Mercenary Tales 5.

The City Of Vexil.

The next day, and Mira Reinholt the mage, Helbe the elven thief, and Lord Farque are about to step outside of the inn they've been staying in. 

The undead warlord pauses for a moment or two and looks back into the common room for a bit, and thinks about something. 

"Dorc" says Lord Farque with a nod of his full helmed head for the large ork to come along. The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world gets up from where he's sitting on the floor, and he heads after the three who have stepped outside. 

"Best he comes along" says the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque, who continues with "Barely caught the fat fuck yesterday afternoon from taking off and killing a troll in the middle of a busy street". 

Both spellcasters, the human mage and the elven magic user nod in agreement to that, as the ork warleader steps outside, on what's a cold and blustery morning here in the city of Vexil. 

"Mänkl gar cakl" Follow us cunt says the deathlord of Farque to the ork weaponsmith, who replies with an affirmative grunt.

Then switching back to the common language as they set off down the street, Lord Farque asks the mage Reinholt "Your uncle still in charge of things?". 

"One of my cousins runs the company now" replies Mira Reinholt the mage, who follows that with "So I've heard". 

"Your uncle still alive?" asks the large heavily armoured deathlord of Farque, the once powerful mage nods his hooded head yes, and answers with "He is" followed by "Retired now". 

The undead being grunts, then quietly says "He's still in charge then" he continues from that with "That old man won't give up power until he dies". 

"Think he'll hear us out?" quietly asks Helbe the elven thief as he looks between the undead warlord and the Vexilian mage in exile. 

"He will" says the undead warlord who also has the name of Draugodrottin that the people of his lands know him by. 

"Unless Mira's done something to piss off his family again" dryly adds the large figure in the dark blue, black armour as they turn onto another street. 

The spellcaster in the black hooded cloak sourly smiles at that, then he grunts when Lord Farque says "Besides the old man is my personal financial agent here" followed by "My account isn't on the company books". 

"Not that way cunt" adds the undead warlord in the ork language, as Dorc da Orc was going to continue on the street they were just on, as he caught the scent of a bakery or cake shop in that direction. 

The big burly ork who is from the wolf tribe of orks, grunts in disappointment, and follows after the trio in front of him. 

As they head down a quieter street, though those on the street still stare at them, to be exact, they stare at the large ork behind the other three. 

The lord of the death realm glances at the right shoulder of Helbe the elven thief, and quietly says in the language of the ground pixies "Gnat you remember where Mira's family lives?". 

Though she hates being addressed as gnat, Narladene the ground pixie does reply with a nod to the undead warlord, who can obviously see her. 

"Right, this is what I want you to do" continues the heavily armoured deathlord, who then explains what he wants done. 

The ground pixie who is invisible to everyone else, including Helbe the elven thief at this time. Takes off from the right shoulder of the elven master assassin, and heads up and over the building directly to their left. 

After the tiny winged creature has departed, the young elven noble from the island principality of Laerel, asks his fellow practitioner of magic "Your half sister still working for the company?". 

"I think so" replies the mage who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster, he follows that with "Last I heard she was uncle's secretary and personal guard". 

Carice Reinholt, the younger half sister of Mira Reinholt, like her older brother, is a mage. One of considerable power and skill too. 

"She's married too" adds the practitioner of magic who was once the most powerful mage of his generation, to be found anywhere in the Southlands. 

"Think I'm an uncle now" continues the mage Reinholt in a tone of bewilderment, as they turn onto another street. 

The spellcaster who was was born and raised here in the city of Vexil falls silent as they continue on their way. 

Up ahead, and across the street are a couple of public training academies. Similar to the one, Raken Academy of Weapons, were he trained to be a swordmaster. 

As they walk by, the mage Reinholt who also thinks of the brief encounter they had with Marn Webb. Remembers a number of other things from his childhood, here in the capital of the city-state of Vexil. 

The once powerful mage remembers that he killed at least seven, including Mance Webb. Who were too interested in his young girlfriend at the time, Saline. 

