Aftermath - Prologue.

The Kingdom Of Nastell...

Teabagger the goblin Cunt sourly smiles as he looks towards the barn where he hears the bleating of goats in distress.
The small, bright green goblin who is originally from the southern kingdom of Melaurn. Then looks over at the farmhouse that's been so recently abandoned.
He then looks beyond the barn, to the woods where the family fled to when they saw them approaching.
And he spots a bunch of young goats, and a milking cow. Hurrying towards the woods after escaping from the rear of the barn.
Teabagger slightly winces as he hears a goat in distress from within the barn. The goblin commander in the armies of Farque. Shakes his head, and rolls his eyes. Then he turns and walks away.
The small, bright, lurid green goblin makes his way towards a tree down the wagon track that leads to the farmhouse.
There he sits in the shade beneath the branches of the tree on what's a warm summer's day here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell. Where he starts to doze as he waits.
They spent nearly a day and a half on the river Mareb. Unable to get off, because Dorc da Orc just sat in the middle of the raft. Refusing to help Teabagger get them to the riverbank.
They only got to one bank when Teabagger eventually got into the water, and pushed the raft as he swam.
It took half the morning  to get to the riverbank. That the small, bright green goblin was thoroughly exhausted when he finally got onto firm ground again.
While his general, the ork warleader Dorc da Orc. Still in a miserable mood after being drenched from two nights before. Didn't even acknowledge the hard work and effort it took the goblin commander to get them off the river.
They've been making their way north, back to the city of Almaic. The capital of the duchy of Phelm. Here in the north of the kingdom of Nastell.
After walking throughout the rest of the morning, and now into the afternoon. They've stopped at a farm here in the south of the Duchy.
The first sign of civilization they've come across after getting off the Mareb river.
And after the farmers fled, and Teabagger went into the farmhouse and got some food and supplies after leaving some coins on the kitchen table.
He came outside and found that his general had gone into the barn. And after approaching the barn and hearing what was going on inside of it.
The small, bright green goblin who is the commander of the goblin battalion in the armies of Farque. Quickly backed away, and is now dozing in the shade of the branches of a tree, next to the wagon track that leads up to the farmhouse.
Teabagger wakes up with a start when he hears a grunt, followed by "Get up cunt". And finds his general standing nearby, scowling at him.
The goblin commander gets up, then after looking around, Teabagger the goblin Cunt says "North?".
"Yeah cunt" replies Dorc da Orc as they resume their journey northwards to the city of Almaic, the capital of the duchy of Phelm.
As they walk down the wagon track, heading for a nearby road. The small, bright, green goblin looks back to the farmhouse and the barn near it, then says to his general "Goats?".
With a look of disgust upon his broad, green feral looking face, the ork weaponsmith from the southern polar region of the world says "Get fucked cunt" followed by "It was sheeps not goats".
Teabagger refrains from snorting in disbelief as he sees his general doing his best not to grin, and failing badly at it.
Then the goblin commander hears the ork warleader mutter "Fuck up whore" as he glares at the large skull tied to his belt, followed by "Me not a dirty goat fucker". Then the unintelligible mutterings in the ork language as he continues to glare at the skull on his belt.
The small, bright green goblin just slightly shakes his head as the two of them continue to walk northwards, as they return to the city of Almaic.
As they do, Teabagger wonders how the battle is going there. If it's still going at all.
In the city of Almaic, the capital of the duchy of Phelm. Mira Reinholt the mage is making his way through the ducal palace.
There's a number of others in the Farqian mercenary army with the once powerful mage. Including the messenger Lisell Maera.
But they're following the exiled Vexilian mage who is a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
The spellcaster in black, spots a Farqian officer at the other end of a hall, who waves for the mage Reinholt to come this way.
"Where?" asks Mira Reinholt the mage when he gets to the otherside of the hall.
"Down the hallway here, and in a chamber to the right councillor" is the reply from the Farqian officer in the black uniform.
The mage, who also happens to be a highly skilled swordmaster, nods his hooded head then asks "Everyone there and in place?".
"They're all there" is the reply from the officer in elven, the language the two of them are speaking.
The spellcaster, who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands.
