Ghazi

The Stalwarts, one of the few “civilized” groups left on the planet of Ghazi. Outside the walls of their capital city, their less civilized brothers seek to destroy them for their beliefs. Some want the Stalwarts destroyed for their reliance on technology, while others want them destroyed so their resources can be taken for their own dying people. And others want them destroyed because war is enjoyable to them.
The Ghazians: Every single individual differs in appearance, sometimes radically, from each other. They bear uncanny resemblance to the wildlife of Ghazi, but are more humanoid in nature, appearance and intelligence. This species makes up both the Stalwarts and Swampers.

The Stalwarts: The most diverse faction on Ghazi. They seek only to survive and establish a stable, peaceful society. Their field agents include Scholars, Scouts, Spies, and soldiers. Scholar squads go to Ancient ruins to gather artifacts of value, either in information or usefulness. Scouts scout out new ruins for exploration and help map the continent. They are also known as explorers due to their use in exploring Ancient ruins before Scholars can move in. Spies do just what their name means. They gather intelligence on enemy movement. More experienced ones will actually take positions in the ranks of the enemy for better intelligence gathering. And soldiers are the basic military force of the Stalwarts. They go and fight the enemy whenever directed to by the General. They also have training in being medics and engineers.

The ancients: A long extinct species, they have left ruins all across the continent. The ruined city of Hingeton contains the only known representation of an Ancient; a massive statue of one sitting in a chair. Several Scholars have deciphered some of the visible writing on it and found the statue is known as Lincoln.

Swampers: Comprised of mostly reptilian Ghazians, Swampers are known for their ability to survive on very little. They’ll salvage anything they can find to use for survival, including equipment from Stalwarts they’ve killed. Their homeland is a swampy region, hence where they get their name from. Their homeland is riddled with ruined Ancient watercraft, which they have mostly stripped for supplies. The remaining hulls are used for shelter. The conflict between them and the Stalwarts started when a small battle broke out over salvage in an Ancient city, resulting in three Scholar deaths. Now the two groups are at war, neither side willing to negotiate. They only employ two roles in the field. Scavengers and scouts. They don’t have the resources anymore for big battles, and so rely on guerilla warfare.

Where you come in: You are a Stalwart. But what is it exactly that you do? Use the template to create a character.

Spoiler

Name:
Age:
Appearance: (what animal does your character resemble? Any other physical traits? Clothing for combat/casual?)
History: (can be very detailed, or very brief. You decide)
Weapon of choice: (Stalwart’s use everything, from Ancient projectiles to melee weapons. Ancient weapons are a dime a dozen, as is ammo for them. They’ve recently started to reverse engineer some.)
Personality:
Strengths:
Fears:
Role: (what do you do for your faction? Roles are not necessarily limited to the ones listed in the descriptions)
Up for Romance?: (Either create your own NPC of sorts or set up a romance with another users character. With their permission of course. Doesn’t have to be filled out immediately or at all. Can be changed later if you so wish. And keep it PG13.)
Other:

I hope to hear from any interested persons. And hopefully the people who join will be able to post regularly so this does not die out. I will direct the story from mission briefings and interaction of some of my own characters. And yes, I have a plot. I've been working on it for quite a while. All it needs now is you. So let the story begin.

<Letter to the chairman of the CDSS>
<Priority: Red>
Sender: Archive Scholar Kelok, Vorstan
Dear chairman
Just kidding, not a priority red letter. Just testing out my hacking skills to see if I could get this past the filters. Don’t stop reading yet though, I do have a request. Still reading? Good. After going over some of the Ancient maps recovered from Hingeton, I had begun to suspect that there might be another Ancient ruin still undiscovered. So after sending a scout team (authorized of course. As much as I like testing the limits of the law, I won’t break it) I figured out my theory was, if you’ll excuse my slang, freaking right. No surprise there. Still, Scouts aren’t exactly the best guys to explore ruins and retrieve artifacts. So, I was planning to go up there myself. But since I’m kind of an important asset to the cause, I will be needing a team to accompany me for protection purposes. And a good one to. We’ll be heading pretty close to Swamper territory, so I want them well equipped. If you feel it’s necessary (hint hint: I don’t) then go ahead and send along some extra scholars. I also want some scouts and some Jarheads. (you may know them as soldiers.) Well, that’s pretty much all I need. I really hope you didn’t stop reading this at my name.
Sincerely
Archive Scholar Kelok, Vorstan
P.S. Though I appreciate the concern, no I did not need a doctor to come check my mental state and see if I'm "unfit" for work. I am more than capable of making the diagnosis myself.

