Into the Badlands

[Etro]

♅ Into the Badlands ♅
5th of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
"Common Speech"
"Silvain Speech"
"Self Thoughts"

---

♅ It was his first excursion with the Jaegers, let alone Gregorio. Amberish hazel eyes of the wizard peered into the open sky of the Badlands as they awaited their target to approach. It was a simple job, find the leader of a group of raiders, and kill him. It was a normal contract for the Jaegers that was for sure.

The client was a merchant that was under their protection racket, and it wasn't good for business if the merchant were to be continually raided. Gregorio wanted to give Constantine a taste of what his Jaegers were capable of, to show them off. Each member of the group had a wolf at their side, Gregorio with two at his heel.

The group of them crept closer to where they would wait for their prey to enter the pass, launching an ambush for them as this was one of their routes that would be their final resting place. Constantine, however, could help the feeling something wasn't right about any of this. It was too quiet for his liking. If the Badlands were as ruthless as he was told, why weren't the inhabitants assailing them yet?

His eyes remained on the ridge above them as they moved closer to the ambush point. The possibility of them being ambushed was far greater than their own ambush working. He truly didnt like these odds, and without enough information to go off of, he had no choice but to go with things as they were.

This would be an interesting test of his natural talents, however, and a great chance to show Gregorio he was worth training. His hand immediately took hold of his halberd, his eyes scanning above and around them, keeping them peeled for the slightest notion of trouble.

Part of him was eager though, eager to see just how bad the Badlands where. ♅

---

[Caliban Black]

5 Glade 120, Age of Steel
Company: Alone | Theme: Indestructable

The bad on raiders that Constantine and the Jaegers were waiting for would finally arrive after what would feel like hours of waiting, because it had been hours. In an eerie turn of events, the raiders seem to have waited until nightfall to move through the pass below the ridge. There caravan would arrive, with no lights on it to give themselves away- but that wouldn't matter for Constantine and his party who sat in waiting for them to arrive. Instead what would gain the attention of Constantine and his allies was a crossbow bolt that seemed to have suddenly sprouted from the ground beside them. Then another... and then one came directly for Constantine himself.

In a matter of seconds, Constantine's concern about being ambushed was confirmed. A small band of seven raiders charged at the party lying in wait for them atop the ridge while the raiders moving through the pass (the distraction) below seemed to pick up their pace to move through. But where were they going? Where did these snakes burrow into the dirt? It was a question no one would get an answer to without allowing one of the raiders to lead them there... and no one was doing that.

Not a moment after the attack on Constantine's group occurred, an outcry emerged from the raiders inside the pass as the sound of colliding steel filled the air. A swordsman had rushed into the smaller number of raiders in the pass, unaware of the battle on the ridge above. In the pass there were roughly five raiders, two on horseback and three on foot. Two of the three on foot were armed with crossbows and shortswords. The third had a large axe and a shield. The riders carried spears but Caliban couldn't see what else they had in the dark. It didn't matter, they'd moved into the funnel he had been planning to ambush them from.

The only reason Caliban would have gone unnoticed by Constantine and his group before the battle began, was because Caliban had been hiding within a bit of overhang created by the ridge Constantine was hiding on top of. When the raiders moved into his view, Caliban held his right arm out to the side and manifested his sword. The blade shimmered into existence in his hand and Caliban cautiously moved from his cover towards the raiders that had just moved passed him. He moved slowly at first, trying to creep up on the raiders but when he saw one of the men with a crossbow beginning to turn (he'd heard Cal's plodding steps), Caliban picked up speed so that he reach the party before they knew he was there

Caliban slashed his blade across the back of one of the crossbow-armed raiders causing the man to cry out in pain. Then he threw his left arm out at one of the horsemen who's horse had reared in surprise and Caliban pushed a ripple through the flux to knock the horse and rider over. Then the real battle began.

"My sword is just a piece of metal, I am the weapon."

