The Spark
Six days later...
Castle Pharos - Keep; Fairgrounds
Kingdom of Mantle
Continent of Mantle
Perri
The plan was hardly simple. The snipers in the clocktower were chiefly responsible; If the tower were unoccupied,you job would've been simplicity itself. But,that would make it too easy. No security detail worth their salt would leave that tower vulnerable. So now,you were in a supply shed in the heart of the fairgrounds. Your rifle,Kingslayer,was in pieces,currently disguised as a table and chair,which you slipped past security with a simple explanation; You sought to help out at the fairgrounds,today. You met no resistance,especially with that Sir Reznik handling your inspection; Leo pointed him out as the most reasonable guard he ran into at the gates.
You hand Eddhur Schnee a crate of Dust,which he accepts with a nod and word of thanks,and leaves. From what you've heard,he got his ass thrashed in the first round of the Single's Tourney,even after he summoned Ironfang; Nadia Reznik didn't even bother fighting the conjured Grimm,and instead went for the source. Apparently,five square hits was all it took,before the judges called the round. Your mind drifted to the arena,totally bereft of cover; Their mark was there,in the VIP box. The plan to kill him was interesting,and ballsy,to say the least.
Your job is to suppress the snipers in the clocktwoer,to start with. When Leo comes screaming in over the wall,and gets the sniper's attention,you're to keep them honest,and make sure their heads stay down... Lest they lose them. The soldier was lightly armoured,only wearing the standard-issue ballistics. However,his partner,that traitor whore,Tio. Even without the suit of armour,she was a living mountain. Kingslayer had an impressive muzzle velocity,and you brought your special gyrojet AP rounds,just for her. Hopefully,they'll force her to stay down. If not,well... That's why you were where you were.
The snipers would likely hesitate to fire into the fairgrounds,especially in the panic that would erupt from Leo's entrance. Not only are they living cover,your position in the fairgrounds will be difficult to locate from up there,thanks to the ward's acoustics. That,and from here,you can easily secure an exit for your lovely husband,and make an escape of your own while you're at it.
While the snipers are occupied,Leo is to speed across the ward as fast as he can,and locate the king. If all goes well,he'll still be inside the VIP box. Otherwise,he'd be nearby. From there,Leo is to use his Semblance to grab everyone's attention,and kill the king in the name of all Faunuskind,then leave. From there,escape would be simple; Leo would be able to leave by way of the gates,though if that isn't an option,he can always bound over the walls into the valley below,using Brackenscathe's jump pack to control his descent. You,on the other hand,are stuck using the gate,as you had to leave your grappling kit at home.
Really,the biggest threat to your position would be foot patrols,or Silver Order fighters storming your roost. This shed's small,and there's exactly one entrance that you can use; The door. Which you'll be firing from. Meanwhile,there's a disturbingly large number of combatants in the castle who seem to specialize in making their own,improvised entrances.
The plan is complicated,and anything can go wrong at any time. But,this is their best shot. To let it slip by would be insanity. The radio blared over the loudspeakers which dotted the fairgrounds; The final round of the Squad's Tourney was about to begin. The plan is for Leo to make his entrance either just as it ends,or just as the Grandmaster's Exhibition begins; The General is a known quantity,as is His Lordship and the Knight-Captain. The Silver Order Grandmaster,however,is a far less publicized man. You're aware that his station is earned,every year,and he's held onto it for longer than any that has come before him... Which means he is formidable,considering his advanced age. Likely the single greatest obstacle to this entire operation.
You smirked at the divine irony in this matchup; For the finals of the Squad's Tourney,Nadia and Eddhur were fighting again; Eddhur was his squad's Monitor,or the member on overwatch and intelligence. Nominally,the leader's position,which he took to like white to snow. Nadia,meanwhile,was her squad's Striker,or the squad member who seeks and punishes openings or weakness harshly; An assassin,or the one who finishes weakened foes. A role which Nadia takes to with aplomb.
