Aftermath 14.

The Kaldel Plains...

His name's Oveem. A young man in his early twenties from a small village in the north of the kingdom of Girdane.
He left his home as a teenager. Due to being found out that he was setting houses and buildings on fire. One of which was a barn, that had a number of horses in it. That belonged to the local lord who was visiting his village at the time.
He went on the run, and though at first he thought to head south, further into the kingdom of Girdane. In a spur of the moment decision, he instead went north. A decision that changed his life forever.
Oveem left the kingdom of his birth, and entered the unruled lands directly north of Girdane. There he spent a few years up to mischief. Gambling, and stealing to help with his gambling. As he mixed with people with dubious backgrounds like his own.
And when he wasn't gambling and stealing. He'd revert back to doing one of his most favourite things. And that was to set things on fire.
And it was in those years. That he first killed. Though admittedly by accident. As he set a house on fire that he was thought was empty. But had a young mother, and her young child asleep in it during the middle of the day.
It would be lying to say Oveem didn't feel any guilt over that. For infact he did. Though it only temporarily stopped him from setting things on fire. As he was back at it just a month after killing the young mother and her child in the house fire. As his feelings of guilt and remorse were long gone.
His activities in arson got more bold, as did his gambling and stealing. So much so. That he set an entire village on fire one festival day. When most of the villagers were out in a nearby field celebrating the holy day.
It was a miracle he didn't kill anyone that day. Though he had to flee that area of the unruled lands. As the people of that village and the surrounding countryside actively tried to hunt him down. And even offered a bounty on his head.
Oveem fled again. Once again going north. Out of the unruled lands north of Girdane. And onto the Kaldel Plains.
Which are unruled too. Though it's seen as a quasi nation because of it being the home to the plainsmen of Kaldel.
And over the last three years, he's been here on the plains. Getting up to mischief, and causing havoc whenever he goes. And for the last year and half he's been with a group of bandits.
Who pose as travelers in a caravan. Who attack unsuspecting caravans they meet. Sometimes unwitting travelers from elsewhere in the Southlands like they all are.
Though mostly caravans of plainsmen. As they're more common to come across. Especially in the warmer months. Like now at the end of summer. Unlike in the wintertime when plainsmen tend not to travel, and stay in one spot.
Oveem is one of the bandits on watch in the early morning just before dawn. He yawns as he stomps his boots on the ground to keep his feet warm. As the night, and now early morning. Is quite chilly, even though it's the dying days of summer here on the Kaldel Plains.
Oveem, a fellow of middling height. Who has a bird like appearance with a mop of hair. And a beak like nose, to go with a look of near constant scorn upon his face.
Looks towards the burning embers of the cookfire between a couple of the wagons. He would like nothing better than to add something to that fire. Though he knows he better not, as wood is often scarce upon the plains. And everything else they have with them, is of value of some kind.
So instead, as he looks away from their camp out across the plains that surrounds them.
He smiles as he recalls setting those wagons on fire yesterday afternoon that they ran across. Where they killed a bunch of plainsmen, and took everything they had of worth. Including their stock, and some of their wagon horses.
Oveem continues grinning as he remembers setting the wagons on fire that had some of the plainswomen and children in it. He's pretty sure some of them died from the smoke before the fire got them.
Well, apart from those women that were kept alive for their entertainment after they killed the others.
Oveem is still a little disappointed on missing out on that. As he was too busy going through the possessions of the dead plainsmen looking for valuables.
And by the time he thought to join in on the fun. Someone had repeatedly stabbed the last woman still alive.
And she was bleeding out when the call came for them to load up, and move out.
The Girdaian shakes his head at the memory of missing out. Then after stomping his boots once more. He wanders around one of the wagons.
Makes his way by the line of captured mounts, so he can take a piss.
He's facing south as he urinates about twenty yards from the nearest wagon. He glances eastwards and can see that it's getting lighter in that direction as dawn approaches on another day on the Kaldel Plains.
Then just as he's thinking about what he could set on fire, he looks to the south again as he finishes up peeing.
