Mercenary Tales 65.

The City Of Vexil. 

Beldane the cleric spent the night at the small chapterhouse attached to the church of Glaine, which is also fairly small, in the north of the city of Vexil. 

The powerful fighting cleric who hails from the kingdom of Nastell thought it best to look the part of a traveling cleric. Which essentially he is. 

His fellow church members, the small number based here in the capital of the city-state of Vexil. 

Were just glad to have another member of their church here in Vexil, and were pleased when he turned up during the middle of the night. 

The powerful practitioner of magic woke up early, and had breakfast in the refectory, then after attending the traditional dawn service in church. The main service his church offers to those of the public who worship the god Glaine. Not that more than a handful actually turned up. 

Beldane made his way from his church, and went out onto the streets of the city of Vexil, on what's another cold winter's day. 

Though the powerful fighting cleric easily admits, the cold down here in the capital city, is fairly mild compared to how cold it is in the hill country up in the north of the city-state. 

The powerful spellcaster heads south through the city, on a morning that's dawned cold and clear. As he nears the city center, the Nastellian born practitioner of magic stops off at a shop that's just opened. 

It's an apothecary, one that deals with magical potions more than the mundane type of potion one is likely to buy. Making it's wares more than a little expensive. 

The yawning shopkeeper, lifts an eyebrow in surprise when Beldane asks him for a certain potion. Which it turns out the shopkeeper does in fact have. 

And the shopkeeper's other eyebrow lifts up in surprise when the powerful fighting cleric tells him he'll buy it, even after the proprietor of the shop tells him how much it'll cost. 

The price is exorbitant to say the least. Though both the shopkeeper and the powerful practitioner of magic knows that's what the particular potion usually goes for. 

Beldane hands over two pouches of gold coins, which the shopkeeper gladly accepts before he hands the small glass vial containing the potion over to the Nastellian born fighting cleric. 

The member of the church of Glaine thanks the shopkeeper, then makes his way out of the shop. And continues on his way to the city center. 

The powerful spellcaster is just glad that wasn't actually his own gold coins. It was given to him by Lord Farque. 

Who gave Beldane a bunch of coin pouches when they first arrived here in the city of Vexil, and stopped off at a counting house where the undead warlord has an account. 

When the powerful practitioner of magic gets near the city center, he turns to the west, and goes that way, whilst continuing southwards. 

And it's not too long before he's left the already busy city center behind. And he nears the large square where many of the churches and temples here in Vexil are located. 

Beldane heads down a street on the north side of the large square, occasionally sensing as he does so. 

The powerful fighting cleric in the church of Glaine slightly nods to himself when he senses someone nearby that he now recognizes. 

The spellcaster in the church of Glaine briefly stops and closes his eyes as he adjusts his cloak, as if to ward off the cold. 

He's sensing for something specific, near to the particular spellcaster he just sensed. He opens his eyes, and slightly nods to himself again, when he does indeed sense what he was searching for. 

Even though he could barely sense it, but knowing what to sense for, he was able to locate it, though barely. 

"A ring" Beldane the cleric murmurs to himself, who then makes his way up a wide set of steps, to the massive church of Famal. 

The cathedral of which absolutely dwarves the church and chapterhouse of Glaine in the north of the city. 

Infact the grounds of the church of Famal, as well as quite a number of the other churches and temples in this part of the capital city of Vexil. 

Are absolutely massive in comparison to the main church of Glaine located in the north of his homeland of Nastell. 

The large church doors are open, and the church guards on duty this morning, slightly nod to the powerful fighting cleric, and allow him to enter their church. 

Beldane is met by a young novice, who escorts him through the massive cathedral, then outside to the courtyard, a square to be exact. On the other side of which is the administration building of the church of Famal. 

The novice informs the powerful practitioner of magic that others are already here. The fighting cleric in the church of Glaine isn't surprised, since he sensed them as he approached this part of the city. 

Beldane also knows that others will turn up. As it was agreed that here in the church of Famal, a meeting would take place concerning matters at hand. 

Salinéll the elven maiden looks up as another one enters the chamber. She sees it's another cleric, a powerful one at that too. 

She slightly nods to herself when she recognizes who it is. The elf from the principality of Alínlae shares a look with Margin the wizard, who stands nearby. 

The Vexilian born practitioner of magic slightly nods too, as he recognizes this cleric as well. The wizard in the dark red robes walks over to the elven maiden, who has hidden her ability to cast from all the clergy from various churches and temples who have gathered here this morning. 

"He's the one" quietly says Margin the wizard to his coconspirator the elven magic user who leads their group. 

