We the Unwanted We the Unwanted

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ArQane

With blood comes life, with life comes death.
We the Unwanted

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@ArQane

"All hail King Rufus Andelorn, may his ascension to his throne help us strive for greatness. All hail Luina, may she and her people be forever protected from the enemies of our Kingdom, for we are destined to be the ones to rule this land."

 
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Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)
The days were getting warmer, and the evergreens were finally emerging from their coats of snow. The sun was out, for the first time in months, and to Claius, this was very good news. The winter was prolonged and the Guardians yielded less crops than ever before. The less people were fed, the less they could work, which eventually led to even less crops being produced. He would round up a party now and then in order to exit the fortress to hunt for some game, but even then the prey was scarce. Luckily, the Geraldi kept their distance from the fortress, otherwise there would have been none at all in the forest. Claius remembered the faces of his peers when they would bring back some deer or a rabbit. They all were hovering over the stew before it was even done. Claius chuckled. In hindsight, it must have been an amusing sight.

Now, in the spring, they had more access to growing and hunting for food. It also marked the crowning of the new king of Luina. Perhaps they would finally be accepted back into their ancestral homelands. It was promising, but Claius didn’t want to count on it; it hasn’t happened in the past couple hundreds of years. The Guardians had to live a hard life in the Rolaschan Mountains. Even in the summer, the ground would be littered in snow, and in the winter, well, it was hell. The worst part was that they had no opportunities to trade or communicate with the other provinces, since they were all flagged as enemies of the Crown.

A new king meant new possibilities, but it was all just a possibility nonetheless. Today was the day another Andelorn would rise to power, and to the Guardians, it was no day to celebrate. Not yet. They deserved better than to be treated as fugitives, outcasts. If the king was rational, he would recognize that. Claius descended the stairs of the fortress walls, where his comrades were all huddling around a flickering fire.

“How is it out there, Clay?” One of them asked. This was Major General Illya, a graceful woman and a personal friend since childhood.

“Not much,” he said, brushing flecks of snow off of his hair. “Some of that snow is melting, thank god. We probably can get back to our normal procedures of hunting and planting.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Carrots and lettuce again, huh? Honestly that stuff is getting disgusting.” She rummaged through a large pouch, pulled out a healthy chunk of dried venison, and tossed it to Claius. He assumed a seat next to the other officers.

“Well,” he said, “it’s all we got so we might as well eat it.” Illya rolled her eyes and continued eating her share of the food.

“Son.”

Claius looked up, to see his father standing over him. Even though they both were equals, Commanders, he always had respect for his father, and idolized him. It was because of Saxo Vondale’s legendary leadership that the Guardians was able to survive countless nights through the freezing cold winters. Claius tried follow his father’s footsteps, but he always felt lacking.

“We need to organize a meeting. Illya, Lotis, you guys should probably come, too. It’s to discuss our plans, moving forward.” Saxo said. Claius raised an eyebrow. This was news to him, for his plan was to continue the status quo, perhaps expanding the fortress ever so slightly and building more shelters for their growing population. His father must have had something different it mind— of course he did. On the prospect of war, of course, there was little that the two agreed on.

Claius sighed and got up, out of respect for his father. He knew that there is going to be some debate as to this new proposed plan of his.
 
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Donovan Blackmoor (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

It had been another cold winter. Donovan huddled near the fire after his watch. There wasn't enough food to put meat on his bones so instead he shook and rattled like a skeleton hung in a tree. Sniffing he wiped his gloved hand under his nose and leaned closer. He could hear one of the men chuckle. "Careful you don't catch on fire." Shooting the man a glance he smirked. "Eh...Its just starting to get cozy." Once his front was warmed he turned his back to the fire. Donovan curled against the heat like a cat sunning itself. He couldn't wait for the rest of the snow to melt.

After several minutes he stood up and moved away to make room for one of the others at the fire. Constant motion was the only way to stay warm so he stomped his feet and rubbed his arms whenever he walked away from the fire. Eventually it started to work and he warmed up. "Those hours get long up there." His eyes followed the length of the wall. Didn't seem to matter how sturdy the man was. The wind would tear right through the clothing and make a moderate night feel bitter in a matter of a few hours. Chances were they all had the same thought in mind. Would they get to go home? Time was nearing for the new king. As curious as Donovan was, there was also a fear. What if he was worse than the last? Immediately he brushed that feeling away. The next king couldn't be as bad as the last. It had all been the same for centuries. If anything it had to get better. Optimism was a dangerous thing so he chose to bury it. Nothing would change. It would just continue as it always had.
 
