Chapter 10: The Calm After The Storm

A silence filled the air, if one were to ignore the distant sound of screaming, some distant sound of blades clashing, and buildings exploding, as two figures stared at each other, both sizing each other up and both ready to kill the other. The two of them couldn't be different from one another, and not just in looks either, but in mindsets. One of them wore dark grey and blue light armor that was heavy on the arms, chests, and legs while wearing a simple black Shenshi-styled helmet and a almost full face mask. His weapon of choice is a katana, a simple yet effective weapon. His dark blue eyes were glued to his opponent, who looked to be a young teen if it weren't for her height. She was wearing few armor, wearing a dress and silver colored armor on her, though not a lot. Her skin was light tan and her teeth are sharper than normal. Like the species she belongs to, Vanyan, her weapon is one that requires both brute force, skill, and surprising tactics to use correctly; the long axe.

Surprisingly, Marrie was the one to make the first move, which was to change her stance. She lazily shifted her axe, her shoulders slumped and her feet not in a proper combat stance. If Shiro wasn't a highly trained and skilled warrior, he wouldn't have seen the slight movement of her muscles tense underneath, like a spring coiled to its max and then some. Luckily, he did. Even if he didn't notice, he knows all about a Warmonger's Warmonger Stance, or Bait Pose. By seemingly lowering their guard, they trick their opponent. They can even use this, and most often use it, when facing multiple opponents.

Even knowing that the stance is a trick, he knew he would have to approach. So, with a sigh, he readied himself and looked for any opening. Marrie, in turn, waited patiently, thrumming her fingers against the shaft of her weapon. Even if she was in what can be considered a non-combat ready stance, her eyes were constantly on alert, taking in every movement while simultaneously keeping track of Shiro's every movement. Even the thrumming of her fingers was tactical, each tap running magic through her axe and body, as well as tell her just how much stamina she has ready. A strange yet neat trick only a few have learned to do. Not even Sharia knows how to use this correctly.

After one more moment of silence, Shiro attacked, darting forward with his katana at the ready. Marrie did nothing, even as Shiro approached her at an alarming speed. It wasn't till he was five feet away did she move. Instead of trying to dodge the strike, or try and trade blows, she simply shifted her long axe to her right hand. It was such a simple and lazy move, yet it was extremely effective. The staff of her weapon blocked Shiro's strike, knocking it slightly aside enough for her to step on it before Shiro could pull away, causing him to stumble forward. He looked up just in time to see Marrie slightly wind back her left arm before punching him, hard.

The blow was slightly above the ribcage, yet it was powerful enough to not only crack some of his ribs and even break his armor at the spot of impact, but send him flying. It was only thanks to all his training did he keep his grip on his sword, taking it with him as he went. He landed a couple of feet away, landing on all fours, and jumped to the side upon sensing danger. Not a moment later Marrie's axe slammed on the ground where he was.

Not waiting a moment, Marrie lunged forward, reaching out and grabbing Shiro's loose tunic, catching him in mid-air despite the danger. Because of the unexpected move, as well as how fast Marrie moved in order to catch him, Shiro was caught off guard. However, he was quick to recover. Curling himself, he kicked Marrie's arm with both his feet before Marrie could punch him again, causing her to leg go of him. He considered counterattacking but, after tasting her speed first hand, he knew he most likely wouldn't get away scott free. So instead, he landed on all fours and launched himself backwards, putting enough distance. For a brief moment he sensed Marrie lunging for him again only for the feeling to stop. When he landed, she had already gone and picked up her long axe.

Annoyed at himself, Shiro rushed forward, knowing there is no point in fighting the Warmonger in a long distance fight, especially when she has the advantage in reach and strength. Upon seeing Shiro move, Marrie instantly got into her Warmonger Stance, saw the direction his blade was going in. and shifted her long axe to her left hand. With the pommel on the ground and her other hand braced against the shaft, she could not only block pretty much any strike, but parry it too. Once again deflecting his blade, Marrie took a step forward and tried to headbutt Shiro, only he dodged, taking a step back and pulling up his katana. Before he could recover fully, Marrie attacked, flipping her axe and changing her grip, holding it close to the head, and swung. It was a quick attack and only his quick block saved him from a nasty blow. Even then, the blow chipped through, though it was nothing Shiro couldn't handle.

