The Blood That Flows In Vain

[Varoen]

Varoen only stood by and listened as Ryumo exchanged words at the gate with the guards. He looked at the two who were with them currently rather than the fortress itself. It seemed as though this would be the thousandth time he had come and gone from one of their military installations, the opening of a gate being something he could replay over and over in his mind by now. Albeit the double gated system was rather effective in addition to the high walls and was in itself a rather impressive idea, though it would probably seem much less so to someone who had built their livelihood around such constructs.

Looking at the girl he was rather surprised at how quiet she was after all the talking she had done not twenty minutes ago. It was amazing how thirst and hunger could shut up even the most obnoxious and thankless demanding scum that the desert could scrape up. There was a human level of himself that understood Ryumos desire to help her, but overall, he really just didn’t care. Var was less concerned with her wellbeing and more interested in the proposition that he had heard from the Jackal character about the cannons. Something like that could really help give them an edge in their defenses, especially if there was someone else out there with similar capabilities.

Varoen gave a brief nod to the soldiers who seemed not to notice his existence in the face of Ryumo. It wasn’t a big deal. He barely cared if his own troops acknowledged him, but that part of him that was now military could only glare at the men who seemed to be adoring fanboys of the Firebender. ‘Jealous Varoen?[/color]’ He growled quietly at himself for the thought and continued into the fortress with the others once they were able. He felt as though he were being rather irritable this day, but chalked it up to the heat in the end. Var had never been a great fan of warm climates, especially after spending a good portion of his life in the frozen north.

As they walked through the arches a flurry of activity met his eyes, possibly at the sight of their commanding officer and seemed as though they were the lifeblood of this fort. He heard Ryumo make mention of sending the girl for food and water with one of his men while going with the Jackal to talk about his proposition. Speaking of the Jackal, Varoen almost bolted for the man as he deviated from the group and made his way towards the guard station, though he just didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of a scruffy desert trader wandering around their facilities. ‘Huh… we should really have some kind of screening process for anyone who enters out forts before we let them in… spies in our military bases could prove problematic…[/color]’

Varoen walked a few paces behind the man as he spoke to his… ‘colleagues’, who were being thoroughly searched by Ryu’s guards. He caught something about Leviathan in a month, but didn’t think it would be entirely important. Perhaps something to inquire about in the negotiation process. Hearing the Jackal’s request for his men, which came out in a rather demanding form that caused Varoen to raise an eyebrow at the way this man seemed to act as though he owned them. He was not particularly fond of apparently spoiled and pain in the ass young girls, and traders who seemed to act as though they owned the Legion. He figured he might as well act like he was official as well and spoke to Tomokazu as he bowed.

“If you would, take these… er… Gentlemen of The Jackals with you as well.[/color]” He caught a wiff of something and suppressed a face gave the young soldier a salute with a look of apology on his face. “See to it that these men get their possessions once they are through with their business if you would be so kind as well. Thank you Tomokazu. ” He turned and walked to join Ryumo and the Jackal, as he wished to hear more of these cannons as well, hoping he had not overstepped his bounds in the Firebenders command. Tomokazu bowed again to Varoen as he accepted the order and directed Jackal’s men to follow him as well, giving them a slightly wider than average berth. [/size]

((Sorry this post sucks you guys… I was kinda putting this one off as was… just didn’t mean to for so long ^^” But that’s the best I’ve got right now lol))

[Ryu // Kazu]

Ryumo squinted at the crew of men being thoroughly searched by a few of the Burning Legion soldiers. They were…not what he expected to see. Most of them were a bit dirty with either some cuts or bruises to comply with their rough appearances, but…all of them stunk. The stench of the crew filled Ryumo’s nostrils something putrid, offensive even. It almost made him wrinkle his nose and gag. Instead, he nodded to Tomokazu as the newly searched crew joined him. Tomokazu looked at Ryumo briefly, almost with a look of worry. Ryumo nodded again and motioned for him to take the bunch. “I suppose that now that the girl and your crew are taken care of, we can discuss your trading motives.” Ryumo flicked his robe to his right side as he turned to walk towards the Business Quarters. Hopefully, the negotiation process wouldn’t be too strenuous and the purchases could be made in order. The three men walked into a large tan building that stood out from the rest of the buildings.

