Announcement

**jborgon** · 02-16-2014, 04:53 PM

Ranger looked straight down at Narus, a sly smile on his lips. “It is good to see you too, cousin. It seems acting like the chief is already rubbing off on you,” he spoke, not as coldly as Narus had, but in a very vapid tone nonetheless. While tension was clearly in the air, Ranger put his fist over his heart and bowed, as was Stari custom. “My condolences on your father. I know you don’t trust me, not that we’ve ever gotten along much, but believe me when I say I come in terms of alliance, and peace. I am surprised it took you this long to reach the forest. Rhykim was here yesterday, trying to turn the Council on you.” Ranger shrugged, finally breaking the staring contest and casually looking around the group following Narus. They were less than he expected. “Of course, I jumped in there and fought for you, cousin,” he turned to look at Narus again, “least I could do for someone who is trying to stand up against a tyrannical Rhykim. And while I couldn’t get the Council to endorse your fight, sadly, I at least convinced them not to interfere. And, of course, to allow your and every other Stari’s return to the forest, once the fight is over.” He smiled again, this time with more determination showing on his face. “So you see, I’m on your side, so drop the tough act for a moment while we talk. Shall we?” He waved his hand to the edge of the forest, where they could discuss in privacy from all the other Stari, both Narus’ group and the 20 or so that had joined Ranger as he left the Council’s hut.

**Shadow wing** · 02-16-2014, 05:25 PM

Narus's eyes narrowed to little more than slits as Ranger talked. While he had no doubt that the man could persuade the council to turn down whatever Rhykim's offer was, he had no way of knowing whether or not his cousin would want to do so. Narus cast an eye over Ranger's group. As far as he could tell, they were all Stari, but in service off who? Deciding that he didn't really have another choice, the chief followed Ranger away from the group.

Reaching the edge of the forest, Narus turned on Ranger, his hand on his katana, while he palmed his new knife in the other hand. It wasn't anything special, but it would remain hidden until it was too late for his rival to do anything about it.
“Alright, speak. Why would you help me?” He demanded.

**jborgon** · 02-16-2014, 05:41 PM

Ranger's eyes swiftly scanned Narus' body, noticing how different muscles tensed. He could feel the chief was fearful that Ranger might attack him, or perhaps he was even tempted to attack him without any sort of provocation. Either way, Ranger made no move for his weapons. He was confident this would peacefully, and if it didn't he was skilful enough to jump out of danger in a flash. "Well, Narus, first let me get something straight. I am not, as you put it, helping you. That would both be hypocritical of my person and detrimental to my self-pride. Whatever I've done, and will do in the next few days if things go as planned, is to help the tribe as a whole. The Stari are suffering under this rule, and if we don't do something about it we will die out. Which brings me to my next point," he said, then leaned back on the trunk of a large tree. Although he did not look it, he hadn't slept in a few days and his energy was reaching reserve levels. "Rhykim got people killed, our people, and it was purely due to idiotic strategic methods. I have sworn vengeance and revenge for those of us who died at the hands, not of the enemy, but of our "leaders" and as such, have decided to support your cause, cousin." He didn't know if Narus believed what he said, but if he didn't he at least hoped the reinforcements he had brought with him would make a statement on their own.

**Shadow wing** · 02-19-2014, 01:44 PM

Narus continued to stare at his cousin, his thoughts racing. He had no reason to trust the man, but no reason to doubt him, either. Even if Ranger was telling the truth about helping him, what was his motive? Maybe he was telling the truth about that, as well. Even so, what could Ranger possibly do? He was just leaning against a tree now, and he had hardly ever seemed motivated in the past. And besides, he could easily be lying about wanting to help Narus, but would just stab him in the back later. It wouldn't exactly be above Ranger to betray a person, even his own cousin. However, as chief, he couldn't put the tribe's safety and freedom at risk because of his own distrust.
"Fine, then," The chief finally said. "I will accept your help." Narus hid his knife away.
"But I am warning you, Ranger, If you betray me, or give me reason to think you will..." Narus whipped out his katana and embedded it into the trunk by Ranger's neck, close enough that the man could feel the cold metal. "...I WILL kill you."
Narus turned away and headed back to the rest of the Stari, not sparing his cousin a second glance.

