At the trembling of the earth, the little dwarven girl’s crying strengthened as she buried her head in Eadwald’s stiff yet somewhat soft chest whilst he calmed the girl, whispering that it was aid heading towards them as he noticed the ivory plated custodiir approaching them, cutting through the kiosks and tents swirling in the center.
On their front, a stalwart orkh led them with pale brownish dry epidermis, a face that just made the dwarf girl bawl her eyes even harder, a chained breastplate hugging his bulky form while the red garments wrapped beneath onto his form. His sunken pallid white eyes glowing in the skinny craters surveyed the three and upon recognizing Aelfsigior greeted the trio and asked Eadwald to follow after him before he bombarded the other custodiir with orders to secure the perimeters and search for any sigh of nekrotic matter.
Vainly, he hoped that an uncareful nekromancer was behind the event, though deep down he knew that was probably not the case. “Before that, we should at least find her parents and search the sewers.” Eadwald said as the girl finally calmed down, mesmerized first by Eadlwad, then by his aevhen companions who forced affable, soothing expressions onto their faces.
“Akul, go notify the merchants that we found one of their children.” Whilst Saugh-Ohrim yelled for a djinn subordinate Aelfsigior introduced him to Eadwald and recounted how the old orkh served as the Arch-Tribuniar in Ulrich’s and Gna’s regiment a few decades before they settled down in Vonschneithar.
“So he served under you uncle?” Eadwald murmured to himself as he eyed the orkh giving out commands as more and more custodiir poured into the market square of the city. Aelfsigior nodded and added on that the three of them grew quite close during a scouting mission in the Vesgeriath Woodland hunting a raiding party of the Host that found a tunnel coursing past the forts at the foot of the mountain. A mission which took them several weeks and ended with them burying the aperture through which the raiding party mostly made up of a few nekromancers and their undead, and Ulrich almost loosing his leg to advanced nekrosis when a nekros leapt forth the aperture and dug its venomous teeth into his leg.
“I can still recall that awful, putrid smell that emanated from your father for at least three months. You should thank Septurrion for delaying the fateful day of their meeting as I have no doubt she would have kept her distance back then.” He added lastly with a cackle noticing Saugh heading towards them with his angular, close visored helmet beneath his pits, massaging his wide forehead adorned with multiple deep lines like a crumpled piece of textile or paper.
“We found her parents. They shall be here soon. Now, it is good to see you here Praefectiar!” Their massive arms locked with a loud bang and for the first time Saugh let a smile form on his face. “And you must be Ulrich’s son. Just as if I was looking at him while his leg rotted away.”
Before Eadwald greeted him back, he noticed the two golden figures in lavish emerald and crimson garments rush through the mud, not caring for the mud flying up onto their extravagant garments as they rushed to their daughter. “And just as noble.” Aelfsigior added softly, and Saugh nodded along whilst Eadwald excused himself to reunite the family.
“Do you have any idea who may be behind it?” As they noticed Eadwald getting bombarded by the grateful family of dwarves, Priernuss introduced himself then asked as they stared at the grizzly form laying vacant in the mud. “Officially, no.” He stopped with a grim expression. “Unofficially, we suspect remnants of a war part hiding in the city, or beneath the city.” He added staring at the grating occupied by vicious darkness and a foul, emanating scent.
“But for now, my only order is to take him back to the castle. The dwarf that came with you fears the boy is the target.” For a moment he stopped with a pensive look then turned at Aelfsigior. “Was there any suspicious folk following you on your way here?” The both aevhei shook their heads in synchrony. “The moment we arrived and headed to find something to fill our half-empty bellies, the screaming began and Eadwald rushed across the crowd and as we followed them, we noticed a few more of the undead already chewing on some folk.”
“So are we heading down?” Just as Aelfsigior finished, Eadwald free from the hugs and kisses of the two dwarves who promised him great wealth and aid he declined as politely as he could returned hearing only parts of what they talked about. “I am afraid not so. As I said you’ll have to come with me to Hevaeck in the palace.”
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“But…” Saugh raised his palm. “Besides if we go down, we shall just get lost in that accursed maze of a sewer.” Eadwald looked at him with the mixture of disbelief and confusion in his eyes. Noticing the confusion, Saugh continued in his raspy voice. “Going down without a map equals suicide my boy, trust me on that one.” He pointed at the dead laying in the mud. “That one was one of my investigators looking for the vagrants and adventurers whom also believed they could solve the city’s issue by going down.”
