The Undeclared War. (The War. 1.5.)

[Enizo]

"I apologize," he nodded respectfully, "I had not known, we've been cut off for days now. Ever sense those creatures moved in we haven't got a single order from command." He shrugged before looking back at the city, "So we made it our goal to take back this city. We've lost a great deal of men trying, too."

Yejirushi shrugged of those thoughts before glancing back to the troops, "Do as they said," within moments the troops were moving into position, and Yajirushi glanced up to the city and pointed at a tower, "We may be cut out from outside intel but we still have a network inside the city. The commander of these forces is residing in that tower which is filled with those things. Luckily, these monsters are dumb so if you manage to finish the commander off you can mob up the enemy quickly.

The troops were in position now, ready for them to move in. The Marine reached into his pack and slipped Roxa and Seigmand an item; it was small and it looked like a large diamond with a source of magic surging in it, "Whomever is on that tower and when you're ready, break that magic line in the middle, drop it than get out of there. It'll call in a Naval strike that will wipe out that thing out..."

[King Roxa Hiaten]

Roxa took the gem, and remembered the devastation of the naval strike with a short, repressed shudder. He made sure to slip it into one of the pouches at his belt and gave the marine a nod.

"Alright then, lets get to work. We need to get up to that tower and drop the place. There's no need for us to fight everybody if taking out the commander will cause them all to flee as our new friend here tells us." He wondered for a moment if the 'commander' was Bart. If it was, then they could have more trouble than anticipated, if it wasn't, they'd get rid of his small army before they actually had to fight him, which made everything much easier.

"If anyone has any issues they wish to speak of, now would be a good time to go about voicing them. Once we start the attack, there really will be no going back."

[Enizo]

"Yeah, I got one!" Enizo called from the walls, "How are we going to get to the tower? I mean, they've got the city held tight! Unless someone here can fly one of us up we're going to be stuck fighting through all of those guys!"

Enizo leaped down next to Roxa and Seigmand and simply shrugged, "I mean... we could probably do it, but it's not going to be easy."

[annabelle]

Why did Roxa keep bringing up how 'unsociable' Seigmand was? Annabelle decided the trip through to just keep nearby Seigmand so here she stood listening to the conversation and shaking her head again.

"I thought he said it best; help fight evil or die trying to fight the good. What else do you need to say? 'Pretty please?' Pah!" she grumbled, "royals are all the same, wasting their time with how to say things. I'll show you how to say something so people get the point and won't be mistaken."

With that she turned, hand raising in a sharp claw-like shape and the area around her covered in complete darkness, hellish magic laced with misery and pain as a soft 'aaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh' could be heard as she silently conjured up her spell.

And in a flashing moment, dark clouds formed overhead and a green bolt shot from it, piercing a monster running in the distance through the head and sending its agonizing, ear-splitting screams their way. Annabelle cackled.

"Oh, I just love when they do that!" her voice was uncomfortably high-pitched and sweet as she spoke of her enemies dying, "for the kingdom!! Hooo hooo hoooo!"

[Enizo]

=_=

Enizo made a swift gesture over to Kazan which meant something like, 'That bitch is crazy'.

Enizo stepped to Annabelle and shrugged, "These soldiers are not required to help us, let alone help anyone. I'd rather them watch our back and not shoot it," he shrugged a little as he watched the creature die, "As far as they knew, we're all just more Vuoto rebels, or bandits... I'm happy they didn't shoot us on sight!"

[King Roxa Hiaten]

"As Enizo said." Roxa responded calmly. "These men are under no obligation to help us, and given their expressions, they were in half a mind to riddle us with arrows before I so hastily intervened." He cracked his knuckles within the palm of his hand, as he reached to his waist and drew out the glinting silver blade, and placed the far end of it in his palm. He ran the flat edge of the blade threw his hand before holding it down at his side. Was it his fault for not believing in shouting orders at troops he technically had no right to command?

"A little respect can take you a long way, wasn't it you, Annabelle, who chastised me for speaking harshly to others and turning down willing help..?"

He nodded at Enizo to follow him and approached the ramp, joining the Undian marines. He scanned the hordes of enemies that they'd have to cut through if they had any hope of reaching the tower, and dropping the crystal within, then bringing in the rain of fire from the shapes. They outnumbered them, that was definitely true... It was just a question as to how to reach them...

"A distraction, perhaps? I could easily jump up there, but I'd rather not go in without back-up if I'm being honest."

[annabelle]

Annabelle grinned at Roxa.

"Aye, but I'm also one for very little words in times when words are hardly needed. We both see the enemy. We both know the enemy. It's either you help fight or you stand there being a coward," she spoke simply, composure back as she eyed all the younger lads around her, "it's not hard to figure out. It's time to find your motivation."

[King Roxa Hiaten]

Roxa couldn't help but grin back at the Annabelle's words, looking over his shoulder he chuckled.

"Yes, but until it was made clear otherwise, we were the enemies." He looked across at the Undian soldiers, and then back over to the hordes of enemies that were waiting for them. "I think now, however, we're all pretty clear as to who's fighting who." His grip on his weapon tightened as he steeled his composure.

"So how about we all go and do what we do best?"

[annabelle]

Annabelle nodded to Roxa, cackling again almost too excitedly for the chance to exterminate enemies and monsters.

"This I strongly agree to, hee hee heeeee..."

