Mercenary Tales 56.

Vexil. 

"Heal Marcus" orders Salinéll the elven maiden when they see what's happened after appearing on a street, further to the east of the center of Vexil. 

Margin the wizard grimaces as he sees the body of Sorna the mercenary lying to the side of the large ork named Dorc da Orc who is getting to his feet. 

The wizard in the dark red robes along with Mercer and Fessum hurry forward behind the trio of elves Salinéll, Jarkellé and Gillomōnt. 

"Be careful" warns Margin the wizard, who has heard from others that he has met over the years that facing an ork in combat is a hell of a lot harder than one can imagine. 

And that's includes spellcasters, who for the most part usually have an advantage over others during battle. 

Margin who heads towards the downed Marcus, who is trying to crawl across the street, with what looks like a broken leg. 

Winces when he gets a better view of the body of Sorna, which no longer has a face, and for that matter, the front of It's head. 

The wizard shakes his head as he suspected his fellow Vexilian would end up like that if he took on the large ork. 

For Sorna was hell bent on killing Dorc da Orc, for the simple reason the large ork killed his father during the Battle of Vexil just over twenty five years ago. 

And though Sorna was just a young child at the time, and didn't see it actually happen. He did come across his father's headless body up on the south wall of the city during the aftermath of the battle. And heard from others what is was that killed his father who was helping to defend Vexil. 

And ever since that time, he vowed vengeance upon the large ork named Dorc da Orc. Which has only seen him end up dead at the hands of Dorc. 

As they hurry forward, Margin quietly says to Mercer and Fessum "Stay back a bit and let the others deal to it". 

The fairly powerful wizard figures someone else will end up dead at the hands of the large ork, especially considering Salinéll wants to capture it so she can kill it slowly. 

The Vexilian practitioner of magic sourly smiles as Fessum the youngest member of the group doesn't acknowledged what he just said. 

Though he does get some comfort when Mercer nods in response to what he told the two of them as they hurry down the street. 

Which is devoid of anyone else, as the people who were on it, fled once the fighting got underway between the large ork and those wanting to take it down. 

Salinéll the elven magic user has to calm herself mentally as she started to fly into a rage when she first caught sight of the ork named Dorc da Orc who she wants dead. 

Though only after she makes it pay for what it did a little over two and a half decades ago during the Battle of Vexil. 

The attractive elven maiden who hails from the principality of Alínlae sees that the large ork is wounded as he gets up. 

Whilst the sword mistress Kynil hurries to retrieve her blade which has been flung to one side from where she was attacking the ork who has already killed Sorna, and by the looks of things, badly injured Marcus. 

At the moment Brynn the sorcerer is the only one facing Dorc da Orc. And though the sorcerer isn't the most powerful of spellcasters. 

Salinéll knows that he's a pretty canny individual, who may not know everything about magic. Is cautious enough to keep well out of the way of such a fierce creature like an ork. 

The elven magic user as she gets herself emotionally under control, senses that the sorcerer is about to cast. 

Then Salinéll the elven maiden says in her native tongue to Jarkellé and Gillomōnt "Keep out of range of it" followed by "If it gets a hold of you, you're done". 

The pair of elven warders nod in understanding, as they can clearly see from what happened to Sorna. 

Whose body has one of his own spears through it, and the front of his head is missing. What happens if the large ork gets a hold of you. 

Then Brynn the sorcerer casts his spell. And Salinéll grins in satisfaction as Dorc da Orc, who is bleeding from a number of wounds. Especially along his left side, as well as his face and mouth. 

Goes cartwheeling sideways through the air when he's hit by a force spell cast by Brynn the sorcerer, who stands there breathing heavily, as he's never cast so many spells so quickly in his life. 

"Fuck" mutters Dorc da Orc as he goes spinning sideways through the air about thirty feet, just a few feet off the ground, before he hits the street, and slides another dozen feet before coming to a stop. 

"Ouch" says the large ork, and though that hurt, it's no worse than what he's endured in the past. In fact it's the disorientation of spinning sideways that's more annoying. As he sits up, shaking his head, trying to clear it as everything feels a bit wonky for the moment. 

Get up you fat fucken cunt, the ork warleader thinks to himself, Dorc da Orc or Dorkindle which is his given name, sourly smiles as that was definitely the annoying voice of his 'Mother' who he hasn't heard from in at least a day. 

The big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, like all of his race, hears voices in his head. For the simple reason they're all mentally unstable, and totally psychotic. 

Mutters in the ork language "Fuck up ya silly whore" followed by "Dorc got some fucken killing to do". 

The weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, who though bleeding profusely from a number of wounds which would be fatal to anyone else. 

Can already feel his natural healing kicking in. And the bleeding, even from his mangled mouth, is starting to slow. 

Grunts as he gets up, trying to ignore the annoying voice of his 'Mother' in his head, to no avail much to the disgust of the ork general in the Armies of Farque. 

The large ork who wonders who the hell are these people attacking him in the middle of the day, on a normally busy street in this part of the city. 

Grunts again in belated understanding, as he vaguely remembers that he, along with Lord Farque and Beldane the cleric have been after a group of people, here in the city of Vexil. 

And seeing the trio of elves, and the three others with them. That Dorkindle realizes that this is infact the group he and the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque, and the cleric from the kingdom of Nastell have been after. 