Vorstan flitted around his office, grabbing anything he thought would come in handy. It had been years since his last expedition, and he hadn’t even been in charge of that one. And now, here he was, the youngest of the Scholars, on his way to discover more relics of the long forgotten Ancients. People would never forget his name. Though almost everyone in the Scholar Academy already knew who he was. Vorstan pulled open his desk drawer to a small black case. He flipped it open, and inside, nestled in molded black foam, was his favorite weapon. An Ancient Pistol, complete with three spare projectile cartridges. Vorstan had restored it a great deal since his finding it. He liked it because not only were the bullets massive enough to blow through any armor, but the noise and recoil were almost nonexistent. The Ancients definitely knew how to design a good weapon. Vorstan took the gun and its cartridges out of the case, setting them on his desk. He’d have to get something from the Soldier armory to wear in the field. Preferably something with a lot of pockets. He looked around, looking for anything that he might even remotely need. He already had his Ancient dictionary, several maps, a telescope and binoculars, two first aid kits, and of course, his ukulele. Vorstan bet that his fellow expedition members would need some entertainment. Who better to entertain them than him? Vorstan was snapped out of his thoughts by a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” He called out.
“Mr. Kelok, it’s me.” A feminine voice called back.
“Ah, Virgil. Come in. I’m just putting the final touches on packing for the trip.”
The door opened, and in walked a snakelike Ghazian.
“Just reminding you that the transit to the meeting point will probably take about 20 minutes, so it would be best if you leave as soon as possible. You wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on your crew.
“I know. I took that into account when devising this.”
Vorstan held up a piece of paper with a bunch of nonsensical scribbles on it.
“I created the fastest route to the meeting point, taking into account common traffic at this time, local pedestrian population, and weather. But thank you for being concerned. You are definitely the best secretary I’ve had yet.” Vorstan said, getting into his office’s closet.
“Thank you Mr. Kelok.” She answered.
“Would you like me to assist in packing?” She asked.
“No. I got this. Though while I’m gone, please make regular checks on my office to ensure that no bugs are moving in while I’m gone. And spies. I know those other scholars are just waiting for the perfect chance to steal my work.”
“Of course Mr. Kelok.” She answered.
Vorstan came out of the closet, a massive suitcase in hand.
“Mr. Kelok, I don’t think a suitcase is the most practical thing to go trekking through the wilderness with.”
Vorstan looked at his suitcase, distaste on his face.
“So true. I need a backpack.”
Vorstan quickly threw the suitcase down. He scurried over to his desk and began rummaging around in it. He eventually pulled out a roll of heavy duty tape. Using this, he created two straps. He then secured them with a ridiculously large amount of the tape. Satisfied with his creation, he began packing everything into it.
“Oh what an engineer I would have made. But the scholar institute needed me. And who would I be to deny them this?” He said gesturing to himself. Several minutes later, he was done packing. Vorstan checked the time.
“Well would you look at that, right on time. It’s as if my momentary backpack incident had been planned. Well Virgil, I’m off. Remember, keep the bugs and spies out of my office while I’m gone.”
“Yes sir.” She responded, amusement in her voice.
“You do know the meeting place right?” She asked.
“Of course I do. I just can’t recall it at the present. I must’ve buried it under more useful information.” He answered, obviously trying to recall the meeting place.
“Your team is going to meet you outside the South Gate Barracks.”
“Thank you. Yes, it’s all coming back now. South Gate Barracks. How could I have been so foolish as to forget? Goodbye Virgil. When I get back, we’ll celebrate. With apple juice of course. I hate the taste of alcohol.”
Vorstan walked past Virgil into the hallway, his makeshift backpack slung onto his back. He began walking past all the offices that belonged to other Scholars to the elevator. As he walked, he began imagining the ideal team in his head for this little expedition. The bravest of soldiers, the fleetest of scouts, and some mediocre scholars. He didn’t need some scholar that was too confident in their knowledge to the point of being annoying.

