The Lost Ones 18.

Summer. The Sultanate Of Dreese.

Tovis the war engineer stops and looks back when Jarjin Littlefoot says to him "Slow down will you".
The young engineer from the kingdom of Druvic waits for the hobbit, who was previously an air sailor in the Viceroy's fleet.
Tovis sets off again, this time more slowly, so that the halfling can keep up with him.
"Where is he?" quietly asks Jarjin Littlefoot, who though he's a hobbit who lived on the mainland in the Sultanate of Dreese.
He's really a hordes barbarian outrider from the southern tundra, by the name of Zubutai Timaginson who just happens to find himself inhabiting the body of the former air sailor.
"I can't see him" reluctantly adds Jarjin as he looks ahead trying to get a glimpse of what's infront of them.
But there's too many of the Sultan's soldiers in the way, as they and most of the rest of the army have just returned to the port town after traveling for two days, from the otherside of the island where the battle took place.
"Down on the beach" quietly says Tovis the war engineer, who when the soldiers infront of them hear his voice, they part for the young engineer and the hobbit as they make their way forward.
"He's not too close is he?" quietly asks Jarjin aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who then adds in sour tone "We can say goodbye to Mira if he is".
"He's not too close" is the reply of the war engineer, who nods in acknowledgment to the soldiers who nod in respect to him. As he's one of those most responsible for the string of victories they've had of late fighting against the Viceroy's forces.
"I think he knows what he's doing" adds Tovis, who served as the war engineer to a baron Harkonin in his homeland of Druvic before he joined the group.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that" dryly says the hobbit who was an air sailor in the Viceroy's air fleet.
"He brought me back in this damn body" dryly mutters the halfling as he walks alongside the young engineer, who grins and barely refrains from laughing when he hears that from Jarjin Littlefoot.
They're just to the south of the port town, and as they head towards the nearby sandy beach. More and more of the Sultan's soldiers get out of their way. And eventually the halfling sees lord Farque standing on the beach.
There's a handful of the Sultan's personal guards standing about twenty yards opposite the undead warlord.
While further down the curving beach, more than a hundred yards away. Is the flagship of the Sultan's air fleet.
Which the supreme ruler of the Sultanate of Dreese has just returned to, and boarded. With his concubines, his cadre of spellcasters. And others, mainly members of his court.
One such member, the Sultan's Herald, is making his way from the flag ship. Along with more of the Sultan's personal guards. As well as a few spellcasters in the cadre that the Sultan has enscrolled, and has under his control.
Not seeing Mira Reinholt the mage with those particular practitioners of magic.
Tovis the war engineer, quietly says to the hobbit standing beside him "Let's get closer".
As they leave the road, and head down to the sandy beach. The young Druvician engineer quietly asks "What are they talking about?" as he knows Jarjin Littlefoot foot with his naturally enhanced hearing can hear what's being said. And the hobbit from the mainland of Dreese can speak the local language.
The halfling tells the war engineer what he hears they're talking about down on the beach.
"Here comes the honoured herald" says one of the Sultan's personal guards.
Lord Farque ignores him as he looks out over the water, at the smaller ships in the Sultan's fleet, that are moored out from the beach.
"He will tell you the same thing" adds the guard, who like the other five hundred or so personal guards in the detachment that closely serve the Sultan. Is enscrolled by the supreme leader of the Sultanate of Dreese.
A nation predominantly on the east coast of the continent. Lying south of what's known as the five kingdoms. One of which is the kingdom of Wah Lee. Where the monk in the order of Bru Li, Shur Kee hails from.
The herald pushes through those guards who are too slow to part for him.
"You are not to be here dead man" says the Sultan's herald, one of the senior officials at court. Who like many if not all at court, is not enscrolled by their leader.
"You know the consequences if you approach his magnificence" adds the herald.
"Oh shut up you cadaverous looking prick" says lord Farque who speaks loud enough, and in the local dialect so that the soldiers, sailors and officers up on the road, who are watching  things, can hear what he's saying.
