The City-State Of Vexil.
"I assure you that we will help out in anyway we can" says the cleric commander of the church of Famal, here in the city of Vexil.
Who shares a look with the deacon of the church, who nods his head in agreement with the senior cleric.
"Are you sure this creature is here in the city?" asks the cleric commander, an imposing man, with the word militaristic being the best way to describe him.
Especially as he's resplendent in his suit of heavy plate armour as he sits behind his desk in his office, here in the large administrative building, behind the cathedral of Famal.
"Most definitely" says the wizard Margin, who is doing the bulk of the talking for the group who are meeting with the church officials.
The wizard is accompanied by the three elves, Salinéll, Jarkellé and Gillomōnt. Along with another of the humans in the group, Mercer.
The four others in the group are elsewhere, as they wait for the meeting with members of the church of Famal to be completed.
"Or at least we think they are, with the latest information we have" says the fairly powerful wizard.
"And you say it's in the company of an ork of all things?" says the cleric commander, a large man in his late thirties. Who has the battle experience to match his considerable magical powers.
The fact that there's an ork involved, is a little hard to believe for the senior cleric and the church deacon.
For after they were given the magically protected missive from their church in the city of Oaklynn, up in the kingdom of Girdane.
That they were to help these mercenaries apprehend, if not outright kill those that they're after.
One of them being an ork is a little hard to believe. Though both the senior cleric and the church deacon easily accept that the other one they're after. Is human, but isn't alive in the least.
"Of course we take our brethren in Oaklynn's word for it" says the cleric commander, who after a brief pause continues with "But if you have evidence of these two, we would appreciate it".
"Of course" says the wizard in the dark red robes, who then asks the two churchmen "May I cast?". Margin then informs them what spell he'll cast, for which he's given permission to do so by both the cleric commander and the church deacon.
After Margin casts his spell, the church deacon blinks in surprise, then says "Hell" he quickly adds "By Famal, that is an ork".
The senior cleric in the church of Famal here in the city of Vexil grunts in agreement with him as they look at the image created by the wizard Margin.
"South wall of the city" says the cleric commander, who continues with "During the war" he briefly pauses before adding "By the looks of it, I'd say that's the day the city's magical shields failed".
The eyebrows of all three elves go up in surprise when they hear that, and the wizard Margin's mouth opens in surprise at hearing it.
The wizard in the dark red robes clears his throat, then says "You were there?". As he himself was there on that fateful day.
The cleric commander nods his head, then says "I was" followed by "Though further to the west along the south wall from there".
He continues with "I was a young novice, recently joined the church as my powers were coming into effect".
Most of those with magical abilities tend to reveal their powers between the ages of ten and thirteen, if they're human.
"We were seconded by the army, and I was tasked to take replacement arrows and bolts to the archers on the wall" says the senior cleric, who continues with "I can tell you, it was an eye opener for an eleven year old".
He then gestures at the life size still image that the wizard has cast, then says "I don't recall hearing anything of this from further along the wall" he pauses before continuing with "Though the south wall is nearly five miles long, and the city was attacked by over three hundred and fifty thousand fighters from multiple nations from across The Southlands".
The wizard Margin nods, and does so again, and says "I was" in response to the cleric commander saying to him "I gather you were there that day?".
"On one of the buildings just back from the south wall" says the Vexilian wizard, who continues with "Helping with the defences of the city" he then silently adds in a bitter tone, not that it helped.
Margin then plays out the image taken from his memories, showing what he saw for a short while along the top of the south wall of the city, over twenty five years ago during the Battle of Vexil.
The cleric commander and the church deacon share a look after the image plays out to it's conclusion.
Then the church deacon, a man in his mind forties, balding and a little overweight, says "Our brethren in Oaklynn are correct".
He's silent for a moment or two, before continuing with "That thing is definitely not alive, and is unclean".
The senior cleric nods his head in agreement with his fellow churchman, then he says "What I would like to know" followed by "Who is the third one?" he then adds "The one in the cloak following the unliving creature and the ork?".
After glancing over at the elf maiden Salinéll, the wizard Margin says "No one is certain" he briefly pauses before continuing with "But there's speculation that it might be Mira Reinholt the mage".
"The traitor?" says the church deacon in a tone of surprise, the cleric commander is just as surprised, and he says "I thought it was believed that he was amongst the attackers lines that day".
"That is the common belief" says the wizard in the dark red coloured robes, who follows that with "That's why it's speculation that it's him".
The cleric commander grunts, then he says "The high priest will have to be informed". The senior cleric and the church deacon are of the higher end of the clergy of the church of Famal, here in the city-state of Vexil.
But the high priest of Famal in Vexil is their leader. And he must be informed of what they plan to do.
"I'm sure he will agree with us in that we will assist you in finding this foul being, and destroying it" says cleric commander, who is the leader of the military arm of the church of Famal in Vexil.