And that doesn't include his best friend from his childhood, Layel. Who was also a contender for Saline's affections. 

Layel's death is the only death from his childhood, that Mira Reinholt actually regrets. But as usual, in a fit of anger, he killed his best friend Layel. 

In the following years, up and during his time as a student at the Mage College of Vexil. The spellcaster who would also become a highly skilled swordmaster. 

Would go onto kill many others, for all manner of reasons. Both valid, and for the most part, totally random. 

Mira as a youngster found it difficult to keep his serial killing under control. And it wasn't until he came close to graduating from the Mage College of Vexil, around the same time he gained the rank of swordmaster. 

That he finally got his temper, which burnt bright and cold. Under control, and his random killings, came to an end, mostly. 

After all, he is what he is. And even to this day, twenty five years after he was exiled from Vexil. He will occasionally kill someone, who he thinks deserves it. Those he thinks lives should come to an end, due to their actions. 

The practitioner of magic, who was once so powerful, that in all likelihood he would've been a battlemage. 

Only the second one of the last few generations, to be found anywhere in the Southlands. Snaps out of his revere after they cross a quiet wind swept square on this cold autumn, almost winter morning. 

When Lord Farque gestures up in the sky and says "Quite a few of them out this morning, and not all the city watch or army's too". 

Mira Reinholt looks up, and sees a wyvern pass overhead, a couple hundred feet above the ground, going west above the city that has a population that exceeds three hundred thousand people. 

"No" says the exiled Vexilian mage in response to the undead warlord asking him "Your family's company have any of them?". 

"Though they'll use a bonded messenger one, every so often" continues the swordmaster Reinholt, who follows that with "Though a number of the other large trading companies have their own" followed by "Probably three or four wyverns each, after all they're difficult to obtain and keep". 

"Geist?" quietly asks the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque, who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates to, The Destroyer. 

"I think so" replies the once powerful mage after he thinks about it for a few moments, he nods his hooded head, then adds "Yeah I'm pretty sure they do". 

The deathlord of Farque nods at hearing that, then he falls silent as they head through a lane between two rows of buildings. 

A little while later and Narladene the ground pixie returns, and after she lands upon the right shoulder of the young elven noble she's attached to. 

The undead warlord glances her way, and the naturally magical creature who is originally from the Sunreach Mountains, nods her tiny head yes in response to the look from the large heavily armoured deathlord. 

"Spot around here you can see your family's place from?" Draugodrottin quietly asks the once powerful mage walking beside him. 

"There is" replies Mira Reinholt the mage, who follows that with "A building with a terrace" the highly skilled swordmaster then adds "You can see the neighbourhood it's in from there". 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque nods his full helmed head, then tells the mage Reinholt "Lead the way". 

Then as they turn into another lane, the undead warlord after rolling his eyes, says in the ork language "Not that fucking way you big fucking cunt". 

Dorc da Orc who is pretty sure there's a tavern nearby, grunts in disappointment as he continues to follow the trio of Lord Farque, Mira Reinholt the mage and Helbe the elven thief. 

A short while later and they stand upon the roof of a three storey building that has a terrace upon it. 

The Vexilian mage in exile gestures away to their right, where in the distance, is an area of the city, that's more park than anything else. 

Here is where the Reinholt family home is located, as well as many of the wealthiest families who live in the city of Vexil. 

Mira's family home, which is actually a number of homes, on what's essentially a country estate within the city of Vexil. 

Can just be seen in the distance, and the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque asks the mage who is a member of his personal council "Can you get us there?". 

With a nod of his his hooded head, the practitioner of magic who was once more powerful than any other mage of his generation, to be found anywhere across the Southlands, says to the undead warlord "I can". 

"Take us there, then" quietly says Draugodrottin, who continues on with "Your uncle is there" followed by "So is your sister". 

The mage Reinholt nods, then says to the others "Stand close". Then after they do, the Vexilian mage in exile drains some power from a gem hidden up his right sleeve. 

