Invincible [open]

[Deleted]

The main company was still taking its time gathering its forces. It would do no good to rush ahead in enemy territory without the right manpower. In the meanwhile, since she had been sent by the Khan weeks ago as aid for the country of Ylissea, now disarray without a ruler and replaced by squabbling nobles, Juno had been honing her skills in horseback riding and the spear. She would spare a time or two with the sword too to make sure she didn't start rusting with it either. It was a difficult juggle between all three, but Juno never complained.

Her routine was to wake up at dawn, do exercises, then run with her horse through the forest. She and the horse would have breakfast, then shower, followed by her first round with the spear, lunch, nap, horse again but with the spear, then - with whatever spare time left she had - the sword. As for people, she didn't give them priority right now, although she would watch the others spar and make a mental note of having to challenge them someday. It would do no good if she kept on practicing. Truth be told, Juno was more of a hands-on person. She didn't think she was ready as a cavalier until her spear was drilled in the flesh of a real person.

She would imagine the blood and the scream for each strike she made. The spear was the weapon of a common soldier, but Juno was no soldier. She was no knight either despite being the "knight" of Cydonia. Just a mercenary. Which meant that she had no reservation for such things as honor when she holds her weapon. Once they depart, it was a kill or be killed.

Juno lunged her spear forward, knees low and elbows out. The choking noise of her imaginary enemy resounded in her head without a fail but Juno looked on with disappointment. She could imagine the dying moments of a person easily but there was no replacing the blow that she would receive when her weapon makes contact.

It was really no good without actual experience. Maybe she could find an excuse to pick a fight in a bar...

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian was tired. Though he did have to suppose, that was his own fault. He had been working so hard the past several days running around trying to arrange for what needed to be gathered before the company departed for Plegia, and while he had been falling asleep almost the moment that his head hit the mattress, it didn't do him that much good when his sleep was plagued by nightmares. He had encountered a few Risen on the way in to Ylisstol, and the experience still haunted him. The creatures didn't die unless you gave them grievous injuries - there were no innards to spill with a slash to gut, no blood to flow with attacks to arms or legs - and that was not something that he'd been trained to go for in his sparring. Or, well, to be more precise, he had been told not to go for those openings unless there was no other choice, not to mention that they were usually more difficult. It took effort to push a sword through a chest or remove a head from a body, and even if what he had fought had not even been remotely human, the thought made him gag slightly. Maybe he was still a pampered noble. But old habits died hard, and even if he would never draw back his path because of something as petty as getting squeamish about using a blade, it was still something that he was reluctant to confess to the others. He was being judged enough by the various nobles and those following his banner, he didn't need them thinking him weaker than they already did. He had already accepted that when he struck the final blow on Grima, it would likely be through some avatar, meaning that at least one person would have to die at his hands. That didn't mean that he didn't have nightmares thinking about it, but that was something he was hardly going to admit out loud either. War changed people, and he would much rather have nightmares about taking a life than being able to take it without a second thought about it. He was drawn from his thoughts when he heard a cry, and he blinked, turning to look at the speaker, and immediately he felt his cheeks coloring with slight shame before he willed it away with the self-control that he'd learned as a noble. He may have had no idea how the khans at Regna Ferox could have thought that the Knights of Cydonia were a legitimate enough attempt to send one of their own to aid them, but he wasn't going to complain either, just thank Naga for the unexpected support. Deciding to make his presence known in case she wanted a sparring partner, he cleared his throat, letting his hands come together slightly behind his back to create some image of dignity that he wasn't sure he felt. "That was quite a skilled blow," he murmured, sounding far more confident than he felt. "Would you like a partner to spar with? I wouldn't mind testing my blade against you, if you do, and if you don't, that's fine too, I'm sure there's plenty of time for me to spar with you at a later point in time." There. No pressure for her to answer one way or another and only slightly less awkward than if he had just posed the question. He would call that a victory.

Words;; 578 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; This seemed way longer than it actually was. ._. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing...

but i am just a man!

[Deleted]

Juno sensed beforehand a presence joining her but as it didn't feel hostile, she paid it in mind. It seemed it wanted her attention though and Juno had to oblige to turn to the sound of a throat being cleared.

Oh? Juno, with a well-hidden surprise, found the leader of the knights, Dorian Heartwood. Since the first time she arrived as an aid from the khans of Ferox, this was only the second time that they have come to talk face-to-face. She wondered what the leader was doing here. Maybe he wanted to test her out?

She came close, or maybe not. She got an offer to spar, but Dorian made it clear that it was a choice rather than a challenge.

