Battle Preparations (open)

[Valerie]

Valerie inspected the glinting silvery blade of the blade she was holding before resheathing it in its scabbard and handing it back to the merchant she was in front of. She was shopping through the royal market, viewing assortments of weapons and armor.

She picked up a different sword, marveling it's length and weight. Hmmm, not bad. Sheathing, she pulled out a few coins and put in on the counter of the stand. "I'll take this one. Thanks." She walked away, fastening the scabbard to her side, moving onto the next stand which happened to be armor and other fighting clothes.

Feeling the quality of the chainlink of one of the mail shirts, she turned to see some nice leather clothes with chain link embedded on the underside. This should provide free movement with protection. Purchasing the overcoat, she also bought a leather hooded cape. "Soft leather for flexibility." She was mumbling she knew but her mind was swirling with the ideas of what she was about to do. I know it's stupid but I must do what I must. So she walked to the next stand, looking for more arrows for her quiver.

Valerie was preparing for a large battle. She knew it. Because of Drae's loss up on the battle line, the Rebellion had gained back land almost to their lowest village. I cannot let them have victory past that. So the Shadow thinks he can fight? So can I. The only difference: I willwin. She kept reviewing other weapons and defensive clothing. She wanted to have the best possible offense and defense so as not to be in danger of getting killed. Though she knew she wouldn't really be in any danger, since she had enough training not to be injured.

[Draetrialis]

Drae sighed as he flew. He still hated having actually lost the battle and knew he needed to avenge himself. That was an odd thought. Avenging yourself. Drae growled and realized that he pretty much had single-handedly screwed Ammon over. His muscles twitched randomly and that forced him to land. I guess I haven't recovered from that damn strike... He growled before slipping on his ring, while out of sight that is, and walking into the market.

The Shadow figured that Val would be here, figuring out how to clean up his mess. Several people glared at him and he felt the anger and humiliation rise. They figured out his human form and they heard about what he did. He looked down to the ground and kept walking, feeling totally ashamed. His pride was broken. Drae looked up and saw Valerie. How could he face her now? He screwed up and she has to fix it. With another sigh, he approached her. "Val... I failed. You know that... I'm sorry that you have to clean up my mess. I... I just can't do this anymore. I used to revel in violence... In slaying those who opposed me... But now I just can't do it anymore. I doubt I can convince you to not fight, so I'm not even going to try. I just want you to be safe." He blushed and glared at someone who was glaring at him as well. Looking back at Valerie, he added, "Unless you need me to give you advice on combat... I'll be in my lair working on what that artifact means. Perhaps I can figure out a way to stop the Rebellion. I just can't fight anymore." He turned and slowly walked away, fairly sure that Val would stop him.

[Valerie]

Valerie, finished lacing up the boots she had bought and had been putting on. She was wearing all of the equipment she had just bought. "You know I care about you Drae, but this is something I am going to do." She watched him sulk away. Oh sure, he's going to expect me to head him off. She rolled her eyes in her head. Well, as much as I don't want to, I still do have something to say.

She sighed and shook her head as she walked after him. The chain mail on the inside of her overcoat produced a mild clinging noise as the lower bits made contact with the hilt on her longsword. After a short, brisk walk, she stood in front of the Shadow with her arms crossed.

"Don't get satisfaction in this. I've been trained to mild extent in all of the elements with self training for over 30 years. I was able to beat the crap out of you, I will do the same to the Rebellion." She bared her teeth, making it clear she was not to be dissuaded.

"Aside from that, you realize you cannot just mope around in your humiliation. If you just sucked it up and went to the castle infirmary you'd get patched up by the best Earth-aligned in the kingdom. You cannot always rely on only yourself for everything." She put her hands on her hips, wanting to hear his feeble response.

