bustle, you didn't even notice the cut until she pointed it out. *if (Lore < 60) You frown and try to recall everything you know about Category Ds. Sadly your memory fails you and you begin regretting your decision. A vague idea comes to your mind and you decide to light the fire barrels and throw them at the divryn. They will explode on contact and harm it. *if (Lore > 60) One weakness all Divryns share is that they hate fire. Cat Ds however, hate fire with an unrivalled passion. The researchers say that once the scales and dead skin warts on the divryn's skin catch fire, they don't burn. No, it becomes an itch that the divryn cannot scratch. Like a monkey going nuts because of all the fleas on it. Once the layer of warts are burnt, the under skin is sensitive to heat and will burn like paper. The plan is to dissolve the flare powder in tubes of looter grease. Looter grease is an ingenious pyrotechnic chemical that is used in making torches for the Cavalry and Night Hunters. It does not spread or die out when you drop the torch. You could roll the damn torch down a hill and it would still be lit. Tying the pouches of this mixture to arrows, your soldiers will fire them on the divryn. This should keep it distracted and remove your injured and tired soldiers from the fray. Then comes the next phase, you use flaming arrows on the divryn and set it on fire. Since it might scare your soldiers if you cackle like an evil genius, you do it on the inside. If your plan works, it will be enough to wound or luck is on your side, kill the divryn. You brief the team and give everyone their orders, you make three teams, Team A will be led by Geoff and they will prepare the mix. Team B includes Ymir and all the eligible archers. Team C involves all the soldiers who will pull out their tired and injured comrades. Your job is to orchestrate the entire plan and make sure everything runs smoothly. *page_break Now comes the tough part.... You set off to find the Captain to tell him your plan. On your first step out the door, you hear the divryn roar and see the Captain shouting orders from the flank. You run towards the Captain while dodging the rubble and feeling the air brush your face. Up close you see a bloody and bruised Sabel charge the divryn on top of her mount. The divryn swings its horned snout and rams into Sabel's horse. Sabel falls to the ground and her head lands on a boulder with a sickening thud and she doesn't rise. It's foul gaze never leaving Sabel, the beast stalks towards her and raises the hammer end of its tail. All the soldiers including you watch in horror as the huge ball like end flies down. The blow would have connected and smashed Sabel's skull like an overripe melon if it wasn't for Cpt. Raskouri. Running into the fray, he pulls Sabel's body away at the last second. The impact of the divryn's tail with the ground is so strong that the ground trembles. Losing his balance the Captain trips to the ground with Sabel's body shielded in his arms. The divryn swings its tail again and the captain rolls away throwing Sabel into the arms of Sergeant T, who rushes to help him. Pulling Sabel onto his shoulder, Sarge retreats. Alone and with the divryn's gaze pinned on him, the captain and the beast move in a strange game of cat and mouse. You can see the exhaustion in his movements and the will to fight in his eyes even from this far. "Lt. Dexer, you have got to do something! At this rate the Captain is going to get himself killed." "Change of plan! Geoff, I need a soldier capable of orchestrating the plan in my place." "That would be Qurien, ${sir}!" "Corporal Qurien, I am going to try and save the Captain. I'll distract the divryn and pull the captain out, when the moment is right I need you to fire the first arrow. "Yes, ${sir}!" Geoff grabs Ymir, who rolls up her sleeves and pins back her hair before following him and the others. If your plan works it buys you time. It might not kill the divryn but it may weaken it considerably. You take off towards the divryn, if you don't get there in time the captain could lose his life. The captain is doing his best to duck and avoid the blows, but the divryn shows no sign of stopping or tiring. In fact, it seems to get more furious at every failed attempt. The man is running on fumes now, and time is running out. If you are not fast enough, he will die of exhaustion before the divryn gets him. Its now or never. *goto 43 *label 43 *choice # No, you are fast enough. Think speed. *goto 44 # Aha! That boulder teetering on the edge of the tower, should make a good distraction. But its going to need all your muscle power. *goto 45 # You may not be fast enough , but you are smart enough to make it in time. *goto 46 # If you do this right, you could sneak up a surprise attack. *goto 47 # You will not break, mind over body. You WILL be fast. *goto 48 # Maybe, you need to look at the bigger picture here. There must be some wound or weakness you can exploit. *goto 49 *label 44 *if (Speed > 40) You clear your mind and focus all your energy to your legs. Pacing your breathing and pumping your arms, your legs carry you as fast as they can. You watch as the divryn swings its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is out cold. Sprinting like a divryn with its tail on fire, you duck and tackle the captain to safety. The divryn's feet come down with such force that the ground cracks and trembles. You and the captain roll to safety with you on top of him. The troops cheer at your epic save and the captain mumbles, "As much as I love you ${name}, I need you to get off me so that I can breathe." With your help the Captain stands on his own feet before collapsing again. He coughs blood before looking you in the eye, "I am in no condition to take command. I hereby pass the mantle of CO to my 2IC, 1st Lt. Dexer. ${name}, you insane ${boy}....kill that bastard for me." The captain faints in your arms and the soldiers kneeling beside you, volunteer to carry him to the medics. You stand and dust your clothes. *set Exhaustion %+20 *set Wounds +2 *set Health %-20 *set Cpt "alive" *if (Speed < 40) You rush towards the beast as fast as your legs can carry you. Your lungs feel like they are going to burst and your muscles ache. You watch as the divryn swings its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is too exhausted to defend himself. Just as you reach your arm out to grab him, the divryn's feet come down with a thunderous boom. Dust and blood flies on your face and torso as you land on your back. Your muscles screaming in protest, you try to get back on your feet. Holding your hand up, you see it covered in dark crimson blood. The Captain's blood is literally on your hands. You failed and made a choice that resulted in the death of a man who had your back for the past four years. Standing there in shock, the memories of the captain flash in your mind as you watch the divryn devour the squashed remains of the man who placed his trust in you. Look where that got him. Finished with the captain, the divryn turns its murderous gaze on you. It roars and charges at you. You watch its red maw, stained with his blood. Did the captain feel any pain? Did he know that you were coming to save him? Is that why he didn't defend himself? Because he trusted YOU. Lost in your thoughts, you barely move a muscle as it opens its mouth to scream at you. Suddenly out of nowhere, an arm wraps around your waist and you are pulled onto running horse. You break out of your daze and mumble "It ate him..." "Its not your fault Lt. ${name}. You jumped in front of a beast that had the rest of us pissing our pants." The soldier pulls the reins and the horse comes to a stop. You slowly slide off and look up at the starless sky. Taking a deep breath, you pull yourself together. *set Exhaustion %+30 *set Wounds +3 *set Health %-30 *set Cpt "dead" *goto 50 *label 45 You change direction and run up the platform, your legs pumping like the pistons in a cavalier 140 cannon gun. Up close, the boulder is a lot bigger than you had expected it to be. Your eyes scan for any object that you can use as leverage. There, underneath the boulder is a wooden beam. You wrap your hands around the beam and push down with all your strength. You watch as the divryn swings its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is out cold. *if (Strength > 40) The muscles of your arms strain the material of your shirt as you grit your teeth and push. A crack issues through the beam and it snaps like a twig, shifting the position of the boulder and the rubble underneath it gives away. The boulder rolls