The Burning Legion symbol and The Execution Squad logo hung from four large flags that crossed over the threshold of the entrance of the building. Two heavily armored elite guards stood before the entrance, their medium length wakizashi blades at the ready. They recognized Ryumo and Varoen, but at the sight of the new men, they slowly clenched their fists around the hilts of the sharp blades. One of them stepped towards the door and knocked twice, each knock having a brief interval in between. Ryumo sighed as the doors swung open and they were greeted by a wave of workers. Ryumo led the other two men straight down the hallway of the building, passing shelf after shelf of transactions and business records. It comforted Ryumo to know that these people could be responsible enough to record every major event that has occurred within these walls.

Leading them through two glass stained doors, Ryumo stopped in an empty room. A large window gave the room a nice bit of sunlight that made the four candleholders around the desk glisten. He motioned to two of the four chairs in front of the desk, and then he proceeded to sit down behind the large burgundy chair behind it. Afterwards, he opened the middle drawer in the desk that was leveled with his waist and removed an ink quill and a full ink case. Then he removed some pieces of hemp paper and rested his hands on the table.

“Now…as you were telling me before, you have some very interesting artillery at your disposal. As of now, this fortress is in need of some defensive mechanisms that may be useful in the future. I believe that if the weapons that you have are of the quality that you say they are, then we may have an easy deal. Depending on the price, of course. Also, I would like to see an example of the choice weapon. You know what I mean Mr. ….?” He dabbed the ink quill and then wrote down his requests on the sheets in front of him. As he was writing, he was wondering how Tomokazu, the girl, and the trader’s crew were faring.

~~~~~

Tomokazu’s face gave away his inward emotions as he frowned a bit at the men walking behind him. But, after exchanging looks with one of the larger men, he shook his head and continued to walk. I’ll just use my sword, if I have to. They arrived at one of the many water posts within the fortress and he grabbed two of the flasks from the water stock. He filled each with water as he spoke to the girl, his eyes looking a bit blank even though that was not his intended expression.

“Do you know Master Ryumo from…-“ He stopped his question as he recognized the stupidity of it. Of course Master Ryumo didn’t know her, he never spoke her name. One of the men from the crew, his eye missing, ran towards one of the water spouts with a black toothy grin that made Tomokazu gag. The crew member splashed water on his face and then proceeded to spray one of the nearby soldiers. His laughter soon turned to cries of pain as the soldier launched a combo that left him sprawled on the ground. Tomokazu smiled and shook his head at the crew member who was now coming to his senses. He handed the two water flasks to the girl and bowed.

“If you wish to eat something, there are various choices over there.” He pointed to a small circle of shops that smelled of food.

“Where’s the shit-hole?”

Tomokazu turned around to see the larger man he had exchanged looks with earlier. “The what?”

“Bitch, I said the shit hole….damn, this guy acts like he can’t hear.”

Tomokazu blinked and then sighed as he pointed to small port near the weaponry shop.

[jiadaiyu]

Jia Daiyu watched the ugly man run to where, it looked like, a bunch of men were being aprehended. She giggled, although, with her throat the way it was, the sound was very raspy; and it burned. She looked back at the ugly man, waiting to find a reason that she was still standing around. Water. Was that so hard?

As she watched the...'men who were so disgusting, it was impossible to come up a grotesque enough word' approach their small group, she could already tell what was happening. Obviously, this ugly man brought these other ugly men, and she prayed to God that they didn't go with her and Tomokazu. She knew it wasn't true, but she could still pray.

She watched as Ryumo pointed the men in their direction. She could smell them from the good 7 feet between them.
"Oh God, what is this? Fuck. I'm going to be sick. Is it possible for ANYONE to smell this horribly?"[/i]

She tried to shrug it off. Trying to keep her cool. Showing her emotions, especially in front of these 'men' was not something she was going to do. But God! They needed a bath, and now.

Bath.
Water.

Oh, there was the burning in her throat again. It seemed to disappear while she complained to herself. She looked to Ryumo, Varoen, and the ugly man once more. It kind of saddened her to be split up by the people she was most familiar with in this place. Well, maybe 'saddened' wouldn't be the word. Maybe...'inconvenienced'.