**jborgon** · 02-19-2014, 07:11 PM

Ranger smiled as the katana stabbed right by him. He didn't blink or twitch, simply watched as Narus walked away with the smugness still in his face. "You could always try, cousin. It would do you no good," he spoke in a calm tone, not caring whether the Chief heard him or not. Dara then approached Ranger, noticing his obvious glee despite his tired appearance. Only he could tell when Ranger needed to rest.
"So?"
"So we are now helping this revolution."
"Ah, so the hard part is over. What's your next move?"
"That's simple, winning the revolution."
"And you plan to do that half-asleep? Or are you finally getting some shut-eye?" Ranger sighed, pushing himself off the trunk only to turn around and jump to the lowest branch. He then pulled himself further up until he was almost completely out of sight, hidden by the thick leaves. Dara sighed, or as close to a sigh as a cheetah could get, and settled down by the trunk. He knew Ranger wouldn't be sleeping, as long as danger was a possibility.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-21-2014, 04:14 PM

Nyx smiled as she saw Narus' forces. Less than three score, while she had three hundred behind her. Then she reminded herself these were Stari. Each had a cheetah with it, doubling their numbers. And the Stari were fast fighters. Several were archers, best in the country. She'd lose half her force before getting close, while the cheetahs would further increase their causalities. And that was not even counting the magical abilities. Thank goodness she had thought to supply her soldiers with full armor and get them on horses, as her only advantage would be to get close and use the heavy axes and swords. She just had to hope that the Stari wouldn't disappear into the forest.

**Shadow wing** · 02-21-2014, 06:46 PM

Arrogant son of a…
Narus stormed off, sheathing his katana as he did so. Something about Ranger just rubbed him the wrong away.
Though I suppose he did save me the trouble of trying to reason with those foolish old men. Still, that would have just been one short nuisance, but now I need to watch my back around him. Why does everything have to be so complicated?

The chief stopped and stared at the sky. It was mid-afternoon, and light white clouds had covered the sun. He allowed himself a small smile, remembering when he and Amaya would play for hours together.
Things were so much simpler then. Before Rhykim had to show up, dragging the tribe into this war of his.
Narus’s face hardened again when he thought of the self-proclaimed Ruler of Logata; a bubble of hate growing in his stomach.
Pulling the entirety of our kind into his stupid war, as if it was our fault he wasn’t a king. Destroying lives, slaughtering hundreds, if not thousands, taking the thrown for himself, casting the whole country into chaos, and for what? So he could pretend to be king.
Narus suddenly roared, whipping out his sword, plunging it into the ground, and blasting electricity through it. He knew the earth would dissipate the electricity. Otherwise, he probably would have killed all the Stari who were risking their lives to help him. He stood, gazing balefully at the small group that was standing a short distance away, sharing stories.
Help me to do what? Ranger probably thinks I am trying to take the thrown of Logata for myself, but most likely wants it for himself. The rest of the Stari think I wish to free our kind. I thought all I wanted was to kill Rhykim, but why? To get revenge for his taking Amaya from me? If that were true, why did I attempt to kill her at Falldell?

Narus shook his head in an attempt to clear these thoughts.
”Bloody politics,” He muttered. I’ll just kill the ******* and figure it out from there. Maybe just leave the country and let Ranger figure it out. But would he really be better? Perhaps I should just…” Narus stopped himself. It wouldn’t do to start second-guessing himself. What was done was done and there was nothing he could do about it. He was already considered a criminal by most of Logata, and he doubted he would be able to return to the Stari after all this. Better to just continue going and let Fate take its course

Realizing that he had only gone a few feet, the chief returned his sword to its sheathe and continued walking, surprised his cousin hadn’t heard his earlier outburst. Sighing heavily, Narus cast his gaze around the field. Spotting a dust cloud in the horizon, he stopped suddenly and squinted, trying to make out what it was. Traders? No, not in this part of the country. There was no-one to trade with that wouldn’t try to kill them. That left only one possibility. Rhykim had found them and sent troops to kill them.

