Untitled RP IC (BG and Cfavano) (M)

[Vampirequeen]

Rated M due to violence and the possibility of other adult situations

"Slow down!" the young man yelled as he ran after his sister, who ignored him and continued running towards the small stream near the camp. A few seconds later, he stopped as his twin stopped at the stream and knelt down next to it.

"Why are you following me?" Esmeralda asked as she splashed some of the water onto her face.

"You should know the answer to that by now," the young man, who was named Leonidas answered. Esmeralda sighed as she untied the ribbon in her hair.

"I don't know why our father is so concerned about me going off to the stream by myself. I'm twenty-four years old and I can take care of myself," she said as she pulled the ribbon away and let her long brown hair fall halfway down her back.

"I'm sure that he's just concerned about you going places by yourself in an outfit like that," her brother said as she tied the ribbon around her neck and scooped up some water and splashed it on the top of her head.

Instead of responding, Esmeralda dipped her hands in the water and ran them through her hair. She repeated this several times until her hair was damp and then she began to comb it with her fingers.

"For a soldier, you're quite vain," Leonidas said teasingly.

"Shut up," came the response as Esmeralda continued to comb her hair.

"Hurry up, I need to feed my horse," Leonidas said suddenly.

"Fine," Esmeralda answered as she stopped combing her hair and stood up. A moment later, she turned and began walking back towards the camp.

"Wait for me," Leonidas said as he followed his sister back to camp.

[Cfavano]

He urges his horse onward, the beast, Red hare, larger than any other horse, gallops with greater speed than a cheetah. The rider is a Vagrant soldier, who is currently being chased by a group of bandits though a forest. The road is too narrow for him to effectively fight on foot, so, he has been making them chase him, and has fired arrows at them, dwindling their numbers from 20 violent and greedy killers, to only 7 exhausted pursuers. Finally, they break from the forest and into an open plain. A military camp is in sight, and he is visible from there. His armor shines in the light, and the gold around his horse's ankles, and saddle glints in the sun. The horse moves so fast, it is almost as if it is flying. The tired bandits re more than fifty yards behind it, and their horses look near their limit, while the Red horse, who's mane and tail look like fire, seems to not even be near winded. The rider on the red horse turns his upper body completely around, and fires another arrow, and it hits one of the horses, and the horse stumbles to the ground, crushing it's rider beneath it. He is leading them on a wild goose chase. They thought they'd get the drop on him, and it would be easy. But they have been chasing him for two days, and have yet to even catch up to him.

[Vampirequeen]

"You fed your horse today, right?"

"Of course I did. I always feed her before I go to the river," Esmeralda said as she ran her fingers through her hair as she strode towards her tent, which was connected to the one that her father and brother stayed in.

"Let me guess, you're going to comb your hair?" Leonidas asked as Esmeralda pushed aside the flap of her dark blue tent.

"Of course," came his sister's response as she entered the tent and sat down on her bedding. Leonidas rolled his eyes and turned towards the other side of the tent where his horse was patiently waiting for him. As he began walking towards his horse, a flash of gold caught his eye.

"What-" he said in surprise as he caught sight of a man on an unusual-colored horse. He stared for a few seconds before he sprinted into his father's tent.

"Father, come outside, you have to see this," he said with a combination of excitement and nervousness.

"What is it son?" Malacaius Shango said as he stood up. A moment later, Esmeralda emerged from her tent, comb in hand.

"What's going on?"

"Your brother wants me to go outside," her father answered as her left the tent with Leonidas. Without putting her comb away, Esmeralda followed her father and brother out of the tent and found them staring in awe at a man who was riding towards them on the most magnificent horse that she had ever seen.

"Esmeralda, please go back inside and put on something a little nicer," her father said without looking at her.

"Ok, father," she said as she went back into her father's tent and went into hers, closing the flap between the tents and tying it shut. She then tied the entrance to her tent shut and put her comb on the ground before going to find her gold outfit.

[Cfavano]

After a few hundred yards more of chasing, the remaining bandits break off, finally giving up. The rider looks behind him while slowing down, and then finally grins. He trots slowly toward the camp, doing his best to remain nonthreatening. He hitches his horse to a post, and walks the rest of the way, removing his helmet, and showing his short black hair. He finally gets to Malacaius and his sun, before going down on one knee, placing his helmet on the ground, wrapping his hand in his fist across his chest, and bowing. "Greetings, my name is Brandis Zanne. I am a warrior wandering the world looking for employment. I would prefer a permanent position, but I would accept a temporary mercenary position. I am a very skilled fighter, and I can lead men very well, as well as create strategies, and I would be an asset to your forces. By your regal bearing, you are either the commander of these forces, or a high-ranking officer. If you do not have the power to recruit me, then point me to the person who does. I have been wandering the world for the past 5 years searching for the right man, or woman, to serve. I have not been long in Greece, but I feel this land may hold what I need."

[Vampirequeen]

When Brandis introduced himself, both Malacaius and Leonidas forced themselves to keep their jaws from dropping in surprise. They had both heard his name mentioned before and they were surprised that he had actually managed to end up in their camp.

Malacaius stepped forward and spoke.

"Welcome, Brandis. My name is Malacaius Shango and I am the commander of the army that is camped here. I am always looking for new men to join my forces and it would be an honor to have you as a member," Malacaius said nervously, as it had been a while since anyone has come directly to him to ask for employment. He paused for a moment, then spoke again.

"This is my son, Leonidas," he added, gesturing to his son and wondering when Esmeralda would finish getting changed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Leonidas said with an awkward bow.



