Re: World-Valencia

[Ulysses Septimus]

Before Stephen's demise, the pirates had put up a decent amount of struggle, as they seem to draw inspiration and battle zeal from his presence... But now with him dead, there was little the pirates could do, even after the remaining three witchdoctors appeared to join the battle.

[Sydney Underhill]

Upon the appearance of the unmistakeable green lights from the witchdoctors, Quintus trailed his squadron as they moved, once again, through the shadows towards the nearest cluster.

However, when they were about halfway, a large figure leapt from the shadows, tackling Quintus down almost instantly, knocking his gun away and pressing his head down into the ground with one powerful hand, the other pinning his wrists behind his back.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Servus Decimus saw that happen: he didn't hesitate to raise his sniper rifle to up his face-mask, firing once to hit the figure at the small of their back...

Ulysses sneered, for did they really believe they have what it takes to fight the Armada warriors? 

He raised his hand toward the sky, then closed it into a fist.

Seeing his signal, many of the musketeers in the battle drew spring razor traps and tossed them into the oncoming wave of pirates...

[Sydney Underhill]

Upon feeling the figure restraining him collapse, Quintus jumped back to his feet, grabbing his gun and sprinting back to the rest of his squadron, immediately taking his place in the ambush circle, preparing for another round of execution.

As the traps were flung into the sea of unorganized pirates, screams could be heard as several of them fell to their knees in pain, having been ensnared by the wicked traps.

[Ulysses Septimus]

The second witchdoctor walked right into the trap before the pirates even realized what happened: his staff raised and glowing with energy, Malik de la Croix had his eyes locked on the Armada clockworks that was currently slaughtering the pirates...

Ulysses charged into the fray after the final wave of spring razors were thrown, cutting down incapacitated foes while shooting those ones who were lucky enough to escape with his pistol...

[Sydney Underhill]

With another signal from Quintus, the musketeers in the circle shot at the second cluster, although this time, the witchdoctor seemed to react much, much more quickly...

[Ulysses Septimus]

Sensing danger, Malik spun around immediately, staff at the ready with a bolt of pure energy... His eyes widened slightly when he saw that his circle of warriors had fallen...

Unwilling to give up, Malik threw the bolt into the darkness, hopeful that he might strike one of those hidden foes.

His strike was true, though fortune wasn't on his side with whom he had struck-

The bolt hit the chestplate of one of the Brutes, Militus Sextus, and bounced off harmlessly thanks to the runic writing that was inscribed on the plating.

[Sydney Underhill]

The witchdoctor barely had time to comprehend the exactness of his action before the brutes charged at him from all directions only to hack his body apart brutally, his screams only audible for a breif second before they were silenced forever.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses kicked down one of his foes, swiping the blade of his sword across their neck in one fluid motion, severing their jugular vein and leaving them twitching on the ground, choking on their own blood while the Admiral stepped over their body.

So far, everything was going according to plan: two of the four witchdoctors had been terminated, if he had heard correctly, while one of the two leaders is dead, the other captured... Now if they can destroy the last two of the witchdoctors, they should be able to capture this fort.

Everything is going by calculations.

Ulysses liked it, he liked it when everything was going by the way he had thought it would, because it usually means that things go smoother and faster...

[Sydney Underhill]

"I take it that everything is going as planned, Admiral?" Sydney said, trying to hide her shortness of breath, for although she wielded a weapon that was much heavier than that of a marine halberd, her muscular endurance was nowhere near close to that of the clockwork marines.

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Yes, now if we can terminate the last two witchdoctors-"Ulysses had to cut himself short for a moment to dodge the strike from an enemy buccaneer's poleaxe, countering with a deadly Hidden Blade attack that penetrated his throat and left the pirate dying on the earth beneath their feet. "Then the fort would be ours!"

[Sydney Underhill]

"Quintus' squadron should take care of them," Sydney said, turning to briefly engage a swashbuckler rushing up behind her in combat before bringing the blade of her axe down on his head, cleaving the corpse in two.
"In the meantime, we just have to maintain our standing."

Meanwhile, Quintus had already led his squadron to triumph over the third cluster and were now making their way over towards the last one...

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Excellent!"Ulysses flung his sword like an oversized throwing knife into a buccaneer's torso, then pivoted sharply ninety degrees to use his Valencian flintlock to shoot a swashbuckler he sensed was attempting to sneak up on them. "My, my, quite persesistent aren't those fools?"

