RP:Retrieving the Dragon's Scales
Part of the Thy Kingdom Come Arc
Synopsis: Ayras and Kasyr infiltrate Frostmaw to retrieve Hildegarde’s armor with orders not to kill any giants. A few are incapacitated, and in the end Kasyr escapes with the Knight’s armor while Ayras leads the giants on a chase to give the Kensai time to flee.
Eastern Frostmaw Gates
Standing tall and proud amidst the white mountain snow is a fortress wall of impressive proportions that extends beyond the range of sight to either direction, made of house sized blocks of stone lain so expertly together than they create a sheer, smooth face, devoid of foot or finger holds. A masterful deterrent of the ill-intentioned, clearly. Set within the wall are the doors of a huge and undoubtedly sturdy gate the silver-grey color of winter-skies. A peculiar gleam runs across the gate's surface, suggesting they are made of metal, although exactly what type is difficult to say. It is certainly not a common material, whatever it may be. The gates are without any sort of noticeable embellishment, though those who look for such things may notice various archaic patterns which cover them, adding arcane protection to the already formidable physical determent against attacking the city from below. Most of the time they are left open, though, allowing entry and exit to and from Frostmaw. Two huge figures stand beside the gates, watching all who enter the city with cold eyes fitting of the frozen climate. Dressed in the black-ice armour with white fur trim of the Royal Guard, each Frost Giant has a huge broadsword strapped to their back, as well as a club on their hip for less lethal persuasions. Through the gates to the north is a road which leads to the City of War. Houses and buildings can be seen from here; large they are compared to most, but perfect for the Frost Giant inhabitants of the city. To the south is a treacherous path which leads down the mountains and back into the Xalious Ranges. There is a sign-post sitting in the snow beside the gates which has royal proclamations on it. Good sense dictates it be read before entering, as the giants who live in Frostmaw are not known for giving too many chances.
Ayras came upon the gates of Frostmaw, the city he had, until recently, called home. There were guards, of course, ones that recognized the vampire as well as knew about his recent mental state. He paced not too far from the pair, silver eyes boring into both of them as they stood ready to bar him from entrance. "We served together," he told the two, though rather than a plea for access it sounded more as a warning. "You can either walk away now and save yourself from the pain, or you can face me." The giants eyed each other, but stood resolute. It was clear that neither of them would move from their posts.
Kasyr is cold, in a sort of marrow numbing manner he hasn't felt in a long time.It's been a gradual ascent for the vampiric swordsman, whose traded in his trademark trenchcoat for far more 'seasonal' and situation appropriate attire: which is to say an insulated set of woolen shirts and a proper furtrimmed overcoat, some actually proper non-fingerless gloves, and a wool cap. All black, of course, given Kasyr had intended to be sneaking about- despite the fact that he was still sporting his dramatically-overlong scarf, which was flapping notably behind him. But then, considering the Kensai had felt Ayras' empathic impression at the front gate, instead of off at the wall in some secluded spot, it was fair to say the Kensai had expected some sort of brilliant plan from his partner-in-crime. Which is what brings Kasyr shuffling towards the front, red cheeked and grumpy, his breath coming out in short bursts of mist. The guards, no doubt, likely grow all the more alert with his gradual approach – though whether his identity will aid matters or not, is beyond him. Really, there's a -lot- beyond Kasyr right now, considering his current..impairment. In any case, he shifts his right hand over the hilt of the three Katana's at his hip and casually inquires, “So, is this a thing where we peacibly walk through, or have you messed everything up already? Don't bother answering, or anything, just, y'know. Do something.”
The appearance of the Kensai did have an effect on the giants manning the gate, but it was far from one that diffused the situation. "We ain't standin' aside for no giant killers," said one, a clearly less-educated brute of a guard. The other spoke, as well, perhaps from a more well-to-do family than his partner from the way he spoke. "Aye, those who kill the citizens of Frostmaw shan't be given entry." Ayras growled, a deep, feral sound that came with bared fangs and quick, agitated steps forward. "No killing," he said, though whether it was to remind himself or Kasyr was anyone's guess. "Now you stand ba- ack!" Ayras was upon the more learned of the pair of guards, both mithril and flesh-and-blood fists bashing away with abandon. The other guard was quick to his fellow's rescue, great arms wrapping around Ayras to pull him away from the downed giant, and those rippling arms squeezed in effort to crush the vampire.
