Vexil.
Unlike yesterday which dawned cold. The morning today that Zam the ex mercenary wakes up to, is much warmer. More springlike temperature in the opinion of the teenager originally from The City Of Ruins.
Though it might be warmer today than yesterday. When it was cold, but sunny. This morning it's raining. Not a heavy rain, nor is it light. It's a constant rain. Which doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon.
After having breakfast, which he has with Beldane the cleric. Along with Shur Kee the monk. Zam the ex mercenary is just wondering what he'll do today.
When Lord Farque makes his way down into the common room of the Merchant's Rest. It's the first time the ex mercenary has seen the undead warlord since returning to the city of Vexil with Dorc da Orc a few days ago.
Apart from briefly seeing the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque, when he and the ork warleader brought the wagon full of gold to the counting house. Which isn't all that far from the inn that the group is staying at whilst here in the city of Vexil.
The large heavily armoured deathlord stops at their table, and quietly tells Shur Kee the monk to keep an eye on Dorc da Orc today.
At the moment, the large ork is sitting in a corner of the common room, drinking from a barrel of ale.
The big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world, took one look outside. Then started loudly muttering to anyone who'll listen about the unfairness of it all.
And how he can't go out. Because it's raining, and doesn't look like it's going to stop anytime soon. At least not until later in the day.
The large ork who was contemplating wondering around the city. In hopes of finding some random dwarf he could kill. Or troll. As he knows there's a fair few trolls working at the airship building yards in the city.
But not to be, because it's raining. Which the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, like all orks. Absolutely hates. For the simple reason orks hate getting wet.
After telling Shur Kee to keep an eye on Dorc da Orc, Lord Farque looks at Zam for a moment, then says to him "Come along".
The ex mercenary who hails from The City Of Ruins, lifts an eyebrow in surprise, then gets up, and hurries after the deathlord of Farque who is heading for the front door.
Where Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman is waiting, along with Tamric Drubine the field commander, and Saanea the witch.
Mira Reinholt the mage, who has just been speaking with the rotund woman who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra.
Nods to the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque and the ex mercenary, before he heads back into the common room where the rest of the group are, with the exception of Helbe the elven thief, as well as sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Tovis the war engineer, both of whom aren't in the city at the moment.
As the four of them make their way out through the reception chamber, then out the door, the undead warlord in a dry tone of voice says to Zam "Probably best if he doesn't come along". As the ex mercenary was just wondering out loud why the mage Reinholt isn't with them this morning.
Hurrying through the rain, they cross the small square surrounded by buildings all around it. And going through the tunnel like lane that leads out to the nearby street.
The undead warlord stops, then says to Saanea the witch "Here". Zam frowns as he looks at the section of wall the large heavily armoured deathlord has just pointed at.
The next moment, a section of that wall slides open, to reveal a set of stairs. Which they head up, with the witch who is originally from the Maldin Hills, closing the hidden section of the wall behind them.
The top of the stairs comes out onto a rooftop of a four storey building almost completely opposite the Merchant's Rest inn.
With the rain falling, Zam squints as he looks away to where Lord Farque gestures. After which, Saanea the witch tells them "Stand close".
Then after her familiar, which at present is a crow, lands upon her right shoulder, squawking in indignation at being out in the rain.
The practitioner of magic who also happens to be the lover of Tamric Drubine the field commander, teleports them all away on this rainy spring morning.
After they reappear, and he wipes rain drops off his face, Zam the ex mercenary who is just wondering where they are, sees something, and asks "What's that?".
"The City Council Chambers" is the reply from Lord Farque who leads them to a set of steps, which go down off the rooftop they're on top of.
In front of them, the view is dominated by the massive structure that's the chambers of the city council of Vexil.
The massive circular building, is on the south side of a square, here in the center of the city that's the capital of the city-state of Vexil.
Zam looks further south, and sees another massive structure, this one a tower. The tallest structure in the city by far.
The teenage ex mercenary knows what that tower is. It's the tower of the Mage Council of the city-state of Vexil.
The Mage Council being the true rulers of Vexil, who make the most important decisions on behalf of the city-state.
Though once down off the building they appeared on top of thanks a teleportation spell cast by Saanea the witch.
The deathlord of Farque, who has the name of Draugodrottin that the people of his lands also know him by. Heads towards the Chambers of the City Council.
Walking alongside the undead warlord through the constant rain is Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman.
While Zam along with the witch who is originally from the Maldin Hills, and the young field commander, who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
Walk behind the large heavily armoured figure of the lord of the death realm, and the rotund woman, who is a member of his personal council.
They cross the massive square fairly quickly, much to the relief of Zam, who is already getting sick of this constant rain this morning.
Then after they go through an open set of doors, which a few other people have just gone through, the ex mercenary who is originally from The City Of Ruins, asks "Why are we here?".
Inside the massive reception hall they find themselves in, and after Zam shakes the rain off his cloak.
The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque looks at him, then Tamric Drubine and Saanea the witch, and he quietly tells them "Keep an eye on things in there". Followed by "Make a point of remembering every decision that's made".
The ex mercenary nods his head, as does the field commander in the Armies of Farque, along with the practitioner of magic who hails from the west coast of The Southlands.
Seeing the slight look of confusion on the face of Zam, Draugodrottin or Des'tier to give him his elven name, quietly says "The City Council is on today".
The large heavily armoured deathlord follows that up with "The public gallery's are open today" followed by "Hence why we're here".
The teenager originally from The City Of Ruins nods his head in understanding, then he along with Tamric Drubine and Saanea the witch follow after the undead warlord, and the rotund woman who is on his personal council.
