The War Machine Spits the Most Coin [Wolfman]

[AevumEternity]

Pausing, she shrugs slightly as if accepting his explaination for now, prying off the thick steel gauntlets as the robe crackled, burning surprisingly slowly. The Major's eyes flickered to him from across the fire, murmuring softly," We shall continue to sweep the valley due South toward the Serendipity border. Magical refugees are bound to head that direction to find sanctuary with the infidels there." She spat in disdain, grimacing slightly as her fingers delicately began to fiddle with the leather straps and clamps that held the massive pauldrons upon her shoulders.

" I would not be surprised if it was Serendipity that insighted this civil war in the first place."

[WolfMan]

Zod picked up some wood and placed it on the fire. He got real low, and began to blow on it gently, causing the smoldering to rise into small embers. He placed another piece on the embers, allowing them to continue on in the night. Realizing they would be resting for the time being, Zod took of helmet, and gave his short shaggy hair a shake freeing them from his helmet hair. He took off both gauntlets, and put them gently next to him.

His knees began to ache dully from their current position. The many miles he traveled from the morning previous had depleted a good portion of his stamina. He was ready for battle nonetheless, but allowed gravity to take its course as he sat down on the wood. He gave a deep sigh/grunt, clearly relived to have at least a couple moments to rest his legs. He nodded to her explanation.

Having incredibly light amor compared to her, he reached for his own pesky shoulder straps and undid both of them. He revealed a jet-black undershirt, showing the broad shoulders, and wide frame he possessed. He wasn't a giant, but his frame clearly extended that of typical humans. He tossed his armor gently next to his gauntlets, making sure not to make a noise while he did this. He shot her a sympathetic look as we watched her struggle with her armor.

"That makes sense to me. These folk are smart, but not the well organized type. Serendipity is filled with powerful mages, strengthened by a lifetime of study, and others by the sounds of battle." Zod visibly shuddered at this thought.

[AevumEternity]

She allowed the ornate breastplate to fall apart like a shell neatly about her waist. The tunic beneath was emerald and black- vaguely splattered with darker droplets like black-red paint. Beneath that further seemed a linen undershirt streaked with sweat. It did not show off whatever figure was beneath at all, but from her slender arms that were well muscled- one could... Use their imagination. Reaching behind her head, she drew her hair behind her shoulders- looking at him inquiringly.

" What is your experience with mages, Zod?" She asked quietly, breathing deeply the smell of wood smoke rather then that filled with the ashes of the dead. It reminded her of home- though dry grass had a much lighter scent.

[WolfMan]

He admired her muscular and toned arms. That armor must be well over 150 pounds he reckoned. He admired her tunic for its beauty. Growing up poor for the majority of his life, he had rarely seen clothing that well made.

"I was tortured at their hand for almost a full sun cycle. At first they only physically beat me, but my will is strong," his glance gazed directly into the fire after he said this for a few moments. He looked back up at her again, "but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't break my spirit."

[AevumEternity]

Reaching toward the fire with one hand, flexing her fingers as if to sift the stiffness from her joints, the Major murmurs," Then you hold no love for them- why did they treat you so? If I may?" She asked softly, gaze flickering back toward his face curiously.

Hakon took a moment to relax as she examined her companion's features, a forlorn haunted look had passed over his eyes. Empathy instantly welled in her chest but refused to show.

[WolfMan]

"About two sun cycles ago, I was much less selective of my work. I was a poorer man, looking to crawl his way into a life of stability. I took the work of two noblemen. It was convenient, as most of one's tasks, led back to the other's lands," he stated with an almost reminiscent tone...

"Eventually, the war broke their relationship. I did tasks for both, and one got jealous," Zod said, breaking the momentary pause he had created. He looked up at her as he finished speaking, his gentle eyes gazed into hers.

[AevumEternity]

" I assume several events lead up to your capture, torture and subsequent presence of being here then, yes?" She answered, quickly breaking eyecontact to look into the tongues of flame somewhat solemnly," That is why it is always better to become the master of your own fate- I wonder why men follow me when they could better on their own."

Shrugging idly, she frowns faintly," Do you have the ability to fight Mages, I suppose is the real question. A man can have the will, but ability goes a long way."


Just beyond the ring of light created by the dancing flams, a cat had settled itself atop on of the ruined pillars, watching the pair with curious and disdainful eyes. Its fluffy tail wrapping about delicate paws.

