“Verdomme wat is het koud hier.” Inquisitor Ronald Hauer muttered as he watched the rolling waves. “Excuse me?” Ser Edward of the order of the Temple asked. The inquisitor shook his head. “It is nothing.” Inquisitor Hauer’s Solestian was heavily accented and it made Edward wince. Personally, he despised Neyendaal and all the people that were from there. They called themselves a modern people with their republic and their abolishment of ancient institutions. He saw them for what they truly were, heretical, uncultured swindlers.

There was little love lost between the men. Not that it mattered, they didn’t have to like each other as long as they could work together. Both were chosen for their professionalism and expertise and their pride therein was perhaps one of the few things they had in common. “Isn’t it about time for your prayers, ser?” The inquisitor asked, contempt clear in his voice. “Indeed, it is, if you excuse me.” The knight took the opportunity to leave, taking solace in the fact that when the day of reckoning came the cleansing light would burn even the memory of the inquisitor away.

Left alone the inquisitor let out a deep sigh. Why was it that it was always him dealing with Solestians these days? Crazy, sun worshipping, traditionalists that they were, they would be hard for anyone to deal with, especially an inquisitor. His hand strayed to the pistol hanging from his belt as the chants of morning prayer started. He could feel the magic coursing through the priest leading the ceremony and it made him itch to shoot the man. He walked himself through a few mental exercises and the itch disappeared.

It was a sign of the times that Neyendaal would even consider signing a treaty with a nation of zealots, let alone ally with them. He personally blamed the Merovians and the abomination they called empress. Since her rise more and more nations had given into the temptations of foul sorceries and magical practices. He missed Neyendaal already, specifically his house in Heinen. Back home the servants would already have woken up and lighted a fire in the hearth of his study. He wouldn’t have woken for another hour, just in time to receive a warm newspaper and a fresh cup of coffee.

Instead he was standing on this freezing deck, waiting for a bunch of buffoons to stop their yammering. He sighed again, longing for the comforts of home. But with each second he drifted further away. In the distance he saw the looming mountains which were the destination of this expedition. The fact that they were entirely covered in snow made him regret that cloaks weren’t in fashion this year.

The chanting finally ended and the crew of the ship went back to work. He watched as dark clouds gathered, listening to the distant sound of thunder rumbling. “Inquisitor, we will make land tomorrow.” Ronald nodded. “I will be below decks, don’t interrupt me until we’ve reached port.” Without waiting for a response, the inquisitor turned around and stalked away. Tomorrow the real work would begin.

Ɏ

Saevai was quietly listening as the council convened. The mood was grim, the community that had been destroyed had been a young one, only two thousand years old. The elders moaned the loss of the many lives that had been lost. It wasn’t sadness however which dominated the council, but anger. Kairp breathed in deeply and as he did the forest around him seemed to bow towards him.

Saevai looked up at the elder with awe. This was the first time he had met one and Kairp hadn’t disappointed. Standing at twenty meters he had to crane his neck to even see the elder’s face. The idea that he had to potential to be like Kairp one day made him shiver. The power and respect the elder commanded called to him like few things ever had. Only another five thousand years he thought bitterly.

“We should retake the colony.” Kairp said, his deep voice audible to all. One of the other elders nodded. “I agree and this time I will settle it myself. In my presence no creature will survive entering Mnumera ever again.” Elder Mnoma whispered, toxic spores escaping from her lips. Beneath her younger elves scattered to avoid touching the spores. In response to Mnoma’s statement a wave of chatter went through the assembled. The elder hadn’t left Felumia since the human wars, her resolve to do so now emphasized the seriousness of the situation for those that hadn’t been at the slaughter.

“I oppose to this course of action. If you move on Mnumera the humans might see that as a breach of the treaty. We’ve officially breached it already when our people retreated from the colony.” Elder Tarqua said, readjusting the green silk toga she was wearing. Of the elders she was the only one who bothered dressing. It seemed to be a requirement of her function as diplomat, something to do with humans not wanting to deal with a naked savage.

