Call to War (Astraea IC)

[Sebby]

Spoiler: OOC

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It was a long way from Erskine traveling by carriage. On the outside, their group looked like a bunch of traders, but in reality, it was Cinaed's ambassador and his group of bodyguards. They had traveled the desert, fought countless bandits, and were now deep in the forest of Vasuda following the road to Perun. The sheer amount of magic energy in the forest caused some of the plants to emit a faint glow that could be seen even in the sunlight. Anyone who had studied the forest at all would know that the spirits protecting it was what gave it such energy.

Though the sun shown brightly in the noon sky, it was hardly visible through the dense trees, though enough light came through for them to see their way. Kai walked alongside the carriage along with the rest of the bodyguards, his sword tapping against his leg and his uniform covered by a brown robe. He kept the hood of the robe over his head, as some prejudice against Raidonians still lingered in some parts of the world. He didn't want any shady characters approaching their caravan because of him. Every once in a while, Kai would observe little green orbs bouncing around in the air around them. No one else seemed to notice them so far, so he passed it off as his lack of sleep.

Next to him, Kai could hear the window of the carriage opening, a sound that he had started to dread. John poked his head out, smiling at Kai.

"How close do you think we are to Perun?" He asked. "I'm getting hungry and I'm tired of eating out of cans!"

"Quit whining," Kai responded as he observed the road ahead. The amount of glowing plants he could see had increased, so they couldn't be far. However, the road looked to be recently traveled on, and the bushes were slightly disturbed. "Close the window and just keep waiting."

"Did I mention I'm getting lonely too?" John continued. "Everyone's so quiet and I'm just sitting in here by myself!"

At this point, Kai was beyond irritated. Why did the person he had to guard have to be so annoying? John's noble lifestyle didn't prepare him for the road, apparently. Kai hopped onto the side of the carriage to close the window himself. "Shut up! It looks like there are other people around, so the more you speak, the more you're going to bring attention to us."

Kai hopped off of the carriage and walked alongside it once more, keeping his eyes peeled for the ones who might still be in the area.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

"Ho there travelers!" George called out to the caravan behind him. They had made such a ruckus that it was hard not to hear the people arguing behind him. It was his first time in the forest of Vasuda and he was enjoying himself, the natural beauty of the place was a stark contrast to the harsh environment of Einar.

However, he knew it was dangerous around the area, having already encountered several bandit groups. Of course, he could handle himself but traveling in a group would be much more beneficial. Hence, when he realized a caravan was behind him, he took advantage of the opportunity to ask to travel with them.

"My name is George, and I am a simple traveler" I informed them, "I was wondering, are you perhaps traveling towards Perun? If so, I was wondering if we could travel together, for how can I, as a single man, go against the dangers of this area."

He had companions, but they had gone ahead to Perun because he could stay here and enjoy himself a little more. The plan was for them to wait for him there until he arrived.

 

[Sebby]

Kai's fears ended up being realized when a stranger called out to them. They must have been talking louder than he thought. He frowned and placed his hand along the hilt of his sword, though he didn't draw it. Not yet. He tried to make it look like he was casually placing his hand on his hip. The other guards in the group became still and turned their attention to the man while the driver of the carriage stopped. As Kai kept his attention on the lone stranger, the other bodyguards kept an eye on the surrounding area. Who knew if this man was a bandit and had others in hiding? Or worse, someone sent by the Empire.

"Traveling all by yourself? From where?" Kai asked. That was when he heard the window of the carriage open. Again. Did John want to get shot by someone's arrow? Kai subtly moved to his right just a bit, to place himself between the stranger and the carriage.

John poked his head out of the window to see what was going on. "Hey, what's the hold up? I just said I was--" He stopped when he noticed the man standing in front of Kai. "Oh." He blinked, then examined the stranger from head to toe. He pursed his lips and looked at Kai. "What did he say his name was?"

"George," Kai replied, the frustration from John's actions plain on his face. However, his red eyes stayed fixed on the man.

A smile came to John's face. "Hello, George!" He greeted. "What can we do for you?"

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Upon hearing the guard's query George responded,
"I am from Einar, I had companions, but we agreed to meet at Perun after I finished with my business here. I wish to join you all to avoid the dangers of the road these days".

He understood the guard's concerns, George could see why he would be suspicious of anyone who was trying to "travel alone".

However, the need to further explain himself passed when he heard a familiar voice coming from the carriage.
"John, is that you?" He laughed, now he knew the real reason why the guard was so suspicious, "What is the former Cinaed ambassador to Einar doing here?"

