Second Drill: All Hell

[Paroxysm]

Fillip rubbed at his clean shaven face and looked about the other cadets, spotting most of the ones from the previous night, in fact, and noting their reactions. He could only imagine how crestfallen some of them had to be at this point, but there was nothing anyone could really do about that. Personally, Fillip was ready to vent his built up frustration, everyone's situation was equally bad, they had different methods for dealing with it, but FIllip, he was a simple man, and all he wanted to do was hit something like the fist of an angry God. Really, was that too much to ask for?

Somewhat lucky for Fillip was the fact that he had no weapon proficiency in the least, he simply could not, though not for a lack of trying, master a weapon, and nor was he particularly capable of flailing around with a weapon, either. He often felt off balance with one in his hands, regardless of whether it was melee or firearm, and he greatly preferred his own body, his arms and legs. In this respect, he was far less useless than a lot of the cadets who relied too heavily on their weapons and not enough on their bodies.

A tinge of anticipation ran through Fillip’s body, but he pushed it away for the moment. What was important now was finding out what kind of attack they were dealing with, the number and strength of the enemy, and what they had to work with; hopefully, the Academy staff would be lending a helping hand or there’d be a whole lot of casualties.

[Lemon]

"Shit... really?" Sedit hesitated, knowing full well what Naius had said and that the elf was serious but reluctant to allow the truth due notice. He'd seen the walking dead before. He'd been forced to fight several, but they were of his father's making.

"This might be a stupid question, but uh... are they magically reanimated or biologically resurrected? Like, I mean... uh... nevermind." Curiosity getting the better of him rarely ended well, socially speaking.

Sedit continued peering at the caved in passage, mesmerized by the steady horde of foes flowing from the rock face.

[Skylar]

Just a few cadets down from her stood Aldric. Once more she looked down at him and noticed the blue aura that now radiated from his eyes. Curious of if he had his self awareness, and not willing to take a chance of it being lacking in him, she slowly closed the space between the two.

Reaching out, she snatched his arm up in her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Aldric.” Her voice was demanding, and somewhat motherly. She didn’t speak any other words to him, but kept herself calm and composed. If she were right, it might work for him as well.

Thinking on the subject, she would have to bring it up to one of the elders. Her possible ability to share her moods with those around her, which could be a handy weapon in the midst of battle. She only wished she had thought of it sooner...least before they fell under attack from an unnamed foe.

[Shin]

Talon crossed his arms over his chest as he rocked back and forth from toe to heel. He was still tired and unlike the cadets around him who were wrapped in blankets and shivering the coldness didn’t bother him. He briefly thought about finding a spot on the ground he was staring at and laying down.

The thought drifted from his mind as he heard a man speak out to them, he lifted his head and fixed one brown iris and one of shifting color on the officer.

‘We are under attack.’

For a moment Talon stared from across the grounds at the officer like the man had grown an extra head. A moment later he watched and heard as havoc broke out around him and he was nearly knocked to the ground by a panicking cadet.

Talon was worried when he realized he was smiling, reflexively he began to get excited his adrenaline and blood began pumping furiously and he almost expected their enemy to swoop on them right then and there, and he wanted it! That thought sent Talon back on his heels and while the world panicked around him he couldn’t figure out why he too wasn’t panicking.

He looked around him and then quickly back to the officer, he wanted answers damn it. If they were under attack where was their enemy? What was to be done with them…surely they didn’t expect them to fight. Talon couldn’t fight in the slightest he didn’t know the first thing about wielding a sword.

He waited for the officer to do something, to take control, lead them, issue orders. Anything would be better then panicking Talon told himself, they needed to hide, send out the more experienced people and let those like Talon go somewhere safe.

[Syntaphar]

At first, Aldric did not respond to Misha trying to get his attention. His head simply swiveled slowly to follow the speaker at the front of the crowd. However, once his name being called registered in his subconscious, the power slowly faded away. The blue dimmed from his eyes, and with a long inhale and longer exhale, he turned to Misha with a calm smile on his face. "Ah, hello miss. 'Ow are you, is there anything I can do for you?