Pulling back slightly, Marrie swung with her right arm, only Shiro ducked it. Seeing an opportunity, he spun out and aimed a downward strike at Marrie's exposed side. With his sword, speed, and strength, he will most definitely be able to land a good hit on her and, if he is lucky, slice off her arm, though he doubts it. Marrie is not only an elite warrior, meaning she has better armor than most, but she is a Vanyan, which means she is much much more tougher than a normal human.

Then, Marrie did the impossible. She spun around fast enough to block his strike with the shaft of her long axe. With the momentum from her spin, and the fact that she is just Marrie, his sword was knocked down. Now wide open, Shiro was once again unprepared for Marrie's counterattack, in which was to finish her twirl with a punch to his face, once again sending him flying. He managed to stick the landing and looked up just in time to see Marrie sweeping wide with her long axe. If he moved forward or stayed here, he would get hit. If he moved back, he would be able to dodge it yet give her enough time to recover. So, he did the fourth option, which was to show her why he was a High Commander.

He darted forward, jumping over the swing and blocking the part that would hit him with his katana, and landed right beside her. Marrie blinked in genuine surprise and before she could pull in her weapon to defend herself, Shiro struck, running his sword through her right hip. She let out a hiss of pain as he darted back. All things considered, things were going pretty well so far. That changed when Marrie instantly spun around, doing the same exact move and catching him. Even if she was surprised by his actions, it seems that the entire attack was a lure, and he had fallen right for it.

Her axe dug deep into his side and before he could recover, Marrie tackled him, bashing her elbow into his chest then backhanding him away, disorienting him for a bit. Using this, Marrie spun to face him and pulled her axe back, then rammed it into his stomach. Despite hitting him with the top of the axe, the part with no sharp point, the pure strength behind it allowed Marrie to stab through his armor and skin. Then, using her left hand to stand her axe up, with Shiro still being on it, she reached behind her back and pulled out her leviathan axe and, after a quick flip, swung it, decapitating him in one brutal strike.

It was as if the whole area went silent. Even the sound of artillery stopped. The soldiers watched as Marrie eyed Shiro's rolling head for a bit before putting her leviathan axe back on her back and proceeded to punch Shiro off her long axe. Then, she put the pummel of her weapon on the ground and dug it in before climbing up on it, stopping near the top, and let out a victorious roar.

When her roar ended, her eyes turned to look at the remaining Mackarole soldiers, and a predatory and smug smile grew on her face.

"Well then...Are you guys gonna try and stop thineself?" Marrie asked, swinging off her long axe and pulling it free with her right hand, walking confidently forward.

The Mackarole soldiers and the fewer Vanyan soldiers looked at each other, then proceeded to back off from one another, forming two sides. One side was Marrie and the Vanyans, and the others were the remaining Mackarole soldiers. They stared at each other, neither side moving, before the Mackaroles did a small bow, a show of respect. Seeing it, Marrie's smile widened and she and her soldiers did the same, the Vanyan soldiers thumping their weapons against their shields while those who lost their shields did it against their chest, and Marrie thumping her axe on the ground three times with her left hand before her right arm thumped against her own chest.

Once the respectful saluting ended, the two sides let out their battle cries and charged at one another, proud to show their might to one another.

--------

High General Toshiro knew the battle was lost even if he couldn't see it. He sensed Shiro's death, and became aware of the mass retreat of the Militia*. It was a close battle, but this one wasn't one by tactics. Not this time. Instead, if was won by pure skill. If Marrie herself didn't help hold the flank, the chance that the Vanyan army will break was very high.

