Quest Attack on Riverfall[Coordination Office]

[Mist]

70 Fall 512 This was were all of the plotting and planning happened. The good dealt with in here, was information. That was the principle asset. They were in charge of the plans for the battle, keeping everyone informed, and finding out intel. Most of the people inside were sitting at large wooden desks, with maps and papers all over them. Everyone seemed to be in a hurry, and shouting. This location was further inside of the city, inside of some unknown stone building, cleared out and re-purposed for the battle. Close to the battle, but still safely away. It had a pair of very serious guards at the front door, and anyone coming in without a badge stating there allowance here, would soon have a blade at the throat, and be expected to explain there purpose fast. Teams of info runners were coming in and out. The ones the guards recognized were left alone, as long as they still had there badges. Though the people working as runners were a bit of an odd mix, children, human and Akalak, kelvics, anyone to small to fight, or not trained to. Upon entering, and explaining why you were there, you would be directed to a table off to the side. There an Akalak would give you your badge, and your partner or escort, and a task.

[Rhy]

The noise is intense. A mismatch of people of every size and colour pound through the stone building with the kind of controlled purpose you only get from the angry and scared. Everyone is shouting, some with instructions, others with information. Her keen sense of hearing is a hinderance here, as the sharp voices drum her with a crystal clarity that frays her already tense nerves. Rhy stands against the wall behind the assignment table. Despite being more or less out of the way she is still pressed to the stone as if she plans to flit through the cracks. Having already obtained her badge, she entwines the pin through the locks above her ear and clips it into place, since she isn't wearing clothes to fasten it on. She never wears clothes when she's nervous. Its too constricting. It makes her feel venerable. Instead she is wearing a layer of fake intimidation as thick as a thousand pieces of cloth. Her personality bleeding the playful, friendly nature to replace it with something tougher. The flag system gave them all an early warning of the attack, but Rhy hardly believed it to be true. An attack right on the heels of the Spring Storm? If nothing else it was just not fair. Luckily she had been inside the city at the time, and allowed herself to be herded around as the council called the able bodied to arms and stations. She could have stopped right there and hid in a hole somewhere until this was over. And in all honesty it still surprises her she is here at all, seeing as her sense of duty stops abruptly at self preservation. But she has been here for most of her life, and she has the right to help defend her home. Even if its just by delivering messages. But the one thing they never said publicly is what is really happening beyond the 'monster attack' statement. The rest is what you hear from the incoming messages and warriors from the front line: Yukmen, thousands, monsters and other choice words. Her natural curiosity naws at her bones as each message of enemy lines come in. This is more then some random spawn. She can feel it, dammit, and she's sure the rest of them can too. She clicks her tongue, squaring her shoulders like a man. The Akalak in front of her barks at a serious looking kid, and the child scampers off with his orders for more ink and parchment. A battered human girl materializes with her equally battered human escort, babbling about the archers positions before she even reaches her appointed desk. Rhy raises herself to the balls of her feet to peer around the Akalaks broad back, but her attention is stolen by two generals arguing about the location of field medics. She blows out her cheeks in frustration and forces herself to limit her motion-sensitive eyes to the front entrance, crossing her arms over her chest. Its all about the illusion of confidence. Like a dog raising its hackles. The next person to approach this table with any sort of size or strength on their side will be her partner. The task master has told her as much, although he never specified on the new pairs mission. So her eyes are trained on the door with an intense stare that could easily be mistaken for angry. As she is responsible for the intel, his person will be responsible for her. And he better be an big, tough, laken-bearing Akalak.

[Ronan]

OOCSorry for holding things up! Ronan eyed the Akalak wearily. They stood on the eve of war. Riverfall held a special place in Ronan's heart. He could not see it trampled by an army of madmen and monsters. Truly, he did not know the threat they faced, and yet he was prepared to stop whatever came at them all the same. As he gestured to speak to the Akalak in the doorway, his eyes flitted about the room. Maps, plans, hushed conversation versus the hurried ramblings of panic and strife. To the Akalak this was an important time. Prowess in battle, and personal strength were highly valued among the race of cobalt men. "It is my dagger skill I bring... and beyond these walls is my Strider. I can ride, as the Drykas do." He nodded firmly, finally taking his badge and making his way to a table where he would be assigned a partner. He knew that Kavala was poised within Sanctuary, healing hands knowing the wounded would be coming her way. This was more than duty that compelled him. It was the imminent destruction of his home - an eventuality he would not accept.