The bout began explosively,according to the radiocasters; Eddhur opened with a withering volley of Dust projectiles and Glyphs,both to assist his squad,and to debilitate his opponents. The Anchor of his squad,or the defensive fighter,be it through sheer tenacity,or roguish disablement,stuck near him,while the Striker and Bruiser,or the squad member who delivers the majority of the punishment,to wear down the enemy,surged forth. Nadia's team,instead,went all-in; All four of them were out like stones from a sling,their Anchor on vanguard with a pair of greatshields,with Nadia and her Bruiser right behind,the Monitor casually lobbing grenades ahead of them.
All-in-all,it was a coordinated assault,for both sides. They knew eachother intimately,and knew how to operate together,and against eachother. If it weren't for the assassination attempt,you'd be enraptured by the bout,and how it promised to be stunningly dynamic. Regardless,it's time for you to begin your prep. You close and bolt the shed's door and bolt it,then turn on a red-tinted lantern; To anyone looking at the shed from outside,it'd seem closed and locked. Which is exactly what you need,right now.
You begin to disassemble the table and chair you brought with you. It wasn't long before all of the pieces were arrayed before you. With practised hands,you reassemble Kingslayer into its true shape; A simple sniper rifle. The scope is powerful and adjustable with simple button-presses. The "magazine" can hold an astonishing eighty rounds,opposed to the single shots the snipers both possessed. The weapon could alternate between semiautomatic,and fully automatic. With a muzzle velocity far exceeding the speed of sound,the weapon was impossible to suppress... But with proper deployment,that's a moot point,anyways. And the whole shebang was treated with a special nonreflective finish; Night or day,the Kingslayer won't betray your location before it fires.
You begin to thumb your cartridges into the double drum magazine. These things were Leo's idea,and,you must admit,it was a good one. The cartridges were caseless. Instead of firing the bullet,and ejecting a casing,the entire cartridge left the barrel; Upon being struck by the firing pin,the primer would kickstart a violent exothermic reaction in the cartridge,while simultaneously exploding. This explosion will begin to launch the cartridge from the chamber,as the reaction allows the cartridge to constantly accelerate for several seconds,even after leaving the muzzle. The cartridges have special airfoils built into them,allowing them to remain stable,despite the constant acceleration. The bullet at the front of the cartridge is a hyperdense spike with microserrations,meaning it's quite heavy,for a bullet,and durable; It likely won't stop in a target,overpenetrating instead,causing a net loss in trauma.
Not that it matters to a sniper weapon; One shot to the vitals is all it should take. Though,backup plans are nice. Like the selector switch. Now,from the explanation Leo gave you when he first made the rounds,you didn't understand much of it; Chemistry and engineering aren't your strong suits. Now,social engineering,on the other hand? That's all you. Your beau had to fight every fibre of his being to keep from assaulting Bither,while you would've been able to easily suppress that desire.
You finish loading your four magazines,and load one. Pulling the charging handle,you await the chaos.
Leonidas
You squat in the cellar of the building you've broken into,listening to the radio outside. The final round was in progress. It sounded like a chaotic mess. Ironfang got summoned,again,almost as if it was Eddhur's default reaction to things getting hairy. Both teams were still at full strength,though with how long the bout has been going for,that's likely to change. You shift your weight from one foot to the other,and roll your shoulders. Brackenscathe was a largely backpacked weapon system. A jump pack,backpacked ammo for a grenade machine gun,and a flamethrower... It was heavy. Backpacking it all was necessary. Large and heavy though it may be,your entire body can support the mass,rather than just a single limb,or somesuch.
Although,it does make negotiating doors a royal bitch.
Regardless,you wait. Hilmarsson was the X-Factor,here. A bit of a recluse,compared to his peers. If he's in the news,it's just to make a statement. The Grandmaster's Exhibition is never broadcast over radio. General Verigund wields two whip swords,which can join at the pommels,plus he has a large-calibre sidearm. Knight-Captain Penwood was in possession of a pike,arming sword,and dagger,plus shield,which itself contained a machine gun. His Lordship,King Arcades Ganon IV,wielded his political clout. Though he had an officer's sabre,it's no secret that he's no swordsman. Though,he is reputed to be a stunningly quick,an unnervingly accurate,shot with a handgun. Grandmaster Hilmarsson? Besides being old,for his station,and having earned his station every year,is unknown.