Morn

The light was bright, too bright. Morn squinted as he opened the door to the barracks that were his home. Sleepy grunts of annoyance came from the depths of the barracks but Morn ignored them, he was ready even if they were not, ready for another day of work. Another day of running, jumping, climbing, dodging, ducking, and of course, the seemingly endless insults the scout commander dreamed up on his free time to throw at his dutiful little drones that were the initiates.

Strolling out into the endless twists and turns that constituted the training facility, Morn nodded his greetings to the other early comers as they trickled down to their respective areas of the quickly approaching quad. Slowly, the trickle of people turned into a stream, then a river as everyone slowly filed into the courtyard. Finally, the Commanders tromped out to stand in front of their groups, their familiar scowls fixed to their faces.

"Listen up! General Kostav has the morning announcements for you all."

Kostav took the stage, his crisp green uniform flapping in the breeze. He revealed a sheet of paper from within the folds of his robe and held it up.

"Good morning initiates, we have received a letter from the Head of the CDSS stating their need for a competent group for an expedition. Today, each one of you will be tested and if you meet the standards we will enlist you! Is this clear?"

A chorus of "YES SIR" echoed across the quad.

"The tests will begin after you break your fasts. Eat well, you will need the energy. Results will be turned in tomorrow and those who have passed will meet just outside of town. I wish you all good luck."

With that, Kostav turned away, leaving a sense of anticipation behind. What were these tests, why such a sudden request from the CDSS? Morn mulled over this as he ate. Of course he was ready. There was never a time when he was not ready to be challenged, but why the rush? What was in store for the chosen few who completed the tests?

Rayne

“Hey!” A rough voice wakes me from my sleep.
Rolling over, I let a huge yawn spread across my face, my arms flailing out around me. My legs kick out and the sheets fall from my body. Sitting up, I look around to see who’d woken me. It’s one of my closest friends, Morn. He’s not so much a friend, but we talk often. He’s got a charming personality that I’m drawn to, and a quiet determination when training.
“Wh-what’s the time?” I ask, rubbing my eyes.
“Late,” he watches me for a second before getting off my bed. “And we have some serious tests to do.”
“Aw, and I missed the meeting explaining this?” I give him a sly smile.
“Get up, Rayne,” Morn gives me a look before walking out of the soldier barracks.
With a groan, I stand up. I usually sleep in my underpants and an oversized shirt. All the other male soldiers leer at me when I walk about, getting ready for bed. I’m always the last to go to sleep, too. And the last to wake up. I can’t help it, my feline nature demands it.
Donning my usual clothes, I skip outside and breathe in the late-morning air. Soldiers that walk passed chuckle at me under their breaths, but I ignore them. Looking around, I decide to go pay an old friend a visit. Skipping across the large, paved courtyard, I come to a large door leading into the Commander’s wing. A soldier guarding the door gives me a scowl.
“You’re not allowed in there, armed –“
“Save me the lecture,” I snap and push passed him, into the wing.
A tall man in an emerald green cape is almost directly in front of me, speaking to some other Commanders. I stroll leisurely over to him and wait patiently. One of the Commanders notices me and gives me an almighty glare. I poke my tongue at him and he blanches.
“And Rayne,” General Kostav spins around to raise a silver eyebrow at me, his hawk eyes narrowed. “What are you doing breaking the rules? You’re not allowed in here armed.”
I lift my arms to expose my clothed torso, no weapons visible on my body. “Do I look armed?” I ask with a grin.
“Just because you don’t look armed, doesn’t mean you aren’t,” General Kostav tilts his head to the side. His beak like nose twitches, and my ears respond. “You missed the meeting, I take it?”
“I’m not hungry, if that’s your next reprimand,” I give him a childish pout.
“It wasn’t. However, you did miss something important, Rayne,” he shakes his head. “And I take it no one has filled you in?”
“Well I saw Morn … he woke me up in fact. But I haven’t had the time to ask for details. Besides, why get the watered down or over exaggerated version when I can get the real one?” I wink at the Commanders over General Kostav’s shoulder.
“There was a letter from Head of the CDSS asking for a competent group of soldiers and scouts for an expedition. Tests will be held, and those that pass will be eligible to be chosen to go,” General Kostav draws himself to his full height. “I want you to pass the tests, so no fooling around.”
“Oh please … wait. Head of the CDSS?” I blink in astonishment. We never get direct messages from the Head of the CDSS, surely? Or … not that I’ve heard of.
“Yes, Rayne. Now go eat, you should keep your strength up,” General Kostav gives me a withering look. “Don’t want you wasting away on the simple tests.”
I narrow my eyes and let my ears flatten against my head. “Is that a challenge I hear?” I ask, voice low.
“Indeed it is, Rayne. Now, go arise to it and pass those tests,” General Kostav shoos me away.
“Alright, sir,” I stand to full height and salute him, closed fist thumping against my chest twice. “Now give me a hug.”
With my arms out wide, I walk toward General Kostav with a sly grin on my face. His hand shoots out from behind his back and grabs a hold of my forehead, holding me back. I try to push against his arm, but to no avail. General Kostav lets out a booming laugh at my struggles, and lets me close enough so he can stare at me with his dark amber eyes.
“Nice try, Rayne,” he teases. “But you’re not stealing my knife.”
“Ha!” I hiss. “Now who’s breaking the rules?”
“Easy, Rayne,” General Kostav pushes me back and smiles. “Don’t be late for the tests.”
I nod and run out of the Commander’s wing. I turn in the direction of the dining hall, but then realise I’m too late for breakfast, so I turn around and run toward the testing facility. Today is going to be long and boring. I wonder what the expedition will hold.

