[D] Arriving at Heartforged Keep

[Burter]

The Dante Forces have been teleported to their castle for preparation. They may not leave the castle until the game begins at midnight tommorrow (about 22 hours away).

Everyone will arrive at their rooms/barracks. Soldiers share barracks with other soldiers. Lieutenants, Generals and Commanders have their own rooms.

The castle is surrounded by a large wall on all sides, with a front gate being the primary entrance/exit, and a small back entrance which is only used with permission.

Inside the walls is the courtyard, leading inside, and the castle yard. You can spar, train, practice moves, or just relax. It has gardens, pools, walkways, etc etc.

The castle itself has four floors and a cellar. There is an elevator, but it's only good with a keycard given by the commander to generals and lieutenants.

-The cellar has some storage supplies and a jail with eight cells that can hold five people each
-The first floor is the dining rooms and other eating areas, kitchen areas, offices and a meeting hall for announcements
-The second floor has the soldier barracks and a DA library with rules, regulations and info. Also has more offices and a Lounge area for relaxing. Info can be posted here on the wall
-The third floor has the General and Lieutenants room. It also has the War Room where all the strategy is discussed between the higher-ups in the army.
-The fourth floor has the Commander room(s), an office (or two, in Dante's case) for the Commanders, and a throne room. The throne room has a balcony, for the commander to step forward and look at the land in front of him/her.

There are 200 guards here, who double as butlers, maids, chefs and other staff. Feel free to interact with them as much as you want. They will stay at the castle for the entire duration of the game, unless they are killed. They were hired simply to do this job, and not fight in the army: just look after the castle.

You may not leave until the game officially begins in 24 hours. At which time, you may begin sending out units onto the battlefield. A thread will be made for each group that has a PC in it.

Remember to assign soldier types, as well as soldiers, to the units.

[Broli]

Broli could only smile at what was before him. Two thousand soldiers had been drafted to the Dante force, each being a stranger to another. However, before Conquest was over, each man would be a brother to the next. With an enormous racket, soldiers filtered into the dining hall. A magnificent marble floor lay at their feet, glimmering the light created by the golden chandeliers that hung from the ceiling a few dozen feet above. The long walls stood barren, as the castle had yet to be inhabited, until now. Rows upon rows of extensive dining tables, covered with white table cloths, filled the hall. It was here that each soldier sat, some men nearly knocking over the large, wooden chairs of oak that signified each place of seating. Along the table had been orchestrated a fascinating assortment of foods, from fruits, to meats, to wines, to anything a man could ever desire. Each man hurried to fill his plate with the desires of his eyes.

At the head of the room was a smaller dining table on a platform of sorts, allowing those who were seated to be able to overview the entire dining hall and its inhabitants. It was a table designed for the officers. Broli and Vegeta I sat in the middle, their plates, goblets, and silverware adorned with jewels to signify that only those of a higher status possessed the right to use them. On Broli?s left sat Joy, General of Unit Undertain. To seats from Burori was Kerry, who impatiently waited for the feast to begin. On King Vegeta?s right sat Reijin and Minoshia, the only two Lieutenants of the entire Dante force, a position only challenged in authority by the Generals and the Commanders.

Taking a goblet of wine in his hand, Broli stood. Instantly, the room deadened. ?Soldiers of Dante,? he began. ?In less than 24 hours, you will begin one of the greatest journeys you have ever partaken in. You will be stressed to your very limits. Some of you will die. However, know that for every tear that falls, for every drop of blood you sweat, Dante will take one step further towards victory. We are all working towards a greater glory, and in a day?s time, we will show the universe that we are the greatest soldiers to have ever existed! Now drink and eat, my brothers, and enjoy this night.? The men needed no further bidding. With a unanimous cry of approval to the success of Dante, the soldiers tore into their food, drinking and eating in order to quench the demand of their appetites. Broli took a seat, King Vegeta motioning for his officers to participate in the feast.

Joy watched in general unapproval, refusing to take the goblet of wine before her. ?If you don?t mind me saying, sir, but shouldn?t we be training for the battles to come? It seems silly to simply disregard probably one of the most important days before Conquest begins.?

Broli?s teeth sunk into a turkey leg, its marinated juices spraying across his cheek. With a half full mouth, he never took his eyes off of his meal as he replied. ?The men have a difficult war ahead of them. It?s simple to say that we are going to win, but the harsh truth is that this will probably be one of the hardest tasks a multitude of these soldiers have ever undertaken. They need time to enjoy their lives, to feast and to have a high moral.? Broli pointed to the tables before them. ?Take a look at each and every one of them. When the fighting starts, I fully expect them to be fighting with tooth and nail, with every ounce of strength in them even to the end. They don?t need to have achieved some incredible victory to earn this feast. They don?t need to prove anything to me for me to know that they already deserve it. Now,? Broli etched Joy?s goblet to her, ?Enjoy this night. You?ll need your strength.?