Kasyr stares at the exchange, his expression never really changing. The words were as wind, beneath his notice save for the slight aggravation he felt at their existance. All he could really hear, was a dull thrum, and the faint sound of his own pulse- a reminder of something which in tandem with the rapid devolution of the situation into an outright brawl, only serves to provoke the Kensai's temper. With a motion that's at once swift and smooth, one of those swords is wrenched clear of his sheathe- a few quick steps bringing Kasyr into the vicinity of the guard grappling Ayras, if only so the tip can carve into the side of his neck- sending out a fresh spray of blood, and causing him to relinquish Ayras (after one more sharp squeeze), in favour of trying to backhand the swordsman and knock him away from him. Kasyr, for his part, just takes a half step back and ducks, allowing the meaty limb to go arcing above him, if only so he can immediately step in afterwards and leap towards the exsanguinating giant- his other hand lunging straight towards the giants wound. Which is about the point a brief surge of sparks could be seen, given that the Kensai uses the brief contact of hisgloved hand to promptly discharge electrical energy into the wound- at once incinerating his glove, cauterizing the giants dangerous wound, and dropping the man in a steaming, agonized, but ultimately unconscious heap. Once he reaches the ground again, Kasyr flicks the blood clear of his Katana and resheathes it, if only so he can proceed to tuck his hands up under his armpits, and stare expectantly at Ayras.
Ayras had been flailing his legs in an attempt to kick his captor in any way he could before Kasyr came to his rescue. The final squeeze would have winded any living man, but Ayras was of the undead, and truly the only reason he drew breath was to speak. With Kasyr occupying and dispatching the brute, Ayras went back to the educated one who was just starting to get back up. A few more choice punches to the giant's temple sent the man to dream land. With the way cleared of the two guards, Ayras wasted no time heading into the city and waving for Kasyr to follow. It didn't take long for Ayras to start scaling a building and taking to the rooftops. He sure seemed to spend a lot of his time on top of the buildings of Frostmaw.
Kasyr follows closely after Ayras, his only pause coming when the man starts scaling up the wall in all due haste. The building's wall is scrutinized for a few quick moments, before the Kensai redirects his attention down towards his hands, at about which point he removes the glove from his other hand and tosses it down towards the ground. In their place, a muted light begins to shimmer around his fingers, the likes of which rapidly solidifies into a gleaming set of vambraces, one golden, one platinum- which notably bear some rather wicked looking claws. Claws which the Kensai proceeds to plant into the wall, using them to clamber up in Ayras wake- minute discharges of electrical energy being used to effectively melt hand holds into the frozen surface. Once on top, he resumes shadowing Ayras, though he makes sure to use any pause they take to fold his arms up, and steal whatever dredges of warmth he can.
Unfortunately for Kasyr, pauses were few and far between as they made their way over the town and towards the fort. What pauses that happened were because of patrols passing below the pair, and the pauses lasted only long enough for the guards to get beyond earshot. There were, as well, a few times where the pair had to return to ground level, places where the jump to the next roof would have been far too wide, and it was at these times that Ayras motioned for Kasyr to make haste. When Ayras did finally come to a halt that lasted longer than a few moments, the pair of infiltrators were staring across the way towards the road to the fort.
Snow Covered Path
The area here is unshoveled, but the snow here is thin, and only a small bit of effort is used to walk over the slippery ground. Large tracks of various giants travel from all directions of north, east, south, and west, just as the road does. To your north you can see a pair of gates of some kind, as well as a large stone structure. To your east and south you see roads leading on, while to your west is another path.
