Absolution Black Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Yay! I loved this section...can't think why! I too noticed the homage and thought..intentional or fluke? But yes, I do like the look of the new character, and it certainly means things are going to get interesting on the ship! But not only that, the scene was very well written, believeable fight sequences and a little bit of comedy for light relief.. Well done sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Alright, opinion question for you guys: the readers. At this point in time, who are the top two characters you'd like to see developed more? (aside from Black...he's just been introduced, and that's cheating) Must admit to a bit of writer block on the next couple linking scenes to the next big plot point, and I don't want to start jumping around, (bad things happen then...) so if you guys could give me a target, I can work on that to space things out the way I want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolution Black Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Well if i can't vote for Black..I'd have to say Soli and Arias... I also like Faulkner, but i can't see him being developed much at the mo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucklemonkey Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Definitely soli. She's my favourite so far. Think I would also go with arias. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elril Posted October 14, 2011 Report Share Posted October 14, 2011 Wintertide and Waechter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 (edited) First character focus...Soli! (Sorry Elril, although I'll probably be doing something with Waechter next just for you...and cause it'll most likely irritate everyone else ) Soli sat in the antechamber nervously bouncing her fingers off her knee. This was her first time reporting to the Council of Magisters, and she had no idea why she’d been summoned. The training of her new recruits, along with her own practice, had been proceeding well. Not perfectly, but the young mages were rapidly improving as soldiers and flyers, and she’d heard nothing but satisfaction in response to any of her reports. From everything she’d heard, the construction for Aegis was still on schedule, along with the phoenixes and dragon, so she had to wonder just what the purpose of this meeting was…and hoped in the back of her mind that it wasn’t going to be just a waste of time. An older man in the livery of the staff of the palace entered the room and bowed. “If you would follow me, Captain, the Council is ready to speak with you.” She stood up, smoothing her pants and wiping off a spot of dust that had gotten onto the white dress uniform. As she walked over to join the servant, she caught sight of herself in a mirror and spent a moment adjusting her hair. She frowned and rubbed at a blemish in her makeup, then heard the servant cough politely. “Sorry,” she said, walking through the door. “There is no need to apologize,” he said, tone kind. “But understand that the Council values punctuality more than they do a pretty face.” His smile lightened the rebuke, and she felt her nerves shrink some. “Thank you,” she said gratefully. They continued on in silence, and she spent the time looking at the paintings and sculptures that lined the hallway. She saw a dozen styles from all over the world and history, a legacy of the high culture of Drasvar. Some of the pieces were unusual, others just left her in awe and envy at the skill of the artist. She felt a small bit of patriotic pride creep its way into her. This was the true heritage of her home, a country that valued culture and beauty more than it did military power. The people of this country were hers to protect, and she took comfort in that pride, letting it steel her spine. When they got to the room that the Council met in, she had managed to get her anxiety to shut up enough so that it was only in the back of her mind. She stepped through the door the servant opened, dress boots clicking on the marble floor. As the door closed, she dropped to one knee, head bowed respectfully. “No need to stand on formality here in private, Wing Captain,” a gravelly voice said. She looked up to see a middle aged man stepping down from the tables arranged in a circle around the room. He wore dark robes of blue, and the grey streaking through his beard and hair lent him an air of wisdom. A welcoming smile was on his rough face, and he gestured briefly to the others in the room. “We don’t bite, after all.” “Well,” a young woman in a red silk dress added, throwing her raven hair back over her shoulder. “We don’t bite much.” A few of the others in the room laughed, and Soli felt a cautious smile on her face. She glanced around the room as she stood up, noticing a few seats empty at the tables that were arranged in tiers of ever increasing height. Even with those unfilled spots, the room still had at least a dozen mages, of all ages and sex and dressed in a variety of outfits. She recognized Lord Enchanter Marx seated in one of the upper seats, and nodded a greeting that was returned. “Thank you, Magister,” Soli replied to the older man. “I hope that you won’t find it too uncomfortable,” the Magister said, “but I will be serving as the Council’s voice today. An old tradition, but it helps keeps things a little more calm in these matters. I am