Mercenary Tales 53.

The City Of Vexil. 

"You might want to have that stupid mace of yours protect your mind" says Lord Farque as he's a blur of motion as he and Beldane the cleric fight one another. 

"A few of them over there are more powerful than you" adds the undead warlord who follows that in a dry tone with "And clerics and priests being who they are, they'll rummage through your thoughts the first fucking chance they get". 

""How?" says Beldane the cleric after he leaps over a sword swing from the large heavily armoured deathlord of Farque. 

The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine continues with "The damn thing hardly ever listens to me" followed by "And that's on a good day". 

One of the quirks of the speed spell taught to Beldane by Helbe the elven thief, is that you can talk normally to others. Just as long as they're moving just as fast or faster than you are. 

Otherwise you just hear gibberish if you try to communicate vocally to someone who isn't moving at the same speed as you. 

"It's got a mind of it's own" dryly says the powerful practitioner of magic who is originally from the kingdom of Nastell. 

Ryn tell that idiot mace of his to protect his mind, silently says the lord of the death realm to his sword that he's wielding. 

Yes my lord, replies the Sword of Power Ryn, who just happens to be a Greater Dragon who inhabits the Farque family sword. 

Beldane almost stumbles into the deathlord of Farque when he feels the powerful mental shield slam up around his mind. 

"There you go" says the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who is also known by the name of Draugodrottin to the people of his lands. 

"None of them will get through that" adds the large heavily armoured deathlord who is ignoring the occasional spell that's directed at him by the practitioners of magic over on the roof of the church of Maëlle. 

The undead warlord who out of the corner of his eye just saw the group they've been after, disappear from the roof of the church of Maëlle, and teleport in the direction he threw Dorc da Orc. Who he senses is moving eastwards through the streets of the city, from the building he landed on. 

Is just about to tell Beldane to break off, so that they can go their separate ways. When he senses something. 

"We're about to have company" says the lord of the death realm, who then tells the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine "Get ready to levitate yourself". 

"Er why?" says the powerful cleric in the half plate armour, who truth be told is trying his best to hit the large heavily armoured deathlord of Farque. 

Beldane glances to where Lord Farque slightly nods, and he sees a figure in black robes appear, here on the roof of the church of the death god Madau. 

"Because I'm going to throw you off the roof" states Draugodrottin who then moves way quicker than the fighting cleric is moving, grabs him by the top of his breast plate, and flings him off, and away from the church of Madau. 

Then the undead warlord turns to face the figure in black who has appeared on the roof of the church of Madau, a priest of the death god. 

As he goes flying through the air, Beldane realizes this is how Dorc da Orc must feel everytime he's flung about by Lord Farque. 

And the member of the church of Glaine, who just like the large ork whenever he goes hurtling through the air, can't help but grin to himself, and then he drops towards the ground. 

Beldane who feels his stomach lurch, is glad the undead warlord gave him fair warning. As he's only about a dozen feet above a side street behind the church of Madau, when his levitation spell kicks in. 

As he slowly falls to the ground, the fighting cleric says "I'm fine". When some church and temple guards, from a number of different churches and temples that surround the large square in this part of the city, run up to him, and ask him how he is. 

When he touches down on the ground, Beldane who senses that's it's a very powerful priest of the death god, up on the roof of the church of Madau says "We might want to move away" followed by "Who knows what will happen up there". 

The powerful practitioner of magic in the church of Glaine then starts heading towards the nearby church of Maëlle. 

As he does, Beldane wonders how the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque will deal with this new threat that he faces. 

The fighting cleric feels that the undead warlord will be fine, even though he suspects the newly arrived priest of the death god is probably strong enough to magically hold the lord of the death realm. 

After glancing over at those on the roof of the church of Maëlle, Lord Farque looks at the priest of the death god Madau, and wonders what he'll do. 

Draugodrottin who has the elven name of Des'tier can sense that the priest, who is fairly young, in his mind twenties. 

Is powerful enough to hold him with a spell. But the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque knows he can kill the priest of the death god before he's able to cast. 

