Springtime In The City 6.

The City-State Of Vexil. 

It's still raining as they head back to the Merchant's Rest. Zam the ex mercenary who is walking beside Tamric Drubine the field commander, listens to Lord Farque and Helbe the elven thief who are in front. 

"That's going to be a problem" quietly says Helbe the elven thief who is speaking in elven to the undead warlord. 

"How so?" asks Lord Farque in the same language as the group rounds a corner onto another street, which Zam is glad to see, that many of the shops and buildings have awnings out in front of them. 

Giving some respite to the constant rain that's been falling all morning here in the capital city of Vexil. 

"Because that mage Garmen will want answers" is the quiet reply from the young elven noble who hails from the island principality of Laerel. 

"Answers to what?" asks Tamric Drubine the field commander, who along with Zam, as well as Saanea the witch and Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, both of whom are at the back of the group. 

Are listening closely to the conversation between the large heavily armoured deathlord of Farque and the highly talented elven magic user. 

Helbe the elven thief or prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel to give him his full name slightly winces, then says "Because ah Mira killed his son". 

The elven masterthief briefly pauses before continuing with "Up in the hill country, back in the winter". 

"One of those mages we ran into just after we crossed the border?" asks the young field commander who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. 

"Yeah, something like that" says the elven princeling who also happens to be a master assassin. 

That gets a sideways look and down from the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque to the elven master archer walking beside him. 

The undead warlord who has the name of Draugodrottin that the people of his lands also know him by, stares at the elf who is a member of his personal council, and is his envoy. 

"Out with it" says the lord of the death realm in a cool tone of voice after he holds up a gauntleted hand for the group to stop beneath one of shop fronts with an overhead awning. 

"Well technically Mira didn't actually kill him" says Helbe the elven thief who is the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel. 

After a moment or two, the elven master assassin clears his throat, then adds "I was the one who actually killed him". 

"So how is that a problem for Mira?" asks the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque as he continues to stare at his envoy. 

"Because Mira was battling the mage Garmen junior" says the highly talented elven practitioner of magic, who follows that with "And those surviving members of the younger Garmen's squad think he died in an explosion caused by an enemy mage". 

The lord  of the death realm who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates to The Destroyer, grunts. Then he gestures for them all to continue on. 

Tamric Drubine nods at hearing that, as does Zam along with Saanea the witch and Malisse aka Zubutai Timaginson. Who were all there when the mage Reinholt was in a battle with the younger Garmen mage. 

"Didn't Mira say something about how he knew that Garmen?" says Zam the ex mercenary as they continue down the street they're on. 

"The father, not the son he was battling" continues the teenager who is originally from The City Of Ruins. 

Helbe the elven thief nods his hooded head as they get to the end of the street, then hurry across a near empty square as they go north through the city of Vexil. 

"He did" says the grandson of Prince Raendril, who follows that with "He's one of the surviving mages from before the Battle of Vexil" the elven master archer follows that with "He was on the Mage Council when Mira was appointed to it". 

As the enter a street, that's covered with a stone arch roof, a street that has a market down the length of it. 

The young elven noble who hails from the island principality of Laerel quietly says "He also helped exile Mira". 

"Great" sourly says the lord of the death realm, who follows that up with "Still, it shouldn't be a problem". 

The undead warlord falls silent as they walk through the busy part of the covered market street. 

Draugodrottin resumes the conversation once they near the north end of the market street, and he says "They'll be hard pressed to fucking figure out it was Mira in a mage battle with this Garmen's son". 

The large heavily armoured deathlord continues in a slightly dry tone with "These are mages after all, they're not exactly known for being subtle, nor working out details when it comes to figuring things out". 

As they exit the covered market street, the highly talented elven spellcaster nods his hooded head in agreement with the lord of the death realm. 

Then the youngest member of the royal family that rules the island principality of Laerel, quietly says "True" he briefly pauses before adding "Though they might not, but they do have other spellcasters at their disposal who are". 

The elven master assassin follows that with "And there's plenty of spells which can show what happened from a couple of months ago up in the border region". 

"Fuck" mutters Des'tier, who after glancing back at the rest of the group as they walk through the rain, he switches to the royal or noble elven language, and says to his envoy "Between this, and me, Beldane and Dorc keeping clear of the inner west of the city, well the Temple Square and surrounding neighbourhoods, that's all we fucking need". 

Helbe the elven thief nods in agreement, then says in the same language "Not to mention all the snooping around up in the hill country with the City Council trying to figure out what happened up there in the winter". 

The young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel continues with "They're bound to come across the mines we've taken over" he then adds "I just hope my deception will hold up under scrutiny". 

The deathlord of Farque sourly grunts at that, follow by a muttered "That's all we fucking need at this time". 

The elven princeling whose mother is the heir to the island principality of Laerel, and whose father is the Warden of Quinthain, a forest city that lies to the east of the Lands Farque. 

Once again nods in agreement with the undead warlord, then he quietly says "By the looks of things, it doesn't look like Garmen senior has the backing of the Mage Council as a whole". 

The elven masterthief follows that with "If he did, then the City Council would just get a proclamation from the Mage Council telling them to solely investigate the son's death" he then adds "Instead of him showing up at every public council meeting over the last few weeks, telling them to do it". 

The large heavily armoured deathlord nods his full helmed head at that, as he knows that the Mage Council has to have a majority consensus for them to proclaim things to be done throughout the city-state that they effectively rule. 

