Alexandra Etapaq

New Orders:

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Days have passed, Alexandra had prepared the rest of the move through Etepaq. A full on invasion seemed useless, so the plan was made to send all the troops back home and remain with a core group that would do the battles per arena. Working their way up.

At a night Alex is in her tent. It is alot more quiet with the troops gone, at least she didn't have to babysit the Bright Edge groups anymore. Arlo had already left angry with her. Drinking a bottle of some sort of liqour she tosses now and then pieces meat in the air for the little dragons to catch it.

Hearing footsteps outside she calls "come in."

Hirem walks in, Alexandra hands them another bottle and points to a folding chair.

"Things are arranged, we can move tomorrows, start our battle campaign. "

Alexandra nods "Good. We can work faster without the masses of troops. Without to many eyes watching over our shoulders. "

She looks at Hirem and smiles "You still want to join me when going back to Amber? I keep my promise, i told you i'd introduce you, or Arlo will, he might be angry with me, but he does always keep his promise. " Alexandra takes a long drink and lights a cigarrette on a candle.

Her other hand she holds in the flame staring at it. For a moment a look in her eyes changes. A slight grin appears on her face.

"We should burn the fields of those herbs. Which makes the people so complient. Cause a riot. Anger the masses against the big guys. "

She tosses another 2 bits of meat in the air and watches her Pseudo- Dragons swoop down.

"We could wait for the antidote, but this would be faster. Fire is faster. "

She looks at Hirem, "I just want to get out of here. This was another failed attempt of me to gain some sort of pat on the back. Since i became one of the family, or well it came out, i have been failing my way through. All i got was lies, manipulations, shit and grief. When i was an Elite things were easier. My loyalty was undying, my love for everything Amber was fed to me by a silver spoon.

I start to detest those feelings, I will never go against the ways of Amber, that would be wrong. Perhaps i just need to start feeling something else. "

Alexandra looks at Hirem with an apologetic smile.

"I am rambling, i am slightly drunk, and i am feeling less then i usually do. "

she holds her hand into hte fire again and shrugs "I feel no heat, thanks to my dad... i feel no cold... also thanks to my fathers blood. I don't feel that unwavering sense of duty and loyalty anymore."

Alexandra hisses and throws back the rest of the bottle.

"We move tomorrow, let the rest know. If you run into Shaz Far, let him know he can go his way with his group. No need to hold back. "

she stands up and stretches. "I saw a small lake nearby and going to try and sober up before sleeping."

A Cold Bath and a hot night:

Undressing and stepping in the cold water Alexandra looks perhaps even more annoyed. She washes quickly. She then hears footsteps behind her and quickly turns and takes the knife she had kept around her ankle in hand. A wide grinning Shaz Far stands at the side of the water. "What a nice view this night."

Alexandra rolls with her eyes and turns again to finish her washing up and sobering up before walking to the edge of the little lake.

"What can i do for you? Or did you just come to stare at the full moons?"

Shaz Far looks for a long moment at Alexandra ass she takes up her clothing and starts to dress.

"Aren't you in a mood. The war getting to you? Things getting to rough?"

Alexandra gives Shaz Far an annoyed glance

"No, just crisis of faith i guess. Or midlife crisis... existential crisis. I don't know. Realizing things don't matter. But that doesn't matter, have you heard of the changed plans?"

Shaz Far nods with a serious look "Mmhmm that too was a reason to seek you out, making sure it was really your order and not your drunk version speaking. "

Alexandra closes her blouse and looks up at Shaz. "Yes i am serious, i feel the ways i've tried to approach it won't work. We need to play the game as they expect it to be played. All towns not siding with us will be wiped out."

Her face dead serious and her tone flat and cold

"Go ahead and do what you do best. You won't hear a word from me. This is the way we will reach the top quickest and with the most show of power."

Shaz Far raises an eyebrow "As you wish General. I will rally my forces tomorrow and start to march along the towns. "

Before he turns to walk away he hessitates

"You are not falling apart right? That we need to prop you up with a stick to pretend you are still in charge?"

Alexandra turns "I am not falling apart, just realizing it doesn't matter. Realizing i don't feel anymore."

She starts to move away from the lake leaving Shaz Far behind her.

For a moment she walks alone but after a moment she hears heavy footsteps behind her. Annoyed she adds

"I don't need an escort. "

For a moment silence. Then in a tone she had not heard from Shaz before "It is getting to you, isn't it? That Abyssal Mark? You are fighting it to much."

Alexandra is silent for a moment, in a calmer voice she answers.

"It is not just the mark. It is the lying my parents both did around it, the realisation that i will never be as usefull or well regarded as i was as an Elite, that the manipulation from the others is annoyingly obvious, that i feel like i miss half of the senses. Can't feel heat, can't feel cold. I used to feel this overwhelming sense of loyalty and duty, and i don't anymore. I don't seem to care.

