War of Dragons 2: Return to Seeker's Landing

It has been a long journey. Days have past since the team left for the Land of Dragons - the Palace Lands. Their small little 'fleet' of three ships have been on approach for a while, then moved westwards a bit in order to avoid directly approaching Seeker's Landing from an angle they could easily be spotted at. It meant a longer journey. But also a safer journey.

A few of the Adventurers and Landers were dropped off to the West of Seeker's Landing, in order to enable their own approach to the Palace Land secured outpost. There's a single ship nearby, but it's a small one. Either they are not expecting immediate retaliation, or this outpost is not as important to them as it is to the Yamatoans.

Whatever the case may be, it is night now now. Enough clouds above that even the moon is not easily illuminating their ship. It approaches slowly, quietly. And soon, sending landing boats out towards Seeker's Landing at the beaches just to the south of it.

It is critical that some assault the beach, while others move across land to deal with the Seeker's Landing base. A split attack will ensure far better margins of victory.

---

From the beach, they can see a patrol moving across the beach. A group of Thor Kingdom Pooka wielding bows. Their approach is certain to be noticed. But they can still get the first go at them before the Pooka can pull their bows on them.

On the ground - near the gates - Mikage leads a rather unusual assault.

The Yamato Adventurers know Seeker's Landing better than most, having built it from literally the ground up. Mikage had been working out plans to retake the settlement since the earliest parts of the war, and they are finally able to set them into motion.

A number of individuals who are skilled with monsters and animals have hidden themselves in the forest along with a menagerie of various creatures that have been tamed or controlled in the area around Seeker's Landing. Mikage is among them, having hidden herself within the shadows, perched atop a rock with her hood up, Rama just beneath her on the ground.

She's been acting strange lately, in that 'strange mood' sort of way, focusing on stealth and counter-intelligence throughout their lead up to this attack. Even now, she seems to be making use of some unusual abilities to keep herself mostly in the shadows.

At just the right moment, though, she gives a sound that seems like a bird call. It is a signal. One that will draw those who are wielding mounts, beasts, and monsters to break their stealth and strike at the front gates of the fort.

"Remember folks, keep moving!" Kaydon is giving some last minute advice to the soldiers and Adventurers in the longboat with him, standing and already having his gunblade drawn.

He knows standing makes him an easier target, but that's what he wants. If the Palace Landers focus on the beach assault, and on him specifically, he knows it'll help when the forest party comes swooping in.

"Don't get bogged down, get to the first rally point no matter who you have to push through!" He then prepares himself, tesnsing his legs for the moment they hit sand, he'll leap out, hitting the water and pushing himself to shore. His target is those archers, because if he brings them down, then they'll be unable to rain arrows down on the second wave. By the time he clears the water and can move fully, they're already starting to nock arrows, so he lashes out at them with the gunblade, swinging in a wide arc to try to hit the group in front of him.

Yeowang is with the party assaulting directly from the sea, and by as much craft as she is able to muster, the boat has approached by as much stealth as possible. She, too, is hidden, her hood pulled up to hide the mane of blonde hair, a scarf concealing the skin of her face, so there is almost nothing exposed but the ice of her eyes as we pull up to the beach in the pitch dark night. They won't close the final meters until the monsters attack, so that the enemy will with any luck be looking the wrong way and we can take them from behind. It's not a requirement, of course. Simply an objective.

So, she waits for those with monsters captured to start the show, creating a ruckus, then will appear like a deeper shadow behind one of the beach guards. Her leg comes up, and then down sharply like an executioner's axe on the poor guard, lopping off HP in lieu of limbs, like a guillotine from the darkness.

She nods to Kaydon about not getting bogged down, using hard punches and kicks to dispose of the beach guards as quickly as she can. The element of surprise only lasts so long, but hopefully the two-pronged attack will confuse the defenders and give them a bit of edge.

    Rizadoman stands among the crowd of animals, in some ways he blends in fact, one giant two legged lizard monster mixed in with the others. The trip over had not been great, in fact he remembers hearing about some sort of warning past down through their tribe about exposing ones self to extreme cold. They say most of your brain shuts down in such cases. All but the primitive side, the monster side and it has been extremely cold.

