The Homecoming: Prologue.

An Inn...

"Well i rather doubt it" says Tamric Drubine after he takes a drink of the watered wine in his goblet "Well of course not" says Lisell Maera as they sit side by side on a bench "What you're being trained for i rather doubt there'll be much time for it" adds the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury who continues with "I'd doubt you'll find time to be with someone".
"And you?" asks the nobleborn youngster from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who then adds "Will you ever marry?". "Not fucking likely" quietly says Lis, who then falls silent and goes back to eating her meal.
On the floor beside the two of them, gnawing on an ox leg he's stripped the meat from, Dorc da Orc says "Farque married" the large ork looks quickly around to make sure the undead warlord hasn't returned yet, then he adds "The sick cunt".
"We know Dorc" quietly says Tam, who like Lis knows how Dorkindle, and for that matter how all ork kind feel about marriage. They also know the truth about the lord and ruler of the lands Farque. The son of the former knight of castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin quietly adds "We know".
In response to the ork warleader saying "Got little humanlings too" shaking his large head and muttering "Some peoples" before he goes back to biting on the ox leg.
They're in the southern reaches of the hills outside of the port city of Gilsom, which is about halfway down the coast of the Southlands.
It's over a year and half since they've returned to the Southlands from north of the equator. Where they predominantly spent time in the region of Belinswae, the Nomads Plains, the elven principality of Maladimbáh, and the Stone Hills.
In the time they've been back south of the equator, the group has tracked down another person that was revealed to Helbe the elven thief by way of his unique power of foresight.
The person in question, a cavalry soldier in one of the many mercenary armies found across the Southlands. Unfortunately died in battle just three days before the group found him.
That was three months ago, now the group have made their way west to the coast. Where they'll catch an airship in Gilsom itself, and head south to the lands Farque. Well that's the plan anyway, but something is about to happen that will change those plans.
Looking across the table, Tamric Drubine says "And you Mira?" the former heir to castle Drubine continues with "Will you marry one day?".
"No" answers Mira Reinholt the mage as he looks across the wide table to the two teenagers, Tam who is almost fifteen years old now, and Lis who is nearly eighteen.
"Though I'm basically married in all but name anyway" adds the once powerful mage, which causes the two teens to glance at one another, for in the years that they've known the exiled Vexilian mage, this is the first time they've ever heard of this.
"What?" says the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin which is over three thousand miles inland and north of where they are at the moment on the coast. "Who?" adds Tamric Drubine who follows that up with "Where?".
The mage Reinholt, who over the last two years since they went north of the equator then returned. Is remembering more and more of his time off world when he accidentally went through a rift/void he miscast a number of years ago.
Says "A couple of years before i first met you Tam" the spellcaster from the city-state of Vexil who is also a highly skilled swordmaster adds "None of your business, and somewhere far away from here".
The once powerful mage, who even has a son on the otherside of the cosmos that he's never met, and will never get to see, goes back to eating his meal.
Tamric Drubine and Lisell Maera glance at one another again, as they know the Vexilian mage in exile will never divulge anymore personal information about himself unless he wants to, are intrigued to find out more about this. Though they know they'll have to bide their time to do so.
After he takes another drink of his watered wine, Tam looks over at the only other member of the group sitting at the table at the moment, and he asks him "What about you Shur Kee?" the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin continues with "Would you get married one day?".
"No, the vows of my order do not allow for marriage" says Shur Kee the monk, who has already finished his meal of vegetables and bread, and is now sipping from a mug of green tea.
"And having a vow of celibacy would be a little bit difficult if one was married" adds the short, statured monk with a slight smile upon his face.
"Wait, do you mean to say you've never" says Tamric Drubine who knows the physical adept joined his order as a child, the younger teenager is interrupted by Lisell Maera who snorts, then says "As if you ever have as well".
With his face turning red in embarrassment, the nobleborn teenager turns to Lis and says "You can talk" Tam continues with "You've never tumbled in the sheets with anyone, or rolled around in a hayloft with some farmer's son".
Mira Reinholt looks sharply at Lisell Maera when he sees the colour drain from her face, and go pale. The once powerful mage who is one of only three in the group who knows what happened to Lis north of the equator in the region of Belinswae.
Quickly interrupts the two teens who are about to argue again "You two don't argue" the spellcaster who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, continues with "If you start yelling at one another again, I'll tell Farque of it".
Both teenagers, the nobleborn one from the kingdom of Sarcrin, whose face is red in embarrassment. And the orphan one from the city-state of Brattonbury whose face is pale as she thinks of painful memories of her time in the region of Belinswae.
Shut their mouths, and stay silent after glancing sideways at one another.
The two of them go back to eating their meals, this time in silence. And a few moments later, the backdoor to the common room opens, and in steps sir Percavelle Lé Dic who says in a loud voice for all to hear "That's better".
The heavily armoured knight who has been in the outside jakes, makes his way back to the table, he walks around Dorkindle who scowls at the earl of Lé Dic. While the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic sniffs in disdain at the large ork sitting on the floor.
After taking his seat at the table, the former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che says "Pray tell what have you lot been chatting about as I've been relieving thyself of unwanted liquids due to the damn watered wine they serve in this establishment".
At the bar, the innkeeper scowls at the large, heavily armoured knight who said that last bit, in such a loud voice, that anyone outside, passing by the front of the inn, would of probably heard him.
"Marriage" says Tamric Drubine who is the one to answer the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic.
Sir Percavelle who has resumed his meal, says casually in an offhand manner between bites of ham, and fried potatoes "I'm married".
