"Come on Rats, try to keep up damn it!" Lin cursed as already they were reduced to half of them (only five of them left). As the shots came the assassins charged in to be met by the gang's blades. Not really successful though, as one more Rat fell into the gutter, his neck cut open. Lin however anticipated her attacker's move and smashed his sword aside with a diagonal strike, punching him in the face and actually breaking his nose. All those hours training always payed off eventually as the man began bleeding from his face which stopped him for being fast enough to dodge a disemboweling thrust that dropped him on the ground. The charge of the guards however gave Lin some room for her to push the attack as well, her men following close behind her. If these assassins were actually that intent of killing her, they'll have to do it the hard way straightly through the bloody melee.
+ @lord-watchman <Delphi Lionheart> "B-b-but mother...." She sighed deeply and nodded. "Have a wonderful night." Delphi said to her friends, obviously deeply saddened and just walked to Richards room as her older sister mentioned, she walked slow, given her mood was murdered, stabbed with a dagger right into her moods womb and letting it bleed out.
"Yes, do so. Thank you, my little knightess." Pythiaere did not reply to Delphi's pleading, holding her head in her hands and letting out an exasperated sigh. She looked at the friends left behind, and then at the leaving sisters. In a way, the two were much like her and Kharybdiss: one unbound, more of a man in habitus than a woman and uninterested in courtly pursuit or womanly behaviours; the other somewhat vapidly dancing around and doing all the things expected from her to be proper. At least, they loved each other. Her head snapped back to Delphi's friends, and inspecting them, Pythiaere stepped closer. "Did you notice anything... off... about Delphi tonight?", she asked with a commanding tone, growing at least ten (metaphorical) inches taller as she did so. "Lurking in the shadows? Whispers of the wind? Evil glares, hidden by stars?"
"I thank you my Lord"spoke young lad as he stood up,clearing his voice. "War may be unnecessary in this early stage.Extensive preparations must be met before any drastic action may ensue.Such is the knowledge of the elders.Any victor knew to prepare before rising weapon against a fellow man.Of course i agree with Lord Glowerstone and his uncle on this one,partially."spoke young Southerner as he drew the map from seemingly one of the sleeves of his robe.Opening the map,it wasnt particularly big,but big enough for everyone to see even the tiniest detail on the map.It was drawn with much skill of one who traveled far and wide. "As you know my Lord,House Lyakion stands on strategic location,especially their fortification at the mountaintop of same named mountain.We only need them to use as a wall against a potential attacker,until we prepare our lands.Now...you are probably asking esteemed gentlemen,how we are to do such a thing?To subdue the will of House Lyakion,or sway them to our cause?The answer is simple!"spoke young man,his confidence rising. "...We dont."he added."Power of any nobleman or woman comes from the people.The common folk,who pay taxes,build structures for their liege Lord or Lady and last but not least...go to battle and risk their very lives."spoke young man.With a brief cough he continued,the circles on his chain clanged together: "I know for a fact that Lord Lyakion rules with an iron hand.Violence is the only solution to any problem for that man.But a great disease spreads in the very heartland he rules.The only area that is fertile and deforested enough so for the entire area to feed on its lush plains.The peasants are falling one by one under the sway of the diasase,which i suspect to be fungal in nature."said confidently young man,his arm rubbing his hairless chin,as if focusing on the scientific part of the story."Send me and those close to me,to this Lord`s lands.I shall broker the permission to enter his lands and try to cure its denizens. "I shall pose as if you exiled me Lord,paranoia sieging your hearth.You couldnt shake but mistrust the loyalties of a foreigner,and released me and those of my kin from your service."added Antonio,speaking fast,as if adding it as a afterthought. "Once i enter,the goal shall be two-fold.With the aid of Lord Glowerstone`s merchants and traders,i shall spread how you Lord,have fortified your lands,in fear not of Lyakion`s,but of fear of Noctigers and their numerous vassals.You would be amazed o Lord what a dying man can divulge,and what a dying man can do to save his life.Finding potential and able-bodied recruits from the affected folk,i shall use subterfuge to create a large enough influence to create the atmosphere of paranoia and fear of Noctigers.If we dont overdo it,considering the current political situation,i shall spread thought this...network...either a pressure for an alliance with you Lord,or fortification of their own lands against Noctigers,and a following a plan of isolation,which will weaken them greatly.The plains themselves are very close to the border with the Noctigers which will aid us greatly."finishing,young man breathed in deep,his throat already dry. The very notion of a subterfuge was repulsive to Lord Maximilian,but Antonio knew he employed such means.His liege Lord was honorable,justice as his shield,but he was no naive of a fool.Certain dose of pragmatism was required to get here were he is now.Antonio added,eying each Lord carefully: "It may seem like i am overreaching my Lord,or i am inexperienced enough for such things as great politics.But allow me this,history is a great teacher,and history...always,repeats itself.It can be done..."finished Antonio with a nod.