The church deacon, who is in charge of the day to day running of the church of Famal, nods his head agreement with his fellow clergyman.
Then the senior cleric calls out for his assistant, who enters the room from where he's been waiting out in the hallway.
"If you will accompany us" says the cleric commander after he gives his assistant a message to send to the high priest of Famal in Vexil.
The group of five mercenaries, the elves Salinéll, Jarkellé and Gillomōnt as well as Margin and Mercer. Follow the cleric commander and the church deacon from the room.
"It would be best if we found them as soon as possible" says the senior cleric, who follows that with "We along with the other churches and temples are given some leeway by the city guard".
As they make their way down the long, wide hallway that runs through much of the massive administration building of the church of Famal.
The cleric commander continues with "Though if things get shall we say, a little noisy they will get involved".
He pauses before adding "And if they get involved, then the city council gets involved" the senior cleric follows that with "And if the city council gets involved, then the mage council will get involved".
He briefly pauses before continuing in a dry tone with "We definitely don't want that to happen" the cleric commander adds "They don't like any disturbances to the order of things here in the city" followed by "Which is essentially their city".
The church deacon winces at that from his fellow churchman, but he does nod in agreement with the leader of the military arm of the church of Famal in Vexil.
The cleric commander is silent for a few moments as they head down the hallway, then he says "Though I suspect the mage council won't be too pleased that there's such an unclean creature in the city".
He glances at the church deacon and slightly nods, and the older churchman nods in reply. As they both know it might be best to inform the members of the mage council who are on friendly terms with the churches and temples found here in the capital of the city-state of Vexil.
They make their way outside, on what's a cold and blustery winter's day. And they head across the large courtyard between the administration building and the cathedral of Famal.
The two churchmen spot one of the clergy showing a cleric from another church around the grounds.
Both the cleric commander, and the church deacon, who is a magic using priest. Sense that the outsider cleric is more than powerful.
And from his tabard across his steel breastplate, they recognize that he's in the church of Glaine.
A smaller church, especially here in the city-state of Vexil. A church that has it's seat of power in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
A church that is known to have excellent warriors amongst their fighting clerics. Which this particular cleric looks like he's one.
Both the senior cleric in the church of Famal in Vexil, and the church deacon are not concerned that there's an outsider from another church on their church grounds.
Many do visit, as the church of Famal is known for it's architecture, not just here in the city of Vexil, but right across The Southlands, and for that matter, around the world.
Also, the church of Famal and the church of Glaine are on neutral terms with one another. And a visit from one of the members of their clergy is not a big deal at all.
And that proves to be the point, when they're just about to enter the back of the cathedral of Famal, and a priest who stands aside for them, after a look from the church deacon, who nods to in the direction of the cleric from the church of Glaine.
Says to them "That's the cleric Beldane from the church of Glaine" followed by "A fighting cleric I was told".
The priest continues on with "He has a missive with him from our brethren in the city of Valban in the kingdom of Nastell, as he wanted to visit our church grounds here if he ever visited the city of Vexil".
"I thought as much" quietly says the cleric commander, the church deacon nods in agreement with him.
Then as they're about to enter the cathedral, the priest who just spoke to them, says "Deacon Motis, young Parmis just told me the strangest thing". "Oh?" says deacon Motis, who follows that with "What was it?".
"He said he saw an ork, I told him must be mistaken, and it's clearly a troll, as no way would it be an ork" says the priest, who is a known gossip.
The others all look at one another, then before the priest can continue on, the cleric commander demands "Where?" followed by "When?".
"Just now commander Omarc" says the priest, who follows that with "Well, just a short time ago".
"And where?" asks Omarc, the cleric commander who leads the military arm of the church of Famal in Vexil.
"Just outside in the square" is the reply of the priest, who follows on from that with "Across on the other side, at the Wall of the Gods".
The elf Jarkellé mutters an oath after looking sharply at the elf maiden Salinéll, who has look of pure anger and hate that briefly crosses her face, which the churchmen miss.
The church deacon and the cleric commander share a look, then they look at their visitors who are standing off to one side.
"Looks like you're in luck" says Omarc the cleric commander, who looks sharply at the priest, as do the others, when the gossipy priest says to them "He's with a large dark knight or avenger, by the sounds of what young Parmis has to say".
The churchmen ignore the muttered "Shit" that comes from the wizard in the dark red robes, Margin.
And the senior cleric says to the others "Quick, hurry" before he rushes into the cathedral, followed by the church deacon, who he tells "Send the word throughout the church".
"I already am" says deacon Motis, who is busy casting as they and their visitors hurry through the cathedral, towards the front doors.
As they do, the elven maiden Salinéll quietly says in elvish to Jarkellé, Gillomōnt, Margin and Mercer as they follow the two churchmen "I want that fucking ork" followed by "He's mine".
The elf maiden who is from the elven principality of Alínlae, has a determined look on her face as she silently adds, he's going to pay for what he did that day to my father . . . . . .
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