"Dragon" for Conflicting-Sides
((I really hope I got Eden's character right, and doing this made me realize that it'd be interesting to rp with her, if you'd be up to it. Also, this is a long one...))
Were they further north, there would be threat of being killed and looted by those barbaric Nordsbormen. Here, further south, there were only the desperate and the disillusioned, realizing either that nothing was left for them back home, or that they could never return. They took to jumping careless travelers and poorly guarded shipments and generally avoided bloodshed. These were still their countrymen, afterall.
But theft was theft, and the threatening of innocents would not be tolerated in Castelia’s holdings. And if you weren’t fighting in battles or guarding the city or towns, you were patrolling her roads.
Faithe loved this part of her duties, as did Lance. It got them out of the crowded city and let them take out their frustrations on any dangerous monsters or criminals they came across. So far, though, it had been an uneventful trip and they made their way back through the woods. Faithe lazed on the back of her rhydon, Benj, and Lance hitched a ride on the back of Mitl, who hopped through the trees at a leisurely pace.
Suddenly they were aware of a commotion ahead, and rushed to investigate.
As they arrived, the two warriors could see bandits through the trees. The vagabonds and their beasts surrounded a rather well-dressed woman (likely a mage), her psychic, and some shape-changing beast.All of them fought skillfully and maintained a form of calm fury, despite the overwhelming numbers. It suggested a familiarity with battle not common to members of the Mage’s guild.
The woman was grazed by an errant attack and she winced before fixing her enemies in a glare that inspired sudden fear and regret. Such wrath and scorn was housed in it, weaker pokemon and a few of their partners stepped back.
“Was that it?” she scoffed, causing a few more of the humans to back away. They would get much more than they bargained for, trying to rob this lady of the Wallace family. Although she had cut her ties to them, she could not escape that battle was in her blood.
A fierce black dragon foughtflocks of bird and beast overhead. All the fire-breather wished was to land and destroy the woman’s attackers, but his every move was dogged by attacks of wind and varying energies. He couldn’t get close enough to the ground to fight without harming his mistress in the process. He roared, frustration and worry strengthening him.
All this in the course of seconds.
Benj crashed into the clearing, trampling tree, creature, and stone underfoot, and Faithe clubbed a couple of the bandits as she passed. Dae tackled a mightyena from the rhydon’s back and took out another with a low kick. By then he’d drawn his sword and cut down the first.
Mitl torched some of their beasts from the trees and she tackled one of the commanders. Lance sliced at his bodyguards and Rina broke some bones.
The warriors cut swaths through the force in their drive to reach the woman. But just before they reached her, the woman fell. Her team immediately formed a protective barrier over her, though they couldn’t hold out for long.
Faithe looked to Lance and he to her; they knew it was decided.
The knight flashed her infamous helm-splittin’ smile.
Lance grinned, wild-eyed and showing all his big sharp teeth.
Now it was their turn.
With a roar and a flash of armor, the Haxorus was in motion. He leapt from the back of his bird, brandishing two axes and gnashing his teeth. This allowed Mitl to spring back into the treetops, raining death from above. Faithe jumped from the back of her rhydon, two-hander aloft for a cleaving diagonal slice. Dae and Rina split off to wreak havoc on the flanks.
Benj peeled off from the main group to stand protectively over the woman and her team, sheltering them from harm with his rocky hide. There was confusion, and the psychic lashed out. “Have you come to take advantage of us as well?”
“Nay, m’lady. We merely lend aid.”
Reassured, the psychic turned her attention back to the woman - she needed to be kept stable. The shape-shifter slipped back into the fray, constantly changing to capitalize on the enemy's confusion.
Benj bellowed encouragement to his partners and a challenge to his enemies. A few of the heavy-hitters answered and were bombarded with rocks and blasted them with a cold beam. Mitl assisted both the grounded and the dragon, throwing rocks and spewing colorful flames.
Chaos erupted through the skirmish as the bandits were attacked on all sides. They wereunsure whether to face their opponents or turn tail and run, and their decision was made too late.
There would be no escape, only surrender or death, and few survived.
Perhaps the court would take pity on them and they would continue to do so. But that would be decided back in Castelia and a more important matter was at hand.
The woman needed medical treatment, and fast.