     When the call goes out the lizardman lets out a loud roar helping to drive the creatures around him towards the gate and the poor saps who were left to guard it. The claws and teeth are numerous and Rizadoman only adds to the count as he leaps towards one of the guards and attempts to chomp them, aiming to draw blood to only further inspire the 'troops'.

Shiruba has been there both to help round up animals to use, and to keep an eye on Mikage. But for once a Strange Mood seems to align with what the mission is attempting so other than being a good friend to make sure Mikage hasn't completely neglected herself (it would be a bad time to have stealthiness ruined by stinky lack of washing) she's been able to focus mostly on prepping for their peculiar assault.

Since they were moving in during the evening, they had to be sure to gather what was appropriate for a nocturnal battle, silently and deadly.

So when Mikage gives the call to charge, it is joined by catowls and foxbats (which in the Palace Lands are actual fox-bat combos and not just a clever name), and of course the rat-seagulls that seem to infest the region. As well as her own peregrine which stands out by not being such a combo.

Not that the enemy will get long to consider that as the falcon swoops in, releasing the Lightning magic she had been charged with in a crackling disruptive discharge towards the guards of the gates to farther disorient them in the face of the oncoming assault of Mother Nature's finest and fiercest. While Shiruba hangs back as she usually does, as her ranged focused combat is best dealt from the tactical position behind the front lines.

A single birdcall.

That is all it takes to initiate the chaos that follows within the camp proper.

Mikage is well hidden from sight as powerful beasts and monsters suddenly break stealth and move to the gates of the fortified location. Multiple wooden walls had been erected during the time the Yamatoans had been gone. But those walls are nothing compared to the power of some of the Monkapes and other dire monsters that assault it.

Wood splinters, as squawks of confusion airs from the side of the Palace Landers. After all, amongst them, Monster handlers are rare. And the monsters in this particular region are still really high level. Enough so that even people on the Yamato side are having trouble controlling them!

Still, they tear through. One of the Monkapes grabs hold of a nearby Pooka and slams it into a nearby wall, shattering them into light.

Catowls and Foxbats then descend from above like a small infestation, alongside ratgulls, swooping in as Shiruba's falcon leads the way. Striking lightning into the camp.

----

Keep moving! Kaydon demands, sending soldiers across the beach. Rushing the Pooka at the front of the fort. The Archers spot them, and quickly start tring to nock some arrows. But before they get a proper chance to retaliate, Kaydon is already upon them. The wide arcing Gunblade cuts straight through the Lander before they get a chance to defend themselves, tearing them into shattering light!

The other Pooka in the area look at Kaydon with surprised looks on their faces. And in that moment, Yeowang gets in there. Leg coming out, tearing a guard apart in a similar shine of light and then going straight for another. Indeed, the element of surprise only lasts so long. But they're taking down Palace Landers left and right!

One of the Pooka recovers, about to fire an arrow right for Yeowang's head, when a crocodile~I mean~lizardman drops his jaws around that arm. The arrow flings awkwardly from the bow and the string snaps, as Rizadoman tears their arm off, followed by cutting strikes that rip apart their body into further light!

----

On the beach, the Pooka finally seem to recover a bit. A twosome of them retreating towards a third. And before Rizadoman knows it, an arrow flies almost unerringly at him. Lightning crackling around it right before it gets close enough to electrify the Were Fang.

Next, the two alongside that third person aim their arrows up, a light forming against their arrows, before they release a single arrow. But by the time it arcs and comes downwards, they split into many arrows of light, descending upon them like lightning strikes!

Rizadoman recognizes the guard at the beach trying to keep them at bay. Filimøs Harrifenas.

Within the camp, a surprised group of Pooka step out. Each drawing blades. They are not prepared to deal with the far higher level monsters of the region -- there's a reason that gate is there. But they're going to try their best.

A group of them opening fire with multiple volleys of arrows. While a small group of more elite Pooka rush to the front, wielding blades that ignite, taking up the front and trying to strike into the groundborn beasts and monsters! Aiming to lower their health. And with that - the masters that control them!

