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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1714055" data-attributes="member: 15043">Siabrey was never one to take half measures... and this day, above all others, was stamped with this creed.  You march to kill my daughter, and burn my city! her mind seethed, You tried to kill my children, and destroy my family!  Her crimson eyes caught the sight of her horse drawing itself up along the flanks of her batteline, forming a wall of steel over a mile long.Still she waited, Kelir aloft, feelings of strength and control washing over her from her blade.  He has only knights here... we must have smashed through his foot, she thought.There is dust up the road... more foot, she heard the whisper of her blade.  They do not march steady... kerns, peasants, likely, the sword dryly remarked.  Siabrey did not need to glance... over a decade and a half with Kelir had taught her to trust his instincts.“Orders!” she called, and a young squire reined up beside her.  “Tell Captain Dreggo to take a hundred cavalry from the left, and ride at those people coming up the road,” she pointed with Kelir.  “They’re kerns... they’ll run.  He is to break them up as a fighting body, not ride them down.”  They likely don’t know what they fight over... and probably want to go home to their crops.Yes... give them a reason to run home early, without their lord’s permission, Kelir laughed lightly.  Is it me, or is Erelion being a fool and drawing up his horse to charge?  With Xanadu at his back... along with Vintressa’s force?No one claimed the so called Emperor Valdemar was skilled, Siabrey thought darkly as shouts from below echoed the hurried movements of banners to form a charge-line at the far more numerous Imperial forces on the hill.  Today will be a slaughter of many men...Men you wish to slaughter? the blade’s whisper asked.I only want the blood of one, Siabrey growled, her gaze finding the gilded form of Erelion galloping to the front, shouting commands and encouragement.  Her grip on Kelir tightened slightly.  Behind her, the noise of Casalad Rangers pulling back their powerful longbows creaked in her mind.Manse looked about him in frightened confusion.    Edging closer to their south was the force of city watch and Hosuehold guards, someone clad in the Empress’ dragonscale at their lead.  Behind them, to the east, was an immense silver dragon... and to their front, the massed ranks of the Imperial Guard.They are looking about too, now, Manse thought quietly, as other knights let their horses shy away from the threats.  A distant column of dust came from the north, their only route of escape, shouts and panicked screams arising.  The kerns... they are fleeing, Manse realized.The world seemed to slow, as Manse saw the chaos before them was beyond their control.  They were hemmed in.... a powerful host on three sides and by the shouts, another coming in on the fourth.  For all I know, that is the Emperor himself!  The Empress wasn’t supposed to be here!“Knights and Bannermen!  Rally!” Manse heard Erelion’s voice shouting, “Remember your oaths to your Emperor!  The oaths taken on your honor this day!  He who has honor and loyalty will follow his lord, even unto death!”  He does look impressive, in all those gilt trappings, his sword aloft, Manse frowned.“If you would follow me into combat, set your lances!” Erelion called.For a moment, Manse felt his hands follow the usual routine, his lance dipping down to be set at his side and hip, his shield coming up to charge set.  What am I doing?  His wife and young children came into his mind again. I am about to die, following a man who tried to murder two children!  Dark thoughts arose in his mind, questions about foolishness versus honor, pride versus right.  Finally, his honor spoke for him.He dropped his lance.Manse found he was not alone, as the dull noises of many lances dropping all about him told him that others were thinking as him.  There was no honor in following a promise to an ambitious lord... there was honor in standing against a childslayer.  Manse looked up, and instead of the expected sword at his throat, saw most of the knights around him had dropped their lances as well.“What is this!?” he heard Erelion’s voice snapping, growling, shouting.  In the midst of all in his mind, it sounded distant, as if on a far off hillock.  He was vaguely aware of the Baron thundering up next to him, the man’s blue eyes piercing, sharp and angry.  “You!?  All of you!”  The man spat at Manse, before swinging his horse around.  “Those of you not craven, follow me!  For death, and glory!”So you chose death above honor... Manse thought as half of the lances lowered, and thundered up the hill, banners streaming in the twilight...“I believe I require your sword, sir,” a dark, forbidding voice spoke to Manse only a half hour later.  It was the person in dragonscale, close and foreboding.  Curiously, the steel titan did not raise a katana or hand and a half sword to Manse’s throat, but a pink rapier.“I yield, Sir Knight,” Manse said, raising his hands, “as do my men and these others.”  Around him milled some ten thousand other knights, the Household Guard and other Imperial troops now in their midst, collecting trinkets from the dead, and taking weapons from the living.Erelion’s last charge had been a farce.  Before it was headed out at any decent speed, the fire from the Empress’ rangers slaughtered their ranks.  What arrows did not finish, massed spearpoints and a dragon in their rear completed merely minutes later.  Manse for a second had thought he could see a gilt set of armor lying amongst the dead, but this too vanished into the pile of soon to be festering corpses.“You will be subject to the Emperor’s justice, milord,” the helmed man continued.  “Should you be found treasonous, you will be hanged.  Should milord father have mercy on you, you shall live, forever swearing your fealty to him.”Milord father?  This is...THe helm lifted, and a clump of matted blonde hair looked at him.  He was slightly taken aback at seeing here the same face he saw the night Haldris’ troops were driven away.</blockquote>

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