Then he teleports them away from the building they're on, and a few moments later they reappear upon a driveway that winds through the Reinholt estate. 

"No use stopping at the gates" says the human spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster. 

The gates to the estate like grounds, are behind a rise back behind the four of them, as they set off down the white pebble driveway. 

The mage Reinholt glances at the large heavily armoured deathlord of Farque, then gestures away to a house to their right, and asks "Alright if we stop there for a bit". 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque nods his head, then quietly says "Your sister is in" followed by "With her family I guess". The once powerful mage clears his throat, then quietly says "Thanks". 

Then the four of them, the mage in the black hooded cloak, the elven masterthief in the white hooded cloak, the large ork warleader and the large, heavily armoured deathlord make their way to the house. 

Though large, it's the smallest of the six homes here in the estate like grounds of the wealthiest family in the city-state of Vexil. 

As they walk up the path to the house, the front door opens, and out onto the front porch, walks a young woman, in her early thirties. 

And though they're only half siblings, same father, different mothers. And there's over a decade in age difference. It's clear for anyone to see, that she's the younger sister of the mage Reinholt. 

"Carice" murmurs Mira Reinholt after his half sister hurries down the front steps and hugs him tight. 

"Brother" is the only thing Carice Reinholt the mage says as she holds onto her older brother, who she has not seen in around nine years. 

Ever since the end of the brief border conflict between the city-states of Vexil and Tuledare. Which Mira Reinholt and the rest of the group helped to bring to an end. 

After a few more moments, and a clearing of the throat from Lord Farque, the siblings finally break their hug. 

The younger Reinholt mage greets Lord Farque, and Helbe the elven thief. Then she greets Dorc da Orc in perfect orkish. 

Which causes the ork warleader to chuckle before he greets her in kind. Then the ork who is a general in the Armies of Farque, nods. As he recalls that Carice Reinholt had an ork traveling companion when she was much younger. 

A weapons master by the name of Kull. Who was from the same tribe as him. The wolf tribe of orks. 

The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world grunts as he remembers that Kull died defending Carice in a running battle in the middle of the city of Brattonbury about fifteen years ago. 

"I guess you better come inside" says Carice Reinholt the mage "There's a lot to catch up on" adds the younger Reinholt mage. 

Mira Reinholt glances at the undead warlord, who slightly nods his full helmed head, then says "Since we're here, we might as well". 

The once powerful mage is relieved to hear that, then he along with Lord Farque, Helbe the elven thief and Dorc da Orc follow Carice Reinholt into her home, here on what's a cold and windy autumn, almost winter day in the city of Vexil . . . . . .

Mercenary Tales 4.

Vexil. 

"So where exactly are we going?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage as they head along another street, heading southwards through the city of his birth, Vexil. 

"Around" is the extremely dry response from Lord Farque who walks between the mage Reinholt and Helbe the elven thief. 

The once powerful mage who knows better than to push it, instead steps back, then steps behind the undead warlord, and again behind the elven masterthief, so that he's now to the left of the young elven noble who hails from the island principality of Laerel. 

The large heavily armoured figure of the deathlord of Farque moves more to the right, giving the two spellcasters who are members of his personal council more room. 

The Vexilian mage in exile who has returned to his homeland, for the short amount of time the group are planning to stay here, changes the subject. 

And says to the elven master assassin who is now to his right "Did you find any?" referring to what the highly talented elven magic user was intending to find, while he was at the Mage College of Vexil. 

"A couple of them" replies Helbe the elven thief, who after a quick glance back at the rest of the group who are following them, then leans towards his fellow spellcaster, and quietly tells him "Though I don't think Beldane will approve of one of them" he briefly pauses before adding "Because it's unholy". 

A snort comes from the large heavily armoured figure walking beside the two practitioners of magic, then the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque says "No it's not". 

"You sure?" asks the elven master archer, who for a noble elf, is particularly young at just under two hundred and thirty years old. 