Nods for the others to follow him. Then once they've gone down the hallway, and turned to the right. They find the chamber in question. Which is guarded by a quartet of soldiers in the Farqian mercenary army.
Mira Reinholt glances behind him, then says "Lis with me" followed by "The rest of you stay out here".
The member of lord Farque's personal council nods for one of the soldiers to open the doors to the chamber.
And as the Vexilian mage in exile and the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury enter the chamber. The swordmaster Reinholt quietly says in elven to the messenger "Stay behind me".
Inside the large chamber are the five robber barons of the unruled lands in the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains, who have banded together to wage a campaign of war against the duchy of Phelm, and it's duke, Hargen.
With them, are their seconds, and others of their senior staff. Who all turn to see who has entered the chamber. While there's others in the large chamber. All soldiers in the mercenary army from the lands Farque.
"He's dead" confirms the mage Reinholt, who as the door closes behind Lis and himself, continues with "His body was found up his personal chambers, seems he took his own life rather than be taken prisoner".
All of the robber barons nod at that, as they wouldn't expect anything less from duke Hargen after he and his army were finally defeated, and the city of Almaic taken from him.
The swordmaster from the city-state of Vexil, who is now a member of the personal council of the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, then says "The duchy of Phelm is now yours to do with it as you please".
The once powerful mage continues on with "And since you've made your final payment yesterday, and your contract with us in now complete we'll be leaving the city to you lot, along with the prisoners we've taken".
Councillor Reinholt then steps back and nods, as he does he puts up a barrier spell infront of himself and Lisell Maera.
As he does, the Farqian soldiers in the large chamber who already have weapons in hand, move forward and attack the robber barons of the southern reaches of the Colevar Mountains. Well, three out of the five robber barons. Along with the senior staff of those three.
And in a matter of moments, there's more than fifteen dead bodies on the floor. Including the robber barons Almard, Larimer and Markell. As well as their seconds.
After a moment's pause, the robber baron Gergus turns to his fellow robber baron Solamard and tells him "You're the new duke of Phelm".
Gergus, the youngest of the five robber barons who banded together to wage war upon the duchy of Phelm then says to the stunned looking Solamard "You can have your people come down here and join you".
Gergus, who made a separate deal with the mercenary army from the lands Farque on the first night of the battle for the city of Almaic, then says "I'll be taking over all the southern reaches".
He gestures at the trio of dead robber barons and adds "They definitely don't need it anymore, and now, nor do you". He briefly pauses, then says "Duke Solamard".
The robber baron Solamard, who realises that Gergus now controls more land than any robber baron in the Colevar Mountains has ever held. Or for that matter, more than any duke of Phelm, which is the largest duchy in the kingdom of Nastell, slowly nods his head.
"Clever" grudgingly says the robber baron Solamard, who is relieved that he isn't dead like the other three robber barons.
Gergus slightly nods, then says "Know this, don't get any ideas of coming north at some time in the future" gesturing at the trio of dead robber barons once again, he adds "I've got their armies now, so best not to get any ideas to expand to the north of the border".
The youngest of the robber barons who invaded the duchy of Phelm, then says "Besides you'll be too busy trying to get those who fled the city when it was falling into our hands".
Solamard nods to that, as he knows that as the new duke of Phelm, he has to get the entire duchy under control.
The robber baron Gergus nods to mage Reinholt and says "Councillor". Then after glancing at Lisell Maera, he leads his second Barrix and others of his senior staff, out of the chamber.
Looking at the spellcaster all in black, the robber baron Solamard says "You wouldn't mind if i have a new agreement with".
"Unfortunately no" says Mira Reinholt as he interrupts the robber baron, he continues on with "As you might of guessed, Gergus rehired us. And part of that agreement was not to help you in anyway" the once powerful mage then adds "Sorry about that". Not sounding sorry at all.
Then the spellcaster who is also a highly skilled swordmaster "You're the new duke of Phelm, I'm sure you'll be get things sorted here eventually".
The exiled Vexilian mage nods his hooded head for the Farqian soldiers to exit the large chamber. The soldiers in black, all assassins, make their way from the chamber, with the scout, the subaltern Jaxs the last to leave.
