Viewing the Troops

[Vidar]

Vidar was displeased.

Once, there had been a golden age for Avaren. The nation had been mighty and pure, a nation he had helped to lead at the side of his queen. Where was that nation now? It seemed the history of Avaren from that point had been one of constant decline. Those of true faith were becoming fewer and farther between as more mages invaded his culture.

Now Avaren had overcrowding and an unstable set of rulers, most of whom were mages! What Avaren needed wasn't an expanded bureaucracy, full of robed cowards who spent their days with petty political schemes. Avaren needed strength! They needed unity. They needed someone like Rianne to return and take the reigns of power.

Here, in these barracks was one of the last bastions of military might in Avaren, where one could rise in prestige through honest labor, hard work and dedication. Unlike those mages, who made twisted promises with dark entities for a quick path to power, the warriors of Avaren were the ones truly deserving to rule.

Clearly, those who preferred to live by the sword instead of the wand would prevail. Those who relied on witchcraft had proven that it was a path that only ended with your city being destroyed.

[Rith Matou]

Rith was most pleased.

Truly this was a Golden Age for Avaren. The nation once again was mighty and pure. Clearly that mad, prejudice Despot and the damage she had done were long gone. Sure, there were probably her supporters somewhere about the city. Rianne herself might even be underneath some rock somewhere mincing her hands and grumbling revenge.

Now that there were people both Magical and Mundane in the Ruling Council, everyone's voice can be heard for the first time in a while. Regardless, it was just good to see people of all walks of life coexisting again. Avaren had strength. It had unity. Though, he still couldn't help but wonder, and perhaps worry a bit, over what became of Richard Pendergast, the King from long ago.

Rith watched on as the warriors in the barracks trained and honed their own skills. It clearly took hard work, study, and determination. Not unlike a Mage's training to command their magical talents. It was quite the spectacle to observe. Something to respect. Rith himself carried a Scimitar for when things got tight and had no access to his magic. Given to him as a sort or graduation gift from a Conclave of Archdruids from the far west he had studied under for a few years. He had an understanding of the blade, but was not that skilled at it. Perhaps one of these fine swordsmen would be willing to give lessons someday? Would certainly be an interesting experience for Rith to be sure.

[Vidar]

There was another man watching the warriors train. This one struck an odd chord with Vidar. He felt that he knew this man, yet he couldn't place why. The man couldn't have fought at his side, or Vidar would have remembered his name. Something in Vidar's mind told him that he also couldn't simply dismiss this familiarity as mere chance.

Wait, Vidar did know this man. He remembered him from years ago, during the reign of Rianne. It had been Vidar who had listened to his mad rantings about magic being used for good. Vidar had sentenced him, along with several other mages and their warrior minion, who now served as part of the ruling council. What was the heretic doing here, of all places?

Drawing his sword, he pointed it at Rith from across the room. "You!" He shouted, "Who I condemned long ago, only to have you flee with your sinful companions before your righteous punishment could be dealt! This is no place for your foul kind to lurk, for this is a place of those of faith and true skill, not for those who make pacts with demons! Begone, or I shall remove you myself!"

Here in the barracks, more than any other location in the city, was the place Vidar was most likely to find sympathy for his views.

[Rith Matou]

Rith's ears perked up at the sound of familiar condemning words. Rith turned to see a sword wielding man pointing fingers at him and making ridiculous claims as if he had some sort of clout of power in somewhere other than the depths of his addled mind. Rith leaned up over the fence post he was resting against and squinted at the man making a scene. He knew this man. He knew he knew this man. Finally, Rith placed his hand loosely over an eye and looked at Vidar through the spaces between his fingers. Then it hit him.

"Vi--... Vito? No, no, no Vidar right? I didn't recognize you without Rianne's leash in your hand." Rith stated plainly as he pushed off the fence and stood up straight. Normally he's stand in order to show proper respect to whom he is speaking, but this time he was merely preparing himself in case Vidar decided to attack.

"It's funny. I remember things differently. The way I recall it, I had just walked into town and was severely beaten. Then I and other innocents were unjustly tried based on many massive misconceptions, no evidence, and no willingness to learn. Then we got away. I see after these years you haven't learned any humility, or anything else for that matter." The Animist responded, taking anything this praetor had to say with a boulder of salt. "Put the sword away. I'm here simply observing, not that you'll believe me. I find these warriors' training and its parallels with a mage's training most interesting."

[Tori]

"Lord Vidar, is this man troubling you?" Came a voice from but a few meters behind Rith, following the sound of running from afar and walking from near.