Morn

Morn smiled as Rayne quickly bounded into the tents. They were currently standing at attention so technically she wasnt late yet all that aside the commanding officer still glared at her as she sheepishly made her way to her designated spot in line.

"Here kitty kitty kitty." Morn whispered, tossing Rayne a piece of bread and bacon. She hissed at him but gulped it down all the same.

"At ease recruits! Today marks the first of your trials. You will be competing in a sort of tournament, the specifics are posted on the edge of the ring but I will tell you this, only half of you will make it to the next challenge. Please follow the white line on the floor to the arena and read the rules.

Spoiler

Rules:
-Four person free for all.

-You will have twenty minutes to take out all your opponents.

-You will have a choice of any weapon. They will all be dulled.

-Falling out of the ring means an instant disqualification.

-If you cannot get up after ten seconds you are disqualified.

-Being disarmed results in disqualification.

Morn slowly entered the arena room and sat with the others in the makeshift wooden bleachers, waiting to be called by name. The commanding officer walked in after the last recruit and held a sheet of paper up to the light.

"First up! Neien Mory, Austin Carter, Norsguir Queda, and Kato Tierry please step onto the arena."

The four contestants stepped onto the large square of blue padding and were presented with an assortment of weapons. Morn studied each of their choices with interest. Neien took a set of short swords, this automatically put her in an offensive position along with Austin who grabbed a double headed axe. Norsguir chose two hunting knives. He would be waiting this battle out. Finally, Kato, glancing at Austin's weapon quickly grabbed a spear.

Thus, the armory was pulled off the mats and Morn smiled. No one had chosen a gun, this would be interesting.

The bell rang as soon as the four got to their respective corners and just like that the game was on.

At first, Neien seemed in control, blocking Austin and Kato's strikes then slipping past Austin's guard and nicking him on the ribs, sending him tumbling back.

Then the battle split as Norsguir pounced on Austin. The pairs dueled next to each other, each seeming about equal. Then, with an expert move, Austin blocked a double strike with the length of his axe and kneed Norsguir just beneath his diaphragm, sending the knife wielder flying out of the ring.

Making a note of Austin's skill, Morn shifted his focus to the other pair of brawlers. Each was breathing heavily from their prolonged exertion.

Neien had the upper hand with her short swords yet Kato was holding his own, wielding the spear with one hand choked up near the tip of the weapon.

Kato seemed to be he better warrior but was impaired by his weapon. He blocked two blows in rapid succession then batted away a third to stab at Neien's exposed belly. She spun away from the strike and lunged forwards, trying to get ahead of Kato's guard. Yet this was her undoing as Kato suddenly snapped out the back half of his spear and caught Neien on the neck, sending her to the ground struggling for air.

Only then did Austin walk up. Morn thought he should have attacked while the two were fighting but then again, the option to let them go at it while he took a breather did seem appealing.

Morn looked up at the clock. Ten minutes left to fight, plenty of time.

Austin moved first, lashing out with the full length of the axe, relying on its weight to not be knocked aside. Kato simply spun aside and lunged with his spear. Austin bought up the hilt of his axe to stop the attack then let the rest slide through his hand, extending, clipping Kato's shoulder.