The undead warlord who senses both Tovis the war engineer, and Jarjin Littlefoot now standing on the edge of the beach, just thirty or so yards back behind him.
Then says to the herald "Your fat fucking magnificence's is safe from me" the heavily armoured deathlord then silently adds, for now.
The lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his nation. That lies on the otherside of the continent.
Waits for the murmuring from the gathered soldiers, sailors and officers on the road. Who have come to watch what happens, die down.
They took umbrage at how the lord of the death realm described their ruler. But not as much as the Sultan's personal guards, the herald, and the trio of spellcasters who have accompanied the member of court, who is commonly described as the voice of the Sultan of Dreese.
Guards put hands on their weapons, while the three practitioners in magic prepare to cast.
While the herald looks like he's fit to explode, as he's so angry because of what the undead being just said.
Slightly smiling behind the faceplate of his full helm, lord Farque says "I'm more than a hundred yards from" he briefly pauses before he adds "That overweight child molester".
The heavily armoured deathlord says that last bit loud enough, that those at the back of the gathered crowd of soldiers, sailors, and officers. Clearly hear what he said.
"How dare you!" shouts the herald who darts a quick look towards those up on the road watching what's going on down here on the beach.
"It's true though" says Draugadrottin, who has been told by Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy. That when he's met with the Sultan, he's definitely seen amongst his concubines. Those who are barely adolescents or even teenagers.
"Don't try and deny it" continues lord Farque, who has the elven name of Des'tier, which translates into the common language as, The Destroyer.
"You fucking skeleton looking freak" adds the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, who once again slightly smiles behind the visor of his full helm, where he hears a smattering of laughter and chuckling from the gathered crowd up on the road.
The herald's mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water, as he's never been treated with such disrespect in his life. Especially not since taking up the post of the Sultan's Herald.
Seeing that he's got the effect he wanted from this confrontation, as he has to keep at least a hundred yards away from the Sultan of Dreese. As do Helbe the elven thief, and Beldane the cleric.
If not, Mira Reinholt the mage will be executed by the supreme leader of the Sultanate of Dreese.
Quickly says to the herald who is still getting over being insulted, and hearing the reaction from the gathered crowd up on the road "Where's general Martos?".
Des'tier continues with "He went to see his fucking magnificence of blubber when he returned, to ask him about the message to the mainland".
"Yes" eventually says the herald when he calms down "He did" adds the bald man, who does resemble a walking skeleton, as he looks so cadaver like.
"Well?" asks the lord and ruler of the lands Farque.
"Well what?" asks the herald, who hates dealing with the mercenaries. Especially the one known as the dead man. As everyone in the Sultan's military and everyone else involved in the war against the Viceroy. Know that he's undead.
"Where the fuck is he?" asks Draugadrottin, who briefly pauses before continuing on with "And did your so called supreme ruler agree to the request for more soldiers from the mainland?".
"And why would he do that?" asks the herald in a haughty tone of voice as he tries to regain control of the conversation with the large, heavily armoured man standing opposite him and those with him.
"Because i told him to" dryly says lord Farque who speaks the local dialect with ease.
"And because the Quick Gull has just returned" adds the undead warlord referring to the small, quick airship that Helbe the elf left on a couple of days ago, to scout to the north of here.
"And they found a substantial number of the enemy on an island called Solma" continues the lord of the death realm, who then says "And if they're as fucking determined as this lot here were".
The heavily armoured deathlord momentarily pauses, before he continues with "Then this lot".
He gestures towards those who have gathered up on the road that runs south of the port town, as he says that.
"Will probably get wiped out if we don't get those reinforcements from the mainland" adds the undead being who is also known by the name of Draugadrottin to the people of his lands.
"And why would you say that?" demands the herald, who continues with "His magnificence's army has be most dominate of late".
"You mean since i took over the planning and running of his war" dryly, and loudly says the deathlord of Farque.
More than a few nods come from the gathered crowd of a few hundred up on the road, who are watching things down on the beach.