Juno stood on one leg, embracing her spear like a lover within her crossed arms. Her visible eye studied Dorian while half of her face was seductively veiled by her front ponytail.

"Hmm, quite meek of you. Is it because I'm sort of the representative of Ferox?" She didn't know if it had unwittingly given her some sort of status; Juno remained to be in the mindset of a fighter. "Well, never mind. You that type of noble who likes hierarchy and punishing his subordinates?" she asked all of a sudden.


Dorian
[ooc!: I thought it was good! Starting posts tend to call for some background so we get to know the other character easier. And it seemed our chars complement each other nicely xD]

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian watched the woman - Juno, if his memory served him right, which it usually did, at least, as far as names went - shift to acknowledge him. He kept his face smooth enough, polite even if it was mostly relying on his days as a noble to stay balanced on that neutral territory, and he hid as much of his surprise as he could behind a single blink and a calm mask at the seductive shift in her general demeanor as she eyed him up and down. Well. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. He honestly didn't know whether to be flattered or mildly put off that he was being evaluated. "Not quite," he provided truthfully after he took a moment to clear his throat. "I'd expect nothing less than excellence from the whoever the khans had named their representative, though it's obvious from how often you train that you didn't get that position without putting in the effort." The question she posed at the end of her statement, however, had his brow furrowing. "Hierarchy and punishment are... a necessary evil," he replied, taking a moment's pause to carefully select his words. "I was raised a noble, aye, but I've never quite had... the attention for it, if that makes sense to you." He paused, mulling over his words before adding, "I would almost rather have been born the son of a swordsmaster rather than the son of a noble. My brother is the one who relishes commanding others. He's the one with the talent for it. The only reason he's not here standing in my place is because he went after the exaltry." That and because Dorian's morals refused to allow him to wait for the pony show at Ylisstol to continue on without bearing any fruit in a plan to stop the Fell Dragon; not that he would admit that aloud of course. He didn't want to seem too much like he didn't want the position of command, which he didn't. He simply didn't want to risk someone ousting him from his position and then turning the Knights of Cydonia from their task. It was as his old swordsmaster used to say: if you wanted something done right, you had to do it yourself, and that was exactly what he planned to do. The Knights of Cydonia would not falter from their task. He would lay down his life to ensure that.

Words;; 405 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; Again, thought I wrote way more than I actually did, I'm really sorry about that. I'm sleepy, so this is probably really derpy. Also my mom is watching Moulin Rouge in the background and I've been resisting the urge to sing along because my brother's in bed. I live a sad life.

but i am just a man!

[Deleted]

Heh. So having the khan as an employer got a noble speaking in equal terms with her. Juno listened to Dorian, keeping to herself a voice of skepticism over Dorian's claim. She'd never heard of a noble disinheriting himself - she'd give him that - but that kind of move was either too proud or too reckless. She didn't believe one bit that the Knights of Cydonia was made from a pure intention. A noble still got to be a noble. Dorian must have had a quarrel over his siblings and his father and wanted to make a name for himself, or maybe this entire organization was a scheme to get an advantage over the other nobles. It was the perfect time to do it. Ylissea was a complete mess without an Exalt.

"Ohh? Hmm, I see," she hummed. So a scheme after all? Sounds like a plan. She didn't really care what the Ylisseans were up to. Nothing would change the contract she made with the khan and the worth of the hefty bullion she received to let her last for seven years. But it was important to keep in mind what kind of commander she had. Juno wouldn't like it if she had to follow the command of a man who'd throw her in the lion's den. No gold's worth her life.

"I guess if that's the case - " Without warning, Juno spun, bringing the spear's blade down and butted the other end between Dorian's eyes with her back turned to him. Her dexterity was quick, twirling the spear to bring the blade up again and thrusting it at full length as she twisted in place face-front.