"Of course I'm fucking sure" says Lord Farque who at over six foot, six inches in height, and weighs just under three hundred pounds. 

Absolutely towers over Mira Reinholt and Helbe the elven thief, who are six foot, and six foot, two inches in height respectively. 

"I'm unholy remember" adds the lord of the death realm, who looks like a moving steel statue as he walks in the late morning sunshine, on what's a cold late autumn morning here in the city of Vexil. 

"Apparently" dryly adds the undead warlord which causes both practitioners of magic to grin as they walk alongside Lord Farque. 

After a few moments, the grandson of the ruling prince of Laerel says to his fellow spellcaster "I'll have to find the rest elsewhere in the city". 

"I know of a number of places" says Mira Reinholt who does indeed know of various sellers of magical curios to be found here in the city of Vexil. 

Marn Webb runs down a lane that heads south here in this part of the city of his birth. And though he might of felt a little under the weather earlier thanks to his night of drinking. 

He's more than alert now, as he runs, breathing heavily, whilst looking away to his right, at the various lanes, alleyways and small side streets in that direction. 

With a grunt of determination, Marn Webb mutters "Got him" as he spots a couple of unmistakable looking figures in the group he's chased after. 

One an ork, and another a strange, foreign looking monk, at the tail end of the group, who he spots down through an alleyway, on one of the main streets that passes through this part of the largest city, by population in The Southlands. Only the sprawled out coastal city of Brattonbury is larger in size than Vexil. 

"You're going to pay Mira" mutters Marn Webb as he clutches his dagger, and heads to the next lane to the right, which is after another alleyway. 

Marn who knows the nearby main street is curving away to the right, can make it down the lane and quickly get to those at the front of the group. 

There's a look of fierce determination on the face of the usually slovenly, and lazy Marn Webb as he runs to take revenge on the individual who killed his older brother Mance nearly thirty five years ago. 

"Best in potion form" says Helbe the elven thief as they walk by another alleyway to their left, the highly talented elven magic user continues with "Far more stable than a scroll" he dryly follows that with "Especially one you don't know who wrote it". 

Mira Reinholt the mage nods his hooded head in agreement with his fellow spellcaster and council member, as they approach another lane on their left just up ahead. 

The once powerful mage who knows this part of the city fairly well, as he spent a lot of his youth here in this part of the city, a fair distance from the posh, opulent neighbourhood his family's mansion is located in. 

The mage Reinholt is just about to say something to his fellow practitioner of magic when he's suddenly yanked sideways by Lord Farque, behind the young elven noble. 

At the same time, Helbe the elven thief moves, and before the Vexilian mage in exile knows what's happened, there's a body lying on the ground at the mouth of the lane they're just passing. 

"You didn't have to fucking kill him" dryly says the undead warlord to the elven master assassin, as the spike puncher goes back into the hidden contraption in the right sleeve of the elven masterthief. "Force of habit" says Helbe the elven thief with a shrug of his shoulders. 

The deathlord of Farque grunts, then quickly says to the others who have stopped "Tam, Beldane lead the rest of the others southwards" followed by "We'll catch up". 

Both the young field commander, and the fighting cleric nod, and continue on their way, with the rest of the group following after. While the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque picks up the dead body and steps further into the lane, and the shade there that the buildings on either side provide.The mage Reinholt and the elven magic user join the large, heavily armoured deathlord. 

The undead warlord stops and looks back to the street, and says something in orkish. Obviously a command, as Dorc da Orc has stopped to look at what's going on. 

The big, burly ork from the southern polar region of the world grunts and continues after the rest of the group. 

"Thanks" says Mira Reinholt to the large heavily armoured deathlord who saved his life, once again. 

The lord of the death realm ignores that, and instead says "Wonder why he wanted to kill you mage". 

Helbe the elven thief who has just thrown away the rather pathetic looking dagger the assailant was going to use on his fellow spellcaster, says "I can think of a thousand reasons why". 

