Under Siege Part 3

[cityship]

The battle had raged for three days with the occasional lull, and there was still no sign of Baron Raleigh and reinforcements. There had been heavy casualties on both sides; King Demetrius's forces had been cut in half, but that still left Nasat outnumbered two to one.

Things were about to change, though.

[OOC: The Spy's Report is now open!]

Comments

A King's Suspicions

[cityship]

Diana Wynnthrope was very pleased with how things were going.

It had taken her three years to see the first bits of fruition in her plans, but she was a patient woman. It had been no easy task to manipulate the king, either; he was inherently a good man. She'd had to work slow at first, and after she'd gotten several of the nobles on her side, it had gotten easier to convince Demetrius that he was being plotted against.

The third night of the battle, during a lull, she calmly made her way to an empty clearing not far from the camp. None of the king's soldiers stopped her. They were used to her occasional disappearances.

The king, however, had been having doubts lately. She knew this, and she knew that Demetrius was tailing her. Without giving any indication that she was aware of his presence, she walked to the center of the clearing, and spoke the words to a magical spell.

Anyone that wasn't within 100 feet of the edges of the clearing would now see nothing but a rocky outcropping.

[cityship]

The King had indeed been having doubts even before he had laid siege to the Nasat. Each and every time, it had been Diana's council that had soothed his doubts. After three days of battle his doubts and suspicions had grown ever more pressing; were Baron Archand and his people as treacherous as he had been lead to believe time and again? Were they truly wishing to take his crown?

These doubts swirling through his mind, latching on to one particular thought: who had always been there to advise him the last few years, the one who had been the source of his suspicions, had fueled them and led to this confrontation? Thus it was that he found himself trailing Lady Diana as she left the camp, leaving his bodyguard behind.

Undeterred by her magic the King stepped into the clearing, a grim look on his face.

[cityship]

Calmly, Diana turned to give Demetrius a questioning look, not even bothering to feign surprise at seeing him, "Is the battle not going well, Your Highness?"

[cityship]

Demetrius paced slowly around the clearing, her question getting no answer for a moment as he cast his gaze back toward the camp, "The Baron has held off all attempts to breach the walls. It seems that he has obtained the assistance of number skilled individuals who aid in his defense."

Turning to her before he went on, "But that is not why I am here, Diana. It was, after all, your advice that led to this moment, to this battle."

[cityship]

Another meeting occurred in that very same clearing later that night. Stealthily, a handful of nobles and officers had slipped from their tents and gathered there, along with King Demetrius.

Unbeknownst to them, a spy from Nasat had infiltrated the troops' ranks, and followed just as stealthily behind. He'd had several close calls, but he was well-trained, and taking up a position in the branches of one of the trees on the edge of the clearing, he watched and listened.

[cityship]

"A slight change of plans is in order, as you can see," the king said, smiling coldly. "Our dear Demetrius finally came to his senses, and forced me to... dispose of him. A shame, really. He was such fun."

[cityship]

An officer laughed, and arranged himself comfortably on a patch of moss, "It's about time. I don't see why you didn't do this earlier, Mother. It makes it easier to get all these humans to kill each other when you're the one giving the orders."

[cityship]

The king hissed, a distinctly reptilian sound, and in his place appeared a large green dragon, deadly gasses escaping her mouth. "The journey is more important than the end, my son, and you would do well to learn that. Achieving our goal would not be as satisfying if we did everything ourselves. Besides, too drastic a change in his personality too soon, and his subjects would get suspicious."

The Spy's Report

[cityship]

Within a half hour, messengers had been sent to everyone on the team, to inform them of an urgent meeting with Archand and his officers. They gathered in the baron's private chambers, one or two of them still in their sleep clothes from being dragged out of bed to catch a few precious hours of rest.

[OOC: First three posts in order are Baron Archand, the spy, and Nehaalista. After that, no posting order.]

[cityship]

Archand sat next to the spy, holding a cup of water for the man and talking quietly to him. As soon as everyone had gathered, he looked up, a serious expression on his face, and spoke, "Christopher is one of our best spies, and he managed to get into a secret meeting tonight amongst several of the king's nobles and officers tonight. With what he learned, we may be in more trouble than we thought."

He motioned for the spy to speak, giving him a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

[cityship]

Christopher took a deep breath and stood up, voice shaky.

"It turns out that our suspicions of Lady Diana and some of the nobles and officers manipulating King Demetrius were right. I did not stay for the entire meeting, but I heard, and saw, more than enough: they are dragons. Green dragons, to be exact. And, Demetrius is dead.

"Lady Diana, or whatever her true name may be, has taken his form. They have plans to fake the king's death during battle so that the Duke of Sucrest, one of their own, will take the crown."

He bowed his head, apologetic, "I admit, I left the meeting in a panic, afraid of discovery. I knew that this information would not reach you if I were dead, though."

