Apocalyptic Warlord (Theris and Izzy325)

[Theris]

Kane sat atop his warhorse, the early dawn light just breaking over the horizon. The blasted skeletal trees around him hiding his troops. The human race had blasted itself into oblivion during the last war, over two hundred years ago. Now a new Dark Ages had begun, where the strong rule, and the weak are ground beneath their boot. A few miles away there was a small village, the Warlord's next target. He had been able to unite the bandits in the area, forced them into service. Now they would die for him, having successfully dethroned the power hungry wannabees in the area. His Fortress was a few miles away in the opposite direction, built on the edge of the scorched forest. As he mused one of his scouts returned "My lord, the dawn comes and the village is waking, the nights guards are tired and the rest have yet to awaken" he reported. Kane nodded grimly, he needed the people in the villages, they would make good workers for his growing kingdom, and this land was fertile, good for crops.

Raising his hand he called out "forward" and the forest moved around him. Over a hundred warriors at his command, another thirty back at the castle, his army. They marched closer as the sun rose higher and eventually broke through the treetops. He sat atop his horse looking at the sleepy village, the guards stumbling in lazy circles, and the first few people rising for the new day. "Take Them!" he bellowed, his roar of a voice disturbing the still of the morning. His men cried out, screaming as they charged the village, the guards crying out in surprise and fear. Many of them turning to run, while others stood there numb as the army descended upon them. His men were not armed with the blades and guns that he normally would have them carry, instead they carried clubs, slings, and bolas. They were to take as many alive as possible, men who fought back would have the chance to join his army, men who did not would work the fields, women would cook and clean and keep his men in order, and the girls would breed.

The battle was quick, and would have been called a slaughter if his men had carried any real weapons. As it was the guards and menfolk of the village were clubbed into submission, though that fought back divided from those who had not. Kane walked up and down the village streets, inspecting his new holdings, and his new people. They were divided, as he had ordered, and he took his time looking over them, starting with the men who had fought. They weren't very impressive, mostly just brave, that much was clear. Still, there was enough of them that had put up a decent fight to swell his ranks a little. As he walked down the line he spoke "You are mine now, this village is mine now, your sons and daughters are mine... Know that I am a fair ruler... so long as you bow to me." he says. He had been able to keep his men controlled during the raid, and their hadn't been any raping or severe looting. Mostly the fight had been so short that their hadn't been time.

As he looked at his prizes one of the girls stood out, a brunette with piercing blue eyes. He pointed at her, "You, come here girl... what is your name" he asked her, once she came to a stop in-front of him. He stood before her, wearing a heavy suit of scrap metal armor, no helmet and a cap of furs descending down his back. His intense gaze on the girl in-front of him. He looked like a god of death, his demons around her people, and his black eyes watching, waiting.

 

[Gemini_Rising]

Aria laid in bed dreading the moment she would have to gather her strength and finally get out of bed. The dawn's early light rushed in through the window notifying her that her father would come in at any moment to wake her up. Every morning she prayed that something would come and save her from this life. Aria craved excitement and adventure. Not the farm life her parents had and their parents had and so on and so forth. She wanted more from life. Aria loved her parents but she grew bored with the same thing over and over again. The townspeople were all the same as well. They were carbon copies of each other with no ambition or want in their life. The most these people wanted was another cow for the farm. She dreamed of the days where she would be able to search the countryside and experience different kinds of people. The day would come when she would finally be free. All Aria had to do was be patient. Over the past couple of months, she had been saving money in hopes of being able to travel.

Off in the distance, a rumbling could be heard. It pulled Aria out of her thoughts as she sat up in her bed and calmly walked over to her window. She knew there was some unrest happening but why would someone touch such a small village. There was not much in the village besides people and animals. If it had been her she would have told her men to keep it moving. As she watched the men and horses gather speed she realized they were headed straight there.

Alarmed Aria ran out of her bedroom and into her parent's room. "Father..." She barged in but realized that her parents were nowhere to be found. She searched the entire house which wasn't that large seeing how it was only the three of them. Aria ran outside in search of them. Neither one of her parents could fight. Especially against these men. She could hear the yells and clashes of metal as the men had finally arrived in her village. She knew there was not much she could do but she had to try. She grabbed a kitchen knife and rushed outside to a downright onslaught. Men were being slaughtered left and right. Women and children were being grabbed as their fathers and husbands raced to protect them. Most men were struck down and a few incredibly brave men were killed. "Father!" Aria screamed as saw him being overpowered by one of the warlord's soldiers.

She raced to the other side of the field her mother lay on the ground cowering in fear. "Please stop! Don't hurt him!" Her father was kicked back and knocked to the ground. Aria dropped her knife pleading with the man. "Please, he will stop...just don't kill us." The soldier sneered but grabbed the three of them and dragged them over to the middle of the field. She was separated from her parents and thrown into a group filled with all of the young girls in the village. Aria prayed they weren't touched in any way. After all of the fighting had died down a large man rode to the front on a large horse. She could sense the power radiating off of him even from where she stood. His speech made her feel somewhat better. That is until she was called forward. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to move her legs. "M-My name is A-Aria sir..." She stood in front of him his hulking figure towering over her. The way this man moved and spoke he knew he had control and so did everyone else around him.