And yes, yes, i am whining and complaining, shouldn't be doing that. I am just now seeing these things now. And i am in the middle of a war that doesn't even feel as my choice. "

Shaz Far stops and so does Alexandra, she turns to face him. Before she can utter a 'what' Shaz grabs her by the back of the head and presses their faces together in a painful, hot kiss.

When he releases her he grins "Did you feel that?"

Alexandra her first instinct was to hit him across the face. Though her hand stops and she litteraly jumps him. Grabbing his face.

There were rumors started that night that wild animals had come closer to the encampment.

The March

The next morning Alexandra stands before the troops, the CCC troops are send back towards the Jeweled Road and from there Amber. With a small core group they move further together.

Alexandra had not seen Shaz Far anymore after their bestial moment. But she knows he is going to have fun in the villages ahead.

Sending a messenger along the troops the word is spread to break up camp and start moving. Alexandra starts to move herself with a few people that camped near her. She knows the troops will follow. Riding Scully and her dragons resting on her shoulders she follows the path.

For a while they travel in silence. A tension is growing and noone really dares to speak up, or question a thing about the new orders.

At a point they reach a village, it is clear Shaz has been there with his forces. Eyes turn to Alexandra but she just calmly rides through it. She takes out her red sword and while riding she stays behind a bit. She calls upon the fire and burns the village down. If there were survivors, now there are none. Hours they travel. Until nightfall. Hirem suggests, breaking the silence "Perhaps time to set up camp and wait for the rest of the troops"

Alexandra, who has been riding in silence the whole day nods "See to it, i see how far Shaz Far got."

She turns Scully and goes along the path. Followed by worried eyes of those making camp.

That night another village burns down, the fields around it as well.

This continues on for several days. The opposition is not great, not that Alexandra had expected that. There wasn't alot of problems before. Except for the trainwreck.

It is not after 2 weeks that Alexandra meets up with the group of Shaz Far. Appearantly they have encountered now more resistance, a well armed group. Alexandra leaves Scully at a safe distance, she then stands near Shaz Far.

"Really, something you couldn't handle? " Her voice has a touch of amusement in it.

"What seems to be the trouble?"

Shaz Far shrugs "They are well armed and held up in that building, we are just planning on an attack. Send out a few scouts to see what they have in there. "

Alexandra nods calmy "Then let's wait for a report. " It is not long after that the scouts return.

"A warehouse, they are living there with alot of people. And also keep a weapon storage, vehicle storage all that. Seems a small community. "

Shaz Far looks at Alexandra "Orders General?"

Alexandra thinks for a moment and gestures with her head "Let's go in and discuss their terms of surrender. Have you troops on standby."

Shaz Far gives his orders and Alexandra and he walk towards the warehouse building.

"We come to discuss terms. No violance. "

Two men and a woman step eventually outside, they are clearly more of the militant types the way they are dressed and hold themselves.

They gestures for Shaz Far and Alexandra to move closer. When they are a few meters from the group of three and closer to the warehouse one of the men start to talk.

Alexandra is not paying attention, she sees on the side of the building a partially opened door. Vehicles and the pungent smell of fuels and other chemical fluids.

Calmly she looks at the group. The building. A sense of untamed hatred fills her. For a split second she is wondering where this intense feeling of hate comes from. But it only lasts a fleeting moment. A slight smile appears. She feels at least something.

With a motion of a gun from her hand she points at the barrels that seem to hold flamable substances.

"Bang." With that she shoots a ball of fire dripping what seems like, with molten material. She waits till it makes contact with the barrels. They explode, fires start to spread so fast. Alexandra tilts her head and then looks at Shaz Far

"Solved. " With that she turns around and starts to walk back to the troops waiting. Shaz Far following her. Not looking back to the fire and the explosions.

Those we leave behind

Alexandra sits in front of her tent, she smokes and drinks and watches the smoldering fires in the distance.

Footsteps behind her stop.

"You know they are leaving right?"

Alexandra shrugs

"as well they should, if they don't like my ways, it wasn't their war to begin with. Wasn't mine either, but at least i'm starting to have fun. "

Shaz Far sits down near her on an empty chair.

"So you will continue. "

Alexandra hands him the bottle she was drinking from

"Why not, it is not that i have anything else to do. Seems Azcala keeps being an issue, so why not. I don't like to leave unfinished bussines behind. "

Shaz Far laughs "Hm you seem to still care enough to finish it, or that this place is a problem, for someone saying she doesn't care or feel. "

Alexandra looks angry at Shaz Far and fire starts to lick her fingers and hands.

