A Grand Design 16.

Late Autumn. Western Girdane,

"How are they?" asks captain Kilmane "Fine" says the keeper Sarmac, who continues with "Better than some of the other groups, and no worse than others".
The captain in the regent of Oaklynn's army nods as they walk along the side of the hill after making their way through the rift created by the wizard Haric.
The captain looks back at the wizard, who is following behind them by about thirty yards, struggling to keep up, and falling further behind.
"That wizard is as useful as tits on a bull" mutters Sarmac the keeper who doesn't much care about the spellcaster in the regent's army who now works with them.
Captain Kilmane who doesn't particularly like the wizard either. Infact he never has, and as had little to do with him over the years since joining the regent's forces.
Nods his head in agreement with the unkempt keeper, who looks and gives the impression of being someone sloppy, but is far from it.
"Just as he long as he keeps on doing what he's told to do, that's all that matters" quietly says the captain who is one of the regent's most trusted officers, if not the most trusted.
The morning is cold and windy, and there's a bit of cloud cover here in this part of western Girdane after the last few days have been fine and clear.
The captain and the keeper in the army of regret Sammis continue along the side of the hill, until they to get to a dip between it and the next hill along.
They go down the dip to their right, which leads down to a dell, that has some woods and a stream running through it.
The wizard Haric continues to fall behind them, even though he's a younger man than either one of them.
Captain Kilmane sees a couple of the waagen at the edge of the woods. One is in their beast form, and the other human.
The beast is about six foot tall, with light grey fur, and a long, wolf like snout.
The one in human form, is a girl, about the age of ten. Who is sitting beside the waagen in beast form. On a rock, at the edge of the stream. Watching the water pass them by.
They all but ignore the captain and the keeper, until Sarmac calls out to them "Join the others!" followed by "We're leaving".
They gather in the dell, there's ten of them. With them is Grance, one of the waagen who helped turn them.
And as he was an adult when he became a waagen, he stands about six foot ten inches in height, and is far more muscular and bulkier than any of them.
And unlike them, he's pretty much always in his beast form. Hardly ever changing back to his human form.
Captain Kilmane looks at the gathered waagen, glad that they're under control. And are fairly much content with their lot.
From what Sarmac and the fully grown waagen Grance has told him. That they would of been totally uncontrollable if they had been adults.
For when they're first turned, waagen are unruly and unpredictable. Revelling in their new found strengths and abilities.
And adult humans, as only humans can be turned into waagen, or for that matter, werebeasts as well.
Are suddenly overcome with what they've become. Killing uncontrollably, and liking it.
It takes months, if not years to master what they're become.
Where as children, are willing to learn. Especially from an older and more experienced waagen. And they're easier to control, especially in groups. If they were by themselves, it would be different matter entirely.
Grance walks over to where the captain and keeper are waiting, and from his canine maw, he says "That fat fool taking his time again i see".
Captain Kilmane, who finds it quite easy to understand the waagen when they speak, as their voices are only slightly altered when they're in their beast forms.
Nods his head, and says to the hulking waagen who towers over him "He should be here soon".
"No good wizard" growls Grance, who along with two other waagen have turned the children that the regent's forces have captured here in the very west of the kingdom.
Well, those that have survived being turned. As the vast majority have been killed in the attempt.
As waagen are more than a little picky when it comes to those they want to turn into one of them.
The three of them, the captain, keeper and waagen, turn and look through the trees, and spot the wizard Haric heading in this direction.
Grance growls in disgust, then says "I'd eat him, but knowing that fat wizard, he'd probably give me an upset stomach".
The keeper Sarmac sniggers, while captain Kilmane grins.
The regent's captain when he first started working with the waagen.
Found it difficult to come to terms, that they as beasts, are exactly the same as when they're in human form.
Just that they've got a tendency towards extreme violence. And will eat just about anything. Just as long as it's meat.
It's the extreme violence part of their nature that's important to captain Kilmane. And more importantly, to his lord, the regent of Oaklynn, lord Sammis.
Who has set into motion his plans, that he's been working on for a number of years.
Captain Kilmane, who is privy to those plans, looks at the large waagen, who asks him "What's it this time?".
"Supply wagons from the capital" is the quiet reply from the regent's officer, who continues with "And a company of about fifty of the king's men" he then adds "They were spotted last night setting up camp, they should be well and truly on the road again now".
Grance nods his bulky head, then looks over at the ten young waagen waiting nearby, and says "This should be interesting" followed by "And a challenge".
Both the captain and keeper nod in agreement, then the large waagen says to them in a slightly sour tone of voice "Here's fatty" followed by "You better talk to him, i might bite him out of spite if i have to listen to him".
Then Grance turns and makes his way over to where the young waagen are standing, and waiting.
Breathing heavily as he walks up to them, the wizard Haric says "A moment captain" he wheezes a couple of breathes, before he adds "I have to get my breath back".
Captain Kilmane nods his head, while the keeper Sarmac arches an eyebrow as he looks at the portly spellcaster.
Then Sarmac, who like Grance, doesn't particularly care for the wizard. Wanders over to where the waagen are, for in his opinion, they're a hell of a lot better company than the overweight spellcaster in the ruby coloured robes.
After the heavyset wizard gets his breath back, the captain in the regent's army asks him "Ready?".
"I am" says Haric the wizard who nods his head "Go ahead" says captain Kilmane.
The spellcaster who like the captain is from the city of Oaklynn, nods again, then he steps to one side.
The army officer watches the portly wizard concentrating, and a few moments later multi coloured lights appear beside him to indicate that a rift is about to form.
And a couple moments later when it's formed, captain Kilmane calls out to the waiting waagen, and the keeper Sarmac "Let's go".