Pulling his sword back out, Narus shouted to his cousin as he started to run back to the Stari camp. ”Ranger! We have company! Come on!” Arriving at the camp, Narus was pleased to see that his new troops, if they could be called that, had already spotted the approaching dust and had come to the same conclusion that he had, and now turned to him for commands.
”Archers! Bows loose and prepare to fire at will!” He yelled at the Stari, and was pleased when they immediately followed his instructions. Returning his gaze to the oncoming enemy, Narus noted the size of the army and the speed they were traveling. At least 200, riding on horseback. Cursing, Narus started to formulate a plan.

**jborgon** · 02-21-2014, 09:12 PM

Ranger had been staring at the cloud with few thoughts on his mind. He wasn't sure what helping Narus would accomplish if they didn't win. He didn't want Logata's rule if they won, but if they lost what then? With both him and his cousin killed, their bloodline would be severed as neither had any children. The Stari would have to find a new chief, if Rhykim didn't take revenge on the rebellion by squashing them to nothing first. With that thought, he noticed something strange. The tree was vibrating, though no one was hitting it from below or Dara would have called out to him. He began looking for the source just as Narus called out to him about company. He saw them alright, riding towards them from not too far away. He gritted his teeth, but a smile spread across his face. Show time.
However, it quickly was erased when his keen eyes adjusted and, even from such a distance, he could identify who was leading the charge. Nyx. It felt like a blow to the chest, but he drew his bow anyway. If he was forced to fight her, despite what they'd gone through before, he wouldn't hesitate. Not when so much was at stake. From atop the tree he aimed at the sky, and while Narus had yet to give the order he fired. It wasn't an attacking shot. He used his mind to control the arrows and guide it as it whistled across the sky. It landed hard on the ground, impaled, several feet away from Nyx, enough so that she could clearly see it before the horses trampled over it.
A warning shot wouldn't be enough to stop them, not now at least, but it eased Ranger's mind to know he had tried. He nocked another arrow, this time ready to kill whatever mark he lay eyes on. All the emotion had left his face, replaced by a focused grim look. He felt odd having to wait for Narus to give the order, being the Field Commander where he had always given the orders in battle, but he felt he owed his cousin at least that much. He waited, and knew he wouldn't miss.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 02-23-2014, 06:48 AM

Nyx noticed immediately that the Stari were forming up. An arrow whistled towards them, although it fell miserably short. Her forces were too far, yet. That would change soon, though, as her forces thundered towards the Stari. "Those of you with shields, hold them up! Stari are archers, and if you give them an opening, they will use it!" She had told them before, but they still needed the reminder. "Get as close as you can and use your height to your advantage! They will be lightly armored if at all, so use your strength to cut them down! Your horses have been battle trained, use that against the cheetahs!" Lightning crackled at her fingers tips as she summoned it, preparing to use every ounce of her strength to shield her forces and destroy her enemy.
Yet every step that brought them close filled her with regret. Why did she have to fight the Stari? Why couldn't they have simply left Rhykim? They would have been left alone, why did they feel the need to lash out at him? She understood some of them, including Ranger, believed he was responsible for their failure at Ironlynne, and the deaths of many Stari. But that had been her fault, not his. She had been the commander, the one who gave the order. They should lay the blame on her, where it belonged. She gritted her teeth. "Let my blood satisfy them," she growled. She might not have her sister's blood crazed lust for battle, but she couldn't deny that she was eager for the coming one.