"Where is it?" Esmeralda asked as she searched her tent for her emerald belt. She had already changed into her gold outfit, but she couldn't find the belt that she wore with it. As she looked around, she stepped on something hard and looked down to find herself standing on it. Without a word, she took her foot off of it, picked it up, and tied it around her waist. She grabbed her comb and ran it through her hair as she untied the flaps of the tent. She dropped her comb on the ground and stepped out of her tent, where a beautiful and unusual colored horse caught her eye. She turned and stared at it in fascination, completely oblivious to the man who it belonged to.

[Cfavano]

Brandis Zanne gets up to his feet. "Thank you, my lord. I shall become your blade. The blade that cuts you a path to victory. I shall set up the small tent I brought with me, and shall use that until you give me a bigger tent. There is a small gap near the assembly field, I shall set up there with the normal soldiers, so that I may get to know my men." He bows once more before walking off, and taking his horse with him. He sets up his tent, and it is small, and octagonal shaped, like the Mongols. In total, it takes a half hour to set his tent up. He allows Red Hare to graze with the common horses, and then heads to the exercise area to acquaint himself with the soldiery. He spars with a few, and wipes the floor with them. He then has a drink with a few, and teaches them so polearm techniques that he learned over the course of his travels. The day wears on, and instead of taking his meal in his tent or with the other officers, he eats with the common soldiers.

[Vampirequeen]

"Who was that?" Esmeralda asked as the man and his horse moved to another part of the camp.

"New soldier," Leonidas grunted as he turned towards his horse.

"His name is Brandis Zanne," Malacaius said as he gave his son a look that was intended to be a reminder to be polite. Leonidas ignored the look and went over to feed his horse.

"Stop it, Artemis," he grunted as he tried to keep a handful of hay away from Esmeralda's horse.

"Why don't you let her have some too instead of pushing her away," Esmeralda said as she wandered over to see her horse.

"Fine. Here you go. The rest is for Apollo," he said as he gave some of the hay to Artemis before giving the rest to his own horse.

"Thank you," Esmeralda replied as she stroked Artemis' nose and reached out to pet Apollo, who belonged to her brother. A few seconds later, Esmeralda flinched as Artemis nudged her shoulder.

"You want to go for a walk, don't you?" she said to Artemis as she climbed onto her back and waved at her father, who waved back and went back into his tent.

"You want to see Brandis' horse, don't you?" her brother asked.

"A little. Have you ever seen such a beautiful horse?" she responded as Artemis snorted. Esmeralda stroked the horse's neck and gently threaded the fingers of her right hand into Artemis' mane.

"To be honest, I haven't," Leonidas answered as he climbed onto Apollo's back.

"You're coming with me, aren't you?" Esmeralda asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Her brother nodded and she gently nudged her horse's sides. As soon as Artemis started walking, Leonidas nudged Apollo, who began to follow his sister and her rider. Esmeralda and Leonidas rode their horses around the camp twice before letting them wander over to where the rest of the horses, including the newcomer's horse, were grazing. As Artemis lowered her head to graze, Esmeralda gently removed her fingers from the horse's mane and dismounted with her usual amount of grace. When Apollo stopped too, Leonidas dismounted and went over to pet some of the other horses.

Unlike her brother, Esmeralda found herself staring at the newcomer's horse, which paid no attention to her. After a few seconds, Esmeralda slowly approached the horse, hoping that it wouldn't feel threatened by her. Sensing her presence, the horse raised its head and looked at her. When the horse looked at her, Esmeralda nervously extended her hand and gently rested it on the magnificent creature's nose. She let her hand stay there for a second or two before she gently began to stroke the horse's soft nose.

[Cfavano]

After his meal, he heads to the horse pasture, and finds Esmeralda stroking Red Hare. He approaches stealthily behind her. "So, you like my horse, do you? I can understand. He is a magnificent beast. His name is Red Hare, and he is the fastest horse in all the world. His tale is a long one. Originally, he was the treasured horse of the tyrant, Dong Zhou, and, under Li Su's suggestion, presented it to the powerful warrior Lu Bu, to convince him to abandon his stepfather Ding Yuan, and Join Dong Zhou. After Lu Bu was executed by my former Liege Cao Cao at the Battle of Xiapi, which is also where I joined Cao Cao, formerly following Lu Bu. He presented it to Guan Yu, a man so skilled in battle he was called 'The God of War'. Guan Yu was given him after he had managed to tame Red Hare, which all of the other officers had failed to do. Several years later, I defeated Guan Yu at the battle of Fan Castle in Jing province, and for my sevice, both past and present up to that point, I was given Red Hare, and made High Dragon General of the Wei Kingdom, which I had been serving. And that's how I got him." He feeds Red Hare an apple, and strokes him. "He must have sensed the bravery in you which is why he let you pet him. He, like me, despises cowards."

[Vampirequeen]

Esmeralda flinched in surprise when she heard Brandis' voice behind her. She turned to apologize, but before she could speak, Brandis began to tell her the story of how he had gotten Red Hare, which she found to be quite fascinating. The tiniest blush crossed her face when Brandis mentioned that Red Hare was able to sense her bravery.

"He's beautiful," she said as she stroked Red Hare's nose. A few seconds later, Esmeralda felt something nudge her shoulder and she turned to find herself staring at Artemis' nose.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she asked her horse as she turned to stroke her nose, noticing that Leonidas was sitting on Apollo's back and looking over at his sister.

"This is my horse, Artemis. She doesn't have the history that your horse does, but she's been with me for the two years that I've been a soldier," she said as she looked over at Brandis.

"I probably should have said this earlier, but my name is Esmeralda," she added suddenly, remembering something that her mother had once said about introducing herself to people.