xalia picked baby richard up and walked after her sister her focus on everything watching their suroundings as she moved, as she walked her two personel guards folowed her "sarison, hedrax guard the door we are not to be disturbed unless it is mother or farther, or uchia" as she spoke she went inside the room and looked at delphi "mother is woried for you litle sister, unlike me or uchia you and richard are easy targets for assasins on a night like tonight"
<Group of gals> "No... Not at all, milady. Did she do something wrong? We were just talking about the various knights and were joking about whom we would like to wed. We have noticed no movement in the shadow, neither did we hear of any unusual comments." The various girls responded, they were obviously concerned. <Lord Lionheart> "Seems a bit long-fetched for me. Also I do not want to win this war that way. If the Gods envoy hears we won by sneaking our way into one of our rivals home and used them afterward how we wanted, then what good are we? No. We must do this in honesty. If you know for sure their small folk gets sick. Then cure them, in the name of House Lionheart. Tell them the true story. That it is not fair to wage war against a kingdom which is filled with physical sick individuals. Because it is so." Maximilian announced. "I want to win with tactical genuine and with strong men, not by turning the enemies all upon one another. We kill them, but we kill them honestly and fair. Therefor. I shall send whomever volunteers on a long journey to the Kharonis to ask for a temporary alliance until Lykaion and Noctiger are destroyed, while you, my dear scholar, go to House Lykaion and teach them how to heal their small folk." "Any objections?" His eyes went through the round. Maximilian noticed quite a few individuals left the Grand council, including the Handsome Heinrich boy, Xalia, one of each Wuerttemberg and Guttenberg, Blanche Lionheart and Lucian Glowstone. Of course there was also the lack of Samuel Heinrich, though he didn't even appear to begin with.
Gritting his teeth Samuel waded into the brawl swinging his Zweihander wide to cut a swath in the air causing a couple of assassins to jump back clearing a small area for the Heinrich to move into, once again gripping the mighty blade with his two hands and glowering angrily at the perpetrators. Two nightwatchmen ran in front of Samuel charging straight at the assassins raising their batons high in the air as they attempted to batter the trained killers, although ultimately futile in their attempts to actually hit the felons they distracted them enough for Samuel to move forward. 'Feel the weight of your crimes and begone from life criminal scum! One of the assassins currently engaged with one of the nightwatchmen barely had time to notice Samuel's approach, releasing one of his hands from the blade Heinrich punched the assassin sending him reeling backwards dazed from the blow. pushing the nightwatchman out of the way Samuel once again gripped his Zweihander with both hands and swung the blade wide catching the neck of the assassin and decapitating him on the spot. The headless corpse slumped on the floor as the disembodied head rolled over the blood stained floor boards, now fully in his element Samuel stared unblinkingly at the remaining assassins as the nightwatchmen consolidated.
<Delphi> "Not less than anyone else." Delphi complained. "Anyway. Let's just sit the night out...." She sighed deeply and say down somewhere on a chair. "And before you say anything, yes we got grounded." Delphi told their nanny before she even reacted. "Mother is concerned about our well-being." @Donairian + @Colapse <Tavern Fight> Two assassins remained and they went back-to-back. Luckily two gang members and two guards charged them. All they did was leap to the sides and et voila, the four killed each other as the assassins moved at the last moment. One Assassin finished the last guard with a throwing knife between the eyes and then engaged Samuel Heinrich. The other Assassin ignored the two gang members and charged straight for their leader.
OOC: you beat me to the punch! Curse me being in through my phone! Standing up, "If I may interject." He cleared his throat and continued. "That will not be necessary my young friend. I believe honesty would be more effective in this case. We have the means to help cure his people why not openly offer our aid? If we can reconcile our past transgressions against each other." He looked around the assembled group taking a drink of water, partly to build suspense and partly to help his parched throat. "The plan would definitely succeed, don't get me wrong. But the type of people they are, that type of trickery would only breed a festering rebellion that would rise up at the most inopportune time. or we could simply allow the disease to weaken them and let another house kill them off! Honestly I would rather have an ally gained than an enemy dead!" He took his seat once more, continuously scanning the assembled faces to read their reactions.
"you were not grounded Delphi" as she spoke xalia changed into a normal outfit of a pair of trousers a shirt and a jacket