As he does, a crossbow bolt slams into his face. Hitting him in the right eye, and through his skull, where the barbed end sticks out the back of his head. Oveem from the kingdom of Girdane, drops dead to the ground.
Lisell Maera pulls back on the underside of her crossbow, which quickly reloads it. The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury gets up from her crouch.
And in the dim light just before dawn, she moves away to the right. Then comes to a stop when she spots another of the bandits on sentry, on this side of their camp.
The messenger in the armies of Farque, shakes her head as she sees that he's walking out from their camp to take a piss as well.
Lisell Maera, or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well. Shoots this one before he even takes his leggings down.
Hitting him in the head too. Though in the chin. Where the bolt goes right through his face and completely out the base of his skull. Dropping him to the ground as well.
Lis, who is the daughter of a street prostitute and a sailor, father who she never knew. Looks carefully at the caravan and camp in the dim light of false dawn, searching for another of the bandits to kill.
They traveled throughout the night. Easily following the wagon tracks, and the markings of the stolen horses. As all three of the moons of Volunell came up during the night.
And when they thought they had lost the tracks of those who they were pursuing. The cleric Beldane simply lit up the area they were in, with the aid of his magical mace.
Which can glow white, and emit a white light when the fighting cleric wants it to.
Making good speed, and with Lisell Maera scouting the way out infront. They eventually found those who were responsible for the attack upon the caravan of plainsmen they came across at dusk last night.
They actually found them a little while ago, probably halfway between midnight and the approaching dawn.
They waited nearby, and got a bit of rest as Tamric Drubine ordered them too.
Then the young field commander once they were all awake again. Just a hundred and fifty yards from the caravan.
And after they had something cold to eat. The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. Ordered the attack upon the bandits and their caravan, with the messenger Maera taking the lead. As she's the only one with a ranged weapon.
For Tamric Drubine, or Tam as he's more often referred to by those who know him well. Lost his bow when the tri-masted destroyer they were flying on was knocked out of the sky the other night.
The former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine in the north of the kingdom of Sarcrin. Is lying flat on the ground. With the cleric Beldane lying a few yards to his right. While Tovis the war engineer is a few yards to his left.
"She's just taken down a third one" murmurs Beldane the cleric, who has cast a lowlight vision spell, so that he can watch what Lisell Maera is doing.
"There's the signal" adds the powerful cleric referring to the all clear signal for this side of the camp site that Lis has just given.
"Go" quietly orders Tamric Drubine the field commander, who is the first one to his feet, and moving forward with his longsword already in hand.
He's closely followed by the cleric Beldane, then the war engineer Tovis.
They move slowly forward at first, then pick up the pace as they get closer to the bandits wagons and camp site.
Then they break into a run, as they go by Lisell Maera, who has just got up from a crouch after shooting a fourth bandit, who has just woken up and got out of one of the covered wagons. Hitting the ground, which by an inquiring voice of another bandit, was heard.
Tamric Drubine, Tovis the war engineer and Beldane the cleric spread out and enter the camp site.
Tam who leaps over a dead body, and who has just run by the line of horses. Swings his sword at a man who has just got out of one of the covered wagons, and is putting his tunic on over his head.
The longsword slams into his left arm, taking it off, before taking him in the side of the head, shattering his skull apart before he hits the ground.
The canvas side of the covered wagon parts, and a bandit sticks his head out, and is just about to ask what's going on. When the young field commander's sword is shoved into his face. Taking him in the open mouth, and out the back of his head.
A sleepy looking bandit sits up in his bedroll from near the cook fire, and says "Huh?" followed by "What's that?" as he looks around.
As he does, the hammer in the hands of Tovis the war engineer slams down upon his head. Shattering his skull apart, sending bone and brain matter flying everywhere.
Another of the bandits on the otherside of the cook fire, who has just woken up and sat up, yells out in fright at what he's just seen.
Waking up others in the campsite. And as that bandit goes to scramble out of his bedroll, the young war engineer from the kingdom of Druvic, takes a running leap, and jumps over the smoldering cook fire.
Swinging his hammer when he hits the ground. The heavy weapon slams into the face of bandit as he's putting up his hands in self defence as he screams "No!".