“Perhaps we should discuss the matter with her majesty.” The entire council went quiet, looking at elder Fosai. As the elder spoke the smell of disease wafted from his mouth. Of the councilmembers he was oldest, but prolonged sickness had stunted his growth. It was one of the great tragedies of their people. One of their oldest was falling, slowly dying of a disease that couldn’t be cured, which stripped him of everything one agonizing step at the time. In four hundred years the elder hadn’t moved from the very spot he was now sitting in, his ability to walk being one of the first to go.

Fosai coughed and the smell intensified. Two of his four lungs were failing, which was good, it meant that he would die before the sickness reached his brain. “Her majesty could regrow the stretch of land between us and Mnumera, clearing the way for us to move in full force.” Tarqua shook her head. “That would be a clear breach of the treaty. We agreed to keeping Mnumera, or Shiburn Forest as the humans call it, separated from Felumia. If Felumia is even partly restored to its former size the humans will attack us.” Mnoma snorted. “Let the humans attack we will remind them why they had to sign a treaty in the first place.” She whispered, catching the stream of spores, coming from the poisonous mushrooms which grew in her throat, in her hand.

“At what cost?” Tarqua asked. “Have you forgotten the endless waves? To them a hundred or a thousand soldiers lost don’t matter. Two decades they needed after the first war. Two. While we were still mourning what we lost they rebuilt their armies, stronger and fiercer than before, bringing death once again to our doorstep. Would you really revisit those days?” Mnoma said nothing, but it wasn’t clear whether she had nothing more to say or if she was just being careful not to kill her brethren. “Then what do you propose?” Kairp asked angrily. “We can’t just sit around and do nothing.” Tarqua nodded. “Let me talk with the humans, see if they’re aware of this threat and whether we could take collective action. If it fails, we can inform the queen.” She nodded respectfully at Fosai, who let out a wheezing cough.

“This is acceptable.” Mnoma whispered, before standing up. “I will be in the garden.” When fully standing amidst the large ancient trees the elder looked a bit like a tree herself. She took Saevai’s breath away. She was perhaps the deadliest elf to have ever graced these lands. When she was younger, she had been a skilled warrior, but these days she was much more. Her mere presence could turn the tide of battles and when she went on the offensive few could stand in her way. If only she had been there when Mnumera fell. She would have destroyed the monsters with but a breath.

“I will talk with the humans then. Saevai, you will join me, I’m in need of a witness. Humans require such things.” Elder Tarqua said. Saevai, who was still looking at Mnoma’s retreating back, looked up when he heard the sound of his own name. “As you wish.” He mumbled. Tarqua nodded and both she and Kairp rose. “There will be a reckoning for the unwarranted slaughter that was visited upon us.” Tarqua said. “But with patience and in time, with minimal risk to the other colonies.” Kairp nodded. “I warn you Tarqua, if it takes too long Mnoma and I will take action ourselves. Make good use of the time you have.”

As the other elders left Fosai let out another wheezing cough. When the next war came, he wasn’t going to see the end of it. He tried moving his legs, but what was left of them didn’t respond to his commands. With a grunt he hoisted himself up using a nearby building for support. He didn’t even feel it as his legs broke off at the knees, red yellowish blood seeping out of the remainder of his legs. As the elder crawled to an enormous tree in the distance he left behind a trail of decay.

Ɏ

Sweat dripped down Thomas’ bare back as he struggled to keep up with Jared. The human and the visius circled around each other, swords at the ready. Sword fighting, unlike hitting somebody with a long branch, had turned out to be really difficult. He and Jared had been at it for the better part of a month and he had made very little progress. He rushed forwards, trying to catch Jared by surprise, and thrust at the other man. Jared gave him a sharp teethed smile as he danced around the thrust.

