The Legion of Hell

Rook Murmuring prayers with his head lowered does not notice, tears drops fall from his eyes.

Slowly he felt a hand reach for his shoulder.

Quickly Rook looks up, startled as he suddenly recalled they were uncomfortably close to a battlefield, still he would have surely heard an enemy's approach; he looked to see who it was tears of fear for her still welled in his eyes.

"You said you love me." A teasing contralto purred in a sing-song voice, black painted lips curved up in an all too pleased , joyous smile that no self-respecting salamander would have allowed on their face. Then again Syndr never was one for following rules , after all fae weren't supposed to consort with humans . And since her lips were now pressing firmly against Rook's one could assume she was doing more than that.

Doctor James Rookwood blushed, and started to speak "Well I..." He was quickly cut off by the salamander's firm kiss. For a moment he became lost in it, his matching her with passion, and skill, though as she was far stronger she easily had him in her control which he found unbelievably sexy. Rook would be the one to pull away as much as he hated to, and speak up "We need to pick this up later, I doubt we have long before this position is overrun, most everyone has retreated, and even I can't stop an army." With a wave of his hand he summoned his gryphon, seeming for once calm and in control of the situation "Let's get out of here before you get skewered by another knight in shining armor" He jokes

"Oh really? I thought from the kiss that's what you wanted ." She teased , pride unable to give him the proper thanks she admitted to herself he deserved. Yet she couldn't waste anymore time on speaking , quickly she hopped on the back of the gryphon , frowning a bit with pain as her torso still ached terribly. "Ready to go."

"You're right scratch that." Rook jokes with a small grin and a clear blush as he climbs on the front, and wills the beast into the air; his plan was to circle around the enemy army, giving them a bit of the wide birth, as he searched for alessio, and the squad he abandoned to search for syndr. Rookwood was simultaneously ecstatic and worried, to know that she felt the same way was a weight off his chest, but how the hell a noble and a salamander were going to work was going to be interesting, but it was them they'd make it work, and he wasn't much of a noble anymore; he wasn't even sure he wanted to be.

As the pair coasted above the smoking battlefield still ringing with the sons of flashing gunpowder and clashing steel, Rook's eyes caught to some heavy movement on the walls of the keep. Battling to the last even now he could see , what remained of his squad on the walls, accompanied by the remaining troops of the fort. Leading at the front and currently finishing off a downed Legionaire was Lord Delobo , enchanted crackling with blue fire in the midst of the rancor. A blazing beacon that the rebel soldiers rallied around. It was clear that they could not hold out forever here , not with most of the fort taken and dwindling supplies .

"Into the breach once more eh?" Rook asked the salamander as he brought themm in for a landing about as far behind friendly lines as he could manage, he didn't want his gryphon shot down "You should rest up." He'd advise Syndr, she could hardly stand, but he knew even this wounded she'd probably just tell him to fuck off if he just asked her to sit it out, but at the same time he couldn't let her fight with them in her condition, so he added "We can hold for now it looks like, but we're sure as hell going to need you to break this thing later. I'm sure Ivana will have you up and about in time." He had no commanding presence, but he knew that she respected him, and hoped that and good sense would be enough.

In the end it was neither of those that decided whether or not she would leap into the fray , but pain . So , listening to the wizard's sensible advice she simply grunted in frustration and limped off to go find where Ivana happened to be right now. Her only consolation the still lingering taste of rook's lips, which managed to beat out the bitterness that filled her at her own weakness.

Rook meanwhile went to report in with his squad "Sorry I took a detour had to find someone." He said to Alessio as he joined him on the wall, he knew that he had panicked and abandoned his squad, and he had a million excuses for it in the back of his head. The real reason though was that he'd let them all die for Syndr in a heart beat. There was no time for that though, and he spoke up asking "Where do you need me?"

