Welcome to Abyssus Invocati!

[Colonel Ashbringer]

Mograine flushed in the heat of the midday. Aspyre sure has a nice drought coming on. It never grew this hot in the old days, even in the middle of a battlefield.

...shit

There he goes again with the old man attitude. Hahaha. He was here for the first day of active duty in four years. The last one had been spent on a ship. Oh and such a magnificent ship the Wassertänzer was. He had once been at the helm of the most powerful ship in the Aspyrian navy.

Funny... he had thought that going back and getting demoted would weigh more on his pride, but he was wrong. He was just happy they accepted him again, and in a position too. Felicitas was on his side apparently.

Erste Nacht neighed and recieved a scratch behind the ears. He just bought the horse from his frequented breeder a week ago and already he was warming up to the large warhorse. The horse had a good form: a good turned-over neck, higher withers than the croup (basically bigger shoulders than the hips), a high set tail, well-sprung ribs, short cannon bones for stability in battle, and a nicely dished face. More importantly though was that Mograine wasn't too large in context to the horse. He'd seen top-heavy riding pairs topple during battle, usually proving fatal. The horse was large enough at 19 and a half hands high at the withers. Pity that he was gelded late which also gave him a little rebeliousness.

"First Night" looked like one of his old horses and so Mograine gave them the same name. And the horse's color was obvious in the name... Erste Nacht... beautiful. His first ally on the battlefield.

They reached the gates of the Fortress Minore. Mograine could see a couple of new towers and battlements, but not much had changed really. He urged Erste Nacht onward through the gates.

[Lianor]

She was returning once more to the Fortress, still wearing her old clothes from yesterday but of course, washed. Lianor may need to pick up a new sword as well as a new warhorse, it has been awhile since she last rode one. She had also considered some thought about little miss, things were not getting so well for her. She should really do something...no, she would probably only hurt her feelings more if she did.

Lianor didn't want the same thing that happened to her mother.

Well regardless, she didn't seem to have much time to think about it now, there was also time needed for training before they move on with final recruitment. The Fortress was slightly more busier than yesterday as well, probably the word of the Commander was spreading fast. There was already a handful of soldiers, mercenaries and adventurers looking with interest at the recruitment notice posted just about everywhere in the walls of the Fortress.

[Colonel Ashbringer]

Mograine adjusted his scarf and raised it. The guards stood in awe as he passed by. Years ago, he'd have knocked them upsude the head with the blunt edge of their own swords. But he didn't want to do that on his first day.

The black steed trotted through the gates and he passed the training grounds unsullied. It would only be a matter of time. The recruitment lists were on the walls now.

Ahh the smell of sweat, the sound of clashing swords, the stampeding hooves of cavalry training. He felt alive again.

He espied a young woman with a familiar gait and a musculature to shame a few ruffians. The familar back lacked a greatsword slung on.

Aegis Lianor Grander

He wasn't guilty of anything. It was battle after all. There was nothing to cry for, nothing to say. He stood over her father that day.

He waited to get noticed by the bystanders.

[Lianor]

Lianor had mostly went along normally, glancing at wares and horses. She was like most other men eager to join for General Anke's call to arms, except while they mostly had the spirit of loot and adventure, she knew to exactly brace herself with. It would have proceeded on that way, had she not caught sight of yet another familiar face with a build rather standing out. Lianor had mixed feelings within her when she saw him, part of her wanted to smile but there also a part of her that wanted to turn away.

She tried not to think about it too deeply when regarding her former instructor. After all, circumstances were just different between them but she could never understand why she still had this tense feeling upon seeing him. Lianor shouldn't let her past get to her, save only for one which was her mother's.

"Colonel, you're here! I'm glad to see you coming back to action." she greeted him sincerely. Lianor then glanced to the might black steed the colonel brought along.

"And this is your new horse?" she curiously asked, a bit surprised. Honestly, she would've never imagined him to be able to find a horse what could support his size. Why, he could probably topple down a calvary man and his horse altogether easily.

