Empires of Ashes Reboot

"You are not Dracian, but you fight for them. You fight in your own way, and they pay you for it. But at the end, they give you citizenship and your pension, correct?"

"Aye, and that aint nothin like mercenary work lass. We aint Dracian, but the empire's still our home. We aint citizens, but we'll die to defend it, understand?"

"Ah I see. You've been seduced by the cause." She shrugs

she frowns
"Havin somethin more important ta fight from than a bag o coins is bein seduced now is it?"

"Coin gives one the freedom to make their own way. Not tied to the highborn and their politicking."

"Coin makes you fickle. Corrupts ye if yer not careful. Means yer willing to work fer cunts like these southern slavers."
*she notes that last statement is somewhat accusatory*

"These southern slavers are my people, I was raised here. To you, what seems a harsh and brutal trade, to me... It is but a part of life."

she shoots Yenn a look, her eyes stabbing like daggers.
"Might wanna keep quiet about that round 'ere. Some of us have been on the receiving end of yer southerners' whips, and just might still have scars from it."
the implication behind 'us' is obvious

"Not to say I like it, but when one lives with the threat of it." She shrugs "It fades into the back. Simply do not become a debtor, and be deft of blade. It is how things are to be lowborn in kelthro."

"Aint always that simple, is it lass?" her words are dripping with venom and restrained anger now. A moment later, she closes her eyes, and takes a deep breath, calming herself.

"Life is as simple as we make it."

"Ever felt a whip's bite lass?"

"It has been attempted."

Theresa pauses eyein yenn up and down. her expression has changed somewhat, but its almost impossible to read. A smirk emerges on her lips.
"Maybe one day I'll show ye what it's like eh?" *she gets back to walking*

"I cut down the man who tried..." She narrows her eyes a little, then raises an eyebrow when she realises the possible implications.

"'s the trouble with men eh? Don't know how to handle lasses like us." She winks before turning back to the path she's leading Yenn down

"...Just so." She follows.

"So, first up we got the 'lancearios'." they reach a group of tents. She sees men and women in what appears to be scale armour, sparring with eachother. She sees each holds an oval shield, wields an infantry spear, and has a longsword at his or her hip."They're the most common of us. Heavy spearmen. Not as heavy as the legionaries, mind, but still damn tough."

"I see."

"Tougher than they look too. Here, look at my armour." she gestures to her own scales
"What'd ya say I'm wearin?"

"Scale, padding, perhaps mail."

she grins
"How bout all three?"

"Just so." She turns from watching the sparring match, back to Theresa. "You will find little amongst my warriors to fill this role. If you wish to pair us with your own similar forces, you would be better suited showing me to your lighter fighters."

Theresa: makin my way through em lass. Don't get all impatient on me eh?

She shrugs "Dracian armies seem to have a never ending supply of names for their soldiers. When most can be defined simply as legionaries with." She motions with her hand in circles in front of her face, like she was drawing words from her lips. "Such or another weapon."

Theresa raises her eyebrow
Theresa: ya mean ta tell me that one of the main things that makes soldiers different ta' eachother is having different weapons n shit? Fuck me, yer a bloody military genius aint ya

"Unimaginative, that is what you are. A soldier is not what he is, because of his sword or spear. Take my swords, give me a spear, and dress me as you. It will not make me a... lanceario" she takes some time to pronounce the unfamiliar word

Theresa: aye, but you wanna have men form up n face cavalry armed with shortswords, or dya wanna give em shields n spears? Yer equipment determines what yer good at in the field, lass. Besides, 's more than that that separates us from the legionaries.

"I would rather not take the charge. But such things seem beyond men such as Consul Trajan." There's an edge of quiet distaste in her tone. "But that is not to speak of now. Tell me how you differ from" Again she gestures as if to tease words from thin air

Theresa: *pauses at the first part* Ya ever seen what happens when horsemen crash into a line o men with spears who've got the balls to hold formation against em? They die, lass. They die a lot. 's when ye break formation to try n get away from em that they'll get ye.

Yenn reaches behind her back, and pulls something from a small leather pouch. Four spikes, spaced equally from eachother to form a gruesome implement. "This is how you halt a charge of horse. Because otherwise, the horse will charge into your back. Because you have not enough men to stop them. I have seen it. To charge a phallanx is death, true? But to charge its rear? Slaughter to the spearmen."

Theresa: need to actually get behind em first. Ya don't deploy infantry unsupported against someone with cavalry, 's basic shit.

"Unless you can make a wall of spearmen to cross the whole world, horses will come behind you. And even if you do, someone will put horses on a boat, and be behind you."

"The fuck you talkin bout, did someone invent boats that sail through the land or somethin?"

"It was a metaphor. If a wall of men crossed the world. You could still sail around it, because men cannot stand in the sea."

Theresa:.... you do know what i meant by 'supported' right?

"Your own cavalry, yes, yes. But that is why your leaders have hired me, and begged the support of the voldomanians, correct? For dracia's cavalry are truly rather dire."

Theresa pauses
"You ever actually fought against the empire lass?"

"Once. I tend to avoid such large conflicts."

Theresa: then I'll excuse yer ignorance on that front. Yer right bout one thing there. Proper Dracians are almost universally shite horsemen. 's why they leave it to us. And we're anything but shite.

"It continues to baffle me how Dracia managed to control such territory, when its natives are such poor soldiers."

Theresa: if they're so poor lass, why're ya scared of fightin em? *she chuckles, its clear she didn't quite mean it* They're some o the best commanders n heavy infantry ye'll ever fight, lass. Don't let yer confidence get the better of ye. The legions'll grind ye underfoot if ya do.

"It is true, that you are best to never fight a legion face to face."

Theresa: they got a lot of legions. They'll always corner ye eventually.

"Such, I am reduced to fighting for them, with only the token presence of the boy prince for justification."

she chuckles
"cheer up lass, better to be on the winning side eh?"

"Likely, though i consider the winning side in most circumstances, the side with the silver and good thought to hire me."

Theresa: well, apparently that's us eh?

"Dragonscales, in actuality. But that is of little consequence."

"Anyway. You wanna see a good way o' dissuadin cavalry from gettin up yer arse?"

"Show away."