[Cfavano]

"She looks like a fine and trustworthy mare. I am sure she will serve you to the best of her abilities." She strokes Artemis a Bit. "From what I recall reading, you named her after you goddess of hunting." He turns to Esmeralda, and kisses her hand. "And may I say Esmeralda, you look very lovely today. Like a work of art. I would assume that you are an inspiring sight on the battlefield. So much beauty amongst so much ugliness, brutality, and chaos. I look forward to fighting by your side. Would you and Artemis Like to join me and Red Hare on a short ride around the general area? I would like to scout out the potential fields of battle I may find myself in, so I can plan ahead."

[Vampirequeen]

Esmeralda blushed deeply as Brandis kissed her hand.

Inspiring? Not exactly, she thought as she was reminded of all of the times that her bloodlust had forced her to spend long periods of time cleaning the blood of of Artemis.

"Of course I would," she replied when Brandis asked her to go for a ride with him. She stroked Artemis' nose and climbed onto her back.

"Before we go, I should warn you that my brother will most likely be joining us so he can keep an eye on me," Esmeralda added as she gently grabbed Artemis' mane.

[Cfavano]

"I see, is he afraid I will woo you? Or perhaps that you'll seduce me? He probably just doesn't trust me. I mean, I am a man and you are very beautiful woman." He springs into the saddle in an instant, showing the skill of a veteran rider. Even more so, because Red Hare is larger than the other horses, and Brandis is about as tall as Esmeralda. "Give me one moment, and I will get my weapons." He makes Red Hare canter back to his tent, then waits at the main gate for Esmeralda.

[Vampirequeen]

"Of course not, my father is just concerned by the fact that I'm the only female that most of the men in the camp see on a regular basis, so he decided to make Leonidas follow me pretty much everywhere. If I was wearing my regular outfit, Leonidas probably would have been right behind me the whole time I've been over here," Esmeralda replied with a blush as Brandis mounted Red Hare.

She nodded in response and nudged Artemis with her heels, then guided her over to where Leonidas was sitting on Apollo, who was nudging one of the mares.

"Charming as Apollo himself. Really?" she asked teasingly as Leonidas flinched.

"Shut up," came the response.

"I'm going for a ride around the camp with Brandis and I thought that I would be a good sister and let you know," Esmeralda said.

"Good sister, my foot," Leonidas mumbled.

Instead of responding, Esmeralda nudged Artemis again and the mare began to trot away from Leonidas, had to nudge Apollo three times before he finally started moving.

"Sorry if I kept you waiting, I was letting my brother know that he needed to follow us," Esmeralda said jokingly as she reached the main gate where Brandis was waiting.

[Cfavano]

He takes out a roll of vellum. "I got this map from one of the scouts. It, to my standards, is poorly done. If a map is poorly done, it can lead to misinformation. And on the battlefield, misinformation is worse than no information. So, we are going to correct it." He begins galloping. After a few miles, he slows Red Hare down to a slow trot, as he gets off and climbs a hill where one can see for miles. He has a sheet of papyrus stretched on a plank, and he takes out a brush. He begins making marks on the map, indicating several landmarks. He uses strange instruments for measurements, and after a few moments, gets back on Hare, and moves to another landmark, doing the same thing. He does this again and again for hours. The sun begins to set, and so he decides to go back to camp with her. Their horses slowly trot down a path. "Odd. The entire time we have been out here, I have seen no outposts, guard-bases, or even patrols. Not even a scout, and I do know where to look. Is your father keeping all your forces in the camp? That is a grave folly. It leaves him open to the possibility of a crushing sneak attack. I think a council should be held, with all the officers present." He puts Red Hare back into the pen, and walks to the commander's tent, gets on one knee, and bows. "My Lord, I request and audience with you."

[Vampirequeen]

Esmeralda was silent as she followed Brandis from place to place, watching as he worked on the map.

Malacaius had just stepped outside to look for his children when Brandis suddenly appeared before him, followed by Esmeralda and Leonidas, who seemed to be protectively hanging back.

"Of course. Why?" Malacius asked as his children climbed off of their horses.

[Cfavano]

"I humbly request that you convene a meeting with your Generals, and high-ranking officers. I have important strategic matters that must be addressed for the good of the army. As soon as you can, My lord, for these matters are of the utmost urgency and importance. As well, I would like to know the status of our forces, including troop counts, battle reports, a list of supplies that we have, and fortification plans. If you would be so very kind as to perform these acts with haste, I would be very appreciative, My Lord."

[Vampirequeen]

"Of course. Esmeralda, please go to your tent and go change into something more suited for a meeting. Leonidas, please let the other officers know that I'm calling a meeting," Malacaius ordered his children, who immediately went off to where they were told to go.

Esmeralda went into her tent and tied the flaps shut before she began to look for the only dress that she had with her.

"Come inside so we can wait for the rest of my officers," Malacaius said as he held open the flap of his tent as he watched his son walking towards the tent of one of the generals.

[Cfavano]

"Thank you, my lord." He enters. "I also noticed a lack of weapon variety. I noticed a lot of you men carry spears. I do know that the standard infantry unit is the 'hoplite', a lightly armored warrior with a large shield. While, they are useful to an extent, I do not like phalanx warfare. It is wrong to me. When I served other greek lords, I never fought in a phalanx. There is little chance for glory, and I was never comfortable with a shield. So, I ask that you allow me to train the troops in my command to fight in other ways. Like, setting 'ambushes' (sneak attacks didn't exist in greek warfare). If you allow me this, I can almost guarantee victory."