down and collides with the divryn's snout, causing it to sway sideways and away from the captain. You jump off the edge of the platform and trail your way down, you rush in and throw the captain over your shoulder and run as fast as your legs can carry you. The troops cheer as you as carry him to safety and gently set him down. You leave him in the capable hands of the medics and rush off to find Geoff. *set Exhaustion %+20 *set Wounds +2 *set Health %-20 *set Cpt "alive" *if (Strength < 40) Your palms are sore and your arms are trembling and you still push. Just when you feel like you are getting close, you hear a thundering blast like a explosion. You peek over the edge of the platform and see the divryn tearing apart what remains of the captain. Blood drips down its maw, painting the ground a dark crimson. Your head spins and you feel bile burning the back of your throat, your feet move of their own accord and you trip, rolling down the platform before colliding into the pile of rubble below. Throbbing all over, the back of your head is damp with blood and your vision is a little blurry as your aching and scraped body attempts to stand. The Captain is dead and now the fate of your unit and all of Sienna rests on your shoulders. *set Exhaustion %+30 *set Wounds +3 *set Health %-30 *set Cpt "dead" *goto 50 *label 46 *if (Intelligence > 40) You stop in your tracks as your eyes land on the horse cart standing next to the unit's dinner hall. Sprinting towards the cart, you check the wheels to see if its sturdy enough for what you have in mind. Turning around, you look for a.....Aha! There it is. You rush towards a soldier riding a brown mare and pull him off before grabbing the reins and mounting. The soldier shocked by the actions of his officer watches you with his mouth hanging open, as you flick the reins and ride towards the cart. Jumping off you gently steer the mare ahead of the cart and attach the harness to her saddle. Your fingers work on the harness and you remove the small dagger attached to the saddle and cut a slice through the leather fastening of the harness. Patting her shoulder, you mount her again and canter towards the divryn. Instead of meeting the divryn head on, you canter up the raised brick platform and move at full speed. The mare upon seeing the divryn gets nervous but doesn't stop. Up close, you can see the divryn swing its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain who is out cold. As you near the edge, you brandish the dagger and cut off the leather straps attaching the cart to your horse. Being a cavalry horse, the mare jumps off the edge without an ounce of fear. Time slows and tiny butterflies jump in your stomach as you fly over the divryn. Pulling the reins in tight, your mount lands on her feet with all the grace of a snow leopard. You turn around just in time to see the wooden cart fly off the edge and crash into the divryn's ugly snout. The beast is shaken and moves sideways, its feet missing the captain by an inch. Grasping the opportunity, you click your heels into her sides and ride towards the captain. Pulling half your body off the saddle and pushing your weight onto the stirrup holding only your left foot, you reach out and grab the captain. The muscles of your arms straining, you push his weight onto you and then pull him onto the horse. You straighten up and adjust your body over the saddle as the mare carries the both of you to safety. The soldiers cheer and pat your back as you dismount. You pat the mare' neck before she is led towards the medical wing with an unconscious Captain laid across her back. *set Exhaustion %+20 *set Wounds +2 *set Health %-20 *set Cpt "alive" *if (Intelligence < 40) You rush towards the beast as fast as your legs can carry you. You try your best to think up something more efficient but your mind fails you.Your lungs feel like they are going to burst and your muscles ache. You watch as the divryn swings its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is too exhausted to defend himself. Just as you reach your arm out to grab him, the divryn's feet come down with a thunderous boom. Dust and blood flies on your face and torso as you land on your back. Your muscles screaming in protest, you try to get back on your feet. Holding your hand up, you see it covered in dark crimson blood. The Captain's blood is literally on your hands. You failed and made a choice that resulted in the death of a man who had your back for the past four years. Standing there in shock, the memories of the captain flash in your mind as you watch the divryn devour the squashed remains of the man who placed his trust in you. Look where that got him. Finished with the captain, the divryn turns its murderous gaze on you. It roars and charges at you. You watch its red maw, stained with his blood. Did the captain feel any pain? Did he know that you were coming to save him? Is that why he didn't defend himself? Because he trusted YOU. Lost in your thoughts, you barely move a muscle as it opens its mouth to scream at you. Suddenly out of nowhere, an arm wraps around your waist and you are pulled onto running horse. You break out of your daze and mumble "It ate him..." "Its not your fault Lt. ${name}. You jumped in front of a beast that had the rest of us pissing our pants." The soldier pulls the reins and the horse comes to a stop. You slowly slide off and look up at the starless sky. Taking a deep breath and pulling yourself together. *set Exhaustion %+30 *set Wounds +3 *set Health %-30 *set Cpt "dead" *goto 50 *label 47 Cat D's eyesight is based on movement and the pads of their feet are sensitive to vibrations. That makes it nearly impossible to sneak up on them, because they can literally feel you sneaking up on them. You are going to have to be really careful for this. The divryn is standing right next to the half broken raised platform meant for announcements and such. There is a door that opens into the office of The M.P chief right behind the platform. Then there is the other door a little distance away from the first that leads to the M.P's quarters. The rubble gives you excellent cover, all you need is a bag of stones to scatter and distract the divryn. You collect handfuls of stone and small pieces of rubble into a leather waterskin. With that tied to your waist, you run through the hollow tunnels underneath the platform and open the door, a sliver to observe the situation. The divryn is busy toying with the captain and pays you no attention as you sneak up right beside it. All it has to do is shift its right leg and you will be reduced to a pulp. Up close, you can see the divryn swing its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is out cold. *if (Stealth > 40) You immediately rip open the waterskin and let the stones and pebbles roll near its hind legs. Its attention diverted the divryn turns and brings its feet down, mere inches away from squashing the captain. You gently scoop up the captain and pull him onto your back before noiselessly opening the other door and disappearing through it. You walk out amidst the cheering of your soldiers. Two medics come forward and carry the Captain to safety. *set Exhaustion %+20 *set Wounds +2 *set Health %-20 *set Cpt "alive" *if (Stealth < 40) Sneaking up, you accidentally bump your elbow into a half broken wall. The wall comes crumbling down, alerting the divryn to your presence. It turns and snarls at you, before bashing its tail into the wall behind you. You duck and escape through the other door in the nick of time. Suddenly, you hear a thundering blast like an explosion. You peek through the door and see the divryn tearing apart what remains of the captain. Blood drips down its maw, painting the ground a dark crimson. Your head spins and you feel bile burning the back of your throat, your feet move of their own accord and you trip, falling through the partially demolished wall behind you. Throbbing all over, the back of your head is damp with blood and your vision is a little blurry as your aching and scraped body attempts to stand. The Captain is dead and now the fate of your unit and all of Sienna rests on your shoulders. *set Exhaustion %+30 *set Wounds +3 *set Health %-30 *set Cpt "dead" *goto 50 *label 48 *if (Willpower > 40) You will be fast enough, even if it kills you. Only you can do it and you will do it. Pacing your breathing and pumping your arms, your legs carry you as fast as they can. ${name} Dexer always pulls through and you are going to be FAST. You watch as the divryn swings its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is out