Mercenary Tales 98.

The City-State Of Vexil. 

The guard commander Kilmas who has just seen one of captain Hafnah's company go down with their cockatrice to one of the undead. 

Is running through the forest, heading west with others. Both in the mercenary army that the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen have gathered. As well as soldiers in the army of the city-state of Vexil. 

The guard commander looks back, and sees that the undead who was chasing them, has just been pinned to the trunk of a large tree by a thrown spear. 

Kilmas comes to a stop as he sees one of his own guards chop the head off the pinned figure. Then a soldier in the Vexillian army, who has just lit a torch. Sets the flames of the torch to the headless body. Then to the head that's lying nearby. 

The guard commander who is breathing heavily in the cold air of the winters day here in the hill country of northern Vexil. 

Looks around and sees that others have stopped too, and that they're all looking at one another as well. 

Kilmas who knows that this could all go badly after someone says "I think that's the last of them". Decides he better say something so that those from the mercenary army who have survived what just happened. Aren't then attacked by the remaining Vexillian soldiers, who definitely outnumber them. 

"There might be more of them out there" says guard commander Kilmas, who hopes to hell there's no more of the undead out there. 

The commander of the Geist Trading Company guards, who until earlier today thought the notion of anyone being undead was totally ridiculous. 

Whose thoughts on that matter have definitely changed, then says "Keep moving" followed by "Even just one of those damn things will wipe a bunch of us out". 

Kilmas looks around at those close by, both mercenaries in the gathered Geist army, and soldiers in the army of the city-state of Vexil, and adds "All of us". 

After a moments silence, a nearby sergeant at arms in the Vexillian army nods his head, then says "You heard him lads keep moving". 

The sergeant at arms who is nursing a broken wrist, continues with "And keep an eye out for anymore of those bastards". 

The sergeant at arms gets moving, quickly walking away to the west, loudly muttering about undead, and how he isn't paid enough to deal with shit like them. 

Guard commander Kilmas looks at some of the nearby mercenaries who are all looking at him, he nods for them to follow him. 

As he starts heading quickly away to the west through the forest, the way the Vexillian soldiers are heading too. As they all want to get away from this part of the forest they're in. 

As his fellow mercenaries follow him, the commander of the Geist Trading Company guards looks away to his right when he spots movement that way. 

And he sees a pair of cockatrice that way, as they and their riders are heading westwards through the forest as well. 

Kilmas wonders how many from captain Hafnah's company survived the ordeal with the undead. In fact the guard commander wonders how many of the mercenaries who were with him, have survived what's just happened. 

He suspects over half have been killed by the undead that they and the column of Vexillian soldiers unfortunately encountered today here in the hill country in the north of the city-state of Vexil. 

The guard commander just shakes his head at what's happened so far today. A winters day unlike any other that Kilmas has experienced in his lifetime. 

Up a nearby cliff like hill, Lord Farque looks down into the forest to the west of the road that goes through this part of the hill country in northern Vexil, a forest road that goes to the border with the kingdom of Girdane. 

The undead warlord watches as the last of the undead that he unleashed a little while ago, is brought down by a dozen Vexillian soldiers and mercenaries. Hacked apart and set on fire. 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who has the name of Draugodrottin that the people of his lands also know him by. 

Watches as most if not all of the mercenaries and soldiers who have survived what's just happened, start heading west through the forest, that covers most of the hill country in the border region between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane. 

The large heavily armoured deathlord who has the elven name of Des'tier, which means The Destroyer. Slightly nods his full helmed head as he watches the remaining Vexillian soldiers, as well as guards and mercenaries from the Geist Trading Company army. Fleeing westward through the forest. 

The lord of the death realm watches them in silence for a few more moments, then Draugodrottin looks away to the east. 

Where further away in the hill country, is the first of the previously abandoned gold mines in northern Vexil. 

Gold mines that were reopened by the elven maiden Salinéll, and those who were in cohoots with her. 

The undead warlord who as usual is sensing in all directions for as far as possible, sensing both for magic, and life, which also includes death, slightly nods to himself again. 

Then the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque turns around, and walks to where the wyvern is lying. A wyvern that's been waiting patiently, all the while closely watching the large figure of the lord of the death realm. 

Des'tier climbs up into the saddle on the back of the wyvern, a wyvern that he took from a rider in the aircorp of the city-state of Vexil. 

With a command in the dragon language, which no one speaks except for dragons and Lord Farque himself. 

The wyvern crouches, then springs upwards, and launches into the air from the top of the hill. And with a final look to the east, the undead warlord has the wyvern circle back to the north. 

The large heavily armoured deathlord then heads to where the rest of the group are making their way south through the forest, on this cold winters day here in the very north of the city-state of Vexil. 

Meanwhile further west in the forest covering a lot of hills, here in northern Vexil. The cousins Gamil and Farsen Geist, who are breathing heavily. Share a look when they hear more shouting away to their left through the trees. 

The cousins, who are part of the family that own and run the Geist Trading Company. Who were part of an elaborate scheme to start a war between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane. A war, whose architect, their so called cousin Misa Geist, was hoping it would spread to elsewhere, here in the central region of The Southlands. 

Come to a stop and look that way. Wondering who, and what could it be now. The guards from their company, along with mercenaries from the army they've gathered. 

