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The Ones We Left Behind [Eckhart]

Started by Codex, June 20, 2017, 06:38:52 PM

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Codex

"O- Of course! Right this way, sir!"

The man sniffed with annoyance at the obviously inexperienced librarian. The man hobbled out from behind the desk and grabbed a chain of keys. "Right this way!" He said, pointing towards the long row of bookshelves. With that, he gave a nod to three soldiers situated behind him, and they quickly followed suite. This old man had better been worth all the trouble it took them for tracking him down. It'd been 4 days since they'd been ordered to do so, and the captain knew better than anyone how bad it would be to keep his commander waiting. Especially in the situation they were in now. Luckily for the soldiers behind him, they didn't know just how cruel their battalion commander could be.

"He was gazing over some of these tomes over here." The man sputtered, pointing a wrinkled finger towards the section of books. He nodded at the librarian and placed a hand on his weapon as he walked down the aisle with his soldiers following. Finally turning the corner, they saw a hunched old man with a cane. Assuming this was the person the commander had described, he didn't waste any more time.

"Ludwig Von Musel?"

Eckhart_Von_Musel

It had been twelve years since he had first moved to Uthlyn, and yet Ludwig Von Musel still discovered books in the library he hadn't read before. The tome he was mulling over presently was an autobiography of an obscure Sergeant Major from over one hundred years ago. The book was chock full of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes- Sergeant Major Kalaritt didn't seem particularly well educated- but something in the book had caught Ludwig's eye.

In almost every history book that discussed him, the famous General Vincent Waxwing was said to have come up with two strategies for every battle and then flip a coin "to let Ansgar choose for me". This first hand account from the Sergeant Major told a much different story.

Quote from: Sergeant Major Kalaritt"After we laid out our first strategy, I looked at General Waxwing expectantly. When he asked why I was staring at him, I asked what the second plan would be, and offered him a coin from my pocket. He laughed, and confessed that he had made up the story of the coin flip as a laugh, and never expected anybody to believe it in the first place."

"Now, this is interesting." Ludwig muttered under his breath. "It was all a show? I must look into this further." Immediately Ludwig began to take notes in his journal.

"Ludwig Von Musel?"

Startled, Ludwig looked up from his notes to see a small group of soldiers standing at the end of the aisle. "Oh, how lovely." he grumbled. Ludwig cleared his throat. "Can't you see I'm busy?" he snapped. "What do you want?"


Codex

Seemed to be the man that was described. The captain sighed and shot a glance to a few of his men who stayed perfectly still. "We understand you have a certain set of skills, our commander is interested in." It was clear by the tone of the soldier's voice that he obviously did not want to be here, and had little faith this old man would be of any use. However, orders were orders. "The commander would like to meet with you in person. We're from the 12th Siege battalion, and have a camp set up in the Hollow." He spoke rather flatly, expecting another snarky bite from Ludwig.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

"The 12th Siege Battalion?" Ludwig repeated, raising an eyebrow. "The commander wants me, you say?" He let out a wheezy chuckle. "Now that's a laugh."

Ludwig looked towards the soldier and waited for him to laugh along, only to be dumbstruck when he was met with a blank stare. "...oh. You were being serious then." Putting down the book he'd been reading, Ludwig slowly made his way to the soldier. "I'm familiar with the 12th Siege Battalion. About fifty years ago is was led by a man named Dustin Fletcher. Marvelous commander, it's a shame he died the way he did."

He paused, and looked at the expression on the soldier's face. "Alright, you don't care. Be that way." he muttered. "I'm not sure what your commander expects me to do, or if he's even remotely comparable to Commander Fletcher, but I suppose I could hear him out. What's in it for me?"

Codex

Well, at least he wasn't as sulky as he'd been expecting.

"*She* believes your tactical knowledge can be of value to our current operation. We are here to inform you about this job, and tell you coin will be provided should you accept the offer." He responded.

"Commander Rivere did not inform me the reason for your assistance, only that I was to bring you to our camp in the Hollow." He said "We were ordered to assist your moving as well, should there be any items you wish to bring with you."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ludwig's eyes narrowed. "She?" he huffed. "Leave it to a woman to disturb my research." Ludwig crossed his arms. "Really, what is this country coming to?"

"Although, seeing their barracks in the flesh could be quite the learning experience."

"Alright, I suppose I could try to help." Ludwig grumbled. "Although I imagine this commander of yours won't listen to my advice- women never do."

He sighed. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Codex

The captain and guards moved out of the man's way as he hobbled passed them, exchanging a few odd looks due to his personality. It was clear he had no idea who, exactly their commander was, and he was no woman supporter. That may change in the coming days.

The men directed him to a wagon outside the library, and hopped on board as the driver set the horses in motion. "We'll be joining up with a supply caravan being sent to the camp as well. Fear not, it's well protected." He said, attempting to put any nervous feelings at ease. If he had any. By this point the captain could not tell however.

A few hours of riding later, they reached the caravan in question. The line was very large, transporting a few dozen new recruits, along with various siege weapons and other supplies for the camp. Ludwig's wagon rode near the back of it.

