The Lost Ones 72.

Summer. The Town Of Falmare. In The Lowlands.

Sir Percavelle Lé Dic sits up after shoving the door off himself.
The large, heavily armoured knight looks around and scowls when he sees where the door came from.
There's a house away to his right missing it's front door.
"Damn purveyor of the dark arts" loudly mutters sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who then glances towards the small house, a so called safe house, that he was making his way towards.
"Hmmmmm" murmurs the nobleman from the kingdom of Druvic, where he was once the earl of Lé Dic, which is his family's fief in the eastern region of that nation.
The nobleborn knight who is a member of the order of the Knights of Saint Mar-che, can't see at the moment any of the mercenaries he and the rest of the group are after. But that doesn't mean they're not there.
The large heavily armoured knight softy chuckles as he looks at the dead merchant named Sharnd lying just a few yards from him here on the street.
Then sir Percavelle Lé Dic or Percy as he's more commonly called by those who know him well, recalls what he's supposed to be doing.
The former paladin looks back behind him on the street, and after a few moments spots Lisell Maera the messenger pop her head around the corner of the street he came out from.
The attractive young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury as she peeks around the corner of a house.
Looks his way to see if he's alright. Then the messenger in the armies of Farque nods.
The nobleborn knight grunts, then attempts to stand up. And though he was knocked around a bit when that door slammed into him. The former earl of Lé Dic feels like he can get to his feet pretty easily.
But he doesn't, as he knows he has to distract the mercenaries he and the others are after.
The large heavily armoured knight who has always taken pride in his acting abilities.
Pretends to struggle as he attempts to get up off the ground, and stand on his two feet.
"That's it Percy old chap" the former paladin murmurs to himself as he gets to a knee, then falls back onto his rear end, in a supreme feat of acting in his opinion.
"They'll never suspect me of my duplicitous ways, wot" murmurs the nobleborn knight with a chuckle.
Rolling her eyes, Lisell Maera dryly murmurs "Don't over do it you madman" as she watches sir Percavelle Lé Dic out in the middle of the street trying to get to his feet.
The messenger in the scouts and rangers division of the armies of Farque, who definitely knows she has shot and killed the merchant Sharnd.
Suspects she has also shot with her crossbow, the lowland mercenary Brossic.
And that she nearly shot another of the mercenaries she and the rest of the group have chased from the Maldin Hills, up to the port town of Gilsom, and eventually down here to the lowlands, and the town of Falmare.
The tall, lean, athletic and attractive young woman from the coastal city-state of Brattonbury watches the small house about halfway down the street around the corner she's standing at.
Lisell Maera or Lis as she's more commonly called by those who know her well, waits for another opportunity to shoot at the four remaining mercenaries she and the rest of the group are after.
They may think that she and sir Percavelle Lé Dic are a danger. They are, but they, along with the killing of the local merchant Sharnd, are more of a distraction than anything else.
Shur Kee the monk holds up a hand for those behind him to stop, then with his eyes closed he quietly says "Do you hear that?".
Tamric Drubine the field commander and Saanea the witch share a look as they carefully listen. Neither one of them can hear whatever it is the short, statured monk has heard.
The acolyte in the philosophical order of Bru Li turns and points to the right, and quietly says "There" followed by "Friend Dorc".
Tamric Drubine, a nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who is now a field commander in the armies of Farque.
Hurries to the entrance of the lane that Shur Kee has pointed out. It's one of many lanes and narrow streets, here in one of the more affluent neighbourhoods in the south of the town of Falmare.
Tamric Drubine or Tam as more often than not he's called by those who know him well.
Quietly calls out "Dorc" when he spots the large, green figure of the ork warleader at the other end of the lane, looking around with a scowl upon his broad, green, brutish looking face.
The ork weaponsmith grunts, then jogs to where the young field commander is.
"Them cunts are close" says Dorc da Orc when he joins Tam along with Shur Kee the monk and Saanea the witch.
"We know" says the young field commander in the armies of Farque, who is just glad they're in a quiet neighbourhood at the moment, and not one of the more busier parts of Falmare, which are in the north and west of the large lowland town. Which lies about a dozen miles inland from the coast, and just over twenty miles or so west of the Maldin Hills. A long hill range, nearly two hundred miles in length as it runs north to south in this area of the Southlands.