[Enizo]

Enizo took a deep breath before taking the first step from the wall and onto the other side, he almost expected a horde of enemies to come charging his way as he did so. Thankfully there was no movement from the city.

Enizo was fast and before the group could notice he was already at one of the buildings, glancing to the side to see if there were anyone there waiting for them. "Looks like they fell back to guard the tower..."

The streets were dead silent and Enizo was about to take another step when he suddenly saw one of the creatures run through the street, holding a small orb in its hand as it ran right towards the tower. He was about to raise some concern to exactly what that was but soon that creature was out of view.

He bent low and made some hand signals to the group which were easy enough to understand, 'Area is clear, let's move closer.'

[Seigmand Dezmar]

Seigmand wasn't putting up with this blathering hogwash for one more second. The moment Roxa stepped in to play his game of diplomacy, with a rag-tag regiment of soldiers of all things, he turned his back on the group and headed into the city walls himself. He was sure they'd catch up eventually, but every second wasted chatting was a second allowing the enemies to fortify their position.

The streets were indeed empty, save for the pungent odour of death that emanated from the piles of corpses left to rot. An examination of the ground showed a large group of misshapen footprints all pulling back to a central point; a suspicious set of towers that loomed over the city that could offer a perfect vantage point for a last stand.

"None of this makes sense..." Seigmand mused to himself as he examined the structures from up close. They clearly weren't here to lay a trap, else they wouldn't have pulled back to such a poor ambush point. Why destroy the port then? Why hold the city at all, unless... yes that might be the case. I'll have to interrogate the guards after this is all over.

Unwilling to wait another moment for the children to all catch up to him Seigmand popped his knuckles, shook out his hands and with two quick sidle steps palm struck the side of the tower wall, sending a solid circle of stone and mortar flying into the tower's interior and making an adequate hole for him to walk through.

At least they'll know I was here... He said with a smirk as he advanced inside, ready to take on any defences as he began ascending the tall structure.

[Bartholomew]

"Hasty moves lead to an early grave." Bart mumbled to himself, watching from above, as Seigmand opened the tower up.
When Seigmand walked in the tower, legions of monsters were standing side by side,in an almost hibernation like state. However when Seigmand took one step in the tower. All of their eyes started to glow and dashed to Seigmand, their shields and weapons at the ready to attack Seigmand. Most of the first floor legion broke the walls behind Seigmand, running to any person moving in the city. Thirty or so stayed behind and attacked Seigmand.

[Volkmar Gamlxltoe]

Volkmar walked with the group, sighing that his fight got cut short. However his depressed thoughts were cut short as the flood of the enemies came upon the group.
"Oh ho ho! THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!" Volkmar then charged passed the group, with his swords charged up with lunar light. He then swung his swords down, making a massive arc toward the soldiers, then he jumped over the front line, and started to attack from the inside.

[King Roxa Hiaten]

Roxa cursed under his breath as he advanced with Enizo, before monsters swarmed from everywhere as Seigmand sprung Bart's trap.

"I knew he wouldn't make the first move..." He muttered as he raised his sword and took a defensive stance. His mind working in overdrive as he did so. Bart's mind wasn't as sharp as Kain or Duo's, but he was a swordsman which required some level of strategical skill... Those strategies however were pretty readable because of it. The wise swordsman never strikes first, more can come of a parried counter-attack than of an initial strike, and that move had been made. Now he had to unravel the next move, his inner swordsman and strategist working hand in hand.

A swordsman always does his best to take a stance that protects his weaker side. This assault was designed to stop them breaching that weakness and taking advantage of it. Size always matters to an extent in a swordfight, in a fair fight, when your blades, intelligence and skill are evenly matched, it came down to who could exert the most pressure, right now, that was Bart and his monsters.

Think, Roxa. Think.

He thought of Volkmar, the way he'd assaulted the shield units from above and broken their ranks. Above... It was a complete blindside for the opposition being inside the tower stopped them seeing from above, and Roxa only needed to get the crystal on top of it in order to bring in the strike. But Seigmand was still inside.

"Enizo! Kazan!" He called. Parrying away a strike and cutting the assailant down, he spoke. "Take Riliath and Gensayce, and go help Seigmand! Carve your way through and keep your exit clear! Don't get caught in a pincer and encircled. I'm going up top! As soon as you're clear, I'll call in the big guns!" He retreated to a safe distance and called up to the Undian marines.

"A small unit's going to push through! Keep them covered for as long as you can!"

With that, he set off, leaping atop a building, he aimed to make another jump up to the tower.

[Seigmand Dezmar]

"Oh no please save me." Seigmand groaned in a mock plea before moving in a swift set of steps that caused a cylinder of stone to rise up, offering him a moments reprieve from the Sinners' strikes. Bending down in a crouch similar to a sprinter's starting pose, Seigmand sucked in a deep breath before plunging his hands deep into the ground as he cried out.

"Siiiiiiiiii-yaaa!"

With only the barest hint of a quake in the ground the earth between Seigmand's protective cylinder and the walls of the tower burst upwards, leaving all creatures unfortunate enough to be caught in it's radius crushed between the ceiling and the pulverizing force of the ground. Relaxing his muscles and snapping to his feet the ground released it's hold and along with his barrier slipped back to it's original shape.

"Really? You thought you'd need to rescue me from an obvious trap in a confined space made entirely of stone? Do try and keep up Roxa, though I suppose I do appreciate the concern." He chuckled, flashed the boy a smirk and took up to the stairs, ready for what may come next.