Kasyr's hands clench and unclench as he stares at the massive gates sitting at the end of the road, dimly aware that however many guards were patrolling the streets, an even greater concentration was going to be found inside. Letting out a disgruntled huff, the swordsman pulls his scarf up over his mouth and takes a seat at their position, his eyes flickering about the area in an effort to pinpoint any sentries that are patrolling the area. More specifically, however, the Kensai is reaching out with his empathic senses, specifically focusing on the road ahead in an effort to see how many people were, in essence, in the way, and how many lay in wait directly behind the gate. Whatever numbers he'd found would be ringed off towards Ayras matter of factly, alongside a very simple, “Don't bother replying, I won't be able to hear.”
Ayras looked over at Kasyr as he sat, only to look back at those gates. Ayras was well and truly familiar with what lay beyond, and he knew the number of guards that would normally be stationed beyond. In this time of war, that number was sure to be doubled, at the very least. Kasyr's call of twenty guards just by the gate and up the path sounded reasonable, and then they would have to deal with the entire military and militia barracked within. The elf let his eyes drift, looked along the wall surrounding the fort for a spot that was climbable. Unfortunately, the vampire could not spot any from their spot. The spellblade's eyes dropped to his companion, and a shrug was offered.
Kasyr looks at Ayras with an expression that is far from heartwarming, a peculiar combination of incredulousness and irritation flickering across the Kensai's features. “There is no plan, is there? You have no goddamn plan other than to barge in there, and run around carrying a bunch of armour like a homicidal wolf stuck in the trappings of a lame pack mule, and you took me along for the ride.” There's a heat in the Kensai's tone, and it starts to spike up a bit too loudly then what might be prudent – before it promptly goes flat, “Can you land well, and quietly? Yes or no? If yes, I want you to get in front of me. This will hurt you. Immensely. But this should work. I'll..figure my own way in.” Even as he says those words, the revenants' taking one of his gloved hands and moving them over towards his back, if only so he can draw those faintly sparking claws down his back and sear a pair of gashes into the fabric of what he's wearing- open the rifts necessary so he can begin the process of forming his wings, “I am going to be so... J'en ai meme pas les mots.. merde. Just, livid, oui, if you timed this little heist close to a change of guards.”
Ayras gave Kasyr a curious look and stood his ground for a few moments. Could he land well? He was almost afraid to know what the Kensai had in mind. However, they were short on options, and so Ayras moved to stand before his friend and Frostmaw's former King-Consort. The elf kept looking over his shoulder, at the fort in the distance, at the gate, at the walls, everything just to formulate an idea of where to go from here. To be honest with himself, Ayras had to admit that he hadn't anticipated getting this far. He sure wasn't going to tell Kasyr that, though, able to hear or not. He also wasn't going to let on that they were, in fact, near a change of the guard. But Ayras could deal with that once they were in the fort.
Kasyr plants his hands on Ayras arm and, after a brief moment of adjusting the man so he was more or less facing the Kensai sideways- there's a prompt discharge. Tapping into that primal electrical force he's attuned to, Kasyr emptys a particularily potent pulse of electrical energy into Ayras Mithril limb- charging it in a manner that's rather similar to the way he'd normally propel himself with his particularily swift form of swordsmanship. The difference, however, is that whilst the Kensai is able to rather uniformly protect himself from the friction of being propelled at that speed, as well as the sudden built up of heat – well, Ayras isn't. In fact, the only thing that's actually working to prevent the metal part of his arm from both super heating and wrenching free from his body is the fact that the electricity coursing through his form is somehow something -more- than just it's base elements. It'll keep the knight intact, ...though to what degree is debateable. And the revenant still isn't quite certain as to whatever will or intent had been imparted in that brief discharge would reduce the velocity enough to avoid smearing Ayras into paste against Fort Frostmaw's wall. This was a rather experimental process. In the sense that this was the first test on someone other than Kasyr. Who, for his part, uses the time he doesn't have to bask in Ayras' strategic brilliance and tactical knowhow, to focus on the altogether painful process of growing a pair of leathery batwings from his back, and the fact that the already existing wounds on his left arm had expanded- the already raw flesh from a few days prior having further expanded due to the newest expenditure of elemental electricity. It's enough to cause him to sink down to a kneeling position, his mind simply drifting to focus on that distinct pain running through his body, as frostmaws relentless chill seeps into his clothes and gnaws at his wounds.