[WolfMan]

"Their differences were created by their views. One was sympathetic to the mage cause, the other was not. Having no personal attachment to the war at that time, I helped both men. The sympathizer got scared I would eventually betray him, as the other noble paid better. On my return to his palace to collect my coin, he betrayed and captured me," Zod said matter of factly. He stretched his legs out moved his now chilly hands over the fire. He returned to her question,

"You are inspirational. Men without purpose can find one in yours," he said kindly. He sniffed the air softly once, and peered out past the major who kept him company. He detected life, he could feel the stare piercing into him. He scanned until he found the source. A small black cat.

"If they are mortal, they can and will fall by my blade," he said suddenly. As he said this, his normally soft eyes turned cold. They reflected the hate and disdain that burned in Zod's heart. Taking a deep breath, his eyes quickly returned to normal.   

[AevumEternity]

Her gaze had returned to his face, observing teh vast array of emotion before nodding gently," Well said, my friend- well said." Moving her attention to the thick plates that armored her thighs, the young woman began to loosen the straps, murmuring," Now if only there was skmething to eat,we could consider this place nearly comfortable."

Flashing him a small smirk, she unstrapped the belt that held the viciously curved sword to her hip, setting it down enatly beside her.

[WolfMan]

Taking this as his queue, he stood up and unstrapped his leg armor, revealing jet black pants with noticeably thicker material than his shirt. Setting it next to the rest of his gear, Zod walked over to his pack, crouched down and opened it. Unfortunately, the only food that stared back at him was several small loaves of bread. He sadly shook his head, and stood up.

Turning to face her, he offered her one, and put the pack in the space equally between them. He gestured towards it, to show that if she had finished the one he gave her, she was free to help herself.

"Now its my turn to ask you some questions," Zod said with a smile. "Have you learned to hunt?" Just asking her made his mouth water. He turned to his piece of bread, imagined it was a cooked piece of venison, and took a large bite.

[AevumEternity]

Seeming surprised at the cordial display of companionship, the Major murmured her gratitude as she took a small bite of the bread, having lef tthe straps upon her armor loose but not quite undone," I have- but my specialities make it rather difficult to be stealthy, agile or even fast for that matter."

Shaking her hair out before running her fingers through it, she flashed him a smirk," I suppose interrogating me is fair. You've spoiled me in some sense- at least for a warzone."

[WolfMan]

Chewing into the bread, it was apparent that this wasn't as fresh as when he'd bought it at the market this morning. It wasn't near the stale level either, so he easily polished off his first loaf. Taking another, he set it gently on his leg.

"Oh don't be modest," Zod said somewhat playfully. "Wearing armor that heavy on a regular basis, would make you faster than many of the hunters who rely on the profession."

He returned her smile genuinely, "I'll keep things light for now, how old were you when you first rode a horse?" He lowered his voice as he asked his next question, clearly with a hint of embarrassment, "and what was it like?"

[AevumEternity]

Shrugging gently at his praise, she kept her gaze downcast, upon the flames - once she would have ducked her head to her chest with a nervous smile, but war made all weary, old habits became hard and crumbled due to the waste of energy they perveyed. The Major blinked in faint surprise, as if the vage suggestion that he had never ridden was enough to snap her out of such a stupor.

" I rode... Maybe when I was no more then a few moons old, my family- we raise Theocog, it's our legacy to be riders-" she murmurs almost absentmindedly, memories perfumed with the scent of dry hay- her father's hands steadying her upon the broad back of one of the beast's- her mother's gentle laughter carrying from the blackness like a sickeningly sweet echo from the past,"- Have you... Never ridden before, Zod?"

[WolfMan]

Zod had heard of Theocogs, or at least, distant rumors. He wondered what it would be like to charge into battle aboard such a creature. He imagined the terror that could strike into the enemy. More so, Zod wanted to wield a halberd, whether on horseback or not. But alas, he had little space to carry such a weapon. Not to mention most of his fights took place at close range, hardly the conditions optimal for such a tool.

"Nay, I can't say that I have. My speed is fast, but surely not that of a horse. I want to someday.." he trailed off. He looked down at the glowing fire, "but embarrassingly enough, I have more confidence in wiping out these pockets of mages, than I do riding such force."

Elaborate word aside, Zod felt like a foreigner, like an outsider, for having not experienced such a common transportation method. Wanting to shift the attention away himself, he returned to her, and with a more serious topic. "With all due respect major, I would consider myself a highly perceptive man. When I look into your face, into your eyes, I see a softer heart. Why do you put up such a great wall around yourself?" He earnestly returned his gaze from the fire back to her.

[AevumEternity]

Her eyes flickered to the man across the fire, her lips a thin and grim line. Her hazel-grey eyes seemed black and orange in the darkness- reflecting the flames easily. Chewing thoughtfully on the hard bread, as if attempting to dissolve every last ounce of the yeasty flavor upon her tongue- the Major exhaled carefully through her nose- taking her time before answering.