Normally, he would have been annoyed that someone knocked him out of his blissful state of attention. But, for some reason, he felt more calm and collected than usual. He grinned at her, looked down at his state of dress, and frowned a little. "Were it my choice, miss, I would 'ave chosen an outfit slightly more... dignified. I felt a bit rushed this morning, I think understandably."

[Nayt]

It felt like the floor had suddenly dropped out from underneath her feet. Areva could do little more than stare helplessly through the crowd. She was short. She could barely see her superior officer, but she didn't need to see him to understand. This wasn't a drill. This wasn't a test.

They were all going to die.

Her knees shook first. Her lip quivered second. Her back rattled third. And tears then finally began to fill her eyes. This was it. Not even a day in . . .

---

"Haven't the slightest," Naius shrugged his shoulders, "This's the first time I've ever seen one with my own twos eyes."

Naius shifted uncomfortably. The rate these things were pouring in, it almost seemed like there was no end to them. Luckily, there was a space of half of a mile between the valley and the forefront of town, and it looked like the so-called Drunalan Empire was doing a fair job with evacuating that side of town, but . . .

"All I know is what I hear," the elf muttered under his breath, "And none of it's good."

Naius proceeded to explain . . .

---

It seemed the panic either did little to upset the man or he simply didn't feel as if he had the time for it, as he neither attempted to calm this crowd half-filled with panicked children nor alleviate its collective fears.

"Our forces are currently engaging the first wave at the north side of town," the man called out over the panic and commotion, "From here, you will be expected to join the rear lines and await further orders."

He paused and almost spun around to walk away, but it seemed he remembered what type of group he was dealing with-- people that didn't know their way around a military or might misinterpret an order as a suggestion. They also didn't know what they were dealing with and the resources currently allotted to them. And so, the man stayed for a moment long and explained in further detail:

"The enemy looks human," he continued; the man was speaking much quicker this time, "But their humanity left them long ago. These creatures are neither alive nor dead. We do not know what controls them, only that no conventional means will stop them. If you break their legs, they will crawl for you. They will do everything that is necessary to end your lives as quickly as possible. Leaving any body standing is not an option. Do you understand?" He didn't leave any of them time to react, though. They either had to understand real quick like or charge in blindly. There were no other options. "Weapons are being arranged for you in the dining hall. You have four minutes to clothe yourselves and prepare a weapon. Further orders will be relayed when you reach the rear lines. Now, go!"

[Skylar]

Her grip tightened around Aldrics arm. A sprint forced her feet one after another, dragging him behind her if he could not keep up, or if he chose to break away from her. “Did you hear that? Four minutes Aldric. Get to your room and get prepared.” She finally let loose of him, and stopped only long enough for a few last words. “Stay safe.”

There was nothing she needed from her dorm, so she went immediately to the dining hall. She had a few weapons of choice, and quickly began to scan the ones available. Her heart raced, pounding feverishly with the beat of a million drums. She was excited, maybe even a bit terrified, though she would never admit it aloud, or share it with the others.

Nimble fingers scooped up a whip, and clipped it to her side. Searching further yet, she wished to find something that would end the lives of their attackers quickly, as it seemed that was what their superior suggested. A slender sword with a slightly curved blade with a grip long enough for two hands. That would work. She grabbed it along with a small dagger in which she shoved into her boot.

Again in a mad dash she was off, heading toward the north side of the town.

[littlebean]

"Fffffuuuuuuuu...."


"Now go!"

The general's words were like the starting gun at the beginning of a race and the crowd zipped past him in a blur. Anyone who's eyes were quick enough could catch a glimpse of his terrified expression, but then in a flash he left them all behind. Even Areva, not out of cruelty or neglect but out of necessity.

He couldn't tell you what that necessity was, it must have been to run because that's what always happened. His mind didn't participate in the decision making, escape was almost an automatic physical response, like a shock he'd feel the need to distance himself from danger, and without thinking his legs would always oblige. Just like that time...

Could he manage that now? If the opportunity arose he'd certainly take it. The punishment for fleeing couldn't be as bad as being eaten by zombies, but for now he'd show up at the dining hall in running shoes, shorts and a t shirt that had Red Rover Delivery written on it.