Ayras was used to charging his arm to insane levels, but this was another story entirely. It bit at the fabric of his being, sought to rip him apart on an atomic level. When finally he was released from the build-up, the vampire was in agony. So it was that Ayras was sailing through the air on a path for the fort proper to slam against a wall and consequently fall to the ground. While it was far from graceful, those hunter instincts of his did kick in and he managed to land on his hands and knees. He wanted to scream and curse, to bash his fist into the wall and reduce it to rubble, but such antics would not do...yet. Ayras tried a few times to get up, but he found himself floundering back to his knees each time. Just -what- was in that lightning of Kasyr's? Once more the vampire tried to rise, and this time he managed to come to a stand.
Kasyr let's out a long staggering sigh, the pain finally sorted to something manageable, as the last vestiges of bone, muscle and flesh finish knitting into the familiar shape of wings. The first few flaps are hesitant, one part testing them out, and one part meant to dislodge the loose particles of flesh and blood still coating them due to their violent expulsion from his back. Once satisfied, the Kensai leaps from his position, and begins to swiftly rise upwards. Hopefully, the dark of the evening, his clothing, and his relatively small shape would provide him the cover he desired as he sought to ascend upwards- his ensuing goal being to effectively tuck in the wings the moment he got the necessary height, so that he could hurtle himself back down, essentially dive-bombing towards Ayras position. Albeit, with a dramatic wing flourish before impact, so as to avoid crashing into the ground and therefore causing an undue ruckus. Whether or not it's as sneaky as he desires is one thing, but at least it's quick- and gets him where he needs to be.
Walled Courtyard
Passing through the impressive North Gate or standing upon the threshold of Frostmaw Fort, the courtyard sprawls out before you, securely fenced in by the mighty wall. High above upon the wall, soldiers march and sentries stand guard, ever watchful of Frostmaw city's borders and those that move throughout the fort. With the knowledge that sharped eyed archers oversee activity, one can move through the courtyard upon a stone-paved pathway, each piece handcarved with intricate, tribal designs beloved of Frostmawians. Bordering the path are grounds that should be nothing more than packed earth and snow, yet it appears to be a lawn of finely trimmed grass, of all things. How is such a thing growing in these harsh climes? Whatever the sorcery behind it, grass dominates this courtyard, a rare splash of color so far North, and dotted with statues of various famous warriors of lore. Lining the pathway are lengthy, tiered constructs of stone and ice: benches, you realize, cunningly wrought to provide seating for races of any height. Southward lies the gates to depart this area, well-guarded to prevent the ill-intentioned from fleeing. While northward looms Frostmaw Fort, a behemoth construct of stone, wood, and ice, riddled with battlements, towers, and a myriad of deadly defenses. As if the walls, mounted, giant crossbows, and guards were not daunting enough, to the east and west lie the courtyards of the Titan Sentinels, their earthen and frozen heads visible over the walls. The City of War seems to have earned its title.
Ayras staggered about as he reclaimed proper footing and balance, a sort of glare shot Kasyr's way as he came gracefully down sporting a pair of wings. Gods damned revenants and their superior abilities. Show off, he wanted to call the man. Instead, he just leaned against the wall and listened for a few moments. It was quiet, for now, which was good. The guards hadn't started moving for shift change. With a wave, Ayras beckoned Kasyr to follow him. Ayras stopped, however, a number of yards to the side of the door. Two guards stood there at attention; they would have to be dispatched.
Frostmaw Fort Main Room
The entrance room of the fort is massive in size, with flooring of stone and walls of gargantuan logs linked together snugly. Upon the wooden walls lay various trophies obtained by the generations of Jarls to have ruled over Frostmaw. A wide variety of creatures' heads are mounted, from dragons to mammoths, even giants and a few humans, in clear display of Frostmaw's victories big and small. Among these trophies rests a tapestry of masterful craftsmanship that draws the eye of most visitors. The woven image depicts a small, vulpine fiqure atop of the Gray Dragon, Ishataulak, a blade poised to thrust into the dragon's eye. Around the dragon and in support of the sword-bearing figure stands a skeleton knight and a black-clad swordsman. The tapestry conveys a sense of danger and death weaved within the image, caught paused just before the final strike, showing the destruction of the murderous Grey, and imparting the despair Ishataulak felt moments before death was driven home by the Queen of Frostmaw.