He started to walk towards the group of people, a smile from seeing his old friend on his face.

 

[Sebby]

Kai quirked an eyebrow at the man's story. If he had companions, why was he out here on his own? He should have stayed with them if he was worried about bandits and such. Then again, he did say he was from Einar, and they are rumored to be eager to flex their warrior skills. What Kai found strange was that George seemed to recognize John. This was not good, and only made Kai more tense. Though John was not nearly as cautious, since he opened the door to the carriage and walked over to stand beside Kai.

"Former ambassador?" John laughed and waved his hand. "No, I'm still Cinaed's ambassador. I certainly hope they don't fire me." John then turned to Kai. "No need to be so uptight, Kai. This is Prince George from Einar. He's supposed to be next in line to be king, if I recall correctly." John tapped his chin, bringing his attention back to the prince. "But the question still stands. What brings you all the way out here? Are you seeking an audience with the High Priestess as well?"

Kai interjected, his agitation only growing. "And who would let the prince walk around by himself?"

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

"My apologies, John. I had heard some rumors since the last time you had visited and I only assumed the worst." The people in Einar definitely had a distinct dislike of John, probably a combination of their dislike of foreigners and a distrust of the easygoing man. As such, George had been one of the only royals in Einar to have treated John as anything remotely like a friend.

Answering his query, George answered,
"Merely traveling the world, my friend. You know that I am to be king soon, with my father's health and all. I must see the world for myself if I am to rule wisely."

The guard was still obviously suspicious of him, George understood that, but he was starting to get slightly annoyed.
"Those who would leave the prince to walk around himself are those who respect him commands and know his strength."

He let his voice get slightly more tense and deeper than his regular voice, informing the guard that the prince's patience was being tested.

 

[Sebby]

John gently placed his hand on Kai's shoulder, expressing an apologetic smile to George on Kai's behalf. But Kai's experience with royalty was a bit limited. He knew that if anyone of royal blood from Cinaed traveled anywhere, they would be accompanied by dozens of guards and wouldn't be allowed anywhere on their own. But he had no reason to doubt George, since John had obviously recognized him and trusted him.

"Please excuse his paranoia," John said to George. "We're on high alert at the moment, and he's not very familiar with Einar's culture. After all, a leader not only has to be wise, but strong. A weak leader isn't worthy of his people's respect." He glanced at Kai, who had taken a step back with his head bowed down. John turned his attention back to the prince. "Sounds like you're already wise to think of this venture. I would happily allow you to join us as we make our way to Perun, but I hope you're aware of our current situation with the Empire. Although they haven't made any moves yet, the threat is still there, so traveling with us may not be the safest choice."

Kai huffed, turning away from the two to observe their surroundings. He couldn't help but feel like something was off around here, and any mention of the Empire made him uncomfortable. If he could bash any Imperial heads in, he'd be happy, but as a bodyguard he also hoped he wouldn't have to see any at all.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

George's terse voice faded away, "No worries, my friend. A good guard can never be too suspicious."
Upon hearing their situation, George nodded gravely, "Yes, I know of their aggressions. While I myself am neutral on this issue for now, I must say I am concerned for the safety of my friend. Thus, I will accompany you for both your sake and mine, as one man against a horde of bandits will fare worse than a group."

Looking towards the bodyguard, he stated,
"No worries my friend, I will aid you in the defense of this caravan, as long as you aid me in the defense of myself!" He chuckled a little at the last bit of his phrase.

While he enjoyed himself during his visit to the forest, he was excited to reach Perun and the company of his companions, so that they could go on and experience more of the world before returning to Einar.

 

[Sebby]

John grinned and made his way back to the door of the carriage, though he didn't go back in just yet. While Kai didn't feel like George would be a threat, he wouldn't let his guard down so easily. But if George really wanted to help them--at least until they got to Perun--then that would make Kai's job much easier. Kai pushed his hood back as John agreed to have George travel with them. Revealing his appearance was to reveal that he was Raidonian. It was a test to the prince.

"I'm honored to be traveling with Einar's brave royalty," John said as he stepped onto the carriage. "And I feel all the more safer for it!" He slowly closed the door to the carriage and the driver began to move forward again, with the guards following close by.

As they moved forward, Kai noticed more of those green orbs hovering around in the air, but he tried to ignore them by talking to George. "It might be safer for you to stay in the carriage with John, but I have a feeling that's not your style."