Thankfully the medical tents were as far as possible from the front line, and ivana while absolutely overloaded displayed a bit of favoritism/pragmatism, and found syndr a cot where she could begin healing her immediately. Syndr was her friend, but she was also a giant fire breathing lizard who could make all the difference in the battle "You look like shit." clearly somewhat exhausted Ivana would say to her, as syndr knew she rarely cursed "But I can see in those eyes something has gone as right as things have wrong." She said as she began working on some kind of potion that would help speed her recovery

There was something particularly unsettling about the glares of complete contempt that met him as he arrived. It was obvious that their fire support abandoning them had lost him quite a bit of trust regardless of his reasons, and rook could expect a few weeks of silence from his comrades and eating alone at mess for sure. But perhaps even worse were the twin cauldrons of green caustic flame that were Alessio's normally soft eyes. Setting his jaw firmly with teeth visibly gritting with contained anger. The noble spat on the ground and pointed out towards the massing horde of legionnaires that could be seen gathering out in what used to be the main courtyard. "Do your job fire support , pin them down with some artillery spells while the nurses get the wounded off the walls." With that he spoke no more and stormed off in the commander's direction.


"You're a little too perceptive sometimes Ivana." She replied , holding back a grin as best she could..which wasn't very good at all.

Rook felt pretty shit about what he had done that much was clear on his face, but he didn't regret it; he couldn't regret saving the life of someone who meant the world to him. The smart thing to do would have been to fly off and never look back to avoid execution, if all these people died who would know he had joined, who would have time to court Marshall him, but he couldn't do that either even if it meant his own life in trade. Every decision he had made up to this point he would stand by to the end, he had always been like that; a strange is of honor, selfishness, a strangely stand up kind of guy, even though in his personal relationship with syndr he liked to be anything but, it was a trait that he could not always ignore. When Rook began unleashing whirling cyclones of fire, and ice blending together, in an impossible yet seamless fusion, and blasting apart enemy cannon's with lightning; there was no one who didn't notice perhaps the finest wizard in the colonies had joined the fight.

"So what's got you smiling at a time like this?" Ivana wondered, this was the closest thing she was going to have to a break all day

The horde of the enemy fell apart , brutes flying about in the cyclones of fire , others frozen to the ground by swinning squalls of ice. Meanwhile the men watched in morbid wonder as they watched the enemy horde flounder against Rook's mystical might.

"N-nothing."

"Would you gentlemen mind firing your weapons?" Rook asked grunting from the exertion as he ducked behind the ramparts, for a quick breather, before resuming his assault sending waves of fire into the enemy formation, at just the right temperature to kill and no more than needed, it's mostly to conserve energy, but hopefully has the added effect of demoralizing the enemy as their comrades die screaming in pain their flesh being seared from their bones very bones without their nerves being killed first or dying too quickly.

"Something... come one, I'm working my ass off give me something to take my mind off it."Ivana pleaded handing her a potion that would help her recover faster

"right." They replied and began to fire as well.

"...I kissed him." She replied proudly.

Rookwood was going to throw as much fire power at them as he could before he had to break, witht he sole purpose of causing as much damage, fear, and suffering as possible, hopefully inspiring an at least temporary retreat.

"Rook?" Ivana asked surprised "I know you like him a lot, but he's from nobility." She pointed out, Nobles tended to be really big on keeping their women under control. While most women wouldn't mind Syndr was not most women and Ivana didn't exactly know about rooks tendencies to which submissive would be an understatement

"...Oh believe me , I won't have any such problems from him." She replied with a wink.

They are running.

"Riiight" She didn't know what Syndr meant by that as a woman of god and all "I have to get back to work, drink the potion." Ivana would move on

Rook collapsed against the battlements to take a breather, that was a lot of energy to expend; even for him. He wasn't completely drained, but he wasn't going to be doing anything quite like that without a good day's rest.

The battle was over for the day , the craven legions of marauders turning tail and running in the midst of flaming debris , their ranks broken entirely at least for the moment. However despite the quiet cheers of a few of the more naive soldiers , no great celebration began. This seemed but a break in the storm , if a well needed one.

After a few minutes the exhausted Doctor Rookwood had gathered up the energy to stand once more, the good news was they weren't dying today, the bad news was the commander was going to have his ass for running off and not breaking the legion's forces before they had taken so much of the fort he had some explaining to do... and some penance.

(Skip )

"Dr.James Rookwood , cornet in the Liberation Army of Mystria , you stand before me after having abandoned your men and this fortress in the line of duty , your actions , and your disregard for the lives of your fellows , and your duty as an officer , however personal they may be rooted cannot be ignored. Men died because you were not there Mr.Rookwood , men with families , men whose widowed wives and bereft mothers will forever hold you partially responsible. Though the circumstances of your desertion are in a way understandable , it is the sacred duty of every soldier no matter the nation he hails from , to be capable of sacrificing something of his own for his duty. You knew this when you signed up , and as such you must be held responsible."