Dorian

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian could tell that she didn't believe his motives were quite so pure, but that wasn't an unfamiliar thing for him. Most people did not believe that he had formed the Knights of Cydonia on purely selfless intentions, but he wasn't going to waste his breath trying to convince them. He had no eye for the position of exalt or making a name for himself. He just wanted to defeat Grima and save the world and then be able to come home and live quietly, maybe work with a blade a little. He wasn't sure what he'd do in peace. What he'd done before seemed more like a farce, a dream, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to go back to living that. That was something he could figure out later though, when the fight was over. Once that happened, he'd determine what he could do. For all he knew, he'd settle down and start a family. Or he'd be dead. Both were entirely viable options. He could see the way her muscles tensed briefly, and that was enough of an indicator that had him moving. He leaned back, ensuring that the spear didn't make contact with his skin as the point quivered between his eyes, and then when she spun it back, he took the advantage, drawing his own blade and knocking the thrust aside. A corner of his lips twitched, though that was only as far as the hint of the smile got before he shut it down. "You don't mess around," he murmured, "Guess it's good I've been trained on surprise attacks. Never know when an assassin might try to take your life." Which hadn’t been something of his choice. He had been young, not someone who was on the front lines like his older brother or his parents, and he’d seen little point in the training, especially when it would only earn him sharp raps over the head or in other sensitive places. But he was thankful for it now; it honed his fighting instincts to spot attacks against him, though he wasn’t as good as he could have been. He was still skilled enough to manage in a fight on his own, and that was what mattered, he supposed. The skill would return, in time. He would just need to survive long enough to reach that point, and if he got in the habit of sparring, he should only increase those odds.

Words;; 408 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; I feel like so much of this was just awkward ramble...

but i am just a man!

[Deleted]

She was surprised to have her strike deflected than dodged. While pleased with the more confrontational respond, she felt belittled to have it stopped there. Juno followed up the deflection of her spear with the swing of its butt, aiming for his shoulder. One good thing about the spear was that you could use it in many ways for both offense and defense.

"Yep. On both of them," she replied. "I'm no assassin though just for the record. Thought I should make that clear. The khans don't want you dead, at least as far as I know. I try not to get involved in that sort of thing 'cuz personal grudges can get troublesome and get in the way of work..."

She'd gotten chatty there. She didn't intend to keep it a secret - it wasn't as if it was meant to be a secret, but being the "Khan representative" helped her fit in. The rest of the knights could keep on believing she was some sort of elite knight in the Ferox military but she should at least clear it up with the leader. Juno was capable but she didn't want to screw up on a big mission (because that could happen to anyone) and be held responsible for Ferox' reputation. That was not part of the contract but it was something someone with common sense would consider.

"I just got paid by those big guys to come here," Juno said. Though not remotely feeling sympathetic, she added, "Sorry. I guess you're just a charity case for them."


Dorian
[Here's more dialogue to respond to then!]

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian knew that he probably should have dodged the strike rather than catch it on his blade, and the point was only hammered home when he saw the butt start towards him. Wheeling, he ducked back, letting her continue with her momentum and hopping back out of range. "Of course you're not an assassin," he replied, a smile quirking up the corner of his lips. "If you were, I have no doubt that I'd be dead already." If his hands were free, he probably would have tried to hide his chuckle behind one palm, but instead he just tried to restrain it as best he could. "Personal grudges, troublesome? Whatever gave you that idea?" he retorted playfully. Some might have found it insulting that he was bantering back to them, but Dorian decided that it was a risk that he was willing to take. He didn't want to be the kind of leader who was cold, distant, some kind of island to those serving under him. He wanted them to know that any complaints, issues, or whatever else they had to offer would be welcomed. He wasn't going to shove them away just for voicing their thoughts. They could hate him for all he cared, just as long as they knew that he was accessible. And then he heard the truth come from her lips, and he laughed; a greater man would have been insulted, but the noble was rather amused by it. "I suspected as much from the beginning, to be honest," he confessed with a chuckle, slowly shifting his stance. "We're hardly a formidable force at our current size. It was surprising enough that we received any representatives from Ferox, let alone one quite so skilled." He then brought his blade up, swift, deadly, aiming for her throat. "But if that's what it takes to give the Knights a fighting chance at stopping the Fell Dragon, I'm not going to turn my nose up at a willing blade and a skilled fighter. To do so would be foolish and arrogant, and I’m not either of those things." He paused with a rueful chuckle. “Well, I’d like to think I’m neither of those things. Whether or not I am is likely up for debate.” He then cocked his head to the side slightly, a few strands of his long purple hair shifting across his back despite the tie. “What would you say, am I an arrogant man? Or am I foolish?”

Words;; 412 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; Way to ask loaded questions there, Dori... orz

but i am just a man!

[Deleted]

Juno wasn't in the least apprehensive of the kind of reaction Dorian would have had, but it was good to know that he wasn't devastated by the news. Having a realistic commander was more than enough to assure her she wasn't here to die a stupid death. So more plus points to the pros over the cons.

She watched as the blade go for her throat and matched his strike with her own, following it with two successive slashes and one jab to take advantage of the spear's length and maintain the distance. They were just warming up but Juno wasn't about to give Dorian a rest.