As the monsters begin to batter into the walls, driven by the Yamato attackers, Mikage is all quiet feet and quick movement. She's barefoot, using a rope to scale to the top of the wall and peer down like the monster she just so happens to be. No one knows that, of course. Perched there, she is a silhouette against the night sky.

The next moment, she drops down, Rama bounding down next to her, the pair all but hidden in shadows so that even as the enemy moves to counter attack, they can't even find the two amidst the multiple shadowy hiding places. Must. Stay. Hidden.

So much so, that it isn't Mikage who eventually leaps towards one of the armed Pooka, but Rama and a group of other lower-level animal creatures. The feline is leading the charge, snow and ice crackling at his paws as the lynx leaps at one of the Palace Land defenders.

As for Mikage? She is darkness. She is shadow. She is night. The cloaked figure is nowhere to be seen other than a few glimpses of someone moving between the buildings.

Yeowang nods a thanks to Rizadoman for taking down the archer that was about to shoot her, and she joins Kaydon and Riza in assaulting the beach guards brutally. She leans aside from their counterattacks in a calculated and minimalist way, and the blade comes by close enough to slice her cloak - her fine-tuned defenses play it very close to the edge sometimes.

In close, it's no time for half-measures, and she delivers punches with both arms simultaneously, sometimes drawing back, sometimes punching from full extension for the extra surprise. Those hits tend to strike more often then the slower ones that are telegraphed, but contain all the fistfighting goodness of a haymaker. Fists and feet swinging left and right, she's in the middle of the melee and fighting hard to end it as quickly as she can.

    Does Rizadoman spit the arm out? Surely the action was just missed in the heat of battle, who would go out of their way to find finger food in the middle of battle right? Right. The arrow coming in and hitting him does get his attention, the electrical charge following the path of his scales reacting and shifting to their draconic form guiding the dangers of the electricity to the ground beneath him. The lizardman lets out a deep growl as he speaks the name, "Fiiilllliiiimøøøøssss."

     Drawing his shield from his back , Rizadoman's eyes have locked on to the archer and those around him seem to fade into the background as he begins to charge the Pooka of Thor Kingdom. Once in throwing range Rizadoman throws his shield towards Filimøs while continuing to charge forward to close the distance. Finally as the gap narrows he speaks, " So good to see you today. Your arrows have gotten dull. "

Archers come out and start shooting, but the flying fauna prove to be very fast and agile targets. Simply being able to move quickly and at angles people use to fighting on the ground have a tough time dealing with makes them hard to pin down. They often scatter in one direction, only to come diving back from another to strike, be it by biting or talons or even just pumelling with their wings. Instead of herself Shiruba shares one of her fire auras with Windburn to give the peregrin some additional defense as she leads the aerial assault.

That gives Shiruba some breathing room to turn her focus elsewhere. Like one of the larger beasts and monsters essentially serving as Tanks for the fight. Meaning they're also going to be the biggest drain on their handlers if they start taking too much damage. Her eyes narrow, ears canted forward as those of a wolf on the hunt tend to do, as she takes aim. But it isn't her longbow she draws back on. She's an expert in Ranged combat after all, which isn't limited to archery.

Shiruba pulls her throwing glaive from her belt and hurtles it. It cuts through the air with precision to ricochete between several of the swordwielders moving to harass the large creatures and drive them back, before boomeranging back into her hand.

Kaydon's clashing blade runs up against the archers, but he quickly changes targets as he gets hit by an arrow in the side, the shot managing to find a good gap in his armor and making him yelp out in pain.

Kaydon rushes towards the archer that shot him, barking and howling like an animal as he chases after the Pooka. Sure he's probably not focusing on the objective while he's terrorizing that poor archer, but it IS making him feel better about the arrow sticking out of his side.

She is darkness. She is shadow. And she is directing animals to do her bidding.

Deftly, the creatures rush around the blazing blades that cut towards them. With the lynx leading the charge, leaving adorable frosty crystals of land in its way, right before leaping at one of the defenders. Catching them to the chest and freezing them like a popsicle.