"My lord duke" says Mira Reinholt to the robber baron Solamard, who he nods to, before turning, and along with Lisell Maera, make their way from the large chamber.
While in the chamber, the robber baron Solamard, the new duke of Phelm. Along with his second, and others of his senior staff.
Stand amongst the bodies of the three other robber barons, their seconds and senior staff. Who were all murdered infront of them just a short time ago.
Outside of the city of Almaic, about two and a half miles to the north of the capital city of the duchy of Phelm.
The krean strikeship Fídiablo is moored to the ground. Standing a few hundred feet infront of the sleek looking mastless airship, is a large figure in dark armour. Who is looking away into the distance towards the nearby city.
The undead scout Dargaven makes his way towards where his lord is standing. He sees the two undead wardogs Axe and Hammer are not that far from their master.
Even from where he is, Dargaven can tell they're agitated. As they prowl around in circles. Growling, and occasionally snapping at one another.
The undead scout will keep well away from them. As they've obviously picked up the mood of their master.
Dargaven doesn't walk directly towards his lord, he veers away to one side. To where the undead wardog handler Jessup is standing about forty yards from the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
For Jessup to be out of the way of the wardogs is a sure sign that being near them it's not exactly the safest place to be at the moment.
Coming to a stop next to Jessup, Dargaven glances in the direction of his lord, then he looks at the undead wardog handler he's standing next to.
Jessup lifts a questioning eyebrow, and Dargaven nods his full helmed head in reply.
Jessup takes a deep breath, even though he doesn't breathe. Then he turns to the left, and makes his way to where the undead warlord is standing by himself.
Jessup inwardly winces as the two wardogs stop their prowling, and snapping at one another. And instead growl at him as he approaches their master.
With a slightly raised gauntleted hand from their master, the two massive canines stop their growling, and sit down as they continue to watch Jessup approach the heavily armoured deathlord.
Stopping a half a dozen yards from his lord, the undead wardog hander waits for the lord and ruler of the lands Farque to look away from the city of Almaic, and look his way.
When he does, Jessup the senior wardog hander quietly says "His highness is on his way my lord".
Lord Farque just replies with a slight nod of his full helmed head, then goes back to looking towards the city of Almaic.
Jessup turns and walks away, making his way back to where Dargaven is standing. As he does, the two undead wardogs resume their prowling and circling as they growl at anything, and occasionally snap at one another.
They stand there throughout the middle of the afternoon, when eventually a figure in a white hooded cloak appears out of thin air, not far from where Jessup and Dargaven are standing.
Helbe the elven thief makes his way to where the two undead are standing. The young elven noble immediately notices that no one else is around. Apart from lord Farque and two of his undead wardogs. With only the krean strikeship Fídiablo nearby.
As he approaches Jessup and Dargaven, the undead scout Dargaven gestures for him to continue on to where the deathlord of Farque is standing.
And as he walks towards the undead warlord, the elven masterthief sees the prowling wardogs, stop and look at him, they don't stop growling as he approaches their master.
The elven princeling refrains from wincing as the two massive animals growl as they watch him. They only fall silent when their master slightly raises a gauntleted hand.
And even then, when they sit and continue to watch the elven magic user, he gets the distinct feeling they would like nothing better, than to rip him to pieces.
Prince Helbenthril Raendril stops just short of the large heavily armoured deathlord, and doesn't say anything as the lord and ruler of the lands Farque is looking towards the city of Almaic in the distance.
And when the undead warlord eventually looks his way, Helbe the elven thief just says "My lord".
After a few moments of silence, lord Farque says one word "Well?".
"He's in our camp" is the reply of the young elven noble who hails from the island principality of Laerel "Took me two bloody days to get him" mutters the elven master assassin.
"I know he's there, i can fucking well sense him" sourly says the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, which causes the elven magic user to wince.
Then the elven master assassin hears what can only be a sigh from within the full helm of the undead warlord, who after a few moments of silence says "You absolutely sure of this?".
Helbe the elven thief winces again, then nods his hooded head yes.
There's a moment of silence, then lord Farque mutters "Fuck" he briefly pauses then adds in a sour tone "A cleric".