Now comes the question. Should he kill himself, retreat, or stay and fight to the death? If he was facing foes such as Vikings, he knows they would not give him an honorable fight. Now, for the Vanyans, he has no clue. They are barbaric, savages some would say, but they are much more tactical and honorable. Sure, their code of honor is one of strength and will, but their honor codes are still honorable nonetheless. In fact, they can even be called more honorable than his own Faction, if not tied.

That simple fact alone should say enough. However, it makes sense if one were to look into them such as he has. They are a Faction that lets actions speak louder than words. Most have a distrust and natural dislike of their Senate, or Council, and would rather settle things between themselves with a show of strength usually having zero to no casualties. The last part wasn't clear, but if he had to guess, each Tribe sends their strongest warrior to face each other, or one of them, and have them fight to solve things. A simple way that reminded him of the much simpler times long long long past.

Silence seemed to set over the city with even the distant screaming fading down to nothing. Looking up, he saw the sun shining through the gathering storm clouds, standing in a sea of light blue...

....

....

....He came to his decision and waited, his eyes closed. He waited, listening to the gentle yet ominous wind. He waited, listening to the sound of distant thunder rumble. He waited, listening to the sounds of screams picking up once again only with most to be cut off, with all of them falling silent a short while after. He waited, listening to the sound of thunder, only closer. And he waited until finally, a couple of seconds after the thunder stopped, did he hear the sound of footsteps approaching. Even then, he did not open his eyes, instead waiting for the footsteps to stop at the top of the stairs.

There were more than one pair, with three lagging behind and a fourth one well behind. He could tell those four were severely injured, and so was the pair of footsteps that came up first, despite her best efforts to try and hide it. He could hear the blood dripping off her.

Taking a deep breath, ignoring the smell of smoke and the heavy scent of blood, High General Toshiro finally turned around, meeting the intense blue eyes of his foe.

Bloody Marrie, Warmonger of Vanyan. She certainly did live up to her legends, and now her Warmonger title. Just like he expected, the Warmonger was covered head to toe in blood, both a mix of hers and others. Some of the blood was dark green, that blood belonging to some of the Repitars* that live with the Mackaroles. Normally, their blood is a glowing light green. However, it has been mixed in with all sorts of blood, dulling its once vibrant color. Her dress could barely be called blue anymore, and her white hair barely shone through all the blood and gunk that was on it. Her lower jaw was split and most of her teeth was missing, and there was many gashes on her body. Her left leg was blackened and off. Because of the angle, he couldn't see the extent of the wound it has.

Finally, her hands had bruises, with her left hand even being split down the middle from getting hit with the sharp edge of a blade. She was battered, yes. Battered and bloody, yet still kicking. Toshiro could sense the warrior spirit still strong within her, and sense her body repairing itself, as well as her muscles coiling, ready for action. There is no doubt about it. Bloody Marrie can still fight in this condition, and fight quite well. She can probably even beat Shiro again in her current state.

The two stared at each other, waiting until, much to Toshiro's surprise, Marrie backed off, taking a couple of steps back before thumping her weapon four times on the ground, letting go of it to do a spinning deep bow, catching it before she lowered her head completely. Toshiro didn't respond at first but he quickly got out of his confusion, doing a deep bow of his own, sticking his odarchō into the ground.

Almost as if they practiced beforehand, the two stopped bowing at the same time, meeting each others' eyes once again.

"...High General Toshiro, right?" Marrie asked, her voice scratchy yet firm.

"Indeed," Toshiro confirmed, "I'm surprised you know of me, considering the distance between our Factions."

"Well, I like to listen to all things going on, especially at the Yudha Meeting*. The two Warmongers of the Shenshi Faction like to speak quite a lot," Marrie explained.

Toshiro felt surprised upon hearing the news, but he forced himself to not show it. He was taught better, after all.