cold. Sprinting like a divryn with its tail on fire, you duck and tackle the captain to safety. The divryn's feet come down with such force that the ground cracks and the earth trembles. You and the captain roll to safety with you on top of him. The troops cheer at your epic save and the captain mumbles, "As much as I love you ${name}, I need you to get off me so that I can breathe." With your help the Captain stands on his own feet before collapsing again. He coughs blood before looking you in the eye, "I am in no condition to take command. I hereby pass the mantle of CO to my 2IC, 1st Lt. Dexer. ${name}, you insane ${boy}....kill that bastard for me." The captain faints in your arms and the soldiers kneeling beside you, volunteer to carry him to the medics. You stand and dust your clothes. *set Exhaustion %+20 *set Wounds +2 *set Health %-20 *set Cpt "alive" *if (Willpower < 40) You will be fast enough, even if it kills you. Only you can do it and you will do it. You rush towards the beast as fast as your legs can carry you. Your lungs feel like they are going to burst and your muscles ache. You watch as the divryn swings its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is too exhausted to defend himself. Just as you reach your arm out to grab him, the divryn's feet come down with a thunderous boom. Dust and blood flies on your face and torso as you land on your back. Your muscles screaming in protest, you try to get back on your feet. Holding your hand up, you see it covered in dark crimson blood. The Captain's blood is literally on your hands. You failed and made a choice that resulted in the death of a man who had your back for the past four years. Standing there in shock, the memories of the captain flash in your mind as you watch the divryn devour the squashed remains of the man who placed his trust in you. Look where that got him. Finished with the captain, the divryn turns its murderous gaze on you. It roars and charges at you. You watch its red maw, stained with his blood. Did the captain feel any pain? Did he know that you were coming to save him? Is that why he didn't defend himself? Because he trusted YOU. Lost in your thoughts, you barely move a muscle as it opens its mouth to scream at you. Suddenly out of nowhere, an arm wraps around your waist and you are pulled onto running horse. You break out of your daze and mumble "It ate him..." "Its not your fault Lt. ${name}. You jumped in front of a beast that had the rest of us pissing our pants." The soldier pulls the reins and the horse comes to a stop. You slowly slide off and look up at the starless sky. Taking a deep breath and pulling yourself together. *set Exhaustion %+30 *set Wounds +3 *set Health %-30 *set Cpt "dead" *goto 50 *label 49 You change course and run up the platform instead of running straight at the divryn. Rushing to the edge, you get a closer view of the beast and study it for any weakness or injuries. *if (Perception > 40) Then you spot a spear embedded halfway through its armour, just below its eye. All you need is to push it a little deeper and it will definitely cause enough pain to distract the beast. You look around for something to use as a hammer, while scratching your head underneath the helmet. Inspiration strikes and you take off your helmet, stuffing stones into it. You wrap the overall product with a piece of your sleeve, making a perfect throwing ball. Up close, you see the divryn swing its tail and the spikes collide with the captain's shoulder. Blood blossoms like a serifian rose on his shirt as he collides with the ground. Triumphant, the divryn rears on its haunches and brings its feet down to crush the captain, who is out cold. You throw the helmet and with luck your aim strikes true. The divryn shrieks in pain and misses the captain's unconscious body by a good distance. You jump off the edge of the platform and trail your way down, you rush in and throw the captain over your shoulder and run as fast as your legs can carry you. The troops cheer as you as carry him to safety and gently set him down. You leave him in the capable hands of the medics and rush off to find Geoff. *set Exhaustion %+20 *set Wounds +2 *set Health %-20 *set Cpt "alive" *if (Perception < 40) Try as you might, your vision blurs and tears prick your eyes as you try to find anything that can help you beat this monster. Just when you feel like you are getting close, you hear a thundering blast like a explosion. You peek over the edge of the platform and see the divryn tearing apart what remains of the captain. Blood drips down its maw, painting the ground a dark crimson. Your head spins and you feel bile burning the back of your throat, your feet move of their own accord and you trip, rolling down the platform before colliding into the pile of rubble below. Throbbing all over, the back of your head is damp with blood and your vision is a little blurry as your aching and scraped body attempts to stand. The Captain is dead and now the fate of your unit and all of Sienna rests on your shoulders. *set Exhaustion %+30 *set Wounds +3 *set Health %-30 *set Cpt "dead" *goto 50 *label 50 *page_break Now comes the moment of truth.... *if (St = "M") *goto 51 *if (St = "E") *goto 52 *if (St = "T") *goto 53 *if (St = "L") *goto 54 *label 51 A piercing roar brings you back to the present as you turn around to stare at the source. You watch as Geoff and the others distract and irk the divryn as Ymir throws the bottle into the divryn's open mouth. The creature snaps its jaw shut and proceeds to run over your entire squadron. Fortunately the others see this coming and get to cover as the beast gets ready to charge. *if (Medicine < 60) It stops in its tracks and begins shaking its head. A spark of hope alights in your heart as you watch it sway on its feet like Sabel after 4 mugs of Ale. *goto 55 *if (Medicine > 60) Just when it is about to take its first step, it stops. The divryn sways on its feet like Sabel after 4 mugs of Ale. It shakes its head and then lets out a loud whine of pain. Well it looks like your little concoction is working. The soldiers gently back up and Geoff, Ymir along with the rest of your squadron come to a stop beside you. "Damn, Lt. ${name}! Its actually working! It stopped", says Ymir looking at you with admiration. "Will the it die now?" asks Geoff in a whisper. You bite your lip and stare at the divryn. It looks drowsy and lethargic. Now might be a good time to advance and kill it. A sliver of doubt crawls its way into your mind. [i]What if its waiting for you to attack?[/i] Before you can carry down that road, the divryn's skin starts releasing steam and its eyes start watering. It lets out a loud belch followed by a low groan. Shaking its head, you watch as it opens it mouth once or twice. "$!{sir}...I have a feeling that....its going to....be..sick...", whispers Ymir. "Cat Ds are supposed to be stupid.....it's not smart enough...right....${sir}." Now that you think about it, the divryn does look like its going to vomit. "Geoff, tell the soldiers to back up. I have a bad feeling about this." "Yes, ${sir}". Geoff passes the order down the grapevine and the troops back up, as you continue watching the divryn. Suddenly without warning the divryn takes three steps forward before shaking its head like a mad bull. Finally as if giving up, the divryn lets out a long growl before opening its maw and spilling black tar like bile. Some soldiers wince, while others bravely try to hold back their dinner. Others lacking the self control, mimic the divryn and let their dinner spill onto the brown tiles. The melodious sounds of gagging, retching and groaning assault your ears and you start to feel a little queasy yourself. Ymir standing next to you groans and put her hands over her mouth. [b]" Corporal Ymir! Don't you dare throw up! Swallow it this instant!"[/b], growls Geoff. Ymir winces as she visibly swallows and takes a deep breath. You continue watching the divryn spill the contents of its stomach and an odd thought hits you. [i]Steam and vomiting, liquid content....is it detoxifying itself?[/i] [i]Category Ds do not have the body system to pull something like this....does this mean that this creature is something new...[/i] [i]Are the divryns....evolving?