Mercenary Tales 87.

Northern Vexil. 

Farsen Geist is breathing heavily, leaning over, hands on knees, trying to get his breath back. While next to him, his older cousin Gamil, is leaning back against a tree trunk, also trying to get his breathing under control. 

The younger Geist cousin is just glad it's the middle of winter. As he's perspiring heavily, glad that it isn't the middle of summer. 

Farsen Geist just grunts after standing back upright, when Gamil Geist loudly mutters "I'm fucking stuffed". 

The younger of the two cousins picks up the sword on the ground in front of him. It's not even his, as he lost his some time ago during the battle here in the heavily forested hills of northern Vexil. 

One of the nearby Geist company guards suddenly says "Hear that?" followed by "Sounds like cavalry". 

"I fucking hope not" says Farsen Geist, his older cousin Gamil grunts in agreement as that's the last thing they need. Cavalry units from the Vexillian army suddenly turning up. 

Another of the company guards runs back to them through the trees, and as he approaches he calls out "Look away!" followed by "Or close your eyes!". 

"Oh shit" says Farsen Geist, next to him his older cousin Gamil says "Fuck". As they, like every one of the company guards, and mercenaries with them. Know what's nearby, and heading this way. 

Farsen looks down at the ground as they hear what sounds like cavalry approaching, getting closer and closer. 

Then it's upon them. To be exact, going by them. Through the trees, just to the left of them. Not slowing down, except for one. 

Farsen Geist nods his head as he continues to look straight down at the ground in front of him, when a familiar voice says "We'll hit them on the left flank, giving you and the others more time to continue south". 

"Thanks Hafnah" says Farsen Geist to the mercenary captain who sits upon his cockatrice less than five yards from the Geist cousins and those with them. 

"Best of luck" says the mercenary captain Hafnah whose company are cockatrice riders, and without doubt the only reason the mercenary army of the Geist cousins, hasn't been decimated this morning since they've crossed over the border into northern Vexil. 

"You too" replies the younger of the Geist cousins, which is echoed by his older cousin Gamil, who stands there with his eyes closed as he leans back against the tree behind him. 

They hear the cockatrice with the mercenary captain upon it, moving off. Then after a few moments, one of the nearby company guards says "It's safe" followed by "They're out of sight". 

Farsen Geist looks up, while next to him his older cousin Gamil opens his eyes, then says "That's always unnerving being around them during battle". 

The younger of the Geist cousins nods his head in agreement with his cousin. As no one wants to look at a cockatrice when their blinders are off as they are during battle. 

And though cockatrice don't actually turn you to stone if you look them in the eye. They make you basically go stone like, and not move. 

Making it pathetically easy for them, or their rider to kill you. As you're unable to defend yourself when you're in that state. 

Farsen Geist who desperately wanted to ask Hafnah if his daughter Danielle was alright. Looks at his older cousin Gamil, and asks him "You okay to move off?". 

"I could ask you the same thing" dryly says Gamil Geist with a sideways look at his younger cousin Farsen. 

"You were wheezing and huffing like a broken bellows there for a bit" adds the older of the two cousins who have gathered a mercenary army. Which they were hoping would start a border war between their homeland the city-state of Vexil, and it's northern neighbour, the kingdom of Girdane. 

"I could say the same thing about you" dryly says the younger of the two Geist cousins, with a shake of his head as he glances at his older cousin Gamil. 

Farsen Geist looks around, then asks "Where's the commander". Referring to Kilmas, the commander of the company guards. 

"That way" says one of the nearby company guards, who points away to the right of them, where the sounds of combat can just be heard, from where they are in the heavily forested hill country, that makes up the border region between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane. 

"Head that way?" asks Farsen Geist as he looks at his older cousin "It is south" adds the younger of the two cousins. 

"Might as well" says Gamil Geist, who then says to the around twenty or so guards and mercenaries with the two cousins "Come on you lot, let's go". 

They move off, as they do, there's a thud in the distance somewhere further back behind them in the forest. An explosion, most likely caused by one of the spellcasters on either side of the battle. 

After wiping the sweat off his brow, Farsen Geist looks around, then sends a couple of guards off in front of the rest of them, as they continue, more or less to the southwest. 

The younger of the Geist cousins as he jogs with the others, looks directly to their left, when one of the mercenaries with them, spots movement that way. 

In turns out to be more of their army, a mix of both company guards and mercenaries, about a dozen of them. 

And with them, limping, is the wizard Hoptas. Whose robes, down at the edges, are scorched. With smoke trailing behind him as he limps to the Geist cousins, who along with those with them, have slowed to allow the new arrivals to join them. 

"Got caught in the middle of an explosion a little earlier" says Hoptas the wizard after he joins the Geist cousins. 

The spellcaster from here in the city-state of Vexil, who has served the Geist trading company for a couple of decades, coughs to clear his throat, before he adds "A damn mage globe" followed by a muttered "Thought I was a goner there for a bit". 

