[Invading Alexandria, OPEN]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Characters: Rinoa, Garnet, OPEN
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Rinoa attacks Alexandria. Garnet cops it. SeeDs and others save the day. Check here for more details. OPEN to anyone who wants to come help defend the city.
Location: Alexandria
Date: 30th-31st August, 1804
Warnings: Violence and death.

The Alexandrians were more resourceful than Rinoa had anticipated. It was such a backwards country that she thought it would be easy: a fun distraction while Ultimecia laid waste to bigger threats elsewhere. But a squadron of airships had found them en route from the ruins of Midgar and proceeded to harry them all the way to the city.

The good thing was that it became easier to convince some of the students that Alexandria ought to be invaded. The rest were bewildered and scared; the entire Garden was in disarray. Rinoa didn't really care at this point. Garden was merely a vehicle.

A small squadron of students had been instructed to attack the city. But that wasn't Rinoa's destination. Under cover of darkness, she flew into the city, moving from rooftop to rooftop and casting fire spells as she went. Very soon, smoke and flames filled the air, along with the screams of panicked citizens. As the city burned and confusion took over, the SeeD students moved in to begin the battle. Rinoa didn't stop to watch them.

She moved on, staying too low for the airships to safely reach her, until the castle walls loomed before her. Here she abandoned stealth and flew straight up, her wings flashing white in the darkness. Shouts of startled guards followed her, but they couldn't chase her into the sky. The first Flare smashed into a turret, killing two soldiers and reducing half the turret to rubble. Rinoa was exhilarated. This was everything Ultimecia had promised her, and more.

There would be more deaths to come.

Comments

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen didn't know what he should be more alarmed at, the fact Gadalar had just decapitated a teenagers head, or that the Elvaan himself didn't feel nauseas. He didn't hesitate in jumping to the side, pressing back against the wall of a building, feeling the blaze of heat as he moved the right way. Hearing the scream, he looked over his shoulder to see the boy run and after a short distance crumple to the ground.

His attention was brought back to the Flameserpent as he drew out the algol. The greatsword felt good in his hands, but unlike Gadalar, Rughadjeen would take the role of defence, knocking back any foe that came to close. He wasn't ready to fight to the death until he found out just what exactly was going on.

With his brow creased slightly and starting to show the heat was getting to him, he glance around for anyone charging their way.

"What the hell happened? I come back to the city in an inferno. Please tell me you didn't get so bored as to start all of this?"

[flameserpents.livejournal.com]

He couldn't expect anything less of Rughadjeen than to dodge. He knew him, and him in battle moreso than any Imperial soldier, enemy of the Empire, Immortal guard or Serpent General did -- so it was simply a matter of sense assuring him that the Elvaan wouldn't be foolish enough to play shield. Not when it came to his magic, anyway.

"No idea. All that I know is they're..."
A slice to the achilles of some other would-be assailant and a scream. Then Gadalar kicking the rolling mass of body to the side. He'd bleed to death eventually, Gadalar had little concern over him. The damage had been done. He wouldn't survive. He moved so he was back to back with Rughadjeen, speaking softly even through the volleys of enemy fire - cutting, and slicing.

"..Attacking, and I'm having fun. I didn't start this. Though.. it'd likely be fun to learn who did. And where they got such inexperienced mercenary scum from. Even Salaheem's lot have more about them than this! "

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen actually couldn't help but laugh at that. It was true, of the few people that had been dealt with it had appeared as though weapons had just been flung at then. Just expecting the children to actually know how to use them. Sadly, even if they did, they were running into the den of two vastly experienced fighters. So these people were the ones attacking and had started all this mayhem? Defence was down and the algol was gripped even harder as he took up an offensive pose.

"She certainly could teach these runts a thing or two."

A youth ran towards him but before he managed to get in too close his feet were swept out from under him, the blade of the greatsword just kissing the ground ever so slightly. Rughadjeen stepped closer to the teen, enough so that he could kick him back a few feet.

A heavy sigh left him and he glanced back at his shoulder.

"I can't leave you alone for two minutes." But it was easy to tell Rughadjeen was more amused by this than anything.

If these people had just attacked Alexandria for no reason, even though his allegiance wasn't towards this kingdom, he would help fight the invasion.

[flameserpents.livejournal.com]

Experience overrode everything. Also the fact that both of them were well used and actually at an advantage in urban combat. Gadalar, personally, wasn't too thrilled about fighting anywhere but the streets. He'd seen the Garden fly overhead, and he'd seen the explosions about the tower. Yet he did not care for nobility. That was the accursed knight's job, wasn't it? This was primarily about fun. Secondarily, about working off the extra pounds he'd put on in Gaia as a result of their peace.

"They wouldn't even manage to make it to a staging point, let alone an assault objective.." Gadalar responded, smirking as he swiped the liberator's blade at pole's length across the throat of another child in a military uniform. She made a surprised noise, practically squeaked -- the offrice gurgling as she fell to her knees. He'd likely get into trouble for this later, yet he couldn't care less. As mentioned, he was having fun.

" Remember when we used to do this with puks in Wajoam Woodlands?" he asked, burying the wicked point of the liberator's blade into an unfortunate SeeD's skull. " There's enough around us now. We can make it a contest."

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen had just successfully rid himself of a rather determined child. He thought it would prove to be some challenge, but as soon as they were on the ground it was far too easy. Anyone attacking him or Gadalar were at great risk of losing their life and Rughadjeen wasn't about to just play nice any more. As far as he was concerned they had just all crossed the line.