Esra T. Montaque
(Somewhere.)


Esra had been out hunting, eyes narrowed as the young blonde girl stared forward, the slightest bit of pale freckles had began and proved that the seasons changed as people's skins were not as pale and bumpy: goosebumps: as previous. The weather grew slightly warmer with each coming day and this proved to the female that there was more potential for getting better eating habits. She never was one to eat first, or to waste her tallent with a bow. So, when she went and shot was she could get: once even being lucky enough to shoot down a bird, though that was a slight morsel of food that she had given to some elders, it was still nutrition. Everyone needed that.

The weeds were still dense, snow compacted in them but it had definitely lightened up. This proved to be a positive sign of spring as well. It made her feel empowered as she aimed her sight forward and into the underbrush. A creature could be heard, faintly. It's steps had left imprints in what snow there was, and she had been tracking it for some time now. One wrong step, one sudden interference, and this deer would slip from her grasp.

However, as she slunk closer to the target at hand, she saw another sign. A newborn fawn. Her stomach growled slightly and it sent the creatures running. She could have shot: but that would be a foolish mistake. A doe and its baby show potential for a future, for more food. Usually they have twins, but apparently in this case the doe only produced one.

Esra watched the majestic creatures flee with a lowered head, mouth having been watering so much that she could have sworn she drooled, but upon double checking, the girl was relieved that she did not do such a thing. "Way to go... Spent the good portion of this day so far tracking creatures you were not even going to kill..."
 
Adran Triveron (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

Adran was checking on how a recruits wound was healing when the messenger came. He was to convene in the war room for an important meeting. It was a meeting he'd been expecting since the Guardians received the news about Luina's new king. Though he's still one of the newer faces in the impregnable fortress, Adran was often called to these types of meetings because of his political experience, out of all the Guardians he alone knows how the minds of the court work and how to proceed based on their reception of this new king.

He quickly rebandaged the recruits wound and set off towards the war room. He was growing tired of being the "political expert" of the guardians, the whole reason he abandoned his family was because he wanted to get away from all that bureaucratic nonsense, and the Guardians seemed to provide the perfect outlet for him to improve his medical skills. While these past three years have proven exceptional in that regard, he still felt there was more he could learn without the constant politics interrupting his reading time. Still, the Guardians have been good to him, and he's more than willing to return the favor for his new family.

When he entered the spacious circular room, he was surprised to discover every high ranking officer within the Guardians was attending this meeting, which almost never happened. As he sat down he met Commander Saxo's eyes and in that moment he knew that this was going to be a very complicated meeting.
 
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Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)
The gathering was no joke. Every official of the rank General and above was attending the meeting-- over 50 people strong. The room was filled to the brim with people, and Claius and his father began to make their way to the front. Illya took a seat in the front row. Claius glanced at his father, who was quietly surveying the crowd that was assembled before them. Claius recognized the action.

His father has always been proud of what he built up. Just ten years ago the fortress was about half its current size. They added hundreds to their population under the iron fist of Saxo Vondale, all bolstering the shield tattoo of the Guardians. It's been a long journey, but the further they walked, the more they experienced and accomplished. Saxo used to tell Claius when he was a child about the rewards for those who have fought for their keep. The Guardians had fought the Eruvians for over two hundred years, and eventually they will earn their rightful place back in the lands that the Luins claimed. However, Saxo wanted to do this through war.

There was no doubt that the Guardians was a powerful military force. Every child above the age of five is combat ready, and Claius himself has been trained for twenty years. However, the Kingdom of Luina had over a hundred times their number, albeit the majority are civilians, but war would mean brutal casualties on either side of the clash. Claius was willing to risk a peaceful approach, if possible.

"Guardians!" Saxo bellowed, "a thousand years ago we have sworn an oath to our clans, and we have fulfilled our part. A thousand years ago, we left our homes to fight the Eruvians for our clans! A thousand years ago, we didn't know what treachery would befall us today. Today, the Luins appoint their new ruler by the name Rufus Andelorn."

A mummer broke through the crowd.

"It is our time to strike, when they are the weakest." Saxo said, lowering his voice. "This is our chance to take back what is ours."

Claius sighed, shaking his head. This was going to be a long day.
 
Esra T. Montaque
( Running hurriedly back to Impregable Fortress, Geraldis. )

Always being one to forget things that were along the lines of meetings: Esra stood from her position of stalking and turned heel, eyes large as she stared up at the sky to realize that she probably would be much later than intended! Her bow gets slung over the female's shoulder and she ran along as quickly as she could, abruptly stumbling here and there as she did her best to not step on any twigs. There was no need to spook the wildlife further!