[Draetrialis]

Drae sighed. "I figured you would have said something like that." It hurt to know that he had failed everyone... Especially Val. He just couldn't stand it. He looked at the ground to his right. "But I honestly can't help but relying on myself alone. It was how I was raised. It was how the Shadowlands raised me." The Shadow swore. "If I weren't born a shadow dragon, I might've been a good person to start out with... I might have been a better warrior... But I'm not. And I've finally come to see it. I don't deserve to fight. I doubt I even deserve to live, and yet here I am."

He had finally broken. That much was clear. His loss and the loss of the respect, and fear, he held upon Ammon had finally broken him. "I failed... I had Ammon fearing my power... And now they see me as I really am... A coward... A powerless coward with anger issues..." Tears started to flow and he actually let out a small sob. "I just can't do this anymore. I'm going into exile beneath the lake. I'm going to figure out that artifact... Maybe it will lead me to true power and allow me to regain what I lost... and what I've cost Ammon."

Noble actions weren't a normal part of Drae's life. And it took a major humbling experience for him to see that he wasn't as high-and-mighty as he once thought. People had started to gather and most of them actually looked like they felt sorry for him, and others just started laughing. Those laughing would normally have been clawed by the Shadow, but now it was clear that it only threw him into deeper shame. "I'm sorry, Valerie... I'm sorry..."

[Lin]

Ever since the humiliating defeat of Ammon's troops on the battlefield, much gossip had spread about the "great" Shadow of Ammon spread like wildfire. Of course all of it was negative. However it wasn't that part of the gossip Lin was currently concerned about. What mattered to her was the fact that people knew about Valerie's relationship with Draetrialis. Already there were bits of gossip about Valerie. Valerie may not mind as much, but Lin cared about her friend deeply and would not take this gossip lightly. However the anger that Lin currently felt was not as intense as her anger towards Drae when they discovered the lore of the Shadows of Light. The rest of the book was somewhere out in the world. So far, their best shot was the Shadowlands.

Stretching her wings, Lin leapt into the air and started to fly. She wasn't going anywhere in particular; she just wanted to keep her wings conditioned. Although she'd rather go swimming, she knew she had to fly sometimes. Soon Lin found herself over one of the marketplaces. She circled around a bit looking down at the mass of Ammon citizens going about their business. Then she spotted a dark mass landing outside the market. It was Drae. Lin wondered what he was up to and kept watching him while gliding around.

Drae had switched to his human form, and Lin saw that the crowd parted slightly for him. Although there was anger towards the Shadow, they still feared him enough not to get in his way. No doubt that fear wouldn't stop a few angry glares. Lin soon spotted Valerie and watched as she walked with Drae. After observing them for a few moments, Lin saw them stop and then watched as a small crowd started to form. Not a good sign.

Tucking her wings in, Lin dove down towards the market. Flaring her wings out she landed around Valerie. Straightening up she turned her head to look at the onlookers. The mocking smiles on some of the shoppers' faces faded. "I believe you all have something better to do than stand around and intruding on someone's business." The crowd dispersed and Lin turned a stern, touching a bit on harsh gaze on Drae. "Pull yourself together Dratrialis, you are in the public eye. Don't put up such a weak display. Soldiers off duty here, and seeing you as an emotional wreck is not doing any good for moral." Lin said while subconsciously wrapping her tail close to Valerie.

"Valerie, I thought we agreed it wasn't wise for you to go to battle when we're close to going into unsavory lands." Lin said turning a slightly softer gaze on Valerie.

[Valerie]

Valerie hissed and growled at the crowd she had barely noticed gathering. "You people have nothing to watch. Though Drae failed you, you need not form a gazing crowd everytime he even moves out of his cave.". Noticing them disperse, she looked up to see her friend, Lin, descend near them. This is not going to be fun. She mentally rolled her eyes as Lin lectured the crowd.

"Valerie, I thought we agreed it wasn't wise for you to go to battle when we're close to going into unsavory lands." Valerie shifted slightly on the spot, feeling some of her rage dissipate at the show of concern from her friend.