[Vampirequeen]

"Well, I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to teach the troops some new tactics. It would definitely catch our enemies off guard," Malacaius replied as two of the officers entered the tent.

"I'll take a vote once everyone arrives," he added as another officer entered the tent.

As Malacaius spoke, Esmeralda was pacing her tent in her white and gold dress as she tied her gold belt around her waist. Once she finished tying the belt, she ran ther comb through her hair before she untied the flaps of her tent and entered her father's tent.

"Here I am, Father," she said as she nodded to her father and the officers who were in the tent.

[Cfavano]

"Well, hello there, Lady Esmeralda. You look very lovely tonight." He turns to he fellow officers. "Greetings, fellows. If you had not been told, I have just been recruited today." He begins clearing off the table, and gets servants to put food and wine out.

(you kinda left me hanging there XD)

[Vampirequeen]

"Thank you, Brandis," Esmeralda said as the rest of the officers suddenly entered the tent.

Why do the last officers to arrive always seem to come in a pack? she thought to herself as she forced herself not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Leonidas asked her as he entered the tent.

"Nothing," she said as her father began the head count that never started until the last pack of officers came into the tent, causing her to once again force herself to keep her mouth closed so she wouldn't burst out laughing.

"Sit down everyone," Malacaius said as the officers began to sit down.

(Sorry.)

[Cfavano]

He stands in full view of the gathering. "Greetings fellow officers, and Lord Malacius. My name is Brandis Zanne, a new recruit. Some of you may have heard rumors about me, but I think it time I introduced myself fully."

"A local of Mayi, I was originally surnamed Nie. I served as a local administrative officer during his younger days. Towards the end of the Han Dynasty, Ding Yuan, governor of Bing Province, favored My martial skills and recruited me. In 189, Ding Yuan and his trusted aide, Lü Bu, led troops into Luoyang to assist General-in-Chief He Jin to eliminate the Ten Attendants, a group of influential eunuch officials in the imperial court. However, He Jin was soon assassinated by the eunuchs and the capital fell into chaos. Dong Zhuo, a warlord from Liang Province, in the ensuing tussle for power, intended to place in the throne a puppet emperor. This move deteriorated the relationship between Ding and Dong and induced the latter to plot against the former. After Lü Bu was persuaded to defect and kill Ding Yuan, I followed him to serve under Dong Zhuo, who had become the de facto head of government. Soon, regional warlords formed a coalition against Dong Zhuo, who was therefore forced to move the capital west to Chang'an.

Having an affair with one of Dong Zhuo's concubines, Lü Bu was apprehensive to his adopted father, and again turned on his master and slayed Dong. I then assisted Lü Bu in an attempt to stabilize the capital and rebuild imperial authority. However, the new government was destroyed by Dong Zhuo's former subjects Li Jue and Guo Si when they breached the city gate of Chang'an. I fled with Lü Bu, and joined Yuan Shao temporarily. During our short stay in Yuan Shao's camp, we helped perform raids on the Heishan Bandits' camp, and had dealt major damage to latter.

Following Lü Bu, other Bing Province warriors and I wandered the land, and finally were given a chance to gain a foothold. In 194, Lü Bu was welcomed by Chen Gong of Yan Province, while the warlord of the province, Cao Cao, was dwelling on causing calamities in Xu Province. For more than a year, the two forces were wrestling over Yan Province and Lü Bu's forces were able to defeat Cao Cao initially, but Cao managed to gradually regain his control over the province. After a famine outbreak, Lü Bu was finally ousted from the area to Xiaopei. Cao Cao's army resorted to cannibalism to solve the problem of food storage. There, Lü Bu joined the Xu Province warlord, Liu Bei, who would be betrayed by Lü and lost the province to him. I was made a county minister of Lü Bu when the latter gained Xu Province.

In 198, Cao Cao defeated Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi, and most of his men either defected or surrendered. Lü Bu was executed and I led his men to Cao Cao. From then, I participated in many of Cao Cao's campaigns, including the decisive Battle of Guandu and the subsequent northern expeditions against Yuan Tan, Yuan Shang, and the Wuhuan tribes.

After Cao Cao lost the Battle of Red Cliffs, he placed me, Yue Jin and Li Dian at Hefei fortress with 7,000 men to guard against advances of the southern warlord Sun Quan. Soon Sun Quan led a much larger force upon Hefei. Under instructions from Cao Cao, Li Dian and I recruited 800 vanguard troops to deter the enemy outside the city.

As dawn broke, the force moved out with myself in the forefront. I galloped into the enemy ranks and single-handedly killed tens of men. Proclaiming my own name, I then went straight for Sun Quan, who sought refuge on top of a knoll. At least three of Sun Quan's generals tried to intercept me, but all failed. After seeing I had much fewer men on a slope, Sun Quan ordered his troops to surround the enemy.

Leading scores of men, I soon broke through the encirclement. Those who were still caught within then cried, 'General, are you going to forsake us?' Spinning around, I rode into the circle again and rescued my men, by then it was already noontime. Sun Quan's demoralized soldiers then retreated for the time being.

Returning to the city, I supervised the reinforcement of the defense works. After two weeks of siege, Sun Quan could not take Hefei and had to turn back because of a wide spread plague within his army. At Xiaoyao Ford, Eastern Wu's main army retreated first while the rear army of only one thousand men led by Sun Quan and a few generals stayed behind. Knowing Sun Quan had made such an arrangement, I immediately led several thousands of elite cavalry to capitalize on my foe's fatal blunder. On a number of occasions, we would have almost captured Sun Quan if not resisted desperately by Sun's general, Ling Tong. Upon hearing I had accomplished this nearly impossible deed, Cao Cao was stunned, and personally arrived Hefei, where he took a look on the battlefield for a long time. I was promoted to the rank of General Who Conquers the East for my deed in Xiaoyao Ford. That is all I will speak of myself.

