Sunward Fort Sunward

[Jackie Cat]

The armarouge gave a light bow in return.

"Forgive me, but it seems you are ailed by poor memory...? So far as I know, nobody has sent any call for help from Sunward, but as you don't know this place, perhaps it is a neighbouring community you are meant to travel to? Ah, but this is strange and stranger still..."

She shook her head, and her flame-licked eyes flickered.

"Pardon my being flustered. We so rarely have such an unexpected situation as this! I am Day-Captain Aurelia, of the Sun's Wardens. We do not often receive visitors out here, and when we do, they are with clear purpose. Either pilgrims, or, uh..."

Aurelia shook her head again. "Apologies. May I ask your names, strangers? And what you remember of your mission?"

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Forgive me, but it seems you are ailed by poor memory...? So far as I know, nobody has sent any call for help from Sunward, but as you don't know this place, perhaps it is a neighbouring community you are meant to travel to? Ah, but this is strange and stranger still..."

Steven stumbled over his words. "Oh. I, um..." His eye drifted downward as he sank low to the ground. "I don't know."

Of course it wouldn't be that easy... He knew what he remembered, but what he remembered wasn't much...

He began to drift backwards towards the rear of their little group, throwing a pleading look to Prim and Tyrfing. Maybe they knew something that would be more helpful.

"My name is Steven, by the way," he added, voice so quiet it almost couldn't be heard.

 

[Wyvern's Sword]

He began to drift backwards towards the rear of their little group, throwing a pleading look to Prim and Tyrfing.

Tyrfing turned so that his eye fixed on the Armarouge. In the bright sunlight, his vertical pupil contracted, amost entirely. A sliver of night that cut his iris in two.
He floated to the front, stepping in to champion Stephen.

"Well met, Day-Captain Aurelia of the Sun's Wardens. I am Tyrfing, Sword of Galar. Stephen here has been instrumental in helping us organise ourselves. And this honourable flower is Prim. We are all delighted to meet you."

Tyrfing would have smiled if he could have. It was always diplomatic. Unfortunately, the best he could do was turn up the corners of his eye. It was not much, and he hoped it didn't come across as a leer.

"Forgive me, Day-captain, but Stephen's memory is not at all poor. We are all working on the basis of having very little information. Sunward is where we have drifted in search of answers, but this is yet our journey's beginning.

If nobody in Sunward has called for help, we'd be very willing to aid the neighbouring communities. It is a good place to start.

Now, I do not wish to be too forward, Captain, but we are in need of shelter. Does the Fort have the capacity to receive guests? Would you be willing to extend your hospitality to us?"

He looked on ardently, his eye still unblinking.

 

[kyeugh]

"Pardon my being flustered. We so rarely have such an unexpected situation as this! I am Day-Captain Aurelia, of the Sun's Wardens. We do not often receive visitors out here, and when we do, they are with clear purpose. Either pilgrims, or, uh..."

Aurelia shook her head again. "Apologies. May I ask your names, strangers? And what you remember of your mission?"

“Name’s Prim,” she said, pretending she hadn’t heard the sword call her an honorable flower. “Fine fort you got here. What draws pilgrims here?”

 

[Jackie Cat]

Aurelia eyed the levitating steel-types with what might have been curiosity.

"You are well-spoken, and seem virtuous, but... I regret that the Fort is closed to outsiders. I may be able to request that Lieutenant Grant in the army outpost barrack you for a time, or perhaps you could stay a short while in someone's home in the village. The local people are very hospitable! Especially to pilgrims."

She glanced at Prim.

"Sunward is where the Sun gave her light and warmth to the earth, and spared us from cold and darkness. Here, we still honour the Sun's mercy, and will for as long as any charcadet lives here. It is said that the Sun was born here, and her blessing lies upon this place."

The armarouge gestured to the setting sun. It had been a while already since the trio had arrived on Forlas, and the sun had been setting the entire time they'd spoken. It was still setting now. The sun rested on the horizon, unmoving to the naked eye.

"The sun lingers on this place, out of love," said Aurelia, in a voice that sounded like a coal-fire.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Steven was still reeling when Tyrfing spoke up. He hadn't expected it --they'd only just met, afterall-- but the honedge stood up for him.