[/i] Finally dry of any more liquid content, the divryn closes its maw before letting out a loud belch that make you scowl in disgust. Shadowing its every movement, you watch as its skin begins steaming again. "Oh...crap...", mumbles Ymir. *goto 56 *label 52 Shrugging off your insecurities, you turn around and wait for Ymir to fire the RT. You wait for the RT cannon to fire. As the minutes pass by, dread settles in the pit of your stomach. *if (Engineering < 60) A Red flare is fired from the west tower. Fear and desperation squeeze your heart as you watch the red light signalling that your plan failed. The cannon has malfunctioned. You watch Geoff and your squadron sprint towards you. "It...didn't..work.. ${sir}", pants Geoff as he reaches your side. "I am sorry...${sir}..I tried..but..it..just wouldn't fire...", mumbles Ymir. You turn and glare daggers at the divryn. Biting your lower lip, you order "Arms up", and move to plot your next move. *goto 55 *if (Engineering > 60) Suddenly a loud boom echoes throughout the post and you see the bright red flash of cannon fire. The shell whistles through the air and collides with the divryn's body in a flash of fire and smoke. Roaring in pain, the divryn tumbles to the ground as the soldiers all around you cheer and hoot. Its armour has cracked like an egg shell and black blood oozes from its wound. The divryn whines and grunts in pain before lying still. You see Geoff and Ymir followed by your squadron run through the fog of dust and matter. "WE DID IT LT. DEXER! IT WORKED!", screams Ymir with a delirious smile. Your lips twitch in a frown as you feel a sudden restlessness clash with your joy. [i]Is it dead...or merely..pretending....[/i] "Geoff, hand me the binoculars." Without a hint of doubt in his eyes, Geoff plucks the binoculars from his pack and hands it to you. Bringing the binoculars to your eyes, you focus on the divryn's chest. At first there is no movement but then you see it rise a sliver. Blinking twice, you raise it again and there you see it again. The slow rising and falling of its chest. You trail along its chest to its face and nearly drop the binoculars when your eyes meet its ruby ones staring back at you. *goto 56 *label 53 Pulling out the green flare gun from the harness tied around your thigh, you hold it up and block your ear with the other hand. You squeeze the trigger and the cartridge ejects, painting the night sky a brilliant green. A blue flare rises up and erupts into a brilliant fan of indigo sparkles. The plan is in motion. You watch as the soldiers of your squadron fire the coloured smoke guns at the divryn. Green and pink smoke blinds the divryn as it swings its head randomly trying to make its way past. The next step falls in place perfectly as the soldiers poke and prod at it with elongated spears pushing it towards the ruins. The divryn is now cornered and lashing out blindly. It can't see and is right under the clock tower's shadow. Dust flies as four explosions are simultaneously set off. The bricks pillars holding the clock tower give away and the tower comes crashing down. *if (Tactics < 60) To your horror and disappointment, the clock tower falls on the opposite side and crushes the soldiers posted there. The smoke has started to thin and with its vision returned, the divryn charges again. This time it tramples everyone in its immediate surroundings. Squashing your soldiers like grapes. Geoff and the soldiers of your squadron run to you. "Shit....it...fell.....the..other...way...", pants Geoff as he comes to stand at your side. "Sorry, Lt. Dexer....we didn't have a clue...", mumbles Ymir. Disheartened you turn your gaze on the beast and watch it massacre your troops. *goto 55 *if (Tactics > 60) The tower spear flies and pierces the divryn's back. Rubble and bricks follow and land in chunks on top of the divryn burying it underneath. A blanket of dust rolls over the surrounding area. Trying to peer into the fog of dust, you see Geoff and the soldiers of your squadron running towards you. "We....got...it...man...that...was...rough..", hacks Geoff. "That...was...a..really..brilliant...plan...Lt. ${name}", mumbles Ymir with a smile. The soldiers cheer and hoot. Ymir hands you the flare gun. "If you would do us the honours, ${sir}." Your lips twitch up in a smile. "At least wait for the dust to settle, Ymir" "Oh right....can't be too careful." Once the dust settles, you can't see any sign of the divryn buried underneath all the rubble, except for a part of the tower spear poking through. A small frown blossoms on your features as you spy the spear. Your nerve ends are tingling and you know in your bones that the divryn is still breathing. As if confirming your theory the divryn pops out from underneath the rubble like a daisy out of snow. The spear sticks out of its armour looking like an elongated spike. Icky black blood drips down the side resembling the veins of an infected limb. *goto 56 *label 54 Pulling out the green flare gun from the harness tied around your thigh, you hold it up and block your ear with the other hand. You squeeze the trigger and the cartridge ejects, painting the night sky a brilliant green. *if (Lore < 60) Just as you had planned, the barrels are lit on fire and tossed at the divryn. The massive Cat D doesn't even blink as the barrels bounce off its armour and fall to the ground. It swings its tail and takes out 5 of your soldiers who were positioned to throw the barrels. *goto 55 *if (Lore > 60) Acting on your signal, the archers standing on the surrounding buildings let loose the first volley of arrows. A tiny fact that people often forget is that Cat D's armour is tougher than diamonds and that's why weapons and arrows tend to bounce off. To overcome this setback, you had ordered the soldiers to tie the arrows with thin skin pouches which burst on impact. The pouches burst like overripe tomatoes and splatter greyish black potent mix all over the divryn. Once the arrows holding the pouches are exhausted, the soldiers on ground work on distracting the divryn. Ymir and Geoff light torches and go around distributing the flame to all the archers. The second volley of flaming arrows flies true and the divryn lights up like a candle. It shrieks in terror and stomps its feet trying to escape the fire. Geoff and the rest of your squadron rush towards you like its their tails on fire. "WE DID IT! ONE FRIED DIVRYN COMING RIGHT UP!", shouts Ymir ecstatic. "That Divryn is toast!", exclaims Geoff. "More like roast!", cackles Ymir. Suddenly you hear a strange sizzling whistle. Your eyes go wide in shock as you watch the divryn release steam from its skin. The flames slowly begin to diminish on account of the steam. "How....is...that...possible..?" "$!{sir}, did you know that it could do that.....?" Words wither and die on your tongue as you watch the divryn shake off excess water like a wet dog. They did not teach you this at the academy. *goto 56 *label 55 It looks up and narrows its ruby gaze on you. Cold sweat drenches your uniform and shivers trail down your spine, as you realize that the Cat D has locked in on you. Swinging its tail, the divryn charges at the first line of soldiers in front of it. They couldn't even move a muscle as they are trampled over. Their blood and broken bodies stain the earth a dark maroon, resembling squashed red grapes. "Release Arms!", you shout before opening your switchblade and shield. The screams of your troops drowns out the sound of your blades unravelling. The divryn swings its tail at you and you avoid the blow by ducking. Geoff moves forward with blade in hand and tries to pierce its armour. Before any of you can scream a warning, the divryn swings its snout and sinks its teeth into his torso. It rips off his arm and swings him like a ragdoll in the mouth of a dog before throwing him away. Ymir screams and attacks the divryn in blind rage. Before she could even get one foot in front of the other, it swings its spiked tail and takes out 7 soldiers of your squadron. They all fall to the ground lifeless, with their faces and bodies mutilated and covered in blood. Turning around the Cat D pins its gaze on you. [i]Found...you...little warrior....[/i] Your eyes widen in shock and horror as the divryn bares its teeth in a feral grin. [i]SSSuuchh a sssshame....Littlllee....Warrior..was...to..beee..the...keeeeyy...to....freedom.....[/i] Icy tendrils of pure white terror wrap around your heart as you realize that the divryn is actually speaking to you. [i]Littllleee Warrior....willl....diee..now...[/i] With a vicious snarl the divryn swings the hammer end of its tail, hitting you right in the chest. You go flying across the ground and collide with a large boulder, you can feel the shattered ribs and the pulverized lungs under your bleeding and bruised torso. Pain blossoms in every fibre of your being as your vision goes blurry and blood gushes down your neck from the blow to your skull. The metallic tang of blood coats your tongue and tears prick your eyes as you try to move your hand. Excruciating pain triggers along your left leg and you realize that it has snapped like a toothpick. [i]Poooorr....Liiittttle...Warrior.....what...will...your...mother....think...when...she..sees..you..like..this...