For now, we must speak of strategic matters." He takes out the map drawn by their scouts, and unrolls it on the table. "This... is one of your maps. As an officer, I was given one. But, I was very dissatisfied with the quality..." He unrolls the map he made, and it is much more detailed and in a grid form, as well as it shows differences in elevation of the land, though, it does not cover as much distance. "So, I made one of my own. Notice the differences. Landmarks are clearly named, an represented, as well as roads, rivers, and, something I added, sites that should be fortified. Take for example this path." He points to a path on the old and new map. "Your old map indicates that this trail here is the quickest way through the forest. While, it is quicker than taking the main roads, what your scouts did not bother to report, is that it is narrow and strewn with rocks and tree roots. Only two men can fit side-by side, and it is impassible for chariots and carts, meaning we'd have to separate our infantry from supply units and cavalry. Unfortunately, my map is still incomplete. I did not have enough time to make a larger one, but this one does cover a large enough area around the camp for a good series of battles. Now, on to another matter, fortifications. I noticed that this was the only area where we keep our troops. In my experience, that is not a good thing to do. I suggest we surround our main camp with smaller forts. These can be a camp with a small wall surrounding it, to a stone castle. The point of this, so so that we can watch and control the area. I have pointed out several areas that, if we fortify, our main camp will be fully protected. These forts must be manned, which means less troops in the field, but this comes with a bonus. Because these 'bases' are fortified, if we lose a skirmish, or a unit needs to be resupplied, instead of going all the way back to the main camp, they can head into one of these. There are several different kinds, like armories, from which siege engines can be constructed and repaired, and units can replace broken weapons or restore they stock of ammunition for ranged weapons. There are also guardbases, where units can rest and guard a certain area, like a road, and slow or prevent an enemy from advancing. There are more, and there is more I have to say, but, are there any questions so far?"

[Vampirequeen]

Esmeralda stared at Brandis with interest as he told his story to the rest of the officers, completely forgetting about the cup of wine in front of her. Normally she would take several sips of wine during meetings, but normally the meetings didn't come with long, detailed histories.

As Brandis finished speaking, the sound of hooves were heard from outside the tent and just as one of the officers stood up to ask a question, one of the camp's scouts burst into the tent, pausing to catch his breath before speaking.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I believe that there's an army headed this way," he gasped as Esmeralda, Leonidas, and Malacaius stared at him.

"What are you talking about?" Malacaius said as Esmeralda stood up and picked up her cup of wine.

"I was on the Eastern Ridge and I saw an army down below. They were moving towards the hill on the side of the ridge," the scout said as Esmeralda walked over to him and held out her cup of wine, which the scout took and immediately drank from.

"Were they friend or foe?" Malacaius asked with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"I don't know for sure, but their faces looked like they were painted," the scout said as he took another sip of wine.

"How many men do you think there were?" Leonidas asked.

"A fair amount, maybe a few more or less than there are here," the scout answered.

"You said that they were going towards the hill on the side of the ridge?" Malacaius asked.

"Yes, but there's no way that they'll be able to use the shortcut that I took," came the response.

Malacaius thought for a moment.

"The hill on the side of the ridge is an easy climb, so it won't take too much time for them to get to the ridge. They'll have to use the main roads to get to our camp if that's where they're planning to go," he muttered to himself.

"You said that their faces were painted?" Leonidas asked.

"I think so," the scout replied.

"Father, didn't you hear something from another commander about an army that used face paint?" Leonidas asked.

"You're right, son, I did hear about that army. Apparently their spies are very good at blending into their surroundings," Malacaius said as a worried look crossed his face.

"What is it, father?" Esmeralda asked nervously.

"There are only two reasons why another army would be out here: either they're looking for a place to camp, or they're on their way to attack something. I highly doubt that they'd be painting their faces if they were looking for a place to set up camp. I could be wrong, but we should get the men ready, just to be safe," Malacaius said as he looked at the officers.

"How much time do we have?" Leonidas asked.

"Maybe half an hour or so. Esmeralda, get dressed into something better suited for a possible battle," Malacaius said as he looked at his daughter, who nodded and went into her tent.

"Officers, get your men ready for battle. Leonidas, go put your armor on and get your and your sister's horses ready. Brandis, stay here for a few minutes, I want to talk to you about some possible strategies," Malacaius added as his son went to his tent and a few of the officers started to leave the tent.

"Thank you for the report," he said to the scout, who nodded his head and took one last sip of wine before putting the cup down on the table and leaving the tent.

[Cfavano]

"You will probably not like this. We should spend this time packing up and getting ready to retreat. This camp is barely fortified. We have no trenches, no traps dug, no ballistae, no catapults, not even an archer tower. And we are in a valley, with a hill that is right in their path. Even if we were ready to fight, they'd be able to rain fire arrows down on our heads all night. And, should we charge them, we'd be fighting an uphill battle, meaning our troops could very well be fatigued before the battle begins. We should retreat to a more defensible area, like a city or a castle. What is your decision, my lord?"

[Vampirequeen]

After thinking for a few seconds, Malacaius spoke.

"The ridge is high and big, once one reaches the top, the ground if flat for a while before it starts going downhill. If they were coming from the north, then there would be problems. Unfortunately, packing up and getting organized takes longer than half an hour and if that army intends to attack up, we'll be caught by surprise," he explained.

"There's a large field to the west of us," Leonidas said suddenly as he exited his tent, clad in armor and carrying his bow and a quiver of arrows.