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Hearing the guard's suggestion, George once again laughed.
"It would never be fitting for Einarian nobility to ride in a carriage. Did you know, even our women ride on horseback!"


His smile subsided slightly, as he added,
"Not to mention I wouldn't be any help in the carriage in the case that we are attacked. By the way, I don't think I caught your name."

When George saw that he was Raidonian, he felt a pang of sympathy for the young man. In Einar he might have been ostracized by the people around him, but to George, he was just a man without a people.
Not to mention, George wasn't going to refer to the man as "guard" the entire trip, that would simply not be respectful.


As the party continued forward, George still tried his best to enjoy himself. The numerous green orbs in the air were enchanting, as he had never seen anything like them, and the forest air was refreshing in a different way than the chill, crisp, air of Einar.

 

[Sebby]

Royalty wanting to stay out in the open was something Kai was going to have to get used to. It was true that he wasn't all too familiar with Einar's culture, but he still knew some things. He supposed that the royal family were just like everyone else. Backing down from a fight was seen as insulting and dishonorable, though Kai began to wonder if that meant they wouldn't run from a fight they knew they couldn't win. Dying as a warrior was better than dying as a coward, he assumed. Even the women trained just as hard as the men did.

Kai chuckled with a shrug. "If you're that much of a warrior, then your father must be a force to be reckoned with," He said. "No wonder the Empire hasn't touched you yet. My name's Kai, by the way." It didn't even occur to him that he didn't tell George his name, but just a moment ago, he did think that he was a threat. Not that he doesn't anymore, but he wasn't as uptight.

Kai could see a small building by the side of the road. A wooden establishment with two floors. Apparently, John still had his window open, since he saw the building as well and ordered the driver to stop. Upon getting closer to the building, Kai could see that it was an inn. Probably not a bad idea to get some food, since the most they had were canned vegetables and bread at the moment. This inn also meant they weren't too far from the city. If John wanted to stay the night, they could probably make it to Perun the next morning.

"Guess we're stopping here for a bit," Kai sighed, stepping over to the entrance of the building behind John. The driver stayed behind to park the carriage and get the horses situated.

"Gods, I'm starving!" John exclaimed as he entered the building and made his way to the front desk. Kai observed the people already occupying the inn, but no one really stood out to him so far. The group got some strange looks from the patrons, though that was it. John returned from the desk to inform them that dinner wouldn't be ready for a little while, but he was able to reserve some rooms. "I'll head to my room for a bit. I need to write a letter." With that, John headed upstairs.

Kai simply nodded at John's decision as he scanned the room. It looked like a standard restaurant and toward the back were three couches situated around a fireplace, where the other patrons were sitting. After John left to go upstairs, they turned around and continued their conversation.

"See anyone that sticks out?" Kai asked, turning to George.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

When the guard started talking about his father, George stiffened up slightly.
"Yes, he was a great warrior in his prime. Nowadays... Well, suffice to say that I am to be king soon."

It was a well known subject in Einar that the current king's health was in dire straights, with old age finally reaching the sturdy old man at the age of 86. George and his father had a good relationship with each other, as George respected and loved his father greatly and his father loved him in return.

His posture loosened again and he smiled when the Guard introduced himself.
"Kai, that is a warrior's name, I like it."

As the group entered the small tavern, George was tempted to immediately find a seat and enjoy a hearty meal but he knew that security for both himself and John came first.

Scanning the room, George already had an answer when Kai queried him for his observations.
"There is one, that hooded fellow in the corner. He's been deliberately avoiding my gaze ever since we arrived."

The man looked to be from the Empire, although George couldn't be sure because of the hood.

 

[Sebby]

For some reason, Kai felt strangely flattered by George's compliment on his name. It was apparently a somewhat common Raidonian name, but since hardly any of them exist anymore, he supposed that it sounded a little exotic to everyone else. Now that John was upstairs, things quieted down considerably. Kai inched toward the stairs to keep tabs on anyone going up there, and it also put him in a position closer to the other guests. Once George pointed out a robed man in the corner, Kai turned his attention to him. The man avoided looking at George, but then stared at Kai. Crap. Kai had forgotten to put his hood back up. And now, he could hear whispers from the other patrons.

"That guy looks Raidonian," A woman whispered. "Weren't they all wiped out?"
"I'd be careful," A man responded. "I heard they used human sacrifices to fuel the power for their magic."
"No way," The woman said. "That's what the Empire said."

