The Battle For Dras Leona

[Nandon]

Time seems to slow in Williams mind as the rider began casting the spell to cast the fire ball, Of course William had no idea what the spell was, but it certainly couldn’t be good for William or the Varden.,, Lifting his shield up as quickly as his slowed down self would allow him he instantly felt a rush of heat wash over the shield infront of him, before the large fire ball curled around the edges of the shield coating his face in a layer of ash.

Spluttering William backed up wiping the ash from his face before he became aware of a acute burning sensation on his arm where the shield was still attached, His eyes then turned into saucers as William noted his metal shield was now glowing red, Gripping the shield with his leather gauntlet William yanked it off, tossing it off to the side he grunted leaning down to nurse his wounded arm, It was his left arm, meaning it would cause no more nuisance to combat then the constant stinging it brought. The sound of a sword cutting through the air brought William back to reality as he stood back up fully, Causing the sword to cut across his cheek in a shallow, but painful cut. After that William leaped back, Placing a hand to his cheek he pulled it away as he saw blood.

William once again drew his sword holding his left arm behind his back so as to not unbalance himself with the dead weight of a arm hanging there, That’s when he saw the elbow coming, Now was no longer time to play around, Positioning his sword slightly differently William let the elbow slam into the sharpened edge of his sword, While maintaining a good grip on his sword at the same time.

[Quetzal]

The man Anurin healed stared at him in shock. "Th-Thank you," he gasped as breath returned to his lungs, the startled warrior limping off to help fight alongside his friends. Ri'Shei stared at the Rider warily. What was he playing at? He was with the Varden, was he not? And yet here he was, healing one of the Empire! This made her heavily suspicious of him, fearing some trap was being lain by the Varden by making Empire soldiers feel sympathy to their opposition. No luck with her; this was a battle. Emotions regarding the opposition were left behind so judgement would be clear and unbiased.

She tried to parry Anurin's heavy blow, but she was caught off guard and her sword did not reach her side in time to stop the other blade from hitting her side. Her chain mail protected her from a cut, but the blow had been heavy and bruising, leaving the area tender and sore. She snarled at her opponent, leaping away on light feet. Blades twirled in her hands as she watched his eyes cautiously, gaze breaking to flicker at the rest of his body. She was watching carefully for signs of movement and intent, but at the same time was sizing him up. It would be foolish to engage in combat with someone stronger than her, but he had struck the first blow. Pride played some part in binding her to defeat this enemy, but also the feeling that someone had to stop this Rider. She could feel the tug of her oath to the Empire urging her to carry on with this fight, and while it would allow her to flee so long as she did not flee the entire battle, it would be better for her to at least fend him off for a little while so she could escape into the Varden's ranks to deal more damage.

Muttering a word, she strengthened her wards in an effort to prevent any glancing blows from bruising. Stronger blows would require more energy for her wards to block, to it would be best to avoid being hit by any significant blows so not to sap her strength. A good number of extremely heavy blows would force her to stop her wards or die giving the energy to keep them up. The spartan swiftly darted forwards at the first opportunity she saw, not hesitating to attack Anurin full force. The sword in her right hand bore down towards his head, then changed course at the last moment, feinting to flick down at his left shoulder, while the blade in her left had swung directly at his right side in a quick slashing motion.

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[Aelodil]

Anurin's eyes grew damp and said as he watched the man he just healed limp away. He did not heal him to go back into the fight. He bowed his head. Had Galbatorix not done what he did, all this would have been by-passed. He would not be yet again on another battlefield, death here, blood there, carnage everywhere. As his hits went home, he realized he sealed his fate. Only one of them was coming out. The other will be dragged away by allies in hope of restoring them. He saw the slight movement of lips and felt a little heavier aura around him. Okay, she wanted to fight that way.