He spun again, wrenching his sword back into his grip and reloaded his pistol with a sharp, but dull click, a sound that announced he was down to his last bullet; no matter, his skills in handling blades would be enough to last him through this battle...

The last witchdoctor, Andrew Sharp, held up on hand, stopping his group for a moment: for a second, he thought he had heard the unmistakable clanking and shifting of gears that belonged to the clockworks.

[Sydney Underhill]

As Quintus' squadron carefully settled into their familiar circle, the musketeer was suddenly aware of human eyes trained on him.

Obviously, an ambush would not work once they had been discovered.

"Fire at will. Terminate all targets."

The rest of the musketeers immediately opened fire, spraying the cluster of pirates with electrical charges as the brutes charged forwards, the runes on their armor protecting them from the flying balls of electricity as they moved in to decimate their given targets.

[Ulysses Septimus]

Screams may be heard as those unfortunate victims met their grim end at the hands of the brutes, but only for so long before they were made to shut up for eternity.

By the time Quintus' squadron had finished killing off the witchdoctors, Ulysses' side had rounded up the rest of the fort's inhabitants, either as prisoners or as corpses prepared to be thrown over the walls and into the skyways.

"Sentus Optimus and Caesarus Aurus,"Ulysses sheathed his blade, tucking his pistol away at his belt, "report, what are the casualties?"

[Sydney Underhill]

Caesarus Aurus stepped forwards, having been close enough to have taken an exact count.

"Two marines have been terminated in combat, and one musketeer has lost a copious amount of blood, although he is still functioning. All three of their frames have been recovered."

[Ulysses Septimus]

"They've been recovered? Good."Ulysses surveyed the rows of prisoners before him, all under the watchful surveillance of his Dragoons. "We will take them back to Valencia, though ensure the musketeer stays functioning until we get him to Bishop."

While Ulysses gave his orders, Decimus stepped up to the Armada commodore, his face/mask still stained with the blood of those he had slaughtered as he tapped on her shoulder to get her attention.

"Commander, the witchdoctor who was in charge of this fort with that now deceased privateer--Cyrus Chamberlain--isn't he the one who was responsible for nearly shattering Albinus' mind?"

[Sydney Underhill]

"Indeed, it was..." Sydney hissed, recalling the events of the battle. "Unfortunately, his head was not the one that I had crushed underneath my skull. Pity."
And she felt that familiar, red-hot rage attempt to conquer her body once again, so tempting, yet so uncontrollable.
"He won't be making the same mistake again."

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Forgive me, Commander, I may have worded it incomprehensibly: Cyrus Chamberlain, I meant to say, was that witchdoctor, and he is still alive."

[Sydney Underhill]

"Still...alive?" Her fists clenched in on themselves again, re-opening the gouge she had made in her own palm underneath the bandages on her hand.

"Has...has he been located and captured? Or has he escaped?"

[Ulysses Septimus]

"Captured by Admiral Septimus during combat, Commander." Decimus replied without emotion in his voice, "he is currently being held in the main garrison building, drained of magic and guarded by five marines."

[Sydney Underhill]

"Well, maybe this is better." The Commodore visibly relaxed at the sound of this, her shoulders dropping slightly from the rigid posture. "Now, he can take his place next to that traitor...and they will both suffer for their unforgivable crimes."

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses appeared right next to Sydney, having given his all the commands needed. "Commodore, perhaps you would like to visit the prisoners? There is one you might find interesting."

[Sydney Underhill]

"Then let us examine this prisoner," Sydney said, "and see what amusement he has to offer."

[Ulysses Septimus]

Ulysses nodded, leading her into the main garrison building: within what appeared to have once been the meeting hall of the pirate elites, Cyrus Chamberlain was chained to a chair by manacles around his wrists and ankles, each inscribed in Latin a spell that would sap his mojo dry (Ulysses congratulated himself on having paid attention to Bishop when he used that spell during interrogation sessions), as well as thick ropes around his torso, ensuring he could do nothing more than move his head and neck. He was also guarded by five marines, each with their weapons poised.

Blood ran down his face in a dried streak, and from the bullet wound in his leg inflicted by Ulysses, though the witchdoctor was still wide awake, calm even, as the two officers entered the building.

“Cyrus Chamberlain.”Ulysses spoke first, breaking the silence.

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