Magister Harris. At times, other Council members may ask questions as they see fit, but primarily I will serve that function. Do you understand?” “Yes, Magister,” Soli said, feeling almost as if she was being interrogated. What was going on? “Excellent!” Harris said, clapping his hands together. “Let’s begin then. If you wouldn’t mind, Captain, please tell the Council a little about yourself,” he said, waving his hand to include the rest of the room. Unusual, but fair enough, she thought. “I am Wing Captain Soli Navin, eldest daughter of the Navin House, born to the primary branch twenty-six years ago. I have served in the air armada for eight years, enlisting as soon as I reached my majority.” “You are of the primary branch of your bloodline?” Harris asked. She nodded in reply. “Why did you not go to the Academy to train as a mage?” She hid a wince. “I chose to serve Drasvar in other ways, Magister, rather than follow in the traditions of my house. I felt that my other talents would be more worthwhile to the military.” The Magister nodded, apparently satisfied with her answer. “Would you briefly describe for us the events leading to your recent promotion?” “I was a sergeant serving aboard the Destiny as a raptor pilot on the Assarian front. While I was on patrol, I came across an enemy squadron comprised of several of a new design of airship, and alerted my air carrier. Wing Captain Edori told me to wait for reinforcements, saying that we would be attacking the airships before they could reach the Destiny. The attack was launched successfully, and we managed to severely damage three of the enemy airships before we received instructions from the Wing Captain, alerting us to an attack and recalling us to defend our carrier. “We returned in time to assist, but by then it was too late.” She closed her eyes for a moment, memory assaulting her. Even now, months later, she could still see the enemy airships surrounding the Destiny, surrounding the burning air carrier with their cannons firing faster than any she had seen before. She could hear the thunder of the guns, the roar of the wind as she pushed her flyer even faster to save the ship. She shook her head, and continued. “Destiny and her escorts were already burning when we got there,” she said, her voice hoarse, so she coughed to clear her throat. “My Wing and I fought through the Assarian perimeter to get out as many survivors as we could.” She hung her head for a moment, red curls covering her eyes. “We managed to escape with a quarter of Destiny’s crew. “It took us two weeks to return home. We were able to find islands along the journey where we would sleep at night. Some nights, we slept on our flyers. Luckily, we didn’t lose anyone while doing that. Wing Captain Edori, who had been injured during the battle for Destiny, was unconscious during the entire trip. While I was not the most senior officer left, the others looked to me for guidance, so I led them.” “Why did they look to you?” a woman asked. Soli looked up in surprise, and met the grey eyes of an elderly Magister who sat in the middle tier of tables. The woman’s wrinkled face was creased with a frown, and she stared at the Wing Captain intently from within the hood of her black velvet robe. “I’m not entirely sure, Magister,” Soli replied after a moment. “I think it was because I decided that I would make it home at any cost, to bring back the information on the Assarian airships.” The Magister’s frown deepened, then she gestured for Soli to proceed. “After our return, my Wing and I were given a few weeks to rest and recuperate. At the end of that period, Lord Enchanter Marx discussed with me the existence of the Aegis, and offered me the position of Wing Captain for the air carrier.” “Thank you,” Harris said with an encouraging smile. “What is your opinion of the war?” asked the young female Magister, smoothing her red dress as she did so. “Magister?” Soli asked uncertainly. The magister made a shooing motion with her hands. “Do you support the war, or are you against it? No need to worry about your position, Captain, it won’t impact that.” “I believe war is a terrible necessity,” Soli said. “I feel that the human cost is horribly wrong, no matter which side, but I also believe firmly that if a good person will not stand up to evil, then they are just as guilty as if they committed the crime. As far as this war is concerned, I am in support of it. The atrocities done at Newedge demand a response, and both those who ordered those horrendous acts and those who carried out those orders need to be punished.” “An admirable position,” Marx said from the back as he stood and walked down to the ground level. Harris stood to one side as the Lord Enchanter stepped onto the floor, but Soli noticed the look of frustration on his face. “However, if this council were to order you to delay that retribution for the good of Drasvar, would you follow those instructions?” Soli tapped the fingers of her hand against her thigh, heart and mind at war. Her desire for justice was so strong she could taste it, feel it pounding through her veins in time with her heart. But duty also called to her; duty and trust in the Council of Magisters. She raised her head high, proudly, and said, “I would not like it, Lord Enchanter, but I would do my duty. I have faith in the wisdom of the Council.” Marx smiled, then turned to the rest of the