[/i] The divryn hisses at you and brings around the hammer end of its tail to raise your chin. You wince and try to shout, scream or even spit. But your tongue rests at the floor of your mouth like a rock on the riverbed. [i]Oh....but..ssshe'ssss dead....No...worries...you..can...finally..meet her....now..[/i] Pressing the hammer end deeper on your neck, the divryn starts to crush your windpipe. You thrash blindly as the pain overwhelms your entire being. Your cells scream at you as daggers of pain rip into every nook and cranny of your soul. Slowly the pain drains away, along with your energy. Your limbs stop flaying and you close your eyes. The last thing you hear is the divryn's scratchy low voice. [i]Resssst...now...Littllleee..Warrior...[/i] *page_break You died..... *ending *label 56 Your eyes go wide in horror as you watch the divryn shake its head and shrug its shoulders. It rises and narrows its blood red eyes before letting out a loud roar that has cold chills trailing down your spine. Swinging its tail, the divryn charges at the first line of soldiers in front of it. Chaos issues as the troops disperse. Sergeant T and his squadron bravely meet the charging divryn head first. The others are either watching in fear or dropping their weapons and deserting their posts. Geoff looks at you with exhaustion shining in his eyes, "What do we do now, Lt. ${name}?" Something about the fear in the man's eyes sets you off. The despair and exhaustion you felt before is now replaced with; *fake_choice # Rage of a thousand wars. Your adrenaline has now turned into the wrath of bitterness, you feel your blood boil with rage. You grab Geoff by the collar and snarl [b]"Get the Sarge and Lt. Basri! And get the troops together!"[/b] "Yes...${sir}" he stutters, before running away to carry your orders. # A Cold thirst for blood. Your body goes numb and shards of ice prick against your heart. You look up at Geoff and whatever he sees in your eyes causes him to take a step back. You say in a calm and deadly voice "Get the Sarge and Lt. Basri. And get the troops together." "Yes, ${sir}." says Geoff in a slightly trembling voice. # Morbid joy initiates a sadistic smile on your face. Your lips turn up in a cruel and frightening smile. Geoff looks at you with wide eyes and takes a step back. You laugh maniacally, "Get the Sarge and Lt.Basri. Oh and Geoff..." Geoff visibly swallows, "Yes ${sir}." "Get the troops together, I'm putting on a show." you say with a devilish smile. Geoff looks to the heavens and says "Aye, ${sir}." # Sheer determination and zeal. You knot your brows and order "Geoff, get the Sarge and Lt. Basri. I have a plan." Geoff smiles at you, "Yes, ${sir}.'' "Oh and get the troops together. How the hell are we going to fight for Sienna when we can't keep ourselves sane." Geoff stands straight and gives you a sharp salute before saying "Yes, Lieutenant Dexer." # Meh...You saw this coming and don't really care.... You huff and order "Meh...., Geoff, get the Sarge and Lt. Basri. I have a plan." Geoff looks at you the same way you had looked at the crack on the wall. "Okay, should I get the guys together as well?" "Pfff, yeah whatever..." you say with a roll of your eyes. Geoff shrugs his shoulders before saluting you. # Phew! This is getting tiring. "Seriously! Lord, I need a break." you rant. Geoff looks at you with child like wonder. You groan "Get the Sarge and Lt. Basri. I have a plan." "Oh, and get the guys together would you. You are in the army now!" "Yes! Lieutenant ${name}!" he says with a sharp salute. [i]There are 5 stages of a plan.[/i] [i]Plan A is your distraction. [/i] [i]Plan B is attack[/i] [i]Plan C is backup, in case Plan B fails [/i] [i]Plan D is a last resort, when you are the last line of defence.[/i] [i]Plan E is a safe withdrawal, when you have another shot [/i] You used up Plan A, B and C. Now is the time to initiate Plan D. The question of withdrawal is out. You and your soldiers are the only ones standing between this monster and the people of Sienna. This makes you the last line of defence. If this divryn pushes on, the others will trail behind it. This is how the 2nd wall wars began, you are going to end it here and now. The words of your lore instructors at the academy ring inside your head. [i]"The weakness of a Cat D is it's underbelly. It's soft like a baby's bottom and rips like a sheet of paper when knifed through."[/i] This divryn may not be your everyday Cat D, but it is built like one. Everything else that you have tried until now has failed. This is your last shot, do or die. "${name}!", shouts ${alistair}. $!{al_he} runs up to you and wraps ${al_his} arms around your shoulders. You wince as the cuts and bruises smart at the contact. "Oh Snap! I am sorry....", ${al_he} mutters pulling back gently. "It's done...There were a few engineers staying back for the celebration. With them and 58 pairs of hands, we managed to seal the breach. It's not as strong as before...but it will hold till the engineer group brings in the patch work." "Oy, Lieutenants!" Sergeant T comes to a stop in front you. He is covered from head to toe in dried blood, dirt and sweat. Not that you and ${alistair} look any better. "I saw whatcha did. It was a genius plan. The bastard has hidden talents...." "We need orders, where is the captain?" *if (Cpt = "alive") "The capn is beat but still breathing. All thanks to Lt. ${name}. The man would have crushed into a pulp if the Lieutenant hadn't swooped in like a knight in filthy uniform." You scoff indignantly as ${alistair} chuckles, "That makes you CO, ${name}." *if (Cpt = "dead") "The capn is no more. Lt. ${name} tried ${his} best but couldn't save the man." You stare at the ground as ${alistair} sighs, "That makes you CO, ${name}." "Tell me you gotcha plan as good as the older one, Lieutenant." "Well...I do have a plan. Not sure if you both are going to approve though." "Hey, something is better than nothing. Besides you are the CO here. We both are gonna follow you to the grave if we have to." Your lips twitch into a grateful smile, "The chances of me and ${alistair} going to the grave are higher than yours, Sarge." "What exactly are we doing?", asks ${alistair} with a perplexed expression. *page_break "Well..." "${alistair}, you are the fastest runner I know. That's why I need you to be bait. I need you to keep the divryn distracted while I try to get close without letting it charge at me." [b]"BLOODY HELL!!! DID YOU HIT YOUR HEAD!!"[/b], rages Sarge. "I don't see another choice here Sarge. What else do you think we should do?" [b]"GO AND ORGANIZE THE TROOPS WHILE I KILL THE SON OF A...."[/b] "It could be a girl or a person, you know..." "Really, Lt. Basri? Of all the things I just said, that's the argument you pick." "Just saying...look I am on board with ${name}'s plan. I trust ${him} and know that ${he} will pull through. We have been working as a team since we were in cribs. If there is anybody who can pull this off, its us." Sergeant T rubs a hand over his weary face. "I don't doubt either of you. But I have seen enough kids lose their lives while I stand by and watch. I don't want that to happen to you both. Let an old man take the risk." You shake your head, "No Sarge, you have to trust me. I want you to organize the troops and patch up the wall. We are all in trouble as long as that wall is down." Sergeant T frowns and sighs, "Aye ${sir}." He stands and pats you on the shoulder before setting off towards the breach. "Well, I can handle the distracting part but how will I know when to pull back?" "I'll fire the blue flare. That's going to be your cue." ${alistair} stares at ${al_his} feet, before casting a smile your way. "Good luck...${name}." *choice # You smile and pull ${al_him} in for a hug. "Try not to get eaten, okay?" $!{al_he} snorts, "Its going to be tough, but I will try." You gently release ${al_him} and turn around to walk away. "Hey...${name}." You turn. "Thanks for being the ${brother} I never had. I love you" You smile, "I love you too, my ${al_brother} from another mother." *set Friend +1 *set Genuine %+15 *set Friendly %+15 *set Compassion %+15 *goto 57 # $!