Shaz Far laughs even louder "Oh please, kitten, that doesn't harm me and you know it. You are just getting familiar with this, i have lived with it for ages. For me it's nature. For you it is turmoil. "

Alexandra grabs the bottle back and takes a big drink. "Shut up. Don't lecture me. They've done that enough. And yes, i am a walking contradiction. All i am is angry, frustrated. " Alexandra stands up and starts pacing while drinking and smoking.

"I started no questioning anything, loyal to Amber, to the crown, to the unicorn. Everything. That moment you dragged me through the lava, at Laravella her place. That is the moment everything changed. Slowly. But things started to change. I thought i could just continue with my normal way of doing things. But noone looked at me the same way. Everyone suddenly expected more of me. My accomplishments meant absolutly nothing. Or got stolen from me. "

She stands before Shaz and points with her bottle.

"You know, there is a shadow of Amber. Where Deirdre is the ruler and all beasts and monsters come from. I found it. Followed the stakes that lead the beasts through shadow. Lead an whole army. Found a shadow version of myself which was a bit unsettling. Solved the problem. And who came running in, and adopted a dragon and showed it off in Amber. Duncan. The asshole. He was then all celebrated and the talk of the town as he could start a freaking dragon Weir in Amber. And i got to do double the work as Duncan was busy recruiting people for the Dragons. After that he took me to Chaos. To spend some time. But that was just the beginning of the end."

Alexandra continues to pace.

"So then i think i keep my nose clean, lead the Rangers. Keep Arden organized, keep the conflicts away and care for the land and people. But i kept failing at that. Then i realized. What the hell am i doing. So i let myself be talked into doing this... but what am i doing here? For who? Noone cares what happens here. "

She looks at Shaz Far who seems to be listening with amusement.

"Yeah yeah, i sound like a spoiled brat and i know that hearing myself as well. But when you do all these things for others thinking there would be some appreciation, there isn't. Even royalty needs a pat on the back. As an elite it was simple. I would get promoted, perks, rewards. It made all way more sense. Now i am just looked as a pathetic excuse of a royal who can't find her footing.

SO i figured. Perhaps my footing isn't in Amber anymore. Perhaps i need to just go and figure shit out for myself. "

She hands the bottle back to Shaz but realizes it is empty and takes another from the crate opening it, drinking from it and then handing it to him.

Shaz blinks "You are truely a basket case. Thankfully you got your looks working for you." Alexandra flips him off but says nothing.

"So you figure shit out by burning a tier of Azcala down. Why not. You do not hear me complaining, it was quite amusing what you pulled at the warehouse. I think you pushed some people away from you there.

But seems you do not mind that fact do you?

So.... what were your ambitions as a young Alexandra. What did you hope to become?"

Alexandra looks surprised. "I don't know, i was already an elite, Guard to the Royalty that is quite a rank to manage at my age. But i had hoped to switch to Ranger. Perhaps somewhere in command, i had been trained by Julian. I think i felt even more presure to show him i was doing well then anyone else. "

Shaz Far snorts "Julian, right the guy who up and left everything behind, to follow his dick. Great rollmodel."

Alexandra looks at him with a look of slight annoyance.

"I know perhaps not the best. But who else at that time? Now... i don't know. I don't look up to anyone anymore. Well not figuratively. Physically.. yeah. You are taller then me. And... my god have you met Alexandir Kos Korag? That guy is enormous! "

Alexandra starts to laugh

"Ah that too. I was send with an important mission, dire need to bring this message to Alexander. So me and Scully rode like the wind. Coming there he already knew shrugged it of and left. Talk about feeling used, and feeling absolutly useless. So that Nur Al Din can stuff it with his dire messages. "

She sits down again and lights another cigarrette offering one to Shaz.

"So you know, i stop doing good, because clearly i suck at it. I just do me now. How dirty that might sound."

the final steps down

Hirem comes up to Shaz and Alex, he is out of armor, having just swam, in a loose arming shirt, and boots. His belt hangs two daggers. He drops into a camp chair, a hand of burbon in his hand. "Long bloody day."

Alex raises.an eyebrow. "Yes they are, but what makes it especially long or bloody today?"

"We lost the CCC people. They marched out en mass led by Sir Hannah. You know that of course. We also are loosing the Chad forces. Arin was at the lake. He and Tarooos informed me that they are done. They are packing at the moment. 70,000. Sir Cantor is staying with the centaur banded pairs and the beserkers, and a few of the crazy ones. .

Shaz says, Good Riddence."

Hirem looks at him with scorn

Alex shrugs. "They should, if they don't want to stay. Let them go. They appointed me general. But if they don't like it anymore, good riddance. We can deal without. " Alex looks between Shaz and Hirem and shakes her head.