Council, spreading his arms wide to include the room. “You have heard from her yourselves, brothers and sisters. You have heard my arguments for her inclusion in this. Have your questions been answered?” Slowly, one by one, the other members of the Council nodded. The last to do so was the woman in the black robe, who still frowned at Soli, but finally nodded, a short chopping motion. Marx turned back to Soli, whose confusion and anxiety had resurfaced with a vengeance. “Wing Captain, I have another assignment to request of you,” Marx said formally. “In a week’s time we will be sending an ambassador under flag of truce to Assar, and it is the desire of this Council that you accompany it as head of the ambassador’s bodyguard.” ---- “I must say, I appreciate that you proved me right in the Council Room, Captain,” Marx said, handing Soli a glass of wine a half hour later in his office at the palace. “I’ve been arguing with them for weeks over this. They weren’t too interested in the idea of a diplomatic mission to begin with, much less allowing you to accompany it.” “I admit, I’m somewhat confused why you want me with the ambassador, Lord Enchanter,” Soli said, then took a sip of the wine. It was a little dry for her liking, but she refrained from commenting on it. “Politics, Wing Captain. Only of the international variety. They were worried about your well documented sense of justice interfering with your duty. I told them that was a load of nonsense, but they weren’t interested much in my opinion on the matter. Still, you managed to convince them quite handily. I look forward to them discovering just how valuable your presence on the mission will be once the Assarians find out who you are.” “What do you mean?” “You are the commanding officer of the survivors of the Destiny, and led our pilots back from that disaster. It will be a symbol they’d have to be fools to misunderstand when you show up with your unit as part of the ambassadors bodyguard. Drasvar was defeated, but we are anything but beaten, after all. Your attendance will drive that home without us needing to say a word.” “I…see,” she replied slowly. Marx laughed gently, shaking his head. “You’re a terrible liar, my dear. If you would do me one favor and learn to correct that before you reach Assar, I would appreciate it.” He held up his glass of wine. “To Drasvar and her soldiers,” he toasted. “I’ll drink to that,” she said with a laugh, clinking her glass against his. She drained the rest of her wine, then set the glass down on the table. She smiled somewhat apologetically at the quizzical expression on his face. “I am sorry, Lord Enchanter, but I need to be returning to my duties. I don’t allow my soldiers to be out drinking during the middle of the week and I hold myself to the same standards.” Marx smiled. “Of course,” he said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. “Until next time, Wing Captain.” (Speaking of 'with a vengeance', that's what my muse hit me with... 2,172 words there...sheesh.) Edited October 17, 2011 by edonil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOneWhoFell Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Great character focus! I enjoyed reading it The transition from the Council chamber to the private room was awkward. I think giving us a place and time first would fix that... I liked it over all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Great character focus! I enjoyed reading it The transition from the Council chamber to the private room was awkward. I think giving us a place and time first would fix that... I liked it over all Do you mean giving a time and place at the beginning of the Council chamber part, or the private room part? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOneWhoFell Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 private room... like... "an hour later, marx poured Soli a glass of wine in his private sitting room" then continue with the dialogue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 hm. I put in a bit of that there, guess it didn't work. I'll tweak it, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolution Black Posted October 17, 2011 Report Share Posted October 17, 2011 Liking it edonil, and it certainly begins to fill out Soli's backstory. The story seems to be coming together now and the missing pieces are slowly being filled in...which is good. Look forward to more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Faulkner woke up screaming. He tried to sit up, but restraints over his chest held him down. His eyes were wide as they looked around the room in panic, looking for his interrogator. His yelling died into a painful coughing fit, arms instinctively fighting the restraints to attempt to cover his mouth. Tears leaking from his face, Faulkner’s breathing normalized. “You are to be commended, Colonel,” a familiar voice said. The Victrixan soldier strained his neck, looking for the mage who had been interrogating him for the last several…days, weeks? Time had little meaning anymore. “While I appreciate the love and passion you have for your country, this cannot last. Eventually, you will tell us what we want. If not, I’ll continue this until you do.” Faulkner felt a metal claw scrape his shoulder and felt his muscles start to spasm as electricity hit him. “I doubt you appreciate the honor in this,” the voice whispered by his ear. “While my art is