[Mist]

The Akalak at the desk went through some papers, before looking over at some of the new entrants. Really, he wondered how many of these Non-Akalakan fighters would survive, if they actually got into any trouble. Picking out a pair, and pointing at a kelvic girl who he saw from a paper was named Rhy, and a Drykas man named Ronan, he waved them over, taking out a scroll and setting it before him. "All right, the two of you, I need this scroll taken to the archer ranks, and for you to bring back whatever they give you. If you are captured, just hold up the scroll and say 'fire', and it will burst into flames destroying it, so no Intel will be lost to the enemy." Of course, considering they were not actually leaving the city, this should be a rather easy and non-dangerous assignment, but the Akalak refused to not take even the smallest task seriously, lest he get complacent. "Now go, there and back as quickly as you can."

[Rhy]

The Akalak calls her forward and Rhy forces herself to walk at a reasonable pace so as not to jump forward and demand her mission in agitation. Turns out her partner is a Drykas. One she has seen around Sanctuary before, but never talk to besides a passing greeting. Ronan, he's called. "You're not Akalak", the kelvic blurts out in lu of a proper greeting. She can't help the tang of disappointment colouring her voice. Sure, he's big, and she's seen him throw bales of hay over his head like its nothing, but she would feel much better with someone blue at her side during a battle. But what the Akalak says next tears her attention away from the Drykas with a skip of her heart. The scroll is destined for the archer ranks...Gianne. The archers is where her bondmate is station for the battle. Something the Kelvic is all too aware of. She snatches the scroll off the table, mumbles a confirmation, takes Ronan's hand and all but drags him out of the door. Her mind is buzzing like so many flies. She needs to get to the archers. They can tell her where Gianne is. Maybe she can sneak away and check herself. Being this far away during such a dangerous time has Rhy on a hair trigger. She glances at the scroll in her hands, wondering whats in it. Orders? Strategies? Its probably from the higher-ups. They probably know whats going on... Rhy suddenly takes a detour off the main walkway and pulls Ronan into a doorway without a word. Partly shaded and away from the main bustle of people, she still takes a look around before pushing the scroll into the mans hands. They are extremely close and cramped in the small space, and the dark seems to light up his green eyes. He looks kind, gentle. Maybe he will understand. "I need you to read it", she states. The first words she's said to him since that unfortunate greeting. She realizes they would be breaking at least half a dozen laws if they are to read sensitive information, and she's not happy to be dragging someone else into her trouble, but she needs someone to read it to her. "My bonded is in those ranks. I need to know what we are delivering. What. Does. It. Say." Her voice is a low growl by the end that does not invite further discussion.

[Ronan]

Ronan nodded briskly at his companion. A feisty young woman by the looks of it. He listened to the instructions carefully, and couldn't help wondering what information the scroll held. Something the enemy could not see. Something the artillery needed to be aware of. A cold shiver glanced down his back. He had no time to consider his course of action, for the woman grabbed his hand and the scroll, and bundled them out into the passageway. They went down a straight corridor, before she suddenly diverted, pulling him to one side. She was shaking, a little. An emotion had gripped her, evident in her eyes, and in her fumbling hands. She forced the papery scroll into his hands, protected by some sort of enchantment. A glyph perhaps. If they spoke the word and willed it, the message would perish. When she spoke of her bonded, he realised she was Kelvic. There seemed to be so many of them around these days. Human guise, belying an animal's soul. She seemed intent on her request. To read the contents of the scroll. Ronan was torn and watched her uneasily for a moment. It felt too rebellious... too below the belt. And yet, she was so driven he felt compelled to follow her request. They had been given no instruction not to read the scroll. And so, it seemed, by a technicality they'd be able to read what was inside. In fact, he doubted the intel would be secret to them anyway. "Don't speak a word of this," Ronan said softly, before unravelling the scroll to read aloud to her...