"Two? I only thought there was one Warmonger in the Shenshi Faction," Toshiro admitted, wondering whether Marrie will tell him more or not. Either way, it won't matter. He'll die here and won't be able to do anything with the information anyway. Despite knowing this, he would still like to know. Curiosity is a powerful yet dangerous thing.

"Indeed. She has been around for two meetings now. I don't think she and Ryu get along. He always shoots her daggers."

"Hmmm," Toshiro hummed, knowing that Marrie was purposefully withholding the name of the somewhat new Warmonger, "So, what comes next?"

"Well, thy decision is up to thee," Marrie told him with a chuckle, swinging her long axe over her shoulders.

"I know this may sound rude but, are you sure you want to fight me in your condition?" Toshiro asked, taking his blade out of the ground and pointing the hilt of it at her.

The Vanyan who came up with him took a step forward, rage in his eyes. Before he could speak, however, Marrie stopped him by holding her her left hand.

"Leave it, Hawk. He is right."

The Vanyan, which Toshiro now recognizes as Commander Hawk, looked like he wanted to say something but, after Marrie gave him a stern look, he backed off.

"Well, like thine said, thy choice is up to thee. Thy battle was won, but thy outcome doesn't concern thee and thar Faction as thee thinks," Marrie explained, walking in a small circle, "For as far as thine am aware, thee Senshi Faction has bigger problems to worry about. Besides, don't most of thy love the bad kind of peace? Take it and enjoy it, for as long as it lasts, and prepare for thy upcoming battles and conflicts that will surely come thee way."

High General Toshiro remained silent, taking in what Marrie said in earnest.

"I like you, Toshiro," Marrie admitted, stopping in her tracks, "Thy others of thee Faction are horribly annoying and hypocrites. Now, don't get me wrong, thine still dislike thee, that dislike bordering on hate. Yet, thy has proven themselves. Whatever old traditions you hold on to makes thy a much better Senshi than any other. So, don't throw thee life away. Thy Faction still needs you. So, I'm offering you mercy. Take it, and whatever soldiers thy still has left, and go. Inform thy others what happened and tell them that Marrie sends her regards."

"...Why do this, if I may ask?"

Marrie paused, thinking of an answer. Before she could, the three pairs of footsteps from before finally arrived. Turning to look at them, Toshiro was surprised to see how bloody they were. If he had to guess the identities of these three soldiers, he would say they were the only survivors of those who fought with Marrie to hold the flank. The only one who didn't have a helmet on, a tall Vanyan woman with light yellow hair instead of the normal Vanyan white, met his eyes and glared daggers at him. Of course Toshiro wasn't affected at all by the glare, but it was nice to see that one of them still had fight in them.

"Thine has no answers," Marrie said, her eyes not leaving the injured soldiers, "at least, none that thy can't figure out yourself if one were to look at two simple things that make thineself, thineself."

"Then...have a great life, High Commander Marrie Ashta," Toshiro said with a small bow.

Marrie blinked in surprise, then did a little bow back. Once the bow was done, the Senshi High General made his way down the stairs, walking down part of the way before turning left and disappearing from sight.

........

The entrance that the Vanyans breached made for a great place to set up camp. Not only did the outside forest provide plenty of lumber, but the big clearing at the entrance to the city had enough space for all of them. Well, almost all of them. A few had to stay outside the gates and Marrie ordered her soldiers to level some of the buildings to make more room or their siege weapons and to have room to make a Pit Arena*. There was a prison, a small little thing in terms of height made out of the mesh and padded combination of lumber, stone, and dirt, with the bars being made out of metal found from the rubble of buildings.

Commander Jacob walked through the camp, watching the progress and fellow Vanyans move around. Those that were hurt walked on, ignoring their wounds, blood on their armor as well as the cracks and holes where they were hurt. While they weren't bleeding, having bandages covering their wounds. They didn't have the time, currently, to repair their armor and most didn't want to risk it in case a Mackarole army comes strolling around and happened to see the state of their precious capital. He knew, as well as the other Commander here and their leader, that they wouldn't be able to handle the Mackarole reinforcements that were bound to be coming within a week or two. Going off of Marrie's predicament, it would be at least two weeks, if not a day or two sooner, before the Mackroles new army, most likely around twelve million. Unless another Vanyan army comes around here, most likely two or three, they won't be able to handle it. That's why they weren't planning on staying.