rejected as such by the Council, my master keeps my services for times like this. There’s something truly special about people like you, people who have the will and the strength to hold out against torture.” The touch of metal to his bare chest caused the colonel’s body to flinch away, then electricity hit him again. Faulkner’s teeth snapped shut over his tongue, biting into it. He could feel his interrogator gently, but firmly, grasp his jaw with a bare hand, pulling it apart to keep him from biting through his tongue. When he had control over his body once again, he spat a mouthful of blood into his tormentor’s palm. He smiled as he heard a muffled curse of disgust, and the sound of boots on the floor, moving away from him. He closed his eyes, bringing to mind images of his wife and children. He could picture them clearly, waving to him as he left to his posting of Dragon’s Teeth- Emily’s clear, bright smile from her plain face, golden hair shining in the daylight, brown eyes full of equal amounts pride and concern, holding their youngest son in her arms. Their daughter, a cheerful girl full of energy, stood next to her mother, waving with all the enthusiasm a six year old could muster. The mental picture gave him both comfort and strength. Light filled the room, causing him to wince even with his eyes closed. Gradually, the light dimmed somewhat and he opened his eyes to see a beautiful woman with brown hair holding an oil lantern, adjusting the dial of it. She was anything but what he’d imagined, tall, brown eyed, wearing a suit of leather armor over a practical shirt and breeches. The woman set the lamp down, then turned to Faulkner, resting her hands on her hips. “What am I supposed to do with you, Colonel?” she asked absently, and he recognized her voice instantly. He could see blood dripping off her right hand, and shivered. What kind of person wasn’t bothered with blood covering their hand? She stepped over to him, and pulled up a chair with her gauntleted left hand. “Let’s try something different, shall we? I’ll ask questions about you, and you’ll answer them. No military intelligence, nothing that will betray anyone. Just a conversation. Much better than me continuing along in the vein of the past few days, isn’t it?” Her smile held genuine warmth that was present in her eyes, and he found himself more disturbed than if she’d been cold and harsh with him. “My name is Isabella,” she said, crossing her legs over each other and resting her hands on her knees. “I am a mage of the first order, from Drasvar. Before my time in the Academy, I was from the city of Newedge. Incidentally, the city that your military and its allies leveled to the ground.” Her smile slipped and her eyes turned dark. “I lost all of my family there. So, needless to say, I don’t have a lot of love for you or your kinfolk. “But!” she said, smile returning. “I must confess to a strong interest in you, Colonel Lukas Faulkner. It isn’t often that I meet a man so utterly resistant to my charms, and it’s quite refreshing.” She leaned forward, holding something up between two bloody fingers. Faulkner recognized the golden band of his wedding ring, and felt anger, fresh, energizing anger, pour through his veins. “How dare you- give that back!” he shouted, immediately falling into another coughing fit. “I thought that might be it,” she murmured with apparent satisfaction. “A wife is a strong force with men such as yourselves. A source of love, affection, motivation…and, of course, tragedy.” He began to fight against his restraints, and she laughed. “Ah, so there is fight in you after all! That’s good. I had worried that my earlier ministrations had dulled that edge.” Isabella leaned back in her chair, holding the ring carefully. “Don’t worry, Colonel. This little game is just between you and me. But I have no control over the general. If he notices that a ring is missing from your left hand, he will find out who your wife is, and he will use her to get answers out of you. Probably by giving her to me.” The mage shrugged and brushed her ponytail back over her shoulder. “Personally, I have no opinion on that either way, but that certainly won’t be as much fun. Then the game gets more players and it just becomes a bother. Even if he doesn’t notice the missing ring, if you don’t tell me about the city defenses, well, I expect there to be a lot of civilian casualties if we have to take it the hard way. It won’t be pleasant, and the chances of your dearly beloved dying go up rather drastically. The reason for me telling you all of this, is that it can be avoided. Just tell me what I need to know, and I can tell the general, and we can even arrange to get your family out of the city.” Isabella’s eyebrow arched, and she smiled. “So, what will it be?” Faulkner was tempted, dearly, to reject the offer. But the thought of Emily and his children in the hands of this monster warred with his patriotism. His tormentor had, he realized, upped their ‘game’ rather well. Hanging his head, eyes closed in pain, he whispered, “Very well. I’ll tell you everything. Just get my family out of the city first.” “Excellent,” the mage said with a clap of her hands. She stood up, and he could hear her get closer. He opened his eyes to see her leaning over him, and flinched as she laid her bare hand on his cheek. “Sleep now,” she crooned, “and rest up. There’ll be a lot of questions