She entered with slight hesitance and glanced around, wondering if it was too late to try and peek in on the meeting, either way she would get scolded now by her father. He would not be pleased to see that his daughter missed yet another important announcement. 'I'll just say I went out to try and get food... That means I cannot get in... As much... Trouble!'

He couldn't especially ground the girl, but he could still make the young adult feel as anxious and guilt ridden as he could when she was five! Yeah, somethings change with time. Others though, do not.
 
Adran Triveron (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

Adran could only sigh as the commander made his intentions known to the crowd, he's had many arguments over this subject with the man these past few months and of course they only resulted in stalling Saxo's fury a little longer. He hoped he could get the commander to see reason with the whole of the Guardians behind him.

"Commander I respect your passion and dedication towards this plan, but I must advise against it." He said rising from his seat. He could hear groans behind him from some of the more violence prone members, but he knew he had to oppose this plan. "If we declared war on Luina now we'll just appear to be the brutes and savages that the world already thinks we are. Not only will our army be met with opposition from the King's Guard, but the more spirited of the civilians will also take up arms to defend their homes from an invading force. We are well trained, but we simply do not have the numbers to take on the entire city of Luina."

"This is the perfect opportunity for us to use diplomacy, send an envoy to the city and ask for an audience with the new king. I'm more than willing to volunteer and find an agreement with this new king that would both benefit the Guardians and the citizens of Geraldis and beyond." Though he detested the game of politics, when it came to a cause he was passionate about he could outsmart even the most silver of tongues, and bringing the Guardians out of exile was just such a cause. He only hoped his comrades would think likewise.
 
Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)
Adran Triveron was the first to speak up and, as Claius expected, opposed the idea. Claius knew that this would be a disappointment to his father, but to him, it was a victory. Adran was known to be a revered politician in the Guardian family. He left his family in Helies to support the Guardians' cause, and he has been a big use to them so far, quickly rising in popularity with the others. His father would be hard pressed to gain support after Adran's comment.

"Nonsense," Saxo said confidently. "We have been training all our lives for this moment, every one of us. Can we really believe that the new king is going to change things? Or is he like his fathers before him? We need to act!"

"Father..." Claius started. Saxo shook his hand impatiently.

"We aren't their slaves to throw away. Today is the day we should show it. We can take back Geraldis, and then make our way through Helies. Once we take down the king, the victory is ours. The King's Guard don't stand a chance."
 
Adran Triveron (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

Adran briefly took note of Claius' attempt to calm his father. It's was a good start if he already had the support of the generals son. "If they are still as well trained and numerous as they were when I left 5 years ago, the fight may be closer than you think Sir."

He understood where the General was coming from, the man had spent his whole life in hiding, banished from society unjustly for actions he never even took part in. It was natural for all that bitterness and resentment to boil over after all those years, but Adran knew that Saxo wasn't a bloodthirsty monster and decided to appeal to his compassion.

"And what of the civilians? Those helpless mothers and children cowering in fear as the blood of their husbands and fathers fills the streets? How would you react if they were caught in the crossfire? How would the public? War has more consequences than just the losses of our comrades, General, I beseech you to give peace a chance. Give me a chance to show you that things can change without the need for bloodshed."
 
Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)
Claius already saw his father starting to give way, but the look on his face was one of conflicted pain and anguish. Saxo always had the best interest of the people and his son in mind, but he sometimes did not think things through.

"Well," Saxo said, "the new king and all."

"Father," Claius said, "we should give it some time. Needless bloodshed is not something that anyone wants on our hands right now, and besides, we been surviving for centuries now. Just wait a while longer and we will eventually figure something out."

"Your father is right, Clay." The voice of Illya startled him. She, of all people, usually was the quickest to support him. "The new king is inexperienced. If we can infiltrate Helies before they can rally we will be able to end this once and for all. Adran, you know Helies from the inside. I do believe we will find little opposition from the Khensens and Rollos if we successfully defeat the Crown?"
 
Adran was a bit taken aback at Illya's input. He was never quite able to get a read on where the woman's mind was at.

"Well, possibly not. The Khensens and Rollos have often voiced their displeasure of the class difference behind closed doors, but I can make no guarantees. Besides, that is a major "if" you are proposing Illya, the king may be inexperienced but his generals are not, they will be able to compensate for him."
 
Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)
Illya laughed, a dry hollow laugh, to Adrian's comment, and Claius tensed as he felt her getting testy.