The visius was much leaner than Thomas had first thought. “I’m telling you again, heavy weaponry suits your personal style much better than these kinds of swords.” Jared said, not even out of breath. “What we’re doing here is less about strength and more about agility and technique.” Thomas turned around, going for a downward sweep aimed to cripple Jared’s legs. Steel met steel and he was once again with one of Jared’s sneers. “And technique, my friend, is all about timing.”

The blades they were training with were blunted, which was a good thing since Thomas would have died already if it hadn’t been the case. It however did grant Jared the freedom to hit him mercilessly causing bruising in most places. “The pain will help you learn faster.” His slightly sadistic teacher had said. He groaned as Jared pushed his blade aside and punched him in the chest, throwing him off balance. Before he could fall however Jared caught his wrist and pulled him back up. “Look at it from the bright side, at least I talked the lieutenant out of training you in the academy’s fashion.” Thomas looked warily at the many scars on Jared’s chest.

Having spend quite a lot of time with Jared he had concluded that all visius were a little mad. They were obsessed with fighting and bloodlines. Half the time they were fighting over bloodlines and which was the purest one of those. It sounded like a waste of time and lives and so far, Jared had yet to prove him otherwise. “Again.” Jared shouted.

Thomas took a deep breath, anchoring himself in the moment, trying to ignore the small crowd that had gathered. He held the sword in a high guard, the most aggressive form Jared had taught him. Jared smiled at him, licking his bloodless lips. “Let’s dance Tommy boy.” The visius shouted in heavily accented Solestian. Thomas tried to ignore the chuckles it got from the crowd. His opponent was trying to aggravate him into making a mistake. Carefully he closed the distance and made contact.

The first set Jared had taught him was designed to gain measure of one’s opponent and as he went through it, shortly breaking pattern to riposte an attack, Jared nodded appreciatively. “Come on big man, you can do it.” A sweet voice shouted from the side. For a second he looked and saw Anna standing in the crowd, with Jenna and Mindy. When he looked back, he was hit in the face by Jared’s fist. A collective wince went through the crowd. “During a fight we never take our eyes off an opponent.” Jared hissed. “When you do, you die and then you never see the person you were looking at again.”

Thomas spewed out a long string of curses in Camarian. Jared tilted his head. “Your vocabulary has improved.” He walked to the pack he had put aside earlier and retrieved a waterskin. He threw it to Thomas who caught it. “It might bruise a little, but nothing you should be worried about.” Thomas nodded sourly as he drank. “Again?” He asked. “As soon as you’re ready.” Golden lights were burning in Jared’s eyes. “Let’s impress your fiancé properly this time.” Thomas threw the waterskin at Jared, following up with a high swing, which the visius barely avoided.

“Much better, now keep up the pressure!” The fight intensified until both men were sweating heavily and out of breath. “If we keep this up another year or two, we will have you up to academic standard. He pat Thomas on the back. Honestly, your stamina is impressing, your lady is lucky.” He laughed. “I wish I was as lucky as you.” Thomas grinned. “You never know, we have some pretty girls without husbands.” Jared shrugged. “All your girls have teeth like your cows. Why don’t you people have proper teeth?” As Thomas towelled off, he glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t be too picky my friend or you will end up all alone.”

Jared’s expression suddenly turned serious. “When you’re done smooching with your future mate there is something we need to talk about.” Thomas gave him a curious glance. “After you’ve eaten meet me in the tavern.” Jared said as he grabbed a towel himself. Thomas gave him a small wave as he walked over to Anna and her friends. The visius threw a few glances his pupil’s way. It was going to be a difficult conversation; one he wasn’t looking forwards to. How do you explain to someone that a foreign invasion force could arrive at any moment to occupy their village? He shook his head; it would be for the best. Maplemore was a speck on the map as it currently was. after the empire took over it would become the first real civilized foothold in this world. Still, that didn’t mean he had to look forwards to telling his friend.