[Etro]

♅ Into the Badlands ♅
5th of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
"Common Speech"
"Silvain Speech"
"Self Thoughts"
Theme: Voltaic Black Knight

---

♅ Just as he feared, these brutes had set them up. Like flowers sprouting from soil, the raiders burst forth from beneath them. With a snap of Gregorio's finger the Jaegers went into action. It was only seven of them it seemed, so its not like they were outnumbered, so dealing with them would be easy in his eyes.

These were not the tactics of a mob of raiders, they had cohesion in their attack. It didnt sit well with Constantine, but he had to focus on killing them right now. The spearhead of his halberd found itself buried within raider after raider. He found he was getting better with the weapon, feeling more comfortable with it in his hands.

Looking around, he could see how skilled Gregorio and his team were, working in tandem with their wolves he was impressed. He could help but feel somewhat inferior to them, but it just meant he had to train harder, get better so that feeling would fade. Looking around more and more raiders began to appear in the distance as if out of thin air.

Constantine made haste not to let the Jaegers & Gregorio outshine him. Following his instincts, he used the pull of the flux, allowing him to cover more ground pulling himself to the boulders that lined the top of the ridge they were fighting on. Being able to close the distance between himself and his foes was very useful.

Once close enough he lunged into the horde head-on and delivered well-placed slashes across torsos, necks, faces of those in his path. He thought he was doing well for himself, but the tables soon turned for the worst for him as one of the bigger raiders tackled him from his blindside. He soon found himself going over the ridge down below which was quite a drop.

He needed to think fast otherwise the impact of the fall would kill him. Reaching into the flux of the ground below, he pushed himself away from it, which caused a bouncing effect allowing him to hit the ground into a roll. His falling companion, however, met the ground with a loud and blood-curdling crack.

The bastard's skull split open as blood and brain matter painted the point of impact. Catching his breath he looked around to get a barring on his surroundings, finding that the target they had been laying in wait for was engaged in a fight of their own. Just who the hell was this assailant?

He surely wasnt one of the Jaegers, so Constantine could only guess him to be a mercenary. Seeing that the man was outnumbered, he opted to go and give the lone mercenary a hand. ♅

---

[Caliban Black]

5 Glade 120, Age of Steel
Company: Alone | Theme: Indestructable

While the battle atop the ridge was waged, a battle at the base kept the last of the raider party from escaping. After his sword had cleaved across the back of the first bowman and Cal had used the flux to knock over one of the riders, the other crossbow-wielding raider leveled his weapon at Cal- the young Siltori moving in at the same time for a killing blow. Cal reached out with his hand and sent another ripple through the flux only this time he quickly curled his hand into a fist and pulled it towards himself- ripping the crossbow out of the raider's hand just a moment before he sliced his sword across the raider's face.

Blood, a chunk of a nose, and some teeth splashed onto the ground followed by the thudding body of another dead crossbowman, but the fight continued. The large one with the shield slammed into Caliban, throwing him backwards away from the wounded crossbow man. The raiders struck in tandem, the one with the shield pushed Caliban into the open and the rider charging at Caliban with his spear. A moment after being knocked back, the blade of the spear came in towards Caliban's chest. He dropped his sword instinctively and tried to catch the spear but he only succeeded in redirecting it so it merely sliced his shoulder rather than pierce it. (About now, Constantine had just gone over the edge of the ridge with the crash pillow of a raider.)

The rider road a little bit down the path, slowly bringing his horse around for another charge but Caliban couldn't focus on him, not with the axeman still coming for him. Cal turned to find the axe-wielding warrior charging at him and so Cal reached his hand out and called his sword back to him. The blade trembled on the ground for a second and then just as it began to rise, Cal had to abandon his effort. He leapt backwards to avoid a wide arching axe and then had to pivot to dodge another swipe.