"His generals? The nobles that flaunt their titles to display their power over the kingdom? Please. They aren't even fit enough to fight an ass." She leaned forward in her seat. "Adran, perhaps you forgot that we are the dominant combatants in the matter? Or perhaps you still are in your little Luin fairy tale about the legendary strength of the King's Guard?"

"That's enough." Claius said quietly.

"Claius--"

"I said enough!" Claius roared. The room went silent, and people began shifting uneasily in their seats. "We are not here to insult and provoke each other. We are here to decide on the issue. Now in order to do that, we need to act mature." He darted a glance at Illya, who shrugged and retreated into her seat.

"Alright," Claius said, "we need to--"

"Call off the war meeting." Saxo said. He got up out of his seat. "We're closing the matter off." Claius stood there, genuinely confused. His father was normally too stubborn to even relent to minuscule issues, and this was most like him.

Claius cleared his throat. "The meeting is adjourned. Thank you for your time." He quickly waved his goodbyes and turned to follow his father.
 
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Esra T. Montaque
(Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis.)

She moved away from the door, not having actually gone inside due to knowing how it would turn out for someone to just randomly enter during stressed times. The female was wondering how to explain things to her father when he tapped her shoulder.

"You missed the meeting again, huh... These are really important for you to understand the operation.... You cannot just keep missing them, you may be a high rank one day and have to attend these. I do not want to be told when I am dust and bones that you misspoke or did an error. These are for your own good and for the good of all the people here!"

"I'm sorry, papa... I went out hunting, and when I realized what time it was, I was fairly late... I did get to listen to a bit less than half the meeting at least?" Her green eyes shined hopefully as her father seemed to be in thought, running a gruff and calloused hand through his shorter and darker brunette/blonde locks.

"I just want you to understand that you need to grow up, you're 22. Most women your age would be married by now! And probably have their first child." He chided quietly, the topic an uncomfortable one between the two.
 
Donovan Blackmoore (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

Donovan turned slightly as he noticed officers returning from the meeting. It must have been decided now. There wasn't anymore time for his indecision or wondering. Whatever was done had been done and he would do it. That was the life of a soldier. Though he knew better than to ask he was still curious. He began drifting about the fortress stopping at fire after fire till he found one with a man that had been in the meeting.

It was never hard for a man of Donovan's stature to hide. All he had to do was stand there and nobody seemed to take notice. That was of course so long as he stayed out from underfoot. "Aye the old general wanted to go to war. Settle this once and for all. A new king would be weak." The man telling the story was accomplished drawing some suspense from what should have been a dry topic. "Then there was Adran." At the very name of the man Donovan cringed. Adran was one of those fancy talking folk and he was still more of a rich man's son than a guardian. At least that was how Donovan saw him. Every part of Donovan bristled as the story of Adran's political prowess was recounted. The only thing that kept the weasel about was Cliaus. Those not born to the Guardians often had some value or had a benefactor.

Now that he knew the story Donovan slowly faded into the shadows to return to his adopted father. His benefactor had grown to be quite old by now. The man would still want to know what was decided. Donovan trudged along the worn snow and ground. It was almost down to the dirt with the many feet walking daily on it. Pushing the door open he stepped inside.

An old grizzled head lifted. "What's the news?" Gradually a smile cracked across his face. "Don't bother telling the story lad. Just tell me the end result." It was usually just rambling and extended moments of silence if he had to wait for the full story.

"No war. We'll wait for now."

"What do you think of the decision?" No matter that the lad had always been rather forward and some thought him simple the old man knew better. It had been his personal opinion that the Guardians would have done well to recruit Donovan as an officer. Still it was not for every man and he wasn't so sure that his adopted son would have liked being a leader.

Donovan knew it was the one place he could speak his mind. "I think that Adran and Cliaus are too trusting. Our history is not kind to us. There was sense in what the old general said."

"But," raising himself from his seat the father like figure wandered over to Donovan. "You are torn. I can see you hope for change. It was wise of the old general to allow his men to counsel him. There will be change." Of that the old man was sure. It could not stay as it had. "Don't let past betrayals govern your mind." Gazing down into the man's eyes he chuckled. "Now lad out with you."

No matter his age the old man always called him lad. At 28 Donovan thought he should have been past that. Nodding, he silently agreed with his benefactor and returned to his campfire outside.
 
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Adran Triveron (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

As the crowd dispersed behind him, Adran stayed behind. It was a custom he usually employs after an important meeting, he needed to think, and the war room after a meeting was the only place where he knew he could be alone with his thoughts. He took his seat and clasped his hands together, putting both thumbs under his chin and both pointer fingers on the bridge of his nose. A comfortable position that could help him ward off headaches while contemplating a particularly complex problem.