Kai's shoulders tensed up in anger, but he tried to stay focused on the task at hand. If they wanted to believe that, it was fine. It's fine...
The robed man made no attempt to approach anyone else. After staring at Kai for a moment, he crossed his arms and turned to look out the window. Whether he was from the Empire or not, he was acting rather suspicious. He looked like he had an unnatural interest in their group.

"I think you're right," Kai said to George, lowering his voice. "They said dinner won't be ready for a bit, so I can keep an eye on him until then. Got anything in mind?" He hoped this could distract him from whatever the other people were saying.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

Hearing the crowd's reaction towards Kai's obvious Raidonian heritage, George couldn't help but feel a small measure of disdain towards them. And they said that the Einarians were xenophobic, just a single look at these people reveals their hypocritical nature.

In response to Kai's question, George thought a bit before answering,
"Don't worry about the man, I will watch him. You go ahead and go upstairs and guard John's room, just in case someone tries to enter unbidden."

While it was true that George was intrigued by this man, his real reason for sending Kai back was because of the stares that the young Raidonian was attracting from the crowd. He didn't want the guard to be subject to this kind of treatment any longer.

However, his plan was for nought for as soon as he said it, the hooded man abruptly stood up and started to head for the door.

 

[Sebby]

Kai pursed his lips a George's words, but he felt that he could trust him. Besides, he did have a point. If no one watched the door, someone could easily sneak in under their noses. Kai watched the hooded man for a moment longer before nodding at George and turning to proceed up the stairs. John's room happened to be the first one on the left in a long hallway. Kai positioned himself right in front of the door to keep watch.

As the hooded man headed for the door, another man walked in and almost bumped into him. He had similar robes to the rest of the Cinaed guards to hide a uniform underneath. Upon spotting one of John's bodyguards, Riina, the man rushed over to hand an envelope to her. Riina sent the man away, then nodded to George before she ascended the stairs to find Kai. Not a word was spoken between any of the guards, and yet they had communicated perfectly. The other patrons didn't seem to mind, as it wasn't uncommon for messengers to show up somewhere, though the urgency of it all was a bit unusual.

Upon getting to the top of the stairs, Riina walked over to hand the envelope to Kai. "It's addressed to John," She told him. "I'm going back downstairs to keep an eye on Prince George, so make sure John gets that." She didn't wait for a response before going back down the stairs.

Kai was a little puzzled by her behavior, but he supposed it was reasonable for her to still be suspicious. He decided not to linger on it and focus on the task at hand. He knocked on John's door a couple times before entering. John stood up from the table he was sitting at, still holding the quill he was using to write. Upon seeing that it was Kai, his shoulders relaxed and Kai wasted no time in handing the letter over.

John turned the envelope over to examine it. "The king's seal. Writing to us so soon?" John frowned, and Kai could tell that he was anticipating bad news. From that, he could only guess what it was. John opened the letter and skimmed over it quickly. His eyes widened and he frowned once more and ripped the letter into tiny pieces. It wasn't out of anger, but probably to remove any traces.

"We're going to Perun and then returning to Erskine immediately after," John said suddenly.

"What happened?" Kai asked.

"It's the empire," John lowered his voice. "They've made their attack on the capital, which means we're officially at war. The king is in hiding at the moment, so no one knows where he is."

Kai's mouth hung open for a moment. Did the empire catch wind of their trip to Perun? John and Kai walked out of the room and returned downstairs. Kai returned to standing guard next to George and debated on whether of not to tell him what was going on. He assumed that John would at some point, maybe when there weren't any civilians around.

"Where'd our suspicious hooded man go?" Kai asked, trying to sound casual.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

As soon as John and Kai returned downstairs, George knew something was up. The sense of urgency communicated by the Cinaed guards had got him thinking a little but he had thought nothing of it at first.

Now, he was certain that something had happened.

In response to Kai question, George informed him,
"He went outside, bumped into that messenger of yours on the way out."

He thought for a moment,
"So what happened, I thought we were supposed to be staying the night?"

However, before Kai could answer, the door to the inn burst open and the body of messenger from earlier flew through the entrance. He had a sword buried in his gut. From outside came a battle cry and a dozen or so men wearing the uniform of the Imperial Elites rushed in and started attacking everyone in sight.

One of them rushed George, who, having no time to bring his shield about, pulled out his sword and parried the well timed strike, these men were good fighters, but not a match for George.

After parrying the strike, he struck his attacker in the face with an armored elbow and planted a boot in his chest, sending him flying backwards.