when you wake up.” Like some grotesque parody of motherliness, she leaned over and kissed his forehead. Despite himself, Faulkner felt his eyelids drooping close, and fell into a dreamless sleep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamHammer Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Love these recent chapters. Keep going strong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolution Black Posted October 18, 2011 Report Share Posted October 18, 2011 Ooh, I like her! Reminds me of an ex girlfriend! seriously, she is a great character and one I can see being quite integral to the plot. She is well written, and i immediately can tell she is cold, calculating and hard...though I still suspect there is a softer weaker side to her...maybe faulkner will find it and manipulate it too? Anyway...I'm hoping we see more of both of them in the future! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambrius Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Nothing like a good questioning! Very cool, man. I like that there's another colonel! Victrixan... I like that, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Glad to see that Isabella's been such a hit with people...although I find it somewhat entertaining that someone I envisioned as an antagonist has gotten such a reaction. (shrug) Ah well. As I was telling Steam in the OTT, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to avoid writing a cliche with an interrogator, so I went with the one I've seen the least- a female who enjoys the work, and is lively and energetic. (Contrast with Semirhage for those of you who've read enough of WoT...) Abs, I don't want to know about that ex-girlfriend if Isabella reminds you of her, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Absolution Black Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Glad to see that Isabella's been such a hit with people...although I find it somewhat entertaining that someone I envisioned as an antagonist has gotten such a reaction. (shrug) Ah well. As I was telling Steam in the OTT, I realized that I wasn't going to be able to avoid writing a cliche with an interrogator, so I went with the one I've seen the least- a female who enjoys the work, and is lively and energetic. (Contrast with Semirhage for those of you who've read enough of WoT...) Abs, I don't want to know about that ex-girlfriend if Isabella reminds you of her, lol. Similar name too..she was called Isobel! And I get the contrast with Semirhage...I am one of the few people who seem to actually like the WoT series! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebonstar Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Is she based on a real person? She is very believable to me. I think some of us writers (myself included) have a hard time breaking out of stereotypical female characters, and I think you pulled it off very well. Great work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambrius Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Ah, yes, the hedonist Semirhage! I see resemblance, very nice. Usually questioners are just so very stoic or sadistic, or simply mad, that the contrasting character here is almost likeable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elril Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Ah, yes, the hedonist Semirhage! I see resemblance, very nice. Usually questioners are just so very stoic or sadistic, or simply mad, that the contrasting character here is almost likeable. I haven't ruled out mad yet... Once upon a time I love the WoT series, the fact that Brandon Sanderson was asked to finish them means I might go back. Mostly because I know he can be trusted to thin out loose ends and end characters that need ending. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Is she based on a real person? She is very believable to me. I think some of us writers (myself included) have a hard time breaking out of stereotypical female characters, and I think you pulled it off very well. Great work! Thanks! Luckily for me, she's not based on a real person that I know of...although, with Abs, mileage may vary... oh hell, I'm starting to use trope speak Ah, yes, the hedonist Semirhage! I see resemblance, very nice. Usually questioners are just so very stoic or sadistic, or simply mad, that the contrasting character here is almost likeable. That was the kind of stuff that I was trying to avoid. It seems like people almost think of it as a requirement of some kind...which, in reality, it might be, as a coping mechanism. But, that's why I did so much of implication here, because I wanted to keep it hidden just what she does. I haven't ruled out mad yet... Once upon a time I love the WoT series, the fact that Brandon Sanderson was asked to finish them means I might go back. Mostly because I know he can be trusted to thin out loose ends and end characters that need ending. Sanderson really injected new life into the series, I'm looking forward to seeing him wrap it up. And, honestly, I'm glad you haven't ruled out mad yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambrius Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) Not to get too off topic, but I have many friends who were very disenchanted (read: ticked off) with the WoT series, for quite a wide range of reasons. It seems Brandon Sanderson is good enough with the new volumes to warrant a read