Around it, a few other primate-type animals grapple hold of the Landers. Some of them even managing to wrest the flaming blades from their hands, and stabbing them with them. Because these animals are clearly smart enough to use tools like 'pointy stick'!

Above them, Shiruba's mass of creatures shift through the air, following the flow of the wind. Avoiding any sharp pointy stick projectiles from hitting them. Swaying and swooping between each attack, until Shiruba draws them back on the attack!

A glaive flashes through the air, cutting along a swordwielder's neck. Red light splashes from them, before they shatter, right before the weapon embeds itself into someone else... only for it to practically 'magically' be drawn back towards Shiruba, cutting past someone's shoulder on the way back.

Cries call out from the camp as the assault continues.

On the beach however, things are not going quite as cleanly. Certainly, Yeowang manages to get in closer. But when she reaches towards Filimøs, her two companions interfere. One of them struck fiercely in the chest by Yeowang's haymaker. But when she tries to continue the charge, Filimøs snags the loop of the bow around her leg during a kick, and actually unbalances her.

Rizadoman cries out her name, and she wryly looks at him. Once upon a time, they walked that very camp behind her together like allies. Only for the Palace Lands to betray the Yamatoans trust. For Filimøs to betray Rizadoman's trust. She has not forgotten her former compatriot.

But that doesn't mean she will take it easy on him. As his shield is throw towards her, she catches it within her hand, and then sends it right back towards him, followed by quickly snapping a bow-shot after it, angling it off of the top of the shield to deflect towards his face.

"Rizadoman." She cooly answers him as she retreats across the beach while he's charging her. "And your insults have not gained an bit of sharpness."

Kaydon rushes the other Archer that was still on the beach, but Filimøs interferes. Sending a arrow straight for his position and causing it to detonate with fire right before him, causing Kaydon to be blown back.

Filimøs continues to move to retreat, while pelting the people on the beach. Trying to get more distance between them. The few remaining Pooka on staff moving forward to interfere with any approaches, drawing blades. All while Filimøs's arrows starts firing into the air. Zap after zap sharply rushing for the air. The dark clouds above beginning to thunder...

Until suddenly, CLAP! A fierce jolt of lightning TEARS down from the skies for her enemies, raining down towards Rizadoman, Kaydon and Yeowang. Sharp bursts of lightning tearing to the ground with each arrow that lands from high up in the sky! Glassing the sands!

Even from the camp, the lightning is visible. However, it's just distant enough that it doesn't get to their animal companions. But some of the Monsters freak out enough to pull from the bindings of their controllers and start to retreat as fear overwhelms them at the sight of such a powerful ability being used.

This gives the Landers a momentary burst of inspiration, sending 'waves' of fire right for the remaining animals in the air and on land. One of them trying to throw his blade down through the Lynx, while another Pooka manages to get around to Shiruba's position and tries to stab her through the chest after performing some unusual athletics around her.

It's impossible not to notice the lightning that rips across the sky. It even, momentarily, reveals Mikage from her place of hiding, showing across her features before she ducks beneath the cover of one of the storage buildings. She quickly taps one of her earrings, bringing up the mini map of the battle, trying to guage what might be going on. However, she only gives it a quick glance, making sure to remain out of sight.

Rama, too, manages to be elusive, flickering out of sight briefly when a blade comes too close to the feline's form. He lets out a yowl, not of pain but of challenge as, at last, his companion comes out from the shadows and raises her bow skyward. If the Palace Landers want to show off the power of their elements, then Mikage will answer.

As the arrow flies skyward, it explodes into a flurry of storm force over the camp, giving one heck of a distracting light show before descending down upon the Palace Land forces, beating them with hail, freezing rain, and strong winds as lightning answers for lightning, this time wielded by the Yamato Adventurers.  

Yeowang attacks furiously, but the exchange of blows in a melee thick with enemies and allies his not her accustomed style. She's used to one on one tournaments, and the effort of keeping an eye on everything leads to her being unbalanced when the bow hooks her ankle. She gets her balance back by taking a step back, but then Filimas has backed away also, and there's magic going on. She frowns. It's a blind spot with her, she just can't come to grips with it in any sort of reliable way.