{al_he} wraps ${al_his} arms around your waist and pulls you into an embrace. "I haven't been the best friend. I have kept the biggest secret of my life from you. I have always wanted to tell you....but I am afraid that I'll lose you." You bury your face in ${al_his} neck as you whisper, "What secret?" Pulling back, ${alistair} trails ${al_his} fingers along your lower lip and mutters, "I....have to go....." With that ${al_he} rushes off, before you can stop ${al_him}. *set Shy %+10 *set Flirt +1 *set Relationship %+20 *goto 57 # You wrap your arms around ${al_his} waist and pull ${al_him} close in an embrace. "Be safe, okay", you mutter and plant a kiss on ${al_his} cheek. As you pull away and turn around, ${alistair} reaches out and grabs your hand. "${name}...there is something I need to tell you..." You tilt your head in confusion and watch ${al_him} as ${al_his} eyes trail over your lips. "I....have to....go...", ${al_he} mutters with a pained expression. With that ${al_he} rushes off, before you can stop ${al_him}. *set Shy %-10 *set Relationship %+20 *set Flirt +1 *goto 57 # You nod and say, "Be safe." ${alistair} nods back at you, before rushing off. *set Friendly %-10 *set Compassion %+10 *goto 57 # You turn around, "Try not to get in my way." "Nnananan...", mutters ${alistair}, once your back is turned. *set Friendly %-10 *set Compassion %-10 *set Relationship %-10 *goto 57 *label 57 You run and hide in the half demolished building standing right across the tall platform. It is build out of brick with a wooden footing and is hollow. It hosts the M.P' quarters along with their offices. The platform is used for speeches, inspection officers during parades and the usual assemblies. You watch with baited breath as ${alistair} climbs on top and throws ${al_his} helmet at the divryn's snout. That seems to catch its attention as it snarls in anger and charges the platform. ${alistair} jumps onto the divryn and uses the spikes and horns on its armour as footholds. $!{al_he} drops to the ground and ducks a swing by its tail. So far ${al_he} is doing an excellent job and keeps the beast on its toes. Not wasting another minute, you walk out and stand a few metres away from the divryn who is busy trying to crush ${alistair}. You pull out the flare gun and load the blue cartridge. Covering your ear with one hand, you pull the trigger with the other. Picking up on the signal, ${alistair} retreats into one of the dilapidated buildings. The divryn not willing to let go so easily, follows ${al_him} and strikes the wall with its hammer studded tail. Now is your chance. *if ((wp = "bow") and (Marksmanship >= 50)) You switch open your bow and thumb on the string. Pulling a spear tipped arrow out of the quiver, you get on one knee and pull off the cartridge with your teeth. Taking a deep breath and holding it, you align the arrow and pull it back coupled with the string. Still holding your breath, you take aim....and release it. The string springs with a metallic twang and the arrow cuts through the air with a whoosh. You watch as your aim flies true. Your arrow pierces through the soft bulbous meat, piercing through the left eye of the advancing beast. The divryn screeches and howls in pain rearing up on it's hind legs. It shakes it's head trying to dislodge the arrow. The soldiers watching you cheer and watch in awe, as the arrow finds it's mark. You smile before dropping your bow and take a deep breath. Taking a step back, you wrap your fingers, around the hilt of your switchblade. You bend your knees and sprint at top speed towards the divryn. Too busy roaring in pain and trying to dislodge the arrow, it doesn't notice you coming. As you run towards it, time slows down. The divryn brings it's heavy feet down and you fall to your knees and switch open your blade. *set Exhaustion %+45 *set Health %-40 *set wounds +4 *set Leadership %+35 *if ((wp = "bow") and (Marksmanship < 50)) You switch open your bow and thumb on the string. Pulling a spear tipped arrow out of the quiver, you get on one knee and pull off the cartridge with your teeth. Taking a deep breath and holding it, you align the arrow and pull it back coupled with the string. Still holding your breath, you take aim....and release it. You miss by a small margin and the arrow bounces off the divryn's head instead of piercing it's left eye. The divryn roars and swings it's horned tail at you. You would have died, if it weren't for your training. Instinctively you drop the bow, and switch open your shield. It switches open and you tuck it against your shoulder as the spiked mace makes contact. The soldiers watching you wince and call out in worry and fear. Your shield protects you from the spikes but the force behind the swing sweeps you off your feet and your back slams against a pillar. You wince in pain and taste blood in your mouth. The divryn bares it's teeth at you and bellows a war cry before rearing on it's hind legs. You stand on your feet and bend your knees, goading it to attack you. The divryn takes the bait and comes at you, it's nostrils flaring steam. Wrapping your fingers around the hilt of your switchblade, you sprint towards the approaching Cat D. Once you are close enough to see the individual warts on it's hide, the divryn rears back on it's hind legs in an attempt to crush you beneath it's feet. Finding the opening you were waiting for, you drop to your knees and switch open your blade. *set Exhaustion %+55 *set Wounds +6 *set Health %-35 *set Leadership %-30 *if ((wp = "daggers") and (Melee >= 50)) You pull your brawling daggers from their sheath. Bending your knees slightly, you position your weight and feet. The divryn comes at you and swings it's spiked tail. You spring forward and block the swing by locking your twin daggers with two spikes and twist, yanking the spikes from their roots. You then twist you torso and your feet move in tandem with your honed instincts. The divryn screams in agony as black blood oozes from the two holes and you stab your daggers into these spots and twist before pulling the daggers out. Blackish tar like blood and strips of necrotic flesh drip down your daggers, causing them to steam. You drop the daggers and back off as the divryn thrashes it's tail around, howling in pain. Some soldiers cheer and whistle while others stare in awe, as they watch you. Distracted, the divryn doesn't notice you backing away from it. You walk backwards your eyes never leaving the Cat D. Satisfied with the distance you have created between yourself and the beast, you wrap your fingers around the hilt of your switchblade. Rotating your neck and shoulders, you bend your knees and shift your weight onto your toes. You wait for the divryn to stand on it's haunches and then break into a sprint towards it. As the divryn sees you running towards it, snarling it brings it's legs down to crush you. But you are smarter and at the last minute you drop to your knees and switch open your blade. *set Exhaustion %+45 *set Health %-40 *set wounds +4 *set Leadership %+35 *if ((wp = "daggers") and (Melee < 50)) You pull your brawling daggers from their sheath. Bending your knees slightly, you position your weight and feet. The divryn comes at you and swings it's spiked tail. You spring forward and try to lock your daggers into a pair of spikes, but due to lack of skill, your lock doesn't hold and one of the spikes pierces your arm. You pull back and roll away from it's next swing. Shards of pain lance up your arm and your hand comes away sticky with red blood, when you press it over the wound. The soldiers watching you wince and call out in worry and fear. The divryn snarls and flare it's nostrils bellowing steam. You pull down your sleeve over the wound and drop your daggers, you glare back at it as you duck and roll away from it's next swing. Wrapping your fingers around the hilt of your switchblade, you sprint towards the Cat D. Once you are close enough to see the individual warts on it's hide, the divryn rears back on it's hind legs in an attempt to crush you beneath it's feet. Finding the opening you were waiting for, you drop to your knees and switch open your blade. *set Exhaustion %+55 *set Wounds +6 *set Health %-35 *set Leadership %-30 *if ((wp = "sword") and (Swordsmanship >= 50)) You grip the sword by the hilt and pull it from the sheath on your back. The moonlight gleams on the sharp edges of the blade. You wrap your hands around the hilt and adjust your grip. The Divryn comes at you and swings it's massive spiked tail. You raise your sword and deflect the hit with your sword. The strong iron and diamond fibre blade holds strong as it strikes against the spikes. As you twist and deflect, the divryn opens it's jaws and tries to bite you. Seizing the