Eternal
The whole point of conquest is to not completely destroy the land you’re attempting to take over. Why decimate perfectly good territory when a better way presents itself? Besides its probably best to use a weapon like the Storm sparingly. The threat of it should be enough.
“Tell your baron that I’ll meet him, but it’s going to have be at some sort of neutral ground and I’m not coming by myself. If he thinks I’m going to go walking into his land by myself he better just forget this meeting entirely and prepare his armies.” You tell the courier.
“Ah, yes I believe the Baron did expect that you’d say something like that, so he is fully prepared to make arrangements to meet you halfway at an abandoned inn by a crossroads a few miles south from here rather than having to go to him.” The courier replies.
“Hrm. Sounds like he really wants my help. Fine, but if I see an army marching with him, well you can guess what’s going to happen.”
“Oh no, that won’t happen mighty Emperor. He might arrive with some personal servants, but nothing more than that I assure you.”
“He better not. Alright then, off with you.” You say and wave away the courier who bows and takes his leave.
With the courier gone you turn back to Ackerson.
“I want you and the rest of the army to stay here until I get back. The troops could probably use the rest after this whole ordeal with the dryads. Obviously if I don’t get back within a day then I want you to annihilate the Broki Kingdom.” You say.
“My Emperor, aren’t you going to take some people with you? Surely you’ll want back up just in case.”
“Well of course, that’s why Flevas is going with me.”
“While I now see the error of not recognizing his potential sooner, I must insist that you take a few more. Not all the troops are so tired that they can’t help their Emperor!”
“Well I can honestly say I’m not particularly worried about anything this baron can throw at me even if it is a trap, I suppose it never hurts to have more people. Fine then, pick out ten for me and I’ll get going.”
After the ten are picked, you all make your way south. Really you’re sort of wondering where the hell a road is even located, because all you’ve seen is mostly wilderness and long untamed grassy fields. Eventually though Flevas’ tracking skills come in handy and he locates the very faint remnants of one.
The “road” hasn’t been upkept in years, probably decades. Only portions of stone in a semi straight line are evidence that one even existed. Still, it at least proves you’re going in the right direction and eventually a dilapidated building stands before you in the distance.
“Must be the inn. Don’t see any signs of the baron or an army yet.” You say.
“Maybe they’re inside.” Flevas says.
“Well maybe the baron is, but I doubt if even he could fit an army in there.”
“Maybe not an army, but it only takes a few assassins to kill a man.”
“Glad to see you’re so suspicious Flevas, were you volunteering to scout out the place first?”
“If that is what you wish Emperor.”
“If you’re going to scout it out then don’t go alone, take some people with you….sheesh I sound like Ackerson.”
Flevas and three of your other troops ride away towards the inn and you wait. Twenty minutes pass and you see one of your soldiers riding back towards you.
“Well?”
“He’s dead my Emperor.”
“What?! Who?!”
“The baron. I mean at least we think its him, never having seen him before and all. He’s dressed pretty fancy. Doesn’t look like anyone else is around, but whether it’s the baron or not there’s still a dead man in there. Flevas is still doing some checking, he said he’d prefer it if you were there to see this for yourself.”
“(Sigh) Why can’t anything be simple? I knew I should’ve just used the Storm…” you say exasperated as you all ride off towards the inn.
When you arrive you enter the inn and see your other two soldiers and on the floor you don’t see the baron or an unknown dead man, what you see is Flevas and before you can react, you feel a couple crossbow bolts hit you in the face. One just below one of your eyes and another into your cheek. A couple more hit you in your right arm and leg. You crumple to the floor on one knee groaning in pain.
“SHIT, I missed his brain! Somebody get him quick before he starts casting magic!” you hear a voice say and several people tackle you forward to the ground. You attempt to get up, but several people are putting their entire weight on your back making it impossible. You attempt to cast a spell, but someone quickly gets the bright idea to repeatedly stomp on one of your hands with their foot while someone else just chops off the other one with an axe blow.
“Hey asshole! You nearly hit me!” a soldier shouts.
“Fuck…ing traitors, I’ll kill all…” you start to utter and then a boot kicks you in the face sinking the bolt under your eye deeper. You begin to feel disoriented and unable to see properly.
“Stop playing with the fool, just kill him! Like this!” you hear a familiar voice shout.