Both Geist cousins wince at hearing that. They've yet to encounter any mage in the Vexillian army and aircorp so far this morning. And they certainly don't want to either. As they know going against one of them in battle will get you killed real quick. 

They move off again, as they do, one of the company guards who just joined them, gestures upwards, then says "Wyvern". 

Everyone looks up, and see the large, winged creature pass overhead, a few hundred feet above the treetops. 

"Huh?" says Hoptas the wizard, who quickly casts a spell, then drops it after he adds "Doesn't look like a typical rider in their aircorp". 

The Vexillian spellcaster as he walks quickly alongside Farsen Geist, nods his head then says "It's that big fellow from captain Marqand's company" followed by "Just cast a farsight spell to see him more clearly". 

The Geist cousins look sharply at the wizard who tells them "You know, that one who turned up early this morning with that cleric, and the deformed looking troll". 

"Huh, imagine that" says Farsen Geist, while beside him, his older cousin Gamil says "How the hell did he get a hold of that?" 

With a shrug of his shoulders, the younger of the two cousins says "Who knows" followed by "Hopefully that can be an advantage to us". 

He like his older cousin Gamil, along with the wizard Hoptas, as well as quite a few of the guards and mercenaries with them, look up to see if they can spot the wyvern again, but it and the rider in the saddle upon it's back, are out of sight at the moment. 

Though a short while later, the Geist company guard who first spotted it, points then says "Look, it's circling back this way". 

And though they can all hear the sound of fighting somewhere away to their left amongst the trees, they all look up, and spot the wyvern heading this way. 

It briefly disappears from view as it circled behind them and some of the taller trees that way, then it comes around again, slowing as it does so, less than a hundred feet above the treetops. 

And they see the large heavily armoured figure in the saddle as the wyvern leans slightly to the side, so they get a good look at the rider, who they see pointing, moving his arm as he does so. In the universal gesture to go that way. 

Farsen Geist replies with a raised fist to signify they will. The large heavily armoured figure on the back of the wyvern nods in return. Then the wyvern tightly turns, and heads back to the north. 

"Ah well, looks like we should head more to the west" says Farsen Geist followed by "As much as to the south". 

"Sounds good to me" says Gamil Geist, who wants to get away from the elements of the Vexillian army they've come across this morning, as quickly as possible. 

The wizard Hoptas nods in agreement with the cousins, then the younger of the two Geist cousins calls out to the company guards and mercenaries with them "That way!". 

As he points more to the west, the way the large heavily armoured figure on the wyvern gestured to. 

Higher up in the air, Lord Farque looks back and spots the Geist cousins, and those with them, start heading in the direction he pointed to. 

The undead warlord nods his full helmed head as he looks ahead again, then down at the forest below as he has the wyvern head back north towards the border. 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque who has been continuously sensing in all directions. Knows that the rest of the group have arrived, and made it across the border. And are now with Tamric Drubine the field commander, Beldane the cleric and Dorc da Orc. 

The lord of the death realm glances back behind him, and looks further to the south, and slightly frowns. 

"Hmmmmm" Lord Farque murmurs to himself as he senses, then sees more Vexillian soldiers on one of the roads to the south, making their way through the hill country to the border with the kingdom of Girdane. 

The undead being who has the name of Draugodrottin that the people of his lands also know him by, then scowls behind the faceplate of his full helm. As he can see more Vexillian warships away to the south, heading this way. 

Des'tier, which is Draugodrottin's elvish name looks north again, and sees another Girdanian warship has turned up along the border. And he can see a couple more on the horizon to the north. 

The large heavily armoured deathlord shakes his full helmed head, then he has the wyvern slow down as much as possible. Then he has it turn to the northeast, as it does the lord and ruler of the Lands Farque looks down. 

Below him he watches the fighting between the Vexillian army and the mercenary army of the Geist cousins. 

It's predominantly a running battle through the forest. As elements of the mercenary army gathered by the Geist cousins move as quickly as they can to the south, and the southwest. 

With the elements of the Vexillian army mainly in pursuit of them. Though where the fighting is heaviest, the mercenary army has run straight into those soldiers in the army of the city-state of Vexil. 

The undead warlord doesn't particularly care about the outcome of the running battle. Just as long as all of them keep heading southwest. 

The large heavily armoured deathlord just doesn't want any of them, from either side, going east. The direction of the nearest abandoned gold mine, which the elven maiden Salinéll had recently reopened. 

Draugodrottin looks to the south again, and what he sees causes him to scowl. As the Vexillian army company coming up one of the roads, has taken an eastern turn off, to avoid one of the hills, so they can get to the border more quickly. 

The lord and ruler of the Lands Farque sighs, then mutters "Fuck". Then with a command in the dragon language, he has the wyvern head north once more. 

And head to the nearby rise on this side of the border, where the group are watching the last of the mercenary army of the Geist cousins, fleeing south as they're pursued by elements of the Vexillian army. 

On this cold winters morning, here in the heavily forested hill country that straddles the border region between the city-state of Vexil and the kingdom of Girdane . . . . . .