She attempts to adopt a defensive stance, concentrating her awareness on the position of herself and her attackers and imagining each of the strikes they can make and ... "Ack!" she shouts ass the lightning tendrils caress her savagely. She completely failed to imagine magical lightning.

Now wound up and with ire in her expression, she takes a deep breath, then charges at Filimos, her legs sweeping around as she leaps through the air to land a flying roundhouse kick that would make Chuck Norris happy square in the hitbox. She mad!

    Spinning as the returned shield approaches his face, Rizadmon manages to move with the shield's motion to retrieve it in air and re-equip it, all in one smooth motion. Something that could only happen in a world where the physics weren't simulated 100% accurately. Sliding to a stop as Filimos claps back and the bolt of lightning drops from the sky, Rizadoman raises his shield to meet the lighting. As the smoke and stirred up sand settled, there stands Rizadoman shield over his head and his feet buried to his ankles in the sand. "I am not the same person you took the eye of Filimos, you are going to have to try harder."

     Rizadoman's shield splits in to two as he pulls himself from the sand resumes his pursuit. No longer is he making a direct approach though, instead he is moving from enemy to enemy slashing them as he passes. Is it enough to kill any of them by itself, perhaps not but it will hopefully be enough to reduce their target to a mere lone spell fletcher.

Shiruba takes no joy in people dying, Lander or Adventurer... But has slowly come to terms with the matter that it's unavoidable at times. Landers are too devote to their leaders, Adventurers controlled by those damn crowns. The only way to end this for good is to find the source of those crowns, pushing the leaders to pursue this deadly path.

And to do that, they need their staging ground back under their control.

Still, she grimaces. "Let them retreat!" she calls as monsters start to turn at the thunderous chaos from down the beach. "Focus on pushing with what we still have!" A better expenditure of time and resources, in hopes they can wrap this up soon.

But the wolfgirl is not entirely focused on the beasts fighting. She sees the elaborate movement out of the corner of her eye, and moves to sidestep. A little too late to avoid the plunging strike, but enough that it slices a gouge of red across her side, painfully, rather than sink deep into her gut. Still she snarls in pain as she staggers back from the one that struck her. "You're going to regret that..." She snaps up her magic longbow, firing the one arrow that's already nocked in it.

One arrow... that releases the searing fury of multiple lightning strikes directly into what it hits. Hopefully it being a more focused attack with keep from farther spooking their wilderness squads.

Kaydon isn't paying attention, and the bomb tipped arrow goes off in his face, sending him flying backwards and sprawling in the sand. Dazed from the blast, it takes him far longer than he'd like to actually get back up onto his feet. Growling and with his health dropping from the shot, he changes his focus to the new shooter.

The bladesmith rushes forward with his gunblade, trying to rapidly cross the distance between himself and the Palace Lander. The gunblade comes up in an upward arc, sending a wave of flame with the strike. Kaydon thinks he can cut down the archer, or at the very least damage the bow. That should allow him to finish them off before this fight gets more out of hand.

Elements are answered with Elements. As Filimøs calls down heaven's fury, Mikage answers them with the sheer cold of winter. The hail, rain, and terribly lightning she brings herself raining upon the camp. Pooka's blades being silenced by the fierce elements, only enhanced within these winter days!

Within the cold of Mikage's magic, Shiruba snaps her arrow right for the Pooka's body. Unleashing lightningstrikes that pull from Mikage's magic. Drawing nature, while enhancing Mikage's magic in turn thanks to Shiruba's own mana reserves. The two are a ruthless combination. And their magics when worked together are no less frightning. The Pooka's bones practically show as he's flashing with jolt after jolt in an almost comical way, before shattering into light. The two of them dispatching the last remaining Camp guards!

On the beach, Yeowang is momentarily left behind as lightning rains upon her position. Devastating magics working up her ire further and further with each tear of electric power.