moment you thrust the sword down it's lower jaw. The sword pierces through its tongue, the sharp end protruding out from under it's jaw. It screams in agony and stupidly clamps it's mouth, digging the sword deeper. You back away as the divryn shakes and bangs it's head against the ground trying to dislodge the sword. Walking backwards, till you are satisfied with the distance between you and the divryn. You bend your knees and shift your weight onto the balls of your feet. Then you sprint at full speed towards the divryn, who rears back on it's hind legs. Grabbing your shot, when you drop to your knees and slide across the ground. *set Exhaustion %+45 *set Health %-40 *set Leadership %+35 *set wounds +4 *if ((wp = "sword") and (Swordsmanship < 50)) You grip the sword by the hilt and pull it from the sheath on your back. The moonlight gleams on the sharp edges of the blade. You wrap your hands around the hilt and adjust your grip. The Divryn comes at you and swings it's massive spiked tail. You raise your sword to deflect the hit, but due to lack of skill and practice, the tail swings through and a spike hits you right in the middle of your chest. The strength of the blow, makes you fly through the air like a kite, and you land against a pillar. You wince in pain and taste blood in your mouth. The divryn bares it's teeth at you and bellows a war cry before rearing on it's hind legs. You get to your feet and bend your knees, goading it to attack you. The divryn takes the bait and comes at you, it's nostrils flaring steam. Wrapping your fingers around the hilt of your switchblade, you sprint towards the approaching Cat D. Once you are close enough to see the individual warts on it's hide, the divryn rears back on it's hind legs in an attempt to crush you beneath it's feet. Finding the opening you were waiting for, you drop to your knees and switch open your blade. *set Exhaustion %+55 *set Wounds +6 *set Health %-35 *set Leadership %-30 *if ((wp = "spear") and (Weapons >= 50)) You pull the spear to elongate it. Without the spear head, it looks like a very long baton. Bending your knees and shifting your weight onto your toes, you massage the prototype weapon in your hand. This weapon was built by the regiment of engineers during the last few weeks of the 2nd war. You wait for the divryn to come at you and prepare yourself for the inevitable attack. The Divryn comes at you and swings it's massive spiked tail, you duck and roll away from the first and the second swing as well. Annoyed that you managed to escape, the divryn bares it's teeth and roars at you. Seizing your chance, you aim the weapon under it's jaw and pull the switch. The metal expands and spikes seem to unravel from it. The spear head pierces through the mouth all the way to the divryn's right nostril. Smaller metal dagger like spikes pierce and lock onto it's tongue and jaws. Some soldiers cheer and whistle while others stare in awe, as they watch you. You get to your feet and back up as fast as you can, you pull out your switchblade and wrap your fingers around the hilt. Taking a deep breath, you sprint towards the flaying beast. The divryn is so busy, roaring in agony and trying to shake out the spear, that it doesn't pay any attention to it's surroundings. It rears onto its haunches, giving you the opening that you have been waiting for. Right as you are close enough to see the pus filled warts on its hide, you drop to your knees and skid across the ground. *set Exhaustion %+45 *set Health %-40 *set Leadership %+35 *set wounds +4 *if ((wp = "spear") and (Weapons < 50)) You pull the spear to elongate it. Without the spear head, it looks like a very long baton. Bending your knees and shifting your weight onto your toes, you massage the prototype weapon in your hand. This weapon was built by the regiment of engineers during the last few weeks of the 2nd war. You wait for the divryn to come at you and prepare yourself for the inevitable attack. The Divryn comes at you and swings it's massive spiked tail, you duck and roll away from the first swing and manage to block the second one with your weapon. However you accidentally press the switch and the spear and spikes spark out. Pissed off, the divryn bears back and swings it's spiked tail at you again. You barely avoid getting killed, but the blow has the spikes cut into the flesh of your stomach. Gritting your teeth, you manage to pull away with blood spilling down your side. Swinging the weapon at the divryn eye, you manage to lock the spear head onto its armour. The divryn swings its head trying to brush off the spear, but to no avail. While it is distracted, you back up and pull out your switchblade. Wrapping your fingers around the hilt of your switchblade, you sprint towards the approaching Cat D. Once you are close enough to see the individual warts on it's hide, the divryn rears back on it's hind legs in an attempt to crush you beneath it's feet. Finding the opening you were waiting for, you drop to your knees and switch open your blade. *set Exhaustion %+55 *set Wounds +6 *set Health %-35 *set Leadership %-30 The momentum you have gained carries you underneath it's body. As you slide across the ground on your knees, you push the blade up and pierce it's underbelly as you slide underneath it. As you reach it's tail, you switch your blade closed and roll out from underneath it onto the pads of your feet. You stand and turn around to see the divryn standing still. Then the long gash that you had sliced into it's underbelly opens. The blood, meat, organs and what you think is it's intestines all flop to the ground like putrid jelly. Unlike humans, divryns bleed black, icky, stinky tar. It looks like someone put putrid black bile on a pile of black shit with thick large worms. Saucy piles of gut and organs steam in the moonlight and the stench is so bad it's giving you a headache. The divryn then falls sideways, it's ruby eyes no longer glowing and devoid of life. A vision of three Cat Cs and Two Cat Ds flashes in front of your eyes, as you stare at the flesh. You feel like you are solving a huge jigsaw puzzle and just found a very important piece. Your palms are sweating and your knees feel weak, but you have done it. You killed the damn beast. The soldiers cheer and whistle, while ${alistair} runs towards you and shouts "You did it ${name}". Sergeant T claps you on the back and shouts, "I knew you had it in you ${boy}!" *fake_choice # Pfff..of course I did.... what is that feeling.... # You blush under all the attention....you aren't used to being under the spotlight........that feeling.... # You grin...and it falters....is that nerves you feel.... # You freeze on spot like a stone sculpture.....why is the hair at the back of your neck tingling... # You are pretty indifferent to this hero worship....then why is your stomach doing flips..... # You roll your eyes and scowl at all the unwelcome attention......a shiver crawls it's way up your spine....wiping that scowl off your face. # Phew! That was close....way too close...you can still feel your nerves tingling.... # (Yawn) What a bore!....that was llllaaammmeeee....uhhh what's with the butterflies in your stomach.... Your vision starts getting blurry and you feel a strange restlessness. It's a strange combination of fear and excitement. You feel your feet give way and you fall to the floor on your knees. Everything goes quiet and the edges of your vision go black. You feel a pair of hands wrap around your waist. A warm calloused hand gently cradles your face, before wrapping around your shoulder. You feel the distant sensation of being lifted up and then it all goes black. *page_break .... [b]In Capital City, Sector B, Military Headquarters at 05:00 hours [/b] Air Marshal Allen Kasri stomps through the corridors with a scowl on his face. All the soldiers steer out of his way and just mutter apologies as they move past him. His military aide tries their best to keep up with his long strides. As he reaches the door to the office of the 1st GIC of the M&E Regiment, he turns around and grumbles "Go treat yourselves to some coffee...." The soldiers simply shrug, accustomed to the Air Marshal's mood swings and take off towards the break room. Still grumbling, Allen barges through the door and takes a seat on one of the leather sofas. "Dorian, this had better be good..." Surgical General Dorian Steyrs doesn't even look up from the files spread out in front of him as he mumbles, "Patience, Allen. Patience...." Grasping the hidden message behind his words Allen straightens in his seat and gives his friend a subtle nod. Whatever