“Duchess, if I may ask...why are we travelling to Orr?”
“To visit the Alter of Tempests. I understand that...another soul rests there. A noble sylvari that...like our friend from Claw Island gave her life so that others might live and continue the fight against Zhaitan.”
“You mean...the leader of the Pale Reavers?”
“Indeed. Once she is raised, the sands will turn her to Nightmare just as they did Sieran.”
Next from the picrew, Tegwen, aka Sunshine, a druid and Glanfathan scout who first encountered the god squad searching for Magran’s lost temple and made sure they got to her boss the Galven safely without touching anything. And with her, Invar, an Aedyran priest of Eothas visiting the temple in Gilded Vale whom only Dal met in this campaign, but since years later in @grumpy-jedi‘s fic these two end up a ship, they must be posted together. :-D
The wonderful picture of Harmony and Inuwa was done by @kouhai-things . Below is a story it goes along with.
Anyone who values their life would never meet these two alone on the battlefield. In any three vs. two or two vs. two matches, they would win. With her sword abilities and sharp green eyes never missing a flaw in or made by the enemy. With him able to follow her speed of mind with reflexes. Sharp fangs and deadly claws always protecting the places where her sword could not reach. Her sword always reaching out to give an opportunity for attack. Truly the two were invincible together. In this clear field of fenced-in grass, all you can see are the four participants in today's session. Harmony and Inuwa having every advantage.
Perhaps their unique closeness and incredible understanding of each other was why Derek had them train together, but even more separately. He has tried to force them to spar against each other, but the matches often ended in a tie. If they did not then they were short, and each of the two took turns losing to keep up the facade that they were actually trying to best each other. Tegwen knew better than that.
Harmony and Inuwa would never take a fight between them seriously. For they both knew that would never have to happen in real life. They would never be pitted against each other and they would never have to fight for their lives against the other.
It was only when they were alone that the two would even discuss anything that had to do with the other’s weaknesses. They did not want others to find out because they did not want them exploited during any of the training drills or sparring practices until they each had time to learn and improve on those weaknesses. It was a brilliant strategy. If your allies did not know your weaknesses, and you were skilled enough to cover them up then your enemies will never know.
As Tegwen stands idly by the fence around the new sparring ground, she wonders if she had just seen a weakness in the two’s attack or if that had been her imagination. Harmony took up a hanging left sword stance as Inuwa circles around her legs. They were facing Oggy, and Stoyan today. A sword breaker and a staff vs. the sword and fangs. An interesting matchup and Stoyan was the only person to provide much of the challenge against the two alone. Tegwen could take Harmony by herself, but Inuwa was a hard defense to get by. Still starting with a hanging stance and one where the blade was so close to you and your partner isn’t the smartest of beginnings.
Oggy was the weak-link in Stoyan’s team. Clearly, he knew that as well since he allows Stoyan to make the first move. Staff collides with sword. A smirk on Stoyan’s face could not be missed as he quickly swings the staff down. Intending to hit both the sword from above and Inuwa from below. Harmony saw through the attack. Quickly she raises her sword to stop the staff, making sure Inuwa was not hit nor her weapon loosen from her hand. Her blade hits right between the hands of Stoyan, stopping him short. He shows surprise for only a moment before smiling proudly at Harmony.
Now was Oggy’s opportunity. The chief spy takes it with a charge forward. Lifting the part of his sword that holds the edges to trap Harmony’s sword within. Otieno swings his blade higher but makes it no further as Inuwa meets the boy with a charge of his own. Using the full weight of his Sorenke form, Inuwa tackles Otieno square in the chest. Resulting in him falling with Inuwa on top. His teeth as Oggy’s throat.
If that had been Tegwen she would have told Otieno to get up and try again. However, it was Inuwa he was facing not herself. Inuwa did not allow second chances from an enemy’s attack. Even during a training session. Having it feel real was important to him. Even his growling during is loud enough for Tegwen to hear from the other side of the field, Inuwa uses his teeth to take the swordbreaker out of Otieno's hold. Walking over the boy he leaves with the blade in his mouth, his teeth making marks on the wooden handle.
Tegwen looks back over to Stoyan to see how he was doing with Harmony. Surprisingly he was fairing far better than last time. Instead of meeting Harmony’s sword par to par he allows some swings to cut close to him. They never hit him but are always far too close for comfort if it was anyone else facing them. Harmony never struck her training partners with the sharp ends of her sword, and Stoyan never worried about getting hit when training with anyone. So in this matchup, Stoyan had that advantage. Confidence and knowledge. The poor girl never liked hurting people, but this was a war she was practicing for, and Stoyan was going to use that against her. As he swings his staff back around his body he strikes Harmony low in the back. Not enough to throw the girl off of her balance, but just hard enough to make her aware of what was going to happen if she wasn’t more serious. Harmony grits her teeth, pulling back to gain some space to plan her next attack.