The nobleborn teen who is the son and former heir of a previous knight of castle Drubine, which is located in the forested north of the kingdom of Sarcrin, nods his head and says "We did" in reply to Dorc da Orc asking him "You cunts kill one of 'em cunts?".
As the big, burly ork from the southern polar region of world has caught the scent of someone recently killed nearby.
He was hoping it was his bitter rival sir Percavelle Lé Dic, but unfortunately it's not. As the large ork can smell the nobleborn knight from the kingdom of Druvic close to whoever it is that's died, but is not dead himself.
The warleader of the ork race, who is a general in the armies of Farque, making him Tam's superior. Not that anyone reminds Dorkindle of that. And the fact the big, burly ork from the frozen bottom of the world forgets that he's actually a senior officer to the young field commander.
Grunts when the nobleborn teenager from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin quietly tells him "It's that merchant Sharnd".
Dorc da Orc who couldn't care less, as he wishes that it was him who killed the local merchant, and not one of the others in the group who did it.
Nods his massive head, when Tam tells him "This way" and gestures for Shur Kee the monk to lead the way again.
The short, statured monk who is from the far east coast of the continent, where his homeland, the kingdom of Wah Lee is located.
Moves forward, into another of the narrow lanes in the neighbourhood. The others, Tamric Drubine the field commander, Saanea the witch, and Dorc da Orc follow the physical adept wearing the odd conical shaped hat into the narrow lane.
Grunna the sorcerer helps Brossic the lowland mercenary down the rickety looking steps at the back of the safe house.
Both Halnard the mercenary and Spranen the mercenary help the lowlander when he's closer to the ground. They keep him steady as he gets off the steps.
"Get it out" hisses Brossic the flatland mercenary from between clenched teeth.
"Take his arm, and keep it steady" says Grunna the sorcerer as he hops down off the steps.
Brossic grimaces in pain as Halnard, the largest of the four of them, takes his left arm in a tight grip.
Spranen grabs the lowlander, and covers Brossic's mouth with a gloved hand as Grunna takes a hold of the bolt sticking through the left arm of the flatland mercenary.
Then without a countdown, or even a nod he's about to do something. The sorcerer from down the coast of the Southlands pulls the bolt all the way through Brossic's left arm, and out.
The lowlander who groans in pain, almost staggers and falls down, and would of if the two mercenaries from the port town of Gilsom, Halnard and Spranen weren't holding him.
Then Grunna briefly stops holding his power within himself, and heals the flatlander who leads them in their attempt to create a nation of their own up in the nearby Maldin Hills, which are just over twenty miles to the east of the town of Falmare.
"Fuck" mutters Brossic who winces in pain, then grunts after Spranen and Halnard let go of him.
The lowland mercenary stretches his left arm, and curls the bicep, then nods to the powerful spellcaster from further down the coast of the Southlands, and quietly tells him "Thanks".
The sorcerer Grunna just nods in reply, then as Halnard goes around the side of the safe house, to look out onto the street, to see what's happening.
The spellcaster in the group who have plans in creating their own nation up in the Maldin Hill country, quietly says "We're in a bit of shit here".
"You think?" dryly mutters Spranen the mercenary.
Brossic sourly smiles, as he nods in agreement with the mercenary from the port town of Gilsom.
Then the other mercenary from Gilsom, Halnard quickly makes his way back to the others, and quietly tells them "That knight has got to his feet" followed by "And he's coming this way".
The larger of the two mercenaries from the port town of Gilsom, who happens to the youngest of the five of them, now four considering Sharnd the merchant lies dead out on the street.
Then quietly says "You must of got him good" as he nods at the sorcerer from down the coast of the Southlands.
"He's stumbling and staggering about like a drunk on his way to the next tavern" continues Halnard the mercenary.
"Try and hit him again?" asks Brossic the lowlander as he looks at the powerful spellcaster.
"I'll try" states Grunna the sorcerer, who is finding it a little difficult to hold his power within himself for periods at a time.
As it's something he's not accustomed to, or done that often at all in the past.
Then the practitioner of magic from down the coast of the Southlands quietly says "And keep a look out for whoever's got that crossbow, who is shooting us".