"Only one to take it on and survive" continues the wizard who is in his forties, he follows that with "And he held that other one they ran across yesterday afternoon when we took off after the ork". 

Salinéll the elven maiden slightly frowns at the mention of the ork named Dorc da Orc. And though she knows the large ork is now dead. She was more than a little disappointed she wasn't conscious when the others in the group, captured the large ork, who they then killed. 

She's also disappointed in the job that Margin did in healing her, along with her fellow elf from the principality of Alínlae, Jarkellé. 

The elven maiden is only feeling better now, after what she considers was a piss poor casting of healing by the wizard Margin. 

"What's that buzzing coming from him?" quietly says Salinéll the elven maiden in barely a murmur to her fellow practitioner of magic. 

"That mace of his I think" is the murmured reply of the Vexilian wizard, who knows that if those gathered here find out what he, Salinéll and the rest of the group are actually doing here in the city-state of Vexil. 

There will be an uproar from this lot. And their lives will be in danger to say the least. Considering they're trying to start a war between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane. 

And though churches and temples usually keep out of the affairs of nations. Not here in Vexil, where the mandate to allow churches and temples to originally set up here, by decree of the mages who founded the city-state. 

Was to have the clergy help defend Vexil in threatening times, such as war. And though the nation's clergy won't get involved with something like a border skirmish, or a trade war. 

If the mage council demands they take part in a full on war with another nation or nations, then they'll definitely get involved. 

The new arrival notices the looks, not just from Salinéll and Margin, but many of the other spellcasters, his mace receives. 

And he says in an apologetic tone "Sorry about that" gesturing at the mace on his belt, he adds "It's got a mind of it's own" followed by "It can get annoying to be around". 

The elven maiden Salinéll doesn't show any reaction to that, but next to her, Margin the wizard lifts an eyebrow in surprise. 

The elf from the principality of Alínlae, who thanks to the talisman, in this case, a ring. Allows her to hide her ability to cast to other practitioners of magic. 

Senses the magical weapon the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine wears on his belt. She senses others, including Margin doing so as well. 

This time Salinéll does lift an eyebrow in surprise, hoping no one sees it once she's sensed what the magical weapon is. 

The elven spellcaster slightly nods her head, when next to her, Margin murmurs "Hell, that thing is powerful". 

The Vexilian born wizard continues murmuring with "No wonder he stood up to it yesterday and survived". Referring to the undead being who the group are after. 

As more clerics, priests, priestesses, monks and nuns from various churches and temples arrive. The elven maiden discreetly casts again, this time upon the fighting cleric in the church of Glaine himself. As she wants to find out about him. Wondering if he can directly help them out, instead of having to work with these others. Which Salinéll would rather not do. 

The elven practitioner of magic who hails from the principality of Alínlae refrains from frowning as she's unable to read the mind of the cleric, who it turns out is named Beldane. As he's introduced by one of the clerics in the church of Famal. 

Salinéll leans towards Margin, and murmurs to himself "I can't read that Beldane's mind". 

The wizard in the dark red robes blinks in surprise at that. As he knows that the elven maiden is a powerful and skilful practitioner of magic in her own right. 

Margin who knows that Salinéll would prefer to not deal with these others, and have just the one cleric, preferably a very powerful one. To help them in their attempt to capture and destroy the undead being they're after. 

Murmurs to the elven spellcaster standing closely beside him "Probably that mace protecting him" followed by "Certainly capable of doing so, no matter how powerful you are". 

The elven maiden nods her head in agreement, then she falls silent, as do the others in the chamber, as Omarc the cleric commander, and interim head of the church of Famal, enters, followed by a couple of his offsiders, and a layman in the church, who is an archivist. 

"Thank you for all coming" says Omarc the cleric commander of the church of Famal, who continues with "In concern of this foul being who is amongst us". 

The interim head of the church of Famal in Vexil, then says "We've received word from the city council" he then dryly adds "Which means the mage council". 

Which illicits chuckles and quiet laughter from many in the chamber, who have gathered here this morning at the behest of the cleric commander in the church of Famal. 

"And that they want this unclean creature gone from not just the city, but the entire nation" adds the powerful practitioner of magic, who is now the interim head of his church. 

The cleric commander Omarc looks around at the many clergy who have gathered, including the pair of Salinéll the elven maiden and Margin the wizard. 

"Right, this is what we plan to do" says Omarc the interim head of the church of Famal in Vexil, who then goes into detail how they can catch, detain, and finally destroy this undead being who has turned up in the capital of the city-state of Vexil . . . . . .