Caliban was on a backpedal now and the axeman kept coming. That was when he heard the trotting steed behind him. Caliban saw the raider look up and then dive to the side and without a moments hesitation Cal did the same. The rider with the spear narrowly missed Caliban who groaned when he hit the ground- the slice in his shoulder beginning to burn. Caliban rose to his feet a little slower than the axeman and reached out for his sword again- calling it into his hand. He could feel the strain on his soul beginning to take it's toll but he convinced himself he could handle it for a little bit longer.

Just as his sword was about to reach his hand, the axeman got in the way and the hilt of the blade crashed into the back of his head. The raider stumbled forward and Caliban thrust his hand out, sending a forceful wave through the flux into the man's right leg and knocking it out from under him. Then Cal reached out for his sword again and this time it finally made the full trip to his hand.

Meanwhile the rider who's horse had fallen on him finally managed to crawl free of his horse and began a limping charge at Constantine- fortunately for the raider his mounted companion was performing a similar charge.

"My sword is just a piece of metal, I am the weapon."

[Etro]

♅ Into the Badlands ♅
5th of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
"Common Speech"
"Silvain Speech"
"Self Thoughts"
Theme: Voltaic Black Knight

---

♅ The lone warrior seemed to be doing well on his own, and Constantine had his own problems now. Two raiders were charging his way, one on horseback, the other limping along. Brandishing his halberd he awaited for the horse raider to close in. As if stepping on a spring-loaded trap, Constantine sent the raider and his horse flying into the air with a lift of his own hand, causing a ripple in the flux to respond as such.

With him forcefully dismounted, the only incoming threat now was the limping raider. A hand went forward giving a "come here" gesture, the limping raider finding himself being pulled toward Constantine. His trajectory toward the half-elf was stopped by the end of Constantine's halberd. He watched as the raider bled from his mouth and final moments left his eyes.

Turning his attention to the unmounted raider, he lifted himself into the air, falling down to impale the raider, the leader of this small band. A slew of curses and derogatory words left his mouth causing the irritated Constantine to twist his halberd killing the man. The sound of horses fleeing echoed in the canyon, and he turned to face the mercenary.

His grip tightened around his halberd as he approached the man, noting his pale skin and white hair. That alone told him the man before him was a siltori. It was nice to see some of his own kind, even if he was only a mixed breed. "Well met, I see you are a capable one. I and my mentor are here to take down these raiders. They have been causing trouble for his business and they needed to be dealt with."

He approached a little further, reaching behind him to pull the corpse of the supposed bandit leader toward him. He began to inspect the body, checking it for clues. He believed that this was no coincidence, these mere raiders ambushing them like that. Something was wrong, and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

Unfortunately, he would have no chance of truly getting any answers at the moment. More raiders were coming around the bend in the canyon, their rallying cries echoing in the distance. "Shall we mop up these vermin together?" he offered, getting in a fighting stance. ♅

---

[Caliban Black]

5 Glade 120, Age of Steel
Company: Constantine | Theme: Indestructable

While Constantine dispatched the two raiders from the pass advancing on him, Caliban went to work on the axeman. He parried a strike to the left, then the right and then he ducked under a large swing. The man was slow but Caliban was having a hard time getting past his shield. He thrust his blade forward only for it to be smacked aside by the shield over and over again. One one clash, Caliban got too close and after parrying the incoming blow from the axe, the raider smacked Cal with his shield. The dazed Siltori stumbled backwards a good distance and the axeman advanced- but before he'd reach Caliban the Siltori would make another move.

Cal reached his hand out and felt the aether flux around the raider. He closed his hand into a fist and swung his arm upward, causing the raider to rise into the sky. The raider, in fear, began to flail with his arms while Caliban moved closer to drive his sword through the raider- which he did with relative ease while holding him in the air. When the raider was dead, a small bead of red began to trickle down Caliban's nose but he wiped it away with his arm before Constantine could see.