Inconvenienced. Being with these fucking ugly ass, stinking shit men was definitely an inconvenience. When Tomokazu finally turned her body in the direction of the water, she walked alongside him, hoping to keep her distance from the men. They tagged along a few feet back, looking at the scenery from within the fortress. It was nice, them tagging along in the back. Only made it easier to keep her distance(even if the smell did not lessen with the distance, like she had hoped). In truth, she would be doing the same thing, were it not for the burning in her esophagus.

The walk was sort of...awkward with this man. He seemed so emotionless, more so than herself. Of course, it was nice not having to make conversation. That would be fucking annoying. Jia hated talking to people. Unless she was going to get something out of it, of course.

And there it was. The water. She could see it right before her. It seemed almost a dream. She kept herself from running towards the water post, and drowning herself in water. No. She wouldn't do that. She would keep her calm. Amazing how she was still able to do that.

She continued alongside Tomokazu, until he had come to the flasks. She watched intently as he filled the glass with the water. Oh, how joyous it looked. She could almost feel the water sliding slowly down her throat[[Jackal, that was for you. xD]]. The relief it would bring.

She reached out her arm, and felt the flask weigh it down. She brought the rim of the flask up to her lips, and tipped it into her mouth. Oh, the cold water. It was soothing. She ignored the question from Tomokazu, figuring by the way he stopped, he figured it out on his own. Besides, she didn't want to stop gulping down this water. And she probably wouldn't.

For the moment, she ignored both Tomokazu and the gross men. While Tomokazu was busy keeping the men in check, she quickly filled her flask again. Desperation was definitely one emotion she would never show. When Tomokazu returned his attention to Jia, he pointed to the food of the fortress. From her need of the water, she almost forgot how hungry she was.

That didn't last long. She took one large swig of the water, and started towards the shops. She ignored Tomokazu and the other men. They weren't important. Only she was. The thought of the other three men temporarily left her mind as she stampered forward.



[[Sorry guys. It actually sucks, due to the long absence of not posting. xD I actually had to read through it again, but I still forgot what was happening all at once. Hope I did okay though. I kinda rushed it. D: Oh, and Var. Go die. It's not okay that you took over a month, and we all hate you for it. <3

P.S. Jackal. I hope you enjoyed that little thing I put in there for you. Thought you would enjoy it. You sick, sick fuck. :D]]

[The Jackal || Ji Taro]

The Jackal took a seat across from Ryumo and sighed. No offer of tea? No. Not a nice cigar? Nope. This guy went straight to business. The Jackal didn't mind though. He reached into his robe and began speaking "The battlements you have set up at this installation our outdated even by the archaic standards of what is commonly available on the market today. Mirage is on the cutting edge of defense technology and is ready to bring the Burning Legion into a new age of military dominance and tactical superiority. Observe," The Jackal said withdrawing a slim ebony reed of oiled wood and twisting it open to retrieve several rice parchments. " these are fortifications many bases through out the Earth Kingdom and AES have been outfitted with. As you can see here in these diagrams, this ballista can mounted on a wall or above a gate. They're exceedingly more accurate than a trebuchet or catapult, and have better range as well. Even their maneuverability alone makes them far superior to the weapons you have now." The Jackal finished with a laid back yet authoritative tone. He knew what he was talking about, and it showed, but he was also very calm and his voice lacked any air of condescension.

“As for the abus gun and the volley cannons I have with me, those are for trial only.” The Jackal said “You may purchase an amount of time with them for a very cheap price in order to test them out at your discretion. They do not have to remain stationary, and Mirage is more than happy to mount them on a cart or even install them on a ship if you so choose, free of charge. Something to take advantage of, no? However, because they are the only three models of their kind our company is leasing right now the amount of time you have to rent them is limited, and so is this offer.” The Jackal said “If you don’t want them then I’m sure your contemporaries in the Fire Nation enclave would be more than happy to take them off of our hands.” The Jackal hummed slyly as this was the oldest trick in the slimy salesmen’s book, and even if Ryumo saw right through it he wouldn’t be able to deny the truth of the sentiment. The Jackal continued “And believe me, I’ve witnessed the raw destructive force of these weapons. They aren’t something you want pointed at you in the middle of the ocean when you have no where to go.” The Jackal plastered the diagrams of the abus gun and the volley cannons on Ryumo’s desk for him to inspect. He wouldn’t say no if he could afford it. They never said no, though, and they never looked if they knew they couldn’t afford it.

