Post by Taos on Oct 29, 2006 7:35:46 GMT -5
Captain Aki stood before the roaring fire in the command post, wrapping his hands in fur and sealskin, preparing to step out into the roaring cold of winter. He mused on the early arrival of the season this year, as he shouldered his massive greatcoat, and pulled the flaps of his hat over his ears.
Trudging through the streets of the stronghold, his knee-high boots sinking almost entirely into the snowdrifts, his mind wandered with thoughts of his stay here. Only a few short years ago, right after his arrival, the Empire of Krieg had led a surprise attack into the southern heart of the Jade Islands, starting a four-way war that had raged on ever since. Despite their best efforts, the Three Nations had been slowly ground down, until Krieg's army stood only 50 miles to the south of the stronghold, slowly bringing their enormous force, 100 thousand strong, across the frozen skin of the Yellow River and into the northlands to crush out the last vestige of resistance.
He climbed up the narrow stairs attached to the wall, spikes in the heel and toe of his boots sinking into the slick ice on the steps. Just 3 months ago, these same steps had been slick with the blood of the Stone Warriors, Krieg's elite siege unit. They had attacked with 20 thousand men against the stronghold's garrison of fifteen hundred. Much to everyone's surprise, the Stone Warriors were slaughtered, fleeing the battlefield with fewer than a hundred men, thanks to the quick tactical thinking of the man that Aki knew only as "The Wanderer."
He had arrived at the gates half a year ago, with an almost childlike innocence regarding everything about the world, and an uncanny fluency in its many languages. But, the color of silver is the same everywhere, no matter where he was from, and Aki allowed him to stay, under watch. He had never given away his name, referring to it as unimportant. His weary demeanor and sunken, scarred features proclaimed to Aki that the man was, perhaps, fleeing a dark past in some far corner of the world, a theory which was supported by the strange symbol the man wore, and his habit of never removing the wrappings around his head and ears while in public.
Aki reached the top of the wall, and the Wanderer turned to him, steam hovering in the icy air as he spoke.
"Aki-san...I trust you have finished handing out the equipment in our armories? Every healthy body must be able to fight when the main force of the Krieg arrives."
Aki nodded. "Hai, sir...the people are ready, everyone is prepared to lay down their lives to defend this place. No man or woman would bring shame to their families by showing cowardice now."
The Wanderer looked back to the south, and though Aki's eyes could see nothing but white, his eyes were sharper than a hawks. "Their outriders will be here within a day...ensure that all gates are sealed and no one goes in or out, from this point on."
He looked back at Aki, his jaw set, a man who had never entertained the thought of defeat in his life. "This is where we stand, Aki-san, and they will pay in endless blood to bring us low. We will fight and die here, like men, and on this fortress, the invincible might of the Emperor's armies will break and recede, like waves against the cliffs. No more running for the Three Nations, Aki-san."
"This is where we win."
Trudging through the streets of the stronghold, his knee-high boots sinking almost entirely into the snowdrifts, his mind wandered with thoughts of his stay here. Only a few short years ago, right after his arrival, the Empire of Krieg had led a surprise attack into the southern heart of the Jade Islands, starting a four-way war that had raged on ever since. Despite their best efforts, the Three Nations had been slowly ground down, until Krieg's army stood only 50 miles to the south of the stronghold, slowly bringing their enormous force, 100 thousand strong, across the frozen skin of the Yellow River and into the northlands to crush out the last vestige of resistance.
He climbed up the narrow stairs attached to the wall, spikes in the heel and toe of his boots sinking into the slick ice on the steps. Just 3 months ago, these same steps had been slick with the blood of the Stone Warriors, Krieg's elite siege unit. They had attacked with 20 thousand men against the stronghold's garrison of fifteen hundred. Much to everyone's surprise, the Stone Warriors were slaughtered, fleeing the battlefield with fewer than a hundred men, thanks to the quick tactical thinking of the man that Aki knew only as "The Wanderer."
He had arrived at the gates half a year ago, with an almost childlike innocence regarding everything about the world, and an uncanny fluency in its many languages. But, the color of silver is the same everywhere, no matter where he was from, and Aki allowed him to stay, under watch. He had never given away his name, referring to it as unimportant. His weary demeanor and sunken, scarred features proclaimed to Aki that the man was, perhaps, fleeing a dark past in some far corner of the world, a theory which was supported by the strange symbol the man wore, and his habit of never removing the wrappings around his head and ears while in public.
Aki reached the top of the wall, and the Wanderer turned to him, steam hovering in the icy air as he spoke.
"Aki-san...I trust you have finished handing out the equipment in our armories? Every healthy body must be able to fight when the main force of the Krieg arrives."
Aki nodded. "Hai, sir...the people are ready, everyone is prepared to lay down their lives to defend this place. No man or woman would bring shame to their families by showing cowardice now."
The Wanderer looked back to the south, and though Aki's eyes could see nothing but white, his eyes were sharper than a hawks. "Their outriders will be here within a day...ensure that all gates are sealed and no one goes in or out, from this point on."
He looked back at Aki, his jaw set, a man who had never entertained the thought of defeat in his life. "This is where we stand, Aki-san, and they will pay in endless blood to bring us low. We will fight and die here, like men, and on this fortress, the invincible might of the Emperor's armies will break and recede, like waves against the cliffs. No more running for the Three Nations, Aki-san."
"This is where we win."