And lone mages, or for that matter two or three mages, or small groups of them on the Mage Council cannot implement laws and proclamations that the City Council has to undertake. 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque learnt this over the years in detail from Mira Reinholt, who was the youngest ever member of the Mage Council of Vexil, until he was kicked off it, and sent into exile during the Battle of Vexil just over twenty five years ago. 

Switching back to the elven language which the others can understand, Lord Farque quietly says "Well if any problems come up because of all of this, we'll just fucking deal with it". 

Next to the large figure of the deathlord of Farque, the highly talented elven magic user nods his hooded head in agreement, as he hopes so. For he has a feeling things won't go smoothly this spring, here in the city of Vexil, and elsewhere in the city-state. 

If it's found out that they, in particular Mira Reinholt the mage, had anything to do with the death of the son of mage Garmen, who is a member of the Mage Council of Vexil. 

Meanwhile, behind the undead warlord and the elven princeling, the ex mercenary Zam wonders what's for lunch at the Merchant's Rest. 

The teenager who hails from The City Of Ruins shakes his head and wryly smiles, for lately he's been thinking about what's to eat during a day. 

Zam can't help but think that hanging around Dorc da Orc a lot quite lately has made an impression upon him. 

As no way in the past he'd been thinking about the upcoming midday meal as he and the others head back to their accommodation on this rainy spring morning, here in the city of Vexil. 

After they spent the morning at the Chambers of the City Council of Vexil. Which had a meeting this morning open to the public. 

A little while later and they head off the street, behind which the Merchant's Rest inn is located. They go through the tunnel like lane, to the square that's in front of the discreet inn where they're staying. 

And though it's still raining, the buildings that surround the small square, block off any strong wind, that's been occasionally blowing this spring morning. 

They enter the inn, and once they go through the reception chamber, Zam heads upstairs to his room, to change out of his wet cloak. 

As the ex mercenary from the City Of Ruins heads upstairs, he sees Lord Farque, along with Helbe the elven thief and Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman. 

Sit down at the table where Mira Reinholt the mage has been sitting by himself reading from a couple of books ever since they left the inn earlier in the morning. 

Upstairs, the teen ex mercenary sees that the door to his room is ajar. As he steps closer to it, Zam smells who's inside his room, before he sees who it is. 

"Dorc what are you doing in my room?" asks Zam the ex mercenary who when he enters his room, finds the large ork sitting on the floor next to the window, which is open as the ork warleader looks out of it. 

"Better to fucken look out" states Dorc da Orc, who gestures down to the other end of the hallway, before he continues on with "Better than fucken mine one". 

The ex mercenary rolls his eyes, then takes off his wet cloak, and hangs it over the ladder back chair next to the bed. 

After taking another cloak from the standing wardrobe, and putting it on. Zam looks at the big burly ork from the southern polar region of the world and shakes his head. 

As he figures the ork who is a general in the Armies of Farque, is hoping to catch sight of a dwarf or troll that goes by the nearby street, which can partially be seen from Zam's room. 

Leaving the weaponsmith from the wolf tribe of orks, who is nursing a barrel of ale that he's brought up with him. 

The ex mercenary who is originally from the City Of Ruins, heads back down to the common room. And he takes a seat at the table where Tamric Drubine the field commander and Saanea the witch, are sitting with Lisell Maera the scout. 

At the table closest to them is Beldane the cleric and Shur Kee the monk, and Dalinvardèl Tanith the elven spy. 

Though none of them are openly showing it, they're all paying attention to the conversation going on at the table, where Lord Farque, Helbe the elven thief, and Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, are sitting with Mira Reinholt the mage. 

Who is silent as he listens to what his fellow practitioner of magic, prince Helbenthril Raendril of Laerel has to say. 

After Zam orders his lunch from the serving woman, the ex mercenary quietly says to the others at the table with him "Think anything will happen?". 

Tamric Drubine along with his lover, Saanea the witch. As well as Lisell Maera the scout all look over at the table where the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque is in conversation with three of those who are members of his personal council. 

"Maybe" is the reply from Tamric Drubine the field commander or Tam as he's more commonly called by those who know him well. 

"If that mage Garmen does find out what happened up in the hill country near the border with Girdane" adds the young man in his early twenties, who is originally from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. 

"And it leads to Mira, and what he did" continues the field commander in the Armies of Farque, who briefly pauses before dryly adding "Well, what Helbe actually did". 

The young noble who hails from the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin, follows that with "I know whose shoes I wouldn't want to be in". 

Tam pauses for a moment or two before he continues on with "It's not Mira that's definitely for sure". 

Zam can't help but nod in agreement with the young field commander, who is a senior officer in the Armies of Farque. 

For he knows that though the mage Reinholt is far less powerful than other mages, due to losing most of his powers some years ago because of a rift/void spell that he accidentally cast which sent him offworld. 

The ex mercenary, even at his age, and lack of experience. Knows that the Mira Reinholt, who is a local spellcaster. 

Is far more accomplished than pretty much all other mages. For the simple reason that mages on the whole, don't really think things through. And that they tend to just blow things up, and deal with the circumstances, if there's any. After all the violence and mayhem that they wreck. 

"Finally lunch" murmurs Zam after the serving woman brings him his meal, along with a mug of ale to go with it. 

As he eats his meal, the ex mercenary originally from The City Of Ruins, wonders what the rest of his stay here in the city of Vexil has in-store for him. 

Probably more rain, Zam thinks to himself as he's heard from Mira Reinholt the mage, and other locals such as the innkeeper, and the serving women. 

That springtime in the city of Vexil does usually have a fair bit of rain, especially in the early spring like it is now . . . . . .