Later that evening, the rising smokestacks over the trees could indicate the camp was getting nearer, and sure enough the glow of fire could be seen as they exited the treeline to witness the large encampent ahead. As they entered, it was clear the establishment was very busy. Patrols of swordsmen rushed back and forth as multiple knights did the same. Many were attending to their tents, some blacksmiths were sharpening steel, and a few were transporting mage prisoners in large caged wagons. It was here when the caravan began to split off, as many different soldiers began directing the different shipments to their intended locations. Ludwig's wagon however was directed towards the center of the camp. There was a considerably larger tent here, the obvious HQ for this encampment. "Follow me." The captain said finally, stepping off the back of the wagon and entering the large tent. Inside it was scarcely decorated to what one might expect from a commander's residence. There wasn't any fancy beds, decorations, or any evidence that anyone even slept in this tent. Instead the tent held a long wooden table with multiple chairs situated around it. On the surface of the table was a long piece of parchment. It seemed to be a detailed map of the Hollow. The captain directed Ludwig to an empty chair and then went to speak to one of the cartographers attending the map.

"She'll join us momentarily.. She's just dealing with some rebellious prisoners." He told Ludwig, sitting down across the table.

Only a few minutes passed however, before the sound of heavy armored footsteps could be heard outside the tent. Then the tent flaps parted. Stepping into the laternlight was a MASSIVE being, clad head to toe in full body armor. Nothing about their physical appearance could be seen through the thick metal armor cover, not even their face through the thin slits of their faceplate. On their back was a long spear like weapon.. Still red and dripping. The soldiers stood at attention. THis was Battalion commander Annerith Rivere. She said nothing, but gestured with her hand and they understood to sit. The commander didn't even look at Ludwig, she simply walked passed him, the chain of her armor echoing with every step. She then stood on the other side of the table, gazing at the map before turning her helmet straight towards the old man.

"Ludwig Von Musel, the military tactician and historian I assume." She spoke bluntly, her voice cold and sounding almost mechanical through her armor.

Eckhart_Von_Musel

The ride was a long and bumpy one, and Ludwig was quickly regretting his decision to come. "This woman had better be in some serious trouble is she's willing to cart an old man like me all the way out here." He sighed. "If this doesn't concern the very fate of this country, I'm leaving."

Finally they arrived, and Ludwig was directed to a tent in the center of the camp. Upon entering he sat down in what was a particularly uncomfortable chair and waited. He drummed his fingers on the table impatiently before finally hearing his name called. He turned to look at person entering the tent, and his eyes narrowed. "That's not a woman."

Ludwig swallowed. "Well, I wouldn't really call myself a tactician. I've never been in battle, everything I've written has been hypothetical. Still, I suppose you have some need of me? I'm not sure how much help I'll be, but I can certainly try."

Codex

Annerith stared at him through the cold black gaze of the armored slits on her helmet as he answered her question. Not to her expectations, but his response was satisfactory. The entire tent was silent as the commander stared at him when he finished. Finally, breaking the tension, Annertith leaned up and slowly put the dripping weapon on her back. It seemed like there had been some sort of unseen trap or clasp on her armor that allowed the Gundao to easily hook to her back plate. Keeping with the silent theme, she turned her helmet towards one of the guardsmen at the tent entrance and slowly nodded. Knowing instantly what that meant, the guard quickly turned and exited the flap and vanished into the busy camp. The commander turned her attention back too Ludwig.

"You see.. Recently my advisor was killed in an ambush. I have need of a replacement." She said coldly, turning and stepping around the table, turning her head downwards towards the map. "The Hollow is a dangerous spot during these weeks. Many mages have congregated here... Some have even challenged me. However, a more powerful magic user and his band of rebels have taken refuge in a nearby ruined fort. One built to withstand most sieges..." She pointed to a spot on the map that showed a large mountain with a building on top, labeled "Fort Valamere."

"The Siege begins in a week. We have till then to come up with a battle plan."

Eckhart_Von_Musel

Ludwig stared at the supposed "woman" apprehensively. She was silent, which made him nervous. "Come on." Ludwig thought. "I'm a worthless old man with no experience. Dismiss me already."

Finally the commander dismissed the guard at the entrance at the tent, and then began to speak. Ludwig's eye twitched. "You're really that desperate, eh? Ansgar help me." Still, he listened to the woman speak until she finished.

"However, a more powerful magic user and his band of rebels have taken refuge in a nearby ruined fort. One built to withstand most sieges..."

Ludwig smiled. The smile turned into a chuckle, which turned into a laugh. "Fort Valamere? Hah! They've dug their own grave by taking refuge there." he said, clearly amused. "There's a reason it's in ruins despite being so fortified." Ludwig settled in his seat, and began to ramble.

"You see, Fort Valamere was constructed over three hundred years ago by a nobleman who was attempting to declare his duchy a sovereign nation. Marquis Degman Flout, I believe his name was. He constructed the fort in an attempt to pressure the Grand Duke into complying with his demands. Declared it an unbreakable sanctuary and whatnot. Well, the Grand Duke would have none of it of course, and so he sent one of his top agents to infiltrate and report any weaknesses he could find. Well, on route to the fortress, the agent had to stop in a small village at the base of the mountain so he could rest. While he was there, he found out that the village had been a mining town a few decades prior. That mountain the fortress is built on? It has so many mine shafts that the damn thing is practically hollow. The Grand Duke was able to send troops through the mine and enter the fortress from the inside. It was a bloodbath, one of the single greatest victories ever won by Connlaoth."

Assuming Annerith hadn't cut him off, Ludwig would grin at her. "How young is this mage of yours? He clearly hasn't read any history books, that's for certain."

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