Tori had been in the barracks, training among the other warriors, carrying her holy scythe. She really had nothing better to do. Being of less metal than Lord Vidar, who even now challenged those who were impure, she did nothing more than spit on them. She was wishing that she could become the warrior that Lord Vidar needed, when she heard his voice. She thought she did, anyways. It was only a single word. The space there lasted almost an eternity for Tori, whose training had suddenly stopped. But there it was again! It was a sentence, perhaps.

Her training stopped, and she ran over excitedly to meet him, much like a child. Then she saw his sword out, and resumed her composure. This was what he was shouting about. And so...

[Vidar]

"Just and unjust is all a matter of opinion. Your opinion just happens to be wrong." He said simply in response to the man's denial of his own obvious guilt. It irked him greatly that he dared compare mages to warriors in this very place where the warriors trained. The outburst had drawn the attention of those training nearby, yet no one seemed to desire to intervene on either side's behalf just yet.

Except for one. His loyal companion Tori had arrived. "Yes, Tori, he is vexing me greatly. This mage was one of those sentenced to death for crimes against Avaren, yet who escaped his just punishment in the confusion of the days prior to the war."

[Rith Matou]

"And it's those close-minded views that resulted in your Queen being deposed." Rith replied just as simply. It was almost amazing how Vidar hadn't changed in the slightest since last crossing him. If it was night-time, Rith would swear he was right back in that dungeon again. Chained to the wall, starved, beaten, things that Rith wouldn't wish upon his foes. He wouldn't wish it on Vidar, even though he would sooner stab Rith or any mage for that matter than say hello.

It was then an energetic young woman came to Vidar's side. Impressionable and ready to please. "Poor girl..." Rith thought looking at this Tori with a pang of sadness. Even now in these times of peace, Vidar was passing his hatred onto a new warrior. Who knows how many else are under his wing? Regardless, he let Vidar prattle on about how Rith was an enemy of the state and soforth. " I was unaware that walking into town was considered a 'Crime against Avaren'. If such was the case, it's a wonder there was anyone alive to have a war. Good thing we have a diverse ruling council now to make sure such things don't happen again." Rith said calmly, folding his arms and looking back to Vidar.

[Escke]

The crowd was mostly quiet, slowly growing as people, not just warriors, came to see what the commotion about. It seemed someone had run out and shouted about it, and here they were, ready to be witnesses to some sort of duel or something. Not everyone knew the history between these two, or even the history between Church-backed Warriors and Mages from the days of Rianne, but any sort of drama was a magnet for onlookers.

Suddenly, the crowd's silence broke.

"Heretic!" A voice cried, and an apple was lobbed from somewhere in the crowd, aimed straight for Rith. People turned to see who had thrown it, but they had bobbed back into the crowd, melting into an innocent bystander expertly.

People started mumbling, grumbling, a few echoing the sentiments of the attacker, but no one else seemed ready to take action at this moment in time.

[Rith Matou]

Rith looked about him as a crowd began to form around them. Things could potentially get very ugly here very fast. The only thing needed was a spark to ignite the powder keg and we were suddenly back in the days of war. One thing that no one should want, but everyone seemed to be itching for in varying degrees.

"Heretic!" Screamed the spark from somewhere to his right. Then from his peripheral vision, he caught a glimpse of something red sailing at him. Without a flinch, Rith raised his hand and caught the object with a heavy thump against his leather glove. An Apple? Rith shrugged and gladly took a bite out of the apple. Surviving out in the wild for several years turned out to be a great way to train his senses and reflexes.

"Thank you, Miss!" Rith said politely, perhaps giving some well-needed levity to the situation, after wiping the excess sweet juices from around his lips. " Though, I must ask you all to please disperse. There will be no fighting here. Will there, Vidar?" Rith calmly pleaded with the crowd before turning back to Vidar. He thought for a second of correcting the spark's terminology. Heretic implied that one professed themselves as a follower of the accuser's faith. Now "Heathen" was more accurate, or "Infidel". Rith bet they'd love to call him an "Infidel". But no, that would only serve to worsen things. He and Vidar were the ones to cause this tension, and only they could disarm it. They didn't need to shake hands or hug, just stop.

[Tori]

Some young child had the right idea. As the apple flew toward Rith, Tori wished it would hit him in the nose. He seemed to have decent reflexes, however, and so he caught the apple. He even made fun of the child. The poor child, whose heart was in the right place. This child had more metal than Tori, for certain, yet he dared mock it. She raised the bottom end of her scythe, and thrust the point there at the man before she knew what had come over her.

Was she jealous of this child? Did she want to protect it? Whichever it was, she followed the thrust with a quick slashing motion, bringing the blade around in an attempt to cut the man in half...

[Vidar]

Though he outwardly showed no emotion other than his anger directed at Rith, he was inwardly pleased when someone from the onlooking crowd decided to hurl an apple at the man. Even if it didn't strike him, it still reinforced the idea that he had decent backing within the people of Avaren when it came to his holy mission.