The spear man stumbled back and Austin lunged forwards and bought his axe around in a devastating side swipe that shattered Kato's weapon. With that the battle ended. Austin was led back to the bleachers, exhausted yet grinning none the less.

"Next up! Morn Krysander, Konan Roth, Dorian Goras, and Cani Abdul. Please step up!"

Rayne
It ended as quickly as it began. I sat on one of the front row bleachers, bouncing up and down, as Morn quickly won his battle. After choosing a long rifle, he managed to fend off some brutal looking weapons before shooting his last opponent with a tranquilizer. I gave him a huge smile as he sits down next to me, sweating profusely.
“That was somethin’,” I nudge his shoulder, chuckling.
Morn grunts. “I’d like to see you do that well,” he gives me a teasing look.
“Here’s a deal,” I smirk as I watch the next lot of fighters. “I’ll do better.”
We watch on in silence as a burly woman wins with her electronic battle axe. Morn narrows his eyes as he watches each opponent, calculating their moves. I feel like I should do that too, but it bores me. Morn can sit and watch people in silence. I can’t, I need to be doing something. But I do watch as a lithe, wiry man beats his opponents with a simple staff.
“I wonder what would happen if I killed someone,” I murmur.
Morn looks at me, an eyebrow raised. Realising what I’d said, I look at him and smile, a blush creeping up my cheeks. I try to think of something witty to say, when he bursts out laughing. My ears go back and my blush deepens as I glare at him.
“Well, I’d love to see you try,” he pats me on the back. “You’re up, by the way.”
“Huh?” I furrow my brow and turn to find a man glaring at me.
“Rayne Parker, please come over here now,” he growls out.
I chuckle and bounce over to the other three, very tall, very muscular men. Putting my hands on my hips, I pout and look at the people showing the array of weapons to choose from. One of the men chooses a metal club, another chooses a broadsword, and the last chooses a barrel gun. I pick up a small dagger and twirl it around in my hands. They want to be unfair, I’ll give them a show!
“Alright Pepper,” one of the men says as the other two face each other off. “Let’s dance.”
“If you want,” I smirk as he aims his gun at me.
I leap to the side and then throw the dagger. It hits the gun and the man cries out, dropping it. I run at him and dance to the side as he lashes out. Since we’re both unarmed, I guess that doesn’t count. Oh wait, I have my dagger again. I twirl the weapon around in my hands, and the man looks at me with confusion.
“Too quick for you,” I wink and roundhouse kick him in the face.
“Oi!” The man with the club comes running at me.
Ducking his brutal swing, I use his momentum and kick his butt. He spins around and glares at me, and I giggle cheekily. He swings again and I jump back. We glare at each other in silence for a moment, and I check to see how long we have. Five minutes? Nope, that’s fifteen.
“Alright baby,” I twirl the dagger around, preparing for a quick fight. “Show me what you got.”
With a roar, the man runs at me, club raised. I let my face drop and I duck under him quickly, my left hand shooting out to jab him in the gut. It doesn’t do much, and I shake my grazed hand. I forgot everyone wears armour except me here. I shrug off the pain just in time as the man spins around and lunges at me.
Feigning to the right, I skip to the left and leap into the air. I kick the club away as it swings at me and shoot my hand out. The dagger bounces off his armoured chest. I land and roll away before the club can hit me. Leaping to my feet, I dodge and duck swing after powerful swing. Waiting for an opening, I dive between the man’s legs and find one. He spins around and swings at me, and I run up the club. He reaches up to grab me, but I’m too quick. I jab him in the shoulder with my dagger and knee him right in the nose.
Landing on my feet, I spin around, ready for another attack, but it never comes. The man with the club stumbles before falling flat on his face. With a cheer, I throw my dagger into the air. A man comes over and grabs it off me before telling me to exit the arena. Laughing, I skip over to Morn and dance.
“Did you see that?” I sing as I dance around him.
“Yes, but you still weren’t better than me,” he pokes me nose as I glare at him. “In fact, I’d say that was stupid.”
“Ha!” I poke my tongue at him. “Thanks for the food, before.”
He shrugs. “I figured you’d need something to eat, since you slept in. Again,” he gives me an amused grin.
“You want a go?” I raise my fists. “Come on, I’ll take you on, right here. Right now.”
“Rayne, settle down,” Morn shakes his head. “Look, we need to go to the next challenge.”
“I hope it isn’t a team challenge. If I get pinned with you, I’m going to lose it,” I grumble with a lopsided grin on my face.
“You’re so mean!” He scoffs.
We both laugh as we walk into the next area, awaiting the second test.