He was just about to start his own magic when suddenly one of her blades came at his head. Weakened and tired as he was, he did not think he could make it. However, as he put his sword up to his left, she suddenly attacked there. Not expecting the large amount of force and animosity behind the force, he staggered and felt his arm pull a muscle. He scuttle backwards and started watching her. He knew that she was wondering why he healed that man, though he was of the Empire's army. He decided he may as well answer,"I healed him because of this carnage. There is no time for animosity. A wounded soldier is a soldier in need of any help. I know you may think this is a trap and I do not blame you. But I tell you it is not, and I give you my word, if that means anything." he told her.

As he got back into fighting stance he saw another five soldiers, three seeming from the Empire and the other two of the Varden fall to a barrage of arrows. His wards protected him and the rest hid under their shields. Casting a sorrowful gaze upon them, he quickly healed all five before returning his attention to Ri'Shei. She was a far more dangerous opponent than he expected."Vanilor, come here a little. If we ignore her and continue destroying her soldiers she will probably get lured easily then we can quickly back-track and attack her." he informed Vanilor as Vanilor acknowledged and swooped over, picking Anurin and placing him in the saddle. Then from there, Vanilor began breathing fire on the walls to flush out any more Empire in there and Anurin began draining peoples' energy. A soldier dropped dead suddenly and his companions fled in fear as Vanilor neared.

(This was a hasty post so if I went a little god-mode or anything like that, inform me so I can fix it.)


Ragdar wanted to kill William.

First he broke Ragdar's nose, and now his elbow was cut till the bone. He was glad he was used to such pain yet it was still bad, seeing as it was his right arm. Cursing, he thanked his adoptive father for forcing him to train with his left hand as he switched Arucane to the left. He eyed William and got a message: An eye for an eye. Or an arm for an arm in this case. Well, however it was, they were even. He smiled insanely and whispered,"Brisingr." and a huge circle of fire was lit around him and William, making it no escape except for him if he needed to run with Lenora.

He eyed William with an expert eye. It seems that the heavy bulky armor wasn't weighing him down as much as he wanted it to. That was a shame, yet an obstacle he had to face. He continued onward with a few feints but never closing in too much as that William could get a grip on his sword. Finally, Ragdar actually attacked, aiming for the left hand then suddenly changing direction quickly swiping the sword toward William's sword hand in an attempt to disarm him.

[Nandon]

((I see this thread should be winding to a close since no one else is posting, So...If you guys agree, lets go ahead and bring this all to a close))

William watched his opponents eyes carefully, Knowing they would be the first thing to show a feint, A non commitance to a attack, And William saw that a couple times, Then again, before in a flash the riders eyes filled with passion and William leaped back, Not quick enough however to avoid injury all together, As he leaped back the sharpened rider sword cut a long non deep cut through William armor, Marring the flesh below it with another minor scar.

Hoping to end this fight quickly before all these small numerous wounds piled together he swung with his blade flat so as to deliver a knock out blow, Not kill, To the riders head, If it hit him he would be down for the count.

[Aelodil]

Ragdar knew what was coming for him but he also had no time to dodge it seeing as he had so many soldiers around him. He watched the blade shift as it turned to the flat side. Was this man sparing him? He should not have. Had Ragdar been in his place he would not have done so. But a moment before he was knocked out cold he sent out a mental distress array to Lenora and Ri'Shei.

He dropped heavily, head pounding. Where was he? Why did his head throb so much.. Ugh, he couldn't think straight. He raised a hand to rub his head but found he could not move anything. He thanked whatever gods he believed in that he was spared. Though he could not believe he was bested. His pride refused to admit that he just fell to a few soldiers and a Knight.

[Quetzal]

The Empire ranks were falling back now, many soldiers growing nervous. Was this possible? Could the Empire, the great and mighty army of the most powerful King Alageasia had ever seen, fail yet again to a group of reckless bandits and rebels? There was a panicked surprise spreading as the soldiers became more aware of how much their numbers had depleted. The walls were covered in bodies and blood of the Varden and Empire alike, but further into the city the victors were more blatant. Empire ranks were being forced back, Riders were circling to protect ranks, and the Varden had even forced their way closer to the heart of the city, to be challenged by the Empire's strongest soldiers whom Galbatorix would dare to spare on this fight. However, this was the point of the battle when the Empire soldiers were most dangerous to those around them. They were growing desperate, adrenalin-fueled limbs flailing madly in a terrified daze as they swung with nothing left to lose. Once this final tense stage was overcome, the Empire's ranks would be destroyed and the battle would be won by the Varden.