Kasyr s' feet have barely touched the ground before he's moving again, falling in step with Ayras- regaining the rhythm to the start and stop they'd been practicing the whole way here. The only difference being, that the moment Ayras points out the guards, Kasyr's already in the process stepping out from around the corner in a sort of sprinting leap enabled by those wings of his. Courtesy of that extra lift, he's able to bodily hurtle himself feet first into the closest guard before either a proper shout or leveling of weapon is managed- and then use his face as a spring board to send himself hurtling towards the other guard, who despite being startled, at least manages to heave up the great sword he's using towards Kasyr. For his part, the Kensai drags one of his blade, sheathe and all, into it's path- so that he can effectively parry the hit- though the resulting push turns his attempt at grasping the man's face with his left arm somewhat awry- the revenant instead winding up colliding into the mans head face first, whereupon a less than graceful combination of grappling, punching and shocking occur on his part. At least until the point where the guard promptly slumps over and slams Kasyr back first into the door. “Tabernac!”
Ayras shook his head at Kasyr as he came to where the pair of guards were slumped over, unconscious. The sight of the Kensai being pinned by the second guard nearly had the elf bursting out in laughter, but, considering the mission, he managed to contain himself. The giant was rolled off the revenant and a hand held out to help Kasyr to his feet before the elf made his way into the Fort's foyer. Those predator instincts of his again kicked in as the vampire stalked silently along the east wall, as he stopped to check each room for guards on the way. Something felt off. The foyer was too quiet. Unless he had misjudged his timing, the guards should have been making a final sweep of the area before the changing of the guard. Then came the final corner, the turn that led to Hildegarde's chambers. Quickly did Ayras have to slink back away from the corner; -Now- the guards decided to come to the foyer. That meant the pair needed to hurry. Their window was going to quickly close.
Kasyr can feel the guards approaching, their empathic imprint calling out to some vestigial remnant of what the swordsman once was- a reminder of the predator he himself used to be, and which he was now a pale shadow of. Noting Ayras' reaction to their imminent vicinity, the Kensai redirects his attention to the fort wall, before he plants the clawed tips of his gauntlet against the stone using whatever crevices are available...or able to be produced by a combination of force, and the fact that the claws of those gauntlets seemed more energy than anything else. Really, unhindered by the weight of the trenchcoat he had chosen not to bring, the Kensai's able to rather rapidly scale the wall, at about which point he just hangs there and waits to see how Ayras will approach this.
They didn't have time for another face-off, yet. The vampire watched from his hiding spot as the guards entered the room and half-heartedly checked for disturbances; they didn't believe that there would be any there within the Fort. When they left, Ayras was quick to slink out after them and down the hallway to Hildegarde's chambers. He didn't want to be near the foyer when the unconscious guards were found. The redhead waited for Kasyr to join him before he closed the door and bade the revenant to go about collecting the dragon's armor that had been cast to the floor by some giant or another - likely Balder or Balgruuf. The elf went to a table and took up a quill and parchment and scribbled a note that he shoved into Kasyr's pocket, motioning from it to the armor as though they were meant to go together. When the vampire went to the door once more, he motioned for the Kensai to wait there. He was sure the man would know when it would be safe to leave. As the door swung open, a commotion could be heard from out in the foyer; it seemed the guards had been found.