The twin grey moons that were his commander's eyes peered down on him with a grim solemnity "Due your return in the midst of battle , and qualifications as a master wizard...you will not be executed as is standard procedure for those who abandon their duty. However you will suffer  penance for the lives you indirectly caused to be lost , as is only just. Now you may be wondering what your sentence is then , first off , you will be flogged , second you will be stripped of rank and official position and re-assigned as a direct subordinate of your friend Moritagni who after his exploits during the battle for the fort and the loss of many a junior officer , has been promoted to lieutenant. It is clear duty by itself is not enough to keep you on the field , so perhaps your friendship  with him will aid you in finding resolve. Your funding for experiments both magical and scientific has been completely cut , as such humors are better spent on those proven unshakably loyal to the revolution.That is all."

Rook had plenty he would like to  say in response to the commander's reprimand, all the commander said was true, but he wouldn't change a damn thing, and it was clear in his hazel eyes that while he was under no illusions that what he had done was virtuous he stood by his decision. He had taken an oath to the Army, but he had also taken an oath to syndr long ago when she had become his familiar, and if the army expected him to leave her behind for them, then they could all go straight to hell; especially since he had more or less won the battle for them, and incidentally retrieved a far greater asset in syndr then any number of common soldiers; Rook was one hundred percent convinced he had made the best decision he could have made on a moral and strategic level (though the latter was again admittedly incidental) in a situation with no right choice, and to top it all off he had distinguished himself in the following battle; really he was one of the reasons the commander's head wasn't on a spike, and they put him on trial up here? On the other hand he had technically committed an offence punishable by execution, and he had abandoned his duty however briefly, so he held his tongue, he reacted to the demotion with the grudging acceptance, and the flogging didn't overly bother him; as for cutting into his research budget, well... that was a somewhat dicier decision as the enemy certainly wouldn't be cutting down their research to match, but he was too smart to think he could argue his way out of it, so he would simply reply when the commander's speech was finished "If you think that is wise." He did not slouch, he did not look away or show signs of shame, fear, or hostility at his punishment. He may not have had the commanding presence that the commander has, but what he did have unlike most young men was sincere conviction that shown in his eyes, and would not waver even as he met the gaze of the comander. None the less he was certain to follow protocol to the letter, because he was not some rebellious youth, just someone who cared about saving the last person he loved more than his life, his magic, or the world itself.

"I know it is." He replied sternly , statue like face in a deep frown as he beckoned for the two guards at his side to take Rook away "Take him back to his quarters and watch him closely until noon , then you will be called out to lead him to the public flogging." He flatly ordered and with that Rook was quickly siezed up ,and with a severe (probably intentional) lack of gentleness was dragged out . All the way through the fort more stares hounded his steps and whispered foul words marred the wind. The fort as a whole was in recovery since the massive attack. Even as Rook was pulled through the courtyard back towards what remained of the barracks , soldiers could be seen mending walls, carrying away bodies and salvaging supplies. The men were no less battered themselves , many trainees and even full soldiers were lost during the battle..those remaining were an iron guard of sorts , the strongest and fiercest yet also the most battered. There was a distinct sense of gloom about the whole place , those still living had lost brothers , friends , and in some cases more. And though those who watched the wizard pass showed him no open hostility , there was a clear sense of disdain in their eyes towards him. The cocky wizard who was too busy saving his faerie wench to help those he'd sworn to serve with. None of them understood what had truly driven him and perhaps even then their quiet fury would not have been assuaged. As far as many were concerned the wizard had selfishly sacrificed so many of their friends simply to save one of his own , and few would be willing to ever forgive that.

As they cast the blame on Rook for their own inability to see themselves to victory... did not care, the way he saw it it was only because of him that any of them lived to stand here anyway. They could look at him however they wanted, and her would look at them as if he did not care. At least he tried to convinced himself he did not care, and that their anger at him was only due to their own abject failure, but like anyone being surrounded by people who hated him, especially when he respected them, was uncomfortable to completely understate it. Regardless he did not resist as he was brought to his quarters.