"Yes, there is. If we had more time, we could find a way to block the path to the camp and force the approaching army to take the path that surrounds the camp," Malacaius said as the flap of his daughter's tent moved and Esmeralda stepped into her father's tent, clad in her silver outfit and minimal armor, a sword and knife at her waist and her black ribbon in her hand.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I think that we should at least try to lead them away from the camp and into the field into the west," she said as she tied her hair back with the ribbon.

[Cfavano]

" I noticed there was a bridge that crossed the river. The river is too deep to wade through, and the current is too powerful for armed men to swim across. Unless they want to take another half-hour to get to the more shallow area, they must use that bridge. Back when I served Cao Cao, We were pursuing the Warlord Liu Bei as he fled Xinye. One of his generals held the entire army up at the Changban Bridge. I volunteer to lead a rearguard force to hold them up at the bridge. I will also need a unit of men, but I want them to volunteer, because this is a very dangerous mission, and death is almost assured. Hopefully I can hold them off long enough."

[Vampirequeen]

"It's a good idea, but this army has never had very good luck with rearguards. Two battles ago, we tried using a rearguard, but it failed and this entire army would have been wiped out if we hadn't been camped near the army that my friend is te leader of. We lost almost half of our men in that battle," Malacaius sighed.

"If I had thought of it earlier, we could have sent a small group of men to burn the bridge, but for all we know, the army could be crossing the bridge right now," Esmeralda said.

"Well, burning bridges has worked before, but as Esmeralda said, te army could be at the bridge by now," Malacaius responded as he nodded his head.

"The men are almost ready, Sir," one of the officers said as he entered the tent, followed by another scout.

"The army is almost at the bridge," the scout said.

Malacaius nodded, then spoke.

"They're close, but not at the bridge. The bridge isn't far from here, but burning it would give us more time to plan something out," he said as he began to pace.

"Thank you for your suggestion, Brandis, but if they're already close to the bridge, it means that they're moving a little faster than expected, which means that some of their men will already be across the bridge by the time we get some volunteers for a rearguard," Malacaius added.

[Cfavano]

"Then I will go myself. A fire attack can easily be put out, especially if the men are already there. I mean no disrespect, my Lord, of course. But even if I am the only one there, I will let none cross. Remember, my horse is faster than others. If I never see you again, I was an honor to serve you, even if I don't really know you. Move with haste." He runs out of the tent and whistles shrilly. Red Hare hears the whistle, and springs over the fence, to the surprise of the men, and gallops right at Brandis, and Brandis swings on to Red Hare mid-gallop. He gallops hard and fast across the plain, until he reaches the bridge, and a scout did make it across, but he draws his glaive and cuts him down as he gallops past. him, he jumps off Red Hare, and skids to a halt as he commands Red Hare to hide. He walks across the bridge, and faces the charging army. He performs a few flourishes with his glaive. "I am the Mighty Brandis Zanne!" He gestures to the army with a slow sweep of his glaive. "All of you who seek death..." He slams the butt end of his glaive on to the bridge, and takes a deep breath. "STEP FORWARD!" His voice booms, and the entire army stops. One of the officers drops dead suddenly, causing panic among the front ranks. Five men charge him, weapons whirling. "So, you have come to die, so be it." One soldier tries to slash downward, but he parries the attack, and thrusts his glaive into the man's rib cage, slashing through his heart and lungs. He retracts the glaive, and slashes it horizontally across another's belly, spilling his intestines. He parries another's blade, kicks him back, and decapitates him. Slowly, more advance to meet him. "Come at me in your waves! I stand firm as the mountain and I shall not move!"

(you are welcome XD)

[Vampirequeen]

"Fool," Esmeralda muttered as she, Leonidas, and Malacaius followed Brandis out of the tent.

"Even though it's rude to criticize the soldiers, I do agree with you," Leonidas muttered.

"May the Gods have mercy on him," Malacaius muttered as he looked over at one of the officers.

"I want you and your men to follow Brandis. Even if he is able to single-handedly stop that army, he should at least have some back-up, just in case," he said. The officer nodded and turned to his men. He spoke to them for about a minute, then he mounted his horse and began to lead his men towards the bridge.

"The rest of us will stay here in case something happens to our men at the bridge. Leonidas, I thought I told you to get your horse and your sister's horse ready," Malacaius said.

"Sorry, Father," Leonidas said as he rested his bow against his leg and draped the quiver over his shoulder. He picked up his bow and walked over to where Apollo and Artemis were grazing.

"Esmeralda, stay here and keep watch will I go get ready," he said to his daughter, who nodded her head.

"May Ares and Athena protect us," Malacaius muttered as he entered his tent, leaving his daughter to stare in the direction of the bridge while wishing that she could join Brandis and the other soldiers.

[Cfavano]

"Hrah!" He wings his glaive in a wide arc, and 3 more men fall. He puts his Glaive on his back, and picks up one of the Fallen soldiers' swords. It is curved slightly, and razor sharp. He holds it defensively, and kicks a soldier in the crotch, making him fall to his knees, before slashing the sword across his face. He Carefully aims a thrust through another soldier's eye before spinning and slashing a soldier across the chest, and then a reverse slash across his back. He parries another's blow, stabs them in the abdomen, before getting around behind him and twisting his neck rapidly, and snapping it. He continues to fight as the minutes go on and on. Bodies pile up and fall off the bridge, and flows down it, staining the water red. "Be that all you possess?" He stabs another one through the eye. "I have not yet begun to fight!" Both hands gripping the sword, he pirouettes around a soldier, and hamstring's him, before cutting him clean in half, midair. While he has been fighting, he has been secretly cutting through the supports of the bridge as he slowly falls back. The bridge begins to creaks the dead bodies pile up. The enemy now has to climb over a pile of their dead to get to him, and he returns to using his glaive, stabbing at them as they climb. "I've seen old women who fight better than that, you heathens!"