Inuwa runs over to Harmony’s side. He was more than ready to attack with Otieno’s sword breaker. Stoyan laughs before pointing out how the fight was no longer fair. Everyone knew that Inuwa was better without the weapon yet the Sorenke pushes forward, trying to nic Stoyan anyways.
While watching Tegwen wants to state how it had never been fair in the first place. However, she recalls how many extra push-ups she had to do last time she interrupted a sparring practice. So the young leader stays quiet as Harmony throws her sword into the dirt. Using the weight to aid her jump in throwing her forward, Harmony flips in the middle of the field over her sword to kick Stoyan in the shoulder with one foot as the other lands on the ground. She uses the momentum to help her free her sword and bring it forward. A crushing hit if it had made contact. Sadly Stoyan manages to deter the blade’s course by guiding it along his staff against the blunt side. Tegwen would have been impressed if she didn’t know what was going to happen next.
It was too late to prevent his defeat. Stoyan had taken his sight from Inuwa who was now behind the man. Quickly the Sorenke takes the swordbreaker and cuts a hollow slash along the back of Stoyan’s right leg. That was a smart move. His right leg is the one he always places the majority of his weight on. It was a smart move to keep the sword breaker after all. If Inuwa had tried to do that with his teeth there would be several holes instead of just one. It would take longer to heal and Derek would have been upset about one of his best soldiers being wounded so much just in training.
While the cut was not fatal it was enough to surprise the combatant. Harmony takes advantage of his surprise by elbowing him in the face. She then shoves him over Inuwa and holds her sword to his neck.
A whistle blows through the air. The match was over, and low clapping from the other viewers greet the winners. She would have clapped too if she wasn’t holding a certain boy’s clothes. Tegwen sighs as she walks out to meet the four. Shoulders low, her stance relax, Tegwen did feel happy for her friends and their skills, but was growing tired of Harmony and Inuwa always winning together. Every single spar they have won together for the last three months. It was getting predictable, and lowering the other soldiers' morale. Some weren’t training as seriously as before. What was the reason when you had to fight these too.
Still, even they did make mistakes just like everyone else. At the beginning, Harmony held her sword too high and if Stoyan had been smart and just aimed for her she would have lost it immediately. If Otieno had gotten back up he could have tackled Inuwa due to him not paying attention to the fallen boy. There were several others as well, but people like the legend of the unbeatable duo. The perfect defense. If anything it was only that, legend.
“Congrats. Though if you don’t quit your winning streak soon, everyone will either challenge you or give up as soon as they are paired up with you two. I doubt Cleon wants to disinfect and clean too many more scratches.” Tegwen jokes, slightly meaning the last part.
“Otieno gave up too easily,” Inuwa explains as he changes back into his human form. Tegwen tosses him his loose clothes so the boy could quickly change.
“You really should wait until you are back in your tent.” Teg points out. Chiding her old friend. She was surprised by how he and Harmony no longer saw the change as a strange thing in camp anymore. He would change almost anywhere now, and his sister no longer would chastise him.
Inuwa shrugs as he buttons his pants. His shirt relaxing over his shoulder. Harmony laughs as Oggy looks away. Stoyan was smiling. Smiling right at Tegwen. Somehow his smile wasn’t bothering her as much as usual.
“You two are literally the perfect team. In all my years and lives I have never seen another better at working together and covering all the bases. It is almost like you can read each other’s minds!” Stoyan exclaims still smiling at Tegwen.
“Thank you, Stoyan. Is your leg okay?” Harmony asks her mother-hen tendencies kicking in.
“Yes it is, but Tegwen would you mind accompanying me to the medical tent? I would hate to fall right over if the pain were to become unbearable along the way.” An excuse, Tegwen knew that, but she also doesn’t care.
“Sure. I have nothing better to do. Oggy you and Stoyan made the same mistake out there. You keep focusing on the one with the weapon when the other guy is just as dangerous.” Tegwen reminds her old friend before giving him a light pat on the back. “But you are getting better. If you two had been against anyone else, I am positive you would have done better.” Tegwen offers him a smile, and a faint one returns it. The only smile Oggy gave out anymore. She would take it. The war had been tough on him, so seeing her friend smiling at all was enough nowadays.
Stoyan bows before offering Tegwen his hand. The young rebel laughs before taking it. No matter what they may say, Tegwen finally felt herself moving on, if only a little. With the unbeatable team at her side, and the rest of her still loyal friends there was no doubt in her mind that they could defeat the prince and Mainio the traitor.
Tegwen, do you think this ship has land travel capability? Because for the life of me, I cannot figure out how the Charr managed to sail it over dry land to reach this area.
They wouldn’t be able to get through from this direction...
