The Army took some time to form up, and camp and The Warden formally took over as War Leader of the Army of Fecundity but spent the evening comparing notes with the Grey Elf King Amathithren on both their troops and how best to train them and the two forces trained together. Theria had decided that marching the Army South and practising every night was good discipline for the Army, and she could always portal it somewhere in dire need, but until such need to let it march with the Behemoths and Golems in the Vanguard, the Army was a formidable sight for anyone to behold, The advantage on this journey was the Grey King had marched this way and stated he was going to aid and ally and to ask for aid to and since the Army was well supplied there was no fear of the hospitality of the lands we marched through turning sour through the actions of the soldiers although since we spent some coin on buying meat from locals, we were probably a boon stimulating local economies and the army had met no opposition so far with everyone letting them through as the Kingdom of Fecundity and the Elves both had a reputation for behaving honourably and not raiding where they marched.
The troops trained in the morning for two hours, then ate and marched for eight hours, then ate and then a further two hours of training, with the night watch soldiers in heavily covered wagons sleeping as the Army marched beside them. Amathithren was happy with the progress and to learn of the route ahead as the Grey Elves lived just beyond the Beastmen Republic. When the Army started marching South, Findel refused to let Theria go without her. So Theria and Findel went ahead to the Northern Checkpoint of the Protectorate via a portal, arriving to meet mounted Paladin knights at the roadblock. Theria introduced herself and explained both who she was and that the Army of Grey Elf King Amathithren was returning from the North. She requested permission for them to cross The Theocratic Protectorate to head to the Grey Elf Lands and asked if she might meet the High Marshall. She offered to Portal whichever Paladin might want to go to the High Marshall on their way or to accompany them to the High Marshall. News of her had obviously reached these Paladins, and they were clearly unsure what to do. So Theria opened a portal to a mile outside of Sanctum, the capital of The Theocratic Protectorate, where the High Marshall was based in the centre of the Protectorate. She had never been there before, but she knew where to look for Sanctum from her map, and it had been where she had thought it would be. She then asked the Paladins stationed at the Roadblock if she could have permission to visit the High Marshall and if any of them might offer to guide her four of them agreed to guide her and gave her permission to petition the High Marshall for an audience.
Six Paladin knights went through the Portal; two charged off ahead; one went straight to the Captain of the Guard and the other straight to the High Marshall. The other four asked if they could all stop by the Inn outside of the City for Breakfast. Theria recognised that this was probably some sort of delaying protocol to give the City time to prepare for her arrival, so she agreed.
The High Marshall was interrupted by the Paladin kneeling before him; looking up from his scroll, he said, "Report". The Paladin relayed what had happened and the request for an audience with the High Marshall; the High Marshall glared but said I would grant this friend of the Night Elven Assassins, the foul Orcs, a Necromancer and a Chaosmage an audience, but I doubt she'll like my words but she can wait to hear them.
The Paladin dismissed by the Hifh Marshall went straight to the Inn, his colleague was waiting for him at the door to the Inn, and when they signalled to the other four Paladins around Theria and Findel, the eight of them all went to the Grand Audience chamber of The Theocratic Protectorate. Findel and Theria waited for over three hours before the High Marshall entered. Theria checked her ring and noticed it was red, and she perceived the strong white domain the High Marshall had around him; she would not be able to affect him with her powers without a direct confrontation, but the outcome of such was imperceptible at this time but with home field advantage and reinforcements round the corner Theria doubted the wisdom of that course of action. He was scowling slightly when the High Marshal began, "You have dubious friends, and you want to march an army across my lands, and you have killed our one impartial wizard ally that kept the way through the disputed vale open. I have heard wild tales and tall stories about you, but I am not minded to trust these strange words or risk our people's safety for you or your Army. Permission to cross the Protectorate is denied."
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Theria frowned, opened a small portal back to in front of her Army and gestured for Findel to pass through it; she addressed the High Marshall, "The seven Paladins you sent to the Free Orc Cities are in the Dead Continent keeping the Undead in check, and we will no longer cross your territory, it will be as you wish." as she clambered through the small Portal, the High Marshal redened angered, before the High Marshall could reply, Theria closed the portal quickly behind her. Theria opened another large portal just a mile outside the Life Orc City of the Free Orcs Cities and then sent her Great Orc contingent of the Army through the portal first, to go smooth the way with the City shaman, while all the rest of the Army passed through, bypassing the Theocratic Protectorates' cold welcome.
The Life Orcs threw a very warm welcome to Theria and the Grey Elf King Amathithren and their Armies with feasting and celebration in the evening. As a training exercise, Theria had a portal opened to the mine of the Ironchest Dwarves for several days, and an additional larger outer wall of defences was built to strengthen the Life Orc City with all the Army training by digging a defensive ditch or building the significantly stronger defences. Theria hoped this was a waste of effort but she feared this was a necessary precaution. Ballistae and Enchanted ammunition were also left on the new higher ten towers a side square defensive build with the corner towers were four times the size of the other towers having four Ballistae, a floor in the top three floors and being a floor higher than the rest like the Gatehouses in the centre of each side, with a secondary gatehouse further back with two floors each with 12 Ballistae along the front of the Dual Towered across the gate house. 10,000 Bows and many wagons of arrows were deposited to help keep the Orcs safe from attack. The Ironchest Dwarves sent a large contingent of workers through to build Dwarven Epressways from the cellar of the Keep of the Life Orc Free City to the Keep's of the other four Free Orc Cities.
Theria then went back to the Ironchests Dwarven Mines and besides the portal to the Life Orc City, she made four more, one to each of the Other Free Orc Cities and half the garrison from Big Bear, as well as many Ironchest Dwarves, Giant Worker Ants and other volunteers, helped transport the stone necessary to build similar defences at the other cities ready for when the Army marched as when it finished with the Life Orc City they were to march to the Fire Orc Free City and they built the defences again until all five had a secondary wall of defence, this would greatly slow the progress of the Army, but would leave the Orcs much more secure and safer than before.
Each of the free Orc Cities got a Giant Ant Queen egg and a contingent of worker ants who prepared an underground nest for it, and the Orcs were happy with this symbiotic relationship. The Orcs took full advantage of the five parallel portals to transfer Orcs and items between the five Free Orc Cities, and the opportunity to visit Big Bear City and Little Bear town, and also to meet the Ironchest Dwarves at their mines.