[Colonel Ashbringer]

Sharp-eyed as always! Good girl! he almost said. She had after all been a prodigy. Her performance improved even more so when she had learned the awful truth that existed between the two of them. And admiration crept into his heart for the once skinny tomboy after that time.

Somehow the girl knew that holding a grudge wasn't right to begin with, and an apology from him would have cheapened the meaning of her father's death. They had settled for an uncomfortable silence as mentor and pupil until she was given her first assignment on active duty. Now though, the woman had bloomed. Even under the muscle that had developed to discreetly hide her femininity, Mograine could see that she had indeed grown.

Nothing better to remind an old man of his age than a young woman.

"Greetings Lianor. I haven't seen you since... Wait... Let's not get into the count of years, it makes me feel old," He grinned, showing a couple of teeth that had been knocked out in battles long past, "So, where does a recruit go for his first day of active duty? This newness startles me a little."

He dismounted Erste Nacht and patted the large horse on the side of the jaw. He reached inside a riding pack slung over the horse's rump and fed the stallion an apple.

Other soldiers looked at him with a mix of awe and surprise. The younger recruits being whispered to by the more experienced and more history-savvy soldiers. Fans and more fans... I need a different kind of fan, the one that cools a man down when swung from side-to-side! He thought slightly exasperated.

"Maybe the stables first. Erste Nacht needs some well-deserved rest. Ahh! But oh how I miss this place! What has happened in my absence? I've recently heard that a House Head had become General of the Army, and a woman at that!"

Catching up with things was difficult. He'd learned this all through life. Be away for a span of time and most things went kaput in a short while. Better to begin now.

"I also head that you'd retired?"

He had been wondering why such a dedicated girl, why a dedicated soldier would leave at such a young age.

Things had changed and Mograine feared that he'd been left behind.

[Lianor]

"Greetings Lianor. I haven't seen you since... Wait... Let's not get into the count of years, it makes me feel old," He grinned, showing a couple of teeth that had been knocked out in battles long past. Lianor almost broke into a chuckle, for both the irony mention of his age and the silly look on his face. Looks like she wasn't the only one to worry about her years and she couldn't imagine reaching that period yet.

"So, where does a recruit go for his first day of active duty? This newness startles me a little." her former instructor further said. Lianor placed a hand behind her head, scratching it as she tried to come up a good response. Colonel Ashbringer though, continued after he dismounted and then fed his warhorse.

"Maybe the stables first. Erste Nacht needs some well-deserved rest. Ahh! But oh how I miss this place! What has happened in my absence? I've recently heard that a House Head had become General of the Army, and a woman at that!"

"Ah, so that's the name of your horse" she thought. Well at least it was easier for her to answer to these questions instead.

"Well, not much. We have a few skirmishes with raiders now and then but nothing the military can't handle. As for the woman you speak of, that would be Lady Anke de Schuldeif. She is by far I dare say, a superior soldier than I can ever hope to imagine and I can bet pretty well she will be the next Commander too. I think she was better off that way than being couped up with ruling House duties but I can't say I feel rather uneasy about the same house ruling a second time..." Lianor mused.

She also suddenly began to recall a certain fellow soldier she used to know, he knew him or...used to but even his younger brother couldn't even understand why he left the service of the military. Lianor could only guess but some other time would be better for thinking. She could hear other soldiers talking about them but she rather not mind it so she further spoke.

"I also head that you'd retired?" he further asked. Lianor only replied with a casual shrug.

"Well the state is mostly at peace and soldiers like me aren't that much needed but retirement does not equal jobless. I'm working as instructor and captain to some guards of a rich and famous noble family for now, though that time is about to change..." she mused, an wry smile on her lips as she began to think about little miss again and then it suddenly occurred to her.