Vorstan continued his planned walk. His plan had almost fallen to pieces when a transport vehicle had blocked his path for 30 seconds, but he'd made up for the lost time.

"I'll have to speak to someone about that bus's inefficiency. It was supoosed to be gone by the time I arrived at that point." Vorstan thought. It wasn't long before he had reached his destination, the South Gate Barracks. There was just one problem Vorstan had.

"You there, Soldier. Where is my team?" Vorstan asked one of the barrack's guards.

"Being selected now sir." The soldier, some sort of bird, responded.

"What do you mean being selected? How hard is it to put together a team of the most elite fighters you have?" Vorstan asked.

"The General is putting a team of soldiers together as we speak. He's picking the best of his trainees to accompany y..."

"Trainees?" Vorstan asked, interrupting him.

"Uh, yes sir." The guard responded.

"What do you mean trainees? I asked for a commando squad, not a squad of kids that I'll need to protect!" Vorstan shouted.

"Well sir, your request was a little last minute." The guard said sheepishly.

"What do you mean "last minute"? There was no deadline. Upon making my request, I made the minute."

"I'm sorry sir, but I'm just a guard. If you have a complaint, you can take it up with the General."

"Oh, I'll be talking with the general alright." Vorstan said, lugging his makeshift backpack into the training facility near the barracks.

Morn

With half the recruits out, the barracks felt a lot more hostile. The three Morn had bested practically followed him around, glaring whenever they had the chance. His usual breakfast table was slightly more empty despite it being practically abandoned to begin with and it seemed that he wasn't the only one with this problem. Between her wits and her skill, Rayne was faring fine but the others seemed a bit more exhausted than usual.

After his usual of bacon and bread, Morn strode outside for some fresh air and found Rayne squinting into the sun. By the look of her, Morn knew she had just woken up and with a chuckle he shouted.

"Good morning Miss Parker! May I fetch you some breakfast?"

She scowled as she made her way over to him.

"Hey I went to sleep two hours later than you, give me a break."

Morn covered his smile and replied,

"That's because you stayed up late "celebrating your victory"

She took a swing at him but smiled none the less,

"Maybe you should lighten up as well, a break from your strict regiment of bed at eight and up at six might do you some good."

Morn laughed at this and shot back,

"Maybe you should quit your slacking and set up a system for yourself!"

At this Rayne backed away in mock surprise,

"Oh man! Shots fired! I repeat shots have been fired!"

Morn doubled over laughing.

"Come on, It wasn't that bad!"

"Yes it was Morn," Rayne replied, dragging him over to the next test pavilion, "Yes it was."

The two entered in time for the next test announcement. The same officer from yesterday was reading the rules.

"Today, we will be putting each of you through simulation. You will be tamed up with two other people for this challenge! To succeed you must either sneak or fight your way through an enemy fort. This test relies on strategy and teamwork, those who fail will be disqualified from the next challenges. Am I clear?"

A chorus of "YES SIR" echoed throughout the pavilion and the trainees each grabbed a partner and surged towards the rows of entrances to the simulation room.

"Hey remember what I said about teaming up with you?" Morn said, finally catching his breath.

"No, why?"

Morn started laughing again, "Don't drag me down Miss Parker."

Rayne scoffed and pushed him forward,

"Make sure you keep, otherwise were all going to lose."

