[HQ Ignorance] Re : Scene 57: The Graveyard Shift (and new player, Damien)

[Nic Hughes]

Aalmon rode a while until he stopped in a clearing to let his horse 
catch his breath. As he sat there he noticed a slight break in the 
clouds. Looking up he saw the stars, not as the warm beacons that had 
guided his life for the past years but just as cold specks of light 
against the sky. He looked to the North East where the moon hung in the 
sky, he tried to make out her face in the craters and mountains but all 
he could see were random patterns of lines and rocks. He shook his head, 
what did it matter so long as he could still use them - draw on their power.

His eyes clouded over for a moment before going dark, his pupils cold 
sparks of light. As he gazed down from the heights he peered through the 
gaps in the clouds to make out the masses of men crawling over the 
fortifications. He muttered quietly to himself "Aah, fighting within the 
walls. Its not going too well then, nor too badly so long as they are 
still fighting. That has the stubborn smell of Azhur about it."

His eyes returned to normal and he leaned over to pat his horse's neck 
"Well old boy if its tough going there is glory to be had and that's our 
chance to take it. Better go find some people to earn that glory for us 
and if we don't really have a grip on this we can always give them the 
old razzle-dazzle as old Sir Griftwald would have said."

He spurred the horse forwards again and having convinced himself that 
nobody was following him he headed for his brother, homing like a 
messenger pidgeon. As he passed through the screening line of 
skirmishers he spotted runners hiding in the branches and casually 
saluted them. Making it to the main body he reined his horse to a sharp 
stop in front of the commanding group "Kalen, nice to see you." his 
eyebrows raised a little "No idea where you pulled all those friends out 
of but damn well done. If your metal-clad friends are half as tough as 
you are its going to make a real difference. As for the rest, welcome to 
the party - its been a good night's work so far but the real test is yet 
to come."

"A few skirmishers will tie down the remnants of the undead army. That 
frees the rest of us to go save the day." he stands up in his stirrups 
to be heard more clearly "We have all come on a long journey, we have 
but a short way to go before we face horrors we have only read of in 
history books. Its time for us to write some history of our own!"

As the small army started to move again he rode up alongside the dwarfs, 
slightly surprised by their marching speed - the manner in which their 
legs just kept pumping away over rough or smooth. He leaned down to 
speak to the short warrior "If part of Theoblanc's army is inside the 
walls that leaves his reserves outside with him. All we need to do is 
slam a door shut across the main gate to cut his army in two and leave 
him right ready for our smooth skinned friend, and it looks to me like 
you have a walking talking iron gate with you today. Inside the 
gatehouse all that matters is being tough and stubborn - they can't use 
their numbers against you there nor can the vampires fly down out of the 
night sky. I can't imagine anyone tougher or more stubborn than you and 
your friends. So if we get the chance what do you say?"

He sits back up again "I think my brother and I will join with the beast 
people, you will need a cavalry screen." He rode over to Tierre and 
nodded his head "Nice to see you again, do you mind if my brother and I 
join you for the night's activities?"

He looked around him. Not enough to win against the bloodsuckers but 
more than enough to get their full attention. He remembered the 
chessboard and how looking around they all looked like pieces on that 
board, pieces that just need moving to the right place at the right 
time. Time to isolate that black king but no sense in getting too much 
in the middle personally, the kind of glory they award dead men is no 
good to him. He smiled as he rubbed a stellar talisman, time to bring 
some fire and light onto the subject.

Nic