The grandson of Prince Raendril of Laerel slyly grins at the sour expression directed at him by the once powerful mage, then nods his hooded head at the dead body lord Farque is carrying tucked under his right arm, and says "Probably wanted to kill him, because Mira was an asshole to him in the past". 

"Do you mind?" acidly says the Vexilian mage in exile with a withering look directed at his fellow practitioner of magic. 

"Well time to find out" says the death lord of Farque who waits a moment as a couple walk by the mouth of the lane, then he leaps up to the roof of the two storey building they're standing behind. 

The two spellcasters have their own ways to the rooftop, and soon join the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque. 

"Yeah" says the undead warlord a short while later on the roof of the tallest building in this part of the city of Vexil. 

"Helbe was right" adds Draugodrottin, which is another name Lord Farque is known by to the people of his homeland. 

"It's because you're an asshole Mira" adds the large, heavily armoured deathlord as the three of them look at the figure standing before them. 

"The fuck?" mutters the mage Reinholt who looks at the recently risen dead man, then at the undead warlord. 

"You remember a Marn Webb?" asks Lord Farque with a glance at the once powerful mage, who slightly frowns. 

"Younger brother of one Mance Webb" dryly says the lord of the death realm who easily has control of the undead man he has just risen from death. 

Mira Reinholt briefly thinks about it for a moment, then he says "Oh" and grimaces at the memory that name brings. 

"Exactly" dryly says the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque, who has the elven name of Des'tier which means The Destroyer. 

"Oh what's this?" asks Helbe the elven thief as he looks at the recently risen dead man, who he killed with a spike punch to the neck. 

"Nothing really" says Lord Farque, who continues on from that with "Just something from Mira's misspent childhood". 

Prince Helbenthril Raendril arches an eyebrow as he looks at his fellow council member, he doesn't say anything, he doesn't have to. As pretty much most of the group, especially those who have been around for years. Knows that the mage Reinholt was a serial killer in his childhood. 

"Get rid of the body" says Draugodrottin who is just about to release his hold on Marn Webb and send him back to the death realm, when he suddenly finds something. 

"Hang on, what's this?" mutters the undead warlord, who with a flash of bright blue light from his eyes, commands the undead body of Marn Webb "Speak". 

"Ckingcuntmira" garbles the undead figure of Marn Webb, which causes the once powerful mage to sourly smile, the elven masterthief to grin, and the deathlord of Farque to roll his eyes, before commanding "Forget that". 

The undead warlord in the heavy dark blue, almost black plate armour follows that with "About where you worked until recently". 

Des'tier then mutters in the elven language to the two spellcasters "The fucking idiot was so drunk so often, that even in death it's hard to decipher his thoughts". 

The dead body of Marn Webb as he stands there, looking confused, after all he has no idea he's dead, slightly shakes when Draugodrottin commands him once again "Speak". 

"Work?" says the undead Marn Webb, and after a nod of Lord Farque's full helmed head, the recently risen from the dead man continues with "At the warehouse" then after a few moments pause, he adds "For the Geist Trading Company". 

The spellcasters Mira Reinholt and prince Helbenthril Raendril glance at one another at hearing that. 

"Your job there" commands the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque as he looks directly into the eyes of the local man he's risen from the dead. 

"Stacking boxes in wagons" is the reply of the undead Marn Webb, who after a slight pause adds "Wooden boxes of weapons and armour". 

With a brief flash of bright blue light from the eye slot in the full helm of Lord Farque, and small gesture from Draugodrottin. Marn Webb's body drops to the roof, as once again he's dead. 

"Get rid of the body" says the large heavily armoured deathlord, there's a bright white that momentarily encapsulates the body of Marn Webb. Then the body is gone, with just a sprinkling of fine white ashes remaining after the spell cast by the mage Reinholt. 

The ashes are quickly blown away by the wind, and Lord Farque says to the practitioners of magic who are members of his personal council "That's all he knew" followed by "Not their destination or anything else". 