"Oh yes, I was wrong about Aspyre being peaceful or will be. General Anke has made a call to arms to investigate the sudden lost contact with the Eastern Garrison. She will be leading the attack. I plan on doing the same but my ridership skills are a bit rusty." Lianor said admittedly, there was a sheepish embarrassed look on her face as she recalled her early days dealing with a horse.

[Colonel Ashbringer]

"I haven't been in the regular army in a long while so you'll have to forgive me if I say that there was some form of stigma about women leading the army. Case and point, the army is still headed by a MALE commander. Not that I have any such prejudices myself mind you. Goodness knows that after teaching you lot, I've had my expectations surpassed three times over eh?"

Mograine ran a hand through his brown locks. If he was ever vain about any part of his body, it was his hair; he caught Leonora's eyes because of his hair anyway. He took his cloak and scarf off and hung them on Erste Nacht to escape the heat.

He was revealed to have Tried and Tested slung over his back, shield covering the broadsword and defending his back at the same time.

"And yeah, I've heard about the commotion over east. Pity is that I have to sit this one out due to the fuss and commotion that joining an army brings. Despite the fact that I am assigned Colonel and should be acting as one of Lady Anke's field officers, I still have to follow military protocol. I hope everythings alright, but speaking as a veteran, there could only be one answer. And so my hope is cheated. I say the Lady Anke leads them into a possible trap. Why else would they light smoking fires to be seen in Aspyre?", he shook his head.

Mograine asked this in his instructor's voice, trying to tempt Lianor into thinking. Just like he used to do with the more experienced recruits.

Hopefully things hadn't changed too much.

[Lianor]

The idea did made her thought again for awhile. It brought an irritating frustration but Lianor wasn't one to show this easily and neither was it deliberate either. She doesn't know why but she just can't seem to show that angry side of herself other than physical violence but no, this was just mere annoyance. After awhile of thinking, she just sighed and shrugged.

"Even if what you say is true Colonel, there is no way we can ignore such a threat. Judging by how fast the enemy moves, they may have already taken the garrison as we speak and would use it as their main base of operations. It is even possible they can mount two or even three offensives simultaneously. Defending these territories would stretch us too thin to be of any effectiveness, especially for Antioch. We stand better chance holding them back to the northeast." she said with more emphasis on the word 'three'. She scratched her temple thinking that such a nightmare would that bring to imagine those numbers.

'Besides," she briefly then turned her attention to a small group of young recruits, slacking and enjoying their moment's break before their instructor's return. They were mostly talking about beer and women. While the sight was common amongst the robust men in the Minore, she can't help but think the boys at the garrison not having this same luxury.

"I'd like to believe the men out there are still alive, whatever is left of them."

[Colonel Ashbringer]

Right in essence, but a little off target little one. The raiders aren't in their own country, and numbers would be limited for their forces. That is unless they are a actual invasion force sent by a world power. But no... the delegates of the major powers are already here save Loquy, and a invasion is neither within their capability nor their scope. The raiders come from the opposite direction, making it likely that they are a raiding rabble, though rather large. My opinion would be that the garrison IS the trap and when field combat is avoided, it may mean gave losses for our side when it turns into a massacre inside the fortress keep.

Mograine thought, as he listened to the girl speak.

"Ah but I fear that both our hopes may be cheated when all Lady Anke finds are corpses among strewn blades. But come, the stables now and we'll talk as we go on. We darken the day with our talk of blood and death."

He fed Erste Nacht another apple, the horse's muscles were beginning to steam, warm from a long journey.

He got another apple for himself and got one to throw over to Lianor who caught it with one hand.

[Lianor]

She was about to take a bite out of the said apple until she remembered. Back then, she recalled an incident happened in the Lorelei household that another death an occurred among the workers in the field. Jessica called her and Reis, Farlis tried his best but in the end it was to no avail. Now she remembered her Little Miss again.

Lianor blinked and shook her head.

"No, I shouldn't get attached to such trifle things. I should focus on the bigger now." she forcefully reminded herself but for some reason, she couldn't find the strength to eat the apple. Instead, she just tucked it away under a pocket from her trousers.