Joy hesitated for a moment, and with a nod of defeat, she took the wine.

[Old Pigero]

The room glimmering with the desires of every man in the room, there was one soldier that wasn?t satisfied. Shorter then most of the soldiers, the scruffy haired boy sat up from his seat and began to pace out from the room. In the glint of his eye, one of his commander?s saw him begin to leave. Not stopping him, the not yet matured teen left the room. His eyes gazed upon the vibrant hallways, and began to head towards the courtyard.

His feet pattering on the hard floor, he headed toward the door that led to the sunshine lit outside. Hearing a soft step, that wasn?t his own; he turned around and saw a fellow soldier standing there. The soldier stiffened up; embarrassed he was caught, and began to twirl around for escape.

?What do you want?? Pigero stated.

?Oh uh! Nothing sir!? the human replied.

?Sir? I?m only fourteen!?

?Oh, well? I?m sixteen. Would you mind if we sparred??

?Yes.?

?So, we can??

?No.?

Then Pigero was gone, his body disappearing as he left through the open door to the courtyard. Gazing into the sunlight, he covered his eyes, and scanned the area. With a satisfied grin, he shuffled through his pocket and pulled out a capsule case. Looking at the numbered capsules, he flicked two of them into his hands.

Clicking the capsules, he threw them onto the ground. With a puff of smoke, his scouter and weighted clothing appeared. Grinning in satisfaction, the youngster began to slip on the weighted clothing over his normal attire. Then, with a click his scouter was attached to his left ear.

?Umm? I never did get your name,? the familiar voice stated.

?Pigero, now would you please leave me alone??

With a frown, the human sat on a bench looking onward at his companion. The boy scoffed, frustrated with the annoying soldier and dropped to the ground. His hands landed hard on the grass, and he lifted himself up and down. Exerting large amounts of air from each lift, the human dropped next to him and began to do pushups like the boy.

?You are very annoying you know that?? Pigero spat.

?Whatever,? the soldier replied.

OOC- Just a quick thing, by the way... Pigero left before Broli's little speech.

[Grandpa Gohan]

Gohan had decided to take his seat at the head of one of the long tables, which the soldiers were feasting upon. Gramps had taken a small portion of the amazingly delicious looking food. The site was something to see, 2000 soldiers feasting upon an amazing display of all sorts of different foods, drinks, appetizers, pastries, it had everything. The stocky old man could only recall one other time in which he had ?seen? this site, and that was a work of fiction, Happy Potter. As he bit into a rather large slice of turkey, the juices came spitting out, running into his freshly cut moustache. Oh how he was delighted, it was so delicious! He quickly took another bite, savoring it for a moment before swallowing.

As he was eating he was careful to observe his commanders and lieutenants, Broli clearly had the makings of a saiyan warrior, he was steadily devouring a rather large turkey leg. Gramps couldn?t help but chuckle a little at the site. The newest General to their army, and on that Gohan hadn?t met yet, Joy, was sipping her wine and conversating with Broli. The stout lil man sipped his juice, although he enjoyed alcohol, the battle was about to begin, and Gohan wanted to be on top of his game.

Soon enough he had finished his plate of food, noticing that he had gotten some of meat juices and whatnot on his clothing, he quickly withdrew back to the barracks. He found his bunk, in a corner in which two walls met, nearby was a window overlooking the courtyard, there in the center of his bed lay his new uniform, it was just like his normal attire, except it was now blue. The black parts remained, but the orange vest with yellow circles, was now in a hue of crisp blue with baby blue circles. He slipped on his new weighted clothing, which he had purchased in the Syntech lounge, and then preceded to put on his new wardrobe. As the elderly man looked at himself in a mirror, which he placed on the wall, he couldn?t help but admire the new outfit, he liked it. Too bad it will be stained with blood soon enough he thought to himself.

Gramps walked over to the window, the sun was beaming! As he looked down onto the courtyard, he saw two rather young soldiers doing pushups. ?Jeez, I never thought that I?d see two kids here?? he thought. ?Then again, this IS Dante?s Abyss, but why would two young-ins want to partake in this sorta event? They?re throwing away their lives. Bah!? He said aloud to himself.

Suddenly the old man began to think back to the lounge, back to the talk he had with the muscular saiyan, Nappa. He wondered how he was fairing as the war approached ever steadily. ?Wonder if I?ll see him on the battlefield, if I?ll have to fight him??. Even though he had only recently met him, he felt that he had another friend in the world.