The captain is the first one through the rift, followed by Sarmac, then Grance who has to duck down to enter the magical doorway.
The fully grown adult waagen is followed by the the young waagen, who over the last couple of months have be turned into the creatures who are immune to magic.
They like Grance, ignore the wizard Haric as they go through the rift he's cast.
He's the last one to go through it, and a few moments later the rift vanishes. And the peaceful looking dell returns to normal, on this cold and windy day here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
They're on the otherside of a ridge line, keeping low on this cloudy and windy late autumn day.
Captain Kilmane may not necessarily like Haric the wizard. But at least the spellcaster does what he says he will. That is at least something in the opinion of the of the officer in the regent's army.
They've left the wizard behind, letting him catch up to them when he can.
Kilmane is in the lead followed by Sarmac, then Grance who like the young waagen following him, are on all fours most of the time as they keep low.
The captain in the lead looks along the ridge line, and spots some of his company he left in the area, just up ahead, behind a rocky outcrop on the ridge line.
When they get to them, the waagen including Grance keep back. As the captain and the keeper speak with the eight soldiers.
"Where are they?" quietly asks captain Kilmane, who nods when one of his men quietly replies with "Coming up the road, about a mile away now".
The soldiers, who were slightly worried their captain wasn't going to show up on time. All have bows and crossbows, and have been in his company for a number of years.
Kilmane moves along to one side of the outcrop, and looks away to the east. And in the distance, on the winding road that cuts through this part of western Girdane.
He spots a line of supply wagons that have traveled from the capital city Oaklynn. Along with a detachment of fifty soldiers in the king's army.
The captain watches them for a few moments, and is joined by the keeper Sarmac, who slightly nods when he sees those on the road in the distance.
"Bit different than attacking them in the isolated villages" quietly says the unkempt looking keeper, who wears a long leather vest, like one worn by a blacksmith's, over his armour.
"I know" quietly says captain Kilmane, who like Sarmac, and the men of his company, don't wear any uniform, badge or sigil identifying them as being in the army of the regent of Oaklynn, lord Sammis.
The captain looks back at the waagen, and waves Grance forward to join them next to the outcrop.
The small squad of soldiers, get out of the way of the large waagen, who bounds along on all fours to get next to the outcrop.
And after settling down on his haunches, Grance looks to the east to where captain Kilmane points, and spots the wagons and soldiers the king of Girdane has sent west.
"Think they can do it?" quietly asks the captain in the regent's army "They can" is the confident reply from the fully grown waagen, who continues with "They're the best of the lot".
The keeper Sarmac nods in agreement, then the captain murmurs "Good" he follows that with "What do you suggest?".
"Head straight down from this outcrop" says Grance, who before he was a waagen, was a farmer in the unruled lands to southwest of the kingdom of Girdane.
That was some two hundred years or so ago. Since being turned to a waagen, has given him lifespan similar to that of a non nobleborn elf.
"The road passes by here fairly close" adds the hulking waagen, who even sitting down is large "The horses might smell us since it's a windy day, but by the time they do, it'll be too late" continues Grance.
"I agree" says captain Kilmane, who then tells the waagen "Inform the others what they're to do" he follows that with "I need to speak to my men".
As Grance lopes back to speak to the other, much younger waagen. The captain in the army of the regent of Oaklynn speaks to the squad of eight archers.
"You're to not let any of those in the column to escape" quietly says Kilmane, who continues on with "Weather they're wagon driver, potboy, soldier or officer".
The captain briefly pauses, then adds "This might be difficult, you might recognise some of them, or even know them" he follows that with "But like I've told you before, we do the bidding of our lord, the regent Sammis. And what he orders us to do, we do".
His men, though silent, all nod. As they know what's expected of them. And besides, it's not as though they'll do all the dirty work so to speak. That will be up to the waagen, who after Grance speaks to them, they move up to be near the outcrop as well.
Captain Kilmane, the keeper Sarmac, and the small squad of archers lie down upon the ground to one side of the outcrop.
While the waagen gather behind the outcrop on this cloudy, cold and windy day here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
The waagen, who have enhanced senses. Far more powerful than they had when they were human beings.
Can hear the approaching column of wagons and riders down on the road, approaching from the east.
They wait in silence with the wind whipping along the ridge line the only sound of significance.
After a while, they all hear the sounds of horses from down on the road.
And a few moments later, Grance the waagen gets up off his haunches, and stands, he's only a bit shorter than the rocky outcrop he and the other waagen are behind.
He quietly murmurs something in the language of the waagen. Then he steps to the side of the outcrop. And with a sudden burst of speed, that no normal person could ever accomplish. He runs down the ridge.
He's followed by the young waagen, who before they were turned, were all children from villages and farmsteads here in the very west of the kingdom of Girdane.
Captain Kilmane and the keeper Sarmac crawl forward, so that they look down the ridge to the road below.
They watch the waagen run, running faster than the fastest horse. They're only spotted by those in the column, less than thirty yards from the road.
Grance who is in the lead, when he's ten yards from the road, leaps forward roaring. And lands upon an officer in the king's army, who is on horseback.
The officer and his horse land upon the ground with a thud, landing right infront of a wagon. Which the driver is trying to bring to a halt.
Grance who has landed upon his feet, swing his right hand up, and his claws rip away half of the head of one of the two horses hauling the wagon.
As he does, the other waagen have hit the column that have travelled from the capital Oaklynn.
They too leap as they attack, crashing into horses, soldiers, and even wagons, creating havoc amongst the column.
As the attack gets underway down on the road, captain Kilmane gets up, and says to the archers from his company "Remember, don't let any of the king's men get away".
Then he along with the keeper Sarmac lead the way down the ridge towards the road, where the waagen are in the midst of slaughtering those in the column . . . . . .