Kasyr had descended from his spot and followed Ayras the moment the coast was clear, which did indeed bring him to the armory room - Which was about the point the Kensai planted his palm to his face. For whatever reason, the Kensai hadn't brought his pack- a fact which leaves him manually collecting the armour from around the room, a few halfhearted attempts made to juggle what bits he could, the likes of which end in a noisy failure, but one that's would likely be unnoticeable compared to the commotion outside. Really, the revenant can't hear the fact that things have gone pear shape, he can just detect those pulses of emotions, can feel as one might go from radiant to subdued- and he's grateful when it's not Ayras. But there's an awareness that he needs to hurry, and that's when it dawns on him. Glancing down at his vambraces, the Kensai focuses anew- coaxing the virtuous weapon, Empera, into altering it's state, and therefore forming the lethal filaments of thread that had so often inspired dread in others. Filaments which were now used to leash and tie Hildegardes armour together, so that he could properly ball it up into an unforunate clanking and unwieldy mess, and heft it off the ground. What ensued wasn't going to be pretty, he was sure- but he was fairly certain it'd be manageable.
Ayras went forward into the hall, and further into the foyer. "Hey!" he shouted to the guards that were excitedly inspecting their fallen comrades, calling their attention to him. "Looking for someone?" It was about that time that the guards previously in the barracks and on their way to their stations arrived to see the scene. Shouts rang out, calls of "Get him!" or "Kill him!" Ayras took heed of none of the chatter, and instead bolted headlong for the guards at the door. They were startled for but a moment, but soon enough they were drawing weapons and moving to bar the vampire's exit. But this was Ayras. He had a knack for shocking antics, quite literally, and this was no exception. Lightning coalesced around the vampire's body, and a few of the guards scattered. It left just enough of an opening for Ayras to burst through, and hot on his heels were every guard that had spotted him. While there might be a few stragglers, the grand bulk of them would be chasing the vampire. The elf hoped Kasyr could handle himself from there on. He'd have no way of getting back to the Kensai.
Kasyr 's plan at this point is fairly eloquent in it's simplicity. The moment the main force of the giants have gone in pursuit of Ayras, the revenant bursts out of the room, if only so he can begun a helter skelter dash forward, despite the unwieldy burden. At first, his errant running only seems to succeed in garnering the attention of the guards, otherwise seeming to be a pointless dash towards one of the walls. Save for two simple facts- one, the kensai was beginning to cascade electrical energy as though it were bleeding out of him, and secondly, he was rapidly accelerating with every passing moment. All in all, his particular goal is rather simple, to discharge every ounce of electrical energy he can muster in his form, and send himself hurtling at the weakest window or wall he can think of- the electrical energy essentially being pushed into Hildes bundled up armour to be used as a one part shield, and one part initial point of contact. Considering the sheer amount of souls the revenants consumed in his lifetime, amongst the other endeavours he's managed, this equates to a rather considerable output of magic for this almost meteoric ascent- and one aimed to devastate whatever bit of architecture get's in his way. It also means his arrival in where he lands is likely to be flashy as hell.
That burst from the Fort distracted a few of the giants, and some of those even stopped to point and stare at the 'lightning bolt' that erupted from the building. However, it was far from the first thing on Ayras' mind. Sure, he would have been happy to see the Kensai escape, but at that moment, Ayras needed to escape, too. The last thing Kasyr would see of Ayras, if he managed to glimpse him at such speeds, would be of the vampire heading for the frozen wastes outside the city. In fact, that's the last any of Hildegarde's allies would lay eyes on the vampire.
There came a flash from the north, from above the city of Frostmaw. It was as though a lightning storm had decided that the city was too unruly to linger over, and that it would instead streak as far away as it could possibly get. But no, instead of streaking away, it instead curved downward toward the Xalious region. It was a glorious, glowing comet of energy that went barreling for Hildegarde's camp, a crackling ball of a man that came a-crashing into the ground. It was a great uproar that the collision caused, some screaming that they were under attack, others merely being startled to their wits end. None could have expected the winged Kensai to suddenly be amongst them bearing the armor of the Lady Hildegarde.
Kasyr 's first action upon landing in his newfound crater'd patch of earth, is to unsummon Empera- effectively releasing the armour from the entanglement of it's wires- so that he could effectively remove himself from it's vicinity. Once done, the Kensai takes a few moments to dust himself off, salutes someone at random, and promptly just sinks to the ground. This not quite dignified outcome is no doubt due to the combined exertion of little sleep, too much blood loss and half-assed medical attention, and the deliberate manner in which he had ignored and aggravated his wounds all catch up to him at once.