A message is delievered to the Enclave via a red whirmling, slipping the letter under the door of the residence it flys off quickly.
Colonel,
I have received your letter, you may expect me to arrive in two days. While I make my way south, I will give you some advanced warning. When I arrive I will be expecting a reason to why your Slave has ignored my command. If it has done this due to your current project, then I hope for your sake you were unaware that it was doing so. You have two days to learn what has happened Colonel, use your time well.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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Persuading Paydon to lend his assistance hadn't been easy, though admittedly it was far easier than trying to calm down the Red Wizard from another matter that had more than sparked his ire. Once that was somewhat cleared up - as best as Dwent could manage in any case - they discussed in private the plans the Colonel had in mind. The effort was worth it in the long run, for certain. Dwent needed the support of the wizards if he wished to continue as Governor of the Enclave, and Paydon was both powerful and influential. Even in this small task Dwent could think of few alternatives to getting a wizard directly involved in the proceedings.
At the end of their meeting, Dwent was left feeling thankful of his skills of persuasion, and that somehow the meeting could have ended rather painfully if not for his quick-thinking initiative. Paydon was not overly pleased on the whole - clearly Zinnia still weighed heavily on his mind as a negative influence - though overall the discussion had gone well.
In his mind, he estimated it would take a couple of days before he could, with Paydon's pledged assistance, begin step two of operations. In the mean time, he would need to find Zinnia... again.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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It was done. The first step of phase two had been complete.
Of the four guards on duty that night, only one had survived and escaped with the rising of the sun. His comrades had perished before his eyes to the hands of the bandits - an overwhelming ambush that had even claimed the life of an elven guard who had strayed into the fray.
Whether he could recall what he saw and report what had happened would remain to be seen. For now, Dwent and the esteemed Paydon would be content at their work. It had gone through without compromise - that they were aware of in any case - and could not have gone better. Though the death of the elf could spell complications, it would only be premature complications for such factors had been considered if to come later on.
Little remained but to leave the scene of the combat, and reminisce on it all with callous and conniving glee.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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On his way north from the Enclave, along the road of the coast, Dwent came across an unexpected sight. There were no hin to be found at the outpost, aside from the little trader and her ox who were just about ready to move on out. Taking the opportunity for alone time at the outpost - something which he'd not had the pleasure of in a long time now - he awaited a few hours to see if anyone would arrive.
At least that was the plan, for after twenty minutes he grew weary of waiting, and drew upon a conclusion that suited his calculated ambition to the ground. The hin, preoccupied with the invaders in their town - a fact he had verified earlier in the same day - must be re-arranging their priorities...
He began writing a personal note which, upon completion, would rest in the ever growing folder dedicated to his plans and plotting in the south.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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Night was quick to approach, and darkness fell upon the coast. Dwent's writings were distracted by the sounds of heavy marching, coming from outside the ruined tower where he was taking shelter from the rain, and a gentler patter of feet along the dirt road. Peering outside revealed it was the Greenvale guards, moving to their positions.
Damn, dusk already? I can finish this later. I had better get moving...
He shoved his notes into a bag - they could be filed later - and continued along the road hoping to at least make up some lost time. But he did not get even a fraction as far as he'd hoped. Past the dirt-road which led to the Greenvale City, more pertinently to the bandits, he found once more another peculiar site. Missing guards, once again, but this time not hin for they did not come so far along the road. To his utter amazement, and sheer delight, he saw not one trace of the 'zealous ones' who usually came out so timidly at night. He looked about the immediate area and saw no apparent signs of battle, and thought, as before, to give the guards time to approach from further along the road.
Taking up a casual position a little further from the area in question he waited, but, in a repeat of the afternoon's events, no guards arrived.
His mind could barely control the elation he felt and he laughed out loud at the sight, at the sheer thought of it.
"My business in the north will have to wait," he spoke in a hushed voice to himself, his mind too full of excitement to contain his own thoughts on the matter too. About-facing, he marched back towards the Enclave at a hurried pace, dealing with the few bandits he came across single-mindedly, and doing his best to avoid the undead of the bog.
Back in the enclave, he would have an announcement to make.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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Finally, he made it to the Enclave. With the excitement akin to a child's as he is led to his birthday suprise, the journey seemed to take far longer than it did in reality: every footstep felt like a minute or more's worth of struggling.
It was with great pleasure, and moderate consideration to his words, that he put together a proud announcement in the private building within the Enclave. Proof reading the document one final time, and content with his work, he cleared a space on the noticeboard and pinned it up. Following a word to the guards in the room:
"Listen Up! It is imperative that you and every other reads this notice. It could affect you directly if you are chosen - the note will explain more of what I mean - and of course everyone will be at least indirectly affected by it sooner or later. Everyone must be ready for their orders. Spread the word"
... , he made his way out of the building keen to head north for certain this time, his heart still a-flutter through the exciting news.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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A meeting is held in the enclave: a gathering of wizards greater than had been the Colonel's expectations.