**
The wooden blade made an arcing sweep, passing just a few centimeters before Ashnan’s pale and scaly visage held back whilst he answered the swing of Azugh in kind by thrusting the wooden spear forward, with the arkhaine points in his arm burning. Azugh let out a groan as the strike’s force traversed through the hide plate over his chest and sent him flying a few meters, where he landed on his knees and elbows panting for air while raising his left hand in surrender.
Ashan grabbed it and with a swift pull aided the young orkh onto his feet whilst pouring his mana into him, easing the pain he himself caused. “Thanks! A little break?” He asked with half a smile while still one hand over his abdomen, his inflexion nearing towards the lows as he still, mildly struggled for air.
“If you need it.” Ashnan said half-mockingly as his webbed hand let go of Azugh’s. The two walked over the edge of the training ground, a large circle with a thick and wide wooden railing with a flat top. Behind them oblong edifices grew forth the dim fortifications with equally gray walls and obsidian roofs which glinted in the mauve, faint amber and cerulean light of the day.
Facing them was the secondary training yard where Gna wrestled with a golem conjured and built up from the muck, ice and snow all hardened by maghia that kept the form moving and gifted it the ability to perceive the incoming strikes of Gna’s fists encased in galvanized gauntlets with sharp rivets emanating a translucent mist. Though whilst it managed to dodge a few of the strikes, Gna still managed to land a hit or two on the golem’s left elbow joint, severing the lower part which quickly went back to its previous states.
The other strike landed at his abdomen, creating a minor dent, a crater of sorts spreading cracks resembling the masterfully sewn web of spiders occupying corners and joints of the beams. A few of the stationed legionariir and custodiir slowly circled around and cheered when Gna swept his fists across the featureless face of muck and ice, they cheered when the golem swept his legs and sent Gna onto the ground, then its leg cut through the air downwards, aiming for Gna’s chest protected by the thick brownish gray plate of ogre hide.
Thanks to his quick reflexes ironed into him by Aelfsigior and even Saugh, Gna leapt onto his feet, narrowly missing the feet that trembled the peaceful earth previously beneath him. He ducked down as the one remaining arm came towards him, and pumping spells into his arm, giving them strength beyond his limits, he thrusted the right forward. It quickly went through the golem’s waist severing the animated muck, ice and snow with a single strike that left him reeling with pain as he drunk too much and reached the first stage of the Rage of Acheryoth thanks to the regret of his own weakness, and the fatherly impulse of not wanting to appear weak before his son whom he just noticed amongst the cheering crowd of soldiers and magusos.
Though he meandered whilst the golem crawled towards him, he managed to soothe the Rage which felt like his muscles exploding whilst seared by heated iron, salt poured on it, though only for a moment, for a moment to crush the head of the golem with a forceful stomp of his own strength. In that moment as the pain coursed through the sole of his feet, he wanted to scream out as loud as he could, he held back by gritting his teeth, biting onto his tongue to the point he almost severed it. He achieved to keep the façade although a single tear still slithered down his prominent cheek bone that desired to penetrate through his thick skin.
“That was amazing father!” Hearing those words made him smile, which almost made him cry out of the pain. Ashnan noticed it a chuckled at the foolishness of his friend then grabbed onto his shoulder while forcing him away from the dispersing crowd. “I know you orkhin have your pride, but next time lose. There is no shame in that old man.” He whispered while helping him down onto the railing while his palm lit up in a soothing warm light of the dawn.
“It wasn’t out of my kin’s pride.” He whispered as he noticed Azugh approaching them after retrieving a bucket of water to sooth their thirst and wash of their sweat. “Still, its better for him to learn that some battles, you can’t win.” Said Ashnan as he rose onto his feet to take the bucket and chugged a bit before giving it to Gna.
Then as he was about to retort, he halted the words amassing in his mind and throat as the legionariir and custodiir lined up at the triangular arch. “Seems we missed out on something interesting.” He said as they noticed Saugh walking in his typical disciplined manner that evoked feelings of nostalgia within Gna and then saw Aelfsigior, Priernuss and Eadwald following after him with various expressions ranging from delighted to awkward.