Empires of Ashes Reboot

She makes eye contact with Akari, and flicks the hilt of one of the two scimitars she carries at her hips, then turns her attention back to Trajan and ket.

Ket raps his knuckles on the map table. "We're to cross the river, and draw the grand army to battle." he looks up at trajan, with a slight edge of question in his eyes. "We'll have you on the flank, to exploit any weakness."

Trajan: Not a bad idea... although. I hope you will not take...offence to this, but I would very much like to assess your troops myself before I decide where you would be most useful.

Yenn: “But of course, I have sent a bird to my men, they will come, and you will see.”

Akari is still visibly annoyed by the mercenary

Trajan: excellent.

Yenn: "I am sure you will be satisfied with them."

Trajan: I do not doubt it.

Yenn smiles, satisfied.

Trajan: is there anything else to discuss?

Yenn: "Not coming from me.."

He glances at Ket

Ket looks up from the map. "No."

Trajan: in that case, dismissed.

Yenn half courties and turns to leave

Akari continues to glare at her as she leaves. Trajan turns to Justinian.
Trajan: I want you to inspect her troops for me. See what you think. Take LI with you.
Justin: *Salutes* Sir.

Yenn, hearing this on her way out, waits for justinian outside.

Ket: "It would be most productive if you were to put aside your hatred for mercanaries for the duration of this campaign, voldomanian." He does not look up from the maps.

Justinian dons his helmet and follows after Yenn, LI following in turn.

Akari: I will not tell you how to conduct yourself, Princeling. Do me the same courtesy.

Ket wordlessly raises a hand in aknowledgement

Yenn is waiting.

Justinian emerges. His armour is dirty and battle scarred, a thousand scratches and small dents all over it, in stark contrast to Trajan's silvery gleaming plate. His face, while clearly showing his relative youth, is grizzled, and punctuated with dark stubble. His plume, on the other hand, has clearly been taken care of, the red and white horse-hair seeming almost new. He locks eyes with the mercenary.
"Lead the way, ma'am."

Yenn looks him up and down, slowly, and then turns to lead him toward the gates. "Justinian, is it?"

he nods
"First spear centurion to the Consul's own Fourth legion."
*she hears thudding from LI's footsteps behind him*

"I should be honoured, i suppose." The sound of hoofbeats grows louder as they draw closer to the walls

"You are familiar with the rank?"

"Vaguely."

"Third in command of the legion. Work your way up from the rank and file."

"Hmn." She walks through the open gates, and the hoofbeats rise to a deafening roar

Justin is close behind, as is LI

Beyond the gates, upon the wide open plains, the full force of the mercenary company, to be paid in dragonscale, is moving into formation. Eight thousand men, and four thousand horses, a small army in its very own right. "What do you think, first spear?"

Justinian: *pauses to watch them* Not bad.

The army is forming into three distinct formations. A loose, and deep line of infantry, the same of light horse, and a diamond of the mamluks.

he watches slowly.
"Diamond formation? Impressive."

"You will find us as well drilled as any dracian legion."

Justinian: a bold claim.

She walks a dozen paces forwards, points, snaps her fingers, and yells a command, an extremely fast jabber of kelthrovi.

The mamluks walk their horses forwards a half dozen steps. Then they walk them a half dozen to the left, the horses stepping hoof over hoof, keeping their heads directly forwards, then they reverse direction on the spot, wheeling the mounts around, and as a finale, they expand the spacing of the formation, without ever turning the horses, with a combination of sidesteps, and forwards and backwards steps.

Justinian watches, without saying anything, his face not giving anything away.

With another jabber of kelthrovi, Yenn commands the formation into a galloping charge, only breaking a little, as the ranks set off one after the other, widening the space between, collecting back into formation only as they ride.

She then turns her attention to her light riders, armed with bow and sword, she simply roars a single word and points out onto the plains. "Katabiri" and the horsemen ride off in their loose formation, splitting into four seperate masses of men and horse, curving around upon themselves to ride in circles.
She yells another command, and almost as one, they draw, nock, and fire an arrow each, showering down upon a point directly away from her.

Yenn hears a thud as LI steps forward

She turns, hands coming to rest upon the hilts of her swords.

Justinian watches curiously as LI takes another few steps

"Do you want an example of personal skill, Clavae?"

"I wish to see... how they would handle one such as me."

"Shoot you, or else put a lance in your chest."

Justinian:...have you fought one such as her, ma'am?

"No, I make a point of not doing so, in fact."

Justinian has a slight grin.

LI: Show me.

"First spear, what will you tell your consul if i have the Clavae killed, as she asks?"

Justinian: that it was on LI's request. Do you particularly fancy saying no to her?

Yenn takes a few steps back, and barks a few words of kelthrovi at one of the footmen. He replies, and she barks back. He looks at Li, looks at yenn, then takes a step forwards, a dozen of his fellows following, they unhook a bag from their belts, thick leather, and untie the string, holding it in one hand, they flick it, turning the bag inside out, and tossing the caltrops within upon the ground in front of them.

Each man carries a small buckler shield, perhaps a foot in diameter, a recurved bow, and a scimitar, much like Yenns. They're armoured in various styles, but all lightly. Mail, scale, and lamellar. Silk or linen robes beneath, some wear helmets, again of various types, noseguards, veils of mail, plumes of feathers or horsehair. All in good repair.

They draw their bows, the string to their ears. The leader looks to Yenn for the nod.

Seeing that only he, Akari, and Trajan remained Mord stepped forward again and leant over the map.
“When would you have me set off?” The prince asked, studying the map as he plotted a route in his head.

LI simply rolls her shoulders

Trajan: how long do you need to prepare?

Yenn nods, and the archers loose their arrows. Each man hits his target, at point blank it's hard to miss. One strikes her in the head. At such close range, the force of the volley is enough to hurl a grown man to the floor.

LI is forced to take a single step back from the impact. Arrows shatter, her plate is scratched. That is all.