[Vampirequeen]

As Esmeralda waited, Leonidas suddenly appeared, riding Apollo as he led Artemis by the reins that he had put on her.

"Thank you," Esmeralda said as Malacaius stepped out of the tent, sword around his waist and clad in armor. Esmeralda stared at him, surprised at how fast it took him to put his armor on, even though she knew that he only took his leg protectors off when he went to bed.

"You're welcome," Leonidas said as Esmeralda suddenly had an idea. She ran into her tent, grabbed her quiver of arrows, and draped it over her shoulder before grabbing her bow and leaving the tent.

"Father, may I go follow the soldiers to the bridge?" she asked as she held her bow out to her brother, who let go of Artemis' reins.

"Ok, but be careful," Malacaius responded as his daughter climbed onto Artemis' back.

"Thank you, father," Esmeralda said as she took her bow back from Leonidas.

"You don't have to follow me if you don't want to," she whispered to her brother as she nudged her horse's sides.

"I'm going with Esmeralda," Leonidas said as his sister's horse began moving.

"Ok, but make sure to keep her safe. Everyone else, follow me," Malacaius said as he walked over to his horse and quickly mounted it. As he nudged his horse's sides, Leonidas did the same thing and father and son went in separate directions, one leading part of the army, the other one following both the other part and his twin sister.

[Cfavano]

He slices through a soldier's knee, as he approached. Brandis was getting tired, but he was not going to give up. He swore he would hold this position as long as he could, and he ignored the sweat pouring down his face. "I hope they are starting to move by now, I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." He finishes the soldier off with a jab in the chest that punctures his heart, adding another body to the small mountain of bodies forming on the bridge. If they all came at once, he'd be dead by now, but his shout panicked them. But they are recovering from his surprise assault, and their ranks are reforming. It would not be long until they get in order enough to overrun him. He never feared death on the battlefield, he even welcomed it. But he wanted to see Esmeralda's face on last time, but he takes comfort in the fact that she is retreating with the rest and is safe. He takes a deep breath, and returns to combat.

[Vampirequeen]

"When we get to the bridge, we should split up so we can shoot across the river to take more of their men down. You'll be on one side of our army and I'll be on the other," Esmeralda said to Leonidas as they rode towards the bridge.

"But what if they've overrun our men?"

"Our men are strong and smart, they probably would have retreated by now if they were in trouble," Esmeralda said as they approached the bridge.

"Why are you just standing there uselessly?" Leonidas asked as he saw part of his father's army standing and watching Brandis.

"Brandis seems to be handling things just fine on his own, but we're prepared to act as backup if he needs it," the officer in charge answered.

"I see," Esmeralda replied as she looked at Leonidas.

"I'll go this way," he said as he guided Apollo to the left of the bridge as he pulled an arrow out of his quiver.

"May the gods guide your aim," Esmeralda said as she guided Artemis to the right side of the bridge. Just as she pulled an arrow out of her quiver, she caught sight of an arrow flying through the air and hitting an enemy soldier in the throat, sending him tumbling off his horse.

"May the gods guide my aim as well," she said as she put the arrow on her bow and drew the string back. She aimed the arrow at another enemy soldier's neck and released the bowstring, sending the arrow into a spot on his neck that was a little lower than she had intended. As soon as the arrow hit its mark, Esmeralda pulled another arrow out of her quiver, not even bothering to watch the man fall to the ground.

[Cfavano]

He falls to a knee from exhaustion. He sees 2 men fall from arrows. A soldier goes to strike him down, but he draws the sword he took, and jabs it into his groin, causing him to fall down, then he slits the man's throat. He loots to the left and to the right. "What are...you two doing here? If either of you were...to fall, Lord Malacious would be...gravely broken-hearted. You should be...retreating with the others." He forces himself to his feet, and parries the blow of another soldier, and slashes him across the spine. "You don't need to worry...about me. I...am fine." He is obviously very fatigued and out of breath. "Go, for the sake...of our lord. If I were...to die here, no one would care, but...you two are important. You are the Heirs of Lord Malacious, you...are needed."

[Vampirequeen]

"No," Esmeralda said as she sent an arrow into the shoulder of an enemy soldier.

"If we can stop or at least weaken them here, it's possible that our father will be in less danger," Leonidas said as he shot another soldier in the head.

Esmeralda nodded in response to her brother's comment as she released another arrow and watched as it hit the wounded soldier in the neck.


(OOC : Sorry it's so short)

[Cfavano]

"Well, I am at my limit. I believe I have given them enough time." With one final slash, he cuts the last support beam, and he jumps off the bridge as it collapses, sending bodies and soldiers into the river. The enemy's archers form up as the infantry and cavalry start moving down the river to the shallow fjord 10 miles downstream. "Take cover!" He hides behind a tree as arrows stream past him. "We have two options from here. Either we rejoin the main force, or we harass the enemy even more downstream, and maybe buy a few more minutes. What say you two?"

[Vampirequeen]

"I'm going downstream," Esmeralda said as she began to fire at the soldiers who had fallen into the river.

"Then I'm going with you," Leonidas said as he shot a moving soldier in the back.

"Fine," Esmeralda sighed.

"Who will join us?" Leonidas asked as he stared at his father's men.