"That's a start" says Mira Reinholt the mage, who continues on from that with "At least we know for certain now". 

Both Draugodrottin and prince Helbenthril Raendril nod in agreement with the once powerful mage, then the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque says "Let's go and catch up to the others" followed by "We've got work to do" . . . . . .

Mercenary Tales 3.

The City-State Of Vexil. 

Marn Webb has lived his entire life in the city of Vexil. He's hardly ever gone outside the city walls. And only did so when he was child, when he and his friends would play beyond the city's walls. 

Marn who is around forty years old, has worked a number of jobs in his life. Mostly manual labour, like bricklayer and hauler. Nothing too taxing on the mind. As he didn't have any form of education. Not that many people do. 

He was married once, and even has a couple of children. Not that he sees them, or cares about them. As his wife left him when he beat her too often. 

And the temple she went running to, sent the city watch to apprehend him. And for his crime of wife beating, he was publicly flogged, then spent two years doing hard labour. 

Helping to fix the city's walls, which was more than dangerous. As a number of prisoners doing hard labour died during those two years. 

Mostly due to accidents, with the large and heavy squared off stonework would fall or topple over onto them. 

Though Marn did see a couple of his fellow prisoners executed for escaping. Which was never a good idea, as the spellcasters in the city watch can easily catch those who escape. 

Seeing those two casually beheaded, was enough to put Marn off from trying to escape, as he thought about it often enough, until witnessing their brutal, and casual executions. 

In the decade or so since his time doing hard labour, Marn Webb has struggled to hold down a job. 

His last employment was stacking boxes on wagons at a warehouse owned by one of the main trading companies here in the city-state of Vexil. 

He was let go due to his tardy behaviour, and overall poor effort when it came to his work. Which was inevitable, considering Marn likes to drink, and drink a lot. He has done so since his youth, but it's gotten worse ever since he completed his sentence of hard labour. 

There's all manner of reasons for his drinking. None of them really valid. Except for one. And even that one, Marn in his own mind, he's definitely sure about it. 

You see Marn Webb had an older brother, just a few years older than him, and when he was a child, his older brother Mance was everything to Marn. 

He would follow him everywhere across the city, and he would end up spending a lot of time with his brother Mance, along with Mance's friends. 

And it's one of Mance's old friends, that Marn Webb blames all that's happened to him since his childhood, on. 

His drinking, his beating of his ex wife, and not seeing his children ever again. Not to mention the inability to keep a job, any job, no matter how mundane and easy it is. 

Amongst the group of friends, there was a girl that his older brother Mance was smitten upon. It's been so long, that Marn has forgotten her name. 

But there's a name Marn Webb has never forgotten, and never will forget, until the day he dies. Another of the friends amongst the group. 

Who was also vying for the affections of the young girl Mance Webb was smitten on. 

A friend who would end up being a rival to the older Webb brother. A rival whose name was Mira Reinholt. 

And though Mance Webb and Mira Reinholt would often get into fistfights, it was usually over the most childish of things. 

Though they would occasionally fight over the attention of the young girl they were both keen on. And those fights would turn ugly and violent. And would have to be broken up by some of the others in the group. Or a grown up who happened to witness it. 

Of course Marn Webb was always backing up his older brother Mance, even though he'd get along with Mira Reinholt, who it turned out came from one of, if not the wealthiest family in all of the city-state of Vexil. Though that was something Marn didn't find out until later. 

Then on one fatal day over thirty years ago, almost thirty five years ago, when Marn Webb was just over five years old, and his older brother Mance was about eight years old. 

And Mance got into a fight with Mira, over the usual thing, the girl they were both smitten upon. And though the others quickly broke up that particular fight, which occured up on the south wall of the city. 

A few moments later, Mance Webb went flying off the top of the wall. And hit the ground fifty feet below, where he instantly died. 

Marn himself didn't see his brother go off the wall, he was looking at someone else. And that someone was Mira Reinholt. 

Who had a calculating look upon his face, that turned to determination, then anger. The younger Webb brother saw all of this. 