[Mist]

As Ronan unrolled the scroll, nothing would happen. It appeared to be only ordinary parchment, covered in ordinary ink, with some odd squiggles down on the bottom right corner of the scroll, though that bit was not visible unless you unrolled it to its full extent. However he would be disappointed as he read it out to her, the words were nothing to do with orders, or anything essential. It was simply a requisition order, asking what equipment they had, what they needed, and what was available to be sent. It would seem they were not carrying anything to essential, and had done this rebellious act to no avail. As he finished reading, and took his eyes away from the page however, to look at anything else besides the scroll even for a tick, the kelvic, the walls, the floor, anything, the odd squiggly lines would suddenly burst into flames, and the entire scroll would crumble to dust and fall through his hands within a few ticks. Apparently they had activated some unknown mechanism of the glyph, and destroyed what they were supposed to deliver!

[Rhy]

Rhy's expression deflates by increments as the Drykas read the scroll. It held no information. Nothing she could possibly need. All it did was make her urge for knowledge and details on this impossible battle and state of her bonded insatiably wolfish. If nobody is going to tell her she's going to find out for herself. Armies of Yukmen don't just frolic over the hills to wage war. She crosses her arms and stares at the floor as the Drykas reads out the last of the dry, droning words. And then the parchment bursts into flame. Rhy starts at the sudden flash of light and promptly smacks the back of her head on the edge of the narrow doorway. The last of the scroll crumbles into ash as she hisses in pain. "What was- what? But we didn't say 'fire'! We didnt- no! No, no, no." The gravity of the situation dawns on the Kelvic, and she stumbles out of the doorway, rubbing the back of her head. They just read sealed information, and now the Akalaks will know! It had no importance, but disloyalty is a grievous offence for a runner. What's the price for subterfuge in Riverfall? Petch! "Well, that was... That was unfortunate." Rhy turns back to the Drykras looking unusually meek. She dragged him into this, will he be punished for it? "Maybe we can go back and say I got spooked and called 'fire'. Maybe they will give us another one and not even notice. Or... Or we can continue on to the Archers. If you can at least remember some of what it said. We can come back with a brand new one and nobody will be the wiser..." She trails off, looking hopeful.

[Ronan]

Ronan's eyes flitted across the paper, briefly relaying its contents to the Kelvic. "This is just an arms relay... weaponry numbers, availability, that sort of thing." He looked back to the girl, hoping to placate her somewhat. She had been furious, demanding rather than asking. But clearly there was something beneath the surface that had driven her to it. Suddenly the paper was illuminated before him. He let go in shocked recoil, flames bursting from its surface, but within a moment it was dust, drifting to the ground. He looked to the Kelvic, swallowing, face growing warm with worry. She was right. They hadn't said fire. But it seemed there had been another mechanism to the scroll, protecting its contents from prying eyes. Trying to gather his thoughts, he swallowed again, nodding firmly. "We press on to the archers. I can remember the gist. Just about." And so he sped on down the corridor towards their destination. In truth, he didn't want to incur the Akalak's wrath. They were bigger than him, and stronger than him, and no explanation could defend his foolish actions.

[Mist]

Of course they had no way of knowing that the scrolls were sigiled with a particular trigger, so that when they were done being read, they would destruct. In fact the act of reading it, was what had set off the glyphs. No one had mentioned it, as they assumed it did not concern them, not being the recipient. As the two talked, a loud horn sounded over a good area, the battle horn signaling the start of the fight, meaning the army of yukmen had arrived, and the battle had commenced. As the two continued on, deciding that was their route, they would soon end up at the destination, the rear of the archer ranks, over near the artillery. The huge catapults and trebuchets were quite intimidating, not to mention the big beefy fellows loading them with large chunks of stone, and bolts as long as person is tall. As they approached, they would be stopped by a guard, and brought to the Akalak in charge of the paperwork. As they neared, one of the rolls of parchment he was holding flared briefly on one section, before it dissolved to dust. Looking up at them, he glared, wondering why they were empty handed. "I thought you were runners, were is your information scroll then? No lies now, I want the truth! Or maybe you are spies, pretending to be runners, and that is why you don't have a scroll!" The Akalak clearly jumping to rather bad conclusions for the two, they would need to explain themselves fast, or else get in some serious trouble.