?Friend? What is a friend in wartime? I could be best friends with someone outside a war, and as soon as we?re in one, he could be on the opposing side, and if I saw him, I would have to kill him, even if we were friends from the time we were babies, I would have to kill him!? Tears rolled down the mans wrinkly face as he hit the wall. He looked into the sky, almost looking at god himself, ?What good is strength if I can?t use it to protect my friends, the people I care about? The people I love!? he yelled, knowing everyone was still down stuffing their faces, he hit the wall again, leaving a small crack in it.

He looked down at the kids training in the courtyard, so innocent and young, yet in a competition like this, Gohan was really starting to question as to why he had even joined now. Even though he was upset, he knew it?d be wise to get some training in before the coming days battles.

[Vejita I]

Broli's speech was spawning unnerving thoughts throughout the king's brain. With his former arrogance once again being attained through his authority over the Dante army, he was still consumed with an abundance of negativity. The forces of Dante were capturing his ideal image of a flawless band of warriors, even with the absence of saiya-jin blood. King Vejita was famished due to the endeavors on planet Vejita-Sei, but he was overpowered by the obligation to strategize during these spare hours prior to the war. He edged himself from his comforting position and relieved himself from the feast while shifting his vision to all of those inhabiting the room. "Excuse me, as I must retreat to the throne room..." The tone in his raspy voice was entwined with an undetermined emotion. He snatched his cloak along his back, that seemed to trail to the floor in ruffles, and carried onwards with a swift movement for the elevator.

The castle was a pleasing view with his auburn pupils savouring every inch of the wonderful structure. To be assigned such a ridiculously expensive site was just another enhancement to his already monstrous ego. Vejita scrambled his bloodied fingers for the keycard that had been bestowed upon him and paused briefly to investigate its functions. Being that he was technologically illiterate, this was going to be equally challenging as being possibly being victorious in this competition. After some logic and common sense was summoned by him, he slide the rectangular object through the dector and a bothersome clatter was introduced to him. The gapping hole of the entrance embraced him with a confirming announcement of his welcome. The saiya-jin's feet nervously swept into the bulking vicinity of the elevators interior which was deserving of an admiration for a brief moment while identifying the buttons upon the control panel. Vejita slumped alongside the metallic walls and slipped his arms through one another.

Awaiting for the elevator wasn't at all very pleasant since the downtime triggered his most dominant nemesis to confront him, his own doubts. The affects of Dante's Abyss, the doubts of the composition of Dante's forces, and any other negativity that could be gathered was being presented in one fatal second in the warrior's mind. Before he could set his focus upon it all, the elevator doors exposed to him the wonderous throne room. The duo of thrones were set with minimal space between one another, but both were enriched with jewels and gold that sparkled in his eyes. King Vejita wobbled to the throne with fatigue with each step he claimed seeming to be more difficult due to his lack of energy. However, as he situated himself in the comfort of the throne, his thoughts were once again retrieved. The excrutionating and repulsive imagery of his former Dante Abyss enlistments seemed to be scalding into his brain.

Acts of demonic violence that seemed to have stemmed solely on the concept of survival were draining him of the limited energy he was in possession of. The method of placing warriors into a world without compassion, without mercy, and without a glimmer of hope was so absolutely disgusting. But, a miniature fragment of Vejita I seemed to be salivating for this competition to unravel before him. After being dorment and being subjected by fate to possessing an insignificant role, perhaps this was his moment to supply those critics with the notion that the saiya-jin warrior was perhaps an effective fighter and king. Whether he was accepting to his spawn reigning with his former kingship or not, he was craving the title of king once again. It was empowering to those that were gifted of its might, even though it wasn't capable of any physical strength. Besides, perhaps their was another portion of the saiya-jin king that had become accustomed to such an impure event known as Dante's Abyss. Perhaps, he was actually enjoying the thought of butchering those to unleash all the known hate that had congregated due to his unfortunate situation over the years. Maybe even the faces of Nubian, Sativa, and the leaders of the resistance were going to be substituted for the "innocent" faces of the other groups...

OOC: In the throne room. Holla at cho' boi if ya wanna talk. Kna mean?

[Kirano]

?Here you are,? said the man. ?Welcome to the Dante barracks, led by King Vegeta and Brolli!?

?Did you say King Vegeta??

?Yes, do you know him personally?? he asked her.

?Do I? My father?? she paused. Why was she telling someone she did not know her business? Know one really had to know did they? ?Just kiddin? she told him. ?Anyway thanks for bringing me here. Let me get settled in, know my unit n stuff.? He gave her a bizarre look.

Why is she acting weird? Don?t tell me?

?You?re not nervous are you?? he asked her.