Nearby, Commander John Hawk surveyed the prison they have made, as well as the prisoners. A few of them could have tried breaking out, but they won't. Vanyans don't really have a need for prisoners since they do raids on almost any Faction and have no need for ransomes or try and convert their prisoners, so they try and kill anyone they get their hands on. Sometimes, they spare a few who either put up a good enough fight or if they just feel like it, and those are taken in. A few are converted, though by their own will, while the others are dropped off in the Tribes Faction, which act as the world-wide pickup place. The people dropped there could either join the Tribes Faction, become a mercenary, or get taken in by some other Faction when they come there.

Most of the prisoners had dirty and ragged clothes, but that was to be expected. They did get in with only what they had, and most of them were fighting. It has been a two days now since the Vanyans have set up camp, and the only thing the prisoners were low on was water. Despite the storm that came, it only lasted two hours. During the time, no Vanyan had thought to collect any rain water. There's also the fact that Marrie left most of their food supplies with a small dispatch of her own personal army, not wanting to risk losing it. Seeing as she was in a poor condition, she was sent to the clerks to properly recovered, meaning she hasn't told anyone where the supplies were nor send a signal for them to come over.

While most of the Vanyans chose to ignore their injuries, there were others that couldn't be ignored. Those, since there was time to properly heal them, were sent to the clerics. Marrie herself wasn't there, instead having moved into her tent once she was allowed to leave. Her tent was nothing big and fancy, though granted it was bigger than the normal tents in order to hold all her things, and was white and blue in color. It stood hidden behind a mix of other tents yet alone in the middle of a small burned clearing.

Marrie was currently standing outside, a stiff expression on her face. If any Vanyan were to see their leader, they would do a double take, wondering what could make the legendary Marrie make such an expression.

The answer soon came when Marrie slowly opened one flap to her tent before being pulled inside. Marrie's "attacker" grabbed her long axe out of her hand and set it aside before wiping off some blood that was still on Marrie's face.

"W-wait, I c-ca-" Marrie started but her assailant didn't listen, instead lifting her arms up, unwrapped the leather strap around her waist, and pulled off her dress in one smooth move.

"Can you explain?" The assailant asked, a close-eyed smile on her face that caused the Warmonger to shiver slightly, "I mean, there must be an explanation for all those wounds...right?"

Marrie took a step back, then another before she bumped into her workbench. She was pinned and at the mercy of the maid in front of her. Compared to everyone in the army, the maid is by far the strangest. She was tall yet slim, appearing thin compared to her master. Her eyes was a light brown color that was two shades darker than her curly brown hair that was tied into a bun. Her skin was more tan than Marrie's, and her teeth weren't even as sharp. She is, in all terms, a normal human. A non-Vanyan. Even her outfit, a black and white frilly maid outfit, was foreign to Vanyan society. The closest outfit would belong to the clerics, which wore fancy white robes combined with a jacket.

Her name is Tizzy Ryuna, and she was once a captive of a wandering Warband*. She was freed when a much younger Marrie saved her, killing the warband and freeing her. Amazed by her skill, as well as the Vanyan company she found herself in, she decided to serve her. At first Marrie disagreed but her mother thought otherwise, finding it amusing to see the two interact, and made Tizzy Marrie's personal maid, much to Marrie's horror and Tizzy's delight. Growing up with the young Vanyan has allowed Tizzy to build up a strange relationship, as well as a tolerance, with Marrie. She is one of the only few that can upset Marrie to the point of yelling her head off and not get hurt physically or killed.

"So, what did I tell you about being reckless?" Tizzy asked, the black and dark purple aura coming off her increasing in size.