**Shadow wing** · 02-25-2014, 02:47 PM

Keeping a solid eye on the oncoming army and judging it's distance from his force, Narus took a quick moment to check the weather. Cool, and a slight bit humid. Perfect. Snapping his attention back to where it was needed, the chief formulated his plan while timing the speed of the horses. When he thought they were just out of range, he gave the order.
"Fire at those in front! Their bodies will slow those behind them!" He shouted to the Stari, and they immediately obeyed, sending a storm of arrows at the enemy. Just as he was about to turn away, Narus noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Several blasts of electricity shot at least half the arrows out of the air.
Nyx, Narus thought angrily, gritting his teeth. Of course Rhykim would send her. She was his best tactician, and the perfect counter to his own electricity. Well, not the perfect match, Narus thought with satisfaction.
"Stand your ground and keep firing!" He ordered, and moved off among the Stari, looking for one in particular: the woman who made the campfire each night. She was pyro kinetic, and would be perfect for what he had planned. As he ran, Narus formed a ball of electric energy in his hand, and quickly fired it in a bolt at Nyx's soldiers. The metal armor and weapons they wore would attract the deadly energy, causing it to split and aim for at least a dozen of the riders. Even Nyx couldn't stop all of them, and it would divert her attention from the rain of death coming from the archers.

Finally spotting the woman he was looking for, the chief ran over and grabbed her shoulder. She turned to him, startled.
"I want you to create as big a fire as you can between us and them," He shouted to her, gesturing at the oncoming threat. She nodded and started to build a fire in her hands. "And are there any among you who can control water?" Confused, she nodded, and pointed to a young boy who had just fired another arrow. ""He has some ability, but not much," She answered. Narus nodded and immediately ran off, firing another bolt in Nyx's general direction.

Reaching the boy, Narus quickly caught his attention. "Chieftain," He said, nodding with respect, though paying more attention to his bow then his chief. "Do you have a plan?"
"I do, but I will need your help," Narus shouted, firing another bolt while sizing up the Stari in front of him. The boy was only around twenty, and would definitely not be at Amaya's level, but would hopefully be enough for what he had in mind. The boy had eagerly sheathed his bow and was standing to attention, though nervous sweat dripped from his brow. "Anything you need Cheiftain, I am yours to command." Narus nodded, starting to get a little nervous himself.
I need you to do anything in your power to create a storm cloud with the water in the air. The boy's face faltered a little, but he nodded understanding and started to concentrate.

Turning his full attention back to Nyx's army, Narus sent a number of blasts at them, and was pleased to see the fire he had ordered earlier was now a raging inferno. The enemy would be forced to go around it, but it also served another purpose. If spending countless hours with Amaya had taught him anything, it was everything there was to know about the natural workings of water. The extreme heat from the fire would cause the water in the air to heat up and rise, were it would condense and turn back into water, falling to the earth and rain. The efforts of the boy from a moment ago would help. Not only would the rain turn the ground into mud, making horseback treacherous, and no storm would be complete without a little lightning. Sure enough, the sky was starting to darken and a small drop of water landed on Narus's cheek. A demonic grin alighted on Narus's thoughts as he went over his plan. Nyx may have had horses, better armor, numbers, and the element of surprise, but Narus had the Stari, the most powerful race in all of Logata. That being said, they would not last long once the riders got around the fire, so they would have to retreat into the forest.

Confident of their victory, Narus turned to the Stari "Retreat to the forest! We will defeat these fools in on our terms, in our home field!" He shouted, glancing at the sky. The clouds above were getting very dark, heavy with the water within them. Smirking, The chief of the Stari joined his men in their retreat.

**jborgon** · 02-25-2014, 07:40 PM

Ranger watched from the tree the entirety of the battle field. As the oncoming storm rode closer towards them, Narus got the Stari to work in some kind of defense mechanism. It was a creative plan, he had to give him that, but it would only slow down the army so much. As the Stari took note of his latest command and began retreating to the forest, he kept aiming at the army. Arrow after arrow he released into the air, and using his power he focused on having them fly low enough to catch on fire before shooting off straight at the small spots where the armor didn't protect the Logatans. Every single arrow hit its mark, but strangely none of them seemed to fly even close to Nyx. He could feel the battle beginning to boil as anger flared among the Logatans that reached the fire and began circumnavigating it.
As he focused on the attackers, he could hear Dara calling out to him from the bottom of the tree. He didn't understand what he was saying, too many yells around him to focus on one sound, but he could tell that Dara was issuing some kind of warning. He didn't know what it could possibly be, but as another arrow whistled away from his bow, his eyes danced over Nyx and he felt a sense of urgency. Something was bound to happen soon, and it could very well work against the Stari.