Hirem says, "Deal with who? How? Why? This place is pointless. Its a trap. These people are not resiliant. We are not accomplishing anything here. I think this place may be a shadowtrap. Killing these people does no good. We are running around this land and i think the dead resurrect someplace other places on this tier. What ever the deal is here we are not conquering. Our dead are not ressurecting. That why we lost the CCC people and CHAD."

Alex starts to laugh loudly, almost a tone of mocking in it. "They realize this now. And now the CHAD is leaving. It was their damn idea to go fight here. " She stands and takes ip a new bottle "And newsflash. Anything we do in shadow is freaking pointless. "

Shaz smiles, "You tell him, Kitten. We fight for the fun of bloodshed. Benedict taught me that."

Hirem scowls at Shaz," Alexandra, this place is a trap. The only way to win here is not to play. Leave this place. Pull up stakes and sett everyone loose. Your Amber forces will do thier duty to the last one. Do your duty to them and lead them out to the Jeweled Road and back to Amber."

Alex frowns "Again they are welcome to leave, you know what. You are right. I'll fullfil my duty to them, they are dismissed. Let them fuck off. Go. Don't need them and don't need any sense of duty to them. From the Jeweled Road they can find their way. And yes this is a game. And it's fun. It's the most fun i had in ages. Burn shit down kill some folks, keep on moving. " She lights a cigarette "Heh. Duty.... talking about an unbeatable game "

He stands, coming close. "Alex... Come with me. Lets leave this play behind and find someplace less steeped in blood. "

Shaz steps in, pushing Hirem back, "You leave if you have no taste for war. This is a place of violence and the people here know it. They are sheep and we are the slaughter. "

Hirem straightens, looking at Shaz, whose hand remains on Hirem's chest. Hirem looks at him and says lowly, "Remove your hand from me or we will see who is the sheep."

Shaz laughs, " I've wondered if you had stones. Maybe now iss a good time to see if you are a stalion or a gelding."

Alex pulls herself away from Hirem and takes a few steps.away. giving Hirem and Shaz space. "Hirem. Leave if you can stand it here. I am not done yet." She doesn't get in between the two men and stands to the side, smoking and drinking

Hirem says, "Its not a matter of done. Its a matter of futility. Thats the trap. This place plays on the mind. Ive felt it too. Hopeless Futility. just bloodshed. If you don't go back to Amber at least get out of here! " He steps to face her, shaz steps in front, driving his Rasak blade deep into Hirem's belly.

Hirem turns and and slices down with the bottle, breaking it on Shaz's wrist, and gripping the wrist and blade. his other hand around, his war blade in his hand slashing shaz across the face, opening a deep scar exposing teeth and ripping open both cheeks. Shaz tumbles back in shock. Unleashing the dagger, his wrist still in Hirem's grip.He summons his maudu in the form of a shortsword. Sliginging it at Hirem's arm.

Hirem twists from the path of the blade enough to recieve a deep scar across his chest. But his blade had fallen below shaz's and cleaves the right hand from his wrist.

Hirem backs away acrobatically. as Shaz stars in shock at the worst wound he had ever recieved. The stump of his wrist bleeding. Hirem stands, sword in one hand, severed hand in the other. A dagger sticking from his belly.

Alex sits down on a chair watching the two men fight. "Are you two done? Hirem. Hypocrite. Acting with disdain around the bloodshed yet you fight so viciously and brilliantly bloody. Are you continuing until one is dead? Talk about futility."

Shaz howls, pulling his maudu as a short sword up to advance. Hirem says, "This was his choice....And yours it seems. " He backs away defensive, whistling for his Afkir horse. Shaz moves in on Hirem, who stops, raising the Sign of the Pattern before him. Shaz falters, uncertain how to advance.

The horse trots up at a gallop and Hiram, the consummate horseman leaps into the saddle. "I fight when there is a cause. There isn't one here. Leave this place Alexandra of Amber." He turns his horse and gallops. Shaz drops his blade, raising his sign of the Logrus. but looses time to shape into his chaos form. Shaz howls

Alex shakes her head. Takes up a big cloth and walks up to Shaz. She doesn't speak she wraps his stump thightly. Silently she gets into her tent to grab her medical kit. Assuming Shaz has lowered himself to sit, if not she pushes him down. "Sit still. I'll help you until your shapeshifting starts to work." Her voice is cold and commanding

"I'll have his head! The bastard...I'll hang him in the Black Forest of the Abyss!"

Alex nods "Yes, yes, in time that sounds good. Now stop talking and let me stitch your face." She takes up needle and thread offers Shaz a big drink before she goes to work.

Alex works calmly and precisly pulling the tissue of his face carefully together to stitch it.

"Why did you attack Hirem? He didn't convince me to go back. I was going to stay. And Hirem just wants someone to introduce him in Amber. Told him Arlo was a better option. "

She pushes the face of Shaz up and to the side inspecting her work. As if positioning a mannequin.