Why they've been after them, the ork warleader has no idea. He's forgotten why they've been chasing this lot, not just here in the city of Vexil, but also up in the north of the city-state. 

The large ork doesn't care about that at the moment. Instead he yanks a long dagger from the front of his weapon harness, and with a fling. 

He sends it flying in the direction of the practitioner of magic who has been attacking him, and sent him flying a couple of times. 

The sorcerer Brynn, who is too exhausted to cast any type of shield, narrowly avoids the massive knife that the large ork just threw at him. 

Though only barely, as he had to drop to the ground and let it fly over him. If not it would of gutted him. 

The sorcerer in the workman like smock, winces when he hears a yell of pain from one of the others behind him. 

He doesn't let that distract him, instead he gathers power to cast another spell at the ork named Dorc, even though he's exhausted at the moment. 

"Shit" mutters Margin the wizard as next to him, Mercer drops to the ground, after the massive knife thrown by the large ork, slices across his right arm. 

The wizard in the dark red robes, who has got to the injured Marcus, barely spares a glance at Mercer. Who he suspects is alright for now. 

While young Fessum continues on after the elven trio of Salinéll, Jarkellé and Gillomōnt who are closing on the large ork. 

While the sword mistress Kynil, who has retrieved her blade. Is making her way along the front of the buildings stalking the ork. All the while trying to keep out of it's sight. Hoping it doesn't pay any attention to her. 

Then Margin says "Keep still, I'm here now" to the injured Marcus who he sees has a broken leg, as well as a broken shoulder with the way his arm is lying at an odd angle next to him. 

"Hurts" groans Marcus who breathes a sigh of relief when he recognizes it's Margin who has crouched down beside him. 

Then the Vexilian wizard who isn't particularly good at healing, casts a healing spell upon the badly injured Marcus. 

Who promptly passes out, causing the wizard in the dark red coloured robes to mutter "Probably for the best". 

Then Margin looks up to where the others are confronting the large ork, who has got to his feet again. 

As she reaches Brynn, Salinéll senses the sorcerer who has just got up, is about to cast again. 

The attractive elven maiden who is about to cast too, nods as Brynn casts another force spell. Though this one much weaker than the previous one. 

As the large ork who is hit square in the chest by the spell, doesn't go flying backwards. Instead he just staggers back a half a dozen steps, before he growls and says something in his totally incomprehensible language. 

As the sword mistress Kynil stalks the large ork from one side, and young Fessum moves forward from the other side. 

Salinéll narrows her eyelids as she studies Dorc da Orc, then she nods in understanding. And instead of casting her spell at the large ork's chest. She instead targets something else. 

Dorkindle yelps, then squeals as something slams into his right leg, breaking it. Causing the large ork to stumble backwards, before dropping to the ground. 

Though not before he biffs the small axe he's taken from his belt. Small being relative here. It's small for him, but clearly a two handed war axe for anyone else. 

And though he intended to throw it at the elf maiden, who can clearly smell is a magic user. His aim was off due to stumbling and falling backwards on to his ass, with a broken right leg. 

Nevertheless the axe did hit someone, the elf to the left of the one who is a practitioner of magic. 

Gillomōnt's head shatters apart when the large axe slams straight into his face. His near headless body drops to the ground. Next to Salinéll who screams in anger while the large ork chuckles. 

Then Dorc da Orc looks at his broken leg, with the thigh bone clearly sticking out, and mutters "That gonna be a fucken problem". 

The ork warleader flings up his left arm, and the blade of Kynil the sword mistress, slams into his upper left arm, causing him to hiss in both pain and anger. 

The big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world who sees another of them quickly approaching from his right. 

Flings out his right arm, in which hand he has taken another of his throwing knives. This one actually hits. 

And young Fessum drops to the ground howling and screaming in agony with the large blade imbedded in his gut. 

Then Dorkindle, who sees the elven magic user and the other elf moving in, along with the first spellcaster who attacked him. 

Briefly thinks about something. A certain something he wouldn't normally do. For the simple reason he absolutely hates the taste of them. 

Though in this instance, it might give him a chance. Considering he's finding it difficult to move with his right leg being broken. 

So the ork general in the Armies of Farque reaches down to his belt that holds up his grubby, threadbare, knee length pants. 

And from the slots in the belt, he takes out one of the vials hidden in there. And quickly pops it into his mouth as the elven magic user yells at the others with her "Stop it taking it!". 

Dorc da Orc bites the glass vial, then blinks as he realizes what he's actually done. The large ork then grins. Though keeping his mouth closed as he does so. 

For the ork warleader thought he was taking one of the healing potions given to him by Helbe the elven thief. 

Which he never uses if he has to. And only reluctantly does so when Lord Farque makes him take one, or force feeds him one, whenever the ork weaponsmith is badly wounded. 

But in this instance, Dorkindle took something else. One of the other things given to him by Helbe the elven thief. More for the elven masterthief's amusement than anything else. 

Or as the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world would put it. For shits and giggles. 

Dorc da Orc whilst still grinning, opens his mouth, and spits everywhere. As he just took a vial of poison that turns gaseous once it interacts with air. 

Poison which the large ork like all of his kind, is totally immune to. Though a poison which is deadly to anyone else. 

Something slams into the ork general's head, which sends him into unconsciousness. Though as he slips into darkness Dorc da Orc has the pleasure of seeing those who have attacked him start dropping to the ground, clutching at their throats . . . . . .