" Women, Zod, have always been seen to have the need to be blind folded by the men around them. Not to oppress them... No, though that may sometimes be the case-" she took another bite, the pause stretching out excruciatingly until she began again,"- it is to protect the beautiful worlds they conjure up. How easily those illusions can be crushed when a man's world encroaches upon it. As fragile as water's face." Her eyes closed, a bitter sweet smile curling her lips," Though men protect these illusions in order to have a taste of innocent purity at its finest- the fragility of such a mindset is easy to spit upon, for it will not fight back."

" The moral of this is- men will respect a statue and worship a visage of greatness in battle- but are less likely to feel inspired past fear for the sake of a easily destroyed flower, hm?"

[WolfMan]

"In these lands, and most around it, it would appear so," he sympathized with this powerful women more than he could display in words. "Almost as if that flower is more valuable than the one who grows it." In this new light, Zod understood. He imagined how much more difficult his travels would have been had he been born a woman.

"I've been on the move too much, to have any similar sentiment. With the thought of consent death, who cares what is between ones legs? So long as they can watch your back with the might of their weapon, it matters not to me."

He could not help but think there was a hint of subtly in her words. He wanted to question this further, and was about to, but hesitated. Knowing she would probably catch on, he looked down before honestly stating, "Many men say the things I have as a guise, but I mean them sincerely."

[AevumEternity]

" It is hard whether to tell if sweet words in any sense hold any truth no matter one's position. There is no honor in war- as much as we please ourselves with the guise of it," she holds the bread within her mouth as she finishes removing the armor from one leg, siding the other out- the loose fitting pants seemed to have once been white- but now were dyed pale brown with yellowish stains from sweat and dust. She shiftered once but quickly retrieve the cloak from her armor, wrapping it about her shoulders securely before biting into the hard dough at long last.

" Perhaps in an enlightened society we could dream such things," she chuckles weakly, running another hand through white-gold strands," I shall give you the benefit of the doubt until you prove me wrong, alas."

There was a pause, she pointed idly but critically at him," But turn upon me... And I shall promise to show you exactly why I have gotten so far."


The cat stretched, yawned- tiny ivory fangs flashing as it leaped down from the pillar, treading stealthily into the darkness. As if upon a mission - though as a cat does, not quite as determined as it otherwise could be.

[WolfMan]

"Why of course they do my friend! The mistreatment of women existed in my culture, but women were allowed to be warriors." He gave a hearty laugh as he continued, "most men weren't even allowed in the plant garden, as they were seen as too dull in that regard to effectively take of a crop or herb."

"When you sit at the head of military, and prove them wrong, you will take the first step in creating that world my friend," Zod said earnestly. He took her words in, but realized they were probably said out of necessity rather than aggression. "I wouldn't dream of it major," he said honestly but with a hint of mischievousness. His gaze temporarily gazed past hers as he listened to the cat scamper off. Stalked as it may, cats always made him weary.

He watched her put the cloak on and felt sorry for her. Standing up, he walked over and gathered more wood. Placing it down diligently, he blew on the embers creating a weak, but warmer fire.

[AevumEternity]

Offering him a small smile, she pulled her legs up to her chest, muscles feeling almost too free- as if she had shed what force kept her to the earth- seeming to see is mischievious smirk, she arched an eyebrow at the man but shook her head," I am simply a Major- women are illegal to join the military unless they are born with the enate ability of Mordecaism or Adharaism. Even though I possess Adharaism, I was trained as a Mordecai." Hesitatjng she chuckles," My noble family is truthfully impoverished, though I was offered a place within the Knights of the White Lily- I am too brusque for those women."

Tilting her head with a small sneer, she stared into the darkness," Nor can I make the promize to forever keep my chastity for the Saint Adhara lest my family die out altogether. So I made Ansgar's Hand-" her gaze slides to him calculatingly,"- we are small, but strong... And could always use more men despite the expenses involved."

[WolfMan]

Being vaguely familiar with mordecaism, he nodded. "What is adharaism? I've never heard of such a thing." Pausing briefly he continued, "you would've hated a life like that. Imagine having to hold your tongue constantly and never having the freedom you desire."

When the time eventually came for Zod to settle down, he dreamed for a women half as intelligent as the one he sat in front of. He thought of the women Hakim had spoken of, blinded by an illusion and never having the intuition to challenge such a falsehood forced upon them.

Zoe's gaze slowly rose to meet hers. "My people are all but a myth, I can relate to you there," Zod said with sympathy. He curiously gazed into her eyes, "how is it that a women of your position doesn't have a line of suitors into the next village?" He asked without suggestion and with honesty.