Casting Shadows

[Mini_Bert]

Why thank you.

Anyone like my new avy? It's Shin from Gundam Seed Destiny

Time for bloody chapter #1!!!
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Chapter 9 - Cannon Fire
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The long military boat docked on and independent port on the shores of Legoria. Darren jumped off the boat and onto the dock, holding his hand out as Carissa attempted to get out, she looked up at him. "I'm fine, thanks." She said plainly as she got herself onto the docks, Darren shrugged. Soldiers of wearing different armour and carrying different weapons began to run off the boat and down the docks, forming themselves into groups on the shore. Darren took out a large bag of money and handed it to the man sitting at the pier. Carissa followed her soldiers slowly, stopping in front of all the groups, and began to yell orders.

"Archer's mount outside the walls in trees, Warrior's attack the doors, break them down. Infiltrator squad!" She yelled loudly, a small group with grapples at their sides, and crossbows on their backs stepped forward. "While they are distracted with the Archers and Warriors, you go in from all sides, pick off any sentries you can, and unlock all the doors. Finally--" Carissa was cut off as Darren spoke from behind her.

"Bladen Knight squad will follow the Infiltrator's and attack from the inside!" Darren yelled at his small legion of Bladen Knights, Carissa looked at him, suprised.

"Exactly...." Carissa said quietly, Darren smiled. "Move out!" Carissa barked, snapping back into reality. Darren jumped, and all the soldiers gave a salute, turning and running towards the castle of Durin, kicking up sand and dirt as they did so. Darren caught up with his Bladen Knights, but Carissa just stared into the sky, walking slowly. Her thoughts kept reverting to the Bladen Knight Veron, hoping she would have his assitance in this oncoming battle.

The 4 travelers were wandering through a dense forest, when Idris spoke up, "Where are we going again?" Gaia stopped, and turned his head to the left, his hair whipping around and hitting Zent in the face.

"Watch it will you? That things a deadly weapon." Zent said, as he placed his hand on the red whip marks. Gaia didn't move, Idris looked at him, and Veron kept walking.

"What's wrong?" Idris asked, tilting his head, Gaia didn't move, and put a serious look on his face.

"Cannon fire." Gaia said seriously, Veron stopped and turned, Idris listened, and Zent cupped his other hand around his ear.

"I hear it too." Idris said quietly, drawing the KaoKara. Veron reached for the blades on his back, and drew them crossed. Zent lowered both his hands to his sides and grabbed his claws. Gaia nodded and began walking slowly in that direction. A distant "Attack!" could be heard, followed by more cannon fire and the whizzing of arrows from bows.

"Carissa...." Veron muttered to himself as he burst into a sprint, holding his blades in their horizontal positions. Zent reached to catch Veron with his claws, and missed.

"Veorn!" Idris yelled, as he started after him, Gaia rose his arm to cut him off and shook his head.

"Let him go." Gaia said quietly, as he walked slowly forward. Idris and Zent followed.

The exterior of Duris had erupted into a battle as Carissa's archers fired wildly into the castle. In return, Duris fired large cannons at the archers and oncoming warriors. The infiltrators threw their grapples into the air, lodging themselves in the wall. The infiltrators tested the ropes and began to climb up the wall. Upon getting up they drew their crossbows and loaded them, knocking sentries over the wall, and snipeing oncoming soldiers. The Bladen Knights emerged from the forest and grabbed the ropes, and began to climb. As Darren jumped onto a rope, Veron came running out.

"Veron?" "Darren?" They asked as they saw eachother. Veron smiled and grabbed the rope next to him. "Just like old times." Veron said as he began to climb, Darren smiled and nodded. The two of them climbed over the wall, and looked at the chaos inside, Bladen Knights attacking random soldiers in the castle, Infiltrator's sniping off soldiers. Then the doors burst open, and the warriors flood through. Darren held his giant mace, and Veron drew his twin blades.

"Lets go." Darren said happily as he jumped onto the stairs, swinging his mace at some oncoming guards, knocking them off. Veron jumped into the courtyard, rolling as he hit the ground, and landing with one leg forward and one on the ground. He got up holding his blades horizontally in front and behind him.

Another wave of knights burst through the doors of Duris, wielding swords. Veron stopped the attack of an oncoming downward slash, and spun around cutting the knight along the waist. Another knight attacked him from behind, Darren jumped down from the stairs and swung the mace sideways, devestating the knight. The warrior's began to perish.

"They're out armoured." Veron stated, as he cut a knight through his helmet. Darren sweeped a leg off of an oncoming knight.

"I know *flinches* That wasnt pretty." Darren said, disgusted. Veron laughed and shook his head as he caught another knights sword with the left blade and stabbed him with the right.

Gaia, Idris, and Zent emerged from the bushes, Zent picked thorns out of his arm.

"Bloody bushes...." Zent whined to himself as he pulled out a deep thorn. Gaia spotted Carissa, her sword and bits of armour covered in blood.

"Lady Carissa!" Gaia yelled, Carissa turned to see him.

"Gaia? Where's Veron!" Carissa yelled, Gaia shrugged.

"Most likely inside, what's going on?" Gaia yelled back, Carissa ignored him and rushed inside, cutting a guard in half as she did so. Idris looked stunned as Carissa did this.

"Woah. Don't want to get on her bad side." Idris shook his head violently, "but there's a battle going on, c'mon we gotta help!" Idris ran into the bloody castle, Zent shook his head. Gaia closed his eyes.

Carissa and Darrens forces gained ground, forceing what little was left of their army into the king's throne room. The knights turned to their king as the warrior's beat on the door, attempting to break it down. The king lowered his head, and got up. He walked to a barred gate to the left of his throne. A pair of green eyes opened and looked out.

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this...." The king said, as he lifted a lever, and the gate raised.

Darren pushed his way through the warrior crowd, with Veron right behind him. He threw his mace over his shoulder. "MOVE!" Darren yelled, as he ran at the door, holding his mace beside him with both hands. Darren swung the mace diagonally as he came close, causing wood and debris to fly everywhere, the door creaked open by itself. The soldiers ran in, and stopped in their tracks as they looked at what stood before them. Carissa and Veron came running in, only to stop and stare in awe.