Yeowang then flying roundhouse kicks right for those guards, breaking through! Shattering one of them with her attack, and creating a road for the others to push through!

"If I wanted to slay you, I wouldn't be running. Adventurers are better caught, if I wanted to permanently deal with you." The fletcher calls back to Rizadoman, as the last of her guards are slain. "The situation in the Palace Lands has changed." She adds, as Rizadoman serves to be the one to slay that last ally of hers, causing her to grimace for a moment.

He can see her grab for something in her pouch though. A red cracked gem that should look familiar to the elites of the New World Alliance. A Dungeon Heart's shard.

Kaydon passes by Rizadoman and Yeowang, swiping his blade in that uwpard arc. The flames searing across the woman's body. She lets out a squawk of pain for a moment, before the crystal in her hand shatters, and she is suddenly teleported out!

Leaving the Yamatoans the only ones remaining at Seeker's Landing. Able to reclaim their lost beach-head. While the vessels of Fourland approach the Seeker's Landing, ready to protect it from any and all naval assaults.

    "Oh no you don't!" Rizadoman shouts as he throws his blade to try and hit the crystal but it is to late. Walking up to where she was he retrieves his blade and reforms his shield. "Good job Kaydon, at least she did not go home unharmed." Reaching up he speaks over the chim, "Beach is secure, however the princess of Thor Kingdom escaped. Thor Kingdom will know what happened within minutes." Rizadoman frowns as he looks over at Yeowang and Kaydon, "We should move to help secure the remaining structures and get the ship secure, perhaps even ready to go. " With that said he moves towards the buildings of Seeker landing.

"Fan out, search the buildings and the farms. We need to root out anyone that hasn't fled." Mikage's voice comes from beneath her hood as she steps out, an almost anxious look in her wide eyes. With her recent, almost obsessive attempts at progressing her stealth skills, it's likely that she isn't fond of being out in the open. "We need to get an inventory, find out what we've got on hand and secure walls."

Rama yowls, possibly having tracked something of interest, which has Mikage flickering back into the shadows utilizing a mist that is remarkably similar to that used by some of the undead in Ninetails dominion. It is technique she must have learned from them over time.

"I'll make sure anyone who is running, stays running." Mikage's voice comes over the raid chimlink, the combat cooldown still preventing regular communication. The Oracle isn't about to go using her unusual power in such a dangerous situation.

There is a flash of her cloak up on the walls, and then the Ranger is gone again, back into the shadows. Daring Adventurer of mystery, Mikage owns the night.

With the Palace Landers gone, the first thing Yeowang wants to do is check and see who's injured and may need healing. Apart from herself. She nods to Rizadoman, and replies, "Signal the ship to tie up for now, in case we need to move anything on or off. If they come for us, it won't be so quickly we can't get a little done."

She will look through the Landing itself to verify its material condition and search for any boony traps or stragglers they might have left behind. "Not quite secured yet," she says over chim. She's not counting her chickens until they're fully hatched.

Kaydon yells in frustration as his follow up attack hits nothing but air where the princess had been. If he'd been a moment faster, their arrival would still be secret. He'll curse his timing later.

"We need to get the ship unloaded and get the defenses set up. I expect the nearest forces from their army will be on their way for a counterattack within the hour." He finally remembers to pull the arrow out of his side, grunting in pain as he does so. Eventually he gets a healer to take a look at him. Once the adrenaline wears off.

Shiruba nods in agreement as Mikage orders people to search the grounds... and then pulls a Batman before anyone can say anything else. So just shakes her head a bit. "I hope Cyrus comes to keep an eye on her." She pulls a signal arrow from her quiver, draws it in her bow, and then leans back to fire it into the air over the camp. It bursts into fiery light in the air, but rather than just flame it blazes in a specific pattern of colors before fizzling out. Something the enemy wouldn't know and wouldn't be able to replicate to lure the fleet into an ambush.

Still, it will take a bit for the ships to get close enough to be unloaded. "I'll inspect the walls and defenses." Now that she has the skills in woodcraft to do so. "We may be able to even repair or reuse some of the ones they added. Nothing goes to waste."