**HyrulianBlackcat** · 03-01-2014, 06:14 AM

Nyx did her best to redirect Narus' lightning, but he apparently gained some skill since she had last seen him. She lost many men and horses to his electricity, while his archers carefully cut into the others. He was using every advantage he could, even managing to summon a little storm to churn up the earth so that her cavalry would have to slow its pace or risk going down, and created a bonfire that she'd have to go around to get her enemy. "Well played, Narus," she muttered as he called for a retreat into the forest. Stari had always been respected and feared, even when they had disappeared as myths, and he was demonstrating why. Now she'd have to work hard to keep from discovering defeat at his hands. She couldn't follow him into the forest, her men would be slaughtered. "Pull back!" she yelled. "Keep out of the forest! Stay out of arrowshot and wait for my command." She wouldn't have long, but that would at least give her a few moments to figure something out.

(J, if you want to take over her so that everything goes as you plan, go right ahead.

)

**jborgon** · 03-02-2014, 03:38 AM

"They're stopping!" Ranger called out to the Stari below, most of which had now successfully retreated into the forest. He didn't know what his cousin was planning next, but he didn't stop raining down on the enemy. He fired two more shots, then nocked three arrows at the same time. His powers had grown stronger over the last few months, so he was able to direct each of the three arrows to three different targets, one of which fell from his horse right next to Nyx.
She muttered under her breath as she looked towards him. She had been purposely ignoring his presence until this moment, but since now most of the Stari's aim was obstructed by trees, he was the only real threat until they got closer to them. Cursing him for having changed sides in his mind, she charged up a blast of electricity and aimed it straight for him. He had just released another arrow, which was destroyed by the energy of the incoming bolt. He barely had time to react before it hit, his balance completely shattered. He tried to hold on but the top of the branch he had been standing on caught fire and he came crashing down.
Dara was there instantly, making sure Ranger was okay. He, in turn, pushed himself off the ground and raged at the wind. She had made this personal, and now it was between him and her only. He began heading further way from the trees, straight for the fire that separated them. She, accordingly, ordered no soldier to fire upon him.

**Shadow wing** · 03-03-2014, 03:43 PM

Narus looked at the soldiers from within the forest. They were just standing there.
Smart, Nyx, but you will never win if you don't attack. Narus slashed his hand through the air, almost contemptuously. Following the movement, an arc of electricity ran through the troops, seriously injuring a number of them. However, at the same time, Nyx shot her own blast at Ranger that he was not able to stop in time. His cousin fell from the tree he had been standing on and crashed to the ground. Narus quickly ran toward him, but stopped when he saw the man rising.
He'll live, but Nyx just made this personal for him. The Chief smiled coldly as Ranger made his way out of the forest This ought to be interesting. He is being forced to fight his love. He caught his cousin's eye and nodded.
"Nobody fire!" He yelled at the Stari who had their bows drawn. "Ranger wishes to settle this himself." Narus started to follow him , but stopped when he noticed the rain. It was pouring down now, the sky as dark as night. He looked up, ignoring the water splashing on his face and smiled again.
Any moment now...

As if on cue, the cloud light up, followed by a low rumbling. His smile widening, Narus drew both of his blades, pointing the sword at the cloud and the katana at the waiting troops, waiting.
He didn't have to wait long. The Chief felt it before he heard it. A massive bolt electricity flared inside the cloud, slamming down onto the waiting sword. Narus took the energy, aimed with his katana, and guided the bolt at the troops, releasing the full power of the element he had mastered.
The bolt screamed across the distance in a fraction of a heartbeat, slamming into the army, scorching at least thirty of them and their horses into blackened char. Narus almost laughed. That had taken little more effort then throwing a stone. Then again, he had only been guiding the energy, not generating it. Narus turned his attention back to Nyx and Ranger, resting his blades in the dirt as he did so.
Well, let's just see what havoc they wreak.

Announcement

Start the Revolution

Start the Revolution

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment