Taklinn backs away from the training dummy, drenched in sweat and exhausted. He drops his axe to the ground and puts his hands on his knees, attempting to catch his breath. As he catches his breath, he thinks hard to the last few days and his failure to defeat the Wyrm the night prior. He looks down to the axe at his feet, and angrily picks it back up again and begins hitting the dummy once again, yelling with each scream. "All of yer talk and we still could not defeat the blasted beast! " (9 sharp). " A few well placed blows and he knocks me inta' oblivion fer more'n an hour!" (9 sharp). "Then as we get up and put the axe to him, he flies away like a coward!" (9 sharp). He steps back, resting for a moment and trying to contain his rage, but assaults the dummy again. "I aint weak! ye were the one who lost focus on the task at hand! Had ye not been screaming and distractin' me, we would have seen the blow that knocked me out, but ye couldn't keep yer trap shut fer one minute and we lost our chance!" With his rage played out, Taklinn goes and sits down to take his rest. talking quietly to himself.
Kirell appears at the door.
"Don't listen to him."
"The ax is right."
"You are too weak."
"You must train harder. Look at yourself, panting like a dog. Your as weak as an old lady."
Kirell turns to leave, then pauses a moment and turns back to the resting pair and shouts.
"Get back on your feet Dwarf, you'll never get strong enough to kill the Wyrm sitting there."
Turning back to the door Kirell mutters.
"Never mind I should have known a Dwarf wouldn't have the fortitude for such a task."
"No heart thats the problem...." He continues to mutter as he walks away.
Richter stood to chase out Kirell but sat back down after realizing he was out of sight. "Don't listen to Kirell. From what I hear, if he was right about anything he said, he wouldn't still be where he is today." Richter places his hand on Takklin's shoulders. "I have a good feeling about our future here in Jastrey. All we can do though is work our hardest. Here, I will give you a sparring partner. I too need to train for the journey ahead."
The door to the Warrior's Hall opens and three arrows fly directly and accurately to a training dummy, causing both arms and two legs to fall off with three loud thuds as they topple to the floor. Glimmer giggles softly, hiccups and then steps inside. "That's how you do it, boys. You rip their arms and legs off. I say arms because I can't fathom the thought of maimed wi...win..win--gggsss" Glimmer struggles to say that last word and then proceeds on. "You taunt him, snare him, mute him, maim him, then poison his large undead face. I'll fight with you Taki, don't you fret. I'll do all the work, then you just swoop in with your big ol' screamin axe and yell something about burnt cheese. That oughta do it." Glimmer plants a kiss on Taklinn and turns. "Hello Richter. Need any help?"
"Hello there Glimmer. Got here just in time. May I speak with you for a second?" Richter pulls Glimmer aside and whispers to her privately. "I know I'm new around here but Takklin seems out of sorts and knowing your relationship, I was hoping you could get him out of it. I'll help however I can just tell me what to do." Richter turns toward Takklin. "All right Takklin, lets see if that axe can get past my defenses! What do you say?"
Stiers walks threw the door and stares down krell listening the all the mutttering....
Taklinn my friend I have much faith in you ,dont listin to that old gonklet
come on taklinn i will train with you we shall claim victory over this foe and rember with your friends by your side we will win!
Then turns to richter and says Hello
Taklinn continues talking softly to himself as Ricter talks, and stares darts at the Angori as he walks out saying angrily "Aye tis easy fer one who is a part of the wyrm to agree that we can't be killing him. Tis easy to embrace all that power with easy gains, but at what price? Ye'd have us follow ye to our oblivion, thinkin' that it twas the right course, but never knowin' that yer master be the one plantin' the durned thoughts in yer fool head! Blasted spawn of an undead worm!"
He visibly calms as Glimmer enters, and smiles at the dummy, thankful that she is on his side. He nods as Stiers comes in and offers help. Taking a few breaths to clear the cobwebs, he finally stands, looking to those around him. "Aint much trainin' that we're to be makin' that will matter much as far as skill. It is plannin' and shaping the field to our advantage that will win the fight when it is time. If we can make the ground work to our advantage, we can limit some of his options. Namely takin' away the bastard's ability to fly away and flee us if we get the upper hand." he says brushing his hand through his unkempt beard.
"We're needin' a strong line o shields indeed to withstand the might of that Wyrm, but it may be possible. Let the others stand behind us as we are formed, an' find their way of contributing to the battle as they can. I'm thinkin' that the bastard didn't take too much shine to the prime that was comin' out of that emblem. If we can weaken him with that and strike hard and fast, we may have a chance." He says determinedly, obviously with his rage still within him, but tempered a bit by the task of coming up with a strategy.
Victor can be seen sitting on a bench not far from where Taklin is training.
"I like the way you think Taklin. It's not might that wins the battle, its tactics. You can have the best warriors in the land to fight this worm, but without a proper plan they would fail. I think it maybe best to sit down with those that will be fighting and go over a solid battle plan. As for Kirell, worry not about his words. He spouts off mostly madness, even his recklass way of fighting shows that his mind has left him. He has become increasingly power hungry and dishonorable since we have been getting closer to this Scorch, and I am afraid he maybe a lost cause."
Victor takes a drink from a goblet and begins to ponder the tactics needed after viewing what this dragon can do.
The door to the warrior's hall cracks open and Akon's lithe figure slips half way into the doorway, looking inward towards all the shouting and rukkus. Then seeing all was fine, piped her ears onto the conversation, then got a mischieveous grin. "A dwarf talking tactics...never thought I'd see the day." She gave a playful wink towards Taklinn, her tone clearly in jest as she made her way inside. She eyed over Victor and gave him a bit of a nod, holding her stature at ease and tucking her hands behind her as she listened to the on going conversation. "He was toying with us, as he often does. He's hardly a coward, he's a tactian just as well as any. He was expecting us to come, any dragon would when he clearly saw us fly in from the very skies he owns claim to. It is not cowardice to retreat, it's intelligent when planned for. If I were Scorch, I would give my enemies a small taste of seeming victory, a slight feeling that perhaps they were gaining ground, then I would lure them further in their hunt for me, into a well planned trap to obliterate them." Akon smirks, and chuckles a bit at the thought.
Seeing no action, Richter takes a seat again, this time next to Victor. He nods in approval of Akon's words and ponders the matter himself. "If we are talking tactics, I am kind of lost there. What little I know is that of flanking and high ground. The tactics used around here seem more like ordered chaos then anything. Who would be considered the most experienced in this matter?" The Empyrean puts down his shield face up and starts to draw rudimentary lines with some chalk from his pouch. He quickly erases the lines, starts again and erases them again.
Akon smirks at the mention of 'ordered chaos,' chuckling again. "Most experienced in what? Tactics? Or the matter of Scorch? Taklinn has seen him more than any other in this room, from what I understand, however, I would be your resident lich expert, and general knower about things of the undead variety. As far as tactics themselves, Taklinn is rather skilled, and my entire life is centered around what you might call... 'tactics.' Put our minds together, and myself and the dwarf are near unstoppable, though he'll never admit it. History has proven us rather unusual companions on the battlefield however. He'll never breathe word of the time we got Jastrey out of his dwarven relative's forge..." She chuckles, still seemingly amused. "But it was our blades and hands working in unison that brought us home safe. You would be wise to listen to him, lad."
Victor looks up from his seat.
"i can tell you all you need to know about fighting an army of hundreds, but one creature, this kind of stuff is new to me. I know nothing of dragons or liches, and even less about dracoliches."
Victor smirks a bit at Akon's suggestion of being unstoppable when well organized.
"I have seen armies of well organized troopes routed by shear force of will. We are going to need more than just plans and organization."
