Mercenary Tales 23.

Northern Vexil. 

The section of the mercenary army that was led into position by captain Marqand's company, attacked the town that's it's target, more or less on time, just after midday. And things went more or less as expected. 

At least the expectations of the group who are part of the mercenary company that's captained by Marqand. 

The objective was to basically destroy the town, though not to kill everyone who lived and worked in the town located in the hill country of northern Vexil. 

The leaders of the mercenary army, that being the Geist cousins Gamil and Farsen, wanted plenty of survivors. 

Who could flee south, to spread the word that an army that has crossed over the border from the kingdom of Girdane, had attacked northern Vexil. 

So Marqand's company, and the group amongst them, made sure that survivors did flee southwards. Either by the forest road, or the forest itself. 

Though they had a tough time of it. As they tried to keep the other companies under control, and stop them from wiping out the townsfolk, on what's a cold, but sunny day here in the hill country of northern Vexil. 

As one would expect in such a chaotic time, there were shall we say incidents. And those incidents had ramifications. 

Standing at the edge of town, the southern end, near the road that's about hundred yards from town, that continues south through the forest. 

Lisell Maera the scout spots something and frowns, taking a moment or two to realize what's happening. The scout officer in the Armies of Farque moves. 

"Shit" mutters Tamric Drubine the field commander when he sees Lisell Maera hurrying away, heading back into town as survivors, come running this way along the road. 

"Zam go after her!" calls out the young field commander who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin. 

As the ex mercenary hurries after the scout Maera, who has made her way back into town. Mira Reinholt the mage who is standing next to Tamric Drubine, calls out "Don't get in her way Zam!" the once powerful mage then dryly says "It could end badly for you". 

The ex mercenary nods in understanding, while Tamric Drubine or Tam as he's more commonly called, mutters "Hell". 

The mage Reinholt just shakes his hooded head, then quietly says "Just be glad you kept Percy and Shur Kee away". 

The spellcaster, who is also a highly skilled swordmaster then sourly adds "Especially Shur Kee". 

Field commander Drubine glances sideways at the Vexilian mage in exile, and lifts a questioning eyebrow. 

And the practitioner of magic who was once the most powerful mage of his generation to be found anywhere in the Southlands, quietly tells him "Stopping Percy is easy enough if he's outraged at something". 

The mage who is a member of Lord Farque's personal council, then dryly adds "Shur Kee not so much". 

The swordmaster Reinholt continues with "Not even I'd take on that monk when he goes into one of those fighting trances or whatever the hell he does when he starts shouting about that Bru Li fellow he worships". 

The spellcaster in the black leather armour, and the black hooded cloak, who is now in his forties then adds "I've done it in the past, and regretted it" he then dryly adds "I got my butt handed to me". 

Standing nearby, Malisse aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman grunts in agreement, then sourly says "Same" followed by "Don't want that to happen again". 

Then as a harried looking family runs by, with the two children crying as they flee south along the road. 

Tam who is of noble birth, and whose father was a former Knight of Castle Drubine, which can be found in the north of his homeland, the kingdom of Sarcrin. 

Looks to where Lisell Maera went, and he can no longer see her. Though he does spot Zam the ex mercenary, hurry in through a doorway in one of the last houses at the southern end of town. 

Zam the ex mercenary mutters "Shit" after he hurries through the doorway, the door of which is off it's hinges and on the floor inside. 

The young man who hails from the City Of Ruins steps over the body with a crossbow bolt in the middle of the back. 

It's a mercenary, belonging to one of the other companies in the army that's been gathered by the Geist Trading Company. 

Near a doorway that leads to what looks like a hallway, is another mercenary, who Zam assumes is from the same company. 

This fellow is still alive, barely though. As his throat has been slit. And he's trying to crawl, with a hand to his throat, trying to stem the flow of blood. 

By the time Zam walks by him, that particular mercenary has gone still, as he's dead. Then the ex mercenary hears a howl of pain, followed by a scream from somewhere else in the house. 

The ex mercenary goes through the doorway, and enters a hallway. He steps by another dead body, this one with a dagger through the eye, and into the brain. 

Zam recognizes the dagger, just like he did the crossbow bolt that killed the first mercenary he came across. 

The young man who happens to be the youngest member of the group, by about five years to be exact. 

Briefly stops when he hears crying, and what's obviously moans of pain. The ex mercenary can easily tell that they come from two separate people. 