As they cross over to a set of doors, one of many entrances to the council chambers themselves, that the public are allowed to enter on certain days. And today is one of those certain days.
Zam sees a number of the public, people from all stripes of life by the looks of it. Enter through the set of doors.
As others are doing, right around the interior of the massive circular building that houses the chambers of the City Council of Vexil.
The undead warlord leads the way inside, people instinctively get out of the way of the large heavily armoured figure of the deathlord of Farque.
And Draugodrottin enters a row of seats, taking the second to last one, leaving the last seat on the far end to the right, free to the aisle in that direction.
Zam finds himself in between Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who is to his right, next to Lord Farque.
And Tamric Drubine the field commander, who is to the ex mercenary's left. With Saanea the witch who is sitting to the left of her lover, the noble born young man originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin.
The practitioner of magic who hails from the Maldin Hills is at the left end of the row of seats that the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque has taken.
One look from the lord of the death realm is enough for anyone thinking about sitting on the empty seat next to him to move along.
Zam sees that undead warlord has also picked this row, because immediately behind them is no seats. As the wide aisle runs behind it.
The ex mercenary looks around at the massive chamber, that must seat over five thousand people when it's completely full.
At the moment it's only about a quarter full. And because it's so early in the springtime, it's not even expected to be half full by the time the council meeting is well and truly underway later in the morning.
Zam looks down into the center of the chamber, where upon the floor, is a large ring table, with seats around it, where members of the city council sit.
At the moment, there's just over a dozen councilors down on the chamber floor. Not even half of the full membership of the council.
Occasionally another council member will make their way down the aisles to join their fellow members down on the floor.
Even so, it's still not even half of the City Council of Vexil present once the meeting gets underway, not long after the group entered the chambers.
After looking at some of the council guards, many scattered throughout the public galleries. While more stand down on the circular floor, looking up at the public.
Zam listens to what's being discussed by the city council, which is far easier than he thought it would be. Since the acoustics inside the massive chamber is so good, that everyone, no matter where they're sitting, can hear what's been discussed down on the floor.
And it's not too long before the ex mercenary hears something that he's familiar with. As one of council members brings up the insurrection in the hill country of northern Vexil, that took place not so long ago during the winter.
An insurrection that was first thought to be an invasion by the kingdom of Girdane, which lies to the north of the city-state of Vexil. But turned out to be a mercenary army, that infiltrated from across the border in Girdane.
Which isn't strictly true, as Zam can attest to. As he with much of the rest of the group were part of that mercenary army.
Who were actually based, and staged in northern Vexil. Who briefly crossed over the border into Girdane, then quickly back across the border into northern Vexil.
To make it look like it was an invading army from the kingdom of Girdane, that came across the border into the hill country in the north of the city-state of Vexil.
Zam glances to his right, across Malisse aka Zubutai the son of Timagin, to look at Lord Farque.
Who he sees has turned his head slightly to the empty seat to his right. And slightly nods his full helmed head at something.
It's then that the ex mercenary originally from The City Of Ruins, understands that Helbe the elven thief must be in that empty seat at the moment, and he's telling the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque something.
After listening and watching the discussion down on the floor for a while, Zam starts to hear murmuring from amongst some of the crowd in the galleries.
"Who's that?" quietly asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, the ex mercenary looks to where the senior officer in the Armies of Farque has nodded.
And the ex mercenary spots a cloaked figure making their way down one of the aisles on the opposite side of the chamber.
"Mage" quietly says Saanea the witch, who has a cat in her lap that she's patting. Which gives Zam a moments pause when he sees it. Until he realizes it's the witch's familiar.
Then the ex mercenary who is originally from the City Of Ruins, looks to his right when he hears a muttered "Shit". That definitely sounded like it came from Helbe the elven thief.
Zam looks across Malisse aka Zubutai Timaginson, and sees Lord Farque has leaned to his right a bit. And is definitely listening to something that the blurred and shielded elven magic user is telling him.
"Mage Garmen" says one of the city councilors down on the chamber floor, who by the looks of things, isn't exactly pleased to see the mage who walks out onto the floor.
Nor do many of the other city councilors in attendance, as the mage makes his way through the gap in the ring table, to stand in the very middle of the chamber floor. "How may we help you this morning?" adds the councilor who is speaking.
Zam slightly nods when next to him, Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman quietly tells him "Member of the Mage Council".
The rotund woman, who is really a hordes outrider from the southern tundra, who just happens to inhabit this particular body, quietly continues with "An important member of the Mage Council".
The ex mercenary from The City Of Ruins listens as the mage Garmen says "As I've mentioned previously over the last few weeks".
The powerful practitioner of magic who wears a hoodless cloak, and is ignoring the crowd in the public galleries.
Tells the councilors "This ongoing investigation into the insurrection into the border region is all well and good".
The spellcaster, who is a Vexillian briefly pauses before continuing with "But what I want done is an investigation into an attack upon one of our elite squads".
The councilor who is the spokesman at the time, says "Of course mage Garmen" followed by "Like all such incidents it will be part of the overall investigation which has already begun".
The councilman briefly pauses before adding "We the council, along with the public are sorry for your".
"I don't need to hear your petty condolences" interrupts the mage, who glares at the members of the City Council in attendance, then up at the public up into galleries, before looking at the council spokesman again, and saying in a cold tone of voice "See to it that it's done".
Then he turns and walks away, going through the gap in the ring table, and heading up the aisle that he came down, then he heads out of the council chambers.
As the members of the City Council all look at one another, and the conversations from up in the public galleries pick up again, after the silence of the arrival of the mage.
Zam the ex mercenary quietly says to the others in the group with him this morning "What the hell was that all about?" . . . . . .
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