Using the time he had bought, he shouted to the attackers in a rage,
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? YOU ARE ATTACKING THE CROWN PRINCE OF EINAR. SURRENDER NOW AND I WILL CONSIDER SPARING YOUR PITIFUL LIVES!"

 

[Sebby]

Kai opened his mouth to answer George. He was going to make up some excuse as to why they had to leave, as he wasn't sure if it was okay to let the prince know what was really going on. However, before he could say anything, imperials suddenly burst in. Just great. Obviously, they were after John to get rid of him before he could get any support from Vasuda. If they could keep that from happening, the war would be theirs. Unexpectedly, one of the imperials attacked George, but the prince seemed to handle himself just fine. That meant that Kai could focus on protecting John.

One of the imperials lunged toward John, and Kai drew his sword and pushed himself between them, blocking the imperial's attack. He pushed back and kicked the imperial in the gut to put some distance between them. "John, find somewhere to hide while we take care of these guys," Kai said without taking his eyes off of the enemies. John backed up in a corner next to the stairs, behind Kai and George.

While the other guards kept the imperials busy, Kai began to draw a spell. With his index finger, he drew a rune in the air in front of him, a blue light following his finger as he went. The rune began to take shape, and Kai pressed his hand against it, causing it to fire bolts of lightning at the enemies. It was enough to stun them, leaving them open.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

OOC: Sorry for taking so dang long to reply - exams happened then it sorta slipped my mind... Anyway, here we go!

George marveled at Kai's spell for a moment before jolting back into action. Taking up his shield, he charged into the group of stunned imperial soldiers, hacking and slashing at whoever was in his path. He was furious. The empire would pay for so ruthlessly attacking innocent people, not to mention for attacking the Crown Prince of Einar.

Eventually, George found himself in front of a particular soldier. He man had a commander insignia on his right arm and was attempting to rally his men, who were being pushed back by the Cinaedian Guards.

George lunged towards him, raising his shield up and smashing the officer's nose in with it. As the incapacitated officer fell backwards, George swung his blade in a large horizontal arc, cutting through two men at once.

He shouted towards Kai without taking his eyes off of his opponents,
"Kai, we take the officer alive. But NONE of the rest of these heathens leave this tavern breathing."

 

[Sebby]

Kai nodded at George's command, bringing his sword back up in front of him. He didn't stray too far away from John, but he struck down any Imperials that came toward him after the magic wore off. The other guards pushed the soldiers back until only the commander was left. Since the situation had been taken care of for the most part, Kai sheathed his weapon and headed outside to the commander. The Imperials were growing bolder by the minute if they were attacking on Vasudan soil. Not long after attacking Cinaed's capital, even.

The commander dropped his sword and put his hands up over his head. "I-I give up," He pleaded. "Let me go and I won't speak a word of this to anyone." What a pathetic excuse for a commander. Kai grabbed him by the hair and smashed his knee into the man's gut, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Yeah, I don't buy that," Kai scoffed. As he heard the door behind him open, he turned to see John joining them outside in a hurry.

"If we're going to capture him, hurry up." He glanced around. "But whatever you're doing, we can't stay here. We have to go to Perun. Now."

Kai had to agree. John probably didn't notice since he wasn't as attuned to magical energy, but something wasn't right. If what he heard about the forest was true, it was possibly getting restless due to the Imperial invaders.

 

[Billbo Swaggins]

George followed John outside to see Kai bury a knee into the officer. He smiled, the enemy soldier deserved that and much more.

"I agree with John, we must make haste to Perun. Once there I will meet with my companions and return to Einar. The Empire made a mistake, attacking me, and they will pay for it."

He looked towards John,
"I do hope that you will turn over the prisoner to me when we separate, he will be a key piece in rallying support for war. Of course, if I succeed, we would enter on your side."

As the Cinaedian guards finished setting up the wagons and started moving towards Perun, George positioned himself near the captured officer.
No point in waiting to question him, might as well do it now.

With that in mind, he asked his first question,
"What was your objective in attacking that tavern?"

The scared officer looked back at him,
"I don't know." After seeing the incredulous look on George's face, he elaborated, "Command told us to raid the tavern and burn it, told us there wouldn't be much resistance, but they didn't say why. They didn't tell me anything, I swear!"

George unsheathed his sword and, in one clean stroke, cut of one of the man's ears. He didn't believe him for one second. He said to the man, over his screams of pain,
"I'll leave you to cry over that for a bit, when I'm back you better have answers. Real answers."

With that, he returned to his original position at the side of the carriage in which John was in.