Trying to ignore that fact, for it's true. The herald says "I'm sure his magnificence's army here will prevail in our next encounter with the traitors forces".
"No they won't" declares Draugadrottin.
"And how would you know?" demands the skeletal figure of the voice of the Sultan, as the herald is often referred to.
"Because unlike you, and his magnificent fatness, i know what the fuck I'm doing when it comes to war" says the large figure in the dark blue, black heavy plate armour, who towers over everyone else on the beach and up on the road. As very few of the locals stand over six foot in height.
"As does general Martos" adds the undead warlord who would freely admit, that the general is one of the few senior officers in the Sultan's forces, who actually knows what he's doing.
The herald just looks at the lord and ruler of the lands Farque, before turning his head slightly, and listening to one of the spellcasters behind him, who has stepped forward to quietly tell him something.
Des'tier slightly nods his full helmed head, as hears what he was wanting to hear.
Then the herald nods in satisfaction, and the spellcaster who spoke to him, steps back.
"The message will be sent to the mainland, and reinforcements will arrive as soon as possible" says the member of court, who follows that with "So decrees his magnificence the Sultan of Dreese".
Lord Farque knows that will happen. For the overweight, and rather degenerative supreme ruler of Dreese. Does what he decrees, one of the few things he actually does.
"And the general?" asks the lord of the death realm, who already knows the answer as he heard what the spellcaster quietly told the herald. But the undead warlord wants the gathered crowd up on the road to hear.
"General Martos has become one of the choose ones" proudly states the herald after darting a quick, and rather nervous glance towards the hundreds of soldiers, sailors and officers up on the road.
Gasps of shock can be heard from the gathered crowd up on the road, that quickly turns to an angry murmuring from many of the officers, soldiers and sailors who are watching and listening to what's happening down on the sandy beach, on this warm tropical summer's day.
For general Martos was a popular man. Who was effectively the leader of the Sultan's army. And now he's become one of the Sultan's concubines.
Against his wishes no doubt. For though many of those in the Sultanate wish to become of the Sultan's personal guards. Very few, if any want to be one of his concubines.
Well, isn't that a pity, the lord and ruler of the lands Farque thinks to himself, who then holds up his left gauntleted hand.
And after a few moments, the angry murmuring up on the road from the gathered crowd dies down.
Draugadrottin faintly smiles behind the visor of his full helm, then for appearances more than anything else, he takes a threatening step forward.
The herald backs away a few steps, as do the personal guards of the Sultan, as well as the trio of casters.
"That" says the undead being, who after a few moments of silence, continues with "Was not a wise thing to do".
Then Des'tier tells the herald "Make sure that message is sent straight away, and see that those troops from the mainland start arriving soon".
The heavily armoured deathlord turns around and walks away, not unhappy at all with the way things have gone. Infact, he's rather pleased at how it went.
While the herald, after breathing a sigh of relief, and muttering "Damn dead man". Turns around, and with the Sultan's guards who were with him, and the trio of practitioners of magic. Head back down the beach to the flag ship in the Sultan's fleet of airships.
Both Tovis the war engineer and Jarjin Littlefoot watch lord Farque walk up to them.
The heavily armoured deathlord looks at the gathered crowd on the road, and tells them "Return to your duties".
After a few moments, the crowd of a few hundred soldiers, sailors and officers start to break up, and head off to what they were supposed to be doing, when they saw the undead warlord make his way down onto the beach.
Draugadrottin walks north along the sandy beach, heading back to the port town that way.
The young engineer and the former air sailor follow closely behind him.
And Jarjin aka Zubutai Timaginson who has to walk quickly to keep up with the lord of the death realm, quietly asks him in the elven language "What just happened there?".
"What i wanted to happen" is the reply from lord Farque.
Behind him, Jarjin Littlefoot and Tovis the war engineer share a look as they wonder what the lord and ruler of the lands Farque is up to.
Not knowing that he now effectively has control of the Sultan's army. And that the only officer who was in his way, is now out of his way. And no longer a hindrance to what Des'tier, aka The Destroyer has planned . . . . . .