"I'm fairly sure Naja would take one look at them and get her little servant to chuck them out."

The Elvaan swiped down with the algol cleaving a boys arm clean off and shoving him back to give himself room for any others that approached. These people had signed their fate already, he was back in the mode he would have been were it Aht Urhgan.

A snort left him and again he looked back to Gadalar, only really seeing his shoulder.

"Only if the count starts from zero."

[flameserpents.livejournal.com]

"Hahaha! And Rongelouts would have them hanging from Al Zahbi's bastion, no doubt!"

Gadalar couldn't help but allow himself the most gutteral of laughs at the thought of the children they fought going to mercenary camp and not surviving even the most gentle of debriefings from the Elvaan war hero and failed knight Rongelouts N Distaud -- and kicked his most recent victim's body from the blade of the liberator as he shrank back a little, gently touching his shoulders to the back of Rughadjeen's... well, spine. (Curse height.) and allowing a good deal more of the mercenaries to swarm.

This.. felt good. Really good. He'd never admit it, but holding a conversion with Rughadjeen again, in these surroundings almost made him feel like he was home oncemore. ....Save for the fact that their enemy was weak, and floundering. Aht Urhgan sieges were brutal in every sense of the word. Exhausting. But here... these enemies. He could just as simply be sharing a pot of chai while off duty with the Skyserpent.

He tilted his head to watch Rughadjeen as the elvaan adressed him; only really seeing his ponytail of thick black hair in addition. "Fine, from zero it is." he responded, before laughing oncemore.

Salamander Flame. And this time - it wasn't intended for Rughadjeen. The pair of them stood at the centre of a massive magical explosion which shook Alexandria's streets just as much as the attacks from the Garden shook the castle, and his laughter resounded amongst the screams of the SeeDs caught in the blast.

None stood before the fury of the Flameserpent.
...It also made Rughdjeen hard pressed to equalize. All around them were dead.

"That makes... thirty."

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Whilst he had enjoyed the company of Rishfee, the Immortal just wasn't one of his men. He hadn't stood there and fought for so long side by side with him. Missing the Hume was not something he was going to come out a say, but he would admit to himself that he was glad. Despite the fire and the persistent children, he was glad that he was back here with his friend.

Though sometimes the glad feeling would fall away and right now it was happening. His shoulders had slumped, he held the algol in one hand and use the other to pinch the bridge of his nose as he sighed.

"I believe next time I will have to state the rules. You realise that's cheating, right?" A very short pause, "Of course you do."

Rughadjeen, why are you so cute. ;x; CHAIN #30! GADALAR ATTAINS LEVEL 255.

[flameserpents.livejournal.com]

"Face it, old man. I won." Gadalar responded, moving his arm backward as he placed a filthy, bloodied liberator into place upon his back. He grinned up at the skyserpent, very much the bloodied little devil he was - covered in soot and well... undesirable substances. He could have gone for some chai now. Very much so. Yet he supposed they'd have to sweep the streets. There could be survivors. This could even only be the first wave.

Gingerly, he raised a hand to pat the Elvaan's shoulder in the semblance of comfort. A mocking gesture of course, yet there was warmth in it.

Rughadjeen claps his hands at Gadalar.

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

"You only won because you cheated. I hardly think that's fair."

If anyone else had been going by and seen this scene would they think it was strange? Two men standing in the middle of carnage having a casual debate on who won etc?

Rughadjeen placed the algol back on its holder and surveyed the destruction caused by the flames. His attention was brought back to the Hume and he smiled with a slight nod of his head. The Elvaan knew him enough to know what he meant by most of his gestures.

[flameserpents.livejournal.com]

"I only won because your tactics are slow." Gadalar responded indignantly, though the thought of Rughadjeen having ninja as a subjob, abandoning the algol and choosing to dual wield two almaces was about as laughable as Rughadjeen doing paladin the traditional way and having a shield. ...Or he personally doing black mage the traditional way and using a stave. He almost went corsseyed for the smallest of seconds and wiped some soot off the end of his nose -- before scrubbing his face with a sleeve.

...Disgusting, really.

The flameserpent chose to walk forward, stepping over charred bodies lightly. Loot didn't concern him. It never had. He'd leave it all for the Qujirn freelancers back home, or in Alexandria the more enterprising Pluto Knights.

"Lets hope the inn is still standing.." he uttered to the elvaan, turning his head as he walked with the experience of one who spent most of his time body-hopping. He wouldn't slip, no matter how slick the streets were with blood. He turned his gaze to the SeeD Rughadjeen had taken the arm off, and then right ahead - moving one arm to finish him off via burning. A small scream, and Gadalar laughed.

"Thirty one."

[rughadjeen.livejournal.com]

Rughadjeen had very little trouble when the streets were covered in such gore. It happened more than once a month back home in Al Zhabi so both had had plenty of practise. Sleeping in the monastery and then the amount of time he'd spent travelling, Rughadjeen was looking forward to some kind of decent rest, but first would be to clean himself up. His hair would smell of burning bodies and his skin just felt clammy.

He turned at the scream and frowned, almost looking like a jealous kid. "That one does not count!"

Walahra damn it all! He was getting picky on what was his own and what was Gadalar's now. Looking back he noticed that Gadalar had done a fine job in making his nose ever dirtier. "Honestly."

Through the streets Rughadjeen watched for any other attack and the buildings around him still on fire. This was the right way to the inn, wasn't it? All the streets now looked the same to him, fantastic.