Meanwhile, Ri'Shei fought Anurin, seemingly the most powerful dragon Rider in the battle. He was the oldest, at any rate, if the size of his dragon was anything to go by. Or at least, she had thought he was fighting her. Seeing him heal five other people from either rank then leave without killing her, the spartan watched with a sense of wonder she rarely allowed herself to feel. Just for a moment, a thought flickered through her mind. It was a sense of the ancient wisdom of the dragons as old as Valinor. It was a feeling of great pity for those who wasted their lives arguing and in conflict, valuing each life and wishing only to bring peace. The thought vanished a moment later and she returned to her hot-headed self as a thought that was not her own pierced her mind. Ragdar.

Gesturing with a subtle hand motion for her slightly smaller than before group of soldiers to follow her, she ran toward where the distress call had come from. A wave of anger rushed through her as she saw her friend lying crumpled with a wounded head before a bloodied and cut Sir William. She allowed a furious cry of anger to escape her throat as she ran to stand between him and the knight, glaring down at him. He must be stronger than she had first thought, to have bested Ragdar. Stronger than her, anyway. None the less, bad idea or not, she could not forgive him for hurting her friend. She would not let Ragdar die, so she had to protect him from further harm at least until Lenora could fly him away to safety to be healed.

Swinging her two bloodstained swords, she spoke. "You made a mistake hurting my friend like this, Sir," she spat, "I will not let you finish him off," she felt around to her mind to see how close Lenora was, then darted with elven speed, intending to knee William in the stomach to make him stumble, giving her time to slash at his arm and side with her swords. She hoped her speed would best his, but was unsure if her strength or skill would. With any luck, she would not have to hold him off for long before Lenora got there. He could not kill her in that time, although she was aware capture was a quicker option, making the situation still very dangerous.

All around, the Empire were still being forced further and further back. A few of the Varden even managed to make their way into the great halls where lords were hiding, but most were killed. The battle was nearly over, and it did not look good for the Empire.

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[Aelodil]

Ragdar continued to struggle back to consciousness.Get up! he ordered his body yet was met with sullen resistance. Then the next second all went black. Where was he? Was he entering the void? At least he died serving the Empire. He let out a sigh and let go of his struggle. His job was done here. Now let him rest. Suddenly he jolted up as he heard Ri'Shei yelling.

Of course, should he get up heroically like a true general then save the day? Nope. Not so luck. Instead he jolted his head up just to have it slam into the ground again after slamming into a shield. Growling, he pulled the owner of the shield to the ground and slaughtered him. He tried charging with Ri'Shei yet was still dizzy and simply managed to crumple.

Lenora dashed in just as Ragdar was about to hit the floor and helped him lean on her neck."Little one..rest. I shall deal with this. Leave me some of the kills."[/i]. He nodded then suddenly he said to both Ri'Shei and Lenora,"117. I got 117 kills before being knocked out.". Lenora smiled and said,"109. I got 109 kills before I had to come protect you."[/b]. Ragdar grinned insanely and retreated a little and helped his troops. It was a lost cause he knew. But he preferred to go down fighting with his friends. He stood next to Ri'Shei repelling any of the soldiers who were attacking her.

Lenora swooped in and swept her tail at William making sure to stop it and return before she hit Ri'Shei. As Ri'Shei moved back a little, Lenora opened her jaws wide and let out a stream of crimson flames. She closed her mouth and thought to herself,Well...there's lunch.[/b]

(Btw Nandon, don't worry about the flames. Remember how at the beginning of the thread Anurin gave William wards? One of them was to protect from flames. So just sayin to help you in the post)

[Nandon]

William had kneeled down next to the unconscious man, Checking his pulse to assure himself he was alive, Then went about binding his hands, But then a force pushed him away and caused him to sprawl backwards, They where below the walls now, As through the course of the fight it had moved down so now all was quiet above, And below now.