Fearing what he's about to see, Zam stops just before a doorway to the right, down at the other end of the hallway. 

"It's me Zam" says Zam the ex mercenary, who thinks it's best he announce himself, as he doesn't want to end up like those he's come across .

The young man from the City Of Ruins, takes a peek through the open doorway into a room, and winces at what he sees. 

Lying in the middle of the floor, groaning in pain, is another mercenary. This one with his pants halfway down. Clutching at his bloody crotch. 

Standing over him is Lisell Maera, she's holding a bloody dagger, she turns and looks at Zam and just lifts an eyebrow. 

While learning back against the wall to the right, is a young woman, barely a teen really. Who is crouched down, dress half ripped from her body, as she quietly sobs. 

"Damn it Lis" mutters Zam the ex mercenary as he enters the room, which causes the teenage girl to almost jump in fright. 

"Lis we better get out of here" says the young man who is originally from the City Of Ruins, he continues with "If we're caught here with this mess, there'll be hell to pay". 

Then before Lisell Maera can do anything else to the mercenary on the floor, whose manhood she's taken. 

Zam kicks the man in the side of the head, knocking him out. The ex mercenary then stomps on the man's throat. Basically killing him, which will happen so enough. 

Zam strips the cloak from the dying mercenary on the floor, and tosses it at the scout Maera who glares at him. 

Then the officer in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque nods when the ex mercenary tells her "Put that on her, and get her out of here, and on the road south". 

Zam takes the coin pouch of the mercenary too, and tosses that to Lis and tells her "Give her that too" followed by "It's going to be hard enough as it going south for her and the other survivors". 

Then as Lisell Maera moves to the teenage girl staring at them in both fright and relief. The ex mercenary hurries from the room. 

The first thing Zam does, is retrieve the dagger Lis shoved into the eye of the mercenary in the hallway. 

Then he goes back into the first room of the house, and yanks out the crossbow bolt from the back of the first mercenary Lis killed. He also takes the bulging coin pouch from this dead mercenary. 

Noticing a fireplace in here, the ex mercenary sees that there's a low burning, smoldering fire in it. 

And using the small hand shovel to one side, he biffs some of the coals over the floor mat in the room, which is soon smoking. 

Zam then takes the rest of the soldering coals and puts it in the fire bucket, and spreads coals in the hallway, and the room where Lisell Maera essentially killed the last mercenary, by cutting off the man's cock and balls. 

The ex mercenary hurries our of the back door of the house, which is open as Lis and the teenage girl went out that door. 

Zam makes his way around the house, and onto the road that heads south into the forest that's outside of town. 

And with the house he was just in catching on fire, the ex mercenary hurries by a trio of other townsfolk who have survived the attack upon their home, and are now fleeing south. 

And he catches up to the scout Maera, and the young woman with her, who is slightly limping as she walks. 

"Here, hide this" quietly says Zam to the teenage girl as he hands her the other coin pouch he took from one of the dead mercenaries. 

After she puts in an inner pocket of the cloak that's slightly too big for her, the ex mercenary quietly tells her "Keep heading south, don't stop until you get to another town". Zam follows that with "Tell them there what's happened here in your hometown". 

The teenage girl nods, then she looks at Zam and Lisell Maera, and quietly says in a subdued tone "Thanks". 

She continues limping away to the south along the road, which Zam the ex mercenary, and Lisell Maera the scout, step off and join the rest of the group. 

While on the other side of the road, is captain Marqand and others from his company, who continually tell survivors who wander by, to keep heading south along the forest road. 

No one says anything for a little while after Zam and Lis return, then finally Tamric Drubine the field commander quietly says "They dead?". 

Zam replies with a nod of his head, while Lisell Maera the scout quietly responds with "They are". 

"Good" murmurs the young noble who hails from the feudal kingdom of Sarcrin, who then tells Lisell Maera in the elven language "Don't do that again" followed by "That's an order". 

Field commander Drubine briefly pauses, before he continues with "Unless I tell you of course". Then after the mage Reinholt softly clears his throat, Tam tells Lis "Or one of the councilors say so". 

The officer in the Scouts and Rangers division of the Armies of Farque, who is originally from the city-state of Brattonbury, just nods her head. 

While they all look to town, which has been attacked by part of the mercenary army gathered by the Geist Trading Company on this fine and clear, though cold winter's day. 

Where one of the houses at this end, the southern end of town, has caught on fire. It won't be the only house, to be set on fire by the end of the afternoon . . . . . .