"Lin, I know we agreed on that. But with the condition Drae is in, he's not going to be of much help. Not to mention the fact there's been no new information on either prophecy (Light or Shadow) in over a week. At this point, I merely want to be of help instead of sitting around rotting until the Rebellion is marching up to our doors!" She sent a glare filled with mixed emotions toward her beloved as she continued addressing Lin.

"I'm not going to let that happen. You, of all people, should know that my fighting skills are worth quite a lot on the battlefield.

So I'm going to do something to help our nation and turn the tide of the war. The loss we've suffered from Drae's stunt only encourages the Rebellion. Before the incident, we had the Rebellion close to breaking courage. Now they're stronger than ever from our loss and are trying to push the border back further.

You know they're almost to the lowest village! If they take that village, they will have the supplies they need to wipe out almost all of our forces! I have the training and ability of ten troupes and you won't let me fight? That is not going to help our nation." Her features softened as she spoke now as a friend and not as a highly-trained soldier.

"You know I value our friendship. And if the Rebellion can take enough villages, they can and will wipe out all of us dragons. I don't you to be apart of the pile of the slaughtered." Her expressions hardened again as she refocused her thoughts "So you can either join me and put the Rebellion in their place or you can stay back and watch me do this myself."

[Draetrialis]

Drae sighed. He knew both women were rght and he hated himself for it. Then a single word flashed in his head. "Ceana." His fists clenched. "I know the source of the Rebellion's morale. That blasted griffin, Ceana." He shook his head. "Lin... You're right." His muscles twitched again and he grit his teeth. "Val, since you're going to fiht against both Lin's and my own wishes, I must tell you... Go after the black-bodied griffin Ceana. And please tell her that she won't escape me next time." With that, he turned and walked 50 feet away before pulling his ring off and taking flight... Until he had to land because of muscle twitching.

He eventually made it into the sky and headed for the lake, deciding to work on the prophecy immediately. He still was in the throes of shame, but the idea of Ceana getting beaten by Valerie was enough to ignite a spark of hope in his heart. Maybe, when he had the power, he could return to the front lines and beat the Rebellion back. Grifins were free already, and yet they fight. It still mystified the Shadow, but he knew they would fall. And hopefully to him.

(I'm out... all that I can write and have make sense to me.)

[Lin]

Lin looked down sternly at her friend. They had been through this already. It was too risky for their own safety during their journey to have Valerie go to battle. Or in fact, for their to be a battle at all. Both sides were weakened from the war, Ammon even more so. Valerie was getting worked up. Drae's recovery rate wasn't helping either. Why did her friend have to be so hotheaded? As Valerie's attention wavered on Drae, he took the opportunity to leave with a few parting words, though Lin only heard parts of it. Even so she still heard Ceana's name and knew that the dragon still held bitterness towards the griffin.

"The rebellion have suffered casualties as well as our own. They know well enough that it would currently be unwise to attack further even if they held the last victory. With this is mind, they also know we are in a disadvantage. Although a raid against them would be a surprise, it would not end well for either side. Regardless of who wins the battle, the rebellion's guard will be up and ready in case of a new attack led by Ammon. Our chance at getting by to the Shadowlands without running into patrols would decrease greatly and the dangers would increase infinitely more. Even though their moral is up, they won't be rash enough to engage with our troops again without confidence that they will be successful. There is a reason why they have survived this war so long.

Fighting now would bring more harm than good. If you were to take Drae's position, you would become the new main target. I do not doubt your skill Valerie, but it is the target you would paint on yourself that worries me. As for the village I would rather you have troops stationed there to guard it rather than send them off to fight.

I refuse to fight with you Valerie. My parents were neutral through this war, and I intend to keep myself from taking sides as well. It seems that unlike the rest of Ammon, my parents remembered that the rebellion was once a part of our nation. Our nation merely did not listen well enough to here our people's cry for change. Now look where it's got us.

I implore you, Valerie, please do not fight. The future of everyone may lie in the prophecy. We can't risk having anything get in our way of obtaining that information."