William then found himself faced with three powerful adversaries, The woman from earlier….The rider he had almost captured, And a dragon. And to make matters worse for William he had placed his sword aside when he had checked on the man, And that meant his sword was now behind all the others infront of him. He moved back only to be met with the corner of the wall as William moved to dodge the slash, Causing a nice gash along his thigh, Leaning against the wall for support he watched the dragon tail lash out and then pull back and he then realized this was how his tale would end.

Killed by a rider, A strange woman and a dragon, All for the cause of this silly civil war. As the dragon opened its maw to breath fire on William his life flashed before his eyes.

Events such as the last time he saw his father and mother before they left, The death of his faithful guardian, His meeting with the bear. And all the events since then all flashed before his eyes and he felt a tear leave his face. Then he was surrounded by white light as the fire engulfed him, Yet he felt no pain at all. And soon the fire started the fade away, and where it had been he saw his father infront of him. Along with his mother.

The couple watched him for a moment as a portal of light opened behind them, His mother walked through it and his father was about to, Before he turned for a moment, and gave a slight nod of approval and then they where gone. The portal of light gone. And dimly William realized, He wasn’t dead.

Opening his eyes he saw the area around him similar to as he had left it, Charred now by fire of course, But apart from that, It was the same. How was he alive? William then realized he was on the ground in the corner he had backed himself into, He tried quickly to stand but his injured leg gave out on him and he plopped back onto the ground.

Then a call rose from the walls above.

“ARCHERS! READY!” William recognized the voice as the archery commander, The man who supervised the drills of all the archers of the force William was designated with, He knew many of the archers had been taken up to the walls to support the main force, But that would mean that the walls would be won.

Then another voice presented itself. This one closer.

“INFANTRY! PRESENT SHIELDS!” Then a clatter of arms rose around them all and looking around William noted a phalanx now surrounded them all, The spear tips dangerously close to the trio of enemies William had been faced with. Then looking up William saw the dull gleam of hundreds of arrows as they gleamed in the fire of the city. The battle was over, And now, His men had returned to save the commander.
Finally the second voice presented itself again. Speaking to William himself.

“Sir William! The battle is won! The city is ours! And now! We have returned to save you!”

Then the slither of hundreds of bowstrings sliding into position came followed by the first voice.

“Drop your weapons now and surrender! Or else you will slaughtered!”

Smiling William let out a dull laugh, realizing that his men, had returned to save him, And that now, His story would continue, and now, The Varden was one step closer to Ur’Baen.

[Aelodil]

Ragdar looked around him. Everywhere he looked he found another Varden soldier. Sneering, he looked back at William. He had a grudging respect for the hardy Knight. He had a fewling he knew what was to happen to them. Not in a specific order. a)Capture b)Interrogate c)Torture. And of course if he escaped his father would kill him. He sighed and sheathed Arucane though left his Eldunari hidden and hi mind shut. He looked at Ri'Shei grinning. He mouthed the words 117 kills.

Anurin looked down at the Knight. He knew his wards would come in handy. Jumping down, he landed next to William, helped him up and said,"Sir William. You have done an excellent job. And I believe I speak for the Varden when I say you are a great commander." then suddenly raising his voice,"Make way! The commander has severe injuries. I must attend to him immediately.". Then lowering his voice he whispered to William,"I told you those wards will end up saving you".

As they entered William's tent he quickly had his shirt taken off and all his gear -- including his sword and shield brought in. He began healing the wounds then as he finished he ordered William to lay down and rest. He took attendance of the shield. It seemed like something important.. a heirloom maybe? He quickly began singing a song to revert it's state back to how it was before the battle. This exhausted him deeply as he reclined back. He walked to the infirmary healing as many soldiers as he can, Vanilor lending energy when necessary. He smiled. The battle was done, the war was not.

TO BE CONTINUED[/u]

Sorry.. had to do that