"I think I'll save it for later, in the mean time I'd like to be prepared, trap or not. We soldiers are always at the forefront of death anyway. So..." she mused, glancing at Erste Nacht with interest but finding such a similar large warhorse would probably not suit her.

"I'm currently looking for a steed of my own. It has been awhile since I have done any riding during my calvary days. Sadly, the Loreleis only have enough room for carriage horses."

They soon arrive at the stables, a number of horses were on sale today as the caretakers have heard of Anke's word of assembly. There were different breeds from all over the continent with exception from Loquy. A few though seemed were in a rush and these still need to be a bit tamed. As one calvary man (or woman) would expect, the prices and buying a suitable horse would be real tricky against swindlers.

"Well Colonel, shall we park Erste Nacht then begin?" she enthustiastically asked him.

[Colonel Ashbringer]

Mograine led Erste Nacht into a stall and stroked the giant of a warhorse on the nose before feeding him a last apple. He glared at the stable hands who shuffled about, arguing at length whether which of them got to tend the Colonel's horse. They gulped audibly when he looked at them and quickly hurried about the massive horse. One of the stable boys handed him the riding pack.

"Yes let us go. This heat is hard on an old man. I wonder what the new king's plans are regarding it?"

(OOC: insert answer here)

Mograine didn't even know how the kid he'd seen in Lord Thibault's home running around with a twin sister and an older brother could rule Aspyre. Small doubts, but doubts nonetheless.

"He seems to be astute, asking the foreign dignitary for help about the situation. I hope things turn better for Aspyre here, if not in the east."

[Lianor]

"Yes let us go. This heat is hard on an old man. I wonder what the new king's plans are regarding it?"

Lianor tried to recall what she read about in the newspapers during her coffee break in the morning. There was a number of efforts going underway against the drought, even a number of diplomats have shown up recently.

"Well not directly the boy-king himself, he has efforts from others for this help. A diplomat named Lord Thobari has plans on seeking the source. Lady Amelia will focus on an immediate solution. I heard they took a debated meeting here recently too so most of the details are kind of vague other than recruitment. A Devonese dignitary had recently arrived with support for the funding."

She told him, her eyes searched around at the other horses for sale, while her ears still paid attention to the Colonel. There was so much to chose though so little time.

"He seems to be astute, asking the foreign dignitary for help about the situation. I hope things turn better for Aspyre here, if not in the east."

Lianor nodded in agreement, her main focus should be the war efforts for now. She placed her hands on her hips then returned her attention to the Colonel.

"Say this reminds me, have you considered an audience with the new boy-king? You had been away for awhile and alot of things might have changed for you."

[Colonel Ashbringer]

"I have thought about that as well. But it seems to me he'd be too busy for some re-hired old coot."

Moog smiled. He knew the girl was looking for a horse by this time. He spotted several that would be capable under her rein, but none that suited her battle style and prowess. Tough luck maybe, but there was a nice looking roan mare in the corner stall...

"You're right I think. Yet why would he ask a foreign dignitary to find water for a city that the foreigner has no business helping? If I'm may make so bold, why would the Lord from Krelos do such a thing?"

Mograine spradically eyed the mare and shifted his gaze at Lianor.

[Lianor]

Lianor gave it another thought regarding the matter, her eyes shifting lightly upward as if staring at an imaginary thought balloon. True, allowing a stranger to help in a crisis seems like a sort of dependence but taken to logical account, she could guess there could be two reasons why.

"Well, I suppose simply because Krelos has experience best handled in a crisis like this but any Krelos inhabitant would do but maybe this was also to strengthen political ties and trust to Asypre. It is clear to me however, that Aspyre is in far greater risk than the drought itself." she said

She paused for moment, arms crossed and tightened. The picture of the boy King and the past flashing before her as she flipped the history pages in her memory.

"Our king is but a boy...if you know what I mean dear Colonel." Lianor said, nodding with an uneasy frown on her face.