All the large weapons were ignored and anything complicated was completely overlooked in favour of a wooden bat. There was a small simple lightweight dagger next to it which would be ideal if not for the fact that running with pointy objects was dangerous.

Dressed and armed kind of he ran with everyone else to the north end.

[Syntaphar]

A relieved smile hit Aldric's face when he heard he had a small amount of time to get ready. He turned to Misha, highly enthusiastic, and said "Yes, I heard! With all of life's little misfortunes, it iz good to see that fortune still remains! And you stay safe as well, Miss Misha!" He kept up with her easily, and dashed as quickly as he could when she let go. With that, he made it quickly to the dorm where he had woken up not half an hour ago and rifled through his trunk. He figured it would be fitting enough to wear the scarf and blue overcoat he had on when he died into a great battle; it seemed fitting.

From the bottom of the truck, he pulled a sheathed saber, elegantly decorated and recently sharpened. Drawing for a moment to get reacquainted with it's weight, he nodded to it, as if to an old friend, and dashed back out to the north side of town. He had died once, didn't care for it, and resolved not to again. And that resolution he did not plan to break today.

[Paroxysm]

When the currently-in-charge general announced his order and where he had expected the cadets to gather, Fillip just sort of shrugged, nodded his head to himself, and stuffed his hands into his pockets and started off in that direction. He had already gotten dressed and as previously mentioned, he wasn’t too great with a weapon. If it became necessary, he’d just take one off the battle field, whether it belong to friend or foe.

Fillip would pause just before Areva and look as though he was going to say something, his brow furrowed, his lips parted, but no words came. Instead, Fillip smiled and walked around the young girl; the smile would have appeared dark and foreboding, but that wasn’t the intended effect: that was just what happened when someone as thuggish as Fillip smiled without speaking. If anything, the smile might have looked like a threat…

In the end, Fillip Bashkin would be one of the first cadets to reach the rear-line (along with whoever else was just as ready as he was or already there, in the first place) and eager for orders.

[Shin]

‘He can’t be serious.’ That was Talons first thought, he expected them to fight with little to no training? But then again, they were the last line of defense and if it came down to them all was likely lost anyways.

The gravity of the situation was tremendous, yet, either it simply hadn’t hit home with Talon yet or he really was that calm. He was nervous about how calm he was then he was about the upcoming battle. If he survived he told himself he would think deeper into later, for now though he didn’t want to question it in case what ever confidence he had left him.

Despite his initial worries Talon was among the first group of people to the rear lines. He wore nothing more then his simple shorts, but there wasn’t much he needed. Talon didn’t know the first thing about wielding a sword or any weapon for that matter and he knew little more then that about the magic he wielded as well, a dangerous combination.

While he waited for further orders he tried to focus himself, he could feel the magic coursing through him as surely as he felt his chest rise and fall with every breath. It seemed so easy, all he had to do was reach out and take it, grab a hold of that power and use it. Though things that seemed easy never truly were, there was always a catch.

[Lemon]

"Heh, well yeah. I guess I kinda figured all that when you said 'undead.'" Sedit swallowed hard before continuing, "D... d'you think we oughtta go too?" Indicating with a nod the other cadets scrambling toward the dining hall, Sedit looked at the elf for confirmation. He wasn't especially keen on joining the fray, but neither did he want to risk being chewed out by a superior.

Sedit had his knife with him, but didn't think it would do much good on an undead. Killing blows were more about blunt force trauma and maiming for the undead, whereas with humans and other living creatures his skill in finding vital organs was actually useful. Still, whatever anyone of authority commanded him to do, you could expect to find him doing it without hesitation. No matter how much he'd rather be dead.

[Nayt]

When she-- and everyone else --was given the order, Areva wanted to do the exact opposite: crawl into a hole somewhere and die peacefully. Yes, that would have been wonderful. It would have been worlds better than having her head chewed off by the forces of the undead.