The member of the church of Madau knows this too, and after a few moments of silence, he says "Would you kindly leave". 

Behind the faceplate of his full helm, the large heavily armoured deathlord raises an eyebrow, then slightly nods after the priest in the black robes adds "There are mourners below, farewelling a loved one". 

He pauses before continuing with "You of all people should know what they're going through, and what the departed is going through on their way to the afterlife". 

Lord Farque knows that out of all the churches and temples, and their gods. There's only one that does not care about him being undead, or the undead in general. And that's the church of the death god Madau. 

For the simple reason they believe that once you're dead, then you're in the hands of their god Madau. 

Draugodrottin doesn't want to shatter their beliefs. As he knows you don't actually face their god in the afterlife. Only those who worship him will actually see him.

But you do feel his presence once you cross over into the life after death. The undead warlord should know, after all he is the lord of the death realm. 

That realm of existence where one goes too after yoiur dead, and before you cross over to what's referred to as the afterlife. Which in reality is the home of the gods of Volunell. 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque nods his full helmed head in response to the powerful young cleric in the church of Madau. 

Who he sees is looking at the very spot on the roof of the church that Des'tier is standing on. The large heavily armoured deathlord faintly smiles at that. As he figures that the black robbed priest is wondering if he can blast a hole in the roof, making the undead warlord drop down through it. 

For though the church of Madau doesn't particularly care about the undead. That doesn't mean they won't banish them if they get the chance. 

And Draugodrottin dropping down into the church itself would be a bit of an inconvenience for him. After all he tends to catch on fire when he's on holy ground. 

The lord of the death realm then glances over at those on the nearby church of Maëlle, who are watching the confronting between him and the priest of Madau. 

Then the large heavily armoured deathlord looks again at the young priest who stands about thirty feet from him. 

You wouldn't actually believe it, but the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque and the priest of Madau have something in common. 

Infact it's something Des'tier has in common with all the members of the church of the death god Madau. And that's that they absolutely hate necromancers. 

The undead warlord knows that the clergy of the death god actively hunt out anyone who is a necromancer, or those who associates with them. 

Draugodrottin slightly nods over in the direction to those on the roof of the church of Maëlle, and he says to the young priest in the black robes "There's probably something you should know". 

"Oh?" says the priest of Madau, who was just about to tell the undead being to leave again, instead he adds "And what's that?". 

The young priest, who is the guardian of his church this cold and blustery winter's day. Doesn't show it, as he looks calm and collected. But his heart is beating like crazy. As he thought he'd ever face an undead being. And of all things, have a conversation with it. 

"There's a necromancer amongst that lot" states the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who can sense the person in question, who his hiding that he's a necromancer. 

The young priest of the church of Madau, whips his head to one side as looks sharply over at those on the church of the god Maëlle. 

"Who?" quietly asks the powerful young priest in the church of the death god, who like all members of his church, has taken a vow to hunt down and kill necromancers. 

"One of that lot in the full suit of heavy plate armour" says Draugodrottin who follows that with "In the church of Goran i believe". 

The priest of Madau nods, then he narrows his eyelids and slightly nods his head again when the lord of the death realm describes exactly who it is that's a necromancer in disguise. 

"Thank you for that" quietly says the powerful young priest, who then adds "May Madau watch over you when you finally return to his realm". 

The undead warlord, who technically is a lich, for the simple reason he is still himself, with the exception of his extraordinary powers that are enhanced because he's not alive. 

And one cosmetic change, as his hair changed from blond to black when came back to the physical world of the living the first time. 

Can't help but slightly grin at that blessing from the young priest in the church of the death god of Madau. 

Then the large heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head, before he leaps backwards off the roof of the church of Madau. 

And falls to the ground, where he lands in the lane to the side of the church that he was just on top of. 

The undead warlord is already moving, heading away from the churches and temples that surround the large square in this part of the city. 

While the priest of the death god, who is his church's guardian this day, turns then teleports over to the rooftop of the nearby church of Maëlle. 

As he intends to kill a hidden necromancer on this cold and blustery winter's day here in the capital of the city-state of Vexil . . . . . .