Marrie opened her mouth to respond only to have Tizzy reach out and start unlocking her shoulder pads, taking them off one by one, before moving down to the armor on her arms. Once that was gone, all that was left was the gauntlets on her hands, giving Marrie her sharp claws. First, she unhooked each ring around Marrie's fingers, then stuck her fingernail up into the Tharfein*, unlocking it and allowing her to take it off. Once that was off, she took off the rest of the gauntlets. freeing Marrie's hands and revealing bruises and tiny red scratches underneath.

Even if Marrie was properly healed, the clerics couldn't get everything without using their healing magic. These wounds must be healed naturally by Marrie herself. Still, seeing them, Tizzy could only let out a sigh and frown. She gently cupped Marrie's right hand and trailed her finger down Marrie's own, causing the Vanyan to shiver. The normal claws of Marrie, white in color and black at the base, was broken and chipped badly. It seemed something blunt, heavy, and hard hit them full on, horribly damaging them.

"What would White think about this?" Tizzy asked, her voice soft and caring but subtle and sad.

Marrie winced at her words and looked away.

"Please...don't tell them," She pleaded, causing Tizzy to sigh and stand up.

"I won't for now," Tizzy answered, putting her hands on her hips, "So, where's your axe?"

"I left it with the blacksmiths. I used it more than I normally do during the battle," Marrie responded, still looking down.

"Well, why not follow its example?" Tizzy asked, causing Marrie to cock her head in confusion, "And by that I mean get on the bed. I'm giving you a massage."

"Um...I....I-I..." Marrie trailed off as Tizzy grabbed her hand and led her to her bed, "I...give in."

"Good, good," Tizzy exclaimed, helping Marrie lay down, "Now, let me spoil you."

"Thy true intent is showing!" Marrie squeaked as Tizzy took of her boots, being careful not to touch any of the spikes at the bottom. While she won't cut herself unless she punches or pushes down really hard on the spikes, they were still dirty and grimy. Tizzy even saw a piece of an eyeball around one of them.

"Now that these are out of the way," Tizzy began, standing up and wiping her hands, "it's time to begin!"

Tizzy began, rubbing Marrie's shoulders and upper back without remorse. Even if she is the one doing the massaging, she can feel just how much Marrie's muscles needed this. Marrie's cuus were enough too. Marrie is not as simple as one would think, and only those close to her will know it. An example of this is what is currently happening right now. If Tizzy had to guess Marrie's animal counterpart, it would be a snow lion. She is quick to get anger, has a surprising amount of patience, has skills and power to back up her threats, and is incredibly cute when tuckered out. Just like the theory about snow lions, Tizzy thinks Marrie spends so much mental energy that when she finally has a chance to relax out of the eyes of public, her brain nearly shuts down, reverting back to the mindset of a child that wants to be spoiled. Still a dangerous and definitely unpredictable girl, but still one so cute you can ignore her flaws.

Speaking of flaws, Marrie has quite the amount of flaws, with some of them being a bit too much for even Tizzy to handle. An example of this would be her habit of killing her own soldiers during spars...and on purpose too. However, she knows why Marrie is like this, and she has been getting much better.

"Thy know thy original plan was to batter them, you know? To make them starve, feel ashamed of themselves, and finally get off their asses and clear their delusions," Marrie started, trying to hide her embarrassment and cuus with idle chit chat, "But thy council had to disagree, thy greedy bastards!"

"I know you're not speaking of the Mackarole Faction, so what are you talking about?" Tizzy asked, slowly making her way down to Marrie's mid-back, "Also, you shouldn't talk about the Council like that. They're still in charge after all, and may do something."

Marrie snorted, causing her body to shift which unpleased Tizzy. She made sure to show her displeasure by giving the Warmonger headpats, causing her to lose concentration and let out more cuus.

"Th-Thy Council can go knock their teeth out! Thee know thee needs me," Marrie snapped, shaking her head in annoyance...though she secretly liked the headpats, "Anyway, I am talking about thy Kingdom Faction of course. Our end goal."