 

[Theris]

Kane looked her up and down now that she was closer, his eyes appraising, and after a moment he nodded. Lifting up his head he address the rest of the village "The men who fought against us will come with me to my fortress, to be made into real warriors. ten of my men will remain here, to protect you, and insure loyalty. Any woman who wish to follow may do so." he calls out. Then his eyes return to Aria, standing in the dirt in-front of him "And all women of breeding age will accompany us as well!" he announces, gesturing for his men to round up those that would be traveling with them. A few of the villagers, both who were remaining and who were going to be leaving attempted to put up some protest, yet were knocked down. The soldiers using their clubs where applicable, and adding a few extra men to the fighting pool. The men who were being left behind as guards were given their real weapons back, squat metal blades that looked like over-sized meat cleavers, and muskets, made from piping and the piece of a 4x4, with a wicked metal blade affixed at the top.

His men got themselves into formation, encircling the prisoners in boxes of bodies, and getting them moving. However the warlord called up Aria next to him, and after a moment had her lifted to sit on the horse in-front of him. One of his hands moved from the reins to trace up her back, and he leaned forward slightly to smell her hair. The girl was defiantly a village girl, but she was in excellent condition, and the rest would be taken care of at the fortress. The trip took most of the day, until they broke through the tree cover. The Fortress was huge, built from collapsed concrete from a nearby city, with a low wall around its perimeter. The structure was six stories high, with an nine story tower on one side. The wall around it was two stories tall, and did hold battlements, with extra large sections on the corners. "Welcome to your new home" he says, speaking to Aria and the others.

 

[Gemini_Rising]

There was not much Aria could do as Kane's men grabbed her and placed her on his warhorse. Aria looked over to her father pleading with him to stay quiet. She knew that he feared for her life. Aria was different from other girls. Aria and her family kept it a secret and if Kane planned for her what she believed a man like him would plan she might not live too much longer. She could feel his strong masculine form pressed against her as he leaned in and smelled her. Aria did not respond to the movement as the giant steed took them to what would surely be her new prison. The trip wasn't incredibly long but she grew tired the horse bounced her up and down. She could hear the people that help raise her walking behind her. Besides the shuffling feet and a few sniffles, nothing could be heard from them.

Aria's eyes widen slightly as the fortress was finally revealed after they broke through the trees. Aria had never seen something so large in her life. She shivered uncontrollably as Kane leaned forwarded and whispered in her ear. Aria bit her lip as the horse lead them through the gates of the wall. She could hear the clangs and bangs as the metal gates were closed behind her and the rest of the captives. A guard came towards the horse after it stopped and helped Aria down. She thanked him before turning towards Kane. "So what exactly do you have planned for all of us here. From your statements earlier you said you were a fair ruler....what exactly does that mean for us?" Aria assumed that she would become one of the wait staff. Maybe she might have to deal with roaming hands form guards and various officials or perhaps she would be treated fairly.

The land was plagued with turmoil when the ruling family was overtaken. Kane wouldn't have been the first man to promise to be a fair ruler. Although Aria had no doubt that Kane would be the last man who would promote this. Kane had an aura around him that informed all around him that he was not a man to be trifled with. If you crossed him the last thing you would see would be his sword slashing through the air before it beheaded you. Aria would do well to remember exactly what he needed to be pleased. The young girl backed away slightly as she spoke to Kane. Much as she tried she tried to appear tough and unbothered Aria couldn't help but fear what would happen next while she was in Kane's care.

 

[Theris]

Kane dismounts a few moments after his men help the girl down, turning to face the girl as she speaks. "What that means, for you and your people is that I will insure your prosperity, so long as you serve me and my interests" he says to her. He looks her up and down, his eyes roving over every inch of her "My interest in you, is a more personal one" he says, dark gaze smoldering. Turning he begins to shout out orders, sending the new 'recruits' to their barrack, and having his men escort the others to their new living quarters. They had taken about a third of the villages population when all was said and done, and in time he would allow the people to return. But for now they needed to understand how things were, and who was in charge.

He already had jobs picked out for his new citizens, cooking and cleaning the biggest two. His men had been bandits before, and while he had been able to grind their will down, quashing that life beneath his boot, some of the habits had carried over. First and foremost was the profound lack of cleanliness, the fortress was filthy, with refuse starting to pile up in the corners. He had tried to break the men of that habit, and it would work for a few days, but things would always deteriorate from there. Fortunately enough of the village woman had come along that the problem should disappear in a few days. As his men sorted out the people, he looked them over, seeing disheartened expressions and a profound lack of hope. He could understand the feelings, but he could not let them remain and fester. "Tonight We Feast!" he bellows out, much to the delight of his men, after all, this was their second great conquest, the first one being the capture of this castle.

As his men began to rush around, preparing for the festivities, a group of others approached. Unlike the soldiers, these people seemed to hold themselves differently, there were a man and two women, one older then the other. "Welcome back my lord" the older of the two women said, curtsying. They were the keepers of the castle, the Stewart, the head Mistress, and the Quartermaster. When Kane had taken the fortress, these three were the only ones who had stayed behind, the rest of the inhabitants fleeing into the wasteland. He gave the group a nod, "Ivy, this is Aria, I would like you to see to her before tonight festivities. Monica, give me a count on our supplies, I don't want this to set us back to much. Hugo, please see to it that our new citizens are settling in, and make sure that they are present for the celebrations as well" he said, looking to each of the people as he addressed them.

The older woman, Ivy approached Aria "hello dear, come along now, and lets get you cleaned up" she says in a caring tone. Before starting to lead the girl away and to the castle. Kane watched them go before leading his charger to the small stables, taking care to brush down the beast and check its hooves. Unlike others, he made certain to care for his horse, so that his horse would take care of him. He smoothed out the beasts hide with a loving hand, patting the animals muzzle once he finished.