Also come to a stop, and look that way as well, away to the east. In what's been a cold winters day here in the north of the city-state of Vexil. A day that's just gone by midday too. 

To either side of them through the trees, others from the mercenary army the Geist cousins have gathered, continue south through the forest. 

As they flee the Vexillian army, not to mention aircorp who are in this area of the hill country in the border region of northern Vexil and southern Girdane. 

"What's it this time?" quietly asks Gamil Geist the older of the two cousins as he peers between the trees to the left of them all. 

After shrugging his shoulders, the younger cousin, Farsen Geist replies with "No idea" he briefly pauses while he looks away to the east through the trees. 

Then the younger of the Geist cousins quietly says "Hope it's not more of them". Which gets a sour sounding grunt of approval from his older cousin Gamil. 

Then another shout comes from somewhere between the trees, away to the east of them. And the two cousins share a look once again, for this time they heard what was shouted out. 

"Hope the rider has got it's blinkers on" mutters Gamil Geist, which illicts a grunt of agreement from his younger cousin. 

Then Farsen Geist calls out to those in the nearby vicinity "Look down at the ground until we know it's clear". 

Next to him, his older cousin Gamil nods in agreement with that bit of advice, considering what's approaching from the east. 

Then as the Geist cousins look down at the forest floor, a voice in the distance calls out "It's clear" followed by another voice call out "Coming though". 

Of the two Geist cousins, it's Farsen who immediately looks up and away to the east, as he instantly recognized that second voice that called out. 

And it's not too long before he, along with his cousin Gamil, and the others with them, spot a cockatrice and it's rider heading their way..

Gamil Geist gives a sideways look at his younger cousin, for he like Farsen, has just seen who the rider is that's approaching them. 

The older of the two cousins, who have gathered a mercenary army over the last few months steps back and out of the way. As a cockatrice runs straight towards where he and his cousin have been standing. 

"Danielle" says Farsen Geist with a nod of his head to the rider in captain Hafnah's company, who has just brought her mount to a halt in front of him and his cousin Gamil. 

Who is glad to see the rider has blinkered the eyes of the large, magical creature that's her mount. 

Almost out of breath, Danielle Hafnah nods and replies with "Farsen" followed by "Gamil" in greeting to the two cousins. 

Then before either Geist cousin can ask her anything, the daughter of the mercenary captain Hafnah, says to them "Trouble". 

The cockatrice rider continues with "My father sent me ahead to warn you" she briefly pauses before adding "I know it will sound far fetched, but we've encountered undead". 

The cousins are silent for a few moments, then Farsen murmurs "Er?" while next to him, his older cousin Gamil just lifts his eyebrows in surprise at hearing that from the young cockatrice rider. 

Danielle Hafnah then quickly explains to the Geist cousins what's happened further to the east in the forest. 

How those with guard commander Kilmas, along with most of her father's company. Ambushed a column of Vexillian foot soldiers, who were making their way north along one of the forest roads. 

Then suddenly a group of undead appeared, from where no one exactly knows. And how the undead attacked anyone and everyone. 

Which led to mercenaries and guards in the Geist Trading Company army fighting alongside Vexillian soldiers in a fight for survival. 

As they listen, Gamil Geist who is the more skeptical one of the cousins, doesn't know what to believe. 

For though the thought of the undead seems utterly ridiculous to him. Captain Hafnah on the other hand, and by association his daughter Danielle. Are amongst the handful of mercenary captains in the army he and his cousin Farsen actually trust. Who isn't a least bit whimsy. 

For Farsen, he had no doubt that Danielle speaks the truth. And true, he's totally attracted to the cockatrice rider. 

In the time he's known her, the younger Geist cousin has come to trust the daughter of the mercenary captain Hafnah. 

"What's happening now?" asks Farsen Geist who doesn't question Danielle at all if she's telling the truth or not. 

"Anyone who's survived will be heading this way" replies the cockatrice rider, who gestures back behind her, and continues with "The first of them should be turning up fairly soon". 

Danielle Hafnah briefly pauses before adding "I guess there'll be Vexillian soldiers amongst them too". 

The cousins share a look and wince almost in unison, then Gamil Geist sourly says "Hell" followed by "This could end up ugly". 

Next to him his younger cousin Farsen nods in agreement as they and those with them, look away to the east through the trees in this part of the forest that covers much of the hill country here in the north of the city-state of Vexil. 

It's not too long before survivors from the attack by the undead start showing up in this part of the forest. 

And it's a pair of cockatrice riders who show up first, who have wounded upon the backs of their mounts with them. And it turns out one of the wounded is a foot soldier in the Vexillian army. 

Gamil Geist sighs, then mutters "Hell" once again. And with a look at his younger cousin Farsen, who has barely taken his eyes off Danielle Hafnah since she showed up. 

The older of the two cousins who have gathered a mercenary army over recent months, hoping to start a border war between their homeland of Vexil, and it's northern neighbour, the kingdom of Girdane. 

Starts issuing orders to those with them, to help the wounded, both their own, and soldiers in the army of the city-state of Vexil. 

Who start arriving after an attack by some undead, on this cold winters day here in the hill country that straddles the border region between Vexil and Girdane . . . . . .