You plan to storm in when he takes the field for the exhibition. That's as far as he's ever going to get from Ganon while His Lordship is still vulnerable.
As per your prediction,the final round of the Squad's Tourney disintegrated quickly. Before long,it was just Nadia and Eddhur. Again. You've heard this song and dance before,and idly wonder if it'll play out as it did before. Regardless,you stand erect,ready to storm out of the cellar. You chose this cellar because the door faced the keep's gate. You plan on skipping the switchbacks,and instead,cut a straight line to the gate. The battle raged over the radio; Nadia and Eddhur were locked in a dance of war; Ironfang was dispatched earlier by a squad effort,though it resulted in both squads dismantling eachother.
Their dance of violence ended abruptly when Nadia abandoned her weapons,and lunged at her opponent,and caught him in a bear hug; Despite her armour,according to the radiocasters,she was able to completely pin his limbs,and was squeezing him to the point that he was in very obvious pain... Though is expression quickly turned dopey. It was at that point that the match was called. Afterwards,Hilmarsson,as expected,took the microphone.
"Wonderful citizens,we have our winners! KHDR Squad! You have all passed your final combat examination with honours! Team ERIE,you have fought commendably,and pass also! Welcome to the Silver Order! And now,I have an announcement! For the first time in our long history,we will be publicizing the Grandmaster's Exhibition!"
You couldn't help but smile,and loose a low cackle at that news. It's almost as if he were begging someone to raise some Hell.
"I am taking challengers! Step forth! First come,first served!"
Hilmarsson passed the micrphone off to the radiocasters once again,and you waited until his first opponent made themselves manifest; Someone named Brian Quigley. That was all you needed. Green light; Time to get this show on the road. You step up the stairs,and,quietly as you can,open the cellar doors to street level. Stepping out,you look up the cliif,and smirk. Centuries ago,this set of switchbacks would've made the keep unassailable. Now,with modern technology? It might as well not exist.
Brackenscathe's jump pack flared to life,and with a mighty roar and gout of flame,it propelled you through the air. As you ascended,your specially designed thrusters began to howl like otherworldly demons. You crested your apex,and as you fell,your thrusters howled again. This was an intentional design choice; The howling,while making stealth impossible,was a psychological weapon. It also served to take some heat off of your partner.
You rapidly continued your ascent. There's no telling how quickly Hilmarsson will go through his challengers. Your window is variable. You reach the gate in less than a minute,and blow on through,shooting fire from your left hand,and grenades from the right. The grenades shrieked,just like your thrusters. Psychological warfare was a powerful weapon. And with the first explosions,the keep devolved into chaos.
Perri
You smirked as you heard your kitten storm the gate. You open the door,and peer up to the clocktower's observation deck. Sure enough,you spy Tio and Brun taking positions,trying to line up shots. You won't let them. You bring the Kingslayer up,and quickly line them up in your sights. With a flick of the thumb,you set the weapon to full auto,and fire off a burst.
Son-of-a-bitch.
Four rounds thundered into the two snipers; One dug a pit in Brun's barrel,while another slammed into his Aura at the shoulder. It flared up,and shattered; Popped. He immediately dove for cover. The two that went Tio's way,however,didn't seem to do much; They impacted her Aura,one at the shoulder,the other at the side of the head. Her Aura flared up,then faded from vision. Obviously,she had more to spare than her partner. Slightly perturbed,you fire off another burst at Tio,these four rounds slamming into a fist-sized area around her ear. The rhino Faunus' Aura flared up and faded once more,but this time,she budged,ever so slightly,and stopped trying to launch an honest-to-Dust cavalry lance at your husband,and began to scan the fairgrounds.
All according to plan.