and even some praise. Personally, I got into the series after Crown of Swords was published and had the habit of re-reading the entire series with each new book, just to get/stay re-acquainted with the whole broad tapestry of story and detail. This habit cost me many months of re-reading, to say the least. I last read Knife of Dreams in 2006, I think. I have yet to read anything further, but with Sanderson's efforts getting praise from my local herd of nerds, I may read them at some point. Edited October 19, 2011 by Cambrius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted October 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Many apologies for the short section...had more than a few moments of thinking over how I wanted to do this; and even more over whether I wanted to do it this early. I decided the answer was yes. So, here you go! I do hope for a longer section to put up tomorrow, but no promises. For those interested in the numbers, I'm at 18,065 words. General Thomas Drake leaned over his desk, pen scratching as he finished drafting orders for the next stage of his plans. The Drasvarian general paused and closed his brown eyes, thinking intently, before continuing to write. The conquering of Dragon’s Teeth had finished a week ago, and he was tired of waiting for the information from the Victrixan colonel. His pen lifted from the paper, and he studied it closely, before nodding in satisfaction and spreading sand over the surface. The land campaign had progressed nicely in Victrix, and the next step of the war would require careful manipulation to achieve the desired effect. He stood, arms crossing behind his back, as he waited for the ink to dry. Walking over to the entrance to his tent, he stepped out into the moonlight, nodding to the two sentries who guarded it. He breathed deeply of the pleasant night air, stretching his arms behind himself, then reached up to run his hands through his grey hair. He had been at that desk too long tonight, and he still had a few more sets of orders to write. With a shrug, he began to walk towards the barracks that his army had appropriated in their occupation of the fort. One of the two sentries immediately fell into step behind him, and Thomas rolled his eyes. While he was over fifty years old, he certainly didn’t need a nanny. With a resigned sigh, he made no comment, knowing that arguing served no point. In enemy territory, senior officers always traveled with a bodyguard, whether those senior officers wanted to or not. As he walked through the camp, he could hear his men and women settling into their nightly routines. Nightfall came early here, something he still hadn’t gotten used to himself, so dinner was only just now being wrapped up, along with the various jobs involved in running an army in the field. He arrived in the barracks and nodded in acknowledgement of the silent salutes his soldiers gave him. He felt more than a little satisfaction at the way he was regarded, unbothered by the nickname of ‘The Butcher’ that he’d been labeled with. He was one of the best tacticians in Drasvar, and while he had a reputation for getting soldiers killed in highly aggressive plans, he also got his objectives done. Not always on time, as the battle for the fort he walked in proved, but the task would be accomplished. Including the next one before him. He was snapped out of his thought process by the sound of a door opening. The general looked up to see his torturer, Lady Isabella Leon, step out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind her. She had an unusually serious expression on her pretty face, and he stopped, curiosity piqued. “Good evening, Lady Isabella,” he said. “And how is our guest?” “Hm?” she said, looking up in surprise. She grinned after a moment, eyes sparkling with devilish delight. “Well, it appears that our guest is willing to talk now. He’s resting just now, but in a few hours, I’ll wake him up and we’ll have all the information we need.” She glanced down at his hands. “And just in time, I see. Writing out the next set of orders?” Thomas looked down to see inkstains on his fingertips, then smiled. “Of course. We need to get moving on with the campaign for all of this to work correctly. Do you think the colonel will fit what we need better than that Witch Hunter captain?” “Oh, certainly,” she said. “The colonel is a noble man. It took a most unusual pressure to get him to break.” She held up a gold ring in one hand with a crooked smile. “It’s a rare man in the military who loves his wife so much more than his country. But, it did provide us with the information we needed. And, more importantly, we now have someone who the Victrixans will love once we win.” “Tell me, will he be able to form a resistance after we conquer the land? Does he have what’s required?” Isabella’s smile grew wider. “The only thing he’s missing is a reason to do it. But, like I told him…men like that are so easily motivated by their wives.” She handed the ring to Thomas. “With the right sense of tragedy, he’ll be perfect.” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamHammer Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 Excellent. I can't wait to see where this goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOneWhoFell Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 *shivers* Bad Lady! I like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.