[dearest-nehaa.livejournal.com]

Nehaalista looked at Kang for a moment, lifting an eyebrow in silent question before her necklace started to translate her signing. [We are glad to hear it.] She looked at the Baron, [If that much of the army's leaders have been replaced, this is a deeper hole than originally anticipated.] She frowned in thought.

Confrontation

[cityship]

As the sun rose, winged shapes could be seen flying towards Nasat from the northwest. The battle was put on hold, everyone apprehensive, and when the glint of bronze scales could be seen in the sunlight, cheers erupted from the townspeople.

One of the dragons touched down inside the city walls, the rest of them settling some distance away and keeping a close eye on the king's forces. Occasionally, one of the other dragons would take to the other and do a circle around the city. One hour later, after sending runners back and forth, a group gathered in the middle of the battlefield, between both armies.

On Archand's side: the baron himself, several of his officers, all of the team excepting Aibghalien and Sofia, and Christopher the spy. Bight had changed his appearance with a polymorph spell so he wouldn't be recognized.

On the king's side: Demetrius, nine of his own officers (seven of which Christopher positively identified as green dragons), and his top two mages.

No plan survived first contact with the enemy, though.

[Posting order is: Sellindrinax, Archand, Bight, Nehaa, Kang. After that, no posting order.]

[cityship]

Sellindrinax had had her doubts on whether the bronzes had truly arrived, but they all disappeared as soon as she laid eyes on Bight. She knew what he was immediately, and she could tell he was very old, and very powerful. Her children sensed it as well, and she made a mental note to have a talk with the two that exchanged quick, nervous glances. She had taught them better than to show fear.

Though the disguised king's eyes never left Bight, the face was kept carefully controlled, to show no hint of the hate underneath. Her plan was beginning to fall apart right in front of her.

"Has Baron Raleigh fallen through on his promise, Archand? Perhaps he had a change of heart, choosing to remain loyal to the crown and to not aid treasonists."

[cityship]

Archand frowned, "As I have told you repeatedly, Your Highness, I never had any intention to take your crown, nor was I evading taxes. I have always been loyal. Yet, you believe the words of a woman that has slowly changed you over the past three years. Where is Lady Diana?"

Interesting, that Lord Bight was being watched before even introducing himself as a representative of the bronze clan. Perhaps he'd picked something up from his previous dealings that helped him seem more dragon-like, something magical in nature?

"Raleigh has not abandonded us. He has sent his allies, the bronze dragons from the mountains, ahead." He nodded at Bight respectfully.

[dragonlordbight]

If Bight had doubted the spy's information, as soon as he approached with Archand and the group his doubts would have likewise been dispelled, easily confirming the presence of all bar the two mages as green dragons. His eyes likewise never left the King, he knew well she recognized him for what he was, just as he sensed her age and the power lingering beneath the surface. It would be just as clear to her as it was to him that he knew what she was even if he said nothing of it yet.

She did well to control her emotions, less so than the two that exchanged looks, they were scared. So they should be. "I am Teranyex, of the Bronze dragon clan, others of the bronze clan and I have flown ahead at Baron Raleigh's request," Even despite the changes to his looks and attire, Bight had retained that same sense of supreme confidence that few apart from dragons and cats could achieve.

A simple nod was given to Archand, one that would seem to be a motion for the Baron to continue, though in fact it carried the confirmation that the King and the officers that had been previously confirmed, seven of the nine were in fact dragons.

Closed to Kang and Crucible

[governorkang]

It was obvious that Kang was taking the deception very personally, and that he was pissed. He'd avoided the other bronzes, but his anger at Crucible was enough that as soon as the group had reached the gates of Nasat, he stepped in front of the dragon, crossing his arms over chest, "I want to talk to you. In private." His tail lashed.

[dragonlordbight]

It would have been difficult for Crucible not to have noticed Kang's change in demeanor, nor know that the draconian had taken his deception personally. Thus it came as no surprise when the draconian confronted him when they reached the gates of Nasat. He had expected as much to occur once there was such a moment for such privacy, even amongst the discussions and comments he had made to the other Bronzes in regards to the matter of the greens but had remained relatively quiet otherwise.

Thus when Kang confronted him with a request to talk in private, the massive dragon dipped his head in agreement to Kang's request without but a moment's thought, "Of course," he replied without any sense of argument, before nodding across further down the wall where it would be less likely that they would be overheard. After all Kang deserved answers, and answers he would have.

Shuffling his wings a bit, still holding his injured wing carefully, doing his best to ignore the lingering pain of the acid, he had refused larger attempts at healing, directing them to use their efforts on others who needed. He was sure it would heal in time.

[governorkang]

Kang was silent as they moved over that way, and for several seconds after, back turned. Then, he turned around and locked eyes with Crucible, saying in a dangerously calm voice, "I trusted you. And you lied to me. You lied to my daughter."

[dragonlordbight]

Crucible likewise was silent as they walked, watching the draconian as he waited for the other to turn and when Kang locked eyes with Crucible he held his gaze without waver, not even flinching at the dangerous calm of his voice, "I deceived yourself and your daughter of my true identity, for that I am sorry," He replied sincerely, it would be clear it was no decision he had made lightly in concealing his identity from the draconian.