You continue to fire on the mountain of a woman,and,after three more bursts,her Aura finally popped. She didn't duck for cover. You expected this; On top of her suit of armour,her own flesh was armour of its own. Still,you were firing specialized AP rounds; She won't last long. You fire your sixth burst at her face,this time,and notice something fall from her head,though the helmet seemed largely intact,and Tio was looking quite well for herself.
You then spot the enormous barrel of Brun's rifle pointed in your direction.
How about "No",asshole?
You shift your aim,ever so slightly,and put a burst in his direction. You're greeted with the sight of the man's scope exploding in a storm of shrapnel,and the rifle plummeting from the clocktower's observation deck.
Dead,or injured. Either way,disarmed. Down to one.
You return your attention to Tio,and continue to pump bursts into her armour,though not for long; You notice her drawing her hand back on the string; She's spotted you,and she's about to fire. However,it seemed as though she were labouring under the effort. She designed that thing herself; Surely,she'd be able to effortlessly draw it? Regardless,you needed to move. So,you dove into the shed,as far back as you could go. That lance-pretending-to-be-an-arrow could easily overpenetrate this shed. Your best shot at survival was to get as far away from the door as possible.
Seconds later,your world was turned into a cacophony of thunder,tumbling debris,and pain.
Leonidas
You bound across the ward as quickly as you're able,skirting around the keep itself. As much as you wanted to leap up to the keep's roof,then over to the arena,it'd just put you in the crossfire between them and your wife. Still,you made good time. You reached the arena to see the spectators stampeding this way and that in a blind panic. Silver Order members of all ages were mobilizing to either defend the VIP's,or to shepherd the civilians to safety. Atlesian Knights arrayed themselves around Arcades,as he was being escorted across the ward,to the keep. General Verigund was shouting into a radio,while Knight-Captain Penwood was leading the escort. Hilmarsson stood in the arena,a double axe in hand,directing his Order.
You recognized the armoured hulk on point to the King's escort; Yuri Reznik. His armour was insane,to say the least; It made Tio's armour look normal. His sister - Or was it cousin? - Was on one of the flanks; Obviously,Nadia made it into the Atlesian Knights. That,or she asserted herself in the face of the chaos. Though,she was doubtlessly exhausted.
Your options didn't even exist. You only had one shot. You took it.
Brackenscathe flared to life. You tore off your hood,and bellowed,all while your Aura flared a glorious golden amber,in the image of a proud lion. Every eye within sight was transfixed upon you.
"WHAT I DO IS FOR ALL FAUNUSKIND! DIE,TYRANT!"
You scream through the air,firing grenades into the crowd of knights and their King. Many flew off-target,exploding and laving raging firestorms in their wake. Many of the knights scattered,including Nadia. Yuri,however,simply turned around,and embraced his King,shielding him from your assault. The grenades that struck Yuri's back exploded and burnt,just like the rest... But if Yuri felt them at all,he gave no indication. You landed heavily on his back,and let loose with your flamethrower,while stepping forward,over his head. Again,the fire seemed to not effect the Reznik in the slightest.
You hop over his head as he begins to stand erect,and he threw the king behind him,once again shielding his liege from your assault.
"You annoy me,Reznik! BURN!"
You begin to pump grenade after grenade into the man's chest and head,while hosing him down with your flamethrower. He ignored it all. He raised his shield,and pointed his sword at you. You begin to orbit to his right,away from the shield,though it made no difference.
"You shall not commit regicide today,lion! May your cowardice and shame burn you!"
And as if his words held immeasurable power,Yuri became the heart of a raging inferno. Fire poured from him. No,he
projected it from his very soul; A fiery tempest surged out ten feet in all directions from him. However,what followed... You cannot explain.
Everything changed. Everything was...
Wrong.
Behind Yuri,behind even the King,you saw Perri,you love,bound and gagged,being carried out of the keep by Atlesian Knights.
No! My love!
But... The King's within reach... If I can just kill him...
But... Without Perri... It won't matter...
Your panicked thoughts were interrupted by Reznik,roaring like some possessed beast,and he charged at you. He hunkered down behind his shield,and sprinted at you,like a shot from a sling. You tried to dodge,by bounding over him; This was your opening. However,as you began your ascent,Yuri was upon you,and his blade in your abdomen.