[Varoen]

Varoen followed quietly behind Ryumo and the salesman, hoping to hear something he liked on the weapons that were being carried. Taking a place at the back of Ryus office Var crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, waiting for The Jackal to begin. “The Jackal… a comforting name to hear for a salesman of arms… Listening intently he looked over the papers that had been set out and looked over The Jackals shoulder to examine the documents. The ballistas looked promising and could guarantee a better defensive strategy for their bases, but he had a few questions first.

“Listen, Mr… Uh… Jackal, this proposition sounds very fine but how can we be sure that what you are promising is the truth that these weapons will give us a superior advantage? What is the range on the ballista and how much damage can it inflict on, say, fortifications? Also can they be made mobile and carried onto the battlefield, or do they have to remain stationary? And of course, are they worth the cost that you are going to throw up for us?” There was something about these weapons that looked far too simple to Var for them to be effective. Granted he was sure that they were formidable weapons and certainly larger than they looked, but how could what was effectively a large crossbow out do the catapults or trebuchets that the ships and fortresses were equipped with.

What Var truly wanted to hear about what these cannons that had been dangled so obviously in front of his nose to catch his attention. But some about the sales pitch that was thrown out for them seemed off from what he had heard earlier in the plains. “Now, I have no doubts that these cannons you bring are very formidable weapons, as I have things similar to their uses on the arms of particularly crafty Firebenders, but I don’t believe that what you are saying is entirely factual. Now naturally, well will want to test these weapons to see if they are as effective as what you say, but…” If there was one thing Var was good at it was paying attention to detail, and it seemed as though that would be rather important when dealing with traders from the Si Wong Desert. Such a surprise with band of thieving merchants. Var had heard what the man had said about the Fire Nation enclave but surely this was something that he was saying to throw them off their game for this sale, but he would be sure to ask about it once the business was concluded. Something such as this could not be let go on the off chance that there could be fact behind it.

“Back when we were outside, after I was with you and you were telling me who you were, I recall a rather different story about these cannons you offer. If my memory serves correctly as I’m most sure that it does, there are not three cannons like these in existence, but, and I am quoting you I believe; A whole airship full just waiting to be shipped out to us here at the Burning Legion.” He fixed The Jackal with a questioning look. “Now, Mr. Jackal, I do not mean to offend for perhaps your memory is merely jumbled from the many financial matters that you have on your mind, but you were not thinking of fooling the good General and I out of more funds than are certainly necessary for a company such as yours?” Dealing with this Jackal may prove to be fun, he just hoped he didn’t drive the man away for a simple observation. This deal could prove to be an important one for their strategic value. “Now I speak on behalf of the naval sector when I say that I would like very much to obtain the weapons that you are offering us, of course with a test first to see exactly what these cannons are capable of, provided the results are promising, and would be willing to pay to have the entire fleet outfitted with this new firepower. Certainly I could agree to a rental agreement for a test, but I am sure that this would only take a few moments and not require that they stay with us for more than an hour before we tell you our decision on this.” Varoen looked to Ryu and nodded “What do you say Ryumo? What are your feelings on the offer made here today?”

[jiadaiyu]

This thread is discontinued due to it's droning, and inactive nature.

THE END.


xD