Brossic the flatlander sourly smiles when he hears that, as it's a quick reminder of what's just happened to him.
Then the leader of the group of mercenaries who have plans on nationhood up in the Maldin Hills, nods in the direction that Halnard has just come back from, and quietly says "We'll deal to that knight".
Brossic the mercenary briefly pauses before he quietly continues with "And this time make sure we kill him".
Then as they head around the side of the safe house, which Brossic along with Sharnd the mercenary first used a decade ago.
The lowlander quietly tells the others "And after him, hopefully we can deal to that troll, or whatever the hell it is".
"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves" sourly mutters Spranen the mercenary as he follows Halnard to the front corner of the safe house.
The same corner where Halnard was nearly shot by a crossbow bolt too. Infact that bolt is still sticking out of the wall at that particular corner of the small abode that is owned by Sharnd the mercenary who now lies dead out on the street, not far from the safe house and the others.
Just as Brossic glances around the mercenary Halnard, and the corner, to see what's going on out on the street.
And he sees the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che staggering from one side of the quiet residential street, to the otherside. Then stumble into the front wall of a house. And stagger backwards and fall on his rump in a clatter of heavy steel plate armour.
He and the rest of the mercenaries who are trying to create a nation of their own up in the Maldin Hills.
Hear a roar from nearby, they all look at one another, as they've heard that roar before, and often. The last of which wasn't all that long ago, up further north in Falmare, up in the eastern part of the large lowland town.
"Fuck it's close" mutters Brossic the sorcerer, who stumbles backwards, as infront of him, Halnard hops back as another crossbow bolt is shot at him, narrowly missing him as it thuds into the front of the safe house.
"Whoever it is" quickly says Halnard the mercenary who continues with "They're at the corner of the next street away to the right".
"I thought so" says the lowlander Brossic, as that's the direction the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che came from.
Then they hear another roar, this one much closer. Followed by what sounds like a thud.
They look directly across the street from the safe house as away to the right the heavily armoured knight is getting to his feet again.
A woman's scream comes from the house directly opposite the safe house that's owned by Sharnd the merchant, who lies dead not that far away.
Brossic frowns, then all of sudden the front door of the house on the opposite side of the street, explodes outwards, sending bits of wood flying everywhere.
As the large green creature they still think is a troll, runs through it, and out onto the street, roaring as it does so.
And though it slightly stumbles and staggers, it doesn't stop, as it's momentum carries it forward, as it continues running, across the street, towards the safe house, and towards them.
Brossic the flatland mercenary who can't actually quite believe what he's seeing, murmurs in surprise "What the fuck is happening?".
While infront of him, Halnard the mercenary is backing away. Behind the two of them, Spranen the mercenary shouts "Move!".
While Grunna the sorcerer, who was just going to move forward, to look around the corner of the house, and cast a spell upon the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che who is out on the street, backs away too.
As he backs away, the mercenary from the port town of Gilsom, Halnard sees the large green creature coming straight this way.
Briefly the mercenary thinks it's coming at the gap they're in, between the safe house, and the next abode along.
But he sees it's not bothering to do that, as it's running, legs lifting, arms pumping. With a scowl come grin upon it's broad, green, feral looking face. As it's running straight at the safe house, admittedly at a bit of angle.
Halnard, and Brossic back quickly away, as Spranen has turned and along with Grunna, are heading around to the back of the safe house.
They don't see it, but they definitely hear it. As first they hear another roar, this one much louder as it's close. Then a thud, as the large, green creature runs into the front of the safe house.
The four of them look at the small abode that belongs to Sharnd the merchant.
And wonder where the troll is going to come out, as they can hear it inside, growling and calling out something in a language they don't understand.
Then they definitely hear it yell something in the common language. What exactly, they're not too sure. But Brossic the mercenary thinks it sounded like "Get some".
Then as they get around to the back of the safe house, part of the back wall goes flying outwards towards them, bits of wood goes flying through the air. As the large, green creature bursts through the back wall of the safe house.
As it stumbles at speed towards them, Grunna the sorcerer, stops holding his power within himself, and quickly casts a spell, which hits the large, green creature, directly in the chest, as it roars in anger as it comes towards the four of them . . . . . .