Cal dropped back into a defensive stance when Constantine approached him but the man's words made it quickly apparent that they were on the same side in this skirmish at least. The man spoke to him in Silvain, a language familiar to Caliban but one that sounded odd to him all the same. Most raiders in the Badland's cursed at him in common. "Well met." Caliban repeated in the same language. He didn't have an opportunity to say much more before the other number of raiders would arrive so he nodded to Constantine and turned, readying his blade for the battle.

"My sword is just a piece of metal, I am the weapon."

[Etro]

♅ Into the Badlands ♅
5th of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
"Common Speech"
"Silvain Speech"
"Self Thoughts"
Theme: Voltaic Black Knight

---

♅ As he waited for the charging horde to enter his range, he could hear another rallying cry from behind him. Turning his eyes caught sight of the second contingent of raiders coming at them, ten in total. His back to The white-haired mercenary, Constantine was preparing to face this rear contingent himself.

Just as he was ready he heard the patter of feet coming down the ridge face, but it wasnt the Jaegers. No, his eyes widened at the sight of wolves coming down the ridge face. Looking up he could see Gregorio standing there looking down on him. Constantine could only guess that he was watching to see what Constantine could do.

With a smirk, he watched as the group of wolves attacked the rear raider group with no mercy. He knew as long as they were there no raider was getting past them. He could focus on the frontal group closing in. Turning he sprinted forward towards them, extending a hand forward to send a ripple to pull the first raider toward him.

As if yanking on an invisible cord, the raider went flying forward only to be cut down by Constantine. Continuing he charged in, and once within striking distance of them, he pushed as many as he could back with a thrust forward in the flux. With that in play, Constantine clashed with two raiders, his halberd whirling around in a display of control. This was the first time he used the group style of his halberd training and was impressed that it was working felling the first of the duo.

With one dead, he decided to take it up a notch, sidestepping one combatant as they lunged forward at him, allowing him to slice them across the back. Once on the ground, he made sure to impale the man so there was no chance of him getting up. ♅

---

[Caliban Black]

5 Glade 120, Age of Steel
Company: Constantine | Theme: Indestructable

Caliban almost seemed to bounce, his knees springing just slightly, in anticipation of the coming horde. His grip tightened on his bastard sword and he readied his soul for the etching to come when suddenly he heard the rear group of raider's appear. There were far more in number than his contact had told him. If not for these Jaegers, Caliban might have very well died here in this pass. But he wasn't thinking about that when he heard the raiders coming from behind- all he was thinking of was the numbers. Ten raiders from behind. How many from the front? He didn't know that number. Hell they seemed to multiply as they charged and his shoulder hurt so he was too distracted to count. Caliban turned toward the raiders flanking them and reached out with his hand but before he pushed a ripple through the flux, a loud snarling noise caused him to recoil.

Wolves descended upon the raiders flanking them and Caliban backed away. Wolves. He raised his sword. Beasts... he lowered his sword. They were killing raiders. Leave them be till they come for you. Then the sound of clashing steel and the screams of approaching warriors drew Caliban's attention back to the raiders who had charged at them. He turned, gripping the blade of his sword with his left hand to stabilize it a bit as he blocked an incoming blow from a raider's sword. The raider recoiled, but Caliban just let go of his sword and slashed upwards, catching and severing the raider's jaw- but quite horribly not killing him. The raider stumbled backwards, his hand slipping from his weapon and reaching for his hanging jaw.

Before Caliban could move in to finish him off, another raider with two axes came for the Reaver. Cal sidestepped one axe swipe only for another to catch him on the thigh, a light graze but a cut all the same. He stumbled back slightly and caught a raider aiming a crossbow out of the corner of his eye. Caliban grinned and swiped his left hand, pushing the crossbow to the side through a ripple the flux just as the raider fired it. The bolt caught the axeman in the back and his eyes bulged in surprise and pain for only a moment before Caliban swiped his sword through his neck. Then he fell to the ground.