Rayne

"Oi, you two," a sharp voice calls out.
Morn and I pause from putting our weapons on, turning to see the officer in charge of the tests glaring at us. Morn just stares at him but I give him a mocking smile. Morn catches the smile and grabs me in a headlock.
"Yes, sir?" Morn asks.
"You need three people on your team," he says, eyeing Morn and I up and down.
I try to pull out of Morn's grip. "Oh, we work better together, don't we Morn?" I stare up at him with a teasing smile.
Morn's fist starts to rub across my head painfully. "Sorry, sir," he apologises. "We'll find a third team mate."
"Good, and hurry up," the officer growls.
"Yes sir!" Morn salutes, jolting my neck painfully.
"I could kill you," I snarl.
"We need another team mate," Morn says, looking around.
The tall, lithe man I'd seen win with a staff walks over to us, smiling. "I'll be your team mate if you want," he offers.
"Bugger off, we don't need you," I spit.
"Just remember who has who in a headlock," Morn gives me a look as he stares down at me.
I huff and look away.
"My name is Alecsa, by the way," the man says.
On closer inspection, I see that his skin is scaly, and his dark eyes remind me of snake eyes. He has gaunt features, and looks a little like a snake too. He's not too bad looking, either.
"Nice to meet you Alecsa," Morn holds out his hand."I'm Morn, and this is Rayne."
"I know," he smiles and shakes Morn's hand.
"On your marks!" The leading officer calls out.
"Morn, you better let go of me or I'll shoot you right here," I give him a savage look.
Morn lets me go and I take a step back, smoothing down my hair. I give Alecsa a hard stare before taking a step away from him, my ears back. Morn gives me a look and I take a step away from him, too.
"Get set!"
"You better keep up, Rayne," Morn growls.
"Ha," I roll my shoulders and crack my neck. "It's on."
"You do realise this is a team challenge, right?" Alecsa looks at us like we're crazy.
"Don't worry, you better keep up too," I snap at him.
"Go!"
I dart forward, between the two men, and dive into the arena. My mouth curls into a smug smile as marsh lands spread out before me. Some of the other teams are wading through, others are trying to look for a drier alternative.
"How the hell are we to get across?" Morn barks.
I turn my smile onto him. "The only way you can get across a swamp."
Leaping onto a log, I dance forward and skip onto a rock. Turning around, I beckon Alecsa and Morn to follow. Alecsa darts over the log and joins me on the rock, holding onto me for balance. Morn looks a little sceptical, so I shrug and keep going. Alecsa has a little difficulty following my maneuvers, and Morn looks like he's about to fall in, and he's on a rock!
"Keep up!" I shout over my shoulder.
"Rayne, look out!" Alecsa yells.
Looking forward, I see another trainee with a crossbow aimed at me. I pull my bow out and shoot them with the dulled arrow. The woman falls into the swampy water with a squeal, and I smirk. I load my bow and look around, waiting for Morn and Alecsa to catch up.
"How the hell ... do you ... do that?" Morn asks, panting.
"Yeah, no one crosses the marsh like that," Alecsa glares at me.
"Questions later," my eyes find a trail of rocks. "Follow the rocks. Shoot when you can. I'll cover you."
Leaping forward, I take off and spin through the air. I shoot another trainee in the shoulder, and he falls with a cry of alarm. Landing on a log, I kick off and dance on a clump of reads. Before I sink into the plants, I jump off and land on another rock. Alecsa and Morn are running across the line of rocks, and I shoot another trainee in their way. I'm on a roll! Nothing can phase me!
Running ahead, someone cries out in warning, and I stop dead in my tracks. Morn and Alecsa are yelling at me, and someone is running toward me. But that doesn'r realy register.
I'm staring at a group of Swampers, all face down in the water, drowned in their own blood. I'm shoved hard in the back and go flying forward, my bow coming out of my hands. I land in the water near the Swampers and a small body comes up beside me.
With a crying yelp, I get up and run back to the entrance. I dodge and duck arrows, bullets, limbs and bodies. My vision blurs a little when I dart through the entrance, and I run, yelping, toward the courtyard.
If I could explain why seeing dead Swampers affected me like that, then I'd be the most intelligent creature in the world. I've seen death before. Heck, I've killed before! I guess it's because they reminded me of my family. The Swampers that raised me.
Yeah ... that's right, I was raised by Swampers. No one knows this. Not even Morn. Not even General Kostav. If anyone knew, I wonder if I'd be killed or kicked out of training.
A shape is suddenly before me and I crash into a man. We both fall to the cobbled ground and I sit there, stunned stupid. The man jumps to his feet to glare at me.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" He snarls. He picks up ... I think it's a suitcase made into a backpack, and storms over to me. "Are you deaf as well as stupid?"
"Ah! Archive Scholar Kelok!" General Kostav's voice rings throughout the courtyard. "It's a pleasure to see you here."
"I'm sure it is, if your stupid trainees weren't running into me!" The man growls at the General.
General Kostav walks over to me, a concerned look on his face. He bends down and stares at me, concern in his eyes.
"Rayne, you're supposed to be training," he says softly.
My eyes snap into focus and I swallow my shock. "Well, I failed," I bite out. "I'm not doing it. I'm not going on the stupid expedition, looking after some stupid Scholar, with a stupid team in the stupid marsh!"
"Rayne," General Kostav gives me a warning look. "This is Archive Scholar Kelok. He is the man who sent the letter asking for a team to accompany him on the expedition."
I turn to look at the man. He is glaring at me with such might, it's a wonder I haven't burst into flames.
"So this is the kind of protection I'll be getting?" Archive Scholar Kelok barks. "A whining child?"
"Now, now, Mr Kelok -"
"Whining child?" I narrow my eyes, ears flat against my purple hair. "I'll give you a whining child."
Taking a step forward, I grab the man by the shirt collar and lift him off the ground. His eyes widen and he squeaks in alarm. I bare my teeth at him, a hiss ripping through my throat.
"Rayne!" Morn's voice reaches my ears."Rayne! Put the nice man down!"
Archive Scholar Kelok smiles timidly at me, and I drop him on his feet. I let my fists clench at my sides, but remain in the same, offencive position.
"Maybe we should take this ... inside," General Kostav murmurs.