He didn't realize it at the time, but Mira Reinholt was looking directly at his older brother Mance, as he went through those range of emotions. 

To a five year old Marn, the loss of his older brother Mance was devestating. And he would no longer hang around that group of friends. 

It wasn't until a couple of years later that he heard Mira Reinholt was a spellcaster, specifically a mage. 

It was then that he realized that the young mage Mira Reinholt actually killed his older brother Mance. 

And ever since, Marn Webb has wanted to exact his revenge on the mage who killed his older brother Mance. 

He never got to see the mage Reinholt again, though he'd often hear about him. Most notably during the Battle of Vexil twenty five years ago, when Mira Reinholt betrayed Vexil during the battle. 

Pretty much everyone in the city heard about that, and how the young seventeen year old mage was sent into exile during the middle of the battle. 

Marn was fourteen at the time, and helping to stack arrow and bolt bundles on the walls of the city, for the various archers and crossbowmen. 

He was hoping to spot the mage Reinholt being exiled, but that happened over on the west wall of the city, while Marn was serving on the east side of the city. 

After the battle, which incidentally the city-state of Vexil lost. Marn Webb was hoping to hear something, anything about the death of the mage Reinholt. But alas no such thing happened. 

In the years following the largest battle in modern times in The Southlands, Marn kept an ear and eye out for anything concerning Mira Reinholt. 

Even during his drunken escapades, he would do his best to find out if anyone had heard of the mage, who killed his older brother Mance. 

The only time he did hear something, was about a decade ago, when he had completed his sentence of hard labour. 

Marn heard of the border conflict that the city-state of Vexil had with the city-state of Tuledare. And that through rumour, and frankly hearsay, that Mira Reinholt was involved in it. 

And that mage who has killed his older brother Mance, even though he was exiled. Was allowed to visit the city of Vexil for short periods of time. 

So now after a night of drinking, and waking up late in the morning, Marn Webb who figures it's probably best if he went out and found himself a job. 

Finds himself on the streets of the city, just to the south of the Mage College of Vexil. He pauses and has a rest beneath a tree, which he leans against to keep him up, after all he did drink quite a lot last night. 

As he's contemplating returning to the bedsit he's staying at, Marn Webb hears some commotion from others on the street. 

He looks around, and blinks in surprise at what he sees in the distance, heading this way on the other side of the street. 

At first he thinks it's a troll that's heading in this direction, then he realizes that it's not tall enough to be a troll, and it's much more bulky than any troll he's seen before. 

Nor do trolls cover themselves in vast array of weapons, like this individual does. Who is walking at the back of a group of what appears to be mercenaries. 

Who are led by a large figure in dark blue, black plate armour, alongside two others. One on either side of him. One in a white hooded cloak, and the other in a black hooded cloak. 

And though Marn's attention is taken by the large green figure, that he's pretty certain can only be an ork. As it perfectly fits every description of the those rare creatures. 

It's when the group go by him on the opposite side of the street, that his attention is taken by someone else. One of those at the front, the figure in the black hooded cloak. 

Who briefly takes his black hood of his head, and runs a hand through his dark hair a few times, before putting the hood back up on his head. 

Marn Webb blinks in surprise, and though it's been thirty five years. And he hasn't seen him since they were both children. He definitely recognizes him.

Marn without a reason of a doubt, is more than certain he just saw the person who killed his older brother Mance, Mira Reinholt the mage. 

A feeling of rage flows through Marn Webb, and he grabs the handle of the dagger he keeps beneath his rather ragtag looking brown cloak. 

Then after the group of mercenaries turn onto another street, and disappear from view. Marn gets himself under control, and heads off after them. 

"Finally" Marn Webb murmurs to himself as he walks in the sunshine, of what's a cold late autumn day, here in the city of Vexil. 

"I'll get my revenge for the death of my brother all those years ago" quietly mutters Marn Webb who after all these years, finally has the chance of killing Mira Reinholt the mage . . . . . .