information Dorian is about to divulge is meant for his ears only, not for the numerous spies that the greedy nobles of Sienna have employed to spy on the military. The nobles and Courtiers were not pleased when [i]commoners[/i] like himself and Rheyan were made Marshal instead of their children. To them it is all about Power and their comfort, they couldn't give a rat's ass about the people. The fact that Rheyan and the rest of the Generals In Command wouldn't accept bribes was equivalent to rubbing salt on their bleeding egos. Allen rolled his eyes at the very thought of it. At the end of the day, their most dangerous enemy is the one that lives within the walls. *page_break knock...knock.. A young officer knocks on the door thrice before striding in. Tall with a lean build, 2nd Lt. Nizam Quereshi bolts the door behind him. He runs a slim hand through his curly brown hair as he walks towards Dorian. "It was helluva night, but I managed to secure the entire wing sir", grumbles the young man. "Excellent work. Did you manage to grab the files I told you about?", mumbles Dorian without taking his eyes off the files. "Yes sir, I sneaked them out and....", he trails off as he pulls off his hood, revealing the manilla files he had snatched. He glides across the room to where Allen is seated and hands him the bundle with a salute. "At ease 2nd Lt Oka. I thought you were at post line H56." "I was, sir." "What the hell are you doing here at the capital?" "The boy is here for a court martial.", interrupts Dorian with the hint of a smile. "Who did you punch this time?" "The CO of the Engineers group posted at H56, sir." "Was it good?" "Broke his jaw and gave him a black eye, sir." "When is the hearing scheduled?" "There will be no hearing since Evi is at the hold with Rheyan and Alix. Since I am the acting General In Command of the military right now, I decided to put the boy's skills to good use." "Uh huh...define good use." "All for a good reason Allen. Nizam, I want you on the next Aero to Galactus, with these letters. One of them is for you, burn it after you are done. Remember to be careful, because you will be followed. Am I clear?" *page_break "Crystal." Dorian gets up from his plush leather chair behind his table and picks up the sheets of paper he was working on. Striding to a cabinet near the curtained window and opens a drawer, removing 4 envelopes with his official stamp on them. He gently seals the letters inside the envelopes and encloses them with the official seal of the military. Beckoning Moua over, he hands him the envelopes and pats him on the shoulder. "Try not to get in trouble Quereshi." "Only if you promise the same, Marshal Kasri." With a parting grin that makes his dark blue eyes twinkle like sapphires, 2nd Lt. Nizam glides out the door. Allen shakes his head with a wry smile as Dorian lights a cigar. "That kid is going to make general one day." "If he doesn't get discharged for beating the crap out of some nobles that is." "Why was a Night Hunter sent to H56 in the first place?" "Punishment for kicking Governor Wallace between the legs and breaking both his legs." Dorian takes a deep puff of his cigar before passing it to Allen. He accepts it with a raised brow and a question in his gaze. Dorian massages his forehead with a sigh. "Wall Galactus was breached approximately 9 hours ago..." Allen glares at his friend before snarling, [b]"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!"[/b] "I know, calm down. We don't want the entire building to hear us." "Isn't that where ${name} is posted? Is ${he} safe? Please tell me nothing happened to ${him}!" "That's the thing.....${name} and the blond kid thwarted the attack and secured the post. I got a full report in code, from the Sergeant Major of ${his} post. The man is a retired Night Hunter, one by the name of Sergeant Major Felix Treelawney." "Wait....the terrifying guy, who helped me when I crashed? That Felix?" "Mhmmm....that's the one." "But you still didn't tell me whether ${name} is safe....." "Easy....Allen....${he} is safe...but currently unconscious. Once ${he} killed the divryn, ${he} fainted....and has been unconscious since then. Allen sighs in relief, before a heavy thought burdens him. "Is it possible for ${him} to have Rheyan's power?" "Tough to say....Rheyan is the only person to have it. We know absolutely nothing about its origin. But if we question ${name}, then maybe we can connect the dots." "Why didn't Rheyan see this coming?" "Look here...there is no point in sitting here and asking questions neither of us can answer. Word will get out and the people will ask questions. The Empress is ill enough as it is. We can't afford to send Eviona, Rheyan and Alix letters as they will definitely be cross checked. " "Who were those letters for then?" "Well the first one was to.... *choice # Captain Asher Ascot Maneryn III *set a "Asher" *set a_he "he" *set a_his "his" *set a_him "him" *set a_himself "himself" *set a_man "man" *set a_sir "sir" *set a_handsome "handsome" *set a_king "king" *goto 40 # Captain Ashlyn Ascot Maneryn III *set a "Ashlyn" *set a_he "she" *set a_his "her" *set a_him "her" *set a_himself "herself" *set a_man "woman" *set a_sir "ma'am" *set a_handsome "beautiful" *set a_king "queen" *goto 40 *label 40 "Wait, the CO of the best squad of Night Hunters....since our time. Bloody hell, Dorian! The ${a_man} has a higher kill count than Rheyan. $!{a_he} beat Rheyan's score within two years of ${a_his} deployment. What was ${a_he}, 17 years old?" "Nope....${a_he} was 15, when ${a_he} killed ${a_his} first divryns. It was a herd of 9.5 feet tall Cat Ds. The team had lost 3 members trying to kill them. In his report, the CO detailed that he had never seen anyone kill a divryn the way ${a} did. $!{a_he} slaughtered them within seconds with clean swipes of ${a_his} blade. They never saw it coming, ${a_he} was that fast. Also, ${a} happens to be born a Night Hunter. Never lost a member of ${a_his} squad." "That's because ${a_his} squad members are called $!{a}'S ELITES, hand picked by none other than ${a} ${a_himself}. Sienna's best are part of that squad. Why the hell did you send a letter to ${a_him}?" "Oh, just cashing in one of the many favours the young Captain owes me." says, Dorian with an enigmatic smile. Allen stares at Dorian. The man just waggles his eyebrows and winks. Realization dawns and Allen buries his face in his hands. "Please tell me you didn't....." "I did." Allen groans and glares at Dorian, [b]"You put my ${nephew} in the most dangerous occupation in all of Sienna to keep ${him} safe!"[/b] "Look here Allen, the ${boy} has proved ${himself} worthy of The Night Hunters. $!{he} managed to slay a mutated Cat D which has been estimated to be 13.67 feet. Oh and ${alistair} had the wall secured and bricked up within 4 hours." [b]"Brilliant! Now he tells me!"[/b] "The blond kid we posted with ${him} has proved ${al_himself} as well. Reports claim that 1st Lt. ${alistair} Basri acted as bait to keep it distracted. Allen, these kids have never seen a divryn in real life before. They had no clue what to expect and they still came out on top. A normal Cat D is tough to kill, let alone a mutated one." *if (Cpt = "alive") He pauses for breath and continues, "If you need more, ${name} also jumped in front of a divryn to save ${his} CO's life." *page_break "Fine, whom did you send the second letter to?" "The Commandant of 51st Eander Cavalry of the Vanguard. She happens to be my sister-in-law. I explained the situation and gave her the necessary instructions." "Hey....so that's why you had ${name} and ${alistair} posted to that unit." "Yes, the last letter was for good old Felix. I want him to stay by ${name}'s side, till the time we move both ${alistair} and ${him} to Briar Military Base. The rest of their unit is being transferred to Vashi." "So what are these files?" "They are the case reports and the official witness statements. I have an odd feeling about this breach Allen. I have a theory but I could be wrong. The moment I got the news, I assigned ${tric} as Lead investigation officer. $!{t_he} can handle the investigation. I need you to pull some strings with the newspapers and reporters. Feed them a story and just do your thing." "No problem. Are we going to reveal any of this to the others?" "Yes, the minute they return." "So......do we tell ${name} about Rheyan?" "Nope....I have a feeling that ${he} will find out ${himself}." "What's my part in this?" "You are going to Briar Air Base for a surprise inspection." "When do I leave?" *page_break "Right now" *goto_scene chapter6