Though Paydon had been unable to attend the messages discussed would be passed on in good time. The main topic had been the continued drive towards taking over the outpost, and numerous points had been raised, a few, even, that may be viewed as questioning the plans outright. But the Colonel had argued his point - eloquently he felt - enough to remain convinced still in himself of his plans. And by the end of the meeting, everyone present was in agreement of what they had to do next.
He hoped that soon he'd have finalised the arrangements and his guards would have their new orders.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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"Atten-TION!"
The officer's voice cried out over the small courtyard of the enclave, as the three soldiers he was addressing leapt up to attention.
"At ease." Their superior, their governor, approached them carefully as they assembled into a line to face him.
"You four are the first to be selected for a brand new duty, a new role in our proud army. You are honoured to be the first to perform this duty, and I knoew you shalln't disappoint. You will have heard by now of our efforts to gain command over the outpost beyond the bog. You are to be the first in what will be a long period of occupation of the outpost. You have your orders already, and the sun rises soon. So prepare yourselves: we depart in five minutes!"
The passage through the bog was uneventful - most of the undead having returned to their watery and mud-sodden shallow graves. The wet squelching of heavy boot squeazing into tight pockets of water-logged grass accompanied the steady rattles of their armours. Once beyond the bog the road was a fairly straight-forward one, and within minutes they had marched their way to their target location.
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The guards took up positions, unsure at first of where to stand but soon becoming comfortable with the new surroundings. The grass was still flattened in areas where the hin hat marched, had stood on their own patrols. Where they and the elves had set up small fires to eat and keep warm during those harsh nights.
Harsh. This road knew much of the word, much more of its meaning. The events that had taken place, even if those most recent were to be included, would be a good definition of the word. Along with others. But now, this road, this outpost, would stand for new ideals; Opportunity; Unity; Expansion; Hope. As he took his place on the rickety wooden tower, it was Dwent's hope that this occupation would turn over a new page in their unwritten history, and be remembered as a move that brought further strength and respect to he and his forces.
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With his desired words spoken, little more had to be said, there was the matter of the Razorfang. He knew that they would come, as sure as the night would follow the day. And the day was ever drawing to a close. One problem with making them appear so powerful and, essentially, assisting them in slaughtering the Empyreans, was that they might come to believe they had truly grown stronger on their own. Another, was that their blood-lust would not be removed simply by the removal of the Empyreans! Something Dwent feared, for he did not want this 'monster' of the Razorfang, he had created, to be unleashed on his own men. And so, stepping down from the tower, and after a brief word to the officer of when he would check in, he departed heading north to the bandits cave. He would remind them that they were the lesser-men on this road. Instill in them that they are no better than the layer of crud that now caked his muddy boots. Moreover, he would show them that death at the hands of the elves would be preferable to death at the hands of the Thayans.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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The cave was quiet. It was no suprise really, given the occupants within. A den of murdering and cannibalistic vagrants would be quite unusual should the theives that lived inside advertise their location and presence. Dwent could hear the wind blowing in from outside: the only noise that was audible beyond the confines of his helmet, where his breath gently brushed along its cold interior.
No point trying to do this the quiet way, he thought to himself. In truth, he had never intended to do it any way other than the "loud" way: he didn't know a quiet way.
The task was simple: kill some bandits, leave a message and get out - hoping it did the trick. But along the way, he would decide upon a more 'visual' flair to get his point across...
The first of the bandits moved towards him when the rusty iron gates fell with a shrill grinding that shredded the silence. He could not see them coming from afar due to their skillful employment of stealth, but had hoped that an open approach of outright besiegement on the cave would aid him more than them. Their poor weaponry glanced off of his armour - even when they did have the element of suprise - and once their first strike was made Dwent wasted little time in putting them down with well-disciplined strikes on their ill-protected frames.
Next came the added visual flair to his message, in the form of a physical flare brought on by a combination of a wand and his flaming blade. He would destroy what he could of their posessions beyond what they were equipped with individually. He wanted a demonstration of his power and determination to be completely clear in the corrupted minds of these most inhumane of enemies.
'Lupi made me do it Registered Member #175
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Thunk
The butt of his blade came in handy as a make-shift hammer it would seem, as Dwent drove home the more obvious and most inescapable part of his message. It consisted of the seemingly most-superior of the thieves present at the time, a note, a nail, and a small amount of dramatic decision as to which part of the aforementioned thief to attatch the note. After a moment's consideration Dwent chose the head, specifically the forehead, hoping the associated disfigurment would further assist the overall impact of his goal. A few 'hammers' later with his sword, he turned to leave the cave quite content with his efforts. Quite content that whoever should find the bodies, the cinders and ash, the message he had left, would think twice about sending their forces to pillage from the Thayans too soon, lest they meet similar fates.
Somewhere in his mind though, and with some disappointment at their obstinance, he couldn't escape the expectation that it would take more than a single excursion to their cave. This was not the first assault on the bandits, and yet they remained. He did not want to admit it, but knew it would not be the last. For now though, he hoped, it might just be enough.
[ The Island of Thain ]
The Screaming Bandit