After his companion's speech, Steven hovered a little higher and found himself able to meet Aurelia's gaze again. He made a mental note to thank Tyrfing for it later; his resolve was admirable.

But as Aurelia continued, Steven couldn't help but frown, his eye furrowing in thought.

"If this is a holy place, shouldn't it be a place of peace? Why do you need a fort and barracks?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Aurelia's mouthless face generally seemed inscrutable, but now the flames around her eyes seemed to flare in surprise, then flicker in thought.

"The Wardens hold fast here to protect it from invasion, not to make war, nor to rule over anyone. The fort would provide safety to the civilians in Sunward Village if ever they were attacked, and we... We keep watch in case what we protect is ever threatened."

The armarouge closed her eyes and sighed, which made a noise like a gas stove.

"The barracks do not belong to my order. Lt. Falinks Grant and his soldiers are stationed here for training exercises and to conduct diplomatic relations. The Commonwealth's hold on the Soja' grows stronger every year, and it is better that we learn from them and keep the peace with them..."

She looked conflicted, averting her face for a moment, then frowning.

"Some counseled against it, but such was the decision of the captains' council. We do not lightly reverse a group decision once it is made."

 

[Wyvern's Sword]

"If this is a holy place, shouldn't it be a place of peace? Why do you need a fort and barracks?"

Tyrfing tilted to one side, puzzling at Stephen's odd question.

"Sacred Ground must be protected. With high walls and bitter steel. Is Hoenn without defences?"

He sounded concerned, although it was hard to tell from his expression.

"Some counseled against it, but such was the decision of the captains' council. We do not lightly reverse a group decision once it is made."

He turned back to the Captain as she spoke.

"Such is the way of duty," he remarked. "We all have a part to play in a larger tapestry, and we must put our personal feelings aside. I can understand that, day-captain."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Sacred Ground must be protected. With high walls and bitter steel. Is Hoenn without defences?"

Steven recoiled at Tyrfing's words. "You say it like these places are under constant attack."

An image of Sootopolis came to mind, of the Sky Pillar, and Mt. Pyre. And an image of his friend, Wallace, smiling proudly as he explained his sworn duties. Steven shook his head gently.

"Hoenn has guardians and lorekeepers, but no fortresses or armies."

Another pause, this time his mind filled with the sound of hammering rain and crashing waves. A deep, guttural roar splitting the heavens, and three figures atop the crater walls, silhouettes sharp against a sky raked with lightning. Steven blinked, and his claws snapped together with a sharp click, as if to sever himself from his memories.

"In the end, I doubt we do much more than get in the way..." his voice was distant. "She is more than capable of protecting herself."

 

[Wyvern's Sword]

"Completely without armies and fortifications? That is... hard to imagine. To live in such a place must truely be a blessing. Still, you gave it up to answer the call. That is the mark of a hero."

He would have smiled if he could. Again, the best he could manage was to crinkle the corners of his eye, and hope he wasn't leering.

"And what of you, Prim?" Tyrfing said, turning to face his other companion. "What is it like, where you come from? Do you have need of forts and castles?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Aurelia's expression was hard to read. Her optical flames were simmering very low.

"It is written that there were many forts and castles in the ancestral homeland. Akkairos, across the eastern ocean."

She blinked, and the flames flickered back to life.

"Come, friends. You will learn that it is best not to linger too long out here, where it grows very hot at sun-high, and very cold of nights. We can talk more on our way to either the gates of Fort Sunward, or the village of Sun's Ward. Faithfully, I cannot decide for you which is best, but you had best decide swiftly. Sunset will be over soon, and darkness is often a poor friend to travellers."

 

[kyeugh]

"And what of you, Prim?" Tyrfing said, turning to face his other companion. "What is it like, where you come from? Do you have need of forts and castles?"

"'Need'? Uh..." Her gaze grew distant for a moment. "Yeah, you could say that. Sounds like our homes aren't so different." She pondered on Steven's words a little. Land that protected itself... That sounded like a dream come true for many, or perhaps a nightmare.