Is that Eldolith?
You’ll never know for sure as a well-placed bolt pierces your skull.
“Tell your baron that I’ll meet him, but it’s going to have be at some sort of neutral ground and I’m not coming by myself. If he thinks I’m going to go walking into his land by myself he better just forget this meeting entirely and prepare his armies.” You tell the courier.
“Ah, yes I believe the Baron did expect that you’d say something like that, so he is fully prepared to make arrangements to meet you halfway at an abandoned inn by a crossroads a few miles south from here rather than having to go to him.” The courier replies.
“Hrm. Sounds like he really wants my help. Fine, but if I see an army marching with him, well you can guess what’s going to happen.”
“Oh no, that won’t happen mighty Emperor. He might arrive with some personal servants, but nothing more than that I assure you.”
“He better not. Alright then, off with you.” You say and wave away the courier who bows and takes his leave.
With the courier gone you turn back to Ackerson.
“I want you and the rest of the army to stay here until I get back. The troops could probably use the rest after this whole ordeal with the dryads. Obviously if I don’t get back within a day then I want you to annihilate the Broki Kingdom.” You say.
“My Emperor, aren’t you going to take some people with you? Surely you’ll want back up just in case.”
“Well of course, that’s why Flevas is going with me.”
“While I now see the error of not recognizing his potential sooner, I must insist that you take a few more. Not all the troops are so tired that they can’t help their Emperor!”
“Well I can honestly say I’m not particularly worried about anything this baron can throw at me even if it is a trap, I suppose it never hurts to have more people. Fine then, pick out ten for me and I’ll get going.”
After the ten are picked, you all make your way south. Really you’re sort of wondering where the hell a road is even located, because all you’ve seen is mostly wilderness and long untamed grassy fields. Eventually though Flevas’ tracking skills come in handy and he locates the very faint remnants of one.
The “road” hasn’t been upkept in years, probably decades. Only portions of stone in a semi straight line are evidence that one even existed. Still, it at least proves you’re going in the right direction and eventually a dilapidated building stands before you in the distance.
“Must be the inn. Don’t see any signs of the baron or an army yet.” You say.
“Maybe they’re inside.” Flevas says.
“Well maybe the baron is, but I doubt if even he could fit an army in there.”
“Maybe not an army, but it only takes a few assassins to kill a man.”
“Glad to see you’re so suspicious Flevas, were you volunteering to scout out the place first?”
“If that is what you wish Emperor.”
“If you’re going to scout it out then don’t go alone, take some people with you….sheesh I sound like Ackerson.”
Flevas and three of your other troops ride away towards the inn and you wait. Twenty minutes pass and you see one of your soldiers riding back towards you.
“Well?”
“He’s dead my Emperor.”
“What?! Who?!”
“The baron. I mean at least we think its him, never having seen him before and all. He’s dressed pretty fancy. Doesn’t look like anyone else is around, but whether it’s the baron or not there’s still a dead man in there. Flevas is still doing some checking, he said he’d prefer it if you were there to see this for yourself.”
“(Sigh) Why can’t anything be simple? I knew I should’ve just used the Storm…” you say exasperated as you all ride off towards the inn.
When you arrive you enter the inn and see your other two soldiers and on the floor you don’t see the baron or an unknown dead man, what you see is Flevas and before you can react, you feel a couple crossbow bolts hit you in the face. One just below one of your eyes and another into your cheek. A couple more hit you in your right arm and leg. You crumple to the floor on one knee groaning in pain.
“SHIT, I missed his brain! Somebody get him quick before he starts casting magic!” you hear a voice say and several people tackle you forward to the ground. You attempt to get up, but several people are putting their entire weight on your back making it impossible. You attempt to cast a spell, but someone quickly gets the bright idea to repeatedly stomp on one of your hands with their foot while someone else just chops off the other one with an axe blow.
“Hey asshole! You nearly hit me!” a soldier shouts.
“Fuck…ing traitors, I’ll kill all…” you start to utter and then a boot kicks you in the face sinking the bolt under your eye deeper. You begin to feel disoriented and unable to see properly.
“Stop playing with the fool, just kill him! Like this!” you hear a familiar voice shout.
Is that Eldolith?
You’ll never know for sure as a well-placed bolt pierces your skull.