"I wouldn't mind being turned down. I get to earn money without working for it, but ye, you'd have to be a real royal prat to deny one man." She didn't bother correcting herself in the statement. Man, woman, same difference. 

Juno responded to Dorian's question in the same nonchalance she had been speaking with. She didn't even think her answers through; she gave them as spontaneous as her attacks.

"I think you're a little bit of both," she answered. "Heh. Maybe more. Throwing away your old princey life for some righteous goal isn't something normal people are capable of doing. To us, we think you've lost it." 


Dorian

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian was quick, hopping back once more to avoid the slash, though he winced as the edge of the spear managed to catch his sleeve and caused a light cut over the underside of one forearm, across where the bone was. It wasn't deadly, or even particularly dangerous, to be entirely honest - it just was one of those shallow wounds that barely bled but stung badly due to the fact that it was so superficial. He could still fight, quite easily in fact - he wasn't the sort of pampered noble who would turn tail at the first little sign of injury - but it sort of annoyed him that he had been the first to have blood drawn. He supposed that was what he had deserved for his lack of practice though. No one could expect to be on par with someone who was obviously skilled with her weapon when he didn't practice as often as he should. In his own defense, he had grown used to the moves of the servants at the estate, and it was no real challenge to defeat them anymore, but he knew that was no real excuse. "I'd like to think I'm not a royal prat," he chuckled, shaking his sleeve back so that the torn edges wouldn't get in his way. "Just because one of my ancestors slept with an exalt doesn't mean that I have the right to lord over everyone. Besides, I don't have an eye for being exalt. Too much time spent up to my forehead in dirty politics with slimy nobles for my tastes." He made a face, which then turn itself into a laugh at her answer. "I suppose I must be," he chortled, tossing his blade slightly inside of his own grip so that it shifted orientation. "After all, it takes an arrogant man to think to change the world and a foolish one to believe that he can." He grinned then, one swift movement tossing his blade from his right hand to his left, having learned the trick many years ago but not having made use of it in quite some time: Perhaps it would be the shift he needed to draw blood as he dove forward in a swift volley of knocks against the spear, driving it to the side as he began to advance and close the distance between them. "But sometimes the world needs a good dose of arrogance and a bit of foolishness, wouldn't you agree?"

Words;; 416 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; Sorry this is so late, I'm trying to get caught up. Really. I am. orz

but i am just a man!

[Deleted]

"You think so?" she said, preparing herself as Dorian's expression changed. 

Juno didn't know what the young leader had in mind by shifting his grip to his other hand. Had he been playing with her all along by using his weaker arm, or was this some sort of psychological trick? She knew he intended to force his way in past the length of her spear. Knowing she wasn't going to be able to keep Dorian at a distance anymore, Juno abandoned her defenses and met his strikes evenly. The way it was going though, she wasn't being creative enough to maneuver with her weapon. While most skilled spear-wielders would twist and turn and come at their enemies from directions they would never think of, Juno began to handle her spear as if it were a sword. 

"Ah, shit," she cursed mentally, feeling her grip slacken from a blow. A spear was normally a two-handed weapon but on her horse, she needed only one. Her body's instinct was starting to get a little confused between them. If Juno didn't somehow disengage now, she could get in trouble.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't think being a noble or a royal prat is a bad thing. Everyone's different, that's why there'll always be someone out there better than you. Livin' the better life than you. There's - "

Upon meeting Dorian's sword, Juno quickly twirled her spear to hit the side of his head by the other end of her spear, hoping that would get him to pull away.

 "- nothing wrong with that at all."


Dorian [it's cool yo. One week isn't that bad for me anyway.]

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian nodded, a smile spreading across his lips. "I know so," he replied, already able to tell as he was shortening the distance that separated the two of them. She didn't seem to be noticing the slight weakness in his left arm - it wasn't his dominant hand, and though he had practiced with it off and on, it had not seen quite the amount of training that his right had - and that was something that he pressed his advantage on, knocking the spear further. On one hand, he wasn't doing so in a manner that would really disarm her, what with the spear being pushed in towards Juno's palm rather than out towards the thumb, where it could easily fall through her grip, but on the other, he was making it much more difficult to use. Maybe it was in part because he knew he was walking on a knife's edge with his play, but his senses were on high alert, ready for the slightest shift that could signal that she was recovering. He felt her grip shift, and before she had even brought the spear up to bear, he was moving, ducking down underneath it, though he could feel the breeze it created when it rushed over his head and caused his hair to shift as a result. Still, it was a move that he would have to pay for with the distance that he had recovered, and he was dancing backwards again, back out of her range once more as he tossed his sword back to his right hand, somehow having a feeling that he would need a bit of extra strength if he was going to succeed in this sparring match - or even do well enough to convince her that he wasn't some pampered noble in the first place. "Ah, but that's where you're wrong," he stated with a wry chuckle. "You see, I don't want to be a royal prat. I'd rather be out among the people that I'm supposed to be safeguarding, helping them with their problems and learning their struggles, than I would be cooped up in some manor making all the decisions without them." He lifted his head, crystal eyes flashing with the strength of his conviction. "Hiding away in a castle is no way to rule anything, and if being active was good enough for King Marth and the exalts before us, then it's more than enough for me too."