"Sunward is where the Sun gave her light and warmth to the earth, and spared us from cold and darkness. Here, we still honour the Sun's mercy, and will for as long as any charcadet lives here. It is said that the Sun was born here, and her blessing lies upon this place."

The armarouge gestured to the setting sun. It had been a while already since the trio had arrived on Forlas, and the sun had been setting the entire time they'd spoken. It was still setting now. The sun rested on the horizon, unmoving to the naked eye.

"The sun lingers on this place, out of love," said Aurelia, in a voice that sounded like a coal-fire.

"Come, friends. You will learn that it is best not to linger too long out here, where it grows very hot at sun-high, and very cold of nights. We can talk more on our way to either the gates of Fort Sunward, or the village of Sun's Ward. Faithfully, I cannot decide for you which is best, but you had best decide swiftly. Sunset will be over soon, and darkness is often a poor friend to travellers."

Sounded like a bunch of pagan stuff to Prim's ears. Ferry would've loved this crap. She shifted in place a little.

By all accounts it made more sense to turn into the village. If they were looking for people to help, they would probably find them among the unarmed, not in some barrack. But she could hear gravity in Aurelia's cinder-crackle voice, saw reluctance in her sunset eyes: there were unspoken depths to this place.

That wasn't enough to draw Prim in. Not normally. But in this body, in this place—who was she to say the sun wasn't born here? It wasn't her sun. What did she know?

It made her feel foolish and girlish and everything else, but there was a slumbering dragon in her mind—a mound of curious vigor, a will to adventure—and after many years it seemed to be stirring again. She knew from years of chase that it led her only into peril, but it was impossible to resist the urge to poke it nonetheless.

"Let's see about your barrack," she said at last. "Shorter walk and all."

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

"Let's see about your barrack," she said at last. "Shorter walk and all."

Steven stole a furtive glance behind their group, back toward the small village where lights had begun to glow in some of the windows. It looked cozy, inviting. A far cry from the austere wood structure perched beside the captain's fort.

"Are... are you sure?" he addressed Prim, hesitantly. "I know it's further away, but--"

He swayed left, and then right, as if weighing their options in non-existent hands. "Besides, if the troops at the barracks are here for training, I'm not sure we should disrupt them with our presence..."

 

[Wyvern's Sword]

Tyrfing turned, meeting Stephen's monocular gaze with his own. He floated closer, unblinking still.

"Do not worry my friend," he said, "It is highly unlikely that the arrival of three strangers could warrant concern enough to disrupt training drills. Perhaps we can even learn something from them."

He rotated again, now facing the fort itself.

"We should pay a visit to this place. We may have much to offer each other. The local communities will not vanish overnight."

He glanced at the day-captain. "I assume?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Aurelia nodded firmly.

"Very well. I shall lead you to the gatehouse, and get the attention of the Lieutenant. I shall report briefly to Night-Captain Estelle, first, but if you need provisions, or assistance travelling elsewhere, we have not much to give, but we shall try to help you."

The armarouge marched off immediately, trusting the party to follow.

It wasn't far at all from their dusty landing-place to the fort. It became visible almost immediately, once the group rounded a particular ridge, and its ruddy walls – set into a small sandstone mesa – were so obviously aged as to soften their military look.

A ceruledge, atop the gatehouse, called down to them.

"Who have you found, Day-Captain?"

Aurelia waved up.

"Friends, Night-Captain, from unknown parts! They seem lost! I have promised them such aid and assistance as we can offer."

The ceruledge looked away, and made a thick, oil-flame utterance that was most certainly a foul word.

"Understood," she said, when she looked back. "You there, Honedge Outlander! By any chance, is this yours?"

The Night-Captain brandished a certain scabbard above her head, to catch the last rays of the sun.

 

[Wyvern's Sword]

Tyr rose up into the air so as to peer at the scabbard, his eye wide.

"Aye!" He cried, "It gladdens me deeply to see it again, for it is a part of me. Now I will be whole again. Thank you, kind stranger."

He twirled around in joy, upright on the spot, his tassle spiralling around him.

 

[Panoramic_Vacuum]

Tyrfing turned, meeting Stephen's monocular gaze with his own. He floated closer, unblinking still.