She replied. ?Know, not at all. When you have power like my own, you have nothing to fear. Don?t let this cute face deceive you.? Her bold facial expression turned into a serious one. ?I cannot lie to you though. There may be others here who can transform. Against them, my powers are useless; however, that does not discourage me. Besides, battles are won through thinking. I?ll do whatever it takes to ensure Dante?s victory, whatever it takes.? The Dante scout gazed at her in amazement, charmed by her will, as well as her beauty. ?You alright?? she asked him. ?Did my speech inspire you?? she wondered. Why else would he be gazing in awe? Her beauty?

?Yes. We need more people like you here. The Generals do not know how lucky they are for having you here.?

She smiled. ?Please, enough flattery.?

?I?m serious.?

?Thank you very much,? she replied. ?Let me check out the rest of them.?

?Surely, you need to know who you?re working with,? he told her. He seemed too experienced to be a scout, but measuring his power to her own, the girl was stronger. Alternatively, could he be compressing his energy? It did not matter that much. They were in the same army anyway.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

It only took a mere amount of seconds due to teleportation, to arrive at the castle known as Heartforged Keep. It seemed she were not the only one baffled by her surroundings.

Oh well, I?ll have to get used to it. I?ll be here for a loooong while.

?TO THE DINING HALL? boomed a voice. His speech was not only loud, but also influential because everyone trotted to said location. Could he be one of the two generals? If not a lieutenant. He had to be one of the two. These people would not answer to just anyone, the teen was sure of it She decided to play sheep and follow the rest. Besides, she was hungry.

People brushed past her, not caring she was a female. Why would they care? Why would a lady sign up for a war? No, only a courageous warrior would do such a thing. She was a lady, a young one regardless. People continued to brush past her, others even barged into her but she did not ground like the others. ?Christ,? said a soldier who had collided into her. ?What are you made of?? The reason he asked is that due to the outcome of their collision, he had fallen. It was not the girl?s fault that he was in such a hurry to eat like the others.

She held out her hand to help him up, but he refused to take it. ?No way, I?m not going to be helped by a woman,? he spat.

?Are you sure? With my speed I can get you your roast beef a lot quicker.? He thought about it.

Mmmmmmm, roast beeeef.

He wiped a little trail of drool from the side of his mouth. His pride would deny him of his desire. ?I said NO,? he shouted, rising to his feet. He glared at her. Her return was a plain one. ?We are all soldiers of Dante. Shouldn?t we be helping out one another??

?I already told you, I do not need you help,? he continued, as the two continued their way to the dining hall. She smiled, and then sprinted away from him, showing off the difference between the twos speed. She was hoping she could still convince him he needed her help, but it only made him squeeze his face even tighter. It seemed these people were different from her. None of them were joyful like her. As a matter of fact, they were the opposite, uptight.

She arrived in the hall, in the middle of one of the General?s speeches, or was it the end? ?Enjoy this night. You?ll need your strength.? Yep, he was done. She had definitely arrived late, all because of a fool who refused her help. The soldiers made all sorts of sounds, as they dug away into their meals. Bulma glanced over to a table placed high on a Plateau. The only person she knew among them was her father-in-law. Would he recognise her youthful face? He had too.

She began her walk to the table. ?Halt,? said a voice. Ironically enough, she did just that. ?Where do you think you are heading??

?To the head table!? Was it not obvious where she was heading?

?You are not authorized to do so without permission!?

?Do I have your permission then?? She was not even aware that she did not even need his permission. He was a solider like her, but felt the need to act as if he was a big shot. ?NO,? he answered.

?Then forgive me, she said, stepping past him without a second thought. He held onto her arm. She glanced downwards at the hand, which held a body part of her own. ?If I were you I?d let go of my arm,? she threatened.

?Or what?? he wondered.

?I?ll give you to the count of five. Five?four?? He laughed but she never. She continued her countdown. Little did the girl know that he was only testing her. General Joy had her eyes on the girl ever since she arrived at the barracks. She questioned her, believing the girl was too compassionate. Simply put, she believed Bulma was not military material.

The woman looked on from the high table, while drinking her wine. ?Three?two?If you think I?m bluffing, just wait till I finish counting.?

?You are bluffing. A girl like you does not have the guts to even harm a fly!?

?One. The girl held onto his arm, and then spun her body around. She placed the soldiers arm behind his back, followed by a knee to his spin. ?AAAAAAARRRGGHH? roared the male soldier in agony. She pushed him from behind, to the ground. Standing over him, she turned to the rest who had their eyes glued on her. ?This is what happens to those who take advantage of my good nature. Just so you know what to expect. You may all return to your meals now.? People still stared at her in amazement.

?I was wrong about you. I apologize Bulma,? came a feminine voice from the high table. The cyan haired girl turned her attention towards the voice. She walked up to the table seated with Generals and Lieutenants. Bejita Ou was amongst them. ?Wrong??

?Yes. My name is General Joy. I was not sure if you were military material, but was I wrong.?