Mira Reinholt spits wine everywhere, while next to him, Shur Kee the monk who is equally surprised, spits his tea out of his mouth as he's so shocked at what the former paladin just said.
The two teens, Tam and Lis, with mouths agape, just stare at the earl of Lé Dic in stunned silence as they can't quite believe what they just heard.
While on the floor next to the table, Dorc da Orc's mouth drops open in surprise, and the stripped ox leg he's chewing on falls to the floor.
It's the ork warleader who is first to say something, when he mutters "Me always knows he a sick fucker" the ork weaponsmith then adds "This fucken proves it even more".
Dorkindle like all ork kind, views marriage as a highly disagreeable thing to partake in. As marriage in ork society is a fairly rare thing, and with good reason.
An ork marriage is extremely volatile and dangerous situation to find one's self in. As is the case with Dorc's own parents, the only orks he's ever known to be married, and the only one's in the wolf tribe of orks to be married in the last one hundred years.
Predictably it ended like nearly all those rare occasions when orks marry. When Dorkindle's mother killed his father, by bashing in his head with a large, heavy cooking skillet. The same one the large ork carries around in one of his sacks.
As the warleader of the ork race picks up the ox leg and goes back to gnawing on it. Sir Percavelle says in fairly subdued tone of voice, subdued for him, just means not that loud "Well, i should say i was married, I'm actually divorced" the heavily armoured knight then adds in a mutter "That damn harpy of a woman".
The mage Reinholt, who like the others, would never of thought the earl of Lé Dic would of been married, he's the last person any of them would of thought would be married, says "I take it this was a while ago Percy?".
"Yes a long time ago" says the nobleman who is in his mid forties "Well over twenty years ago" adds the former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che, he carries on with "I was young, you tend to do stupid things when one is young".
You still do stupid things, the exiled Vexilian mage dryly thinks to himself, then the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster asks the heavily armoured knight "Children?".
"No" replies sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues with "None, and not from a lack of trying, unfortunately". "Unfortunate for her too" dryly says Mira Reinholt in the elven language.
Tamric and Drubine who a short time ago before the nobleman came back into the common room, were about to argue with one another. Chuckle in unison at what the once powerful mage just said, as they're the only one's who understood what he said.
"What are they laughing at?" asks sir Percavelle as he looks at the two teenagers "They're just laughing at the fact at finding out that you were once married Percy" says the swordmaster Reinholt who then adds "Let's face it, it's a bit of a fucking surprise".
"True" says the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, while Shur Kee gets up and goes to the bar to get a rag to wipe up the tea and wine, that he and the mage Reinholt spat out in surprise.
As the acolyte in the order of Bru Li returns to the table, another of the group enters the common room from the front door of the inn. It's Riley Hait the mercenary ranger, who as he makes his way to the table, calls out to the innkeeper what he wants to eat.
"They're coming up the road from the tunnel, should be here soon" says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger as he sits down at the table. The tunnel he's referring to, is the dwarven made one, that goes through to the harbour where most of the city of Gilsom is located. The rest of the city is in the tunnel itself, built into the inside of the hill the tunnel goes through.
"What's happened here?" asks the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained in the elven principality of Envadarlen who sees Shur Kee wiping the table "Oh, Percy was just telling us about how he's been married" casually says Mira Reinholt.
The ranger Hait, who is in actual fact a hordes outrider from the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson who just happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait.
Looks in disbelief at the mage Reinholt for a moment, then he turns to look at sir Percavelle, and says in a stunned tone of voice "The fuck?".
The heavily armoured knight in the order of Saint Mar-che tells Riley Hait that indeed he was once married, and is now divorced. Something the mercenary ranger finds hard to believe, as the earl of Lé Dic is the last person one would expect to be married.
A short time later as they contemplate the idea that the former paladin was married. The rest of the group make their way into the inn, and into the common room as outside, dusk turns to night.
Behind lord Farque walks Helbe the elven thief and Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy, who is holding onto the left arm of the young elven noble, and helping him to walk.
Dorc da Orc scoots along on his his ass to move out of the way so the lord and ruler of the lands Farque can sit down next to Tam and Lis.
And as the heavily armoured deathlord sits, Mira Reinholt asks "What happened?" as the spy Tanith helps the elven magic user to sit down. "The royal princess here suddenly fainted as we were coming up the road" dryly says lord Farque, the elven princeling sourly smiles at being referred to as a princess.
Knowing that there's only one thing that can make prince Helbenthril Raendril suddenly faint, the mage Reinholt asks the lord of the death realm "Something or someone?".
"Someone" replies the undead warlord as the elven magic user's uncontrollably power of foresight came upon him as the three of them made their way up the road to the village the inn is in.
"Who?" asks the once powerful mage "Where?" adds Tamric Drubine.
It's Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy who answers them with "We don't know who" he continues with "As for the where" the elf from the principality of Alínlae nods towards the earl of Lé Dic, and says "It's in your nick of the woods, so to speak Percy" the spy Tanith then adds "The kingdom of Druvic".
"Huh, we were just talking about something that happened there" says Mira Reinholt "Oh what was that?" asks lord Farque, the once powerful mage glances at sir Percavelle, then he explains to the deathlord of Farque, the princeling from Laerel and the spy from Alínlae, what they were previously talking about at the table before they entered the inn.
Lord Farque, Dalinvardél Tanith and Helbenthril Raendril, who has a headache due to his powers of foresight. All burst out laughing as the mage Reinholt tells them about sir Percavelle once being married, and is now divorced.
The earl of Lé Dic with a sour looking smile upon his face, yells out to the innkeeper for more wine, as he has a feeling he's going to need a lot of it this night . . . . . .