[Cfavano]

"I shall follow too!" He stands up, and makes a gesture with the sword he picked up. "Your bravery has rekindled my fighting spirit! I am tired, but I shall fight until this body gives out!" He faces the other soldiery, his body seemign to give off an aura of courage and valor. "Men, join me! We may die tonight, but we shall make it hard for them! They may break our bodies, but they will never break our spirit. The spirit of virtue flows through us, and we shall not give up until the last man falls. Think of your your families! If they break through, and our lord falls, who shall defend them? Our lord is honorable and just, we fight for him. We fight for a brighter tomorrow! Through us, the world will know that few stood against many, and our courage will inspire others. Fight on, and may a thousand of them die for each one of us!" He whistles, and Red Hare gallops towards him, and he gets on, and whirls his sword around. "Victory or death!" He gallops downstream.

[Vampirequeen]

When Brandis finished talking, the men cheered and followed him. Esmeralda turned to Leonidas.

"Go back towards our camp and see if you can bring back a few more archers," she said.

"Why do I have to do it?"

"Apollo is a little faster than Artemis and speed is important right now. Also, see if you can bring back some extra arrows," she said to her brother.

"Fine," Leonidas sighed as he turned Apollo towards the camp and nudged his sides.

"Come back safely," Esmeralda said as she watched her brother and his horse move towards the camp. She nudged Artemis's sides and followed Brandis downstream.

[Cfavano]

Battle Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dZKk-_j3EM)

He gallops leading his men into the fjord. He leaps off of his horse and charges, with his men behind him. "Attack! Give no quarter, victory or death!" He leaps into the fray, blade whirling. He meets them in the shallow water. A soldier aims to attack him with a downward slash, but he goes to one knee and slashes upwards diagonally, cutting through his stomach and chest. He block another's sword, kicks him in the side, which makes him fall to his knees, and slices through his skull, showing brain. Other allied soldiers stab and slash, forming a line to try and hold them back, a phalanx. However, Brandis is out in front, and is surrounded.

[Vampirequeen]

"Hurry up," Esmeralda muttered as she drew an arrow out of her quiver and looked over in the direction that Leonidas had gone in. She put the arrow on the bow and pulled the string back, carefully aiming at an enemy soldier. She released the bowstring and sent an arrow straight into the man's neck, sending him to the ground. She fired an arrow at another soldier, but missed her mark and somehow managed to hit another enemy in the shoulder.

Just as she reached for another arrow, Esmeralda suddenly felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. Wincing in pain, she looked at her shoulder and saw an arrow sticking out of it. Without a second thought, she grabbed the arrow, gritted her teeth, and pulled it out of her shoulder. She studied it for a moment and quickly put it on the bow, relieved by the fact that she didn't have to use one of her arrows. She aimed it at one of the enemy archers and released the arrow and the bowstring, hitting the man in the heart.

"Hurry up, I don't know how many arrows I have left," she muttered as she looked in the direction of the camp, not knowing that Leonidas was on his way back with some more archers.

[Cfavano]

"Lady Esmeralda! Please withdraw, I can handle this. You must tend to that injury." He says as he snaps another man's neck. The riverbed and shallow fjord is becoming littered with bodies from both sides, and the water has become a hellish red. Brandis temporarily breaks off the engagement, and quickly walks to Esmeralda's side "Esmeralda, may I offer a question. We are fighting her so the rest of the army can escape. Why would we want to bring more men here? And anyway, we shall have to make our escape soon too. We are in grave danger of being overrun. The fjord is so wide, and our men are dropping. If no one else, you need to escape. Our lord would be grieved if you were to die." He rips off a piece of his cape and fashions a makeshift bandage for her arm, and puts it on her, before rjoining the fray, and doing his best to keep the men fighting.

[Vampirequeen]

"I may be the daughter of the commander, but it doesn't mean that I can turn my back on my own men," Esmeralda muttered under her breath as Brandis rejoined the fighting. She drew an arrow out of her quiver and shot it at a soldier, who fell to the ground. She glanced behind her and saw Leonidas leading a group of around ten or so archers towards the river.

"Praise Athena," she muttered as her brother approached.

"The rest of the men are ready and out of camp. We can give the order to retreat at any time," Leonidas said as he reached his sister.

"We will in a few minutes," Esmeralda said as she grabbed another arrow and fired it at a soldier, hitting him in the shoulder.

"Focus, sister," Leonidas said as he shot an arrow into the wounded soldier's neck.

"I was."

"No you weren't. Archers, spread out and start shooting! Remember to avoid their arrows," Leonidas shouted as the archers spread out and started firing at the enemy soldiers.

"Isn't it obvious that they need to avoid their arrows?" Esmeralda asked as she switched her bow into her right hand and raised her left arm to wipe some sweat off her forehead, wincing as she felt a slight pain in her shoulder.

"Yes, but our father forgot to tell us something about their archers," Leonidas explained as he sent an arrow into the chest of one of the enemy archers. Esmeralda watched the man fall as she moved her bow back into her left hand.

"What?" Esmeralda asked as she shot another arrow, feeling the pain in her shoulder strengthening.

"Their arrows are poisoned," Leonidas explained as his sister's eyes widened.

"No," Esmeralda said as she touched her bandaged shoulder.

"What happened?" Leonidas asked suddenly.

"I got shot," Esmeralda replied as her brother's eyes widened in shock.

"Go back to Father, now," Leonidas ordered as two enemy soldiers suddenly charged across the river. Esmeralda drew her sword and swung it downward, cutting into the shoulder and neck of one of the soldiers. The man's lifeless body fell to the ground as Leonidas managed to shoot the other one in the head.

"No," Esmeralda said as she stared at the blood that flowed from the neck of the soldier that she had just killed.