Taklinn sits and listens to the gathering, keeping his eyes closed and moving his axe under him as he sits. Finally after several moments, he speaks up, pointedly not looking towards Akon. "Tis true that the Hoot knows about things foul and evil, and I have seen this bastard a couple of times, but in all honesty I aint fared too well against him. He seems to have not lost any power in undeath, but that is the way with these things." He says at length.
He turns towards Victor and nods at his assessments, finally saying. "Well the key will be to keep our nerve when facing the foul thing. I ain't fer lettin' the bastard split our force to pick us apart. The Warriors will be needin' a fair share of support from Shamans and healers if we're to be winnin'. I think the battle will all come down to healers meself. Their ability to channel the prime, coupled with their ability to keep us on our feet will be the key to the fight in me estimation. We canno' bind the beast to the ground as he is too big, and he ain't fer bein' scared of us in any case. He is probably too big to be stopped with magics or dazed, though I weren't awake but fer a bit o' the fight."
Akon paused, seeming to ponder the words of the dwarf..."Now that....would be something he would not be expecting...." She looked up towards Taklinn, a more serrious tone to her now. "He always can fly...he always can escape...but if we tied the bastard to the ground....then -he- would loose his nerve...its possible....and would certainly take grand organization and some dwarven smithing I think. What if..." She mused, pondering deeply. "What if -we- ambushed him in his own ambush? We could get dwarven made chains, gnomish contraptions to shoot them across his wings and back, neck....its possible. You are briliant, Forgesplitter...I do say."
Victor ponders a moment.
"Although a stout idea Akon, I am afraid his minions would quickly attempt to release him. Now if they were stopped then we might stand a chance, but remeber this creature has much at its disposal."
Victor rubs his chin glancing at the ground as if thinking hard.
"Looking back at the battle I couldn't help but notice that our group stayed close together huddling for protection well trying to gather a rest. This I fear is a huge mistake, as we saw the casters and savages were tearing them apart. They only clinged on because the talent and resolve of Chatya and Garrith. I recommend splitting up into groups of 5-6 so the damaging effects of their sorcerers and savages would be kept in check. Perferably there will be a shield, a healer, a mage, and a rogue or some sort for skirmishing in each group. Couple this with Akon idea of trying to ground the beast and it should make the fight more in our favor."
"That, Victor, is a spot on idea. I feel like there are elements we are still missing but we are working something out at the very least." Richter then turns to Takklin. "If prime is what we need, we may want to invest in some anointing oil and let those who know how to use it help us out. I'm sure the beast would at least be dazed with that much prime on our side."
Akon shifted a bit uncomfortably. "Aye..I can vouch for that fact, that the prime is not something the undead enjoy....however, he is such a large beast that he will hardly be phased by any amount of prime we could muster. Even a direct portal wouldn't quell that beast. Hense why he was able to stand in the power of the prime when his minions had to stay away."
"Aye the deed wont be done with only the power of the prime, but it may aid us. If only there were another strong source of the prime we may be able to use to help us." Taklinn says with a wry smile on his face, obviously amused by something. "Splitting forces a bit ain't the worse idea I've heared today. Get em to go in waves, one group resting while th' other battles the beast a bit, an' then coordinate when they switch off in their tasks."
Richter approaches Takklin as he is resting on the bench. "I don't think I like what that axe is doing to you. You are usually a gruff guy, but this rage seems unwarranted." Richter takes a seat next to him. "Sure Scorch got away for now but you need to see the long term. We have sworn to be vigilant against his evil but that does not mean we should blame ourselves when something happens outside of our control. This break gives us an oppurtunity to really analyze how Scorch acts and his strategy fighting in the flesh. He can't hide behind his undead forever." With a deep breath, Richter stands back up and offers Takklin a hand. "We will get another chance, but until then, we need to keep at the grindstone and train to the best of our abilities. The others need us to be prepared and strong on the frontline."