She was somewhat more afraid of what might happen if she didn't show up, though. Horrible things would be guaranteed then-- and the army was already fighting the invaders, right? They were probably not going to be needed, right? They were just going to watch something horrible and maybe learn from it . . .

Right?

Before she even moved, Areva encountered someone. He looked familiar. Very familiar. Wait-- was this the guy that was staring at her back at the banquet? If Areva hadn't been tense before, she'd have been tense right now. She could only stare up to this young man with abject terror, and as if he knew what she was feeling (or so it seemed), he passed her by, leaving Areva alone with Alicia by her side. Areva hesitated there, barely able to will herself to move, but it had to be done. Unfortunately.

Areva slowly sauntered off to her room. She needed to get a change of clothes and start off for the north side of Dachinst. There was no telling what might happen if she did. There was kind of no telling what might happen if she did too, though. Damned if you do, damned if you don't?

Oh God I'm going to die.

---

"They know we're up here," Naius replied, meaning-- specifically --their superior officers. "If they want us out there, they'll send someone to tell us . . ."

It wasn't long before Naius and Sedit received their orders, too: they were going to be replaced as lookouts. Though their contributions were still very much appreciated, their services were much better suited with the rest of the cadets, while a better trained lookout and "Drunalan" military scout took over their positions. Not hard feelings were had, especially since the guy complimented them pretty intensely for their duties. He even said something akin to the idea that the both of them would make excellent military scouts.

On the campus again, Naius looked behind him once, then to the other side of campus. His dormitory hall was over there and Sedit's was behind them. They didn't have much time to prepare, and though they were already in uniform (having not actually changed out of uniform for skipping sleep last night and going straight to liquor), there was still a chance they had things in their respective rooms that they needed to retrieve.

Naius certainly had something.

"See you at the rear lines," Naius half-waved to Sedit, before shoving his hands into his pockets and making headway for his dormitory.

Offtopic: Waiting for at least two more people before I continue and narrate the conditions of the north side of town/the rear lines.

[Lemon]

With a gulp and a nod to his departing friend, Sedit dashed for his dormroom. He was, for the first time in over a day, finally alone. Sedit collected his thoughts and reviewed the days events as he slipped into his unlocked dorm. He wondered briefly who had placed his belongings here, and how they'd known where he kept his things in the town he'd come from, but considered he may have left that all in his mission reports at one point or another. He was very thorough in his reports, after all.

On the down side of the day, he had managed to make a fool of himself in front of fellow cadets and superiors alike, but from that incident he was able to meet Naius. What's more, they were able to warn the entire campus about a pending attack well in advance of it happening. He was plus one friend, an elf no less, and he was complimented by his superiors at the end of the day. Pretty good luck, Sedit considered.

Ah, there is was. After digging through his chest of belongings, he found the only weapon he'd really become comfortable with using, besides his knives, during his reaperdom, a Cizokan ninja to. To those much larger than he, the to was really just an oversized knife, but it was lighter and more reliable than the brutish swords he'd attempted to use in his first year and he'd been able to strike single killing blows on several Voleur d'ame with it on his first month of using it. It didn't have a name, any adornments, and the blade was solid black. It was even more featureless than Sedit--perhaps the entire reason he liked it.

He stole from his room, allowing the door to slam shut behind him as he dashed out of the building. He had hoped to meet Naius on the way back, and so left his defensive withdrawing ability inactive until he reached the rear guard.

Offtopic: Posting on a rp forum from my PhD lab, ftw <3

[Zach Kaiser]

Alicia's first reaction to the news that they were under attack was numb shock. But surely they'd get them somewhere safe; after all, they hadn't even received any actual training yet. She doubted they'd expect them to fight...

But she was wrong. Even if it sounded like they were behind the more experienced Reapers, they were still being sent into battle. She'd never even been in a real fight, let alone a large scale battle. What did they expect her to do, stand between the enemy and more useful Reapers?

Before she could consider alternate possibilities, instinct kicked in, reminded her time was of the essence and that whatever she did she didn't want to be in her nightclothes for it, and unarmed no less.

"Oh, goddammit!" she yelled as she dashed by slower moving recruits and back to her room.