To Steven's credit, he didn't flinch away when Tyrfing drew close. But if one looked closely, they would have seen the patterns in the sand below him jitter and jump erratically, almost like a shiver.

"I wasn't worried, per se..." he managed to squeak out before Tyrfing was already off, floating behind the Day-Captain's purposeful stride.

Now that the ghost type was out of his personal bubble, Steven gathered his composure with a hum, and followed the group towards the fort.

While he wasn't particularly enthused to have been outvoted on their destination, perhaps a possessed sword might cause less of a stir here than in the village.

A possessed sword who Steven couldn't help but feel happy for, now that he had his missing scabbard.

But the ceruledge had called them something he'd never heard before...

"Dare I ask what an Outlander is?" Steven said, trying to keep his voice low so that of the two captains, only Aurelia would hear.

 

[Jackie Cat]

"Outlander. One from foreign lands."

The ceruledge tapped a bladed gauntlet against the scabbard.

"Minutes ago, this appeared in the fort's armoury. A most secure vault. One that never has been breached, until today."

The ceruledge lightly tossed the scabbard down to Tyr, and moved her head as if to crack her neck. It made a popping sound like a hearth fire.

"Give me good reason I should not cleave your eye-hilt from your blade, Honedge."

Aurelia tensed up, her eye-flames burning hotter.

"She acknowledged my promise of aid," whispered the armarouge. "Do not be intimidated; speak truly in your reply. I will be your second if she demands a duel – this is permitted."

 

[Wyvern's Sword]

Tyrfing tilted, sharply. His tassle billowed, dark against the crismon hues of dusk, and there was a long silence. Then he spoke calmly.

"Slay me if you wish. I do not fear death. But know this: that no wrath nor ruin you could work upon me would be equal in scope, nor in spirit, to that which has been already wrought."

Then his speech intensified, and a ghostly, shuddering quality came into it; it was rich and harsh, threaded by a bitter and ghastly undercurrent as of metal scraping against metal in the recesses of his soul.

"Look upon me! See what I have endured!
Behold my blade,
gnawed to tatters,
ravaged by time.
How long have I slumbered 'neath the burning sand?
How many centuries have I lain dreaming and in long aeons eroded?"

Then he became quite calm again, and a certain clarity returned to his voice.

"Had I my scabbard then? Nay. I know not how it came to you, and nor could I possibly. I first awoke only earlier today.

Hear this also: my banner is duty, and honour my pennant. My word binds me as fire to furnace, iron to steel. On my honour, I know nothing of your vault, and have not entered it.

I give you my word. What say you now?"

 

[Jackie Cat]

Estelle peered down at Tyrfing for a long moment, all the more inscrutable for being at such distance, atop the gatehouse.

"I believe you, Honedge," she said, at last.

The Night-Captain stepped onto the gate's parapet, and neatly off it. She made a controlled fall, and landed in the dust just ahead of the party.

"You speak with conviction," hissed the ceruledge. "What puzzles me is how you could possibly have slumbered here undiscovered for so long by ghosts and psychics, only for your friends – and your scabbard – to appear unbidden out of the aether."

She shook her head, and exchanged a glance with Aurelia. The armarouge untensed, standing at ease once again. Then the ceruledge struck, instantly and without warning, and clipped his tassle with an extended blade of flame.

Estelle's Bitter Blade dealt... 1 dmg! 108 dmg was held back! It's super-effective!
Estelle tasted Tyr's energy...

She 'sheathed' the blade just as soon as she had drawn it, and the fires around her eyes flashed. She appeared to be considering something.

"I will not strike you down. I sense no ill intent from you. ...and you could not possibly defeat me in your current state, no matter how suspicious your arrival may be. You are not a threat to Sunward, but I ask that you travel at first light to any neighbouring town, and not disturb the Wardens any further."

Aurelia flinched. "Night-Captain, let us at least give them one night's shelter, and tell them of the lands around us."

The coal-spirits held a long look. Perhaps they could communicate with only that, their eyes flickering.

"...Fine." Estelle made a complicated gesture with one blade. "Ask what you wish, and we will let you stay 'til first light, for your safety."