"Ah. But aren't they the ones who defeated you at the Battle of Titan?" Tizzy asked, still working her 'magic' on Marrie, "I think they have a Warmonger too, don't they?"

Marrie shuddered a little, both out of fear and anger. She remembered her biggest adversary all too well. Sure, it had been years since she last saw her, and she was only fourteen at the time, yet she knew, even now, she wouldn't be able to beat her in combat. She knows she wasn't the same as she was back then, wiser and more use to throwing her own weight instead of mainly relying on tactics, but there are just some things one can't beat so simply, and Sharia is one of those things.

"Sharia the Warmonger," Marrie hissed, "I can't tell if I hate her or respect her...or respected her."

"Past tense? Is she dead?" Tizzy asked, curious.

"No,,,? Well, maybe. She hasn't shown herself in years, her Faction has actually withdrawn from the Great Wars, and her personal army were seen only twice after the...whatever war thy was last involved in. So, she is either dead, which means her own Faction killed her, or she retired, actually retiring instead of Chen Sui states."

"Chen Sui, the Shenshi Warmonger," Tizzy muttered so low that Marrie barely heard it. Before Marrie could think about why Tizzy said his name like that, she asked a question, "So, what do you mean?"

"Oh. Well, while he says that he is currently retired, he still goes out every now and then from his port to raid places while Sharia hasn't been seen in years," Marrie spat out, shifting once again which caused Tizzy to instantly reprimand her with more headpats.

"Well, isn't attacking Chen Sui the end goal?" Tizzy asked, recalling the final plans for the war rampage while moving down to Marrie's legs, causing her to shiver slightly.

"No. We shall be royally deflected and sent packing with spears getting thrown at thine backs. Thar defences are too strong and our armies are not strong enough. Thy Council think that now that I am a High Commander, I can suddenly pull of such a victory," Marrie explained in a grumbly voice, with the culprit as to why being one of Tizzy's hands gently petting her head while the other worked on her thighs.

"Well, you can't really blame them for going after an old sore spot," Tizzy chuckled, finishing up her massage, "Not even your mother could take that port."

"Bahhh. That doesn't mean thine can take it," Marrie muttered before lazily rolling off the bed and walking over to her lng axe, trying her best not to fall down, "So many expectations. Thyself can only handle so much, you know?"

Tizzy chose not to answer the question, hearing the rather meek tone at the end of her question, nor did Marrie wait for an answer, instead choosing to go outside her tent and point her long axe to the Eest.

"Well, even if Chen Sui's Port is our end goal, mine is the Kingdom. So, whether you like it or not, and whether you're ready or not, the Vanyans are coming."

Tizzy followed her out, giving a little clap at Marrie's little speech.

"That's good and all but can you come back inside? Currently, you are wearing only your sarashi."

"...."

"...."

"...I'll be right there," Marrie squeaked.

Yudha Meeting: The meeting between Warmongers that happen four to eight times in a year, normally once every two months.

Repitars: A species half human and half lizardkin. Most of them lived in the Mackarole Faction but after their fall, most moved Northwest.

Pit Arena: A makeshift arena dug into the ground normally found in camps.

Warband: Traveling legions of warriors that were very common back in the days before the Union came and after the Golden Age. They were normally a mix of different species and classes looking for work and a Faction to work for. Many of them make up the Black Kulin Tearacloth Army.

Odarchō: An old yet still deadly long sword hybrid of the Senshi Faction with a design similar to the katana, only with a more straighter blade.

Vanyan Enforcer (Cont): Vanyans like to call themselves masters of the long axe, and they do deserve the title. While it is true that the Vikings also use the long axe, Vanyans use it the best with not only a mix of skill using their long axe, but using martial arts with it as well. The enforcers are an example of that. Normally tall and very strong soldiers, they are a challenge and can be called the backbone of any Vanyan army. Bloody Marrie herself was an enforcer before she became a Warmonger.