You were dying.
And so,you roared. Not as a man,but as a lion; The great,prideful roar of the noblest of beasts. In your heart of hearts,you knew only sorrow; You have died,possibly leaving Perri behind. But,it was unavoidable,now. All you can do is use your last seconds to do what you've set out to do; Kill. The. King.
Yuri impaled you through the abdomen,then cast you aside. You tumbled to the ground,and turned your head to look at King Arcades Gannon IV. He drew his sword and revolver,pointing the gun squarely at the back of Yuri's head.
Curious.
You raise your right hand,pointing it at the king. You squeeze your fist shut with the last of your strength. As your vision darkened,you saw the grenades hurtle to the ivory-clad man,and explode,reducing the king to flaming chunks of meat and silk. Your mission done,you allow your hand to fall to the ground,though you can't help but notice that Perri,and her captors,have vanished...
Was it an illusion?
And then,nothing; Death has claimed you. Leonidas has fallen,doing what he felt was the only thing he could.
Perri
Contrary to what Leonidas saw,Perri was still alive,and free. She woke up under a pile of wooden rubble; Tio's arrow obviously took the whole shed,down. Your cover's blown,and the loudspeakers only blasted back white noise. You had no way of knowing if Leonidas was successful,not right now. With Tio lining up shots on you,all you can do now is flee. Somehow,Kingslayer was still in your hand; You hastily thumbed on the safety,and began to disentomb yourself from the lumber. A quick glance up to the clocktower revealed that Tio was no longer targeting you; Instead,she seemed to be staring at something beside her. Suits you just fine.
Rather than risk drawing her attention,and thus fire,you flee. You began to sprint away from the ruin of the shed,and sling Kingslayer over a shoulder. You hold it against your side,as you begin to accelerate. More,and more. Your Aura began to flare up,cobalt in colour,and soon,you were screaming down the switchbacks at inhuman speeds,thanks to your Semblance,though you had to slow down to take turns. You made it home without incident; You doubt you were identified,and await your love's return.
He never came.
Two days later...
News came two whole days after. You knew,but the news report just confirmed it; His Royal Majesty,King Arcades Ganon IV,was slain by a Faunus assassin,who himself was killed in the act. In the meantime,General Cromwell Verigund assumed control of matters of the state,until a successor can be crowned. Reports came in of several members of the Atlesian Knights,including the adored Yuri Reznik,reported slain by members of the Special Tasks Group,with several eyewitness reports from both civilians,and Silver Order members. The General has,obviously,said that he was investigating these reports internally.
Hilmarsson condemned the General's actions; He feels that the General seized upon the chaos caused by the assassination far too handily,almost as if he was planning the same,using this Faunus - Your precious kitten,Leo - as a convenient scapegoat,even insinuating that he was in the General's employ. Knight-Captain Penwood agreed that the General's actions were suspicious,and noted that if indeed his men were slain by STG hands,there would be Hell to pay.
The people of Mantle are torn,and armed conflicts sprang up all across the continent. There were those who supported Verigund,and those who supported the Crown. You? You didn't care,anymore. Your life was nothing,without Leo.
The rafter and rope groaned as your body swung.
END of Chapter One
Truth time! It was almost impossible to survive that. I admit,the possibility existed,but it was slim. Extremely slim. Slimmer than the inverse of George R.R. Martin. Due to their status as independent terrorists,Leonidas and Perri had very little in the way of support,and thus,lacked critical intelligence. Yuri Reznik was immune to fire,thanks to the design of his armour,what with hella insulation,largely to protect himself from his own Semblance,which turns him into the heart of a fiery hurricane. As for what happened at the end of the fight scene? I ain't tellin'. Not yet. Should be obvious,though.
If nobody voted,His Majesty would still be alive. The assassination attempt would have been a total flop. Progress!
So,go ahead,discuss! I'm gonna let you stew on this while I get things in order for the next group of characters.