The hammer blow pulverizes the front of the mans head, caving it in. So much so, that Tovis has to put a foot on the dead body to pull his hammer free of what's left of the man's head.
Beldane the cleric, for a churchman has no qualms about killing an unarmed person. Especially with what he saw early last night. When they found the aftermath of the attack upon the caravan of plainsmen.
The fighting cleric slams his mace into the side of one of the bandits on sentry, who has run from the otherside of the campsite after hearing what's happening.
The man hits the ground groaning, and the powerful cleric ends that groaning when he slams the mace down into the bandit's face.
The member of the church of Glaine turns when he hears a number of the bandits scrambling out of a nearby wagon. Some with their weapons, and some without.
The spellcaster from the kingdom of Nastell faintly smiles. And as he moves towards them, the first of them who has spotted him as the first light of the day hit as the sun starts to rise in the east, runs at the fighting cleric.
Beldane the cleric shouts "Holy strike" as he swings his mace at the bandit running at him.
After shooting a man in the guts as he climbs out the back of one of the wagons. And after she hears Beldane shout something, and she sees a bright white light quickly flash to her right somewhere near another of the wagons.
Lisell Maera drops her crossbow, which was designed by Dorc da Orc, and belonged to Shur Kee the monk, who gifted it to the attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury when she was just a girl of twelve years old.
She draws her shortsword as she hurries towards the back of one of the covered wagons. This one also covered, though in solid wood.
And as the small door at the back above the steps open, and one of the bandits putting on his sword belt appears.
Lis swings her shortsword, which slams into the shins of the bandit, who screams in pain, and falls forward off the steps, and hits the ground.
The messenger in the armies of Farque leaves him screaming on the ground as she's taken a throwing dagger from the baldric across her chest. And biffed it at another of the bandits who is sticking his head out the open door at the back of the wagon.
The dagger takes the man in the face, who screams, clutching at his face. And tumbles out the door of the wagon, and down the steps.
Where he ends up with the shortsword of the attractive young woman slammed point first into his back.
Tamric Drubine with his longsword slaps away an ineffectual sword stroke by one of the bandits who has been able to get his weapon free, and actually use it.
The nobleborn born teenager with his free hand, punches the bandit in the face, stunning the man.
Who doesn't even see the longsword of the young field commander come swinging back at him, taking him in the side of the neck, and take off his head.
As the headless body hits the ground. Tam sees out of the corner of his left eye. One of the bandits fall back screaming in pain, and land in the low burning, smoldering cook fire after being hit in the chest by Tovis the war engineer's hammer.
The nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin then hears Beldane the cleric shout "Holy strike!" again from somewhere away to the right between two of the wagons.
Tam sees a flash of white light again, then sees the body of one of the bandits appear flying backwards from between those two wagons, then hit the ground as the sun comes up over the horizon in the east, as a new day dawns across the Kaldel Plains.
From somewhere behind him, field commander Drubine hears another of the bandits scream in pain. And knows that Lisell Maera has just taken him out.
And by the bandit's continued screaming, to go with someone else's screaming in that direction. Tam who knows Lis better than anyone else. Knows she's not bothering to immediately kill those she has taken out. Unlike when she used her crossbow to take out those who were on guard duty before dawn.
The nobleborn teenager who leads the small group, moves forward, with his longsword held low, with the point down towards the ground, as another of the bandits brandishing a small hand axe, runs at him screaming in anger.
The bandit, who in his years of criminal activity, here on the Kaldel Plains, and elsewhere before that. Has had it easy when ever he's attacked anyone, who are usually defenceless and without a weapon.
Doesn't even know that he's about to die as he has all the confidence in the world as he goes to swing the hand axe he grabbed from the back of one of the wagons.
He doesn't even see the longsword move in the right hand of the man, who he can see in the first light of the day, is fairly young, and in half plate armour, wearing a black tabbard over his breastplate.
All of the sudden the bandit feels himself losing all feeling as he falls backwards, and feels wetness across his throat.
And as he falls to the ground, he realises that's blood spraying up infront of his face. And as he hits the ground, in his last concious moment, he realises he's just been killed . . . . . .