The crossbow-clad raider began to reload but Caliban dropped his sword and picked up the axeman's axes. He flung the first one at the reloading raider and caused the man to flinch so violently that he dropped the bolt he was holding... but he missed. Then Caliban switched the other axe into his right had and moved a little closer. Just as the raider managed to fully draw back his crossbow, an axe flew into his chest. Caliban, remembering his earlier fight, jogged over to the raider still gripping parts of his jaw and crying in pain. Caliban reach his hand out behind himself for his sword and it flew from the ground back into his grip, then in a fluid motion he drove the blade through the dying raider. A small mercy to living without a jaw.

"My sword is just a piece of metal, I am the weapon."

[Etro]

♅ Into the Badlands ♅
5th of Glade, Year 120, Age of Steel
"Common Speech"
"Silvain Speech"
"Self Thoughts"
Theme: Voltaic Black Knight

---

♅ The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out around Constantine as he was fighting off as many combatants as he could. They seemed skilled in their preferred weapons, and he could admire that level of dedication to the craft. It was something he wished he could admire more, but now was not the time for such things.

No, he had to lessen the number of enemies as soon as possible. Mid-dance between clashing with their blades, he unleashed a small enough ripple in the flux to force them off their feet. Both warriors were unexpectedly caught in the upheaval of their feet. As they fell to the floor, they found themselves being impaled by his halberd

His face was splashed with crimson as he weapon dug into the flesh of his enemy. He did the same to the other male who had been attacking him in tandem. He too received the same treatment as the other. Both men drowned in the pool of their own blood.

He knew such actions would come back to bite him, retaliation from the raiders should he step foot in this wasteland again, but he wasn't worried in the least. Just as he went to move on another raider, a woman, came charging at him. Using her momentum against her, he waited till she was too close to react, and bashed her ribcage with the flat side of his halberd, and with the added push from his magic put behind the hit, alongside the speed she was running at, the impact sent her tumbling across the canyon floor till her skull smashed into a boulder.

He had taken three out, but there was still more fodder to handle, not to mention the larger raider he could see in the distance that was here as well. He would have to deal with him sooner or later, believing he was the reinforcement captain. He could see a small group surrounding his battle companion and decided to aid in covering his back. ♅

---

[Caliban Black]

5 Glade 120, Age of Steel
Company: Constantine | Theme: Indestructable

How many of these bastards are there? The thought flickered through Caliban's mind as Constantine joined him in fighting the raiders that had begun to encircle the reaver. Caliban heard Constantine crash into the raiders but had no time to pay him any further attention because he had raiders of his own to kill. A raider with a halberd to be exact. The halberd wielding raider thrust his long weapon towards Caliban who parried the strike aside and tried to move in to slash at the raider- only the raider's weapon gave him a greater range than Caliban's sword gave him and before he could really get to the man, the halberd was coming around for him again.

This time Caliban blocked but he did not parry. He let his blade lock with the halberd and when he felt the raider begin to pull his weapon back, Caliban went with it- driving his shoulder into the raider and knocking him off his feet. Caliban quickly swiped his sword in an arc, catching the raider across the neck before he heard footsteps closing in from behind. Caliban turned quickly to try and block but was a little too slow. The raider swiped his sword across Caliban's side and the reaver grunted in pain before slashing at the raider. His sword cleaved through only air on the first swipe and the adrenaline-engraged Caliban charged forth.

The raider ducked out of the way of swipe after swipe before Caliban reached his hand out and sent a wave through the flux to pull the raider towards him. Caught by surprised and suddenly unbalanced, the raider practically fell into Caliban's sword when it came for him. Then the swordsman shoved the body off his blade and raised it towards the rest of the now skeptical raiders before him. The wolves that had torn through the party in the back had begun picking off other targets and the raiders didn't know what to make of it... well... one did. The big bastard who looked like he must have been the leader charged Caliban and Constantine. Cal looked at the other warrior "Together?" He asked with a nod towards the charging raider.

"My sword is just a piece of metal, I am the weapon."