Now the man appealed to Vidar for a peaceful resolution it seemed. How foolish. He should never have trespassed on grounds where he was unwelcome and unwanted. Vidar was tired of all the peaceful negotiations and resolutions of conflict that had been going on since the end of the war. He felt that all this amounted to was the people of Avaren giving more and more to the mages of Aesir while the mages did nothing but sit around playing with magical trinkets in their academy.

"There will be fighting, if the people so choose. I am done sheltering heretics from the righteous wrath of those who are truly pure of heart in Avaren." As if to reinforce his words, Tori was already on the move, lashing out at the man in an attempt to strike him down.

[Escke]

Another apple flew towards Rith from the now grumbling, slightly worried and panicky crowd. Was there going to be blood? Should someone call the authorities? Weren't these people authorities?! That's what seemed to be going through the collective's mind as they watched, eyes wide, as battle seemed to be declared. Still, the apple made a graceful arc.

[Rith Matou]

"Ooh dear." Rith spouted in surprise as Tori set upon him, dropping the apple. Hopping to the right, he narrowly avoided her thrust, creating a scrape against the side of his hide breast plate. The Animist would have been able to avoid the mere thrust normally, but he took the effort to activate the arcane markings on his face. With a thought, the three purple claw marks on either side morphed and shifted across his face until resting in shapes that made Rith's features resemble an Ape. This formation of the tattoos afforded him a minor, but noticeable, boost in strength and agility. Not as much strength as his Bull formation gave, but had he used that the clergyman would just go on about how the Mage had sprouted horns amongst his constant proselytizing. With his Ape form active, Rith sprung off his heel again as Tori's attack continued, turning to catch the swinging Scythe by the shaft firmly.

"Please stop this. I don't want to fight you." He said to Tori earnestly, trying to appeal to her humanity. Then it came. *KLOK*

"Ow..." Rith stated in an annoyed tone after another errant apple had come from the crowd and bounced off of his noggin.

"Honestly, all this trouble because I had taken an interest in learning Swordplay. Even I can see that this situation was my fault, but that still does not mean that I am in the wrong here. The time of Rianne is over and People of all sorts are free to interact again. These should be wonderful times, but some prefer to try and hold us all back in the times of war. Is this what you all want? The Magic, the Mundane, we are the same, earning our skills with the will of our minds, the strength of our hearts, and the sweat of our brow. There are even folks in this very kingdom that merge spell and sword as one. It is not an issue of what abilities one possesses, but what they choose to DO with them. There is evil out there, both Warrior and Mage, and if we waste our energy bickering with each other then we will all fall when that evil rears its head. These should be times of peace. Why don't we allow ourselves to believe that?" He spoke to anyone with an open ear. Ironic that Vidar, the holy man, wanted only bloodshed and territory and Rith, the man of the wild, wanted cooperation and peace. If he would only speak of war, than the Animist had no choice but to preach the word of togetherness. Rith would be the other side of Vidar's proverbial coin, but he would not fight Vidar. The Animist would never give him the satisfaction.

(Visual aid for Rith's Ape form:img.photobucket.com/albums/v342/Tempo1022/rithtattoo.png)

[Zelda]

"I believe in that" Came a voice from above the crowd uo in the rafters of of the roof there was a figure crouch. and watching what was going on she had seen the girl that threw the apples but she had been moving among the rafters to get a better look and wasn't able to do anything about it.

Earlier the woman in the rafters had been on the ground taking advantage of the massive distraction. there where about ten warriors in the crowd that had just lost their coins. And they still had yet to notice. Then she thought she recognized a voice at the head of the crowd. So she quick stashed the coins and climbed into the rafters, which was about the time the girl threw the first apple.

Now that she recognized the man. and heard what he had to say, and hearing how he sounded so much like her teacher, she just had to speak up. She lowered he hood revealing what she had been hiding from Rith when they first met. She she pulled a long dagger fron a sheath at her thigh and then dropped to the ground. The light of the revealed her gray skin and pointed ears to everyone.

"I believe Peace is possible. in fact Peace was present before you entered the barrack and pulled everyone's hate levers." She said glaring at Vidar. "And you, You're just as bad." She said to Tori.

[Tori]

(Sorry, guys. I have a lot of homework, and Strategic Management is a hell gauntlet... I'll try to post when I have a bit of free time like this...)

Tori was aware of the newcomer when she spoke. Really, she was surprised she wasn't run through the back by the sneak. Either way, she needed her scythe back, so she simply decided to wrench it back from Rith's grasp. That wasn't all, though. In order to do this, she decided to use Rith's face as a foothold, bringing her right foot to bear on his face. Whether she succeeded in using his face as a foothold, she would have her scythe back. And as soon as she did, he would find it lodged unpleasantly in his side...