Morn

Morn stared at Rayne as she bolted through the swamp and out the exit. What had happened? Was it because of...oh, oh yes. So she had never killed. Morn couldn't say the same for himself but he understood why she had reacted so violently.

Leaping over the dead Swampers, Morn drew Light from his belt. It was his only weapon but he doubt he would ever need more. With one finger, he drew a long line from the base of Light to the tips of his finger, then he added a large curved rectangle to the base of the weapon and a nice triangular stock to the back. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past his face. The others had seen him. Quickly adding a long scope to the top of the weapon, Morn spun off the log he was standing on and fired twice, hitting two trainees as they zigzagged through the trees.

"Wh-what is that?" Alecsa stuttered. But Morn ignored him, no more distractions, it was only him, Light, and twenty or so enemies.

Bounding off the log, Morn finally made it to solid ground. Grinning, he lifted his head and spotted one group already mounting the hill. Bringing Light up to his shoulder, Morn hit the closest one in the back, paralyzing him as all weapons did in this simulation. The boy slid down the hill and Morn grasped him by the shirt, lifting him just in time to deflect two knives and an arrow.

Aiming over his shield's shoulder, Morn took out the last two enemies with one well placed bullet, ricocheting off the first one's armor and hitting the teammate farthest from Morn. Having eliminated the leading group, Morn slung the paralyzed boy over his shoulder, ignoring the stream of obscenities emanating from his mouth, and continued up the hill.

He reached the top of the hill and was surprised to find Swampers defending the fortress he was destined to take. Morn engaged the enemy, blocking a sword with the butt of his gun and in the same motion, swung his leg around to kick his assailant into the stone wall of the fortress. Another strike came from Morn's left which he simply spun past. Pulling the scope up to his eyes, Morn took half a second to align the crosshairs with his opponent then fired, hitting the charging Swamper square in the head.

Suddenly, a staff came out of nowhere and smashed Morn backwards. Growling, Morn turned his fall into a roll and came up with his opponent already in his sights. He had almost pulled the trigger when Morn realized that his target was Alecsa. Lowering Light, he brushed passed the snake being, shutting out the shouts of indignation coming from it as he mounted the stairs, taking out two more Swampers as they charged him, axes in hand.

Finally, Morn reached the top of the fortress, yet their was a problem, the flag seemed to be already moving up the flagpole. Then, Morn spotted him. At the base of the pole, a mouse of a man was furiously hoisting the flag. It only took a moment to align his scope with his opposition but in that moment, the little one spotted Morn and flung himself to the side, dodging the bullet by a hairs breadth. Instantly, two tomahawks were in the man's hands and, spitting obscenities, Morn's opponent charged.

Blocking the first two strikes, Morn spun backwards and fired but the barrel of his gun was pushed to the left as his opponent hooked it on his axe. Moving with the motion of the attack, Morn spun Light and stabbed it towards the little man's head. The blow swished through open air as the mouse ducked then jumped towards Morn, weapons pointed towards his opponent's chest. Grinning, Morn side stepped the seething axe master and grabbed him by the collar bringing the back of his head in to collide with Light.

The man promptly fell to the floor, out cold, and Morn hoisted the flag the rest of the way, claiming victory.