As he made himself comfortable, his mind drifted someplace else, no longer was he in the impregnable fortress, he was instead back in the Heliesian courtroom. A place he remembered well from all the times his father brought him there as a child, but this was different, he was standing on the center podium facing the raised throne of the king, surrounded by the other nobles. He was planning out his case, but as the shape and demeanor of the king shifted to match all the different possible personas of the king he hadn't met yet, he knew this was going to require a lot of planning.
 
Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress)
"Father." Claius said, jogging to catch up to the walking figure.

"Claius, this is your game now." Saxo said. "You do what Adran tells you to do. Send an envoy or whatever he said. I won't take part in it."

Claius sighed. His father, for the first time in years, looked defeated and tired.

"Father, you know we will have casualties from the war... You know what war is like. If we can find a alternative."

"If," Saxo said, "is a word that our fathers have wasted years believing in. It's a dead chance son, and the further we let their kingdom grow, the smaller that chance gets. I'm old now but I always wanted to see the day where we can finally go back to the homeland."

"You don't understand," Claius replied. "You already are speaking as if negotiations have failed. Father, we all want to go back; trust me, we do. But I think there are ways around it."

"Do what you want." Saxo replied gruffly. "I'm going out hunting. Call me back when something actually happens."

Claius shook his head in exasperation as Saxo trudged off. He returned to the quarters, greeting some of his comrades he passed by. Illya noticed him and approached him.

"You are going to talk with Adran right?"

Claius turned to her. "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know... Perhaps you just walked past your dorm?"

He chuckled. "You caught me. What do you need?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Going to preach to him about why you support a war?"

"Yes."

Claius sighed. "I can't stop you."

The two of them walked silently next to each other for a while before reaching Adran's room. Claius knocked.

"Adran, it's Clay. I need to talk to you."

Followed by silence. Illya nudged Claius.

"Claius, you need to play more attention to things. The kook stays after meetings alone in the room."

"Don't call him that. So you knew all along?"

"Yup. Just messing with you." Claius smiled. Illya was returning to her old self.

"Alright, let's head over to the Auditorium"
 
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Adran Triveron (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)

As he continued to debate with his many kings, Adran began to narrow down the possibilities to three general scenarios and began putting together approaches for all three, but after what felt like half an hour, he determined that without actually seeing the man himself, this was the extent of planning that Adran could perform right now.

As he slumped back in his chair, feeling a headache coming on, he was startled by the door to the war room opening and scrambled to his feet. It was Claius and Illya, and he had a feeling that he was in for some long speeches. Nevertheless he gave them a warm smile and said "Ah Claius, Illya, what can I do for you both?"
 
Esra T. Montaque
( Impregnable Fortress )

"I sometimes wonder if it was the best choice to raise you as a Guardian...." He sighs and walks off, leaving his daughter behind with a dejected frown.

"I will make him proud!" She exclaims to herself, she gripped the bow from over her shoulder and walked to the outskirts of the place she calls home, occasionally shooting an arrow at a far off target to practice her aim: she would retrieve them shortly.

"I just want to prove that I am as good as anyone else, that I can fight and become important here and not mess up." She grumbles, "And they didn't even pass in approval for taking a strike that that snooty and new king..."
 
Claius Vondale (Impregnable Fortress, Geraldis)
"Adrian, may I?" Claius asked, pulling a seat out. He offered one to Illya, who declined to sit down. Instead, she stood looking down at the seated medic. "I came to discuss about your proposal earlier."

"You are going to be the envoy." Illya interjected. It was more of a statement than a request or question. "You should practice what you preach, Adran. Besides, who else is more fit to navigate through Luin territories than their own dog?"

Claius looked apologetically at Adran, raising his hands helplessly.

"Look here," Illya said, "this plan is not going to work. You have Clay's support but I'm telling you right now, we are missing the golden opportunity to get what we fought for. If you understood warfare, you would know that. But alas, you play the chess pieces while sitting back and watching. We nearly starved and freezed to death this winter, and here you are pretending like it's going to work out."

"I don't know what goes through your head, but I sure as hell know it's not sane. If you know what's good for our people, you will go in front of our people and tell them you were wrong. Then, apologize to Commander Vondale about the fake shit you said back in the meeting." With that, She abruptly turned around and stormed off.

Claius sat there speechless. Illya was normally the one to get yelled at, not the other way around. He cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm here to discuss about our game plan. What happened just now, if you want to tell her anything, I'll make sure to relay it to her."
 
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