Words;; 411 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; I feared I had written another short post, but this is sufficiently long enough. I think. OTL

but i am just a man!

[Deleted]

As Dorian once more danced away from her blow, Juno took the opportunity to regain her feel around the spear. She twirled the stick in the air and passed it behind her back to her other hand, flicking it airborne and snappishly catching it on her hand while it stood on a perfect vertical form. She held it up, making an idle pose. It seemed like this was the equivalent of sheathing one's sword. It might be the case right now, but while her hand would rest on the grip, she was readying to attack.

Juno met Dorian's strong eyes and was quiet for a moment, scrutinizing him again like the time he had first spoken to her. She raised her free hand and her shoulders shrugged. She had no clue who King Marth was.

“Suit yourself.”

It sounded like she was rejecting his ideals but to her, she meant it as it was: whatever Dorian wanted to believe, that was fine. He didn't have to agree with her and she didn't have to agree with him either. But quite the contrary of what her aloof statement might have sounded like, Juno agreed with him – in some way. Maybe not in the sense that she would love to live the same way as Dorian, but she didn't think it was bad. She thought it was good, something she would kind of admire. Dorian's beliefs reminded her of the clerics who raised her along with the other useless orphans she grew up with. None of the holy women did anything as crazy as Dorian such as disinheriting themselves and starting their own private army (would have been fun though; her youth was boring as hell), but they selflessly decided to suffer for the sake of others. “Suffer” wasn't an overstatement. Kids are really nasty things.

That's why Juno wasn't the type to debate over these things. She had no qualms on the way the unfair world ran. Other people could be a pain in the ass, but see, she was one of those people too.

In a way, it was fair if everyone were unfair. Kudos to the saints and martyrs though. Juno was never going to be like them.

With a good distance separating them and a conversation to possibly continue, it was the perfect time to end the spar if one of them wished it. Juno knew she wanted to fight more; she haven't had her fun yet, but it seemed that their verbal exchange had developed far more than their blows.

“Still gonna fight?”


-

[Dorian | 400 is more than enough imo. I copy pasted your post in word and it covered half of the page. Besides, 500 is usually the minimum of small essays (like in exams) and you can say a lot with that, so I wouldn't call 400 short lol. It just probably felt short and that is a good thing. It means it doesn't sound long-winded and repetitive. Also, battle scene lol.]

CODED BY ELECTRIC OF GS

[Deleted]

i've gotta make a stand,

Dorian shrugged to himself at her words, not really one to try to force his ideals onto someone who wasn't ready. That was part of why he'd formed the Knights in the first place - to make sure that he could make a difference in the world and find the people who were of the same mind. He had wilted under the trappings of being a noble, and now, away from that, he was free, freer than he had been in years. He may have shackled himself to a task, but he wasn't going to pull himself away from his goal. Not when it meant the death of the world. He wasn't that sort of person. He didn't make a promise and then back out of it... that wasn't how he worked. And it never would be either. He huffed and pushed a few strands of loose lavender hair back behind his ear, nodding in response to her question. "I never said that I needed to stop," he answered her, tossing his head and shaking his hair better behind his back. "I may be out of practice, but as long as you're willing to put up with me, I'll keep picking up my sword and sparring." He chuckled then, blue eyes twinkling with the amusement that showed that this was clearly a joke. "Of course, if we end up hurt, that'll also put an end to things. But if that happens, we'll just have to get better in order to beat each other." He may have intended the 'getting hurt' part as a joke, but the latter part wasn't; he would happily spar with Juno if she wanted to have him as a partner. His sword felt right in his hand, and he tightened his grip on it, waiting for her to make the first move before he lifted it. No point in putting effort into a block for an attack that never came, after all.

Words;; 326 Tags;; Juno And others Lyrics;; "Hero" by Skillet Template by Kuroya Notes;; A bit shorter than my last one and a lot later than I'd promised, but here you are :3

but i am just a man!