"You deserve answers, and answers I will provide,"

After battle.

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

Through an entrance, a worn Astrid made it out of harms way. Shoulders heavy, trying not to drag her shield and the borrowed Nasat steel in her slackened grip, she found the nearest place to collapse and lean back. Conscious, but very much exhausted. And somewhere inside her, she was feeling a bit of something else, too. Something she couldn't easily shake after facing what she had to become, to have that privilege so many had lost out there, to carry herself back here intact. Still, it didn't feel any less wrong.

Her eyes were drawn to the axe and after a glimpse over, she couldn't help but grimace slightly before sluggishly tossing it down to let it drop and clang off of whatever. Blood tickling her eye, Astrid blinked, merely wiping her eyelid clean with her hand then feeling around on her head before letting her hand drop again, unconcerned she seemed to be wounded in another spot. Nothing that serious, thankfully. Not able to recall when at the moment, somehow she was struck on the scalp and her blood had left a pretty trail of red down the right side of her face.

Taking a steadier breath, her eyes fell closed as she remained somewhat motionless. She longed for a warm bath.

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

Hiccup had hung back in the town for the final battle against the dragons, figuring that he'd just get in the way. It pained him, as usual, to know there were some things he just couldn't do. Watching from the ramparts, he'd seen that Bight and Crucible were indeed one and the same, seen the fight with the greens. After seeing the fight end, he'd left the wall, unconcerned about what happened next. They'd won, right? The fight was over. He'd mull over the Crucible-Bight connection later and figure out how he felt about being deceived.

He had something rather more pressing on his mind, something that he had to do now that the fight was over.

Astrid hadn't gone out with their party. He supposed that meant she was busy somewhere else in or around the town, fighting somewhere, putting out fires, or doing something else to help the townspeople, but he still worried.

He knew she could take care of herself. She certainly could take care of herself in a fight better than he could. That thought had been a comfort throughout the entire siege, and had kept him from trying to check up on her. If anyone could get through all this perfectly fine, it was Astrid. But she hadn't been around to go out with the group, and she hadn't checked in on him by now either.

Hiccup made his way through the milling soldiers, through the injured limping their way to where the healers were, through the grim-yet-relieved after-battle tableau. At the start, he called her name, but the calls of soldiers to and fro drowned out his reedy voice, so he stopped before long, trying to just use his eyes to find her and hoping if he made himself visible, maybe she'd see him.

Still, even despite looking everywhere, he almost walked by without seeing her slumped there. He'd caught a glimpse of blonde hair just out of the corner of his eye and it made him turn to take a better look. The second he looked, his heart practically dropped out of his chest and landed at his feet, and he immediately went deathly pale.

Her face was covered in blood, her eyes were closed, and she wasn't moving. She wasn't moving. The blood looked much worse than it actually was in Hiccup's eyes, if only because he'd never really seen her bleed that badly and had honestly never really expected to. (Did the invincible even bleed at all?)

Naturally, his mind immediately went to the worst place it could possibly go. He had seen others, some of the soldiers that hadn't been helped by the healers in time, that had made their way in and slumped against a wall somewhere and died where they sat.

The sound that escaped his lips was halfway between a gasp and a sob, "Oh gods no! Nononono! Astrid! Wake up wake up wake up wake up--"

He was at her side immediately, one hand at her shoulder, the other hand at her neck, feeling for her pulse--

[astridhofferson.livejournal.com]

Well, hopefully her dear boy can abstain from having a complete crisis, because she heard his panicked sobs clearly before he threw himself beside her.

Astrid stiffened at his touch, groaning some, but relaxed shortly and she brushed aside her bangs to gaze at him, a lazy smile on her lips with one blood-stained eye shut. "Ow."

[i-saw-myself.livejournal.com]

"Oh thank the gods," he breathed out in a relieved sigh, and he immediately started fussing over her, trying to see where all the blood was coming from.

"Thank you, by the way, for the heart attack I just had right there. What are you doing sitting here like this? You need to get to a healer."

After Battle - Open to any who wish to approach him

[dragonlordbight]

After his talk with Kang, with a good deal on his Crucible had headed to where the healers had set up. He had requested for those healers familiar with his kind to look over his wing when they had the chance, but only to be sure that it would heal properly, he did not wish to take their time from those who needed it. In the mean time though the massive dragon had put his own abilities in healing to good use, using what spells and knowledge he had left to heal those who had more critical injuries.

Thus if anyone wished to speak with the massive dragon, it would not be difficult to find him. It was clear that he had a lot on his mind, and that the weariness brought on by the days events were showing on his features. Though he did not turn away any who approached but rather gave each and everyone the attention they needed, be it his help in healing or to discuss recent events.

A number of healers had seen to his wing after some time, refusing to be shooed away to which he had grudgingly accepted their assistance. His wing held still slightly out, it was clear that it still pained him, it was far from as bad as it had been however.